Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 115

**Kack! Kack!**

I woke up to the sound of crows this morning.

Wasn’t that the sound of sparrows in the classical morning sunlight? Suddenly a crow in the middle of Seoul?

I’d at least get over a pigeon, but this is just bizarre.

As I lifted my eyelids, I saw a familiar ceiling.

Sometimes I worried that if I woke up suddenly, I’d be looking at a strange ceiling from this world.

But today felt refreshingly clear, almost as if that concern had been lifted.

While the diligent people would get up here with a nice stretch, my eyelids, no matter how I lifted them, just helplessly closed again.

Isn’t it just heavenly to snuggle under warm sunlight and catch a few snoozes?

“Umm.”

Lounging in bed, my body trembled as if responding to my consciousness hanging in the balance.

Just as I was about to drift off completely into a fresh dreamland, a sharp tension swept through me like a tightrope walk.

I wasn’t sleep-paralyzed, and my mind was clear, but leaning just a bit further felt like I would tumble into the abyss of dreams.

Even though I could maintain a clear consciousness if I wanted, I savored my current sensations without that filtering.

Then it happened.

—Whirr!

A noise that had nothing to do with nature pierced my eardrums, shattering the peaceful morning.

The familiar vibration buzzed just out of reach, sparking my nerves.

That noise boomed unusually loudly from the ground below, sharply awakening my drowsy mind.

With my eyes still closed, I shuffled to feel the soft texture of the bed sheets and barely stretched out an arm to grab my smartphone.

As I turned my head, the message flashing on the screen caught my eye.

“Ah….”

I squinted at the notification I couldn’t ignore and forced myself to rise up.

My heavy eyelids and foggy mind screamed to crawl back under the sheets, but I stubbornly dragged myself out of bed and stretched with all my might.

“Ooof!”

With blood and an unbelievable surge of energy coursing through my veins, I felt a warm sensation flooding my body.

It filled me with an omnipotent feeling, just like a bird savoring freedom in the vast sky.

Even if it wasn’t this power, I thought that if this feeling stuck around, it’d be just like being a hero… That ridiculous line of thought made me grin.

Waking up just in time, I casually ran through the day’s tasks in my head as I made my way to the shower.

As the warm water hit my body, a peculiar excitement mounted in me, and my mind spun rapidly.

Water really is amazing; after pouring a bucket over myself, good ideas start to pop up.

Since today is the start of the pre-event, thoughts about what to eat, how to dress, and what time to head out neatly lined up in my head.

It was practically a disk defragmentation session.

—Squeak.

After finishing my shower and opening the door with a towel in hand, the warmth filling the bathroom poured out dramatically.

Alongside the encroaching chill from outside, it felt like someone was groping my body, so I quickly dried myself off.

It took a bit since my hair was long…

Suddenly, I wondered if I was being too sensitive to the air.

How would I react in front of others? My heart raced for no reason.

‘It’s supposed to be an offline live broadcast…’

The major difference from the combat tournament isn’t just the schedule. This time, it’s offline.

It’s pretty wild that my real self will be on the screen, and I feel a mix of excitement, anticipation, and just a sprinkle of anxiety within me.

I mean, I’ve already done a reality cam broadcast, so I shouldn’t be fussing over it.

But a cam broadcast and a public live event are totally different.

The cam broadcast is like… facing the audience in a way I’ve chosen in my own space, while the public one means you expose your entire self to the audience in another space.

Saying it like this feels kind of strange for some reason.

If you ask what kind of strangeness, it feels a bit like doing a strip show in front of the audience in the nude.

I wonder why I’d have such alarming thoughts during a mere public broadcast, but it seems like everyone has their absurd imaginations.

Since I have no one to show this to or influence, this is supposed to be a safe zone.

While taking a short break, I glanced at the time.

9 AM. A bit too early to whip up a grand breakfast.

Especially since today is Saturday, and the event starts in the morning.

‘Should I just grab a bite on the way?’

Just as I was about to get dressed first,


—Knock. Knock.

A cute little knock echoed at the front door.

Opening the door revealed…

“We’re here!”

“Hey, it’s me!”

“It’s Sehee!”

Dahyeong, Ajin, and Yuri were all gathered.

They all looked pleasantly surprised to see me, but gradually their gaze shifted down, and their faces turned pale.

What’s going on? Why do they look like that?

“Hey, if you’re going out, at least wear some proper clothes!”

“There’s nobody but you guys allowed in this house!”

“That’s not the point! How can you come out in just your underwear?!”

Their logic that it shouldn’t matter because we’re all girls was swallowed by Dahyeong’s enthusiasm.

If I said any more, I’d really turn into a blushing mess.

Hastily pulling on casual clothes, I greeted them as they entered.

Once the three of them were inside, the stillness of the house burst with energy.

Yuri, holding a container, put it on the table while beaming with satisfaction.

“Have you not eaten? I made sandwiches. There’s plenty, so everyone dig in.”

“Oh, thanks.”

The neat appearance of the sandwiches was quite appetizing.

No matter how they tasted, their looks alone could have been sold in a classy bakery.

