Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 208

Warfare Mark

The stadium where the Soul Warfare League is hosted was buzzing with excitement from a massive crowd right from the lobby.

Posters displayed on the walls, ads on the electronic boards introduced the teams for this match.

Amidst this, if you happen to see a familiar logo and team name… it’s not a mistake or a hallucination.

The STK team has been established as a dazzling signal flare announcing the league’s opening, and it’s not a recent development.

A prestigious team with a rich history and tradition, they are regarded as the strongest team in Soul Warfare to date.

The champions who recently clinched the league title are indeed the top choice to signify the commencement of the new league.

“Ugh, I feel nauseous.”

“Nauseous? You’re such a crybaby, Ah-jin! Being surrounded by all these people is making our little hero nauseous~. Pathetic. Just go home. Oh, can’t you go alone? Can you carry me?”

“……”

That’s Ji-hye’s voice teasing me from behind.

Waiting for the game while casually munching on popcorn, the current scene struck me anew.

Come to think of it, this is the first time we’ve all gathered for a game viewing.

“How disappointing, it would be better if you were broadcasting the match.”

“Honestly, my commentary wouldn’t be entertaining. My one-trick play diminishes the fun of analyzing the match.”

“You thought too seriously. All you need to do is show your face.”

Oh wow, control freak. The impulse to slap my forehead at Da-young’s beauty-centric mindset was strong.

In short, is it because of my looks, then?

“You’re right.”

Yuri, who was sipping tea, smiled and chimed in.

“To be honest, if it weren’t for your looks, you wouldn’t be this popular now.”

“True. Even if you had skills, if you stammered like Ah-jin or were just average… well, it wouldn’t have been bad, but you wouldn’t be untouchable like now.”

“Why are you dragging me into this? You dimwit.”

Right now, gathered around the table enjoying tea time is quite a refreshing breeze.

Meeting up at a café and chatting has its own unique flavor.

It’s an experience that made me understand why women gather to gossip at cafés.

Thinking back, we’ve always just hung out at the hero house. I feel like we’ve never had an outing like this.

By the way, when will the line ahead of us disappear? No matter how popular a team is, it seems that STK matches always have this phenomenon.

I felt the same way when I first visited Warfare Mark; no matter how popular a team is, you can’t help but wonder about the temperature difference.

Well, since I received my tickets separately, I don’t need to shout in the marketplace to buy tickets ahead, but just watching it is exhausting.

“It’s a bit disappointing we can’t meet the players separately.”

“Yeah. The whole team will be on edge before the match. Let’s just watch quietly for now.”

“It doesn’t matter for us, but it must be disappointing for Eun-ha. If you were here, she would be fully charged with love powers.”

Da-young’s comment seemed to hint at the time we all met in the MS Room after Gunde’s joint stream, making me smile wryly.

It was hard to run on PCs, so I thought about extracting video sources with the MS Room options for that day.

When I returned to my room, seeing Eun-ha and Da-young waiting awkwardly for me was quite a shock.

Think about it. You drag your tired body home after work, and there are two people waiting in your solo living space. Anyone would be surprised.

“I thought something happened since you both were in the MS Room as soon as I came in.”

“Well, it was just a coincidence. I had no idea Eun-ha would show up either.”

They were waiting because they were worried, but it turned out to be for such a trivial reason.

Perhaps I unintentionally made them worry since it was a joint stream with a male streamer.

To be honest, that might be overprotective. How old am I? I can handle myself just fine.

How many people on this planet can live as worry-free as I do?

Still, without saying anything, I accepted their whims out of pure goodwill, regardless of my position.

“Eun-ha probably thought the same. In that aspect, you two match well.”

Did I just hit the nail on the head?

Da-young puffed her chest, speaking proudly.

“Well, it’s like a friendly rivalry.”

“More… dumb and dumber… or not?”

“Hey.”

Just as I was about to get irritated, a tiny whisper came from between us as bags rustled. It was Ppae-ppa.

