Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 127

Chapter 15: The Fan Meeting Chaos

As the side room door opened, a wave of enthusiastic cheers swept through, causing Jisehee to pause for a moment.

It wasn’t just the sheer number that took her aback.

A small sigh escaped her lips as she glanced around, estimating the crowd size.

It seemed like most of the audience that gathered for the event had flocked this way… Was everything okay on the other side?

She couldn’t help but worry about causing unnecessary trouble.

Of course, attending a fan meeting was a personal choice for everyone involved, so no one could be blamed.

Still, there was such a thing as social awareness, and naturally, she felt a twinge of guilt towards the other streamers and, perhaps, the STK Team.

But…

‘I can’t back down here.’

These people had gathered just to see her.

With a gentle smile, Jisehee lifted her hand slightly and waved to the crowd.

—Wow!

It was like an out-of-control steam train fueled by coal.

It was simply a mindless gesture, something lighthearted towards those who had come to see her.

If a bystander overheard the situation, they might scoff at how such a simple wave could elicit such excitement from the crowd.

What was the point of just smiling at people and responding to them?

Such a mundane reaction stemmed from a simplistic, common-sense mindset.

Surely, it was to be expected.

But….

“Wow!”

Da-young, filming a vlog with a camcorder from beside the door, couldn’t help but exclaim loudly.

Currently, she was taking the place of Ah-jin, who had rushed to the restroom after being overwhelmed by the tightly packed crowd.

Anyway, the sheer glory of Friede, almost akin to a delusional fanatic, was enough to make even Da-young, a fellow hero, feel slightly intimidated.

Throughout history, those with beauty and charisma have mesmerized crowds from the stage.

Not to mention, who was she? The ultimate hero, blessed with the grace of a goddess.

It would be a lie to say she lacked charm.

‘She’s definitely riding on that looks train.’

No, it wasn’t just a ride on the looks train.

Friede and Jisehee’s physical forms embodied the zenith of human aesthetics.

There was a captivating allure beyond mere charm that drew people in.

Without that, even a female streamer with top-tier gaming skills could hardly amass such popularity.

Well, the conclusion was simple.

‘It’s a feast for the eyes.’

You could look at her endlessly without getting bored.

No wonder people get hooked. Damn.

“Sister! You’re so beautiful! Hug me!”

Huh? At the sound of a familiar voice, Da-young turned her head back.

In a corner of the gathering, she caught sight of some familiar faces.

Familiar black outfits with red logos.

Professional players in identical uniforms confidently occupying a section of the venue.

If there were any professional team players here, it could only be one.

It was the STK.

Among them, one girl in particular, squealing and constantly shouting “Sister,” was a face Da-young couldn’t forget.

“Yunhwa?”

What the heck?

What are you doing here?

What about your own team’s fan meeting?

“Sister! You’re so pretty!”

“Wow, you look stunning without makeup!”

“Isn’t this level of beauty nerfed compared to your usual streams?”

“Hey, you! Move your head aside!”

“Even a random shot looks like a photoshoot!”

“Friede, please come forward!”

Before Da-young could resolve her bafflement, Yunhwa’s cries intensified, and the scene grew even more chaotic.

It was like a baby bird flailing, hoping for someone to look at them, to say something.

Even though it was practically noise pollution at this point, the crowd’s enthusiasm only seemed to blaze brighter, prompting Da-young to step back.

There was no need for her to fuss over it.

‘Celebrity fan meetings aren’t even this crazy.’

If only she could block out the noise, but unfortunately, the reality of having to hold the camcorder made it all the more frustrating.

* * *

A spacious auditorium—well, it had to be an auditorium, right? Either way, this place was filled with people.

A massive screen on stage, and enough space to accommodate over a hundred individuals.

It was packed with people.

Had there ever been a venue like this for the Warfare event?

Since I didn’t watch league broadcasts that often, racking my brains for a memory was no use.

When I stepped onto the petite stage, not much higher than those I had encountered before, the sight that unfolded before me was quite spectacular.

I finally made it to my spot, yet now that I was here, I was at a loss for what to do.

I had envisioned just sitting down and signing autographs or sharing a few kind words.

At best, maybe a handshake.

That was the image I had of a fan meeting.

As I dazedly stood on stage, doing nothing, a staff member finally came up with a microphone.

So this was how we were supposed to communicate and proceed?

