A Friend Named Momoji
Lee Chaewon, age fourteen.
From the time she was little, people around the neighborhood would say, “Ah, that pretty kid!” She’d even appeared in a TV commercial as a child actress back in kindergarten. Throughout all six years of elementary school, her classmates had forced her into the class president’s seat—she was that popular.
That kid was me.
“……”
I said it like I was incredibly proud of myself.
So why don’t I have any friends…?
Why, though? Did I somehow look like a total snob just by breathing?
I got along fine with everyone in class. It wasn’t that I had zero social awareness—really. If I did, there was no way I could have been class president six years running, and no way the kids would come looking for me every time we played DualKing. Back then we had so much noisy, ridiculous fun.
But if you looked only at the results, there wasn’t really anyone I could confidently ask, “We’re friends, right?”
“Uuugh……”
I rewound through everything, wondering where it had gone wrong, and for a second I thought maybe it was the rumor that my family was a yakuza household—but I immediately shot that down myself.
No. I explained that properly. My classmates never even cared. It was only the grade above us that made a fuss.
The distance between me and the other kids had started around fifth or sixth grade. That was about right. From then on, whenever I tried to get even a little closer, everyone got awkward. Especially the boys I’d always played cards with.
It would be a lie to say the subtle rejection didn’t sting. But it wasn’t some massive shock either. Right around then a computer had appeared at home, and playing online was way more fun than real life. I’d been doing that ever since.
Wait a second.
Is the reason I have no friends because I got addicted to computer games?
“Hmm.”
……I’d poured nearly two years into Deadzone, so I’d count that as a friend too.
Anyway, a friend had appeared for someone like me.
Momoji
“Ooooh.”
She was the first person after Siyeon to ask me to be friends.
Originally, after getting my number yesterday, Momoji had suggested we call at night—but I’d turned her down. Not because I was embarrassed or didn’t want to. It was purely a scheduling problem.
Momoji, who mainly streamed in the evenings, ran longer than me and only finished around dawn. I, on the other hand, tended to head off to dreamland early, so it couldn’t be helped.
Gotta grow tall.
Growth spurts matter.
So today we’d agreed in advance to talk before my stream started at five. I waited for Momoji’s call with a pounding heart.
What if I pick up and she’s some crazy thug?
—All sorts of ridiculous thoughts ran through my head.
Bzzzzzt—!!
“Hyeek. You scared me.”
I carefully opened my phone.
“Hello?”
“Ah! Hello. I’m DualKingChaeChae.”
I fired off a polite greeting. Before she was a friend she was still something of a senior, and there was an age gap.
“Hahaha. Why so stiff? Oh right—want to drop the formal speech?”
“D-drop it? Yes. Okay. Please call me whatever’s comfortable.”
“Hmm? I said drop it, so why are you still using polite speech? Hmmm… ChaeChae, you’re younger than me, aren’t you?”
“Huk.”
Remove the CCTV you installed in my house right this second, you stalker—that was a joke, of course.
How did she know?
“Hehehe. It just shows. It shows. Can you tell me how old ChaeChae is? Or is that too much pressure?”
“I… no, me? Uuum…”
Tell her? Don’t tell her?
There wasn’t any real reason not to. But it would break the whole private-identity concept. Hmm.
While I fretted, Momoji laughed.
“Just tell me clearly who’s older, then.”
“I’m younger. No—I’m younger.”
“Haha. I see. I kind of figured.”
Talking without the stream going made me weirdly shy. I fussed with my collar for no reason.
The conversation mostly continued under Momoji’s lead. It was a stretch of time that let me realize I had less one-on-one conversational skill than I’d thought.
I’m shy around strangers, huh.
No—maybe it was worse because she was a girl. I’d always been weaker against girls since I was little. You know that feeling where you just can’t talk back hard. Like if you hit them they’d break, and if you made them mad they’d cry.
“You’re way cuter than on stream, you know that? Imagining you quietly listening makes me want to nibble you.”
“Uugh. That’s a bit…”
“Hehehe. Oh right—is it okay if I mention on stream that we talked?”
“Yeah. I will too.”
“Okay. I should go now. Time to start streaming. ChaeChae, Master promotion matches?”
“Ah! I set them up perfectly for today. I’m going to win three straight and immediately queue to check how many points I climb. If things go well I might even try for Grand Master, right?”
