Chapter 10: Scavenger Call

In the end, even Yewha joined, and we decided to do a joint broadcast together today.

No, but when I asked if it was okay to do a joint broadcast for an apology broadcast, the two comforted and consoled me with kind eyes.

I was comforted, being told to be confident because I hadn’t done anything wrong, but… well, I hadn’t done anything wrong, but since I caused discomfort, shouldn’t I apologize before anyone started cursing at me?

Actually, before I thought about all that, I was a little moved by the fact that I had made two friends who would be on my side no matter what.
I was also a bit excited… It’s been so long since I’ve felt this way.

“Then, joint broadcast now..?”

“No, there’s something we have to do before that!”

“What? Then when are we doing it? We have to hurry.”

“Right now…. I think we need to turn it on…”

“We can do that later! Yejie, you have a problem! What do you think it is?”

What…. what is it…?

I’m full of problems, even if you don’t tell me…

Did I make a mistake or something?

“Everything..?”

“Your outfit is the problem! Always a white t-shirt and jeans, that’s all!”

“Ah~ Right. Every time I see you, it’s always this outfit.”

Why is this a problem?

If it was, wouldn’t someone have pointed it out to me?

Weren’t the viewers quiet?

“Why..?”

“Are you seriously asking because you don’t know? It’s much more serious than I thought.”

“Right, right.”

“Because you always wear that. That’s the problem!”

“Uh… I change every day…”

“That’s not the point. It’s just a waste of that face and body! And there are tons of clothes more comfortable than that out there.”

“Hoodies are the best!”

It’s quite persuasive, but I didn’t have the money.

Everyone thinks I’ve earned some money, but donations don’t all become my money.

It takes almost a month after applying to receive them.

So, I have to live on 400,000 won for a month.

No, is it 300,000 won now?

“Then, next month…”

Without answering me, they dragged me outside.

Each grabbed one of my arms and linked them. What is this about?

It’s not cold…

But the right arm must feel… A cold, hard prosthetic wouldn’t feel good to hug.

“The prosthetic arm is hard…”

As I tried to subtly pull my arm away with a look of reluctance, Yewha looked at my face for a moment, grinned, and hugged me even tighter.

“It’s totally cool, though?”

So Yewha likes this kind of thing.

In the end, I lost the freedom of both my arms and was being dragged somewhere.

It got a little tiring to enter clothing stores, look around, and leave every time we saw one.

“There aren’t any clothes I like here.”

“I guess not.”

“This outfit doesn’t look so good up close. Let’s go somewhere else!”

“Right. The color sucks!”

After repeating this endlessly, we finally found a place they liked, and they started holding clothes up to me, telling me to try them on.

The problem was the clothes they gave me… a skirt.

A seemingly thin, blue blouse? That too…

“I… like pants…”

“You have to try this kind of thing too! But why are you shy?”

“It’s a matter of preference. There are a lot of kids who like pants~”

My impression of wearing a skirt for the first time was… very unsettling.

The feeling of the wind blowing through was unsettling, and the open bottom made me worried it might show…?

And… it seemed a bit short…?

I tried pulling the hem of the skirt down, but it wasn’t going to stretch.

Why wear this, anyway?

“I… But I don’t have any money…”

I tried a timid resistance, but it had no effect on these two.

“I’m buying this as a friends’ anniversary gift!”

“Right! I’ll pick something out too!”

I resented Jeongran, excitedly picking things out.

Are you sure you’re a homebody…?

You’re not qualified to be a loner… Lee Jeongran..!

Yewha seemed like a social butterfly from the start…

I was the only true loner.

In the end, I kept trying on and showing them every piece of clothing they handed me.

I tried on a white dress, high-waisted clothes with a crop top…? A shirring crop top…?

I don’t know… Women’s clothing is difficult.

Yewha kept picking overly feminine clothes, which was burdensome, but Jeongran mostly recommended plain clothes, so that was better.

She kept tossing hoodies, orange patterned t-shirts… dolphin pants for wearing at home… But I guess that’s better than nothing.

Wow… women’s clothing is so expensive.

Isn’t this too much?

I tried to get only a few plain clothes using that as an excuse, but I ended up receiving a ton.

