Chapter 9 : Let’s eat (1)

– Breaking News) Streamer hitting on a man. Is this world okay?
– Isn’t it like, 6 months in prison for sexually harassing a man?
– What’s with the 6-month prison sentence?
– Choi Yena’s been weird since the start of the game, she finally did it lol
– Is this the end of today’s broadcast?

“N-No, I mean!!”

Embarrassed by her own words, she hurried to make excuses, but the chat was already busy teasing her.
I roughly understood what she wanted to say, so I spoke to her while she bickered with the viewers.
It was something I wanted to say anyway.

“Should we stream?”

“Huh?”

“It’s fun. I like that so many people watch insignificant me, cheer me on, and I envy how close you are with them.”

“Me?? With these guys??”

Yena struck an exaggerated pose, but her smile couldn’t be hidden.
They were having a pointless conversation while playfully posing, but for some reason, watching them made me think of a small dream I once had.

I want to share with them the feelings Yena allowed me to experience.
I want to show those who wandered like me the world I experienced.

I want to stream.

– WooSeok, I’ll follow you anywhere. Any platform, I’m ready.
– Take my wallet. I’ve never donated here before!
– Are we saying we’re close with Yena? LOL Absolutely not.
– WooSeok, I’ve already abandoned Yena. I only need you!
– Who’s Yena?

“That’s good enough, right? See, everyone likes it.”

“Well, I’m worried about how these guys will live without me.”

“Not to that extent.”

Maybe my always boring life could change too.
Bitna’s face as she acted cute suddenly came to mind, but I shook my head, trying to forget.
The broadcast she showed and the broadcast I aim for are different.

“It’s already 8, want to go get dinner? My treat.”

I really enjoyed the game.
I didn’t even realize how much time had passed.

Adjusting to being in a different world, with no time to think, I got dragged along by Yena and played three long games.
Moreover, I was so focused that I honestly had no time to think about anything else.

“D-Dinner!!!!”

– Wow..
– Yena, you promised a late-night stream today!
– Mom, are you abandoning me? Mom, are you abandoning me? Mom, are you abandoning me?
– I’ll buy that meal ticket. I can really pay up to 10 million won.
– Don’t go, don’t go, don’t go! Are you taking the express train to rock bottom?
– Us or WooSeok. Choose quickly.
– I think I’m losing my mind. I think I’m gonna eat out for lunch. I think I’m losing my mind.

“Of course dinner with WooSeok over you guys! What late-night stream? Bye losers! I’m going to eat with a M!A!N!!”

– Crossing the line now.
– Behave yourself, or you’ll go down the drain.
– Mom, don’t abandon me, I’ll be good. Mom, don’t abandon me.

“Yeah~ no-man-having~ a no-man-having loser~ I’m going to eat with WooSeok~”

– Argh, want to flick your forehead.
– WooSeok, really, just hit her once.

Granting the viewers’ wishes, I flicked Yena’s forehead as she was showing off.
She needs to calm down, how far is her tension going to go?

This is Choi Yena, but she used to restrain herself in front of me.
Maybe this is her true nature, and in the original world, she hid it so well that it fits her like a glove.

The reason she attracts so many viewers in a world without men is probably because people with such charm are truly rare.
The kind of person that makes you feel happy just by watching them.

“Ouch!”

– In our industry, that’s a reward…
– Yena’s really enjoying everything today.
– I requested it, I want to get hit too…

“Calm down. So, you want to go now? I’ll pick you up.”

“Yes! How can a man be driving! I’ll escort you, can I just go home?”

“It’s really okay…. Fine, take your time.”

“WooSeok, you didn’t have a bodyguard, did you? Get one quickly. You don’t seem to realize how dangerous it is for a man in this harsh world.”

A bodyguard? What a strange word.
That woman on the street earlier too, that kind of occupation really exists?
I mean, people who only guard men?

– No bodyguard?
– Mom! I want to be a bodyguard starting today!
– Wow, really naive… Is this the virgin beach?

“Okay, okay. I’ll be waiting. Should we say goodbye to the viewers?”

“Yeah. I think they’ll all like it.”

– No, not at all?
– Me.
– We’re a little salty about you guys going out to eat without us?
– Don’t go.
– Rock.

“Haha, should we just go then?”

Who cares if Yena goes to rock bottom or whatever.
Even now, I’m not paying attention to the chat, just thinking about what to eat.

– Sorry, say goodbye.
– We’re sorry, we’re sorry, we’re sorry.

Maybe changing your mind every chance you get is the charm of broadcasting.
There’s a reason why there’s such a thing as synergy.
Especially these guys, they’ve been with Yena for so long that every word they say has a natural flow.

“Thank you for today. Thanks to you, I had fun playing games. If I start streaming, you’ll all come visit, right?”

– Of course!
– Already clipped everything from today and I’m going to rewatch it until you come back!
– WooSeok, I’ve got the money ready!!
– Holding my breath until WooSeok shows his face again. *inhales*!
– Is what it says, doctor?

“Then see you later!”

“The 51,201 of you who didn’t donate today. You’re all blocked….”

– What’s she saying?
– You think we came to see you?
– Move out of the way and show us WooSeok quickly.

“These guys, really! You know you’ll all be blocked!”

– Moo
– Try and catch me.
– Bing
– Moo

What’s funny is that even though these guys have different nationalities and live in different places, their internet memes somehow click perfectly.
Like streamer, like viewers.
No, the other way around.

“Kkuk… Bye~ I’m going to eat! See you tomorrow~ I’ll tell you all about it~”

– Getting called out if you lose your virginity. You know, right?
– Behave yourself.

