[ Spamming Chat ]
[ So this is actually going to be number one? Wow… ]
[ Big Seo Ha! ]
[ KYAAH!!! ]
[ KYAAH! ]
[ First broadcast and already 2,000 viewers lol ]
I didn’t hit number one even a few times back when I was a pro, but with this body, it feels inexplicably good to be at the top.
So far, I was only worried that I may have hit a talent wall but now I’ve proven that it wasn’t true.
“Thank you all for the congratulations. However, I didn’t know so many people were watching.”
[Finally, she notices us! Finally, she notices us! ]
[ I’ve been waiting forever for this moment ㅠㅠ ]
[ KYAAH~ Finally, the host has acknowledged us! ]
[ HEENG, Challenger 1st Place middle school girl is so dazzling… ]
[ Dazzling? Me? ]
During all this, somehow or other, 2,000 people tuned into my broadcast.
I already feel good about hitting number one but with my first broadcast turning out to be a success, it’s all even better. However…
“Um… everyone, why do you keep calling me by my name?”
[W-What?!]
[Well, you see…]
[We’ve informed you clearly~]
[Your name is cute!]
Despite me clearly labeling my broadcast channel as ‘para,’ it was odd that the viewers only called me by my real name.
[Because you revealed your name in that interview, we couldn’t help it~]
[To be honest, ‘para’ doesn’t really hold a candle to ‘Yoon Seohwa,’ which is just plain adorable ]
[How are you not screaming at how cute a middle school girl’s name is? ]
[For real lmao]
“Well… If you want to call me, that’s fine, but please don’t overstep the boundaries.”
[ Understood ^^ ]
[ Of course! ]
[ Break out the notepads ]
[ What a generous middle school girl ]
Thereafter, I began a simple Q&A with the audience.
I wanted to solo queue more, but the audience strongly discouraged it.
“If you all have questions, I’ll do my best to answer them.”
[Is the host really a middle school girl? ]
[Why haven’t you turned on the camera? ]
[HEENG HEENG HEENG HEENG HEENG HEENG]
[Turn it on!!! ]
[Let me ask you one thing.]
[Are you really considering becoming a professional? ]
The wave of comments was making my eyes hurt.
Even though last hitting and keeping an eye on the map is second nature to me as a mid laner, even I struggled to read so many comments.
‘Do I read them or not? That’s not what a streamer does.’
During my pro days, my solo queue streams were rather quiet, so I never realized how overwhelming it could get. Now I understand why streamers with a larger audience tend to only focus on donations. When comments overwhelm you in this manner, reading them becomes nearly impossible.
[Someone donated 10,000 won.]
“Does the host have a boyfriend?”
“No~”
These people sure are persistent.
I don’t know how many times I’ve had to answer this since the interview.
“However, I don’t really know why everyone’s so curious, but I’m not really into guys anyway.”
[What?]
[I like girls (rough translation).]
[Holy crap. ]
[Congrats on making the big decision.]
I’m not sure how they interpreted my statement, but everyone seemed satisfied enough.
Amidst the pleasant atmosphere, another noticeable comment popped up.
“Other games aside from LoL? Hmm…”
Many people assume that professional gamers only play one game, but they say that anything that becomes a means of living will inevitably lose its fun factor.
Sure, during the season I didn’t have the time to explore other games, but during breaks, the majority of professionals indulged in other games as well. I did the same.
“I’ve tried most FPS games. I also love packaged games.”
[Oh nice]
[Definitely fun to do a PUBG collab with you]
[With your physical condition, I bet you’d destroy them in FPS]
[Have you tried Raou?]
[Game recommendations now!]
Time passed quickly and it was already past 11 PM.
“Alright, that’s it for today’s broadcast.”
[???]
[Please don’t leave yet]
[Not like this…]
[Cold… Cold… Cold…]
Once I announced the end of the stream, the previously quiet chat window once again lit up with fervent pleas.
Still, I couldn’t help but log off.
Since I wanted to grow tall, I needed to sleep early.
“See you all tomorrow evening. Thanks for tuning in~”
I ended the broadcast and immediately lay down in bed.
‘Surprisingly fun.’
Back in my pro days, our sole goal was victory, so I would stream just out of obligation, never truly engaging with the audience.
Trying this type of stream makes me realize just how much fun it can be. Regret fills me thinking about the past viewers I didn’t appreciate enough.
‘I need to do better from now on.’
*
‘Finally, the preliminaries begin today.’
What is a normal person’s wake-up time, 10 AM on a Saturday.
To some, it’s the time you have to pull an all-nighter to reach.
‘Did I just sleep well? No, otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to get up.’
