Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Singing Love and Friendship at the End of the Abyss
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The next day arrived.
Three new popular posts had popped up on the cafe.
The first one was written by that shameless sinner who'd gone from friends to lovers.
📰 [Fervent Devotees of Reflecting Myriad Stars] Title: Thanks to the Cult Leader, I Got Forgiveness from My Girlfriend! Right after the confession session, I called my girlfriend immediately. I apologized. I admitted that I'd gaslit her back then and made her blow her ultimate weapon. Jia might not know much about Minas Land, but an ultimate weapon is an item you might not get even if you pour 20 million won into it if luck's not on your side. In fact, even after dumping 20 million of my own cash, I still haven't gotten it. So I figured she'd rain curses down on me.
> In the worst case, we might even break up, but following Jia's advice... I laid it all out honestly anyway and apologized from the heart. Then something amazing happened. Turns out, my girlfriend knew from the start. She'd just been waiting for me to apologize. We ended up talking on the phone for two hours... ... ... ... ...And in the end, things feel even better between us than before. It's all thanks to Jia and you devotees. Thank you. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. What a fine night. 💬 Comments (33+) — Anonymous Good night my fuuuuuuuuucking ass!!!!!!!! — Anonymous Agh, you heretic bitch — Anonymous Only you'll be having a good night, fuuuuuck — Anonymous Die die die die die die die die die — Anonymous Get out — Anonymous Reflectard, haven't you been banned yet? Ugh.
Not exactly a feel-good ending.
Damn that silver-tongued creep.
I'd secretly been hoping he'd break up with his girlfriend.
...Am I just a bad person?
No.
It's not me that's bad—it's this Reflectard bastard who's bad, even with his clarification post.
Anyway, a promise is a promise.
So I lifted his temporary ban.
Honestly, I wasn't that curious about this guy anyway.
What I was really curious about...
Was the post from that netkama sinner.
The netkama sinner had posted no less than two entries.
One from the early hours of the morning.
And another fresh one from this morning.
I read the netkama sinner's posts in order.
📰 [Fervent Devotees of Reflecting Myriad Stars] Title: Hello, It's the Netkama Hello, it's that netkama from yesterday's broadcast. Hmm. I don't even know where to start. Long story short: I was honest with my friend and lover. With our 100-day anniversary one day away, I couldn't bring myself to lie to them anymore. Right after the confession session, I mustered my courage and called. I apologized in my real voice. Not a girl's voice—my actual voice. And I confessed everything. That I'm not a woman, but a man. That I'd found my first real soulmate in life, but I'd been too scared of losing you to reveal myself until now. They didn't say a word... and then the call ended. I realized it then. Ah. That call was our last. I cried my eyes out. Like, my eyes swelled up huge. And I regretted it to my bones. It was just an online romance anyway... We'd agreed from the start not to meet in real life in case the fantasy shattered. If I hadn't told the truth, we all could've been happy. Thinking of how I've hurt that friend even now as I write this—it tears my heart apart. For a cowardly netkama like me, love and friendship must've been too extravagant. Just to be clear... this isn't Jia's fault. I'd already decided deep down to come clean when I joined the confession session. If I'd planned to hide my identity forever, I wouldn't have done the confession or let the devotees hear my voice. Anyway... Yeah. Nothing more to say. I'll stop here. 💬 Comments (455+) — Anonymous ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ — Anonymous It's gay gay... — Anonymous This is pure love... — Anonymous I hate netkamas too, but I hope this one turns out okay... ↳ Reply For real, first time cheering for a netkama ...
...
...
The comment section was on the verge of exploding, probably because the story had spread to every community out there with screenshots everywhere.
"Haa..."
It's heartbreaking.
This is the first time I've ever felt like rooting for someone else's romance.
Of course, it was entirely this netkama sinner's fault—self-inflicted wound, no exaggeration.
But still, it's sad.
I totally get that desperate wish to hold onto a precious bond, even with a cowardly lie.
Because...
I don't have friends either.
I'm scared to read the next post.
He didn't go dark and dive deeper into the abyss, did he...?
With a bit of tension, I read the next one.
