Returnee Struggles Hard – A Mailbox Surprise and a Dramatic Plea from the Hunter Streamer
That familiar ceiling.
One I had seen many, many times before.
I blinked awake from sleep, my thoughts drifting lazily as the memories of that brutal medieval dark fantasy world settled back in.
"Aaaah..."
Now that I thought about it, waking up like this without a trace of discomfort had become quite routine.
In the first month, my eyes would open and I would instinctively scan the room out of habit, checking for threats or exits.
But now I knew better. There was no need.
After all, this was my home.
"Hwaam..."
I pulled the plush shark-shaped doll closer and let my eyes drift shut again.
The fabric was warm, the air fresh, and for a fleeting moment I wondered if this really was heaven.
"Hwaaaaa..."
But I couldn't stay here like this forever.
I'd become a fat, lazy person.
With a quick stretch of my arms, I tossed off the blanket and rose slowly from the bed.
I took a moment to think about what lay ahead for the day.
In my old life, I would have eaten a simple breakfast and stepped outside for a quick workout.
But...
"...Still full."
The fried chicken from yesterday still seemed to be sitting in my stomach like a stone.
Chicken was a terrifying food.
It was delicious, yet it refused to leave my body no matter how much I ate.
It was a cruel dish that made you gain weight if you weren't careful.
"Hmm..."
So breakfast and exercise were clearly out.
"Okay. Good."
I reached for the phone sitting on the bedside table and turned it on.
Multiple notifications popped up on the screen.
One from Ha-rin.
And one from Seo-ah.
I opened Ha-rin's message first.
[Do Ha-rin]
[Thanks to the ice you gave me, my condition is much better now. Thank you.]
[I'll throw my friend at you as a gift.]
[If he does anything weird, let me know.]
"...Friend?"
I stared at the screen for a moment.
I wasn't entirely sure what it meant, but this was new.
I replied with a simple "Thank you" anyway.
Right below, I checked Seo-ah's message.
[Shin Seo-ah]
[I already sent a new frying pan to your doorstep.]
[If you want anything else, just contact me anytime.]
"...Ah."
Frying pan.
The memory of Seo-ah's head getting slammed by Ha-rin yesterday flashed through my mind.
—Clang!
She must have been holding back her strength, but it was still terrifying...
Still, the real question was how to reply.
"How do I even answer this..."
I paused for a second, then typed.
[Thank you.]
"..."
...It felt too curt.
[Thank you. Hehe.]
"...Huh?"
That sounded weird.
[Thank you. I'll use it well.]
After thinking it over for a while, I finally sent something close to my first reply.
"Whew..."
With the morning routine finally over, I finally got out of bed.
The cool touch of marble floor met my bare feet.
"Ugh..."
Guess the air conditioner had been set too low.
I raised the temperature by one degree and headed straight for the entrance.
To my relief, the living room was already warm from the sunlight.
—Click.
—Click.
I unlocked each deadbolt and cracked the door open just a sliver.
There was no one outside.
"Just in case..."
I peeked my head out and scanned the area again.
Left side... and right side... still nothing.
"Whew."
When I lowered my head, something sat neatly in front of the door.
I checked around once more, then picked it up.
"..."
It was a frying pan, no box, no wrapping paper at all.
So this was what Seo-ah meant.
The handle was shaped perfectly for someone to slam something on your head.
Why on earth would she send me this?
I carried the frying pan inside.
—Click.
Of course, I locked every single bolt again.
I set the frying pan in the kitchen and placed it on a shelf.
"Morning routine complete!"
Now there was truly nothing left to do.
Simple. It was nice.
I stood in the kitchen for a moment, then headed back to my room.
"...Maybe I should stream."
That thought in mind, I sat at the computer and pressed the power button.
The motor whirred to life, and the fans spun up with a cheerful hum.
I spun around in my chair while the PC booted up.
Honestly, this part was kind of fun.
Then I noticed the wall.
On one side hung a broken sword I used in that other world.
Half shattered, it still looked imposing.
"...I really should fix that one day."
I stared at the sword, then shook my head.
No, I didn't need it anymore.
Why bother fixing it?
I brushed the useless thought aside.
The screen was already on, showing the broadcasting program.
And then...
-???
-Luna-hi
-Finally turned on
-Your stream is live!
-Emergency!!
-Luha
-I greet you, Moonwalk
"Ah..."
I looked at the microphone and spoke.
"Hello everyone. Since there's nothing to do today, I turned it on a little early."
-Good job
-Not the time for this
-We need to continue from yesterday's
I slowly scrolled through the chat window.
