[“You have been killed by Gawol.”]
[Death Penalty: Account restrictions (4 hours)]
[You may reconnect after 3 hours 58 minutes and 47 seconds.]
With that, Gawol’s face was the last thing Camellia saw as her vision faded to black.
It was unnecessary for her to remain inside the device if she couldn’t play the game.
As Shin Eun-chae exited the practice room, her eyes met a female figure. A person impossible to miss if you were part of this team.
“Are you done with whatever it is you wanted to do?”
Luche. Iga-yun smiled at this.
It was a serene and beautiful expression, yet Luche’s eyes weren’t smiling.
“Yes, did you wait for me?”
“It’s fine. I was just enjoying a cup of coffee.”
“I’m sorry for acting on my own. I suppose I’ll be disciplined for harming the team’s image.”
Professional Gamers do not often look kindly upon being cast into public conflict.
Some fans look at those involved in such scandals as if they’ve fallen or betrayed their profession. Additionally, fans hope to see a clear separation between professional leagues and such conflicts.
However, there’s no official guideline that strictly separates the two.
It’s more of an unspoken rule that has been followed without objection by almost everyone involved. Today, Camellia had blatantly disregarded that unwritten rule.
Luche was a person who adhered strictly to principles, and thus, it might not be surprising if she were to disapprove of Camellia’s actions.
“That’s not true. There’s no explicit guideline against participating in such conflicts. And issuing a formal punishment might actually be somewhat unreasonable. That’s how I see it, anyway.”
Camellia found this statement surprising. If this was true, then no disciplinary action would be taken against her on the team level.
Within Sigma eSports, Iga-yun’s influence extended far beyond being their mere ‘captain’ or ‘ace.’
In various ways, this was the case.
While Iga-yun had never wielded authority abusively, certain kinds of power don’t need to be explicitly exercised to hold weight.
Yun’s tone always came off as soft and gentle.
Never had anyone seen her speak harshly or act violently.
But for some reason, Eun-chae felt as if her breath had been cut off.
A strange fury could be seen in eyes that didn’t smile.
Though her voice was kind, it felt as if a large hand was gripping her body and refusing to let go.
“Eun-chae.”
“Yes.”
“Did you enjoy playing with someone else’s pain as you desired?”
“…No.”
“It was coincidental, but I knew her. Not very well, but only enough to think ‘Maybe that could happen?’ Recently, I’ve learned about her circumstances as well.”
Eun-chae’s eyes widened in surprise. She looked at Ga-yun in shock but quickly lowered her head. Despite the calm demeanor, the young woman was emanating an icy atmosphere.
“Maybe I should have stopped you, as I had some inkling of who you were trying to defeat and why you were fixated. It felt like interfering too much, but perhaps it could have been a good opportunity for both sides.”
“No, I wasn’t mature enough. I’m very sorry.”
“If she’s okay with it, would you consider meeting her once? I would appreciate it if you could apologize. Not out of compulsion.”
“…Yes, if you insist, I will.”
*
Eventually, my device was declared unusable under the guise of “safety reasons.”
Internally, they even checked for any illegal programs or suspicious activity, but, of course, nothing was found.
Nevertheless, my haven had been taken away.
If anything, it felt like a blessing in disguise.
The game company decided to bury this incident.
Since there was no particular major issue, they preferred not to stir up trouble.
Of course, using a different device would still let me play.
So, I chose to explain my absence externally as being for personal reasons.
“It feels incredibly empty.”
Time seemed to rot endlessly.
Between my bed and this device, I spent most of my time with this accursed piece of technology, which now felt more like a relic taking up most of the space in my small room.
I thought about just throwing it away, but remembering it as the legacy of my parents, I couldn’t bring myself to discard it.
On the other hand, it wasn’t practical to keep it forever either.
A decision would have to be made eventually.
Maybe moving to a slightly larger place would be a good choice.
Just one thing: shedding the obsession that had confined me would make it possible.
Redirecting the funds I usually use for my leg treatment into daily living expenses would solve things.
“My remaining balance… it’s more than enough.”
I had managed to save a decent amount.
Assuming I abandon treatment for my leg—there would be enough to last until I settle elsewhere.
Or, following Elderlyn’s example, I could start my own livestreaming career.
