Chapter 225
Chapter 225
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 225
Chapter Title: Died and Came Back to Life
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"Aren't you donating too much?"
Watching Ye-ryeong gleefully chatting away with sponsorships to Unhyang, Si-woo let out a sigh.
1,000 points per message? She wasn't Clementine or anything, and this level of extravagance was unreal.
"What, you gonna save it for your grave?"
"You might not die, you know?"
"Then you'd have saved Eom-in too. Total thanks."
"......"
It wasn't wrong, so he had nothing to say. Fair enough—if it worked out like that, what was a little sponsorship via chat?
But that was one thing.
"At least change the name to something more sincere."
Schedule, what schedule.
She wouldn't get caught just because of the name, but it still felt off.
Plus, she'd already "met" this manager Unhyang twice now, in a way.
"Won't meet Lee Soo-hyuk when told to, but shows up anyway."
"Pretty sure that's the fifth time you've said that."
"So you did a good job?"
"Says the one not going to Blue Zone."
"That's why I went."
"And you're the one who watches the stream just fine?"
Si-woo was at a loss for words at Ye-ryeong's retort. True, both she and he loved watching Lee Soo-hyuk's streams.
Today's Lee Soo-hyuk on screen was quieter than usual.
He seemed to be watching Unhyang and Ye-ryeong chatter for a bit.
"......I kinda want to meet him once."
It was intriguing.
Unlike him, Ye-ryeong had seen the guy in person. Well, "met" was a stretch since she'd spied on him, but still.
He really does look just like him.
The first time she'd seen this stream was pure chance.
While browsing streams where streamers role-played as Lee Soo-hyuk, she'd stumbled on Ye-ryeong's pick.
A player who'd gotten Lightning.
That piqued her interest, leading to the watch.
Next, and the one after.
The more she watched, the more they resembled each other.
If you ignored it being a stream, and that the real Lee Soo-hyuk was dead.
He was the spitting image of their friend Lee Soo-hyuk.
Especially.
Is it really just about the points?
Money grubber.
The infamous nickname for streamer Lee Soo-hyuk.
But it was weird.
If it were Kim Il-su, the guy she knew, he'd have recruited Lee Soo-hyuk no matter the cost.
The symbolism of Lightning. The skills. The potential.
No reason not to snag him.
"Why......"
That made the question even bigger.
"Why isn't he joining Blue Zone?"
"What bullshit is that out of nowhere?"
Ye-ryeong, who'd been chilling while watching the stream, looked pissed off.
"Why would he go there?"
"Then why not?"
"If he does, I'll straight-up chop off his leg and take back those shoes I gave him."
"You gave him those?"
"Chopping a leg might be too much?"
"What about his head then?"
Si-woo sighed. In Ye-ryeong's head right now, Lee Soo-hyuk was probably getting booted from Blue Zone over and over.
"Why do the stream then?"
"Why? To earn points, duh."
"Then why not Blue Zone?"
"That's why—why go there......"
Ye-ryeong, about to snap habitually at the Blue Zone mention, paused with a puzzled look.
"Not...... joining?"
Eh?
Ye-ryeong tilted her head. Thinking it over, yeah.
If points were the goal, a big guild was way more reliable. And joining one didn't mean no streaming.
"Must be some other reason besides points."
"Why though?"
Ye-ryeong was still baffled.
The choice was fine by her in the end, but the key "why" for Lee Soo-hyuk was missing.
If streaming as Lee Soo-hyuk, joining Blue Zone made sense.
On a big scale, it'd be great content, drawing viewer cheers.
Unless the guild banned streams, which it didn't.
"Unhyang's issue would've been way easier if he'd joined Blue Zone."
No matter how she thought, no reason for Lee Soo-hyuk to skip Blue Zone.
No.
No one would.
Unless they knew about that day.
"......Is it really Soo-hyuk?"
"Why think so extreme?"
Si-woo shook his head, looking baffled at Ye-ryeong's hunch.
"Dead people coming back? Come on."
"I died and came back to life."
On screen, Lee Soo-hyuk finally spoke after a while.
-But how'd you escape New Lian Castle?
The moment he saw that chat.
Soo-hyuk gave his answer to the dilemma.
"I died and came back to life."
"......?"
Unhyang glanced over like what the hell?
"Man, I really did die and come back. I was dying and......"
"Soo-hyuk?"
What bullshit is that?
He could almost hear Unhyang's follow-up. Actually, it hadn't been that dangerous, right?