📰 [Fervent Devotees of Reflecting Myriad Stars] Title: I Cried Again But this time, not from sadness—from joy. About two hours ago, that friend called me. They apologized too. Said it was wrong to just hang up like that. You hurt me, but I hurt you too. Now we're even. That's what they said. They asked if I could forgive them now that they'd forgiven me. I bawled like an idiot again. I had no idea humans could produce that much water from their eyes until today. The weight of those 100 days vanished in an instant. After that, we talked for another two hours. And now I'm writing this after hanging up. What we are now... friends? Lovers? I don't even know anymore. But. To mark the 100 days, we're going to meet up in real life—grab a meal, watch a movie, that sort of thing. Today, I'm going out not as the guy 'Ahn Jisu'... But as the girl 'Ahn Jisu' to meet that friend. It feels like the bare minimum courtesy. Who knows, today might be our last meeting. But I think neither of us will have regrets. Jia, and all you devotees. Thank you so much for listening to my story all this time! I won't be posting any more updates. This feels like the right way to end it. Thank you. Myriad blessings. 💬 Comments (275+) — Anonymous Kyaaaaaaa — Anonymous Myriad---------blessings. ⭐ Top Comment — Anonymous This! This! This! This! — Anonymous It's gay gay... — Anonymous No, this is straight-up gay gay — Anonymous This is pure love — Anonymous You're a girl from now on. — Anonymous You're a female from now on. — Anonymous Why am I raging so hard just reading this argh — Anonymous Honestly, this netkama gay reeks more of pure manliness than the room leader without his holy power pouch, total upvote lol ↳ Reply Total upvote ↳ Reply Crying while upvoting ↳ Reply Our room leader's just a total gigachad without the divine power bag, can't help but upvote — Anonymous Author why retire here??? ↳ Reply Next chapter pleeeease!!!!!! *
...Uh, um.
Didn't expect it to wrap up like this.
Is it a happy ending?
That friend is happy.
This netkama sinner is happy.
And the devotees are cheering in their own way.
From a twisted, false relationship...
To a true, honest one.
No matter how the story ends, like the sinner said, they probably won't have regrets.
Exceptionally, I mustered the courage to leave a comment personally on 'his' post.
📰 [Reflecting Myriad Stars' Glory Be Upon You] (It's weird coming from me, but... Reflecting Myriad Stars is a benevolent god who forcibly changes healthy men's genders. ...Of course, for me it was anything but benevolent—just utterly baffling still. But from this netkama sinner's perspective, Reflecting Myriad Stars must be endlessly benevolent. So have faith. Who knows, you might even be saved.) That said.
Like the comments say, why does this guy reek of pure man-stink even from the post?
...He's really not a girl?
If I hadn't heard that real voice, I wouldn't believe he's a guy.
No wonder his friend misunderstood.
And I'm dying to know what happens next—seriously quitting the serialization here?
Can't you just tell me one-on-one...?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I got a message from Kim Junghwan.
The studio construction's all done, so I can move in tomorrow if I want.
[Internet setup checked over ten times—no issues for streaming.] "Thank you so much for all this. Uh, about those tracking cameras I mentioned..."
[All installed, of course. Tested it myself in V-World with full tracking. Trust me. Not sure about that program you mentioned, but should be fine anyway.] "Uh, did you test it with the Ayase avatar by any chance?"
[...Please don't ask. Privacy.] Nailed it.
This guy's been testing with the Ayase avatar.
Makes sense, though—how could he resist moving Ayase's avatar himself in V-World?
Of course, it's not the real Ayase's avatar, just a knockoff made by a regular user mimicking her... but confession time: I have one too.
All of a sudden, I'm glad my handler's a fellow nerd.
If my contact had zero clue about VTubers or streaming, it'd be awkward as hell.
Moving prep's all done.
Not much to pack anyway.
The place was so cramped, not a ton of furniture, and the Awakener support housing has built-ins like fridge and wardrobe, so no need to drag this old junk along.
So I tossed the wardrobe.
Ditched the fridge.
Disassembled the bed frame piece by piece, kept just the mattress, and chucked the rest.
I'd noticed it before when smashing that Anomalous Phenomenon, the 'Golden Piggy Bank'...
This body of mine.
Not just stamina—strength's pretty solid too.
Not like I could pulverize rocks barehanded, but at least on par with or better than an average adult guy.
Packing's finished.
Now...
Time to face that thing I've been putting off.
Say thanks and sorry to the neighbors.
Time to bow my head, huh...?