Now it was quite familiar.
Six months ago, a single line would have left me speechless.
"How has everyone been doing?"
Even though some of their tones had gotten rougher, it was still fine.
It meant I was growing.
-Luna, I heard the big company is inviting you. Did you see that?
A strange comment caught my eye.
"Huh?"
I tilted my head.
I would have ignored normal viewers, but this one was my manager.
"Who is it?"
A big company?
Weren't famous streamers considered big companies?
Why would one suddenly invite me?
The only people I knew were Seo-ah and Ha-rin.
Still, I wondered how my connections could be that destructive.
"..."
No, this guy is literally talking to me right now?
I stared at the monitor.
The chat was flying by at an impossible speed.
-Why is this person laughing again
-Aww, another one
-Big company is obsessed with your broadcast
I continued as if nothing was wrong.
"Ahem. What exactly does it mean that they invited me?"
-Polygon asked me if you'd be okay with it
-Were you not close?
"Huh?"
My eyes widened at that.
Polygon?
"Who is that person?"
I hadn't heard of him before.
The only Polygon I knew was the name of a U.S. government building.
-That's the Pentagon, right
-Ugh
-Anyway, turn on Polygon’s stream first
I switched screens and opened the search bar quietly.
I searched for Polygon.
Unlike my own case, a Wikipedia page popped up at the very top.
"Eh?"
I leaned closer to the monitor without realizing it.
Wait...
"1.2 million subscribers? Why me...?"
-If you didn't know, who would?
-You get watched a lot
-They said they watch your videos too
Who exactly was this person who was watching my stream?
I looked back at the screen.
A familiar explanation caught my eye.
[Polygon]
[Internet broadcaster who was formerly a hunter. He uses exceptional reflexes to create content with challenges that normal people couldn't attempt.]
Hunter origin...?
"Ah..."
I nodded slowly as the pieces clicked together.
If a stranger was watching me, it had to be connected to Seo-ah or Ha-rin.
After all, I only knew those two.
"...Ah!"
Only then did Ha-rin's message from earlier flash back.
[I'll throw my friend at you as a gift.]
"That's what this is!"
No wonder the viewer count was ten times higher than usual.
-Turn on your stream already
-No contact info?
-Why is this person talking to himself?
-Come stay as my little Luna...
-
Even as a D-rank hunter, being a hunter was being a hunter.
From what I heard, some had decent earnings and became famous influencers.
Even though Seo-ah and Ha-rin weren't super famous, their hunter networks were something else entirely.
And I had started streaming because of some rehabilitation project run by the Hunter Association.
So...
"...I can do this."
I had to do my best to cooperate.
Of course, chatting with viewers was very different from speaking directly to a person.
But still...
But!
"No, I'm so happy!"
I squeezed my eyes shut and said it aloud.
This was my moment of resolve.
No matter how comfortable this life felt, I still had a human heart.
I didn't want to be a burden to the Association.
And most importantly...
I needed to get to know people a little better.
"Do you know how to contact them?"
-How would we know that?
-You asked us too
-I'm streaming right now
"Even if I'm streaming, it's rude to just go find someone."
-Glitch
-No, we're asking you right now?
-Luna wellke wellke?
-Just search and you'll find it
"I'll contact them later on my own."
-What the hell are we asking?
-No, turn your stream on right now
"Huh?"
After reading the chat for a moment to understand the situation, I checked the Wikipedia window again.
I clicked the broadcast link listed there.
After a brief loading screen appeared, the page opened with this:
—Luna-nim!!! Please accept my invite!!!
=
=Rigon's that desperate for a woman?
=What kind of trouble this time?
=Stay far away
—Hell was here.
"..."
I stared blankly at the screen in confusion.
So there was a man there.
More precisely...
—Luna-nim!!!! Please give me your contact!!!!
A man on his knees, hands outstretched like he was begging.
Even the top of the screen had a huge banner:
[Searching for Streamer Luna.]
"...W-what kind of situation is this?"
I asked the viewers watching my stream.
Just like I heard my voice, the man on screen jerked his head up.
—What? What?? You're looking at Luna right now?
The man's expression lit up instantly.
—Luna-nim!! Luna-nim!!!! Please accept my invite!!!
=You're so pathetic, Rigon.
=Is this what your normal broadcast looks like?
=The framing is really violent lolol
The man clasped his hands toward the camera.
—Send it through Harmony private message! I'll beg like this!!!!
"Ah..."
I stared blankly at the screen.
"Eh?"
Well...
It was nothing like the big-company meeting I had imagined.