The colorful ingredients of ham and cheese, lettuce and tomato nestled snugly in the baguette reminded me of rainbow rice cakes.

I grabbed one, took a big bite, and the bread and ingredients melted together in a delightful mix.

This is…

“Delicious?”

“Right? You made it so well!”

“This… this flavor!”

The quality was so good that we all ended up marveling at it.

Though it wasn’t an exquisite gourmet experience that could take one’s breath away, it was certainly good enough to keep eating forever without getting bored.

If someone who truly couldn’t cook made it, the ingredients would be all over the place and wouldn’t create such a harmonious flavor.

“You’re really good at cooking?”

“Oh, my parents own a café, so I’ve learned a lot. I thought you might not be able to make meals since you live alone, so I gave it a shot.”

“Thank you, this is the best breakfast I’ve had in a while.”

“Glad it suits your taste!”

The devious cuteness of her scratching her flushed cheek made her look so refined.

Today, we discovered Yuri’s new side!

At that moment, I felt a peculiar gaze tickling my nerves from beside me.

Turning my head, I found Ajin filming me with a camcorder. And she wasn’t alone…

Oh right, I remember now. She said she could use shadow clone technique, didn’t she?

“Are you filming a vlog already?”

“Yep! It’s a concept based on everyday life. The more footage, the better. I’ve got the angles covered, so just eat and relax.”

“Well, even if something problematic gets caught, we can just edit it out.”

Seeing Dahyeong shrug calmly while Ajin controlled her clone with one hand, it felt quite peculiar.

Ah, at this point, it’s truly sinking in that we are heroes.

After finishing my warm-up, I headed to my room to get dressed.

Since I’m still not too familiar with women’s fashion, I ultimately had to mix and match based on what Dahyeong and Ajin picked out for me during our last shopping spree.

First, I took out the clothes I’d wear and spread them out on the bed.

I looked over the tops and bottoms, imagining how they would fit on me for a moment.

Well, there should be no problem, right?

‘Probably?’

I’m not walking around naked; these are indeed clothing made for women.

From what I saw online, they shouldn’t give off any weird vibes, so it should be alright.

Since this would be only the second time I’d wear this kind of attire (thanks to Dahyeong and Ajin), I needed to—

—Huff!

I took a moment to breathe deeply and gather my thoughts.

After about a minute of calming my mind like still water, I opened my eyes wide and shouted,

“Alright! Let’s do this!”

Transformation!

* * *

“Hey, you blockhead! Why are you taking so long?”

“Hah? Ahh… Ugh!”

Just as Dahyeong was about to answer casually that it might be awkward to wear girly clothes since I was once a guy, she swallowed her words.

Ah, that almost choked me.

Dahyeong grumbled internally as she took a sip of her juice.

As the sweet fruit scent seeped down her throat, her startled heart began to calm.

‘It’s okay, no one but me knows the secret.’

A secret that even other heroes don’t know about Sehee.

A truth she only holds for herself, with no intention of sharing with anyone else.

Unless Sehee speaks up first, the only one in the know will probably be Dahyeong herself.

No need to get swept up in others’ comments; I just have to react normally.

“Maybe she’s caught up deciding what to wear since she has so many options?”

“Hmm.”

Watching Ajin fidgeting with the camcorder, it seemed she was eager to film Sehee’s everyday wear as soon as possible.

Dahyeong decided to change the subject at this point.

“Yuri said she’d stay home, right?”

“Yeah, I don’t like the feeling of turning into a guy once I step outside. It wouldn’t be good for Sehee either to have a guy following around. I’ll just stay home.”

“That’s a shame. You and Ajin have both been told that in a year, you can join in. Let’s hang out together someday.”

“Sure, thanks.”

Seeing her genuinely happy face, Dahyeong felt warm inside.

Keeping good relationships among heroes was what Sehee wanted, but it’s also nice to have this community of heroes looking out for each other.

Just then, the door opened, and the one we’d been waiting for finally appeared.

“Huh?”

“Ah…”

“Oh my!”

Each one reacted differently.

Yuri seemed startled by the sudden change in appearance, and Ajin looked completely enchanted by her new outfit.

And Dahyeong…

“Oh my, sis, that outfit is… no, it’s way too revealing.”

Dahyeong’s expression judging the outfit mixed surprise with embarrassment.

“No, I mean, wearing a vest top and sheer fabric with those assets… What are you trying to do, make every guy stand at attention?”

“No, it’s black, so it’s not see-through anyway.”

“Being black is the problem! You little rascal! How see-through do you expect it to be?! Your skin tone just emphasizes everything!”

Dahyeong was frothing at the mouth with her passionate response.

“Plus, what size is this vest top? Why is it so small? Are you trying to flash us?!”

“Is it… visible?”

“Ugh!”

Ultimately, she shyly turned her gaze away.

The black vest merely offered minimal coverage to her overflowing bosom, paired with a cute black sheer shirt draping over it.

The skirt clung precariously to her hips, and black stockings accentuated her smooth legs.

And… a black choker adorned her pretty white neck.

Thus, Friede’s attire for her first public broadcast was decided.