115. Really... Why Is My Sister So Cute Today
115. Really... Why Is My Sister So Cute Today
***
Han Seoyun.
[Yeah, I know. Why do you suddenly ask?]
I paused for a moment, wondering what to text back to her answer that she already knew. Sitting up in bed, I thought mainly about how to explain this to Seoyun without making myself look weird.
How ordinary people viewed streamers, and what they thought about internet broadcasting.
In 2031, it had long been recognized as a legitimate profession, but even so, people's perceptions of streamers were always so extreme.
Really polar opposites.
If people thought of streamers by comparing them to certain streamers with bad reputations, the image was terrible. But if they compared them to streamers who did good broadcasts without any incidents, the image was good.
Which meant, in the end, the image depended on the individual streamer.
I briefly reflected on how my own broadcasts had been so far.
"I don't remember ever cursing on stream, and I think I've kept things within reasonable bounds..."
And if I asked whether I'd done embarrassing things for viewer donations during my streams, that wasn't the case either.
Well, if I really thought about it, that was just because I didn't want to do them, not that I should blame other streamers for it. When a streamer receives donations from viewers, it's only natural for them to show some sincerity in return.
Then it suddenly occurred to me that I'd said something today that would probably become a mortifying memory. But I was just embarrassed—looking at it objectively, it wasn't the kind of incident that would cause any real trouble.
After thinking for a while, I was able to reach a conclusion about myself.
I'd become famous in a short time in Another World, the hottest game around.
I'd been offered scrims against pros, become a hot topic in a short time—there were certainly plenty of unusual points.
'Just... a skilled streamer?'
A game streamer whose main content was Another World.
If I had to judge myself, that was probably about it. I'd always been a topic of conversation, but even that had never been in a negative direction.
Rather than trying to package myself in some particular way, I figured there was no real problem with just telling Seoyun about my current situation as it was.
After reaching that conclusion, I thought about texting her, but since it seemed like it would get long, I just pressed the call button.
A few seconds of ringing later, the call connected.
—What the... what's gotten into you? You're actually calling me first, Sis?
Seoyun's voice sounded a little surprised, and I could feel a hint of hurt over why we hadn't talked on the phone in so long. I laughed softly and said,
"No, I just wanted to hear your voice since it's been a while... and also, what I'm going to tell you might get a bit long, so rather than texting, I wanted to tell you directly."
—You wanted to hear my voice... I didn't know you could say things like that, Sis. And what do you mean it might get long? Are you trying to tell me something important?
"Important if it's important, not if it's not...?"
—Pfft... Sis, what is that even supposed to mean?
Hearing Seoyun laugh, I could tell some of her hurt feelings had faded. I took a moment to choose my words.
The fact that I'd become a streamer and a NewTuber.
Whether it counted as something important to tell Seoyun was a bit ambiguous, but still, it was what I was doing now.
It wasn't something to gloss over vaguely or mumble my way through.
"Seoyun, you said you know about internet broadcasting, so you know about streamers too, right?"
—Yeah, I know. A streamer is... someone who does internet broadcasting, right?
"Then this'll be easier to explain. Actually, right now... I'm a streamer. And I started NewTube a few days ago too..."
As I spoke, I quietly let my words trail off. I was curious about how Seoyun would react, so rather than going on and on, I wanted to see her immediate response to this fact.
—Uh... Sis? H-hold on.
At Seoyun's flustered voice, Serin had no choice but to stop talking for a moment.
***
Looking at the flow of the conversation, Han Seoyun had actually guessed to some extent, but the feeling of "no way" had been stronger.
—Then this'll be easier to explain. Seoyun, I'm actually a streamer. And I started NewTube a few days ago too...
But actually hearing those words from her sister, Seoyun couldn't help but be shocked.
Her sister was a streamer and a NewTuber...?
Well, the NewTuber part she could maybe accept, but being a streamer meant broadcasting in real time.
The sister Seoyun knew—Serin—was extremely reserved and shy around people.
"Uh... Sis? H-hold on."
In that moment, Seoyun sat up in bed and checked the video she had open on one side of her screen again.
She quickly skipped through the video timeline, tapping along it to check.
She briefly rechecked things like how revealing the silver-haired character's outfit was, her actions, and her way of speaking.
'No matter how I look at it... this doesn't feel like Sis.'
The appearance was definitely identical to her sister, but the actions and way of speaking in the video felt like a completely different person. Maybe that was why, now that she was watching this character in the video while thinking of her as her sister, it felt really unfamiliar.