“Sister! Here, over here!”

“Friede! Do something funny!”

“Is it okay to take personal shots?”

“Don’t say that! Don’t take personal shots of Friede!”

“Who do you think you are?”

“What’s your three-size?!”

“Could you tell us your name?”

Alright… I’d better calm this atmosphere down.

If this kept up, we wouldn’t even get started.

Feeling the comforting grip of the microphone in my hand, I shouted one simple word.

“Shh!”

Raising a finger to my lips, I indicated for silence to the crowd.

Slowly, the heat dissipated as focused gazes turned towards me.

With the murmur of excited chatter fading, I felt an inexplicable sense of contentment and prepared to deliver my next line.

“Hello, this is Friede.”

It was an incredibly brief greeting for a fan meeting of this magnitude.

However, it seemed effective, as every eye was glued to my lips.

Even more so than before.

“I didn’t expect so many people to show up. Please tell me you all didn’t get lost on the way here. Thank you once again for your support.”

Given that there wasn’t a host, the start seemed to be going decently well.

I wondered if I had passed the grade.

“Um, to be honest, this is my first fan meeting, so I was worried about what to do. If I had known so many people would come, I might have put in more thought.”

As I prepared to move on to the next part of my repertoire, I decided to share my plans openly.

“I initially thought I’d just sign things… But now that I see how much you all like me, I feel a bit guilty.”

“Anything is fine!”

“Please, sign, shake hands, and take pictures!”

“No way! Stay in line!”

“Sing us a song, sister!”

“Hug me!”

The carefully calmed atmosphere surged back like a flood.

If my chatroom came to life, surely, it would look something like this.

It seemed they viewed me as a reward for being a streamer named Friede, which had only heightened their excitement.

“Alright, calm down. Let’s settle down.”

Luckily, since I was speaking into a microphone, my words spread through the crowd quickly.

Maybe it was because I was speaking live as opposed to through the internet, but in person, everyone seemed to listen like well-behaved sheep.

By the way, we couldn’t just waste time on this aimless event.

‘Speaking of which…’

The last request I had heard lingered mysteriously in my ears.

Hug me… huh.

Maybe it would be alright?

I turned my head in that direction and spoke.

“Those who are comfortable, please come up one at a time. I’ll give you a hug.”

* * *

Soft comfort and encouragement.

The fragrant scent of peaches brushing past my nose.

A pat that was just the right amount of firmness.

Reassurance and encouragement delivered in a beautiful voice.

And as the hug ended, her appearance came into view.

Just a second of permitted contact, but it was a dream he’d never forget.

“So, what’s your name…?”

“Uh, Ba, Park Soo-chan.”

“Ah, so it’s Park Soo-chan.”

Just because I said I’d hug them didn’t mean it was an outright bear hug.

Rather, it was a gentle gesture, in which we merely touched shoulders.

It resembled the comforting affection a mother or sister might show to a younger family member.

“Thank you for coming. You all worked hard today.”

Just that was enough to fill most of them with joy. No, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that all of them felt it.

I wasn’t an expert in such events, but I had heard that even celebrities didn’t put on such a showmanship.

Thinking of it that way, just a hug at a fan meeting was a considerable prize.

“I feel like I won’t shower for the rest of my life. Thank you so much, sister.”

“…”

Fortunately, it seemed effective.

If only he hadn’t said something like that at the end.

Looking at hardcore fan A, waddling off the stage like a penguin, a sigh escaped me.

As I turned to the next person in line, my eyes widened in surprise.

“Eunha?”

“Yeah, sorry. I’m here now.”

What about your team meeting?

Perhaps I had read her intentions in my gaze.

In the direction Eunha pointed, I could see a few STK players from farther away in line.

Only then did I spot the other streamer team in the back.

Gunde, Haldir, Bisoo were there too.

They must have had their own meetings, yet here they were. Was it really okay?

“Sister, please be sincere.”

Watching Eunha stretching her arms out, I decided to view it positively.

Such supporting roles needed to shine to make the remaining footage even more flavorful.

This could definitely serve as new content for the vlog.

Suddenly, my gaze shifted to Da-young and Ah-jin, wondering what they were doing.

What caught my eye was…

“Huh?”

The sight of Da-young and Ah-jin, trembling and biting their lips.

Their hands holding the camcorder looked precariously wobbly… but they must be capturing some good footage, right?