Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 25

Main Quest Completed

So, it’s like I’m done with the main quest, and from here on out, it was just smooth sailing.

Aside from the dark beer and snacks, Dayoung brought various treats from inside the house.

She even dug out the soju that was carefully stored in the refrigerator.

“Heh, the Demon King is a complete loser now.”

—Ugh!

A frog doll poking the Demon King trapped in the sanctuary with some random chopsticks from who-knows-where.

And a ball of black smoke, trembling in anger.

I heard Dayoung’s Demon King from the summoned world was just a fragment piece.

Even if it’s busted, it’s still a Demon King? I didn’t expect such sinister schemes to be laid out like this.

‘It’s quite fascinating.’

I’m a Hero who has also been summoned to another world before, but the scene in front of me is something hard to get used to.

Can you believe this is the humiliation the Demon King is facing? There’s a huge gap compared to the Demon King I took down.

Also, that lanky little frog seems a bit too localized in the wrong direction, making it feel really off.

Was there a Hero party character that talked like that?

Well… maybe it’s because the most important thing was resolved, I felt relaxed and more lenient about everything.

—Snap!

As I cracked open a can of dark beer, the smooth coating down my throat made my tension rise.

“Isn’t that a bit too much to drink?”

“Oh, it’s fine. This much is… But how about you, Dayoung? You’re drinking quite fast.”

“Uh, I’m fine, okay?”

Maybe feeling a little guilty, she huffed and polished off her remaining glass.

I’m pretty sure she said she was totally okay with drinking beer from the convenience store.

The beers we’re holding are the last cans we bought from there.

Am I already tipsy? Cute.

As I sipped the drink and watched the frog toy humiliating the Demon King, Dayoung suddenly sighed unintentionally.

When I looked closely, her eyes were glistening with moisture.

“Thinking about it, it’s ridiculous.”

“…”

“Right? I’ve been working hard on my broadcasts, and in the end, I just ended up with a total joke.”

Is everything she’s worked for being invalidated by some irrational logic?

To think, if there’s anyone more wronged than her, it might be hard to find.

She was once a successful, vibrant streamer forced into another world, wasted two years, and returned only to lose all her dreams.

She tried to start over, but ended up wasting nearly a year embroiled in a disaster like that.

Naturally, it’s exhausting, infuriating, and so many emotions are tangled and confusing.

So, I suddenly became curious and asked her.

“Why do you stream, Dayoung?”

“At first, it was out of curiosity, but as I kept going, it looked fun.”

That was surprisingly simple.

At first, she was nervous and trembling, but later found it enjoyable.

She made money, too, and found comfort in communicating.

It sounded just like something a well-doing streamer would say.

So when she returned to Korea, she said she couldn’t find another path.

Her studies had already fallen behind, and it was hard to study again.

Especially because she desperately needed income.

“My mom is hospitalized. It’s been months… and since things aren’t great, I didn’t have the luxury to just prepare, so I started streaming again. Think about it, what can a 20-something girl with a middle school education do to earn money right away? Ultimately, I was on the brink of becoming a total joke… Ugh, why am I crying?”

“Dayoung, dear. I’m here for you.”

“The fact that you’re here is the bigger problem.”

At Dayoung’s sharp retort, the frog toy, feeling angry, began sticking the chopsticks into the Demon King again.

Listening to her story, I realized her circumstances were considerably worse than mine.

My struggles as a Hero in another world would pale in comparison to what she faced.

But I returned with a worthy reward, so in the end, things turned out alright for me.

Conversely, she was left with nothing, just a winged green frog.

‘That could’ve been dangerous.’

It’s true that the power of the Hero is suppressed by the laws of this world, but…

‘If one is willing to self-destruct, they could wield the power of a Hero freely for a day.’

If Dayoung’s mindset had been contaminated, and if that Demon King had possessed her body with miraculous odds like squeezing through a needle’s eye…

That could have led to a massive incident. Normally, a Hero’s strong will could withstand it, but it isn’t invincible after all.

Once I thought it through, I realized that I had to get rid of the Demon King quickly.

Anyway, pointing a finger at the Demon King being violated by the frog, I said,

“Hero Death Beam.”

—Pakin!

The Demon King, shot with a golden laser from the tip of my finger, perished without even screaming.

