Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Screw It, I'll Overcome It!
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One step.
"Um. Seo-ha-ssi, is it okay if I call you that?"
Another step.
"I want to get good at Triachia too, but I just can't improve on my own."
Right in front of me.
Way too close.
"So... do you happen to have any interest in taking on a disciple who you'd actually enjoy teaching? We don't even have to meet in person—I'd be fine with lessons over the phone!"
I could feel the light shooting from her sparkling eyes tickling my face.
For now, I took a big step back.
Sigh, propriety and all that...
The only time in my life I'd ever had a normal conversation with a woman...
Was back in high school, when I couldn't resist the pressure from a gang of delinquents and asked out the most beautiful girl in class.
That day. After the whole school started gossiping about the origins of my birth—since I had no parents...
I developed this condition where my brain freezes whenever the opposite sex gets this close.
I was right on the verge of refusing to go to school altogether, but I managed to regain my rational thinking thanks to a new friend I made.
The one and only person I could rely on during my school days.
His name? 'Bohem Cigar Caribe.'
Layer upon layer, that's how I ended up depending on nicotine from high school onward.
Cigarettes. Where are my cigarettes?
Oh, can't smoke indoors.
But this is a vape shop. Maybe it's okay?
As I held the device in my hand, lost in thought...
"Go ahead and vape!"
With permission granted, I inhaled the sweet vapor deep into my lungs.
Living without fence rules is this damn tough.
If I hadn't gained some familiarity with the opposite sex during my two years of office work, I might've made a total fool of myself.
"Sorry about that. I have this mild aversion to people. Caught me off guard."
"Ah... Are you okay?"
"This helps."
We talked while keeping a proper distance.
My mind and body had long since stabilized.
My mental resilience, forged by a life full of twists and turns, deserves some credit.
"You need a Triachia master?"
"Yes! Well... In a bit, I'm doing this bet with my friends...?"
"Ah, a bet."
"Exactly. It'd be great to have guidance right beside me, but that'd probably be a burden for you, right? So even just screen-sharing online would make me happy."
"But is that okay with you? My main faction is Humanity."
"Huh? Humanity? Then the reason you blocked my race change must've been..."
"Obviously, because Undead is a broken faction compared to Humanity."
"...I'm a newbie, but even I know that's not true."
If you gathered every Triachia player and voted for the weakest faction, Humanity would win hands down.
Because there are way more Humanity players.
Setting aside why Humanity has the most players out of the three factions—what can you do about us being weak?
The Republic of Korea is a fine democracy that abides by majority rule.
"Anyway, since I'm Humanity, you might be better off finding another master. I'm not like that sub-faction expert... um, Kim Sung-jin or whatever."
"Hmm..."
Conversations with the opposite sex are plenty occasional.
Come to think of it, she's the same sex now, isn't she?
Whatever.
I had no desire to build any closer friendship.
I bowed my head politely, grabbed my bagged e-liquid, and headed for the door.
But had I forgotten that the Republic of Korea is a democracy and a capitalist society?
The words that followed stopped me in my tracks before I could even take three steps.
"Hourly wage! I'll pay you an hourly wage."
"Pardon?"
"Ten thousand won per hour. How's that?"
For a split second, the image of my dwindling bank balance flashed before my eyes.
My fridge and e-liquid stock were still decent, but who knows when they'd run out.
Besides, my finger rehab training had only just begun.
No telling when I'd land a proper job.
Tsk. Now that's a different story.
But it was still a tough call.
Did I really need to risk contact with a woman?
If push came to shove, I could always find some male-only part-time gig...
"Deal! Twenty thousand per hour."
"What."
"After 10 PM, night premium at 1.5 times."
"Looking forward to working with you, Boss!"
Mental issues? Screw it, I'll overcome it!
This Yoo Seo-ha isn't such a loser that she'd cower from some intangible mental disorder.
Is there any sweeter gig than playing games at home for cash?
And that game is Triachia, no less.
I swear on my parents' names I'm not blinded by money, but the more I think about this offer, the better it sounds.
It's not exploiting my current looks—pure income from my skills, right?
So healthy and rewarding.
A job I'd happily stick with for life.
"Thanks for taking me on, Seo-ha. I'm Kang Nari."