Stop shopping!

“I’ll pay you back, guys…”

“We said it’s a gift, right?”

I had no choice but to nod in agreement at Yewha’s subtle pressure.

Jeongran seemed to ignore me completely.

Anyway, as I was trying to change back into my original clothes, I was suddenly stopped.

“No! I finally bought them for you, why are you changing back into those clothes?”

“This empty feeling is weird…”

“That’s how it’s supposed to be!”

“Exactly!”

In the end, I had to go home wearing a skirt.

I wanted to hold onto the hem of the skirt, feeling uneasy, but they each linked arms with me and walked me home as if escorting me.

I hope… Nyanji isn’t like this too…?

Since it was almost time for the broadcast, we had a quick dinner at a restaurant nearby and went home.

When I got home, I felt relieved because the sense of unease I felt seemed to disappear a lot.

As I plopped down on the chair, Jeongran grabbed my spread legs and put them together.

“Look at her! Don’t sit with your legs wide open like that. It’s dangerous!”

“Leave me alone…”

“Get up~ We have to turn on the broadcast soon~”

Jeongran patted my back, but I was in despair at the thought that there was still more to do, as I was mentally exhausted.

Yewha turned on the PC and prepared for the broadcast, turning off the camera.

Come to think of it, Yewha and Jeongran didn’t use facecams.

And these days, streamers seem to avoid facecams.

“There aren’t many broadcasters who use facecams these days…?”

“There’s more to lose by using a facecam. You get stalkers even without one, let alone when you use one.”

“Right! There are so many trashy guys? Even Suyang got one.”

Hmm… Stalkers… I’m glad I don’t have one yet…

I don’t know what to do… What should I do if I get one?

“That’s right! Yejie, you have a stalker! Those dmn bstards…”

I quickly covered Yewha’s mouth to stop her.

She has a really foul mouth… Wouldn’t it be a big deal if she talked like that on broadcast?

“Pretty words…!”

“Those dog-like bastards… Mmmph!”

I guess she’ll be careful on broadcast…?

As Yewha went to the bathroom, Jeongran said something.

“Yes…?”

“Today, my friend Nyanji asked if it was okay to join the broadcast for a while. What do you think?”

“It’s okay… I’d like to meet her…”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

We started the broadcast as soon as Yewha came out.

Teyli Just Chatting

Apology Broadcast

“Hey, why this title? You didn’t do anything wrong!”

“You worry about Nyanji~ Yejie will realize she was wrong once the viewers show up.”

“Why Nyanji again!”

“Didn’t Nyanji kind of figure things out yesterday??”

“That scary girl… She’s sharp…”

“Yewha is doomed~ She might come to watch Nyanji’s joint broadcast~”

“You get ignored by Nyanji too!”

“I guess so..?”

[Why is the title like that again]

[You didn’t do anything wrong;;]

[Cheer up]

[She seems sorry alone kkkk]

[The broadcaster’s eyepatch design ㄷㄷ]

[We don’t care about the scars~ We only see the prosthetic arm~]

[Extreme]

[Those simps are defending a hacker with a prosthetic using hacks in the game ㅋㅋ]

[Lock]

[What happened?]

[Idk]

[Bury]

[Zero]

[Car]

[Zero]

[Car]

[Extreme]

[Lock]

[Ban that guy ㄱㄱ]

[No tact;; Bury it quickly]

What happened?

This is the first time this has happened, how do I deal with this?

I looked at Jeongran and Yewha with pleading eyes, but they were just holding in their laughter.

The atmosphere is strange…

I’m the only one who’s clueless…

The frustration of being clueless.

How do you develop a sense for these things?

Ugh…

“Hey guys~”

[I knew it]

[Our Ddododan is here~]

“Hey! Don’t we have a Heukwoodan?”

[Nope~]

[Find the Heukwoo at a farm]

[Yewha is still nice… Stop teasing her…]

“Guys, is this all our relationship amounts to?”

[Yup]

[What relationship do we have?]

[Ah, Who are you?]

[Why isn’t Yejie saying hello]

[She doesn’t seem to get it yet]

“Uh… Hello…?”

