Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: First Lesson
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"No? I'm actually really good with chopsticks?"
"Huh? Did I misunderstand something?"
"Of course. Who in the world can't use chopsticks at this age?"
"Fair point."
I replied with a straight face.
My voice didn't waver even a little, so the boss lady quickly dropped her suspicions.
Phew.
Managed to dodge that one somehow.
She'd never imagine someone like that actually exists...
Eventually, I ate the salmon sushi by hand, outright.
Quickly, while the boss lady was focused on managing the chat.
"Whew! That was delicious! Time to clear the table and prep for the collab?"
"Yep."
We needed to use voice messenger just the two of us, so no headsets.
After cleaning up and brushing my teeth, that guy showed up.
Ding.
- Hey! Nari!
"Master! Hello!"
- Heard the kid came over to your place today! She there with you now? Seo-ha?
"Yes! Right here!"
"Hello."
A voice soaked in exhaustion.
I greeted him casually, as if nothing had happened today.
- Hey!! You little punk, you got the nerve to greet me after that?!
"Pardon? What are you talking about..."
- Nari! Do something about your friend! Around 1 PM, she sniped me! Took forever to recover the points I lost...
The boss lady looked at me in surprise at his words.
It wasn't entirely wrong, so I went along with it for now.
"It's a misunderstanding. It wasn't sniping; we just happened to match up."
- You were blatantly watching my stream, and that wasn't sniping?!
"Because I'm part of Chan-ho's Handful Squad. Pure coincidence."
- That's what I'm saying, you're NOT in Handful Squad!!
His voice grew louder, like he wasn't tired anymore.
People sound better when they're lively.
A proud smile crept up.
But it faded fast as Im Chan-ho counterattacked, and my body stiffened.
- Fine, I was gonna let it slide if you apologized nicely... Wanna go to war?
"Hold on."
- Nari!! We ended stream and had a quick chat, right? Guess what we talked about...
"Excuse me...!"
- Man, it'd be a waste to spill it for free. Right, everyone? Should I build some hype before dropping it?!
The boss lady knowing about my back-apology wasn't a problem.
As I said before, she's the one who already got it.
The issue was...
Those guys finding out.
It felt like only a matter of time, honestly, but having a bunch of randos call me cute made my skin crawl like hives everywhere.
No way I could properly help with the boss lady's stream in that state.
- Ahem! Seo-ha darling. Don't you have something to say to me?
"Chan... ho. Sorry for sniping you..."
- Kyaa! That's it! This is the picture I wanted!
"Sorry for using the fact that you have no fans... and exposing those filthy desires of yours..."
- ...You ramble too much? This is an apology!! Stick to the point!!
Screw it, it'll come out eventually. Why not just spill it myself and let that guy have it?
That urge started filling my chest.
"Seo-ha, what happened with Master yesterday?"
"Nothing... really..."
"What is it! Tell me! Why exclude me! I'm sad!!"
"26-year-old aegyo is kinda cringey."
"Wanna die, Seo-ha?"
"Normal girlcam viewers don't do this...!! They just shower compliments and hype me up, why me...!!"
"Correct! Because you're old."
"Argh. Yoo Seo-ha, get over here...!"
The boss lady grabbed my cheek.
No, more like gripped my chin with one hand?
Thanks to my small face, her hand perfectly cupped my chin.
"You!! Who taught you to talk like that!!"
"Mmph, mmfmm."
"This tiny mouth of yours?! Huh?!"
"Ptooey."
"Hey!! Don't spit!! Eek, gross!!"
"Just brushed, it's clean."
The boss lady wiped the spit off her hand with tissue.
Mmm. Effective.
"Whoa! Thanks for the 50,000 won donation!!"
"Boss lady, ban him please."
"Not for 50k."
"But you said you'd protect civilians...!"
"You're... kinda not civilian material anymore?"
"Huh? Why not...!"
- Right, Seo-ha. When you starting your stream?
"Why would I stream?"
- If you don't, who will? Already got a fanbase.
"Is that a normal fanbase...?"
"And that fanbase was probably mine originally... You thief!!"
She tried grabbing my cheek again, but I stuck my tongue out first.
She pulled her hand back in a hurry.
Even the boss lady learns, huh.
Anyway, the content kicked off properly.
And...
Throughout the content, Im Chan-ho kept bringing up my weaknesses and acted all high and mighty.
- Hey. Seo-ha. Explain it instead. Kinda lazy today...
"No, he's your apprentice. I'm not even maining Undead, why do I have to explain why mindless Lich all-in sucks in vs Humanity?"
- Tsk! Spill yesterday's story?
"...Undead shouldn't even think about ending with Lich. You gotta play to buy time for the main building tech [Corpse Storage - Large Morgue - Corpse Exhibition Hall]."
