Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Community Reactions
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“sorry... You couldn’t even go home because of me...”
“Huh? No, it’s fine. The counseling center is right in front, so it’s convenient for commuting.”
The next morning, I apologized to Shin Ara the moment I woke up.
Thanks to a good night’s sleep after so long, the fatigue was gone, but recalling last night’s disgrace made me utterly embarrassed.
Crying my eyes out in front of a woman I’d met less than a day ago, then falling asleep in her arms like a baby.
I couldn’t shake the guilt seeing Shin Ara with dark circles because of me.
“You barely slept, right? Your under-eyes look dark...”
“Hehe. This much is nothing, don’t worry. And Victoria’s are worse than mine? Didn’t you sleep uncomfortably because of me?”
“No. I actually slept soundly. My dark circles don’t fade no matter how much I sleep...”
“Really? Glad you slept well then. And Victoria’s dark circles suit you, so don’t think badly of them. Might sound weird, but they look so natural, like eyeliner.”
I quietly rubbed my eyes at Shin Ara’s words.
They stung a bit under from all the crying last night.
They must be puffy as hell, so how could they suit me?
This must be that ‘polite compliment between women’ I’d heard about.
“But look at this. Yesterday’s stream is blowing up in the community.”
Then, Shin Ara, who’d been checking her smartphone, scooted right up next to me.
She gestured for me to read, showing me the screen.
Glancing over, I saw [Frontline Archive Gallery].
I started reading along her finger.
[Author: Anonymous]
[Title: Sukka Bait Summary]
New streamer Sukka solo-wiped Ttalgwi Squad.
So Ttalgwi and her fans stalked Sukka’s stream calling her a cheater sniper.
Turns out she’s mentally in a really bad place (not like you gallery trash lives).
Cheater sniper suspicions cleared right away, Ttalgwi prepping naked dogeza now.
━ Summary good
━ Ttalgwi naked dogeza fr?
┗ No way right?
┗ When doing naked dogeza, can you bow forward or lie back instead?
┗ Reverse dogeza approved
┗ Approved
┗ You crazies lololol
━ But Sukka not doing naked dogeza?
┗ Why? She’s the victim
┗ Cuz I wanna see army girl mid-schooler naked dogeza
┗ Sounds good let’s go
┗ Reverse dogeza signup
┗ Approved
“......”
I turned away from the screen with a dumbfounded look.
I couldn’t fathom why she’d show me this.
Shin Ara beside me flinched and hid her smartphone.
Her apology-red face suggested this wasn’t what she meant to show.
“Waaah! I-I clicked wrong! Meant to show something else!”
“......Do I have to do naked dogeza?”
“N-No! Absolutely not! Ignore those weirdos!”
“Didn’t know you were into communities, Shin Ara...”
“I-I’m not usually!”
“You were logged in as Kukudas though...”
“Ugh! J-Just occasional research! I’m a counselor, right? Monitoring communities helps understand clients’ psyches!”
I nodded understandingly at her words.
Her excuse sounded plausible, and browsing communities isn’t bad anyway.
I decided to respect her for diving into the abyss to treat patients.
Though naming her handle Kukudas as a counselor was a bit...
“Just kidding. I know you’re a good person, so it’s fine.”
“Y-Yeah... Thanks for understanding...”
“But what were you trying to show me?”
“This...”
I peered at Shin Ara’s smartphone screen again.
Tense from the last post, but this one was totally different in tone.
[Author: Anonymous]
[Title: Will Sukka stream again?]
Couldn’t sleep after last night’s stream ended, worried sick.
That little kid’s pain was so beyond grasp.
Don’t even need the stream, just wanna hear she’s safe.
━ Heart dropped when she panicked from fear too
━ Pls let nothing happen to her
━ But why tho?
┗ Trauma makes her scared of FPS games... Tried Frontline Archive to overcome it but shit hit the fan...
━ Cried nonstop about suicide, couldn’t breathe watching
┗ Ttalgwi’s stream had tons of viewers but zero chat during that
┗ Fr everyone felt the same
[Author: Anonymous]
[Title: Guessing Sukka’s Trauma]
At stream start, Sukka said she fears FPS games due to ‘circumstances’.
Naturally, trauma from war or guns.
Key point: When panicking, she spoke a lot of foreign language.
Probably caught in a mass shooting or something abroad.
━ Someone said it was Russian
┗ Russia allow guns?
┗ Guns or not, Russia was at war till a few years ago
┗ Wtf then real war trauma??
┗ Just a possibility
━ But her combat skills scream soldier no?