But viewers unaware of the full context heard it differently.
As Soo-hyuk paid attention, the chat topic shifted instantly. At some point, q1w2e3r4's sponsorships had stopped too.
Just offhand.
Truth was, he hadn't really died and come back.
With Uncheon-geuk? Maybe. But taking down Baek Yi-dan and escaping New Lian Castle wasn't that dramatic.
Still, one reason he'd said it.
I really did die and come back.
To convey to the suspected Ye-ryeong viewer named "Schedule."
How far to go?
Ye-ryeong watching his stream? Great news.
But it also meant Kim Il-su might be too.
Let Ye-ryeong know who he was, without Il-su catching on.
For that.
Soo-hyuk glanced at Unhyang.
She checked his eyes. He'd been signaling since earlier.
What does he want to say?
A bit odd. He'd gone quiet, then spouted nonsense at one chat.
Come to think, back then too......
First mentioning "Schedule," Soo-hyuk had acted off.
Mid-story, bolted out like searching for something.
Do they know each other?
Whatever, if he wanted to say something, she had to play along now.
"It was dangerous."
Unhyang nodded, matching his line, and asked.
"......But why'd you help me?"
Uncheon-geuk might be there. Super risky.
Why come aid him?
"I was sure."
"Sure? Sure of what?"
"That it'd work out somehow."
Soo-hyuk's eyes flicked not to Unhyang, but the chat.
"......I just believed."
It was long ago.
Similar talk with Ye-ryeong.
Right after tackling the 6th floor guardian, probably.
"Why'd you do that?"
Late night.
Ye-ryeong came alone.
"Huh, why?"
"You nearly died, you idiot!"
"Died and came back though."
Because of what he'd done against the guardian.
Ye-ryeong nearly died in the fight; Soo-hyuk took the risk for her.
Thanks to that.
They survived the close call. All lived.
Without his choice, no stargazing here together.
"Why though? You could've really died."
"I was sure."
"Sure? Sure of what crap?"
"That it'd work out somehow."
That night, just to calm furious Ye-ryeong.
"......I just believed."
That if he did that, they'd handle it.
Excuse, but true.
6th floor guardian. After too.
Comrades protected Soo-hyuk; he them.
Unhyang blanked at Soo-hyuk's reply.
Chat too; vibe turning weird, so Soo-hyuk pivoted quick.
"Opening's enough; let's start."
With that, Soo-hyuk headed back to the trial grounds.
Glancing at chat while walking.
But all nonsense.
No sign of Ye-ryeong's chat or sponsorships.
This is as far as I can go.
What he could do stopped here.
In a fortnight, he'd go to them, but if they didn't recognize then, pointless.
Like Hwang Gyu-seong spotting instantly? Ideal, but no guarantee.
Please notice.
So he had to say it somehow.
That he was back.
Si-woo and Ye-ryeong watched silently.
They'd gone quiet exactly from "I died and came back to life."
"Uh......"
As Lee Soo-hyuk moved for the real trial, Ye-ryeong spoke.
"This convo, feels like I've......"
"Why?"
"No, something's off."
Describing the eerie feeling, Ye-ryeong corrected quick.
"No, not off—familiar? Yeah."
"Familiar how?"
"Word for word exact...... Coincidence?"
"Ugh, so frustrating."
Si-woo clutched his chest at her rambling.
"Who, when, what convo?"
"With Soo-hyuk. Probably right after our first guardian clear."
Ye-ryeong nodded at the screen.
"Exact same talk."
"This one?"
"Yeah."
Ye-ryeong frowned, unsure how to explain the feeling.
Forgotten convo. First time she'd truly yelled at Soo-hyuk.
Time together blurred it into countless scenes.
Why now, that memory? Chance?
"......Hallucinating? Nothing special."
Even Si-woo didn't seem fazed much.
Ye-ryeong nodded.
They knew about Unhyang and Lee Soo-hyuk's incident. Common knowledge for stream fans.
Such talk between them? Natural.
But why.
"Felt like he was talking to me."
Not Unhyang—to her.
"You......"
Si-woo eyed Ye-ryeong pouting and scratching her head.
To her serious pondering, he made a genuine disgust face.
"You're a total fangirl now."
Ye-ryeong snapped up.
"What? Why me?"
"Then what? How's he know you? From when I was sponsoring you? Ow! You actually stab?!"
"Calling me fangirl?!"
"Tell Soo-hyuk in hell later? Ye-ryeong's......"
"Die, just!"