A Basement-Dwelling Loser, the Inquisitor – Chapter 165

[Incoming Call from Ga-eun]

[📞 | ❌]

After finishing my casual broadcast and rolling around in bed, a call from Ga-eun came in.

…What’s going on?

I had already told her that this season would be my first and last time assisting as a play coach.

So, there shouldn’t be any connection between me and the Sirius Team now….

Should I not answer?

But it could be something important.

But it’s such a hassle….

“Hmm….”

Why was I put through this trial by Iya…?

With a bit of resentment directed toward Iya, I pondered for what felt like an eternity before reaching a decision.

“Hello….”

[Ah, Rene. I saw you finished your broadcast and decided to call, is it okay for a moment?]

“…Huh? I was on a break today…”

[…Ah, right. I’m sorry. I got a little confused. Anyway, are you free for a bit?]

“Um…. I think I might be okay…”

Honestly, I was in the middle of an important activity: rolling around in bed. But since I answered the call, I guess I should at least listen.

[We won the championship, remember? So, we’re planning to have a gathering tonight at 9 PM, and there was a suggestion to invite you too.]

[Ga-eun Oppa?! Did you really just contact Rene?!]

[Yeah, Seoyeon. I told you earlier, Rene helped us a lot this time. It would be rude not to do something for her.]

[Eunho, did you bring this up?]

…But somehow, I could hear Tuni’s voice on the line.

What’s going on?

Was Tuni a streamer from the Sirius Team?

I hadn’t heard anything about that.

[Not at all! The captain mentioned it! Why would I bring it up in the first place?]

[Since Seoyeon was invited to the gathering, isn’t it only right to invite Rene too?]

[No, I helped a lot already.]

[Rene helped a lot too, you know?]

[…Ah!]

[That’s fast comprehension.]

They even sounded friendly.

It’s not particularly important, but…

[Anyway, will you be able to make it to the gathering?]

A gathering, huh.

To be honest, it sounds like a hassle….

If it’s a post-championship gathering, all the team members would gather, meaning there would be tons of people, and the only faces I could recognize would be Tuni and five athletes.

Even those five, I’ve never actually met.

…More than anything, the hassle of going out itself is overwhelming.

Am I right to think the Sirius Team is planning my demise…?

It’s definitely best to decline.

“I’m sorry, but I really don’t like crowded places…”

[Ah, the members include Seoyeon… oh, is it better to say Tuni? Hmm. It’s just Tuni and our five members, plus the coach, and the captain.]

That’s still plenty of people for me.

There’s no way I could go to a place like that.

[…Rene, please come! Do you remember the promise you made last time?]

…Oh no.

I messed up.

“…Do you really have to bring that up now, Tuni…?”

[When else would I bring it up?]

That’s true, but…

“Alright…. I’ll go…”

[Oh, I’ll come pick you up, so just wait a bit! It’ll take about 30 minutes.]

“Okay….”

★

I received so much help from Tuni.

From the time I started broadcasting to now, I ask her first whenever I have questions about streaming.

Me calling her my internet streaming master is no exaggeration.

I’ve always been grateful for that fact, but Tuni often brushes it off like it’s no big deal.

She said she was able to grow because of our connection as well.

However, I always thought I couldn’t just keep receiving help, so after the ‘Arm Wrestling Championship’ held during the last Health Project, I made a promise with Tuni.

To sum it up simply… it was a kind of wish card.

If there was something Tuni wanted, as long as it wasn’t completely outrageous, I would grant her wish.

And she was using that card right now.

“Sigh…”

Why did I make such a promise…?

No, I could make such a promise.

But why didn’t I limit it to broadcasting…?

A sigh escaped me.

Ding-dong~.

As I stepped toward the doorbell, the intercom showed Tuni, the devil who came to get me… smiling widely and waving.

[Rene~. I’m here!]

“Okay….”

I answered weakly while opening the front door.

“If you step right out… oh my. You were drying your hair?”

“Oh, yes… I washed it earlier, but the headphones kind of messed it up…”

“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll wait until you finish drying it all.”

