Chapter 6
Why hadn't I thought of that with the song selection? When it comes to pinpointing someone, there's hardly any info as easy and convenient as their birthday. I felt like a total idiot for only jotting down all her likes and preferences.
No, wait. On second thought, it was pretty ridiculous to go up to the girl I dumped and ask for her birthday.
Still, if I could just nail the right answer somehow... But whenever I thought about what that "right answer" actually was, I sank into gloom.
"Haa..."
Honestly, the moment I heard her sing in VoiceCode, I was 90 percent sure it was her. There's no way I wouldn't recognize the voice I listened to every single day.
I desperately tried to cling to that remaining 10 percent chance that she wasn't Luca, but her answer—October 25th—left no room for doubt.
"My birthday? October 25th! Everyone, mark your calendars as Luca's Birth Day! Got it?"
After hearing that, I'd actually added it to my phone calendar, never imagining it'd come in handy like this.
Now that I knew Doa was Luca, all her words started clicking together like puzzle pieces. Why she'd brought in that article about the metaverse that didn't fit her image at all. Why she'd turned down a birthday party with her seemingly close classmates.
She was probably frantically prepping for the audition even now.
Luca sometimes messed with viewers using edgy concepts, but anyone who'd dipped even a little into fanning her knew the truth: she was dead serious about this audition and grinding like crazy.
Last week, she'd practiced singing until her throat gave out and had to take a short hiatus. When she went live next, that raspy voice tugged at everyone's heartstrings.
My head was full of thoughts about Doa when my phone buzzed. I picked it up.
Normally, seeing that would've made me grin like an idiot... but right now, I could tell my face was twisted in a scowl without even checking the mirror.
I entered the stream, and a greeting burst out in a tone so peppy it was hard to believe it came from Doa's throat.
How could she greet like that—so full of energy and brightness—yet at school, she just bobbed her head and shuffled around?
Before Luca could even call it a long time herself, the chat was flying upward like crazy.
At first, I wondered why they were spamming like that, but now I was one of the viewers who'd made it a habit.
Major announcement? What could that even be?
Lots of viewers seemed to think the same, because the chat filled up with question marks at "major announcement."
Luca's avatar scowled at the Pingddukdan already overreacting without knowing what it was.
Having learned that reacting to every little thing stalled the stream, Luca pushed on at her own pace.
-Tap tap tap
The sound of footsteps fading away on screen, even if it wasn't shown. They came back closer, followed by mukbang ASMR slurping.
-Slurrrrp
The eating sounds hit again, and the chat flooded with kyaa~—code for "so cute."
Doa's face kept popping into my head, and I pictured her alone at her desk, slurping noodles.
Was this the so-called "red pill"? But thinking Doa = Luca made even that image seem genuinely cute.
Usually, people say seeing the real person turns you off... not me.
The chat scrolled so fast that Luca only picked up questions or replies that caught her eye.
More pattering footsteps, and then Luca finally declared the big reveal.
Luca kept dragging it out, and the pissed-off Pingddukdan flooded the chat. Finally, she got to the point.
The mob ready to smash pots if she didn't spill soon switched to wild cheers at the promise of Luca singing snippets.
The first song had a bubbly anime OP vibe.
"I'll muster the courage to tell you how I feel~"
"Even when it's tough and I'm worn out~"
"Know that I'm always watching over you!"
Hmm... not bad. Pretty safe choice. It was by an active idol group, and it suited Luca's voice well.
But if I had to nitpick, it lacked personality.
Truth was, among the applicants, there were already a few objectively better singers than Luca. Winning on vocals alone wouldn't cut it.
That's why I wished for something that highlighted Luca's unique tone more...
The backing track started, but this one was 180 degrees from the last—a gentle ballad.
This definitely showed off the charm in her voice itself better. The high notes crept up slowly. Around here must be the chorus...
"Will that spring we spent together come back again?"
"The warm sunlight. That dazzling smile."
"It still lets me breathe."
The lyrics were poignant, her voice fully immersed in the emotion... but a bitter smile tugged at my lips.
...So that's what it was.
The song she'd accidentally left playing in VoiceCode a few days back while practicing. Actually, "accident" wasn't quite right—she'd just been humming it.
Doa being Luca hammered another nail into my heart.
Suddenly, I remembered the day she'd rejected me. She'd said she couldn't stream because her heart was too heavy that day... and I'd left a comment asking who the hell hurt her. I felt endlessly ashamed.
Luca popped up the poll, and viewers unleashed their opinions at warp speed.
The two bars—one red for 1, blue for 2—climbed in real time.
Sure enough, the bars were neck-and-neck.
Viewers who'd voted were bickering wildly.
Click of the mouse, and the final tally appeared.
47 : 53
A dead heat. The kind where tons of people would regret picking a side.
Everyone watched to see Luca's choice.
Then one viewer donated a whopping 100,000 won to push their take.
Luca's avatar flashed a sly, foxy grin with blushing cheeks.
Whew. Luca-land. No—Kim Doa.
If it came down to this, even I couldn't fight it... but no way! No matter how good donations feel, not 1! Not 1!
I hammered the keyboard, loading up the cash I'd slaved away at my crap job to earn.
That day, whether she meant to or not, Luca got hit with a donation storm.