Netkama Uproar
[Beloved Jiwoo: Unnie, I got home safely]
[Me: Thank goodness]
[Beloved Jiwoo: Heat up the chicken in the microwave]
[Me: Got it]
[Beloved Jiwoo: Text Minwoo too, he’ll feel left out]
[Me: He just wasn’t looking at his phone.]
Lying on the bed with a musty pillow tucked under my chin, I kept typing away at my phone.
“…Good that she made it back okay.”
Jiwoo had arrived without any trouble. Letting out a sigh of relief, I checked the time.
[8:01 pm]
Prime streaming hours. Time to boot up EoW. Just as I limped over to the computer chair and put on my headset, my phone buzzed again.
[Beloved Jiwoo: The mic and cam should arrive tomorrow]
[Beloved Jiwoo: A friend who does the work said they’d take the job. The virtual model will probably take about three months]
Looked like Jiwoo and Minwoo had used their connections to find someone for the virtual work.
“…Must be nice having so many friends.”
Unlike me, Minwoo and Jiwoo had wide social circles. They radiated bright energy, so they naturally had plenty of friends.
[Me: I don’t really have any specific settings in mind, so just make it a snake]
[Beloved Jiwoo: Unnie, you like snakes?]
[Me: They’re cute]
I liked snakes because they were cute. Especially black mambas—they were particularly pretty.
[Me: Just make it look like me]
[Beloved Jiwoo: You sure?]
[Me: Yeah, the hair color’s unusual so it should match]
Since the hair color would go well with it, I figured it’d be fine.
[Me: Make it look mature]
[Beloved Jiwoo: Okay]
After roughly finishing the order, I spun around in my chair.
“…Time to stream.”
Before starting the broadcast, I texted both Jiwoo and Minwoo, telling them to send their account info so I could add them as managers. Jiwoo replied right away. I gave manager privileges to Jiwoo first, then started the stream.
[Title: vam is live]
└ It’s netkama
└ What are you saying, don’t ignore Snake Emperor
— Isn’t it a guy? What’s cute about that?
└ It’s not a guy
└ Obviously a dude
└ Never thought I’d see the day we’d suck up to netkama
— It’s cute though, what are the replies above on about?
└ ㄹㅇㅋㅋ
└ Don’t suck up to netkama
└ ㄷㅊ
Suhyun’s stream sent the community into another frenzy. The main issues split sharply between “Isn’t that bastard a guy?” and “Anyone can see it reeks of that vibe, stop bullshitting;;”. Naturally, the backlash reached Suhyun’s stream itself.
The chat flew by at lightning speed. Suhyun stared blankly at the messages.
“…Sniff.”
Clutching a tissue, she typed furiously.
[I’m not a guy……]
If she just turned on the mic, things might calm down a little, but—
“Hic…!! Scary… Save me……”
Suhyun still needed to mentally prepare herself.
People who thought she had talent suddenly started flooding the chat.
“…Why is it disgusting?”
A few tears slipped out, but she didn’t feel particularly hurt. Just enough tears to use up half a roll of toilet paper—nothing more.
[I’m not a guy.]
She switched the font to Gungsuh and enlarged it massively on the stream screen. Current viewers: 30. Fewer than yesterday. About 14 of them were pushing the netkama narrative. The rest were all defending her.
‘…Still, there are people on my side.’
Feeling like she’d gained allies, Suhyun sniffled while slowly regaining courage.
“M-maybe if I show my voice, they’ll quiet down.”
Thinking that, she fiddled with the mic button. It wasn’t a great mic, but the headset had a built-in one at least.
Malice and goodwill clashed violently. Viewer count slowly rose. She hovered the mouse over the mic button, a box cutter placed right beside it. Crouched on the chair, she waited for more people to gather, intending to gauge their reactions. She didn’t want to back down. If it got too scary, she’d raise the box cutter. Otherwise, she’d turn on the mic.
I’m okay. I’m happy. I’m… I’m okay.
“…I won’t back down. I won’t run. I can’t run, can’t, can’t…!”
She said it in a tearful voice while wiping her eyes over and over. People were scary. But the thought that if she ran away even here, she’d be nothing, wouldn’t leave her mind. This was the moment she needed courage.
“……”
Unpleasant memories surfaced. She recalled the moment she’d mustered the courage to face her father. Her trembling younger siblings. Maybe she was projecting her own past onto them. The scared child still inside her heart. If she thought of protecting that child this time…
“…I hate Dad, but right now I need him.”
She needed a massive injustice like her father. The kind of injustice that would let her summon courage. Even if she ended up crushed by it like in reality, even if she got grabbed by the hair again and sobbed apologies, she still wanted to do something. She’d already come too far to stay weak.
“I… protected Jiwoo and Minwoo.”
She was an amazing person. She’d protected her two younger siblings. And she was someone loved by those siblings. She reminded herself of that fact.
“…I even got treated to chicken.”
She recalled the kindness Jiwoo had shown. A massive injustice like her father stood before her. And she could see the chat standing with her against it.
“……”
Courage began to well up. Her mind was made up. She reached out. Even as she did, the viewer count kept climbing.
Viewer Count: 30
Viewer Count: 51
Viewer Count: 73
Viewer Count: 92
Viewer Count: 122
With trembling hands, she finally grabbed the box cutter.
-Shkk!
The blade shot out quickly. The cold, sharp edge slowly descended until it nearly touched her skin.
“…!!”
She saw it. Amid the chaos of malice and goodwill clashing, one chat stood out.
“……”
The blade lowered. Unlike usual, no red appeared. An unpleasant color that left traces on her hair. A dirty color like her mother’s genes. The color of pain that burst out whenever her father hit her. That liberating color she always hoped would appear—never did. Instead, she pressed the red button. The red that had been blocking her throat, giving people an excuse to insult her. The red mic icon turned gray, just like everything else around her. At the same time, her voice burst out of the stream.
“…I-I’m… not netkama…!!!!”
She shouted. Please stop, please. It hurt.
“…Please stop. I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
She pleaded for them to stop attacking her. Even in her only sanctuary.
“I… don’t want to be insulted……”
She didn’t want to be insulted.
[Title: You goddamn bastards]
[Title: I’m sorry…]
└ ㄹㅇ talented at pissing people off
— Get out
└ I’m sorry
└ ㄲㅈ
“Sniff.”
Sniffling, she displayed the community posts on her stream.
“…Thank you for apologizing.”
More people hadn’t apologized. But that didn’t matter.
Because she’d received apologies, it felt like the resentment she’d carried toward her father—who tormented her for so long—and her mother—who abandoned them and ran—were finally being washed away. Putting the box cutter safely aside, she wiped her tears and greeted everyone. For the first time, she greeted the kind people who supported her.
“…He-hello… I-I’m… called Snake… P-please take care of me……”
In the most pitiful voice in the world.