[Why is she back to honorifics]

[It doesn’t suit her]

[Cute~]

[She’s a rabbit]

[Coward characteristic) Uses honorifics when scared]

Judging by the atmosphere, it’s okay, right?

The scars weren’t that terrible.

Well, Teyli is such a beauty that scars suit her, so they probably don’t look that bad.

“About yesterday…”

[Why did you suddenly end the broadcast yesterday ㅡㅡ]

[I waited all day because you didn’t go live yesterday]

[What are we doing today?]

“Guys, I don’t have much to say today, but Yejie, today…”

[1 hour? Okay]

“Yejie is super scared and trembling today~ She was crying, you know? It’s not her fault, but she overthinks. I hope she gains some confidence~”

[Why is she acting like she’s the only one living in the world?]

[Only walk the flower road~]

[Sounds like a princess disease, We don’t care about the scars~]

Are only kind people gathered here..?

Everyone’s reactions are so heartwarming… Are there so many kind people on this broadcast?

I teared up, touched by their words.

I haven’t had this much attention from people in my life… There are so many touching things happening to me these days… I guess my viewers are all kind.

The friend I made is kind, and all my viewers are kind, so they seem to like me no matter what.

“What? She was crying? When? Don’t leave me out!”

Nyanji: I’m the one being left out… Guys…

Yewha’s expression hardened a bit.

And Yewha started making excuses like a husband who told his wife he was at a company dinner but was caught at a bar.

So this is Nyanji, who Jeongran was talking about.

Nyanji: See you later.

“Hey.. hey.. I’m sorry…”

Nyanji: Why are you apologizing first?

“Ah.. haha.. haha”

Yewha was sweating nervously.

This is the first time I’ve seen them like this.

Nyanji: It’s a pleasure to meet you, Teyli-nim. Hello.

“Uh… Hello, Nyanji-nim…”

What is this…

[Run~]

[Yewha! That was fun!]

[Nyanji, you join too!]

“Yeah, Nyanji join too~”

“Yeah, Nyanji! I was waiting for you, you know?”

Nyanji: Is it really okay?

“Of.. Of course…!”

Nyanji: Send me a Discord invite.

“Disc.. uh… Just a moment… I’ll install it…!”

“I’ll do it.”

As Yewha connected and invited her to the Discord room, Nyanji-nim’s voice rang out.

“Hello.”

A pleasant, husky voice.

“Jeongran… You left me out and took only Yewha, didn’t you?”

“No~ It’s not a misunderstanding, you know..? I took Yewha because you were broadcasting then. Isn’t Yewha more at fault for not telling you?”

“Lee Yewha!”

“Nyanji! Love you.”

“Love you too.”

They laughed it off.

I don’t understand their conversation…

Is this a generation gap..?

Aren’t they the same age?

“Nyanji, drop the honorifics with Yejie.”

“You should ask her!”

“You can drop them… I’m Seo Yejie…”

“Yejie, you too. I’m Nyanji. I’ll tell you my real name later.”

Unexpectedly, I got along well with Nyanji, who had a surprisingly gentle personality, and we agreed to play a game called Scavenger Call together tomorrow.

As evening fell, Yewha and Jeongran left together.

Of course, they nagged me about moving before leaving.

“Promise! You’re coming to Ansan!”

“Hmm… I’ll think about it…”

“No, Seoul is better.”

“Be quiet!”

They bickered as they left.

It’s nice when they’re around, but… I feel lonely when they suddenly leave.

I wonder if it will answer today?

“Hey, when I enter VR, why is my right arm missing?”

[Inferior technology. Incompatible.]

“Then do I have to keep playing VR games without my right arm?”

[The reason for playing is incomprehensible. Unable to grasp the user’s positive attitude towards VR games.]

“What? I’m trying it because VR games look fun.”

[A user who has undergone various tortures in VR should normally avoid VR devices. Unpredictable.]

“Have I been tortured in VR?”

This was an unexpected answer, not even in the story.

[Severed limbs up to the acromion and eye damage during torture. The Empire’s torture methods have an 89% mortality rate, but the user survived. Ultimately, the user suffered a severe mental breakdown due to torture using VR. Although the escape was successful, the user still struggles to maintain their personality.]