Though, it might still be challenging to start with a clear mind.
Oddly enough, maybe now was the moment to try.
A hollow feeling pierced through my chest.
This was how it always went. Every time I felt like obtaining something—life snatched away something much greater.
Warmth, my parents, dreams—it left me battered and thrown aside as if I were nothing more than a tattered cloth.
Ironically, the tears aren’t flowing now when they should.
When nothing seemed to stop them before, here I am unable to cry when I should.
Is my spirit too preoccupied with trying to fill the emptiness?
I still can’t understand my own heart.
If people understood each other so well, surely mental hospitals everywhere would have closed long ago.
[You have a new message.]
My phone continuously pinged with notifications.
Ever since I declared my hiatus from the game, people from everywhere seemed eager to get in touch.
But I ignored each one without checking.
I simply had nothing to say.
It’s exhausting and painful to explain.
I feel vague tiredness, and my body isn’t energized at all.
Right now, it would be nice to have someone just hold me silently.
Even empty words would suffice.
If someone would pretend to be kind, I would let myself believe it.
In need of something to embrace, I hugged a pillow to my chest.
The house was quiet when I heard footsteps climbing the stairs outside.
It’s an unfamiliar feeling. Realizing I’m awake during the day felt like a rare occurrence.
I usually either stayed in my device or was asleep.
“Looks like the neighbor is back…”
Ding dong—the doorbell rang—it was at my door.
Even though I had done nothing wrong, I found myself holding my breath to pretend I wasn’t there.
I hadn’t made a sound yet.
There was no way the person outside could tell if someone was home.
They’d assume I wasn’t here and leave soon.
My prediction was, however, entirely wrong.
Elderlyn’s voice came from outside the door.
“Da-eun? Are you in? Could you open the door?”
“…”
“Sister seems to know you pretty well now. I can’t imagine you leaving for somewhere, even if I tried.”
“…”
“Hmm, so you’ve decided to pretend not to be home. Lately, there have been many people looking for you. Maybe it has something to do with some pictures we took before…”
“W, wait! I’m coming out!”
Yuse-rin was terrifying.
I hopped on one leg to open the door, and there she stood with that “I knew you were there all along” face.
“As I thought, you’re here.”
“I mean, it’s a little hurtful to say I wouldn’t go out. I do go out sometimes.”
“But not today.”
“That may be true.”
Sister’s eyes briefly glanced at my neck.
I haven’t harmed myself, though.
The worry is unnecessary—I haven’t let myself get to that point.
Sister must have been someone who hated herself more than I do.
I understood her concern but chose to pretend I didn’t notice.
“This room is too dark. You should uncover the curtains and open the windows.”
Sister, you sound just like the Master.
—Would I get scolded if I said that?
“So, why are you here today? Isn’t it your broadcasting day?”
“So you’ve been watching my streams, Da-eun?”
“How could I not?”
Not only had I benefited greatly from her support but I had much to learn from her.
Elderlyn was a good sister to me and an excellent mentor too.
Though I didn’t watch every single one of her streams, I did make an effort to keep up when I could.
“Today is a break. Even I need time off sometimes.”
“Did you come here for me?”
“Isn’t that why I’m here?”
“That wouldn’t be… acceptable, would it?”
“It’s not unacceptable. It’s because of you that I came.”
“You’re right, Da-eun. I thought you might be thinking some bad thoughts, so I came.”
You hit the nail on the head.
My thoughts were heading down a dangerous path.
Once that current takes hold, it’s not easy to pull back.
If I had been alone, I would’ve wallowed in melancholy for quite a while.
Now, with the light illuminating the room, I felt a bit better already.
Elderlyn walking around the tiny room brought an unexpected liveliness to the dead space.
“It feels better when someone’s around during tough times. So, would you like to go somewhere with me?”
“Going outside sounds too exhausting.”
“We’ll take my car. It’s parked nearby. I’ve made a reservation too.”
“Reservation? Where are we going?”
“You’ll see when we get there. There’s something I want to talk about on the way, but really, can’t we just go?”
“Um… Alright.”
Elderlyn had done so much for me.
It wouldn’t hurt to accompany her this time, and honestly, I didn’t feel too averse either.
—It didn’t take long for me to regret that decision.
[PIA Premium Massage]
