Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: It's Not a Self-Deprecating Stream
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“Wow...”
Riding out of the armory in Sutzka, a completely different world unfolded before my eyes.
It was the panoramic view of Sevastopol, a beautiful port city on the Crimean Peninsula and home to the Black Sea Fleet.
Snow-white buildings were neatly arranged along a stunning bay overlooking the Black Sea.
If not for the warships on the sea, it would have been easy to mistake it for a tourist spot.
Even my PTSD seemed stunned by the city’s exterior, falling silent.
I had never seen Sevastopol without ruins before, so instead of trauma, only words of admiration escaped my lips.
On top of that, the cool sea breeze sharpened my senses.
Of course, I wasn’t thrilled to be back in the Soviet Union, but the crisp air without a hint of fine dust was incredibly refreshing.
“Ugh... Why is it so cold...”
“Huh? Is Ttalgwi feeling cold?”
“Yeah... Is Sukka okay?”
“This feels just right to me.”
But to Ttalgwi, the Siberian air apparently felt freezing.
Winter hadn’t even truly begun, yet she was already struggling.
I could already picture the hardships she’d face ahead.
To help her endure the cold, I unleashed a barrage of Eastern Front tips.
“Sit here and warm up. Heat comes from the tank’s engine. Once we start moving, the fuel smell will go away too.”
“Ugh... Maybe I should’ve been the loader after all.”
“But Ttalgwi said she didn’t want to...”
“Being crammed in a tight space with a guy doesn’t paint a good picture. I might look like this, but I’m a streamer famous for my pretty face, you know?”
“Ah, yeah... Ttalgwi, you’re pretty...”
Currently, only Ttalgwi and I were on Sutzka’s exterior.
The Wild Boar had headed off to aviation combat to get used to his Sturmovik, while Uncle Tankers and Ghost were inside Sutzka.
We had planned to hire an NPC as loader, but Ghost was filling in temporarily.
Since it wasn’t dangerous until Germany invaded the Soviet Union, we decided not to waste food rations on an NPC.
I should’ve packed extra winter coats knowing this would happen.
I pulled an ushanka from the box beside me and placed it on Ttalgwi’s head.
“Here, wear this ushanka. It’ll be much warmer.”
“My body temperature’s already dropped... I wish someone would hug me tight...”
“Hmm... If it’s that cold, want some vodka? I brought two boxes just in case.”
“Huh? You brought that much? What for?”
I took a bottle of vodka from the box and showed it to Ttalgwi.
It was the standard-issue supply vodka I’d seen endlessly on the Eastern Front.
But Ttalgwi seemed unaware that vodka was a miracle cure.
I spread my fingers and began explaining its uses one by one.
“First off, a moderate drink warms the body. It boosts soldiers’ morale, and you can make Molotov cocktails to throw.”
“Oh...”
“Pour it on wounds for disinfection, in the mouth for anesthesia. You can even use it as fuel for tanks or planes.”
“R-Really?”
“When the Germans advanced on Pervitin, the Soviets fought back with vodka. Uncle Zhukov called it a miracle drug superior to narcotics.”
“Uncle Zhukov? Who’s that?”
“Oh, Georgy Zhukov. He praised vodka’s virtues endlessly, but the jerk preferred cola himself.”
Thinking of Uncle Zhukov still baffled me.
He supplied only vodka to the troops during the war but got Coca-Cola from America for himself.
Back then, Zhukov indulging in capitalist luxuries seemed utterly infuriating.
Of course, it had absolutely nothing to do with him not sharing any with me.
I should’ve just tattled to Uncle Stalin, ‘That guy’s a traitor slave!’
He might’ve ended up in the Gulag.
“Kids and their vodka. Gimme that, I’ll drink it.”
Just then, Wardaddy popped up like a mole and beckoned with his hand.
Even as an American, he apparently preferred vodka over Coca-Cola.
Leaning against the turret, I passed the vodka over my head.
Wardaddy snatched it and ruffled my hair as he asked,
“So, where to now?”
“Ah, first, head west out of Sevastopol. We’re going to a village near Odesa.”
“That’s quite a way. Won’t make it by tonight.”
“That’s why we packed tons of supplies. Think of it as a tank road trip.”
“Heh heh, a tank road trip? That was a dream of mine as a kid.”
Wardaddy laughed heartily while swigging vodka.
The idea that even he had a childhood piqued my curiosity a bit.
But there was no need for me to pry.
Wiping his mouth, Wardaddy looked at Ttalgwi and me and asked,
“What anime comes to mind when you think tanks?”
The sudden question drew a blank.
I shook my head, but Ttalgwi, shivering, lit up and answered.
“Ah! I know what you mean! ‘Girls und Panzer,’ right? Viewers said there’s a character just like Sukka in it.”
“What’s that, newbie? For tank anime, it’s obviously ‘Green Tank Haemosu.’”
“W-Wow...”
“That’s what sparked my tank road trip dreams. If not for my first love Bora, I never would’ve become a tanker.”
“Ugh... Your dentures reek so bad...”
“What? You understood it, didn’t you?”
“I just know the title, never watched it?!”
I tilted my head at their classic back-and-forth.
I couldn’t comprehend the grandparents’ conversation at all.
Wardaddy snorted and raised his vodka.
Seeing a man my father’s age toast “To Bora” was a rare sight.
“Cold. I’m heading in. Knock if something comes up.”
“Hey! Closing the hatch too is cheating!”
“If you’re cold, hug the kid. That’s been your goal from the start anyway.”
“Ehehe, right. Sukka niim, I’m so cold...”
