Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Dori Corps Fanclub Frenzy
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The eternally peaceful life in Eden flipped upside down in an instant.
The friend list, which had only four names before, was now completely full and couldn't accept any more requests.
[AbsoluteDoriLover (Sorcerer) / Pantie Thief]: Sis, you know I love you, right? Sis, you know I love you, right?
[OnlyEyesForDori (Sorcerer) / Pantie Thief]: Unnie, you're so pretty!!
[DoriInMyEyesLove (Sorcerer) / Pantie Thief]: I'm a fan
Suddenly, a fanclub-like group had formed out of nowhere.
"Ehehehat! Little sis, shouldn't you give your fans some service?"
"Our maknae's got quite the popularity. 'Dori Corps'—looks like they've got real camaraderie and a strong sense of belonging."
Attention she'd never received in her life!
From the headset came excited voices, flushed with amusement at the rare sight.
"They seem to really like our maknae."
Jeong Dokgo said that as he glanced back at the horde of people trailing behind her.
Were they genuinely fans, or just harassers? A sigh escaped her lips at their suspicious behavior.
"Haa... This is too much..."
"Puhahat!"
Seongil Kim burst out laughing so hard his voice cracked. It felt like her own laughter was about to bubble over, but did he really have to laugh like that when it wasn't even about him?
"Dori, I'm a fan too!"
"Truth is, I joined that guild on my alt."
"......"
Then came the shocking follow-up, making her vision blur. Her face burned hot, and she fanned herself frantically, feeling like she might explode any second.
"Why are you noonas and hyungs there...! Get out right now!"
"But I've become a real fan now...?"
"When's the next stream?"
"Right? She was so pretty! And so cute... Tell us next time!"
"......"
You guys never watched Apple's streams before!
What wind blew them to watch her stream, and of all days, the collab day? Watching them chatter away without a care for her feelings, the timing felt cruelly unfair.
"Who would've thought we'd hear our maknae's voice in Eden? It's quite moving."
As she writhed in embarrassment, surrounded by the so-called 'Dori Corps' with no escape, Jeong Dokgo suddenly said that.
Was it because his wariness had crumbled after the meetup, or had he gained some confidence after the collab? Either way, she was using her mic naturally now, just as he'd suggested.
"Hearing your voice is nice. Right, Dokgo-hyung?"
"Yeah."
"......"
Before, she'd been too shy to use it, unsure how her voice would sound to others—but their reactions showed it was all in her head.
"Dori's voice makes my ears tingle!"
"Haha..."
She still didn't know how to respond to Hanna Lee's comments, but at least she didn't have to type in chat anymore, freeing up her fingers. And most of all, the loneliness felt a bit less heavy.
Not a bad feeling at all. If she'd known it'd be like this, she would've started using it sooner.
Just as her mood was lifting,
"After two years without hearing her voice, I wonder what kind of guy Apple is...?"
"Got curious watching the stream— are you two really dating?"
"Maknae, how long have you known him?"
"If he picked you up at the meetup, that means you knew each other before..."
...Should I just log off?
The interrogation started without warning, and the thought flooded her mind.
"Hani-unnie always bolts over the second you call."
"Right! Dori's energy spiked that time and she ate a ton."
"One step too late."
"Rat Mouse, don't say weird stuff."
As her response lagged, they started piecing it together themselves.
"If he even walks you home..."
"Dori! Don't worry, we'll keep it secret from the viewers!"
"We respect our maknae's privacy."
"How many days has it been?"
"Apple adapts fast."
"......"
Listening to the conversation made everything go dark before her eyes.
What secret? And what did "how many days" even mean?
Besides, she'd already explained it to death on stream.
"S-stop! We're really nothing! Just streamer and viewer!"
"This isn't a stream, so it's fine."
Fine my foot. He said it so calmly, like it was the most normal thing. Jeong Dokgo was definitely crazy.
"We're really just friends!"
"From streamer-viewer to friends in no time. Sis, that's a total cliché line?"
"That's how it always starts."
"......"
Unfortunately, the raid party had more than one lunatic.
"I swear I've heard that line in a drama!"
Even Hanna Lee.
"...Turns out he's my neighbor. End of story!"