“ChaeChae… you really love games, don’t you… Suddenly the words are pouring out.”
“Ahem ahem……”
Classic nerd trait: the second a familiar topic appears, the mouth won’t stop.
This is a little embarrassing.
Both of us had streams to start, so I was about to say goodbye and hang up when Momoji stopped me.
“Wait! Since I really have to go now, do it. Come on.”
“……Do what.”
“Unnie! You have to. Naeun unnie! Say it!”
“Uuuugh.”
I-I don’t wanna.
For some reason I really didn’t want to. That expectant tone was pressure, and my whole body was throwing up rejection signals. Fighting the ticklish sensation, I forced my mouth open.
“N-next time……”
“Kwahahahaha, got it~ Next time we meet in person, unnie will buy you something tasty~ Bye! ………Aww you’re so cute. Why are you so different on stream.”
The call didn’t hang up, so I heard the whole muttering afterward.
Once I came back to my senses I felt thoroughly toyed with, and the mood was all sticky and weird.
“Mm.”
She was an adult, so what could I do?
Next time we play together I’ll work her even harder.
I, too, promised myself a next time with a mature mindset. Dreaming of a tiny private revenge, I sat down in front of the computer.
Today’s main event was the Master promotion series I’d promised yesterday. Precious five matches I’d saved so I could do them with the viewers. Best of five—it could end in three. No: I would end it in three wins for sure.
Dragging it out is just stressful.
The viewers must have been waiting, because the second I went live they poured in.
“No tension? I’m shaking like crazy right now. Hands and feet are trembling like aspen leaves.”
I couldn’t show them, so I just wiggled the mouse cursor left and right.
Heh. I was starting to feel more and more like a real streamer. It wasn’t anything amazing, but the viewers laughing made me puff up for no reason.
“Get your hearts ready. Bring snacks.”
Hehe.
This is gonna be fun.
If my past-life memories were accurate, Master had been the highest tier back then. I’d reached the promotion series with an 85% win rate, so I was confident about the series itself—but the thought of painting over past glory made me a little excited too.
“Going right in.”
Login!
My main character set on the Deadzone site—the pink rabbit—greeted me. I’d received a Wild West outfit set from Momoji, but this was the true classic. Promotion series in this one.
“Let’s gooo. How many games till I promote?”
I boldly hit start game.
Ding—!
“Huh?”
Why isn’t it working?
Thinking it was just some trash site lag, I clicked again—
Work, Deadzoooone.
A loading window appeared, so I waited a moment. Then the program that had been running simply closed.
“……Huh? W-what is this.”
A small window I’d never seen before floated up in the center of the screen.
Unable to start the game
This account requires identity verification and has been temporarily restricted.
Please check the detailed history and inquiry information for more details.
“Uh, uhhh? W-what is this saying?”
The game won’t start……
Clicking again changed nothing. Something was wrong.
Ah, right. Detailed contents.
As if hypnotized I followed the prompt and pressed detailed history.
Account: Woniwoni>.<
Restriction Type: Temporary Usage Restriction
Restriction Reason: Violation of Terms of Service Article 2
(Use under another person’s name / Identity verification required)
Your account has been restricted due to suspected mismatch between the registered name holder information and the actual user.
If you believe this restriction is unjust, you may submit an explanation through name-holder identity verification within 7 days.
[Explanation Method Guide] (Click)
Failure to submit an explanation within the deadline may result in conversion to permanent usage restriction under related regulations.
※ Inquiries: Deadzone Customer Support Center
“Permanent… restriction…?”
I closed the window, logged in again, and hit start game.
“Why w-won’t it work.”
Close, try again. Close, click, close, click. No matter how many times I repeated it, nothing changed.
Another person. Name. Use. Temporary. Restriction. Permanent. Ban……
I understood every single character, but none of it would sink into my head.
I can’t use this anymore?
The chat scrolled up in a rush.
People are watching…
I had to say something. But once the situation sank in, my tightly pressed lips twitched and I couldn’t force them open. The moment I did, something hot would surge up my throat.
No.
I don’t want to cry.
“Uugh…”
I held it down hard.
“I-I’ll go check… it……””
No matter how hard I swallowed my breath, a strange sound leaked out.
“Huuup… I’ll be back……”
My vision blurred and overflowed; I swiped it away with one arm just before it spilled.
“See you… later……”
As if fleeing, I hurriedly slammed the end stream button.