“Thanks….”

Vwoosh~.

I returned to the living room and started drying my hair again, while Tuni sat behind me, silently waiting.

…Is it just my imagination, or is her gaze a little intense?

It definitely doesn’t feel that way.

There was nothing to say, but Tuni was currently staring daggers at me from behind.

So, do I have to make some kind of conversation since we’re together…?

Since I’m the host, I’m the one who should initiate the chat…?

“Um… so, Tuni, did you come alone…?”

“Yeah, right? Actually, Ga-eun Oppa initially said he would drive, but how could a man bring another man to a girl’s house?”

“…Oh, I see.”

That was quite an unexpected reason.

“But Rene, I also have one question to ask you…”

“Oh, yes….”

Tuni said that and stood up to approach me.

Before I even asked what she was doing, she started touching my hair.

“Your hair is so long, how do you take care of it? …Wow. This is amazing…”

“Uh, um… is the hair dryer not too hot…?”

“Well, I’m used to it. So, can you tell me how you maintain it? I’ve got long hair too, though not as long as yours, so it’s quite tough to maintain.”

Tuni definitely had long hair, down to her waist with pretty waves.

Well, mine goes down past my butt.

“How do you manage with hair this long? Where do you get your hair done?”

“Oh, I don’t go anywhere…. I just cut it myself when it gets long enough…”

“Wow, really?”

Of course, that’s a lie.

Thanks to Iya’s blessing, I’m forced to maintain this length.

…No.

It might be more of a curse.

It’s uncomfortable when I sit, or if I have to lean down, it’s annoying, eating is inconvenient, and drying my hair is troublesome too….

Thinking about it, there’s really nothing but discomfort, so it must be a curse, right?

The only good point might be that I don’t have to go to places like hair salons…

“So, how do you manage it? If you’re not going to the salon, then you must be doing all the care at home. What shampoos and treatments or conditioners do you use?”

“Uh, um….”

What are treatment and conditioner…?

Since she brought them up with shampoo, it must be something for hair care, right?

Could it be like rinse or something?

But there are two types….

Well, I don’t know, so I’ll just gloss over it.

“I just use shampoo…”

“Hey, that’s a lie!”

“I’m telling the truth…”

“I won’t fall for it, so tell the truth!”

…What does she want me to tell her?

I don’t even know what treatment and conditioner means.

“…Is it okay if I take a look in your bathroom for a moment?”

Realizing my silence, Tuni asked, and I quietly nodded.

Vmoosh~.

As I was mindlessly drying my hair, Tuni really came out from the bathroom with wide eyes, shocked.

“No way…. Is this the power of youth…? But I doubt there’s that much of an age difference….”

Tuni probably had said she was 23 since her birthday had passed.

Well, she thinks I’m 21, so she’d think it’s just a two-year difference.

The reality is, I’m actually 17, so the age gap is six years.

“Are you hiding that I’m coming here…?”

What on earth am I hiding for and where would I use it?

Tuni kept mumbling things like “I was like this two years ago…” until I finished drying my hair.

★

“So how did you get to know the Sirius Team, Tuni?”

“Oh, um… the jungler from Sirius, Eunho… Owen, you know?”

“Yes….”

“He’s my little brother.”

“…Huh?”

“That’s how we started getting to know each other. Then I ended up helping out with various things… and now, I’ve been invited to this gathering. Oh, but it’s a secret, so don’t mention it on the broadcast, okay?”

“Ah, yes….”

Of course, I had no intention of mentioning it. There was no reason to.

I was simply surprised to find out Owen was Tuni’s brother.

…Well, if that’s the case, they do look alike.

‘Shisho!!!’

Could it be that all his otaku traits came from his sister Tuni’s influence?

‘Honestly, it’s hard to choose just a couple of life anime, right? Still, if I had to pick one… oh, that’s difficult.’

Well, it’s clear he was influenced by her.

“I was surprised too. When I heard Rene was helping the Sirius Team.”

“I didn’t plan on doing that…”

We walked toward the dining room while exchanging those little stories.

…Ah, I want to run away.