Chapter 97
Chapter 97
Ch. 97 .｡.:✧ Swamp - 4 ✧:.｡.
—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
It would have been great if Hana’s broadcast had been completely screwed, but that wasn’t really the case.
After she abruptly ended the stream, comments on her broadcast channel and YouTube were all disabled.
It was a seasoned streamer’s response, one who had been through thick and thin.
For now, the criticism and attention towards her would be sky-high, but if she just blocked her eyes and ears and held out for two months, it was clear the blow would be less severe than it was now.
It would be nice to bring down the tower she had built all at once, but for now, I had to be satisfied with this level of achievement.
I thought of it as a partial success.
Besides, this wasn’t the only opportunity. I would release the call recordings one by one every time she tried to return.
Her broadcasting hiatus would become longer and longer.
Eventually, she would have to shamelessly stream due to revenue issues, and that’s when I would drop the biggest bombshell to attract the trolls.
“Lulululululu.”
Even though I skipped my morning workout, I felt refreshed.
The thought of having landed a blow on Hana made me hum involuntarily.
The current time was 9 AM.
I was in front of Ga-ram’s house.
To talk to the gym owner about how to fix the trashed gym.
And at the same time, I had to comfort her, as she was likely still anxious.
I was a bit worried because I hadn’t been able to contact her properly yesterday, being busy with Hana’s matter.
>>Ga-ram: Yes. I’ll be waiting.
Thinking about the reply to the text I sent yesterday, it seemed the situation wasn’t too serious.
Knock, knock!
I lightly tapped the door with my index and middle fingers.
The paint-chipped steel door echoed pathetically.
Was she sleeping?
I knocked again, with a little more force than before.
Knock, knock, knock!
No response. I couldn’t hear anyone moving inside either.
Surely… it couldn’t be?
Bang, bang!
I knocked on the door even harder.
“Ga-ram-ssi! Ga-ram-ssi!”
I called out her name, pounding on the door with my fist.
The house seemed to vibrate with the sound of my fist hitting the door.
“Aish… shouldn’t I be calling 119?”
Just as I was contemplating calling 119, thinking of the worst-case scenario, I heard a presence inside.
Footsteps approaching.
The sound of slippers shuffling at the entrance, then the door creaked open.
“Ah, you’re here? Daddy?”
Ga-ram, with dark shadows under her eyes, greeted me listlessly.
“Are you… feeling okay? And more importantly, what’s with the ‘daddy’?”
I asked her back at the absurd title, but she just smiled faintly.
“I’m almost ready. Please wait a little bit.”
She said, blocking the doorway as if to stop me from entering.
“Should I wait inside then?”
“It’ll just be a moment.”
Slam!
The door closed in my face, and I could only stand there, dumbfounded for a moment.
Wh-what is this…
Her bright smile was the usual Ga-ram, but her appearance was not.
Lifeless eyes, deep dark circles, and faint red scratch marks on her arms and neck.
It had only been one day.
Just one day that I had left her alone…
A bitter taste filled my mouth for no reason.
After waiting for about 10 minutes, Ga-ram, finished with her preparations, opened the door and came out.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“Huh? Your clothes…”
Ga-ram’s usual attire was fixed on tracksuits.
The only thing that ever changed was the color.
But today, she was wearing a chestnut-colored dress that exuded an autumn vibe, I don’t know where she got it.
“I felt like dressing up. How do I look?”
She spun around once, speaking in a cute, playful voice.
Oof… I can’t get used to this.
Her dress was a bit unusual.
It was a long dress that covered her entire body, yet it strangely clung to her, revealing the curves of her body without filter.
But my eyes were drawn more to the scratches on her arms and neck that were subtly revealed, rather than her suggestive appearance.
“Your neck and arms… what happened?”
“…Haha, it’s nothing. I think I scratched myself in my sleep.”
She told a lie that wasn’t even remotely believable.
It seemed pointless to press further, so I just nodded.
“Have you had breakfast?”
“Not yet.”
“Me neither.”
“Shall we eat together then?”
Ga-ram’s eyes sparkled as she linked her arm with mine.
She subtly pushed her body against me, causing me to take a few steps back.
“Yes, yes… let’s eat. But it’s hard to move… this.”
I tried to shake my body to break free from her arm lock, but her grip only tightened.
“……”
Suddenly, her face was right next to my shoulder, and as she looked up at me, I saw a desire in her eyes that felt like something I shouldn’t touch.
I need to go home and seriously think about how to get out of this situation.
“So, where should we go?”
Giving up on everything, I let out a long sigh and asked her. The answer I got was exactly what I had expected.
“I’m fine with anything.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
It was a really awkward time to eat out, so we went to a nearby snack shop.
I felt a little self-conscious about not sticking to the diet I always followed, but Ga-ram didn’t say anything.
I ordered kimbap and ramen, and Ga-ram ordered a pork cutlet set meal.
At the mismatched order, I blinked and looked at her. Ga-ram gave a non-excuse excuse.
“I have no energy. I couldn’t even eat properly yesterday…”
From her words and appearance, it seemed she hadn’t had a single proper meal yesterday.
This wasn’t an exaggeration; I could see her cheeks were sunken.
“You don’t need to make excuses since I’m not managing a trainer’s diet.”
I chuckled, picked up the water bottle, and poured water into a cup.
After pouring water into Ga-ram’s cup first and handing it to her, Ga-ram smiled an unreadable smile and drank the whole cup of water.
Gulp, gulp!
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed the cold water, and she stared at me intently.
Before, if our eyes met, she wouldn’t be able to hold my gaze for more than three seconds and would slyly look away.
“You’re so kind. Daddy.”
Ga-ram, who had been staring at me, opened her mouth.
As soon as that title that kept bothering me came out, I cut her off.
“Ga-ram-ssi. Everything’s fine, but could you please refrain from calling me ‘daddy’?”
I knew she was in an unstable psychological state, but what’s not right is not right.
In my actions of comforting her and taking responsibility, the title ‘daddy’ was not an option.
“Why?”
She asked back so confidently that I was at a loss for words.
She took the water bottle from me and poured water into my cup.
With a gurgling sound, water flowed from the plastic spout.
“You take such good care of me…”
“I can’t help but rely on you…”
“In this whole world, you’re the only one on my side, Boss.”
“Can’t I call you daddy?”
Ga-ram, who had filled the cup to the brim, didn’t beat around the bush and threw a straight pitch at me.
I somehow felt that this water cup, which would overflow if even one more drop fell, was similar to the current situation.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord
⚙ System Notification ⚙
› Main Quest [God’s Apprentice] Unlocked!
› You have been granted an opportunity by the Arcane God’s to become a Korean Translator for Arcane Translations.
› Do you accept?
› YES/ NO