Chapter 10: Unexpected merger
A man moved his mouse busily and opened his mouth.
“Excuse me. I think we should start moving. Did you not see a car?”
“…”
“Excuse me? Buddy. Do you not have a mic?”
He spoke repeatedly, then swallowed a sigh and rubbed his temples.
His teammate was still silent.
Unable to bear it any longer, he turned off his in-game mic and slammed his desk.
“No! Please just talk!! Or at least type in chat!!!”
The chat window stirred at his loud shouts echoing through the broadcast.
[Ikyun is angry!!]
[Roast him?]
[Pour oil?]
[But seriously, it’s really rude.]
[Ha;; Got the wrong one.]
[Random duo is fun, but when you meet guys like that, it’s f**king annoying lol.]
The chat’s intensity was quite fast.
While not a major streamer, he definitely couldn’t be called a small one.
His name was Baeikyeon.
He was a mid-tier streamer on CastOn, with Battle Survival as his main content.
His characteristics included high energy and spicy wit.
After fuming for a while, he calmed down and took a deep breath.
[This bro streams well.]
[Forced tension is legendary.]
[Seems genuinely angry this time?]
[Honestly, it’s justifiable to be angry lol.]
As he tried to calm down, he saw the chat and added another comment.
“Forced tension, you little sh*t.”
“Does this look like forced tension?”
“No, look at that b*stard, everyone.”
“Look at him completely ignoring people and doing whatever the f*ck he wants.”
“Does it look like I wouldn’t get angry?”
“And the timing of his trolling, he’s clearly listening to what I’m saying….”
His flushed face proved his sincerity.
He was indeed angry.
Although he often used performative anger for his broadcast, this time it was real.
“Battle Survival needs a bit of a purge.”
“It’s good that new players are increasing, but how many times has this happened just today?”
“It wasn’t like this when I used to do random duos before, you know?”
[Gasp.]
[What.]
[Bold statement .]
[Judge, I am not involved.]
“I’m not kidding, seriously?”
“Look at this guy not using a mic and the state of his nickname.”
“It’s definitely a stream sniper.”
“Let’s not do this sneakily from behind, you men. Okay?”
“Huh?”
He poured out words like a machine gun, eventually almost pleading.
However, the teammate who was intentionally trolling paid no heed.
The result was disastrous.
<55th Place>
[Are you not feeling well today? It’s okay! It happens!]
“Ah, f**k!!!”
Slam!
Another desk slam echoed.
He seemed to be writhing in frustration at the score before him.
“What do you mean 55th place?”
“With this MMR, getting chicken isn’t even enough… Ha.”
“Nothing’s going right, seriously.”
“Even just having my main account tied up is sh*tty.”
He roughly ran his hand through his hair, lamenting.
Viewers also agreed with him.
[Fr, when will his main account suspension be lifted?]
[It’s a game company mistake, and not releasing it yet is legendary.]
[Thanks to that, we get to watch him stomp noobs lol.]
[That’s true, when else would he play at this MMR if not now?]
[Too many trolls is a disadvantage.]
[If his rank was high, those kinds of people would be filtered out..]
Although not professional level, he was one of the top-tier skilled players among streamers.
Naturally, viewers who only watched spectacular plays were just as annoyed by the trolls.
As he finally found common ground with his viewers, Baeikyeon, his anger subsided, scratched his head vigorously and queued up again.
“From now on, if you stream snipe, I’ll definitely report you.”
“This is no joke.”
[Gasp.]
[Decision .]
[Since he’s a partner, if he reports stream sniping, it’s definitely a suspension lol.]
[But aren’t they all sub-accounts anyway?]
[Still, some will be filtered out, yeah yeah.]
“If you’re going to stream snipe, at least don’t make it obvious.”
“Or at least be good… Ah, no.”
“Let’s forget the last game.”
Even though it was quite late, a match was found quickly.
Indeed, a popular game.
He put his hands together and prayed earnestly.
As today’s content was random duos, it was a duo again.
“Please be a human being… please….”
[That ‘being’ f**k lol.]
[Who would listen to a prayer like that??]
[There are too many beasts with guns.]
[I wish he’d at least use a mic.]
[How long do we have to watch Ikyun’s a*s show? ;]
Soon, the screen transitioned to the waiting area.
Everyone’s hopes and attention naturally focused on the teammate.
He hummed and read the name.
“Lucy?”
At least the nickname was normal.
But it was still uncertain.
Because there were many who wore masks these days.
The teammate remained in place, as if doing something else.
Thump! Thump!
After he poked her a few times, she finally seemed to notice and started moving.
The teammate stared blankly at him.
Baeikyeon turned on his mic and asked abruptly.
“Are you a stream sniper, by any chance?”
[It’s out]
[Surprise interrogation .]
[No lol, who would admit to being a stream sniper.]
[If they ignore you, they’re a stream sniper, yeah yeah.]
[Does this person have celebrity disease???]
It wasn’t just for broadcast content, but also a question to filter out unwanted players.
Usually, this question elicited various reactions.
Having broadcast for a long time, he could catch those who were hesitant within those responses.
“So, what are you going to say?”
“…Huh?”
As he was paying attention like a lion stalking its prey, pure bewilderment disrupted the air.
Baeikyeon blinked his eyes at the exceedingly beautiful voice.
“…Huh?”
“Sniper? Oh, a gun? No. I don’t really use sniper rifles.”
The voice was heard again.
It was not a mistake.
Not only him but also the viewers were stunned by the unexpected situation.
