Chapter 179
Chapter 179
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 179
Chapter Title: A Familiar Broadcast
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Thud thud thud thud thud—.
"Hey! Come out already! How long are you gonna stay in there?"
Si-woo pounded roughly on the cabin door. Ye-ryeong had gone inside a few days ago, locked the door, and hadn't come out since.
It was right after they got the news of Hwang Gyu-seong's death.
Bang bang bang—!
"If you don't open up, I'm seriously breaking it down? One, two…."
This time, too, he didn't even count to three.
If he did, he'd have to follow through and smash the door like he warned, but Ye-ryeong wasn't the type to be swayed that way, as far as he knew.
'Even if I forced my way in, she'd just hide somewhere.'
Ye-ryeong was a stealth specialist. If she really decided to vanish, finding her would be nearly impossible.
Better that she was holed up in the cabin like this, at least.
"……Haa."
He let out a deep sigh and slumped down against the door, clutching his hair with one hand as if tearing it out.
Ye-ryeong wasn't the only one blaming herself. He was, too.
'Fucking idiot….'
Crunch—.
Chasing Hwang Gyu-seong's trail had been a mistake.
At some point, they had been bewitched, backpedaling into his past.
If Kim Il-su knew that Hwang Gyu-seong—and they—were still alive.
'He dropped us on purpose.'
He was certain. Him and Ye-ryeong following Hwang Gyu-seong's past. Hwang Gyu-seong dying when they were farthest apart. All of it was Kim Il-su's design.
Tricked by that bastard again. And the price was another friend's life.
What pissed him off more was their utter helplessness, even now.
"I'll be the bait."
Among the four, the most intact was Hyo-min.
The other three were barely conscious, unable even to walk, let alone fight.
No.
Even if they fled now, their injuries were severe enough that survival wasn't guaranteed.
In the end, Hyo-min made the call.
She'd stay behind.
"Bait?"
"You know it. We can't all escape like this. One has to stay."
"You're saying you'll die for us?"
Ye-ryeong reacted most fiercely.
"I'm not saying I'll die. I'll find a way somehow…."
"Shut up—!"
They had always been the closest. Ye-ryeong relied on Hyo-min, Hyo-min on Ye-ryeong. More than anyone.
"I'll stay instead. I'll…."
"No, you won't."
"Why!"
"You're not the type to draw attention. If anything, the opposite. And right now, I'm in the best shape here."
Recalling that moment, Si-woo ground his teeth. He hadn't stepped up like Ye-ryeong.
Because her words rang true. Being bait required the one in best condition—Hyo-min.
But.
'Could I really not have done it?'
He'd asked himself hundreds, thousands of times since.
Did it have to be Hyo-min who stayed? Was there truly no reason he could have?
"No! No one's going anywhere! Please, let's all—."
Thwack. Hyo-min struck Ye-ryeong's stomach as she screamed hysterically.
In that brutal way, she conveyed her resolve, knocking Ye-ryeong out.
"Everyone, survive no matter what."
And so Hyo-min held off the pursuers closing in.
In the time she bought, they ran again. Hwang Gyu-seong carried Ye-ryeong. Even injured, his strength was greater.
Just a few minutes.
That's when the sound came from behind.
"What incredible friendship."
It was Kim Il-su's voice.
He shouted from afar, not knowing their position, his voice booming like the earth itself was shaking.
"Sacrificing your life for your friends. It brings tears to my eyes. So cool."
Mockery? Thinking back on their time with Kim Il-su, there might be a sliver of sincerity.
"But kids, I won't kill Hyo-min."
Si-woo's running feet halted. Relief and dread crashed in at her survival.
"As of today, you're all dead. You have to be. If you ever show your faces to the world again, try to reveal today's truth…."
Recalling Kim Il-su's words, Si-woo squeezed his eyes shut.
"Hyo-min dies."
Those words were shackles.
After that, they could do nothing. Without Hyo-min, all would have died, but her capture sealed that day's truth forever.
