Horror Game Stream (Part 2)
G-Go, I'm doing a horror game…….(2)
Before starting the game, my throat hurt so much that I popped one of the throat lozenges that had come with the medicine packet into my mouth and rolled it around on my tongue. 'Feels nice and cool.' My mouth felt refreshed, and my throat seemed to loosen up. Maybe because my mind had eased a little, my heart rate had dropped to 94.
"Huh…? C-Can you see it?" I'd tried to eat one without anyone noticing, but it looked like I'd been caught.
"I-I was just… eating candy… Throat lozenges. I'll finish this and then start the game."
The Jireongis kept squirming in chat, shouting for me not to cross that river. '…Horror games, though—I’m actually pretty good at them.' Their worries were unfounded; I was quite skilled at horror games. After all, I wasn't afraid of ghosts. It was just that the gloomy atmosphere made me reluctant to play them, not that I found horror games themselves particularly scary. Unless the protagonist's family appeared—that was a different story.
"I-I mean, I'm actually pretty good at them."
"B-Because you Jireongis said that if I played Gombo Game the views would be good… You all told me I had to do it……"
They didn't believe a word I said. I stared blankly at them for a moment before switching the screen.
"Ah, I need to shrink the avatar size… The game screen is… over here."
"…F-Friends are… s-scary, sorry."
"…I-I'm not pitiful, so stop, stop c-crying……"
Looking at the chat window where the tears were no longer visible, I adjusted the game background music volume and stared at the main screen. A scene of an abandoned hospital with lightning flashing across it.
[Kugugugung!!!!]
"Hikkuuk!?"
[112 bpm]
"Hik! Hue…? Eek… I-It's too loud."
"I-I'll turn the volume down……"
Ignoring everyone's words as best I could, I crunched down on the throat lozenge and swallowed it before adjusting the game volume once more.
[Kugugung]
"…Mm, t-this is fine. I can handle this……"
"I-I'm not scared…! Everyone, I'm not a coward."
I tried my best to reassure them with an awkward smile, but it seemed it wasn't enough—they were all still worried about me.
[125 bpm]
"Huu, uuu… I'm getting nervous."
After checking my heart rate, I said that, took a deep breath, and gave everyone a relaxed smile.
"…I-I'll show you all… I-I'm really fine."
As long as no kids appeared, I was confident I could get through the game. Ghosts didn't exist in this world. People were the scariest. I couldn't understand how something that wasn't a person but merely imitated one could be scarier than an actual human.
'Back when I was working to send the kids to college, I had this much determination.'
Immersed in not-so-pleasant memories, I clicked on the "Touch to start" button in front of me.
"…L-Let's begin…!"
"P-Paramedic-nim! T-Thank you so much… Even if I want to faint, I won't……"
Having received a 10,000 won donation, I placed my hands over the keyboard to properly enjoy the game.
In the dark abandoned hospital, a man opened his eyes and looked around. Realizing he was strapped to an operating table, he used only the strength in his arms to break free from the restraints and escaped. The game had begun.
"T-This guy… he's super strong… He seems stronger than the construction worker uncles……"
"T-Thank you… S-Should I turn off donations?"
Thinking it might break my immersion, I asked, but the viewers firmly refused.
"H-Hik… D-Don't say 'does she do it'… I-I won't, I won't turn it off, so please don't hate me……"
[155 bpm]
"Hik… L-Love you?"
When I asked while sniffling, they all said yes. Smiling faintly, I nodded and began focusing on the game's tutorial.
"Now I'll really focus… and play. I-If it gets too scary, I'll turn it off right away like you all said."
Mom told me to hang in there. I nodded and continued the game.
"…The first stage is an escape room."
The first stage was an escape room. Using fragmented memories of the protagonist and hints from the narration, I had to escape the laboratory.
"W-Why is this uncle here……"
[101 bpm]
Everyone was making a fuss over just a little blood. I chuckled and told them this much was fine.
"I-I'm okay… I-I'm used to seeing blood… Hehet… I-I saw some earlier too."
"Oh, a corpse."
"T-Thank you for the 1,000 won."
[134 bpm]
"Y-You didn't believe me earlier… H-Hehet, I'll do my best."
Muttering that, I entered the corpse room and searched through the piled-up bodies for the keycard.
"Hmm… Where is it. W-What if one of them moves……?"
"Everyone… you're more scared than I thought…? Hehe, maybe because you're Jireongis."
"Doesn't seem to be here… I-I got blood all over me……"
Muttering that, I walked out of the corpse room and stared blankly at the end of the laboratory hallway.
"…Huh?"
Something black flashed by quickly. Then came the sound of heavy footsteps—thud, thud, thud. The sound grew faster and louder. It was clearly the heavy footsteps of an adult man, pounding against my ears through the earphones.
'A-Ah, Dad…?'
[132 bpm]
"W-What do I do…!? A-A person?! Heuk…! Huuuk."
"I-If it's a person, that won't do."
[155 bpm]
"Haa… Haa… Haa… A-A person? Is it a person?"
Even though I knew I had to move, my hands were shaking so badly that I couldn't. Then—
A loud donation message flew in, and I managed to hide in the corner.
"Huup……"
As I entered the cabinet, the footsteps grew closer. I covered my eyes with both hands and peeked through my fingers at the monitor screen.
[Kereuk.]
Fortunately, what had been chasing me wasn't a person but a monster resembling a lizard, its body grotesquely patched together with corpses like a zombie.
"T-Thank goodness… It's not a person, it's a monster……"
[91 bpm]
"I-I'll keep going……"
Whispering that, I continued the game.