Among those who share a particular hobby, there exists one literary work, revered as a sacred text.
In the opening chapter of that very literature, an angel proclaimed that all things are bound by cause and effect.
Cause and effect, quite literally, denotes the relationship between a cause and its resulting outcome.
Kang Nari found herself capable of hypothesizing a remarkably specific example of this principle.
One day, she had encountered a girl who appeared outwardly strong but was inwardly tender.
Upon their first meeting, the girl had seemed to be afflicted by various mental health struggles.
Noting her susceptibility to monetary temptations, Kang Nari had surmised that she must have led a life of poverty.
More recently, she had learned that the girl had grown up alone in an orphanage, enduring a difficult childhood.
It was at this juncture that the sense of unease Kang Nari had previously dismissed resurfaced.
Her social aversion.
The girl had claimed it did not stem from bullying during her school days.
Her tendency to avoid femininity.
This manifested as a strong aversion to compliments about her appearance, a disinterest in sweet treats, a preference for gender-neutral clothing, and even a neglect of basic grooming like brushing or drying her disheveled hair.
When all these results were gathered, they coalesced into a single, horrific cause.
‘…Could it be that her particular distaste for sexually suggestive remarks in the chat also stemmed from this?’
Kang Nari, too, had entered the entertainment industry from a young age and had encountered her share of unsavory comments.
However, she had parents and an agency to protect her from such remarks.
But what about Yoo Seo-ha, who possessed such striking looks yet lacked any guardian?
Surely, she must have been relentlessly harassed throughout her life.
Kang Nari abruptly halted her premature speculations.
Whether true or false, merely imagining such a thing would be a grave disrespect to the person concerned.
It was the kind of thing that should never be brought to light.
Of course, if Kang Nari were to voice her current delusions to Yoo Seo-ha herself,
‘Me, sexually harassed? The mere thought is awful, but if that were truly the case… I wouldn’t have made crude jokes like ‘cone’ or ‘two mouths’ (TL Note: “콘돔 (condom)” and “입이 두 개 (two mouths)” are often used in Korean slang for sexual innuendos, particularly in a vulgar or crude context.).’ would likely be the only response.
Yet Kang Nari, trapped by the fallacy of confirmation bias, would undoubtedly twist even such refutations to fit her narrative.
Kang Nari, the novice author who had successfully serialized a parody novel in her mind, shook her head, dispelling her thoughts.
To banish these distractions, she deliberately decided to focus on another idea.
Though the subject had shifted, the central figure remained the same.
‘I’ve overlooked it until now, but Seo-ha’s typing speed has always been notably slow….’
It seemed that her claim of having injured her hand as a child was not a lie after all.
However, the current Yoo Seo-ha uses her hands with such dexterity that she has achieved a score of 2,750 points.
Could an injury so severe that she couldn’t even hold chopsticks until adulthood be completely healed without any lingering after-effects?
Based on Kang Nari’s understanding, it was utterly unfathomable.
Perhaps then, she had suffered from some rare disease, one not easily brought to mind.
Kang Nari, the prodigious rookie author.
Barely any time had passed since she completed her debut work, yet she was already embarking on a sequel.
Perhaps it was encouraging that this time, the genre wasn’t pure fantasy, but rather a contemporary fantasy (TL Note: A Korean genre, ‘hyeonpan,’ that blends modern reality with fantasy elements) that mixed fantastical elements with reality.
Thus, Kang Nari had contracted an occupational hazard unavoidable for any creator.
Namely, the symptom of developing empathy for characters burdened with tragic backstories.
This was the catalyst that led her to resolve to treat Seo-ha with greater warmth from this day forward.
“Knock, knock!”
“Seo-ha? I’m here.”
“Oh, Boss. You’re here? Come in.”
The reason for her visit to Yoo Seo-ha’s home stemmed from the events of the previous day.
Having promised to start a personal broadcast tomorrow evening, Kang Nari was there to help with the streaming setup.
“Is this your room, Seo-ha?”
“Yes… it’s a bit small, isn’t it?”
“It’s perfect for living alone, though.”
Her initial impression was that it was surprisingly girlish.
The wallpaper and furniture, much like Yoo Seo-ha’s wallet she had seen before, exuded the sensibility of an ordinary woman’s belongings.
This realization added a layer of plausibility to the maiden work she had been composing on her way to Yoo Seo-ha’s house.
It suggested that Yoo Seo-ha merely disliked outwardly displaying her femininity, while her true tastes were as ordinary as Kang Nari’s own.
With a gentle stroke.
“Why are you suddenly stroking my head?”
“Hmm. Because you’re admirable for living so well on your own?”
