[Random Streamer Encounter]
Before we dive into the story, I won’t disclose the individual’s identity since the post might get deleted.
Let’s call this streamer J, who likes traveling and plays Sillia Online frequently.
A few days ago…
…
I was uncertain at first, but the more I listened, the more familiar the voice sounded, and I realized it was J.
I should’ve brought paper for this, damn it.
Approaching to ask for a picture, I noticed someone else standing beside them.
At first, I thought it was their boyfriend, which made me momentarily upset, until I remembered a relative’s younger sibling had appeared on J’s stream not long ago.
(Kana looking back photo.jpg)
(J’s broadcast capture.jpg)
Although they’ve never been seen standing together during broadcasts, their builds seem rather similar, don’t they?
Especially since they’ve been living together for a while, so it’s not unusual they’d go out together.
But that’s not the crucial point.
(Kana looking back photo_enlarged.jpg)
Can you see the eyes?
In bright daylight, they might appear as a faint purple or pink hue, but certainly not the typical Korean eye color.
They might be a foreigner, I presume.
If J has been overseas, that would explain why they haven’t mentioned it before.
It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t see their face clearly because of the mask, but since they seem to live nearby, I’m considering hanging around to encounter them again.
A top-tier cutie in the area, paired with the foreigner trait? How am I supposed to stay calm about this?
[Comments]
-Oh
-What is this JZZNG?
-(It’s your truth-believer cone)
-This guy sure wrote a long conspiracy theory.
-(Author): How is this a conspiracy?
-Then what else could it be?
-You didn’t even capture a clear face or record a video.
-You think we’d believe you if you claimed that’s J? lol
-(Author): Well, don’t believe me then, why the hassle?
-Calling yourself J holds no meaning.
-(Author): It helps avoid keyword searches.
-This is illegal, isn’t it?
-Like hell; hidden camera and stalking declaration, and extremely bold. What gives you the audacity?
-(Author): Yeah, I use a VPN~ they won’t catch me~
-This guy thinks a VPN makes him untouchable lol.
-(Farewell cone)
-Ah, regular citizen photography, and boldly re-uploading removed content, huh?
-Ah… That’s just ‘dense.’
-Did you forget why the video was removed?
-(Author): Other people recorded it too, why the fuss with me?
-You’re the only one boldly uploading it.
-This is why men get treated as criminals.
-(Author): I never mentioned being a man?
-(Author): You assuming I’m male makes you a man-hater, lol.
-This guy is beyond saving.
-Doesn’t this eye color seem familiar to anyone else?
-Something about it feels recognizable…
-Yeah, me too…
-Ruiner
*
“Streamers must be sensitive.”
That was Da-eun’s thought.
The internet moves fast and intensely, so it’s easy to get swept away when you let your guard down.
It’s common for famous memes to become outdated within a week, and well-liked influencers can fall from grace in an instant due to one misstep.
A well-timed word can grant popularity, but a poorly chosen one can ruin everything.
To keep up in such a world requires staying alert to trends.
This is why Da-eun kept an eye on online communities, despite finding them less enjoyable.
She also encouraged her managers and editors to monitor them frequently.
With this mindset, Da-eun managed to follow and sometimes lead trends.
[1st Editor: Boss, did you see this???]
Da-eun could quickly respond to the sudden message from one of the editors responsible for her videos.
[Da-eun: Yes?]
[Da-eun: What is it??]
[1st Editor: (Link)]
Frowning, she questioned the mysterious message, but all she received was a link in response.
“…Isn’t this a phishing attempt?”
In such a dangerous world where scammers impersonate family members, why couldn’t someone pretend to be an editor?
[3rd Editor: Boss! Don’t click that link! When I did, money disappeared from my account!]
[1st Editor: ???]
[1st Editor: (Shocked tone)]
[1st Editor: Are you serious;;;]
[3rd Editor: Trickster, revealed!]
[1st Editor: (Genuinely baffled tone)]
Seeing the other editor jump into the conversation dispelled her doubts quickly.
She hadn’t really suspected much to begin with.
“Exactly what am I supposed to look at?”
