Foolish as It Is
I wasn't sure if it was fair to take a breather right now.
Bae Deuro's stream vanished almost immediately.
He might have been pretending to deny it, but there was still some conscience left in the guy.
So I let the viewers keep teasing him for a while.
It was obviously something really gross to see, and now we finally had a reason.
I wonder how much they wanted to rip him apart.
I felt pretty smug about it myself.
But I couldn't keep the broadcast in that same vibe.
This was my stream. I wasn't here to just insult the guy who tried to brainwash me for no reason.
I was grateful he stepped in to defend me, but that was enough.
...Honestly, I felt a little jealous.
I wished he'd shared more about my story.
Was that too selfish of me?
"Well, maybe he got his account borrowed because of his pride. But he didn't actually borrow the ID, so it's not quite identity theft, right? He probably just asked someone else for a quick verification. Don't go too hard on him. Instead, focus on my stream."
- Tti-hwak-jjit: Everyone, Noel's being jealous! Let's talk about Noel's story!
- 🗡우주야광괴물농르: ?? How'd you pull out the sword?
- Tti-hwak-jjit: You can set up manager mode for this.
- 우주야광괴물농르: Oh?
- Wrestle: Come on, talk about Noel! Stop talking to each other!
- ditmalswns: Lmao, you should talk about how Noel's top lane never lost a single game!
- 실버판테아: Lmao, with that score he'd have met pro climbers too lol, it's so cool that she's so confident!
- NorthDuke: But seriously, has he ever lost a real 1v1?
Still, I didn't want Bae Deuro to hold any grudges.
If he came after me like he did before, he might come for others too.
Crazy people could do anything.
Even though viewers couldn't see the real ID, they might be watching on a different account, checking what I was saying.
So I decided to pull their attention to me instead.
Jealousy was one thing, but I didn't want anyone to get hurt.
Luckily, there was something people would find interesting.
"Yeah, actually the person I had verification done by is someone I met in the game before. I set a trap. We were chatting in the game chat, and in front of everyone I was acting all high and mighty toward him. Even if you didn't dig up his info, I planned to show through the chat that he's not who he claims to be..."
- Tti-hwak-jjit: Noel was the one who tricked him! Setting traps like a true trapper!
- 실버판테아: Lmao lmao lmao
- 원바운드: Whoa... It's not the crazy idiot I knew... Bring back crazy idiot!
- Graveyard: Fact) The idiot used to be a top-solaner playing with brain surgery
- 우리들의라임오지는영웅: A kal-cham user playing with brain surgery? That's believable lol lol
- 렉시아여왕님: If he says so, whatever lol lol But he really does play like that...
- NorthDuke: So what's the proof you won every single lane?
For a second I felt the spotlight shift back, but my words had clearly hit the right note and attention swiveled my way again.
Thanks to that, I could speak comfortably.
"Honestly, looking at my record there are plenty of losses, so proving anything is tough... But I can say this with full confidence. I've never received a solo kill. I've died a lot because I couldn't see the ganks, and it was because my eyes were like this. Back then I couldn't read the minimap well."
- NorthDuke: A master top-solaner who can't see the map? That's ironic, that's basic fundamentals!
- Tti-hwak-jjit: The idiot left the minimap on the left side and his left eye is uncomfortable.
- ditmalswns: Why left eye? Blind?
- 실버판테아: Yep.
- ditmalswns: Ah; jss;; I was asking out of genuine curiosity...
- 농르진은검도둑: Lmao lmao lmao
- 렉시아여왕님: Lmao lmao another Tula!
As long as it wasn't pure mockery, light teasing was fine.
Unfortunately the viewers didn't seem to know how to hold back when it came to nicknames.
Whatever.
If I kept joking around, eventually the viewers would get used to it and join in.
"Even now I still can't see well... but my eyesight has improved and I've been trying to pay more attention to the minimap. Anyway, when I lose a lane it's because I couldn't keep up with the opponent without help from other lanes, or I got solo killed. There were no such cases."
So when that happened, I needed to go in boldly.
Now there was a manager and whenever things got too rude the filter would kick in automatically.
Being just a little annoying was enough to create a nicer atmosphere.
Like I did with Celesty.
Of course it was different with Jae-min and me, so the viewers probably wouldn't treat me the same way.
Different personality, different stream style.
But Jae-min just exists and everyone treats him nicely.
I wanted to be able to do the same with me, so I needed to step up a bit more.
...Maybe it was because I missed the vibe from when I was a guy and just hung out with friends.
Maybe that's why I acted this way.