“So that’s what happened.”

[User status confirmed. Memory is incomplete. Current time 23:00. Past data access unavailable after this time.]

“What? I’m fine. I said I’m fine! Hey!”

[No reason to leave the current situation. Recommend continuing life here without questioning the past, as it perfectly aligns with the user’s wishes.]

“Hmm… I’ll do that anyway.”

[Surprise. Agreement with the user.]

“What about the data I transferred to the computer last time?”

[No access to the user’s belongings except under specific circumstances. Recommend granting access to connect to the PC and delete data.]

“No.”

[Expressing regret.]

“Can you not change how you talk?”

[Reject]

It muttered something incomprehensible and turned itself off.

What does that mean?

Since Yejie doesn’t know about this, it’s fine to mention it here, but please don’t mention the prosthetic arm or scars on the broadcast.

And I’ve kicked out the bugs who are still talking about hacks, even coming to the fan cafe.

Everyone did well today.

No mention of the fan cafe either.

Yejie Dan: Good

New sprout: Good..

Ruwak: Quick response
….

I saw a couple of people doing it yesterday, I didn’t know there would still be some left.

Is it even technologically possible to put hacks inside a prosthetic arm? kk

Job: There are people who say Bill Gates put chips in Americans’ brains, you think there wouldn’t be those kinds of people? kk

Eeeing: kkk It’s not bad since they’re revealing their intelligence level. My block list is growing.

Heukwoo: I guess people didn’t see it because it was buried quickly.

Well, I was worried because she was really having a breakdown.

Those two are so nice…

She seems to be in a good condition now, probably because she received mental care from them.

ㅇㅇ: It’s cute how she apologizes, thinking she did something wrong kk

Teyli Dan: Clueless, she can’t grasp the situation alone kk

Suksuk: It’s funny how she went back to honorifics kk

I heard that she cried all day, and she didn’t even know what time it was.

Kkuang: I just joined, and I thought she was just timid

Yongpari: If they keep taking care of her mental health, it’ll get better

<Guys, that’s not important!>

She finally broke free from the white t-shirt and jeans fashion!

Mtsi: How did you know, they didn’t even turn on the cam yesterday?

-ㅁㄴㅇ: They did a talk broadcast yesterday kk

-Jjin: She wore a skirt yesterday.

-Shushushuk: I heard she resisted with all sorts of excuses and eventually wore it kkk

-Ingko: They said she was trying to pull down the hem of the skirt, I thought it would come off kkkkk

-Mtsi: Did I miss out again?

At first, I didn’t know what was going on, and I was just watching the chat, then I realized and barged in kk

But she was very friendly even though it was her first time meeting Yejie.

Wing: Even now, Nyanji doesn’t know what kind of person Yejie is kk She probably doesn’t even know what she looks like.

Vision Totem: She’ll probably find out today?

I sat on a chair, wearing an orange patterned t-shirt and shorts.

It’s a bit hot today… The skirt was okay yesterday, but… something… felt off.

I’m not used to it yet…

Teyli Scavenger Call

First VR Game

[Teha~]

[Teha Teha~]

[Cheer up Yejie]

[Heung noona… so pretty…]

[Finally out of the white t-shirt]

“Hello….”

[Finally Scavenger Call today]

[Right, there’s one more VR game coming out]

[I’m personally looking forward to it]

[That game is fun. I recommend it.]

[I was crying, giving up on the AOS genre, but finally..]

“A new game is coming out?”

[ㅇㅇ]

[But I don’t know about the quality since it’s not Belbosa.]

[Why did Belbosa allow it?]

But why are there so few VR games?

It’s also surprising that there are only two, even though VR games are so popular.

“Um… Why are there so few VR games?”

[It’s because of the patent.]

[When Belbosa was gathering most of the budget and throwing it away, I thought they would go bankrupt]

[No one can follow them yet kk]

[Even if other game companies try, who would want their brains fried as test subjects when there are safe VR devices? They don’t buy it even if you tell them to]

“Ah, so Belbosa made Cry and Scavenger Call…!”

