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Chapter 15: The Food of God’s

“Once again, it’s proven that nothing clears up emotional relationships quite like alcohol.”

Bam★~!

As I uncorked the bottle of red wine from the wine cooler, a gentle aroma wafted through the room.

We had already finished one bottle, but drunk on sweet ambiance, no one seemed to care.

In this more relaxed atmosphere, the topic of discussion inevitably turned to streamer broadcasting.

“Can I edit the footage from the last stream?”

“That’s a bad idea. It’s best to find an editor. You have plenty of money, so you just need to care about quality.”

Today’s Sehee’s first streaming stage was a success.

For someone like me, getting 6,000 viewers in a first stream was a number only possible in flights of fancy.

And that was in less than three hours! Even Dayoung couldn’t guess how many would tune in during the weekend live stream.

Having shown potential here, it was now time to prepare for explosive growth.

—Whisking through.

“Oh, red wine. I like the sweet ones.”

“It’ll feel better the more you drink. Give it a try.”

I said, urging them like an enthusiastic aunt, with this level of imbalance.

Handing over the glass with a smirk, the clear glass filled with rich aromas and colors.

Taking a sip, I continued my earlier conversation.

“For someone like you, who’s practically guaranteed to be a corporate streamer, doing it in an audition format is the norm. There should be plenty of applicants.”

Layering the bitter aftertaste of the wine with a piece of cake, I stuffed it into my mouth.

My cheeks puffing up like a squirrel, but Dayoung had no way of knowing.

She simply thought… It was fine to just enjoy the view right in front of her.

“Until we find an editor, should I roughly oversee the videos?”

“Can you edit too?”

“Since I came back, I’ve only been a novice… So, I ended up being self-sufficient.”

“Whoa.”

While continuing to listen to their conversation, I realized that Dayoung was quite a talented person.

As I blinked my eyes, Dayoung clapped her hands as if she’d just remembered something.

“Sis, what are you going to do about the chat room manager?”

“Why the manager?”

“Well, your stream attracts too much attention, so various kinds of trouble might swarm in.”

Especially someone like Bbaebba, that’s something I decided to swallow down.

It was an incident that had ended with an apology, so there was no need to bring it up again.

Ignoring Dayoung’s inner thoughts, Sehee simply concentrated on the advice just given.

“Ultimately, you’ll have to trust a reliable person as the manager. How did you handle it, Dayoung?”

“Usually, you do hire one for this, but it’s trickier than finding an editor. If you’re not careful, personal cliques could ruin the stream itself.”

Are we still stuck on the clique problem?

Well, as long as human nature doesn’t change, it’s something that’ll always follow.

“It’s hard to distinguish the wheat from the chaff if you don’t set some standards like with an editor. You need to set guidelines and keep an eye on things.”

Even with all that caution, trouble might still pop up if luck isn’t on your side.

Well, I guess it might just come down to trial and error, you know.

Around the time we reached this conclusion, a major development arose for Sehee and Dayoung.

None other than….

“I….”

Quietly raising her hand while only snacking on cake, Bbaebba made a surprising declaration.

“I’ll be the chat room manager. Bitch… Sehee.”

“…….”

“…….”

Why are you coming out from there?

“You again…!”

“Wait, Dayoung.”

Calming the angry Dayoung, Sehee calmly focused her gaze on Bbaebba.

There was no sinister plot in her eyes.

Just a strange passion that seemed to wish to do something appeared in those frog-like eyes.

“I’m saying I’ll manage everything as long as it doesn’t interfere with either of your streaming times. No need for pay.”

“Why? You don’t have to step in.”

“Well….”

Bbaebba, scratching the back of her head, lowered her head with a downcast look as she replied.

“I’m also part of the Hero’s party. I should be a help to Dayoung, but instead, I’ve just dragged her down and ruined both our homes and society.”

“…Bbaebba.”

“I want to make up for it this time.”

