This Is Rigged

"Ah, seriously..."

I thought I timed it perfectly, but I got caught again.

I never got caught when I was Ha Yeon-woo...

What is wrong with this ttyuttya brain that keeps getting me caught?

"Ugh... my head..."

Just thinking about it for a second makes my head hurt.

"*Chomp!*"

I tore open a snack from the pantry and popped it in my mouth. It was a slightly expensive snack, famous for being delicious because it used real butter.

"*Munch, munch, munch...*"

So good...

Now that my sugar levels were replenished, the headache seemed to subside a bit.

Now, to get back to the stream I had put off to manipulate public opinion on Sra-gal...

*Grab!*

"Huh?"

Someone grabbed my shoulder.

...It was the CEO.

"...CEO?"

Why are you looking at me with such a scary expression...?

*Grab!*

"Huh?"

Someone grabbed my other shoulder.

...It was Bangbang-nim.

"...Bangbang-nim?"

And catching a glimpse behind them, Sung Jinwoo-nim.

...Why are you guys here? Did you throw your streams already?

"You know it's dangerous if I touch Yeonha-ssi in Korea, right? Carry her quickly, you two."

"Huh? Huh?!"

Just like that, my body was lifted into the air. Like a piece of luggage.

With the CEO holding my upper body and Bangbang-nim holding my lower body...

"Wow... Yeonha-ssi is really light."

"She feels lighter than a sack of rice."

"We should feed her more. At this rate."

"I'm feeding her as much as she wants. She's the one who won't eat."

"E-Excuse me, you two?!"

Without even knowing why, I was dragged to the streaming booth.

Perhaps to avoid interfering too much with each other's personal streams, the large booth was divided into individual sections with partitions.

I was dropped into one of those sections.

A familiar streaming microphone was set up in front of me.

"Yeonha."

"Y-Yes?!"

I tilted my head and answered at the CEO's sudden call.

"I won't tell you to turn on your stream. We don't have the Woo Yeonha assets here anyway."

"Y-Yes!"

"Instead, help us with a collab as an employee."

"...Me?"

Dumbfounded, I pointed at my own face.

Sure, helping with a collab as an employee wasn't that hard, but...

"Ah! You don't have to turn on your stream, but you do have to turn on your mic. We're going to play a co-op game where mic communication is important."

"Aww, nooo...!"

An involuntary whine slipped out at Sung Jinwoo-nim's words. I don't want to use the mic... *sniff sniff*...

"Whoa! That voice just now is a pass!"

"Crazy... That voice we heard on stream didn't have any mic filters at all."

"Actually, it sounds way better without a mic."

"Seriously, why haven't you debuted her yet? This person?"

"That's why I debuted her yesterday, you idiot."

"Ah. Right."

After finishing his brief banter with the CEO, Sung Jinwoo-nim turned to me and grinned.

"Yeonha-ssi?"

"Y-Yes?"

It's really burdensome when you keep calling my name like that...

"We were trying to play a four-player game, but that crazy ba— I mean."

Sung Jinwoo-nim quickly corrected himself, realizing that "crazy bastard" was a bit too harsh.

...Though it was already too late since I heard the whole thing.

"The last member suddenly pulled a no-show, so the game we prepared is in danger of being changed."

"Y-Yes..."

"So we were debating whether to change the game, but then we realized that if you help us, Yeonha-ssi, we can play the game we prepared."

"B-But..."

If someone like me gets squeezed between three giant streamers, the comparison will be too...

"Ten thousand viewers are waiting for you to join right now!"

"Hieee?!"

D-Don't shout all of a sudden! My ttyuttya brain can't process the situation!

"Our Yeonha talks like that, but she does well once you make her do it."

"C-CEO...?"

"Right. I saw talent when I watched her stream earlier."

"B-Bangbang-nim...?"

*Click! Whirrr—!*

While I was losing my mind from the compliments flying from both sides, Sung Jinwoo-nim sneakily pressed the power button on the computer.

"Alright, alright! So you're joining the collab, right?"

"N-No, I...!"

I never said I would!! Ahhhhhhh!!

"Ugh..."

I tried to make a final stand with my mic muted.

"Ahhhhhh!!"

Since the foreign worker, who had somehow sided with the CEO, delivered the CEO's ultimatum, I couldn't hold out any longer.

I hurriedly turned on the mic and gave my Woo Yeonha-style greeting.

"...It's me, you bastards."

...I couldn't give up on this greeting. The CEO said so. The moment a streamer shows weakness, the viewers will eat them alive.

"..."

Ugh... I hate this... this kind of atmosphere...

...That's a bit much!

"...I came out for a field trip with the CEO and got dragged in, so my mood is absolutely marvelous."

"I've never seen or played Recycl. If you bitch about me playing badly, I'm rage-quitting immediately, so keep that in mind."

Bangbang-nim and Jinwoo-nim cheered and responded to my spirited self-introduction.

"Aww! CEO! In times like this, just say it's okay!"

If you say that, what does that make me!

"Ah..."

Woo Yeonha's image is ruined... I'm just going to be the viewers' toy now...

"Okay..."

I joined the lobby Sung Jinwoo-nim made.

The graphics weren't amazing, but they weren't unwatchable either. The background of a spaceship.

The crude graphics typical of a solo-developed game immediately caught my eye.

Bangbang-nim immediately raised her hand and argued against Jinwoo-nim's explanation.

The CEO cut off Jinwoo-nim and Bangbang-nim's banter and asked directly.

At that, Jinwoo-nim operated the monitor screen in the spaceship and continued.

At the very back of the ship. On the monitor above, the word "Quota" was written.

"What happens if we can't fill it?"

Unable to contain my curiosity, I raised my hand and joined the conversation.

Jinwoo-nim asked back in an ominous tone.

"Uh..."

It's obviously game over, but...

...Wait, is there something more?

*Vrooooom!*

The spaceship floated into the air. It seemed the spaceship was departing due to Jinwoo-nim's controls just now.

*Whoosh!*

The map changed, and the spaceship landed on a strange planet.

If the hazard level is D... is that high? Because D stands for Dangerous?

*Clap clap!*

Clapping his hands like a tour guide, Sung Jinwoo-nim pointed to a large building visible behind the spaceship.

Following Sung Jinwoo-nim's character, who moved first, everyone got off the spaceship.

A metal ladder on a wall with an impressive brown background. Climbing up the high wall, a massive building appeared before our eyes.

The moment I chimed in to help the CEO's offensive—

"For real."

Sighing at the WWE-style banter that even Bangbang-nim joined, the tour guide pointed to the main entrance and the stairs on the side.

Bangbang-nim immediately agreed with Sung Jinwoo-nim's words. Since she was an experienced Recycl player, she seemed confident in splitting up to farm. Especially since it was a tutorial map.

"Uh..."

Since even the CEO agreed, I had no excuse to refuse.

"I agree too!"

We split the teams in a simple and fair way.

Standing in front of the main entrance, Jinwoo-nim and Bangbang-nim waved at me.

As the viewers expressed their concern in the chat, the CEO chimed in.

"..."

Then she stood next to Bangbang-nim and Sung Jinwoo-nim and waved at me.

"Wait..."

I protested timidly, dumbfounded by this ridiculous result.

"..."

All that returned was the send-off from the three. In other words,

"...This is rigged."

I had to head to the back door all by myself.