A Basement-Dwelling Loser, the Inquisitor – Chapter 239

[Tuni: Rene, are you really streaming like this lately?]

[Inquisition Officer: Huh?]

While I was taking a break and turning off the stream,

a sudden message from Tuni arrived.

What does she mean by “Are you streaming like this?”

Did I make some mistake in my recent broadcasts?

The content of the message Tuni sent made me ponder many things.

But no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure out what the issue was…

[Tuni: Ah, I sent that weird message because I was surprised.]

[Tuni: Are you really streaming in that kind of atmosphere lately?]

[Tuni: You’re not having a hard time or anything, right? You’re really okay, right?]

…What on earth does she want to say?

★

Recently, Rene was a major company streamer that no one could dispute.

Of course, she was slightly different from other regular major company streamers.

She didn’t often play trending games nor did she build crews with other streamers, and she didn’t get help from MCN during her early days.

It was the madness generated by Rene’s natural personality.

That was what made her intriguing to the fans and shaped the current streamer known as Rene.

Of course, having such unique traits was essential to grow into a major company, but Rene belonged to a particular kind of major company.

“Hmmm…”

Thus, even from Tuni’s perspective, who tries to watch other streams for reference, it was hard to see Rene’s broadcasts as good reference material.

But still, the reason Tuni was watching Rene’s stream is… there wasn’t any particular reason.

On particularly exhausting and tiring days like today, she would watch other major company streams for study, and at the end, she would watch Rene’s stream.

It just became a routine at some point.

‘It probably started when Rene asked us to watch her stream.’

It wasn’t that she insisted on watching the live broadcast or that she focused on it.

It was just a way to relieve stress by watching without any thoughts.

And this time, it was the first time in almost a month that she watched Rene’s stream.

Sure, they did collabs, and Rene would sincerely respond to questions, but she hadn’t directly watched her stream like this.

“Hmm…?”

However, today while watching Rene’s stream, there were quite a few things that were bothering her.

[Hey, everyone… that’s not it, so why is everyone acting like this…?]

And it didn’t take long for her to figure out the reason.

Chat window.

The atmosphere in the chat window was way too intense.

Every time something happened, they tried to provoke Rene, and comments that would have definitely been banned in other female streamers’ broadcasts were continuously appearing.

Of course, Tuni understood to a certain extent that this was the nature of Rene’s broadcast.

Rene’s stream had started from a peculiar direction from the very beginning.

In the streaming industry, the chat window of male streamers tends to be spicier than that of female streamers.

And in the early broadcasts, Rene’s concept was “a man using a voice changer.”

Therefore, the atmosphere of the chat window resembled that of male streamers.

That atmosphere continued even after it was revealed that Rene was female.

…However, even so, the chat in Rene’s stream now was quite serious.

If Tuni had to see this chat window every day while streaming, she would definitely consider taking an indefinite break from streaming.

“Is she really okay…?”

With that worry in mind, Tuni quietly typed on the keyboard.

★

In response to Tuni’s incomprehensible question, I sent a reply saying there was no problem at all.

And the next day.

“Long time no see, Rene.”

“Hello…?”

Suddenly, Tuni came to find me.

Well, she didn’t come without prior contact.

She sent me a message saying, “I’m in your neighborhood because of an appointment, so can I meet you for a bit?”

But even thinking about it, it was way too sudden, and it definitely felt related to that message from yesterday.

…What could it be?

Could there be some hidden meaning in the message I received yesterday that I didn’t know about?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure it out.

“I bought some honey water from the convenience store.”

“Oh, thank you…”

Tuni entered the room, and we didn’t have much conversation.

It was awkward…

I felt like I was going to die from the awkwardness…

Tuni had been to my house about three times, right?

Wait, was it four times?

But except for the first time, I had never felt this awkward before.

Help me…

“Um, I’m sorry for coming so suddenly.”

“It’s okay, but… did I do something strange…?”

“Oh, it’s not that! It’s just that… I was worried about Rene…”

Worried? Worried about me?