So you finally understand my feelings!

Feeling a rush of emotion, Dayoung’s eyes met Bbaebba’s as she felt a bit awkward and scratched the back of her head before smiling sheepishly.

“I’ve realized a lot from this. I’m sorry, Dayoung. And also you, Bitch-Sehee.”

To stop the flood of overwhelming feelings, I covered my mouth with both hands.

Previously, when I pressed Bbaebba, asking if she had lost her pride as a hero.

That question had left a heavy yoke in Dayoung’s heart as well.

A long journey to defeat the Demon King, overcoming dangers and trials together, had opened our hearts to one another.

Just how much hurt had those words caused about denying our past days?

—Drip.

Finally obtaining her pride as a member of the Hero’s party, I had no doubt a single tear fell from Dayoung’s eye.

“…….”

While Dayoung was lost in a whirlwind of emotions, Sehee remained calm, calculating this situation.

Well, we weren’t on the same level as Dayoung, who had exchanged such deep emotions.

Anyway, Bbaebba managing the chat room….

‘It’s not a bad selection… maybe?’

Probably?

There’s no chance of turning the stream into a mess with personal cliques, and since I’ll keep an eye on things anyway.

That frog isn’t someone who can form friendships under normal circumstances.

No matter what happens, I could press for answers directly if an incident occurred.

Though I tilted my head slightly, there weren’t exactly any talents to save right now.

Leaving the chat room, which felt like the end of the world, unattended was just as much of a problem.

“Alright, give it a try.”

“OK. Thanks.”

Hmm.

There’s something about that reply that feels unsettling.

* * *

Having already consumed three bottles, the cold felt strangely warm.

Leaning against the balcony railing and gazing up at the night sky, the wine had quite an atmosphere to it.

Not wanting the stuffy indoor air, Sehee had suggested we drink outside.

Who would’ve thought it was a house with its own exclusive balcony?

“Here, cover this.”

Wrapped in cozy warmth, my body involuntarily curled up.

“It’s alright.”

“You were shivering even now. Cold is cold, whether you drink or not. Your body just doesn’t feel it. If you carry on like this, your mouth will slip.”

“You’re the one.”

I swallowed my words, but Sehee seemed to have already caught on, smirking.

“I’m a bit different from you, so it’s okay.”

“…….”

She keeps saying such things. This Hero pride is getting ridiculous.

“What do you mean ‘a different hero?’ In the end, you and I both took down the Demon King, right?”

“Oh, that? Well, if we were playing a game, it’d be the difference in experience points, wouldn’t it?”

“I apologize for being a hero with only two years of experience.”

“I’m just a streamer with a mere one day of experience, so it’s fine.”

Though I might be a rookie, I’m still an exceptional one.

As we filled each other’s glasses, the conversation veered toward impressions of streaming.

“Did something trigger you to become a streamer, Dayoung?”

“Umm, well, it’s a bit of an old story… I mentioned it before, but it looked fun.”

Looking up at the sky, the weather was surprisingly clear for Seoul.

Stars were brightly shining, a rare sight indeed on a night like this.

Wasn’t it just the perfect ambiance to reminisce about the past?

“I don’t know if it’s because I hit puberty or something, but I had felt nothing exciting in my life, nor any expectations or hopes for the future. I was just wasting away my time.”

Then, by chance, I saw a famous streamer’s game stream, and it was so much fun…

Before I knew it, I was getting excited watching it. That’s when I thought to myself, I want to do this too….”

I continued my story while finishing my drink in one go.

“Well, it’s funny to put such meaning on streaming, but it was like that for me. Doing it turned out to be fun as well.”

“You’re acting all serious. I just did it to get some attention.”

“Pfft! Totally an attention seeker.”

“Yeah, I know. Totally an attention seeker, indeed?”

“――.”

“――.”

“――.”

“――.”

‘Nice.’

It’s a long time since I’ve had such ordinary conversations.

