186 - Musings on Innate Disposition

"And so, our world came to an end."

The sniffling girl gazed toward the cave entrance with pitiful eyes. In the world she came from, blue-winged angels had appeared, raining down fire and brimstone to judge the depraved. Especially those who lived with "lololol" perpetually on their lips—they couldn't escape turning into pillars of salt, she recounted.

"So that's why Go—"

"Call me by my full name. Is my name embarrassing or something?"

"A little... The community where GoCatSexIsTheBest operates was basically Sodom and Gomorrah in one. I'm talking nuclear apocalypse, this old man's zombie apocalypse, and now Genesis-style apocalypse. The ways it blows up are so varied."

"How could anyone harbor lust toward a child! The heavens were furious, and even eternal ban and next-gen banhammer wouldn't suffice as divine punishment... You didn't do anything like that, right?"

"..."

"No way, Go...!"

"Yeah. I did it too! Honestly, everyone does it—how could I hold back...!"

"You filthy... You... This is an outrage against heaven and earth!"

"I didn't know...! I didn't know she was seven! If I'd known, would I have?!"

"Even at fourteen, you shouldn't!"

"Fourteen's only three years older than her... Hey, what about you...! How righteous are you! Wanna dig through the chat logs?"

The two men ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blocked the girl as she reached for the "Reveal Full Chat History" button.

"Anyway, the wailing outside hasn't stopped. Must be the zombies crying out."

All three heads turned toward the cave entrance. Meteors rained from the sky, lava erupted from the ground, and dinosaurs, aliens, and krakens rampaged together, turning the world to ruins. Zombies? Where?

Anyway, time until total annihilation was running short. Even amid it all, the beam projector steadfastly fulfilled its role.

The three watched the girl in the video declare her truth in stunned silence for a long while. Does the brain just shut down when faced with utter unreality? No one questioned Nami.

They simply stared blankly until her words ended.

"Ah..."

All three instinctively knew. This was the moment of final doom.

The world faded to black and white.

"In the end, this community blew up too."

"Sob... hic... Nami's so pitiful, what do we do... waaah..."

"Haa... Damn, when the hell is Kim Musik gonna buy a server."

The man shot up from his seat, tilting his head back and venting at the now-defunct community. His eyes were red-rimmed too.

I firmly declared I wouldn't do any public activities until those two demands were met. I'd been charging ahead without rest. Borrowing streamers' terms, it was time to recharge.

Had I ever been under this much scrutiny in life? Yeah... but not fond memories.

As I stepped off the stage, several rushed over. Their expressions were a delight to savor.

"Nami...!"

Kariri was first to greet me.

"I did great, right."

"Girl, seriously...!"

Before fully descending the stairs, Kariri grabbed my underarms and hoisted me into the air. Caught off guard by how light I was, she spun once before I landed back in her arms. Bonus: she fell on her butt.

"Yoonseul unnie."

"Yeah?"

"Congrats on the win again."

This wasn't just my tournament. We'd blown up the incident big-time, but I'd ruined folks' fun festival—felt guilty.

"Nami, Nami."

"What?"

"You know you're amazing, right?"

"I know."

"You know?"

"Of course."

"Kyaaah so cute!"

"Public place—tone it down a bit?"

I pushed away her cheek-rubbing face and helped her up.

"NoNami, you...!"

Slender arms wrapped my neck. Pink hair caught my eye first. Shoulders heaving with each breath, eyes red and bloodshot. My supporter HyejiMoonMakesMeHorny, Yoo Sia.

"Sia, congrats on the win too. Best supporter ever."

"Why... why...!"

I knew what she meant without finishing.

"I swear I told you."

"That Caesar game. Don't remember?"

"I don't remember details like that!"

"Ugh! Fine, my bad for lying. Sorry."

"How hard must it have been... seven years... I didn't know... waaah... huuuh... hic!"

I bent my knees and slipped my head out before her grip tightened.

Looking around, we were trapped in the crowd.

"NoName—or Nami, you worked so hard... honored to team up. Thanks to you, I can pass on peacefully."

"Yongcheol-ssi, no formal speech. I'm like your daughter age-wise."

Calendar-wise older than Han Yongcheol, but my mental age never topped 25.

"Even so... wait, right? I'm 31... seven... 24... shit, I'm this old?"

"I said I'd make you win. Scary talent, huh?"

"Definitely... scary talent yeah! When you get famous—no, you will—so don't forget today. You'll remember Deo, Blory team, right?"

"Of course. Bonds formed never forgotten."

"Kyaa. See that, guys? Kid speaks so well... Amazing, right? Everyone, clap! Stadium folks too, clap clap!"

It was spectacular. Like scripted, all rose clapping for us. Heard single applause, but this resonant wave? First time. Low vibrations thrummed my chest; drunk on the vibe.

"Yongcheol-ssi suits warrior."

"Warrior? Oh WoA job? Maybe level one next."

Warrior's talent to seize attention. Klaus had it innate. This Han Yongcheol could've too, with strength.

Once envied that talent. Jealous even. Why prefer warriors when I lacked nothing? Resented plenty. Took heavy price to realize pointless worries.

Innate disposition can't change. But it doesn't dictate fate outright.

Warrior as warrior. Demon King as Demon King.

"Nami, stream after? Collab?"

"Us too! Not just WoA teams!"

"Yours was LLLWW! We went WWW!"

"We full win sans finals? What?"

"Yeah, gotta stream."

Carve fate from what you do best in your lane.

My best? Judging and punishing sins.