“Whoa, what the heck! Why kill it so soon, you jerk.”

As the toy vanished, the frog began to complain like a spoiled child.

Anyone would think you’re the Demon King.

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Mostly, Dayoung’s story took center stage, but thanks to that, the tension between us started to wash away like the tide.

People can find solace and gain the energy to move on just by expressing their struggles.

Already sloshed with alcohol, I figured there was no need to be rough with one another.

You could say… as we talked about different things, I thought it might be quite okay for Heroes to share opening up like this.

“Dayoung, how old are you?”

“Eh? I’m twenty-one this year…”

“Ah, I’m twenty-two…”

In reality, I was older than that, but it seemed right to speak according to our statuses.

Considering she was younger, I found it easy to casually blurt out.

“Shall we drop the formalities?”

At my reply, Dayoung blinked with rabbit-like eyes, then puffed her cheeks and pouted.

“But we’re already informal.”

When I was awkward and didn’t know what words to string together, it seemed like only alcohol could save me.

Seeing Dayoung so easily dropping the formalities made me think, you see.

Under the influence of alcohol, all hearts become honest; there’s no easier cheat key than that. Of course, it can be poisonous if overdone.

She munched on beef jerky like a little squirrel eating meat.

It was only after we reached this point that I amusingly started observing Dayoung closely.

Smooth black hair just brushing her shoulder, big eyes bouncing with life. Especially, her youthful appearance reminded me of a teenager, which was adorable.

She might have been in a position that triggers protective instincts in guys, someone who’d probably be popular at school.

You could say she had the face that might be liked by otaku types.

However, the atmosphere and the essence of Hero Forming and Park Dayoung were slightly different.

I knew this already from watching her broadcasts, but there’s definitely a little gap between virtual reality and actual reality. Was it all deliberately staged?

At that moment, our eyes met in mid-air.

While I was thinking about various things while looking at Dayoung, it appeared she was also pondering about me.

As Dayoung lightly caressed the beer can, she unexpectedly said.

“Can I call you ‘noona’?”

“Oh, of course… wait a minute…”

The response I was about to give lingered in my mouth before swallowing it back down.

Noona? Oppa?

Suddenly, my brain got jammed over the issue of titles.

Amongst those around me, I’ve been called ‘noona’ or ‘woman’ countless times.

But is it really okay to call Dayoung like that?

Just because my body looks this way, does my mind also follow suit?

If so, then what happens to the memories of my spirit before being summoned to this world?

If someone asked me whether I’ve ever thought of myself as a girl…

‘No.’

In a brief moment, various thoughts brushed through my head like a gust of wind.

In the silence, my deliberation didn’t last long.

I guess this too is the power of alcohol, as my answer came readily.

I didn’t want to lie. It was all just about my spirit…

“Call me ‘oppa.’”

“…Why?”

I was surprised at how calmly she asked.

“Because I’m a guy.”

“…?”

Dayoung tilted her head.

It seemed like she didn’t immediately grasp what I meant; there’s a bit of buffering going on in her brain.

Eventually, her brows scrunched as she blamed her confused mind.

“There’s no such guy with a voice and body like yours. Oh, wait….”

With a slightly contorted expression and a shaky voice. I could easily guess what she was thinking.

“Did you have gender reassignment surgery? That transgender thing?”

“No. I didn’t have surgery; I completely changed. My body is totally a woman.”

“Ah….”

Her expression said she got the general idea, which is hard to express in words.

It’s not that she was disgusted by it, but an awkwardness not covered even by alcohol settled again.

Maybe that’s why I ended up making an awkward excuse.

“I received the goddess’s blessing when summoned to the other world, and my body just transformed to be just like hers. Apparently, I can’t revert it. Isn’t that funny?”

“Oh, right. I get it now.”

Yeah, that’s what it was! She seemed to agree as if hypnotizing herself, probably given up on understanding it rationally.

I figured she was either drinking with thoughts of escape or rationalization.

Just then, the frog toy flew up and twitched its mouth.

“Hehe, what a chaos is this? All Heroes seem to be a little off. Our Dayoung seems to be full of gender sensitivity, huh?”

—Bang!

This time, my finger smacked down on the frog’s head.

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