Since the editors often send random links, Da-eun lightly clicked on it.
“….”
Her previously calm face froze solid.
The link led to a community post.
A post about meeting a streamer, Jini.
While the name Jini wasn’t explicitly mentioned, the content made it clear it was about them.
Skipping over the insignificant details, she noticed a photo.
A shadowy night street.
Instead of streetlights, a faint moonbeam illuminated the scene.
In the unclear photo, two figures walked through the night.
Lacking motion, the still image didn’t feel dynamic, yet it conveyed a strange urgency.
One of the figures, smaller in build, turned their head.
Below a pulled-down hoodie, pink eyes faintly glimmered under the moonlight.
‘That day…’
The photo resurrected a specific memory in Da-eun.
It was from a recent dinner outing with her parents and Kana.
While walking home, Da-eun encountered a man.
Although she knew judging by appearances is wrong, she remembered feeling wary due to his uneasy demeanor.
The writer of this must be that man.
“When did he take this?”
She didn’t hear any shutter sounds.
Not only having taken the photo secretly, but also posting it on the community showed that her instincts about him weren’t entirely wrong.
The post didn’t stop there.
Not only did it mention a relative’s younger sibling they asked not to be named, but it also uploaded screenshots of Kana from streams for comparison.
While Da-eun didn’t expect everyone to listen to her, she never imagined someone would post this boldly.
“Similar build, huh?”
They were the same person; exactly the same.
Unless Kana had grown rapidly in those few days — which she hadn’t. According to Da-eun’s knowledge, Kana hadn’t grown even an millimeter in several weeks.
‘Since Kana is fully grown, I suppose it might look pretty… But it’s hard to imagine.’
“…Ah.”
While focused on the mention of ‘relative’s younger sibling,’ Da-eun noticed something even more important below.
The enlarged photo clearly showed pink eyes.
Despite the lack of bright light, making them appear darker, they distinctly looked pink to Da-eun, who knew their owner well.
“Didn’t wear sunglasses this time….”
Though few wear sunglasses at night, Da-eun recalled Kana complaining about her slipping sunglasses while adjusting them.
Had she realized this, she would’ve bought her properly fitting sunglasses — a decision she now regretted as Kana wears a mask in Sillia and rarely goes outside on Earth.
Fortunately, despite the hood, Kana’s hair remained concealed.
“Ugh….”
The rest of the content also displeased her.
Although the encounter location was a bit far from her home, there was potential to meet him again if his activity radius widened.
“Hmph….”
Da-eun scrolled through the comments with a serious expression before putting her phone down.
While there were supportive opinions, most comments criticized the writer.
The writer’s replies were beyond bizarre.
Just from the photo, one could deduce ‘the relative’s younger sibling = the girl in the photo,’ but confirming ‘relative’s younger sibling = Kana’ was challenging.
There was a possibility of the photo being manipulated, no concrete evidence proving the figure next to the girl was Jini, and believing that an NPC from a game had entered reality wasn’t easy.
“What should I do?”
Da-eun nibbled on her thumbnail carefully.
Reacting strongly might only confirm that the person in the photo is real.
Yet not reacting at all to the clear ill intent in the post wasn’t an option.
If this were just typical internet nonsense, ignoring it would suffice, but knowing the contents were true made ignoring it impossible.
As Da-eun was contemplating, her phone buzzed.
[1st Editor: Boss???]
[1st Editor: What should we do?]
They didn’t ask if it was true or how it happened but directly inquired about her intentions.
It seemed the editor brought it up not out of curiosity but to ask, “What should we do about this post?”
Seeing the calm inquiry calmed her somewhat restless heart.
[Da-eun: Wait a bit]
[Da-eun: Since I’m planning to consult someone, refrain from any reactions for now.]
[Da-eun: If anyone mentions this in the broadcast, ban them immediately.]
[1st Editor: Understood.]
[3rd Editor: Understood.]
[Editor-in-chief: Noted.]
[1st Editor: But whom are you consulting…?]
[Da-eun: Whom else?]
Carefully asked, Da-eun replied and made a call.
[Da-eun: Obviously, the lawyer.]
“How to deal with it properly…”