"Sis, that sounds like another cliché."
"That's how it always starts."
"I've heard that line in a drama too!"
Her head spun. She'd probably developed migraines since that day.
If they reacted like this no matter what she said, maybe it was a classic case of "you're doomed to agree."
"Never pegged Apple for the type, but seducing our maknae? Can I kill him?"
"Ooh, me too then."
"Haa..."
These were the same people who'd ignored her promotions of Apple's streams, and now they were acting like this?
The more they talked, the more sighs escaped her, and she felt herself sinking into a quagmire—barely snapping out of it.
"...He's already getting hounded enough, so hyungs, please hold back."
Even now, Haon Park couldn't hunt properly thanks to shaking off the 'Dori Corps.'
If Jeong Dokgo and Seongil Kim joined in, it'd be a total disaster for him.
Unmatched overwhelming force!
Seeing Haon Park's pitiful expression tugged at her heart, and the words slipped out before she knew it.
"You used to recommend his streams as fun, maknae, but now things have changed."
"Sis, you've changed."
"Oh my, oh my. Look how she cares about him!"
Of course, they twisted her words into something else entirely.
"Enough! Let's just go to the raid!"
The conversation kept circling back to square one. In the end, she shrieked in frustration.
"Then do something about those guys."
Raising her head at Jonghun Oh's words, she saw a crowd of people.
The 'Dori Corps' had set up camp in front of the raid dungeon.
Nothing was ever easy.
"Oppa, can I open the chest this time?"
"Approved."
"Evan-de."
"I'm evan too."
"...Me too."
"Rejected by 3 evans."
"You guys are so mean! This is bard discrimination!"
Today's raid kicked off with Hanna Lee's usual grumbling.
"Evan-de."
"Evan-ji."
"...M-me too."
"...Hey, I haven't even spoken yet?"
There wasn't much to show for this week's run either.
Every chest spat out miscellaneous herbs and ores. At this point, it was almost disappointing.
If this kept up, she'd have to rely on hunting, but the small fry lurking around lately made it nerve-wracking.
'...Maybe like Dad said, I should've learned a trade.'
The thought popped into her head out of nowhere.
Her father's nagging about needing skills to survive, even with vocational college.
She'd long since stopped expecting RNG rewards after the first clear, so why was she getting sentimental now?
Clang!
"Sis, thanks! Echo!"
It was Seongil Kim's voice, paired with the crisp sound of metal, that snapped her out of her reverie.
"...T-thank you!"
"...Who knew I'd live to hear those words!"
His mood lifted by the response, Seongil Kim laughed and charged back into the name-drop.
With this week's assignment nearly 30% done, Veronica slammed her massive hammer into the ground.
The earth shook with a deafening roar, and health bars plummeted in an instant.
"Ow... that hurts..."
"Hearing you hurt tears my heart, sis."
"...You mean hyung."
"...Yeah, hyung, you punk."
It was her usual self-mutter, but now someone responded—which felt refreshingly new.
After dismantling various mechanics for about 20 minutes, the iron doors on either side of the battlefield creaked open. Dwarves bustled in, towing small carts loaded with bombs.
"Phase 3. Black ones first."
They were destroying the detonators under Jeong Dokgo's calm lead when—
Bzzzzt—
Her smartphone on the desk began vibrating noisily.
'Busy right now...'
No one should be calling. The few people she texted were all on Discord, raiding with her.
'...Haon?'
The one recent addition to her tiny social circle. Who else could it be?
'...Wasn't he streaming?'
He'd been live before the raid started, so curiosity won out. She quickly flipped the phone over.
And the caller was someone completely unexpected.
[Dad]
...Out of the blue?
Speak of the devil—even tigers come when called. Or was it because she'd just thought of him? Totally sudden.
Something wrong at home? Did her brother tell him about her situation? Should she even pick up?
Lost in thought, Jonghun Oh's voice pierced her ears.
"We're wiped. Dori's spacing out again."
"Hm...? Oh... Ooh, Firefly's prediction spot on?"
"Ah..."
Turning at the sharp call-out, a sigh escaped despite herself.
A gray screen filled her view.
They were really wiped.