"Yes, ma'am! Boss Kang Nari!"
"...The more I learn, the more fascinating you get. Weren't you supposed to be that quiet type? I pictured someone a bit more reserved."
"I'm an extreme introvert, but I do have social skills. Worked a desk job before."
"Ah... So you switch up once the deposit hits... Got it."
Boss Kang Nari, with her generous heart as big as her chest, stared at me while pinching her forehead for some reason.
Who dared give our moneybags a headache?
I'll take the lead and scold them.
"If it's not rude, can we drop the formalities? Now that we're connected, it's awkward to keep it up."
"I've been waiting for you to say that, Boss."
"Whoa... Yeah... Still not used to it... Anyway, sure. Seo-ha, feel free to call me sis?"
"Ah. That... Doesn't roll off the tongue... I'll stick with Boss."
No matter what, 'sis' is a bit much.
That two-syllable word is so devastating, I might contemplate suicide the moment it leaves my mouth.
Better off with 'big sis' or something...
"Fair enough. First, let's exchange numbers. Phone?"
"Here."
"Send me a text so I can save yours."
I gazed at the new name added to my sparse contacts list.
No fresh thrill at this point.
I've exchanged numbers for professional reasons plenty of times before.
I changed the name she'd saved as 'Nari Sis' to 'Boss (Kang Nari)' and pocketed my phone.
I got a pouty look, but I can't be having suicidal urges every time she calls or texts.
"Can our first lesson start today?"
"Sure. I'm free for a while."
"Ah, might start a bit late due to work—is that okay?"
"Works for me."
1.5 times pay, after all.
If I hustle now, I might not worry about money for a good while.
Sure, once her 'bet' with friends ends, the gig's gone.
But I'll earn a tidy sum in the meantime and be content—no greed.
"Great! Seo-ha, I'll hit you up tonight!"
"Yep. Contact me whenever."
I bowed and headed out with light steps.
Screw nicotine or whatever—financial therapy is the best cure.
"Phew."
Kang Nari let out a sigh of relief as she watched the door Yoo Seo-ha had exited through.
Thank goodness she'd gone a bit overboard to snag her.
If she posted decent results in Apprentice CK, the broadcasting gains would far outweigh any prize money.
Above all, no one was as perfect for an external master as Yoo Seo-ha.
A female Triachia player over 2,500 points who was dead serious about the game?
You wouldn't find one even if you washed your eyes and looked.
The key here was that Yoo Seo-ha was a woman.
What’s the biggest pitfall for a female streamer?
Rumors involving men.
The lessons with Yoo Seo-ha were planned in secret with the stream off, but...
Does the world ever go exactly as planned?
If some unavoidable slip-up or incident leaked that she was privately contacting someone...
Assume that someone was a guy.
"Ugh. That day would be my retirement..."
Even in a game-focused stream, some male viewers harbored specific fantasies about a beautiful 'female streamer.'
They just didn't voice it.
Especially the big donors, the so-called 'Chairmen'—that tendency ran deep.
Female cam with male rumors? She'd lose most of her fanbase overnight.
The stream would fizzle out...
Streamer Kang Nari would fade into obscurity, occasionally popping up as 'Oh yeah, there was that streamer, right?'
Horrifying.
Kang Nari wasn't ready to go full-time and run the vape shop yet.
In that context, Yoo Seo-ha was a godsend, a one-of-a-kind opportunity.
The perfect way to boost her skills for the upcoming Apprentice CK without any risk.
Twenty thousand an hour? Night premium?
She could happily pay it as solid insurance.
She'd second-guessed blurting it out in the heat of the moment, but...
Yoo Seo-ha's surprisingly cute looks had unconsciously loosened her purse strings.
And seeing her perk up made it feel worth every won.
"Since we're at it, it'd be nice if she called me sis."
Her peppy vibe was endearing too.
No trace of the 'trash part-timer' legends that haunted self-employed boss circles.
She exuded reliability—at least worth the pay in responsibility.
As fellow human Kang Nari, she found Yoo Seo-ha full of unexpected charm.
And as mid-tier streamer and veteran BJ of the internet broadcast scene...
Her instincts said Yoo Seo-ha would skyrocket if she ever went live.
Just a passing occupational fancy, but the gut feeling hit hard.