Just like at the beginning, as I waved my hand in the air, the active chat window disappeared.
The sudden silence in the same space felt a little lonely.

“How was it?”

“It’s good. Seriously.”

“WooSeok, I’m glad you’re positive about streaming. Honestly, I thought a lot about suggesting it today.”

“Don’t mention it between us. I’m hungry. I’ll end the call first, come quickly.”

“Y-Yeah! Let’s talk more when we meet.”

Leaving Yena behind, I logged out of the game.
The capsule opened and I stepped out, but unlike last time when I just cursed and left, I felt good.

The viewers who praised and liked me for trivial things.
Yena, who chatted excitedly with the viewers.
I really liked how they interacted in real time.

“Oppa, you’re out?”

I ran into my sister on my way out of the room.
Drenched in sweat as if she had just finished exercising, she didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding her body.

Usually, she would yell at me for looking.
With a flying fist as a bonus.

“Yeah, I’m going out for a bit.”

“Dad said not to go out without a bodyguard. Do you really have no sense of danger, oppa? In this day and age…”

Her nagging was just as long in this world as it was in the other one.
It doesn’t make sense to grab a random passerby and lecture them for over 10 minutes.

“Yes, yes. I’ll definitely choose one. I’ll get going then?”

“Take your security device!!! You know the emergency button, right?”

“I know, I know. Am I a kid?”

“You’re not a kid, but you’re a man.”

“I’m stronger than you, so don’t worry.”

“You know I’m only holding back because it’s Yena unnie.”

“I’m eating dinner out~”

After saying goodbye to my sister, I went to the place I promised to meet Yena, and she was already waiting with the car.
If you’re nervous enough to eat gold-foil-wrapped candy, how did we become friends in this world?

I felt a little playful, seeing her nervous appearance.
I carefully approached her and whispered right behind her.

She kept searching for something on her phone, and I could see a glimpse of a green frog, so maybe that’s why.
Yena, unaware of my approach, was lost in her own world.

“Why are you here so early? We still have 30 minutes until our appointment.”

“Hic. Kek!! Kek!!”

Startled by my sudden voice, Yena seemed to have choked on what she was eating.
I patted her back as she clutched her throat in distress.
I didn’t expect such a good reaction.

“How come you’ve become a gag character both on and off stream?”

“Kek!! Kek!!”

She really looked like she was about to die, so I patted her back a little more sincerely.
When I hit her back with a little more force, a candy popped out with her cough.

“Worst first impression ever…”

“Plenty of time to make up for it. It’s not even our first impression.”

I put the saliva-covered candy in a plastic bag kept in the car and told Yena, who was feeling gloomy, to head to our destination.

“This is a famous place. Are you sure it’s okay to go? It’s expensive.”

Leon de Bruxelles.
I remember it being quite expensive, even by global standards.
It was pricey enough that even I hesitated to go.

“Of course~ I make a lot of money streaming.”

“That’s strange, considering you didn’t get any donations today.”

“Th-That’s because you…”

“Kkuk, just kidding. Sorry about today.”

“Oh, no, not at all! Advertising costs aren’t cheap either. Besides, 50,000 viewers…. That’s really record-breaking!”

“So you’re saying you’ll treat me?”

“Of course! What kind of woman asks a man to pay?”

“If this was on stream, the viewers would have something to say.”

“Ugh…. Don’t talk about them.”

“Since we’re on the subject, should we just turn on an outdoor stream?”

“No!!”

“Huh?”

Yena stopped me mid-sentence, reaching out her hand to prevent me from starting the stream.
Then, realizing her hand had touched mine, she quickly pulled it back and made an excuse.

“Since it’s just the two of us, can’t we just… eat by ourselves?”

Has Yena always been this pretty?
She didn’t dress up like this when we were just friends, but she looks especially pretty today, all dressed up.

Her smooth nape leading down to her deep collarbone.
And below that, her breasts making their own statement….

Actually, it would have been better if her tan was a bit lighter.
This makes her look exactly like a dark-haired Western Chad.

“WooSeok?”

“Oh, yeah. Yeah.”

“Should I… turn on the stream?”

“No, it’s fine. Let’s just eat together.”

“Okay! Heehee.”

This is crazy.
With the gender roles reversed, there’s no way Yena wouldn’t be this adorable.
Yena seems to have no idea how she looks, constantly glancing at me.

“You drive differently than when you’re playing Speed Battle?”

“Should I drive this car while getting shot at?”

“Not bad if I’m with you.”

*Screech*

As soon as I finished speaking, Yena slammed on the brakes.
Since there was nothing in front of us, I wasn’t expecting it at all, and the recoil was stronger than I thought.

“Whoa, why?”

“Don’t flirt so suddenly…. A virgin like me gets flustered. No, anyone would if you did that.”

We used to joke around like this a lot in the past, but now it’s become a bit much for her.
With a slight bitterness, I turned my gaze to the window.

In the evening Seoul, where neon signs wrapped around the city, all the advertisements were occupied by men.
Wherever I looked, there was only one gender.

“I heard they’re pretty conservative, but they seem to film a lot of commercials?”

“What are you talking about? Those are all CG. Where would you find men filming commercials~”

“Oh, right. Yeah…”

“Even now, all the National Assembly members are trying to please men, so they’re making a fuss about taking those down.”

“The political side is trying to please them too?”

“Of course! Last time, they forcibly passed a law requiring men to marry at least one woman, but a few men couldn’t stand it and committed suicide, so that entire party got wiped out, remember?”

“R-Right…?”

“They should be grateful that polygamy is even allowed… they’ve gotten too comfortable.”

Looking at Yena muttering as we passed by the advertisements, I started to worry a little about my own chastity…