Reversed World? (1)
I had a great dream last night. I was playing a mafia game, carrying the whole team by myself, and the viewers and other streamers were all in awe of me. Himaru showered me with praise for carrying so hard.
In the dream, I carried all ten rounds perfectly. The details were super vivid.
I was the mafia with a gun, bold when I needed to be bold, quiet when I needed to be quiet, assassinating citizens left and right. I looked so cool.
When I was a citizen, I turned into a deduction genius, piecing it all together so perfectly that everyone was speechless, and I caught every single culprit.
Himaru led the charge in praising me, the other collab streamers chimed in, and the viewers looked up to me in admiration—a world where I stood tall. I still can't shake that dream.
I wanted to dream more, but I wiped my drool and woke up. The world line where I was the best was over.
I opened my eyes and checked my phone right away, diving into the emergency late-stream notice. Something urgent had come up.
Mom had sent a long text.
Who the heck is Seon-woo for real? Let's check my family: Mom, Dad, me, Seon-young... I had a little sister named Seon-young. Where'd she go? Suddenly Seon-woo? Who?
Looking at my contacts, there was a friend saved as Seon-woo.
"010... 52... Isn't this my little sister's number..."
It's my little sister's phone number. The only one saved with 52 is her. What the hell? No way... Could it be?! Did I become a girl and my sister become a boy?
My head was spinning, all jumbled up and dizzy. Honestly... I don't care if my little sister turned into a little brother. Not my problem... But something more important.
Ding-dong. My phone blared like crazy. I didn't wanna get up, but it kept ringing ding-ding-ding, forcing my eyes open.
"Who is it?"
'Sis, open the door. How long you gonna take?'
"Huh?"
"Sis, open the door. How long you gonna take?"
It had finally come. I never had a little brother. Rubbing my eyes, I opened the door. The moment I saw his face... I was floored.
There stood the face I'd only seen in the mirror. Slightly different, of course... but genetics are wild.
"You... you... who are you? What are you?"
"What? What kinda nonsense? I'm your brother? Hot in here. Lemme in first. Mom packed this. Stick it in the fridge good."
"Uh. Thanks."
I carefully stashed the side dishes in the fridge. Mom's stuff tastes meh anyway. Store-bought is better. But anyway. "Why are you a guy?"
"What kinda talk is that? Mom says she's buying lunch."
"Ooh?! Sweet. I'm in."
I headed out to lunch with my brother. Went out for lunch and got hit with major shock.
My little brother is a guy, right? He's a dude? So he's a little brother? But guys wear makeup? The faint perfume scent hit me hard.
Back when I was a guy, I didn't even slap on sunscreen. Huge shock from my current girl perspective too—I still don't use anything, just smell like skin.
Sniff sniff.
Couldn't believe it, so I sniffed his arm then mine alternately. The scent gap was massive.
"You, what are you? Why'd you put on makeup?"
"Makeup? Just some perfume. Too much?"
"No... not that. Since when...?"
"Since when what? Gotta spray when you go out. Duh. Oh, sis, no sunscreen?"
"...Yeah. I didn't."
"You gotta. What're you doing? Forget all the time and your skin'll fry later."
He gave me this exasperated look. I stared back wide-eyed.
"What do you mean, why? UV rays are scary. Don't manage it and it goes poof. Costs more then."
This... this guy's a total skincare bro. My little brother used to be a girl. Yeah, she turned into a brother and lost all masculinity. Has to be. No doubt. Guys with makeup? No way I buy that.
If I posted this on YouTube or forums, I'd get laughed at. How'd my brother end up like this... Big sis is worried.
"Girlfriend recommended it. Your nose is off, sis. Mom says it's fine. Got used to it myself. Sniff again. Better, right?"
"No..."
Huh? Girlfriend? Like, girl + friend, the dating kind? The love one?
"You... had a girlfriend?"
"Obviously."
"...Why you?"
"What're you on about? Let's eat first. You haven't eaten, right?"
"Yeah, haven't..."
"Then. Hm. Cafe. Lunch, so bread."
Stomach's growling, why cafe? What's with this guy? Cafe for food? You nuts? You're a dude. Snap out of it. Lost your identity...
"You're a guy."