Hanbyeori rubbed her sleepy eyes and headed to the fridge.
In this state of mind, she was certain that if she didn’t get coffee soon, she would fall asleep before the vll preliminaries at noon.
‘How could I let go of such a hard-won opportunity?’
She remembered the struggle just to secure her qualification in Grand Master. The 400 games she grinded in Diamond, the 10 straight games where she was targeted—thinking about it didn’t make her feel good.
“Ah, all the instant canned coffee is gone.”
Apparently, she had forgotten to order more.
Hanbyeori’s eyes glanced toward the long puffer coat hanging on the living room chair.
“It’s cold out there…”
Still, deeming it impossible to survive without coffee, Hanbyeori bundled up in her coat before venturing out.
“Did it snow?”
She lived with the curtains drawn morning and night, so she didn’t notice earlier, but it looked like it had snowed during the early hours. Carefully traversing icy patches, she made her way to the coffee shop.
“Hey, Hi!”
Hanbyeori arrived at a small, privately-owned café.
Although the cute female owner had a devoted fan base, Hanbyeori wasn’t part of it. Despite not recognizing her as a streamer, the owner’s overly-friendly demeanor always made Hanbyeori feel uncomfortable.
“There’s no other place that opens this early…”
However, most franchise cafés only started operating at 9 or 10, leaving her with no choice.
“Hello… a cup of iced Americano, please.”
“Wow, you got your hair cut short? So cute!”
“Ah…thanks.”
“You said you’re 25, right? You look younger than me, wow!”
Maintaining high energy levels during broadcasts was normal for Hanbyeori, but in real life, she simply didn’t have the strength.
“Anyway, aren’t you going to order your usual latte today?”
“I just really feel like an Americano today…”
“Our café’s Americanos are really popular!”
Inside, Hanbyeori groaned, “It’s because all the men who come here are just here to flirt with you.”
“Please sit down for a moment while I bring your order out quickly!”
Since she had opted for takeaway, Hanbyeori was about to sit anywhere near the counter when…
“Huh, what?”
Surprisingly, the counter area was completely full.
Although in a normal café, the corner seats would be more popular, it seemed everyone here was on a quest for love, making Hanbyeori roll her eyes a bit.
“Whoa, full hair and suit at this hour?”
While waiting for her coffee, Hanbyeori glanced around.
Someone with a full hair setup reading a book early in the morning.
Someone watching anime for no apparent reason right in front of the counter.
Everyone here seemed to be trying so hard.
“Sis! Here it is!”
“Thank you. See you again.”
With the firm resolution to never return, Hanbyeori grabbed her Americano and left.
“Damn…it’s cold.”
She didn’t notice when she came out because she had her hands in her puffer coat’s pockets, but now, with the coffee in her hand, her fingers were numb. Despite not being able to fit the coffee in her pocket, Hanbyeori trudged along through the cold when…
“Huh?”
She accidentally stepped on an icy patch on a nearby slope near her house. With her loosely worn warm boots and her non-existent athletic prowess, a fall was inevitable. Instinctively, she put her hand out to break the fall.
“Ah…I spilled all the coffee.”
Though she had spilled her coffee all over the ground, she seemed unharmed. She hastily bought a canned coffee at a nearby convenience store and returned home.
“About an hour left, huh.”
Just as she thought about playing one ranked game to warm up her hands after getting home.
After entering the house, her frozen hands began to thaw, and an abnormal sensation arose.
“Feels kind of itchy.”
Worried, she created a practice game and tried typing on the keyboard.
“Ah!”
A sharp pain surged in her left hand, the hand she should’ve been typing with. After a few more attempts, she realized she couldn’t press the keys at all.
“Ugh…this is infuriating.”
Rather than regret over losing this hard-earned opportunity, a stronger feeling of guilt towards her teammates dominated her thoughts. Before heading to the hospital, she entered the group chat where her teammates had gathered and apologized.
“Really? Anyway, it’s good that you’re not seriously hurt. Go to the hospital quickly.”
“Sis, isn’t your face being fine a big deal?”
“Yeah, agreed. But if you hurt your head… I wouldn’t be able to handle it if it got worse.”
“Valid point.”
Despite how tough they had to fight for this chance to compete, everyone’s concern only caused her feelings of guilt to grow stronger.
“Right. Wouldn’t there be a substitute player rule in case anyone gets injured?”
“Is there such a rule?”
“Should we? Let’s check.”
“Ah, it’s here. However, the person who can’t participate must find the substitute themselves.”
Amidst the awkward silence, Hanbyeori spoke up.
“Uh…I know someone who could fill in. Their tier is high too.”