“Well, you are reaching the age where maternal instincts start to kick in….”
“You brat! Do you think you’ll never get old?!”
“Uh-buh-buh…!!”
Unable to resist, Kang Nari instantly grabbed Yoo Seo-ha’s cheeks.
Ah, she had just resolved to become more affectionate starting today.
Yet, maintaining that upright resolve in Yoo Seo-ha’s presence proved to be an exceedingly difficult task.
“Ahem. My apologies. But weren’t you only supposed to say things like that during broadcasts?”
“…It’s okay because Boss is a frie…nd….”
“Ugh. You’re cute.”
“Guh-woook. Ugh.”
Her timid, hesitant words involuntarily elicited the exclamation ‘cute’ from Kang Nari.
How could one person be so two-faced?
Just when she thought Yoo Seo-ha was being annoying, she’d suddenly do something adorable; yet, just when she was ready to dote on her, Yoo Seo-ha would blurt out infuriating remarks.
“Boss, when does the Disciple CK (TL Note: A ‘Creator Killer’ or ‘Content King’ competition, often a showmatch between streamers and their mentees) you’re participating in begin?”
“Exactly one week left… It starts directly with the Round of 16.”
“So there aren’t any preliminaries, it seems.”
“Right. From the start, applications were accepted for 16 female streamers (TL Note: ‘Yeo-cam’ refers to female broadcasters, often in gaming or just chatting categories) with similar scores.”
Naturally, most of Triarchia’s female streamers were acquainted with one another.
They were people who had either faced each other once or twice in past tournaments or had collaborated on joint broadcasts.
That’s why Kang Nari was determined to prove herself in this tournament.
She had heard that a colleague, matched against her in the Round of 16, was already celebrating a guaranteed easy win into the quarterfinals.
“Ugh…! I’ll win somehow and get my revenge!! They’re looking down on me so much!!”
“That’s good motivation. Shall we stage an underdog’s rebellion?”
“Absolutely!!”
Three weeks of practice.
During the first week, practicing alone, her skills showed no discernible signs of improvement.
However, in the week she spent with Yoo Seo-ha, Kang Nari had grown beyond recognition.
Even considering that her opponents were also training under former and current professional players and improving….
Kang Nari had genuinely reached a level where she could contend for the top ranks.
“But Boss. Do you know that what happens after victory is even more important?”
“…What are you talking about?”
When Kang Nari subtly shifted her gaze towards Yoo Seo-ha, she found her looking back with her characteristic impish grin.
A chilling sensation inexplicably crept over her.
For whenever that particular smile graced Yoo Seo-ha’s otherwise adorable face, it invariably heralded a deluge of remarks that defied conventional wisdom.
“Boss… Just imagine. The scenario where you’ve brilliantly defeated an opponent who’s been looking down on you, and then you completely rile them up in the chat….”
“I told you! I’m not doing something like that!”
“If you were to say something like, ‘Is your condition not great today? I thought you’d block it, seeing how hard you worked on your early build. ㅠ’… How do you think your opponent would react?”
Gulp. Kang Nari felt herself involuntarily leaning in, her ears eager.
She would never say such a thing to a complete stranger, but wasn’t this opponent someone she already knew?
Moreover, there was an established narrative of the opponent having dismissed her first.
Even Kang Nari, having endured such an insult, couldn’t be entirely devoid of a desire for revenge.
“And then, in the winner’s interview, you say… that you’re disappointed you couldn’t showcase the late-game strategy you’d diligently prepared.”
“You wicked!”
The implication was: ‘Unlike you, I practiced my late-game strategy, but you were so terrible that you crumpled before I even had a chance to show it.’
These were words laced with biting sarcasm.
How would the opponent feel if subjected to this?
They would surely need to book a dental appointment in the near future.
Because their teeth would all be ground down.
“Boss! Declare it to the world! That betting on you to win, not on your opponent, is the correct choice (TL Note: ‘Jeongbae’ in betting refers to the favorite or the most likely outcome)!”
“It’s not a single match, but best of three. What if I lose then?!”
“Hehe. Now you’re not refusing out of aversion to ‘teabagging’ (TL Note: A taunt in online games where a player repeatedly crouches over a defeated opponent’s character), but worrying about other aspects?”
“…….”
“Don’t worry. Just one more week like this… and you’ll be able to beat someone around 1,500 points 2-0.”
A sinister hand was guiding Kang Nari down the path of a superstar.
The problem was that her heart was swayed.
If she truly acted upon those words, countless viewers’ attention would undoubtedly be drawn to her.
Given that she, once deemed the weakest, had orchestrated such a turnaround, it would surely create a significant ripple effect.