If they resurfaced. If they spoke the truth.
Then the friend who threw herself to save them would die.
"Fuck…."
Ye-ryeong was buried under the blanket inside the cabin.
Si-woo's voice from outside had faded. It was the umpteenth time, but she didn't go out.
Her eyes were swollen. So puffy she didn't need a mirror to know.
She didn't want to show this face.
'I thought we'd reunite….'
Hwang Gyu-seong. Kim Si-woo. Yi Hyo-min. And herself.
She imagined the four chatting boisterously. Just thinking of it warmed her chest, made it feel soft.
But now an unattainable dream. It ached with sorrow.
Bzzz—.
Then her pocketed kit buzzed. The same vibration echoed from outside.
Ye-ryeong and Si-woo's kits pinged simultaneously with the same alert.
Checking her kit, a familiar name appeared.
Lee Soo-hyuk.
The streamer who looked just like her friend.
"Even now, he's streaming."
Muttering that, Ye-ryeong smirked for the first time since Hwang Gyu-seong's death.
Unconsciously, she thought: if this guy were really Lee Soo-hyuk, he wouldn't be casually streaming.
Come to think of it, every stream sparked similar thoughts.
This is what Soo-hyuk would do. That's how he'd act. Oh, that's just like Soo-hyuk.
Nothing was more fun than those notions.
Sometimes it felt exactly like their friend broadcasting, swelling her heart with joy.
Bewitched, she tuned in.
"I was a bit tired. Ran nonstop prepping for the showdown. Thanks to that, the results were…."
He'd just gone live, chatting with viewers.
The stream was as awkward as ever in speech and flow, despite the popularity. No wonder thoughts like "if it were Soo-hyuk" arose.
But.
'His eyes are different.'
The gaze peeking from the mask differed subtly from usual.
What was it? She couldn't pinpoint. Her sharp eyes usually caught such things, but this was too minute to articulate.
Pondering briefly, Ye-ryeong began typing.
Si-woo would nag if he knew, but….
Tap, tap tap—.
Right now, she just wanted to talk to him, even a little.
A tingly electric jolt coursed through his body.
Skill level-ups always brought a thrilling rush. Especially when the gap was large.
This shock was massive.
The sharpened perception confirmed it. A level 8 to 9 skill was worth the 1.28 million points.
Of course.
Each step up made the next steeper.
Over 2 million points sponsored in seconds—enough to stun anyone. He was actually reveling in the level-up afterglow, but viewers saw silence.
"Ah, yeah. Thanks so much, everyone. I should at least react or something…."
As Soo-hyuk pondered, more sponsorships poured in.
"Paksoo? What's that?"
Curious, Soo-hyuk searched 'Paksoo' on his kit. Up popped Pak Soo-hyuk in the same mask, dancing to weird music.
Paksoo~ Pak, paksoo, in...
Click—.
Screen off before the intro ended.
"I'll just show you something better instead."
His streams weren't for reactions or gags anyway. Those were nice bonuses, nothing more.
He was about to wrap up viewer chat.
10,000 points.
A hefty sponsorship. But the nickname stood out from others.
Default nick.
The original random string from Players' broadcast channels, unchanged.
Most sponsors customized names for flair, but this one didn't care.
"Uh… Defaultnick, thanks for the 10k points. Something happen?"
What to say?
Big sum deserved sincerity, but nothing came to mind.
'Did it show?'
He thought he'd hidden it. Five days sorting his feelings, precisely because this stream—potentially seen by over 100k—might expose them.
He went live now because he felt ready to act normal.
'What to say?'
Can't say "Hwang Gyu-seong died." He was branded Blue Eyes traitor; Blue Zone likely monitored this.
Chat showed no one else noticed.
Don't overread a simple question. Soo-hyuk replied thus.
"Nothing special. Thanks for worrying."
1,000 points per sponsorship. No small change. No reason to refuse any question.
"Sure. Ask away."
At that question, Soo-hyuk's eyes turned ice-cold.