[???]
[?????]
[What’s with that voice?]
[Were there women in this game too?]
[Noona…]
[Noonaaaaaa.]
[Expression lol.]
[Why is Ikyun’s expression like that lol.]
“Ah… Yes. I see…?”
[‘I see’ my a*s.]
[He suddenly turned into an idiot;]
[Is that really the person who was just beating up stream snipers??]
[Understand. He’s a novice.]
[Saying she doesn’t use sniper rifles when asked if she’s a stream sniper is f*ing cute lol.]
Baeikyeon looked at the chat window with a dazed expression.
[Seems like she’s not a stream sniper, yeah yeah.]
[Noona sniping Ikyun? That’s ridiculous, fr lol.]
[Where are there women in this room;;]
He also agreed.
It was hard to see her as a stream sniper.
No, she was a ‘big catch,’ fitting the spirit of random duos that had lost its essence due to numerous trolls.
‘This is MyTuber material.’
A woman, already rare.
Moreover, her voice was good.
Considering the gender ratio of male-dominated broadcasts…
Baeikyeon quickly calculated and regained his motivation.
“Haha. Let’s do our best.”
“Yes. But I’m a bit of a beginner.”
“Oh, really? That’s okay.”
“It’s alright to be bad at games.”
[Wow]
[Ugh, fk.]
[F***ing disgusting.]
[What’s with Sweet Ikyun;;]
[The guy who treats bad gamers like bugs.]
[‘It’s alright to be bad’ my a*s.]
He casually ignored the bustling chat window and asked.
“Have you won chicken before?”
“Chicken! …No. I haven’t.”
Her voice, overreacting to the word ‘chicken’, sounded somewhat exhausted.
“Is that so?”
“Well, well, I guess I’ll have to get you one.”
“…! Really?!”
A bright-toned question, as if it was something she truly longed for.
A video was completed in Baeikyeon’s mind.
‘I got chicken for a legendary-voiced woman I met by chance.’
He could already see the view counts.
Lucy did not lie.
As she herself had said, she truly was bad.
[Noona is really bad..]
[Her movement is a bit… yeah yeah.]
[She’s a girl, so it doesn’t matter lol.]
[But is she really noona? She looks younger than Ikyun.]
[I can’t adapt to the streamer being so sweet;;]
“Ah! Enemy here!”
“Please wait a moment. I’ll revive you shortly.”
Even though Lucy was downed, he was relaxed.
And as he said, he easily annihilated the enemy duo and healed her.
“Ah, thank you.”
“Here, take some healing items too.”
“Uhm. I’m sorry. Only I died.”
“No problem. Haha. This game is actually a bit difficult.”
[????]
[He once said it was the easiest game.]
[Where’s that guy who said if you can’t play Battle Survival, don’t even touch FPS??]
“But why are you so good? I mean, compared to the people I’ve watched, you’re a bit… on a different level.”
“Huh? Oh, no. Good? I’m just playing moderately, hahaha!”
[This b*stard’s mouth is stretched to his ears lol.]
[He says he’s happy because a woman complimented him lol.]
[Do you like stomping noobs in the beginner zone?]
It was natural for Lucy to wonder.
Because Baeikyeon was originally someone who shouldn’t have been there.
To use an analogy, it was like a tank dropping into the age of cold weapons.
She felt a certain stubbornness and tried her best, but in his eyes, she just looked cute.
“I hit him once! I’ll ping… huh?”
“Okay. Clear.”
“Kyaah! Save me!”
“I’m throwing a grenade, so keep moving.”
“…Nice! Good throw.”
“Wow! You got all of them?!”
Of course, it was the same in the eyes of the viewers.
[The female player is cute lol.]
[So cute lol.]
[Ah, her voice is really good.]
[It’s healing… fr.]
[She looks even cuter because she’s clearly trying her best lol.]
[This is what duos are about lol.]
[But Ikyun is actually really good.]
Thus, common players stood no chance against the national-power-level carry, and the game ended as he had foretold.
A brilliant phrase filled the screen.
<1st Place>
[Today is chicken! It’s going to be delicious!]
A phrase he and the viewers had seen hundreds of times.
But Lucy had not.
She, who had momentarily frozen as if overwhelmed with emotion, cheered.
“Waaahhh! Finally…!!”
It was such a clear cheer that one could imagine her throwing both hands up and screaming.
Her half-sobbing sounded closer to a scream.
Anyone hearing her would think it had been years since she last got chicken.
It was as if she had resolved a deep-seated regret.
Baeikyeon, who hadn’t expected her to be this happy, felt a bit bewildered.
“She’s so happy? It really seems like it’s her first chicken.”
[Fr.]
[She’s practically screaming.]
[Good thing he carried lol.]
[But why is this b*stard grinning?]
[If it’s Baeikyeon happy from getting MyTuber content, then it’s fine.]
The atmosphere of the broadcast, which had been hostile due to stream snipers, had somehow brightened.
This was because he had extracted entertainment for the broadcast, and Lucy had played the role of ‘Mercury’.
‘Mercury’ was a term derived from an item in a game called Champions Arena, referring to a person who loosens up a tense atmosphere, like an item that removes crowd control effects.
Since it was rare in the male-dominated internet broadcasting scene, she was the type to be welcomed wherever she went.
‘Her energy is good too.’
‘People like this are really rare among ordinary folks.’
‘I was lucky.’
Baeikyeon thought so.
Until one chat message appeared.
[That person seems like a streamer??? If you search her nickname on CastOn, she comes up.]