This, in turn, signified the growth of her broadcast.
“Courtesy? Respect? Those aren’t virtues for the strongest. Overwhelming arrogance, that’s what draws people in….”
“But I’m far too lacking to be called the strongest….”
“Ah. The core point is that it doesn’t matter even if Boss doesn’t win the championship.”
Yoo Seo-ha clicked her tongue and shook her head.
As if the main objective wasn’t victory at all.
“Is that even possible? If I ‘teabag’ and then lose, won’t I just become a laughingstock…?”
“A person with average skill and good manners who goes unnoticed. And a person with lacking skill, but who once made viewers burst out laughing and left a deep impression. From a streamer’s perspective, who holds the advantage?”
Only then did Kang Nari understand.
Was there even a need to state it?
Even an elementary school student would know that the latter invariably held the advantage.
In this industry, the most dreaded evaluation is ‘no fun’ (TL Note: A Korean slang term, ‘nojaem,’ meaning boring or unentertaining).
What Yoo Seo-ha had just proposed was a method to increase viewership, regardless of the Disciple CK’s outcome.
“Boss! I have no doubt that you possess our kind of talent. Come, join us!”
A hand was extended.
Kang Nari stared blankly at the outstretched hand.
Hesitation, it seemed, was her first instinct.
Even if she shared a friendly relationship with her opponent, teabagging remained firmly within the realm of poor sportsmanship.
If she mishandled it, she could end up facing a barrage of criticism.
Being branded as unlikeable would be utterly fatal for a broadcaster.
Of course, with an academic authority who seemed to hold a doctorate in [The Art of Teabagging While Staying Within the Lines] by her side, she wasn’t overly concerned….
Yet, caution was unavoidable.
Thus, Kang Nari deliberated repeatedly.
Ultimately….
…she grasped the outstretched hand.
“Just… for the tournament.”
“Everyone starts that way.”
“I feel like I’ve stepped into a forbidden territory….”
“Welcome, comrade.”
“Even so, I’m not as bad as you are?!”
Afterward, they shared a late lunch and finalized the broadcast setup.
There was a moment when Yoo Seo-ha confidently insisted on using chopsticks,
But she was ultimately defeated by the slippery stainless steel utensils.
In the end, she resorted to spearing her side dishes.
“Hmm. I’ll have to buy wooden chopsticks.”
“I don’t think that’s the problem… Anyway, I’m going back to the shop now, okay?”
“Yep. Thank you so much.”
“Okay! See you during the evening joint broadcast.”
Today’s joint broadcast proceeded as usual.
This meant Yoo Seo-ha primarily attacked the two of them, though she was occasionally met with counterattacks.
Of course, those counterattacks were invariably blocked by her ‘orphan shield’ (TL Note: A dark humor tactic where a character uses their unfortunate background, like being an orphan, to deflect criticism or gain sympathy).
After a day passed without incident.
Finally, the promised broadcast day arrived.
****
– atem551 has sponsored 1,000 won!
[F*ck, I didn’t say anything, why am I banned for 30 days??]
“Atem551. Let’s see, you typed ‘I wanna suck Seo-ha’s tiny little fingers rawr XD’ in Boss’s chat, didn’t you?”
– lIllI1l1 has sponsored 1,000 won!
[I’m a barcode, how did you ban me sh*t]
“Are there one or two barcode users (TL Note: ‘Barcode user’ refers to a username made of repeated identical characters, often used to avoid recognition or to troll) in Triarchia? I can tell them apart just by looking. And the reason for your ban is because you typed ‘I’ll mobilize 500 alt accounts to praise you sexually~.'”
[How is the first broadcast a f*cked-up show followed by a forensic broadcast LOLOLOLOLOL]
[It’s f*cking hilarious that all the troublemakers got jailed LOLOLOLOLOL]
[Couldn’t even imagine it for real LOLOLOLOL]
[A true broadcaster making content from day one LOLOL]
[LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL]
– Seo-ha’s Soup has sponsored 100,000 won!
[I only said nice things, so why am I banned for 50 years? ㅠ^ㅠ]
“In our room, if you’re ‘making soup’ (TL Note: ‘Yuksu urida,’ lit. ‘to make broth,’ is slang for excessively fawning over or being overly devoted to a female streamer, often implying a creepy or obsessive fan), you’re banned. Especially you, I have no intention of unbanning you unless you change your nickname.”
An unspoken rule that those who sponsor a large sum get unbanned?
That’s irrelevant to me, as I plan to quit broadcasting after exactly four days.
The streamer’s dictatorship-style broadcast, suppressing free speech.
ON.