- Right! Nari, you can't time all-ins anyway, so that's correct.
"Once you hit Exhibition Hall, you can pump out advanced units that perfectly counter enemy infantry, so Lich just did its midgame job."
Is there humiliation like this in the world?
And it kept happening over and over.
- Seo-ha?
"...When Dragonkin heart-city is lame like that, dive in and break the humidity regulator. Dragonkin buildings deactivate without one nearby. No more Dragonlings."
.
.
.
- Seo-ha-aa.
"If they poke with Dragonlings a lot, practice 11-front build. Easier to handle than 12-front... Argh!"
- Hm?
"Everyone! Truth is, I back-apologized to Chan-ho yesterday! Told him sorry for messing around on stream, and if it bothered him, I'd apologize!"
- Gasp?!
Can't take it anymore!
Is this any way to live?
Better to just go public than get pushed around.
Embarrassing? The frustration outweighed it.
The patience I'd been holding back burst.
But my rampage didn't stop there.
Get caught again and squashed like before?
No, I'll spill first!
"And truth is, I suck at chopsticks too! Boss lady! Can I borrow some chopsticks?!"
"Huh?? Uh?? Uh..."
She placed the wooden chopsticks from earlier sushi in front of me.
I moved without hesitation, positioning my hand for the camera.
I revealed my shame in a fit, but honestly, no plans to fail here.
Time for my finger adaptation training to shine.
Like a baby's first steps, my chopstick debut.
I'd imposed the pressure of thousands watching on myself.
Pushing to my limits.
People pull miracles in crises.
I spotted something pick-up sized: a cola bottle the boss lady must've drunk earlier.
The cap would prove it perfectly.
Grooves on the side for high friction...
Feeling victory, I twisted off the cap and placed it on the desk.
Time to prove it.
Who'd believe my Triachia rehab efforts if I don't?
Believe. Believe in the me that believes in me!
I gripped the chopsticks confidently.
Extended toward the cap without hesitation...
"......"
Plop. Dropped the cap.
It barely rose 10cm before falling pathetically.
My chopstick grip was fundamentally wrong.
Not pretty like the boss lady's, but fisted like stabbing.
Feels like yesterday all over.
Face turning beet red.
I figured it'd likely fail, but real men don't think about failure.
Shouldn't have gone full macho...
Too much to expect chopsticks from ex-handicapped in under 2 weeks.
Not my fault...
"Thought wooden ones wouldn't slip as much...!"
"Seo-ha...?"
- No way... You can't use chopsticks either??... I lost to a kid like that?... Even if chat stopped me... Ugh, dizzy.
Tried again silently.
Swipe, plop. Dropped.
Grabbed the rolling cap, reset.
Once more. Swipe.
"Oh...! Got it!"
Success lifting on third try!
I looked at the boss lady with joyful eyes.
Proudly presented the cap between chopsticks.
"How's that! I did it!"
"Uh... Um... No... Tsk, good... job. Seo-ha..."
"Told you I could! See! I do it if I say I will?!"
I carefully moved the chopsticks so the cap wouldn't drop.
This was an achievement.
Wanna take a pic to commemorate, but pulling out my phone might mess the balance. Held back.
I'm at my most serious now.
- Uh... Seo-ha. 99% of Koreans can do that...
"Never learned from anyone. First success...!"
- Huh...? Possible? Usually parents teach as kids.
"Gasp. No way!"
"Orphanage growing up, physical issues as kid meant no chopstick lessons. This is all my power!"
- Orphanage...? Wait wait, then I bullied a kid like that... Wait everyone, no! I'm not that guy!
"Boss lady, pic please?? To remember the feel when practicing alone at home...!"
- I didn't know! How could I know her past!!
I caught on to the unfolding situation after calming my excitement.
About 5 minutes.
Enough time for Chan-ho, who'd been using me, to get nicknames like 'trash bastard', 'orphan exploiter', 'not human'.
Hmm...
Not intentional?
Anyway, situation's fun—pour some fuel.
They say backfire works to put out fires.
Of course.
Not planning to quash controversy at all.
After toying with me so much?
Time to pay.
"My back-apology... Grew up on cold rice at orphanage, so that stuff bugs me extra..."
- Wait!! Seo-ha!! That was real!! Hey!!!
"Guess my personality amused Chan-ho... Didn't expect it'd be a weakness, honestly a bit... yeah... down about it."
- Mercy!! Seo-ha nim!! Please!! My streamer career's over!! This WWE right?? Right?!
"Hm."
Watching Im Chan-ho's image shatter live felt refreshing.
So, last chance.
"Whether WWE or UFC depends on how Chan-ho acts from now."
- Teacher!! Teeeacher!! I'm Seo-ha nim's dog from now!! Bark?! Right?!"
Today's first lesson.
Don't try to beat me.