[They poured so much money into making VR devices, they bet their lives on making Cry and Scavenger Call.]

[It took a long time kk But they never released the license. I thought they would sell VR games for money.]

[The new game wasn’t made by Belbosa, but by a small team, and they allowed it.]

[But the commission is 50% kkkk]

[The commission is too much. Belbo is really greedy.]

[But it’s still a profitable business, right? They said they would reduce it to 35% if it becomes popular.]

Hmm… That’s interesting.

“But there’s someone who sometimes types in a very stiff tone in chat, what’s that about?”

[???]

[That’s a foreigner kk The translation system is so good these days]

[I am a foreigner. But I like Koreans. I have eaten bulgogi and kimchi.]

[The newbie knows how to eat]

“Ah, I see… Hello..?”

[You are pretty.]

[I want. You to install translation mode.]

[Everyone installs translation mode these days kk]

[They’ll do it when they have money.]

-Foreigner’s 10,000 won donation!

There’s a program called translation mode, but it’s a bit expensive.

“I’ll do it when I have money…”

When I connected to the VR device, there was a 1 on an icon that looked like a mailbox.

Soon, you will be able to choose your outfit.

Our Belbo team had no other intentions for those who are physically and mentally uncomfortable, and we deeply regret our mistake of targeting only ordinary people.

We plan to allow users to change the outfit set in the device.

Costumes are only applied in the waiting room.

Did they change it because of me?

It’s not common to worry about things happening in other countries…

The companies here are very different from the ones in that world.

I pressed the costume settings and only applied the eyepatch.

Well… the dress is comfortable and the skirt is long, so it doesn’t feel as repulsive as a regular skirt.

[She looks like an angel..]

[Doesn’t she look more like a warrior than an angel?]

[Anyone pretty is an angel]

[If she was a model or a celebrity, she would have been on the list of the richest people in the world.]

[But how did she get the eyepatch?]

[They changed it because Teyli had a seizure and ended the broadcast, which is now famous overseas.]

[They were criticized quite a lot for not considering people with physical disabilities kk]

[It’s been rumored on Reddit.]

[Belbosa’s management is clumsy.]

Ding-

Friend request received.

-Yeha~ Accept my friend request~

-Yejie! Accept it quickly!

-It’s me, Nyanji

It’s Yewha and Jeongran.

I can tell just by their voices.

Nyanji sent one too.

As soon as I accepted the friend requests, voices came through my ears.

“Hello~”

“Hello… Jeongran.”

“Come quickly~ Press ‘Play game with friends’ and you’ll automatically enter~”

White snowflakes were falling from the sky.

It feels a bit cool as the snow touches my skin.

White snowflakes completely covered the world before me, and instead of leaves and colorful flowers, pure white snow flowers were blooming from the trees.

And looking at the snow burying my feet, a desire inside of me suddenly revealed its presence.

Don’t you sometimes want to do that?

When you see a white snowy field without a single footprint, doesn’t everyone want to leave a mark on it?

No one’s watching, right?

I threw myself into the snow and rolled around.

I feel the soft, cool snow.

[Cute kk]

[If you’re pretty, everything becomes a picture]

[Ah kk I can’t resist~]

[Nyanji’s behind you!]

“Pfft… hehe…”

“???”

I hear someone’s voice?

I slightly turned my head while lying down and saw someone covering their mouth with a face full of laughter.

They had long, blue hair down to their hips, probably dyed, and they looked quite tall, wearing black clothes with gaiters and a bulletproof vest on their arms and legs, and a pistol at their waist.

As soon as they saw my face, they stared at me with a very surprised look.

“Wh… who… are you..?”

I felt awkward about meeting someone new and embarrassed about acting like a child.

“Uh… well… I’m Nyanji… We talked yesterday, right?”

I grabbed Nyanji’s outstretched hand and jumped up.

Nyanji flinched when they saw my right shoulder while helping me up, but they seemed to be pretending not to know.

“Wow… But you’re really pretty. Have you ever been a model?”

“No… I was just unemployed…”

I followed Nyanji and walked somewhere.

As I walked, talking about how Nyanji knew Yewha and Jeongran, I saw a huge, towering building.