The way she looked at her opponent and spoke with an arrogant, or rather haughty, attitude. The way she swung a weapon covered in brilliant light and moved spectacularly in what looked like an arena—even that was amazing.
—RinTube Open!
2,732,153 views.
Seoyun's gaze went to the view count for a moment, then she started looking through the comments too.
1,024 comments.
[Is that view count for a first video real?]
[What even is Rin's class lol;]
[Is this the person who parried four times in midair?]
[T_T Seriously, every one of Rin's videos is overflowing with charm. I'll keep watching your NewTube channel! Subscribed right away!!]
[This seriously looks like a highlight montage, but all her opponents are Challenger rankers? That's ridiculous lololol]
[How can someone like this just suddenly appear? It's amazing even on a rewatch]
[lol all those people milking Rin for NewTube content aren't gonna be able to milk her anymore]
[Her voice is so nice... I don't even play Another World, I just watch, but I became a fan the moment I saw one of her videos!!]
"She's... doing really well."
Muttering blankly, Seoyun felt really strange.
The sister she'd always known had suddenly become a famous celebrity. And Serin seemed far more popular than Seoyun had imagined.
Despite all the worrying she'd done about her sister without even realizing it, Serin had already changed so much—her actions, her attitude, everything.
Her original timid personality.
Her passive behavior.
The way she struggled with dealing with people.
It looked like she'd shaken all of that off completely.
'Can this happen... in such a short time?'
She couldn't help worrying that her sister, who'd been so deeply shocked by what happened with their parents, might be pushing herself too hard right now.
—Huh...? Successful? Seoyun, what do you mean?
At her sister's voice suddenly coming from the phone, Seoyun remembered she was still on a call.
"Ah, yeah... nothing. I just thought my sister is doing really well. So, the NewTube video link I sent—that's your NewTube channel, right?"
—Ah, yeah, that's right. I made the NewTube channel recently, so there's only one video so far.
Even as she listened to her sister, a strange sense of hurt welled up inside her.
If she'd been doing something like this, she could have told her earlier.
She scrolled down through the NewTube video on her split-screen, looking at the comments. The name "Rin" seemed to be her sister's streamer name.
She didn't watch internet broadcasts often, but she still knew about them to some extent.
And then it suddenly hit her—the streamer Chaerin had recently told her was fun was named Rin. That was why the nickname Rin felt familiar.
No, thinking about it, it was amazing.
The streamer her friend had told her was fun was actually her own sister...
'Just how successful is my sister...'
Looking back, even the video Chaerin had forced her to watch, saying she'd buy her food, was a video about her sister.
Which meant she'd been preparing for this for quite a long time. Seoyun felt deeply hurt by that fact.
"What the heck. Sis, seriously..."
—Hm?
"All this time... you made me worry so much, and you were actually out here doing all this...?"
The accident with their parents a few months ago. They'd both been deeply heartbroken then, but realistically, the distance was what it was, and their circumstances were complicated, so they'd had to be apart.
She knew her sister had been hurt even more deeply back then, so she'd worried about her a lot all this time...
But in reality... her sister was doing far better than she had imagined.
The sister she saw on screen showed no sign of struggling or exhaustion at all.
During that time, her sister had become a streamer, made a NewTube channel, and was trying all sorts of things.
—H-hey, Seoyun? Listen. I really wasn't trying to hide it from you. I really... someone I know recommended it, and that's how I ended up becoming a streamer. Actually, it hasn't been long at all since I started streaming or since I started NewTube.
Her sister was talking at length and making excuses in a way that was completely unlike her, and Seoyun couldn't help laughing at how ridiculous it sounded.
'There she goes... pretending to be fine again.'
She could tell her sister was pretending everything was fine.
In the videos and on screen, her sister certainly seemed to have completely changed her attitude...
But I was still my sister's only family.
She knew there was no way the worries her sister had been carrying or her personality could change in a day or two.
Even what she was saying now was ultimately just her telling me she was fine.
"...Sis?"
—Yeah.
"I know you, Sis... so you don't have to make excuses to me like that. I know perfectly well that whenever you try to do anything, you agonize over it for days and think it through before you act. So what's this about it just happening? Why are you saying that? Are you worried I might be against you being a streamer or a NewTuber?"
—Uh... no, that's not it. I just wanted to tell you I wasn't deliberately trying to hide it from you.
Her sister's flustered voice felt even more fascinating today.
Seoyun smiled softly, her lips parting.
"Seriously... why is my sister so cute today?"