┗ Too short for that
┗ Had customization tag, probably just shrunk height
━ Overimmersion gross af lol what mass shooting bs lolol
┗ Don’t assume other countries safe cuz Korea is
┗ US alone is full of shootings retard
After reading the next posts in a row, I couldn’t help but be shocked.
Anonymous boards have blind haters, but most understood and worried about me.
I looked at Shin Ara with a what-is-this expression.
She brushed my bangs and answered softly.
“You’re not alone, remember.”
“Ah...”
“Everyone who watched last night worries about Victoria. They want to know you, acknowledge your efforts. Allies aren’t just me. You’re already a real-world person, Victoria.”
“All these people are allies?”
“Yeah. I’d love if you thought so. Sure, some stay enemies. But even they don’t truly hate you, so don’t be sad. And you’re the victory symbol hero, right? Can handle their reactions easy.”
“Hmm... Yeah, probably.”
I smiled faintly and nodded.
It was all cherry-picked positivity, but with proof right there, I had to believe.
I have tons of potential allies. This world might not be as horrific as I thought.
That gave me courage to live in reality.
I quietly gazed out the window, ready to face the world again.
Blue sky, drifting clouds. Rain stopped, warm sunlight pouring down.
“Ah! What time is it?”
Then Shin Ara, peering out the window behind me, shouted.
Following her gaze to the clock, it was nearly 9 AM.
Startled, I reacted like what’s-wrong.
She pointed at the counseling center sign outside, yelling urgently.
“I-I’ll be late! Thought walking was quick, got too relaxed!”
“Uh... What time’s your shift?”
“Nine! Couple’s counseling booked, gotta hurry!”
“Huh? Couple’s counseling?”
“Yeah! I’m a couple’s counseling expert despite looks! Twenty-five and never dated!”
I stared blankly at Shin Ara prepping to leave.
A twenty-five-year-old eternal singleton handling marriage counseling was just wild.
Soon at the door, she smiled brightly at me.
Looked like she wanted a send-off, so I went to the shoe rack to oblige.
“Victoria. You okay alone?”
“Yeah. I’ll game if bored.”
“Hmm... Then stream again and message me? Start light games, remember. I’ll rush if anything, no worries.”
“It’s fine. Was kidding. Gonna lounge and browse community.”
“......That seems riskier. How about a healing game?”
I smiled small at her fresh reaction.
Relieved, she said as she left.
“I’ll swing by after work, wanna do dinner?”
“Yeah. I’ll wait. Have a good one.”
“Okay! Be back!”
Shin Ara vanished beyond the door, waving till the end despite being late.
I snuck to the window to watch her commute.
Soon saw her dashing through town without an umbrella.
Felt like déjà vu, made me chuckle.
No gun for cover fire this time, but I could cheer and wave.
“Ura.”
The counselor who changed so much in a day.
Her name was Shin Ara, my precious comrade who saved me.
“Now what.”
Left alone, I slipped under the covers.
Needed focus to suppress gloom, but couldn’t think what.
Slept well so not tired, but gaming risked PTSD.
Ended up fiddling with the smartphone by my head.
[Frontline Archive Gallery]
Connecting to Frontline Archive community was inevitable.
Wanted to reread Shin Ara’s posts, reconfirm I had allies.
Luckily, no need to search my name.
Last night’s incident everywhere, most posts mentioned ‘Sukka’.
Shin Ara told me not to look, but curiosity killed with all this about me.
Felt like opening Pandora’s box, clicked a random post.
[Author: Anonymous]
[Title: Push the Sukka Bait Already]
Ffs SukkaSukka nonstop since last night.
This Frontline Archive Gallery or Sukka Gallery?
Obv new streamer sniped Ttalgwi to steal viewers, bitching.
Acting crazy then pity party instantly, so annoying.
━ If acting she’d be an actress retard
┗ VRless poor PC pleb stfu lol premium VR has safeties? Detects heart rate temp, logs out instantly if danger lolol
┗ Huh? Panic that bad would auto-logout and call 119?
┗ Exactly ffs lol she faked it lolol
━ But why fake?
┗ Snipe Ttalgwi steal viewers turn em into her simps lol gallery all hyped waiting for her stream?
━ If real that’s creepy afㄷㄷ
━ Our cute Sukka wouldn’t!! Don’t insult small precious Sukka!!
┗ Yeah~ Vtubing tag on stream~ Heavy custom char~
━ Even if not acting, just a psycho bitch, why simp?
┗ Fr lol
“Uh......”
I dropped the smartphone before finishing comments.
Seeing doubts and pressure felt like a hammer to the head.
Indescribable emotions blocked clear thinking.
Now I got why Shin Ara warned me.
“Shouldn’t have looked......”
Never imagined it this bad.
Felt facing abyss demon, hid under covers.