"Yeah, I am. What suddenly?"
"Then why cafe?"
"Huh? What're you saying?"
He looked at me like I was crazy, eyes all weird, like I was some freak.
Shocked again. Hungry means rice. Why dessert? Absurd, but I don't eat much either, so I followed him.
We hit a quiet cafe. Sat down, opened the menu—boom, another shock. How's coffee 5,500 won? Why?!
Ah, brother's here, can't let big sis not pay. But how do I order this ridiculous price? No confidence.
Brother didn't care about prices. Scanned the menu once and ordered smooth.
"I'll have iced Americano and mocha cake. What for you?"
"Pick something tasty."
No way my brother's like this. Must be my imagination.
"Then iced Americano, chocolate latte, mocha cake, chocolate cake. Yes. Thanks."
One-take order like a pro. Unreal. You're a guy!! Grr. Oh yeah... I eyed him up and down. Finally noticed. Sigh... he's a skincare bro alright.
Guys just need black tee, black pants. But him: fresh sky-blue hoodie, ivory jeans. Wrist: digital watch. Hair now— that styled-up thing. Wax? Wait, no. Wax is for cleaning toilets, right? What was it?
"You, what was that again?"
"What?"
"The hair thing. What's it called?"
"What? What thing?"
"Listen. That spray for stiff hair."
"Agh. Wax, wax. Seriously, don't say that outside! For real."
Could happen. Fashion expert my ass. Pissed, didn't wanna admit anything. But when food came, I conceded to my brother.
"Excellent. Full marks. Delicious. Uhahaha."
Brother's got good taste in food. Top-notch.
I turned on stream so early the late-notice felt awkward.
Still only 3:30. Notice comments had one from a minute ago. Turned it on embarrassingly early.
Sudden stream news.
Viewers piling in, asking if it's not late stream. Supposed to be, but lunch with bro done. What else to talk? Nothing.
"Hey everyone."
"No, I had lunch with my brother!!"
Spotted a random chat mid chit-chat.
Free eyeballs... self-deprecating slang for non-paying viewers? I watch everything free too. Never paid OTT. Dramas/movies? Summary vids only.
Free eyeballs help tons. Spam chat. Boost viewer count for top spots. Watch ads steady... Rewatches not so much... But grateful peeps.
"Free eyeballs get love too, obviously!"
Seconds later, fake donation.
Sena-nim, 5,000 won donation thanks! 【Free eyeballs wanna come? Yeah, good boy, right? Puff puff... Puff puff... Puff puff... No money? Die then, don't beg for love you punk?】
"Whoa!! Scary, right? I'm scared, right?"
Sena-nim, 1,000 won donation thanks! 【Free eyeballs wanna come? Hehehet hehehet hehehet】
It started. Fake donations. At first, thought viewers were really duped. Nope. Inside joke among them.
Other streamers know. Culture of playing along with donations. Viewers want impact. Streamer reacts juicy, done. Streamer matches energy.
I didn't know. Freaked thinking it real. Worry about misunderstandings? Believing it? Knowing now, way lighter.
But once started, no end. Fun at first. Later, just nasty. Cut early for happy stream.
"Enough now. I'm super scared. No more fakes. Got self-led story today. Sit down preeeepaaare!!"
Lucky day. Normally no material for low-chat, dragged to 4 overs even knowing. Today had topic. Took control with self-led story.
"Talking about my brother. Super shocking fact. You'll all be shocked."
Ugh. Some hype pls. Conversation dead. Internet streams thrive on two-way real-time chat. That's the charm. Gotta use ultimate move.
"Any questions first?" [Taking questions.] Instant chat explosion often.
Read a standout chat.
"What's 'koja'?"
"Ooh?! Shocking fact here. My sibling is a lit.tle.bro.ther. And my little brother wears sunscreen!! Guys. No. What!!"
I breathed in, exhaled slow. They need scolding. Gonna relay viewers' sharp jabs to bro.
"No, my brother... sprays perfume, wears sunscreen. Sunscreen, guys?"
Endless question marks threw me. What? Why? Not the reaction I wanted.
Sometimes the reaction I wanted popped, but overall? Wearing's right? Consensus. No way—my common sense shattered.