What on earth does this mean?

Did something actually happen that I’m not aware of from my recent broadcasts?

“I-I don’t quite understand what you mean…”

“I watched a bit of Rene’s stream yesterday. The workout stream and the chatting stream you did. Plus quite a few of the previous ones.”

“Oh, thank you…?”

I do ask Tuni questions about my broadcasts sometimes, but hearing her say she directly watches my streams made me feel a bit embarrassed.

Sure, I sometimes watch Tuni’s streams, but that’s an entirely different thing.

…But what does that have to do with her being worried about me?

I really don’t get it.

“And, um, I saw the chat window of Rene’s stream, and I thought the intensity had gotten too high…”

Ah, that’s the story…!

I’ve been wanting to talk about that!

“That’s right…! Lately, my rebongi are being way too intense towards me…!”

“…Huh? Ah, uh, um?”

“They say I’m provoking them every time. I was really just curious and asked…”

★

[Rene]

[Apology from the Great Rebongi: I’m sorry for everything so far]

[Talk | 7653 viewers watching | 00:01:22]

─ What’s happening?? Is this some really fun content?? Just wait and see???

─ I don’t know why, but if the rebongi are super anxious, that’s a big upvote, lol.

─ Sorry, but I’m going to take a one-month break and just summarize today’s stream, lol.

─ Wow, I watched the entire stream today, lol.

─ Our lovely host isn’t that kind of person; she’s definitely not the kind to apologize.

─ Info: This girl suddenly went live with a voice changer and a male voice when she previously apologized.

─ Is she crazy?

─ I didn’t know about that until now.

Suddenly, Rene’s stream started with a strange title.

Since there had been no announcement, the rebongi watching the stream were thrown into confusion, and those who had been following Rene since the early days were enjoying the current situation, thinking it was nothing special.

“Hello, everyone…”

And the voice coming from the stream was clearly the voice of Rene, who was in a bad mood.

“I decided to sincerely apologize to you all, so I started this stream…”

And only after hearing that voice did everyone realize that the situation was no joke.

─ What the heck is happening??

─ Please don’t say you suddenly got a boyfriend or something? I seriously hope it’s not that…

In an instant, the chat window was flooded.

Normally, the managers would have jumped in to regulate, but the managers who had heard nothing from Rene were equally confused.

The chat window turned into a hellfire.

But as if she didn’t care about the atmosphere in the chat, Rene slowly continued speaking.

“I, during my recent streams, did something that hurt my fans… my rebongi…”

And then.

─ Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it.

─ Lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies.

─ I’m going to unfollow and unsubscribe, sry.

─ She’s just like the others…

─ 🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴.

─ I knew it from the start when I saw that face, pretending to be a hikikomori.

“I thought you all were provoking me… I didn’t realize that what I did was provoking as well… I’m really sorry…”

In an instant, the atmosphere shifted.

─ ?

─ What?

“I won’t provoke anymore… If you tell me something, I will think carefully about what that means… Please watch me change moving forward… I’m truly sorry…”

─ ???

─ Oh no, I got fooled again, lol.

─ 🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄.

─ My heart dropped, and the rebongi were really anxious, big upvote, lol.

─ Seriously, don’t mess with the mood with this kind of thing; I was freaked out, damn.

─ I’ve trusted Rene from the beginning, so I wasn’t worried (while trembling).

─ It’s okay, Rene; this is probably better, lol.

─ For real, if it was something like ‘marriage,’ ‘boyfriend,’ or ‘pregnancy,’ I would’ve jumped to Han River. [This message has been deleted.]

[The stream has ended.]

─ Damn, lol.

─ Where are you going, you bastard, lol.

─ Is this really how it ends?

After about five minutes, the short stream ended.

[Rene]

[Apology from the Instead God: I’m sorry for everything so far]

[Talk | 7453 viewers watching | 00:01:15]

─ Did she really get ready for this today, crazy girl, lol.

─ It’s madness!