In the end, I ended up in Ttalgwi’s arms.
She yanked me in with an “Iruwa it!” so I had no choice.
Naturally, I started caring about the stares around us.
Sutzka was leaving Sevastopol, but plenty of people along the road were watching.
NPCs and players gawked at Sutzka, then double-taked at my face.
A super-rare cutting-edge tank, a girl out of place on the battlefield, and a beauty rubbing cheeks with her—it’d be weirder not to stare.
Blushing and ducking my head, Ttalgwi rested her chin on top and spoke.
As expected, Ttalgwi wasn’t embarrassed at all.
“So, wanna kill time by chatting with viewers?”
“Chatting?”
“Yeah, when better than now? A Q&A should keep things lively.”
“Ah, yeah. Sounds good.”
True to her streamer nature, she was mindful of the broadcast.
I nodded, impressed that I’d learned something from her.
She scanned the chat and started relaying questions to me.
Naturally, I was the star of this Q&A.
“Viewers ask if Sukka drinks well. Do you?”
“Ah, no. I’m bad at it. I get tipsy on just a little.”
“What’s your limit?”
“Can’t even finish one bottle...”
Compared to my Eastern Front comrades, I was alcohol trash.
I hadn’t tested it since returning, but back then, I couldn’t down a full bottle alone.
My body was around 15 years old on the Eastern Front.
So I only sipped a bit when it was too cold or I couldn’t sleep.
“Huh? Why the long face? It’s normal for someone your size! Finishing a bottle of soju is impressive!”
“Huh? Soju?”
“Ah! Let’s stop the booze talk! I can’t imagine Sukka drinking!”
“Ah, okay...”
Hmm... Why’d soju come up in a drinking convo?
Did she mean beverage tolerance, not vodka?
“Next question! Viewers say Sukka always climbs the tank from the side. You could probably do front or back alone, so is it to get carried by Ttalgwi?”
“Ah, it’s just trauma. Scared of getting run over and squished. Bad memories... that’s all I’ll say.”
“Uh, um... Next! Why move yourself to find Irina? You seemed to know devs—why not just ask?”
“Hmm... Worried she’ll get deleted. I don’t trust the devs. Want to protect her safely with my own hands.”
“Great! Next! Ever dated a guy or girl?”
“N-No? Neither.”
The sensible Q&A veered into weird territory.
I turned to Ttalgwi, not hiding my exasperation.
What’s with ‘guy or girl boyfriend’? I’m not intersex or anything.
Clearly someone trolling me.
【User ㅇㅇ donated 50,000 coins!】
〔OPANMU〕
Then, amid the chat spam of “Answer our questions too!”, a huge donation popped.
I bit back a retort and responded to the message.
“Thanks so much for the 50,000 coins. But what’s OPANMU?”
“Wow! 50,000 won donation? Sukka, what color underwear today?”
“Underwear? None on top, white on bottom?”
“Gasp!”
The random question was easy to answer on the spot.
I’d checked my panties when changing out of the damp ones before logging in.
The only underwear I had on was the white panties Shin Ara had given me.
OPANMU—Oh Panties What Color Today. Now I got the hidden meaning.
“N-No... How could you say it for real...”
“Uh, you asked, Ttalgwi.”
“I expected you to get embarrassed... And that was too much service...”
“Ah.”
I didn’t care if my panty color got out.
You change them daily anyway—what use is knowing?
But apparently, I was alone in that.
My casual remark unleashed a raging storm.
『Sukka!!!! No bra!!!!』
『Heaven hasn’t betrayed me! The world’s still worth living in!』
『Pass』
『50k won cost-performance insaneㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ』
『But isn’t no-bra expected at that size?』
『Setsumaru hyung please come... No need to freeze Sukka...』
『Today’s side dish is this』
『Band-Aids suffice for Sukka♡』
I’d dropped a bombshell.
No-bra was so normal to me, it caused total chaos.
Why would anyone assume I wore a bra anyway?
Sure, in-game I had to, but it was more to prevent chafing than support.
Fortunately, the relentless storm was swiftly quelled.
Thanks to a fearsome presence who’d been silently watching, finally drawing her blade.
【Kukudas donated 1,000 coins.】
〔?〕
Kukudas had appeared.
『So fucking hotㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ』
┗ Chat deleted by block.
『Manager’s hereㄷㄷㄷㄷ』
『Almost said farm Sukka~』
『Wanna wash my face on Sukka’s cutting boardㅎㅎ』
┗ Chat deleted by block.
『Air raid alert!!!!!!!!』
『Gulag!』
『Purge!!!!』
『Buying Sukka’s worn white panties』
┗ Chat deleted by block.
『Gul』
『I love busty Kukudas too♡』
┗ Chat deleted by block.
『Lock』
『Mother-in-law here?』
┗ Chat deleted by block.
『Newbie comrades getting purged lolㅋㅋㅋ』
『Manager abusing power!!!!』
『Da. Pur. Ge.』
I was grateful to Shin Ara, but felt bad for the viewers.
I’d need to do a content unblocking them soon.
Then, a sweet but terrifying pressure rose in the manager chat.
I stealthily crawled out of Ttalgwi’s arms and knelt.
『Kukudas: Sukka-ya? Isn’t it dangerous for a girl to say stuff like that?』
“Y-Yes... Sorry...”
『Kukudas: And wear underwear top and bottom. You said you’d do cam someday. Can’t cam no-bra.』
“.......”
『Kukudas: ?』
“I-I’ll wear it...”
It really felt like a band-aid would suffice.
But Shin Ara was too scary to say that.