“U-um, everyone, we’re in trouble. I really need to poop. If I stay in this bag, I keep needing to go… Is it because of claustrophobia?”

“Yes, so just hold it in.”

“Ping ping…”

Yuri’s straightforward reply made her fade into a shy whisper. Speaking of which, every time she’s in the bag, she says she needs to poop.

Is she really someone who needs to go when trapped inside? Or does she actually poop?

While contemplating Ppae-ppa’s bowel movements, my phone vibrated, and I looked at the screen.

“Oh, it’s almost time to start. Let’s get up.”

The match is about to begin.

* * *

Now, it’s almost time for the opening match, and it’s time to compete as STK Yeonkkot.

In the past, I would have been bored waiting, feeling like when will the match start, wanting to win quickly and leave early with no nerves.

But now, I was fidgeting like a rookie who threw away the attributes of a veteran with a few years of experience.

Eun-ha was staring blankly at the object in her hand. It was a Cheongshim-wan.

I recalled a time when a professional gamer who took this got mocked for being nervous or lacking skill.

To be precise, it was something said at the team dorm, so it wasn’t a problem. It was just chit-chat among team members.

However, the sudden flurry of that memory made it feel like karma was coming back around.

I hate that kind of thing. But…

“I can’t calm down.”

Once upon a time, when the opening match was held, my sister said she watched it live.

But back then, I didn’t know about her. Naturally, she was in peak condition for the match and we managed to win.

Warden and Chan-hyuk carried that match and hogged the spotlight.

Ah, thinking about it, I could have done better back then. Then my sister might have been more aware of me since that time.

“I’m suddenly feeling heated about this.”

Glancing sideways at him, who was calmly meditating, I ultimately steeled my heart and opened the pill container.

Blaming my own weakness for not being able to steady my nerves in front of my sister, I shut my eyes and took it.

The unique bitterness of the medication lingered in my mouth, and I finally swallowed it, but of course, the effects didn’t come immediately.

“The match will start soon. Players, please enter now.”

“Let’s decorate the opening match with a victory!”

With the coach’s energetic shout, everyone responded with confidence.

—Ah, the STK players are entering!

—When will the invincible tank STK finally falter? All eyes are on them.

—They have a 98% win rate from last season. They won every set except for two throughout the season. An amazing team.

—Especially, the performance of Yeonkkot has been praised as having bloomed even more.

Ah, so much chatter today.

The voice coming from the commentary booth felt irritating as it vibrated through the riled arena.

Is everything feeling sensitive because I’m nervous?

Bobbing my head lightly to gain focus, Eun-ha decided to turn her gaze to the stands.

Perhaps looking for my sister might help ease this feeling a bit. That was my hopeful thought.

Since it was the ticket she gave me, she would surely know where that seat was located.

“A-31, A-31… oh, over there.”

Turning my gaze toward the presumed location, I caught sight of some familiar faces.

Not just my sister with her striking blonde hair, but also Park Da-young and others.

Especially those two next to her were guests on my sister’s broadcast.

“Those people are heroes too… right?”

In the brightly lit eyes of those, I felt a hint of curiosity and fondness directed toward me.

Ah-jin was waving a support card,


Park Da-young was watching with a bored expression,


the older sister was munching popcorn excitedly,


and the younger sister was scolding something inside the bag.

I realized that they all came here to watch my match.

At that moment, my sister’s lips moved quietly.

Even from afar, her voice didn’t reach me, but somehow it felt like those lips were saying:

“Fight on.”

Ah, like a gentle breeze filled with the fragrance of spring, that silent voice brushed softly against my body.

Subtle, yet carrying a sincere resonance to my heart, that encouragement calmed my tumultuous feelings instantly.

“Thank you.”

Trying not to make it obvious, I fixed my gaze on my sister and slightly waved my hand,


when suddenly—

—Bang!

“Ow!”

“Hey, aren’t you paying attention?”

Missing the timing to stop, a small mishap occurred when I bumped into the person in front of me.

Caught in an unintentional spotlight, Eun-ha’s cheeks flushed slightly.