Gossip Session with the Streamer
"Welcome!"
Stepping into her cramped room and catching sight of her bare face, I let out a sigh of relief.
"You're LambRibLemonSorbet, right?"
"Yes. Nice to meet you, Azia-nim."
"Just call me Kim Jia! What's your name?"
"In Jisan."
"In Jisan... Are you an actor or celebrity? The name rings a bell."
"No."
I shook my head firmly, gazing at her with warm eyes.
Definitely...
She was someone I knew. More precisely, one of the people I'd seen back when I was the leader of that cult.
She danced incredibly well...
One of the five women who'd put on that stunning performance. And now, here she was as a streamer.
"F-First off... thank you for the donation!"
"Sure."
It wasn't money I'd earned from my job—just funds from the "organization." I had no intention of soaking up excessive gratitude.
"To celebrate my first million-won donor today, we're doing a dinner date and a 'fun game just for the two of us'—all on stream!"
"That's okay with you?"
"I'll probably get permanently banned, but who cares! Every Korean will end up permanently banned equally anyway."
Jia flashed a bright smile.
Yeah, right, as if...
No matter how irrelevant a permanent ban might seem, broadcasting raw moans without consequences was impossible. My hypnosis had made this seem like "common sense." For a platform on the verge of vanishing, any antics would register as perfectly normal.
"Sounds good."
"Your face won't show, but your voice might pick up a bit. That's fine, right?"
"No problem."
I could live with that. A faint smile crossed my lips.
"Then let's eat first! I ordered pizza and spaghetti!"
Jia extended her hand with a radiant grin. I took it.
"I have a bunch of questions. That cool?"
"Of course."
Jia munching on pizza was both pretty and adorable.
"Y-You seem like you were in entertainment..."
"C-Can you tell? Really?"
"Yeah. Your singing's spot-on, great vocal control too."
"You're a total fan! So why no chats before? I was shocked when you donated."
"Well..."
"Honestly, not many people chat in my streams anyway. Or did you watch before and switch nicks for the donation? You're not that creepy guy from way back, right?"
I had nothing to say. Her hunch that I was "in entertainment" stemmed not from her streams or songs, but from the dance I'd witnessed in person—Kim Jia's performance.
"Or were you in that world originally?"
"Not quite..."
"Anyway, thanks. I was in it until recently. Just started streaming."
"That's what struck me as odd. Your vocals, and in person... your figure and looks too. You could debut as an idol."
"Pfft, plenty of folks like that in this biz. Trainees burn out, try streaming to make cash... most fizzle out like me, though."
It was a bitter tale.
"There were... circumstances. I teamed up with friends for a five-girl idol debut. It was practically locked in, but then... something awkward happened."
"What?"
"Too much for stream... Oh, wait. I didn't even turn on the broadcast!"
She chugged her cola, then sighed as she reached for the stream.
"Eh, whatever. No viewers anyway, and starting mid-meal would be weird even if there were. We'll just do the 'live show' straight."
"You sure that's okay?"
"No one's watching anyway."
No observers—that stung deep.
"So, where was I... Oh, the team! We were tight, sisters basically, trying to make it big together... until it blew up."
"What happened?"
"Dunno if I should say, but it's gossip..."
A shadow of bitterness flickered in Jia's eyes.
"Some guy wanted a private dinner. Nice restaurant, just us two."
"Huh?"
"Obvious, right? Total flirt move. He was big in broadcasting, so pissing him off felt risky."
"..."
"Wasn't targeting me specifically, but the vibe... if I didn't step up, some other girl would've gotten eaten alive. So I... lost it a bit. Heh."
Another bitter story.
I'd forgotten, drowned in ability-fueled sex, but normal sex wasn't just for super-hypnotists. A glance between man and woman, and it happens. Nothing so horrific or special. Rape. Coercion by power. Prostitution too—not exclusive to powerhouses like me. A broadcaster's influence might seem trivial to some, but it could shatter lives for others.
The world brimmed with villains, even without me.
"Could've played along openly and stayed, but I took the blame and bailed."
"Why?"
"Agency said it was fine... but I'd be a burden. Plus, I was burned out."
"I see."
"Felt pointless. Same dancing, singing, practicing... but back then, it seemed more meaningful somehow."
I tilted my head.
"Meaningful how?"
"Something more sacred... I never had religion, but me and the others—we craved dancing for some higher purpose."
"Ah."
She couldn't know why. But I had a hunch.
She hasn't forgotten after all?
She was sensing echoes of her cult days.
"Tried church once, temple too... but it wasn't quite right. Gave up."
The emotions lingered. The joy from back then.
...Dangerous.
Might need to check on the others. Hypnosis didn't just wear off clean—it left permanent mental scars.
"That... weighing on you a lot?"
"Honestly, yeah. Broke sucks, but that weird longing keeps nagging... saps my drive."
I asked carefully.
"If there was a way to uncover why... what would you do?"
"Grab it and shake answers out! I'm dying to know! You aren't some hypnotist scammer out for cash, right?"
"I have a guess. But it might not be good news."
"Huh?"
"Like drugs or whatever... you might regret learning, wish you stayed ignorant."
"Doesn't matter. Tell me."
I gave a wry smile. Toned from intense dances, but still slender and fragile. No immediate threat to me.
"After the stream. Broadcast first."
"Right, yeah!"
Still, no certainty. Hard to judge if revealing this helped or hurt her.
Maybe... this is my fault.
The creep latching on wasn't my doing, nor her quitting the debut group. But afterward? Hypnosis flooding her with forbidden satisfaction, leaving her unfocused and vulnerable?
No clue. What'll she think...
Logically, she'd hate the man who deceived her purity with "unfathomable power."
Was her current emptiness worse, or the rage she'd feel then?
"Food's done! Stream time!"
"Y-Yeah."
Decision later. For now, the "special broadcast" with her.
"Cam here's set... like this! See? Shows me perfectly. Cool, huh?"
"How's this possible?"
No attachments on her body, yet the avatar mimicked her motions flawlessly.
"Tech's wild now, right? Snagged a new program yesterday—total luck."
This shouldn't work...
No "good program" explained it. I'd checked—no devices, but the avatar nailed even finger twitches.
...Don't overthink.
Expected just face and voice; this promised deeper embarrassment.
"Our stream? Something impossible in Korea—sex broadcast!"
Jia beamed.
"Only possible today! Ready?"
"Y-Yeah."
"Then... stream starting now!"
Jia hit the button. The broadcast went live.