- Tti-hwak-jjit: Anyway, was it the gank that got you killed lol
- 실버판테아: Bro... you're so bold...
- 원바운드: Haha this is the top-sin-byung-ja and this is the idiot lol lol
- NorthDuke: You met pros too, didn't you? You didn't lose to them?
"Uh, pros really play differently. Their style is hard to read. So I was playing purely on gut feeling and it felt like walking on thin ice. Uh, it's neither something I can say I won or lost."
- 렉시아여왕님: You lost lol
- Sistato: Lmao lmao So you lost then
- 실버판테아: Lmao lmao But you won the event match, right? One more drink!
- 농르진은검도둑: No... Noe's baby... Don't drink...
- Tti-hwak-jjit: Yeah, don't drink until the health check.
Now they were finally teasing me.
Honestly, I did lose the game.
But I kept getting kills against the pro players.
So I couldn't really say I won the lane or lost it.
Still, I had to answer in a way that wasn't just dodging.
I answered the viewers shyly.
"Yeah, whatever. I know. If I was better than the pros the game would have been won, but it wasn't. Health check... I'll book it soon and come back, so don't worry. Honestly I don't have any real pain anywhere."
- Tti-hwak-jjit: Guys who say they're not in pain never go to the hospital... Go more often...
- 실버판테아: Lmao Actually a lot of people with small things like colds end up getting early cancer diagnosis and getting treated well.
- Pgone: My dad kept saying he was sleepy and got checked and they found the tumor early and operated... Lmao going to the hospital often is good.
- 반클립: When they say go to the hospital often it sounds like you're always in pain lol
[Kim's support message.]
Book the health check right now!
They teased when they wanted to, but right away they sent messages worrying about me.
Um, but I've been to the hospital twice recently.
Falling in the bathroom and passing out was one thing, but I just pretended to get hit in the cheek and black out and they said I had a concussion.
Hospitals aren't exactly trustworthy.
Still, if I got a proper check I should get a clean bill of health.
I might weigh a little less because I don't eat much.
It's normal for women to be lighter than men.
Being underweight would probably mean fewer illnesses, so nothing to worry about.
Anyway, regardless of my credibility.
Viewers were urging me to get the check-up even with donations.
I had no choice but to go along with it.
"Alright. I'll book it. But can you do this online?"
- Tti-hwak-jjit: First check if you're eligible and find a nearby hospital that does it.
- 농르진은검도둑: Let's go and record the sleep endoscopy lol lol
- 실버판테아: Bro you're my age and already doing sleep endoscopy?
- 렉시아여왕님: Looking at your condition you probably should, right? Who knows what's wrong.
- antgirl: Ah...
When I searched online the viewers were right, I was eligible for the check-up.
Even a student could get it...?
Anyway, I installed the required security program and the eligibility check said yes.
So I had nothing to lose.
I could set a reservation time and choose a nearby hospital.
"Is this being applied for online right now? Should I show this to you guys too?"
- Tti-hwak-jjit: Just show the completion screen.
- 렉시아여왕님: If you say you did it without actually doing it and take a photo, your face is getting blown off.
- Tti-hwak-jzit: Now Noe's got no eyes and no feet and is making one hand to balance?
- 실버판테아: Whoa whoa whoa
- 렉시아여왕님: Why is the conversation getting so weird;;
- 악질농르맘: Whoa whoa whoa total trash
- TBTSMS: Whoa whoa whoa total
It was roughly on track.
After checking various things, the expected cost jumped to tens of millions of won, so I decided to just take the basic package.
That meant I could confirm I got the free check-up.
But once I actually set the date.
I couldn't go to the hospital tomorrow right away, that would be annoying.
If I went the day after tomorrow...
Would tomorrow be okay not to be annoying?
"Alright, I'll reserve in a week."
For tomorrow and the day after, I pushed the date far ahead.
If I kept delaying it to some distant future, the viewers would naturally get angry.
I just wanted enough time to mentally prepare.
Sorry, me in a week.
- Tti-hwak-jzit: Then for a week absolute no drinking, yep
- 실버판테아: Bro is promising not to drink.
- SeaPearl: Haha Noel's alcohol ban decree? I'll have to eat sundubu jjigae with lots of spice while drinking lol lol I have to trick Noel with the donation while drinking lol lol
- CalmUp: Just a guy who really likes teasing Noel...
But once I made the reservation and heard the viewers' words, I realized something.
I was supposed to stop drinking until the health check.
I had to put that good feeling on hold.
I really did something stupid.
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