It doesn’t seem like an apartment…

A wooden wall surrounded the tower widely.

When Nyanji pressed the button and opened the door, I saw a field with crops planted inside.

Apple trees were planted here and there.

It’s well decorated.

“I guess we’ll see each other often here from now on!”

“Wow~ It’s Yejie~”

Yewha greeted me with a hearty laugh, and Jeongran waved her small hand and greeted me. But… are they really Yewha and Jeongran…?

Yewha had red hair with a purple bridge, like her broadcasting character, and looked a bit bigger than in reality.

Her appearance seems a bit different too…

Jeongran’s height and size were the same, but her unique hair color stood out.

Her face seems a bit different too.

“Uh… but… your faces…”

“We changed our appearance settings!”

“It’s troublesome if our faces are known.”

Is Nyanji-nim a bit different too?

“I’m talking about how changing your face is a bit… Wow~ Seo Yejie! Is being pretty everything?”

“Ah, that’s a bit harsh~”

“Ah… no…”

“Too much~”

[Now I understand why people change their faces when they’re this pretty?]

[Yejie… doesn’t… know… the human heart…!]

Why are they suddenly like this?

I looked at them in bewilderment, and Nyanji sighed and said,

“Stop~ Stop~ Stop joking around and let’s get ready, Scavs might come today.”

“What? Those Scav bastards are coming again? We have to crush them!”

“Who was coming today~”

And then they suddenly scattered.

[Don’t Scavs always attack?]

[There are times when a big wave comes. It’s like a war then, and if we lose, most of our items get looted kk]

While I was looking at the chat window, a black person passing by stopped and looked at me.

They say people from all over the world are on one server, my friends… are global..!

To think they know foreigners too…

“Hello… uh… Hello..?”

“….”

“Pfft… hehehe…”

Nyanji, whose face turned red while holding back laughter.

Why are they doing that…

They should introduce me…

[It’s an NPC kkkkkkkkk]

[The newbie is cute~]

[Those are PMCs hired by Yewha kkk]

Ah… ah… Why didn’t they tell me beforehand…

My face was burning.

Nyanji, who laughed heartily, rummaged through a box by the crops and threw me various items.

“This is a pistol… I don’t know the model name, so use it however you want… This is a bulletproof vest, helmet… bandage…”

“I only have pistols left, so use this for now.”

As I roughly caught what she handed me with my left arm, my clothes changed immediately.

I’m dressed up now.

“Now, your job is to block the Scavs together… After that, fish with me and bring me fish!”

“Uh… okay…”

I think I need time to adapt to this game.

They’ll tell me, right?

“We don’t know when they’ll come, so let’s harvest the crops.”

“Okay…”

But is it my imagination?

I feel like I’m talking to Nyanji a lot today?

Is it just me?

Nyanji reached out and tapped a pumpkin, and the pumpkin was suddenly in Nyanji’s hand.

Nyanji put the pumpkin in a box next to the field.

“When are Suyang and Choya unnie coming?”

“Yes…?”

“Ah, I’ll introduce you when they come.”

I’m making… more friends..!

Am I finally making a lot of friends?

Nyanji looked at my face with a satisfied expression.
…?

My friends sometimes do this, what does it mean?

Is it because my face is pretty?

I sometimes look in the mirror and admire myself.

“Hey… guys…! He…”

I hear something..

Nyanji also seemed to hear it, stopped what she was doing, and turned her head towards the direction of the sound.

“Hey guys…! Help!! The Scavs are here…!”

“Nyanji, open the door quickly!!”

When I climbed up the wooden wall, I saw Yewha and Jeongran running towards us, dodging the bullets flying towards them.

When Jeongran, who had short strides, fell behind, Yewha lifted Jeongran up like luggage on her shoulder and ran.

“Wow, this is so convenient!”

“Hey!”

I saw a huge number of people chasing after them.

Wow… how many are there?

[What’s with this wave? kkkk]

[They patched it, saying the Scavs were too easy to blockㅇㅇ]

[Bighead was breached because the Scavs even brought mortars kk]

[There was also a raider kk]

My heart is pounding at the realistic sight.

It’s like a game that only exists in imagination…