‘Having a normal conversation… is enjoyable.’

Finding it humorous to think that something so trivial was a big deal made me smile.

Sharing feelings, it felt… this warm, ticklish, and fun?

Since I returned, all the friendships I had already known were devastated.

As a Hero and a streamer, I felt like I shared feelings with someone I couldn’t tell anyone else about.

‘Oh man, I’m dizzy.’

Ah, it feels like I’ve drunk more than when I was at home.

It’s been a while since I drank, so it’s hitting me hard.

Maybe I should excuse myself and head inside soon.

As I tried to move my body, suddenly…

‘Huh?’

My legs suddenly went weak.

My staggering body, like a puppet with its strings cut loose, was about to fall over.

“Whew!”

Thanks to my sister catching me, I managed to avoid the embarrassing incident of using the floor as a bed after losing my balance.

“I’m loosened up. Let’s have a quick breather.”

Trying to catch my breath as I sat in a chair made my head tilt to one side.

Leaning my face against the warm shoulder, I felt her arm stretch out to embrace me.

An appropriate feeling of leaning and binding tickled my heart.

“Dayoung, if you did this in college, you might’ve gotten in serious trouble.”

“Phew—. Are there even guys like that?”

“Why not? You’re pretty. If you go to college, there’ll be tons of guys wanting to hit on you.”

“Hmph, Hmph. Well….”

Realizing that was a compliment, her chuckling demeanor was downright cute.

In moments like this, I couldn’t help but want to ruffle her soft cheeks.

‘Aah…’

As gentle fingers brushed against her, a small sigh escaped from Dayoung.

As I thinklessly gazed into the distance, I caught a glimpse of Sehee’s blonde hair fluttering by my nose.

When I touched it with my hand and patted it lightly, it felt smoother than any texture, stirring a desire to bury myself in her hair right then and there.

Is that why, with thoughts I wouldn’t usually entertain, curious imaginations began to swirl in Dayoung’s mind.

Ahh, whether that’s due to the alcohol, I don’t know.

But deep down, I think maybe she’s a player who stepped slightly beyond the boundaries of the forbidden.

The landlord. A beauty. A Hero. Kind in personality too.

She treats me well.

Given all that, isn’t it okay?

‘But… she was a guy.’

The mental barrier that would normally arise if she were genuinely a girl began to slightly crack at the revelation that Sehee had previously been a guy.

“Sis.”

In a voice slightly cracking from the warmth, I called out to Sehee, who had lent me her shoulder.

“Before being summoned to this other world… you said you were a guy, right?”

“I did. Why?”

“Then do you like guys, or do you like girls?”

Without hesitation, Sehee answered my pointed question.

“Probably girls?”

At that answer, Dayoung lifted her blushing face to meet her gaze.

With her wet eyes rolling, hiding the flames that flared up, this was an approach made with the strength borrowed from alcohol.

Before the hazy strands of consciousness slipped away, I scarcely opened my mouth through my blurred vision.

“If… you were still a guy right now….”

After holding her tongue momentarily, Dayoung continued.

“Like you said before… would you make a move on me?”

With that daring question, she suddenly slumped.

Seeing her steady breathing, it seemed she had knocked out from exhaustion.

Given how she had been drinking continuously, it was hardly surprising.

“Whew!”

While supporting Dayoung’s back as she was about to fall over, a sense of helpless laughter escaped my lips.

“Such a bad girl.”

Seriously now…

After throwing out such a difficult question, to just run away like this, it left the one left holding the bag in an awkward situation.

A question that popped up at an unexpected moment could’ve left me flustered.

Well, at least for Dayoung’s sake, it might be fortunate she wouldn’t hear my answer.

“Go wash your feet and get some sleep. Don’t think of anything weird.”

I can’t accept your feelings, my lovely little sister.

Looking up at the twinkling night sky, the stars sparkled as if to respond to my heart.

 

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