IRL Collab (2)
Late in the evening, I turned on the stream despite my sore throat and did my best to keep going.
"Ahem…!"
"Ah… I'm fine. My throat doesn't hurt at all……."
Everyone kept worrying about me throughout the stream. I tried to insist I was okay while swallowing the pain, but it had no effect.
"Ah…! Yes! Understood……."
"Uh… I-I just have this kind of personality… I-I'll try to fix it……."
The Jireongi grew flustered as I kept apologizing in a hoarse voice.
"Eh…? A power struggle?"
I didn't understand what they were saying, but I just went along with it and smiled, thanking them for worrying about me.
"Hehe… Anyway, thanks for worrying, Jireongi… Ahem! I'll be careful."
"Ah… By the way, I wanted to check the collab announcement. Um… I think there's a fan café… I want to post a notice there."
After saying that, I looked around and opened the search bar before calling out to my manager.
"Manager… I-I'm going to join, so c-could you check it for me? I'm starting to get scared of seeing my name pop up in unrelated communities……."
Thinking this might cause backlash if left alone, I brought it up as a way to gather the Jireongi in one place.
Then the café manager who donates to me spoke up.
"Eh…?"
"Uh… Hello, Gaema-nyeo."
Her excited donation really did seem like she was about to hand over the rights immediately.
After saying I understood, I joined the café with some hesitation and soon received the admin rights.
"Th-thank you… Krrgh!!"
They kept coaxing me to rest right away. I didn't want to listen, but I had no choice. My throat was starting to send signals that it had reached its limit.
After drinking a glass of warm water, I let out a long sigh and nodded.
"I guess… I should. Shall I just show you the notice and wrap it up……."
After saying that, I easily found the button labeled "Write Post." It wasn't buried like on the streaming site, so it was simple to locate.
"I have an important collab tomorrow… The one I mentioned during the singing stream… I got in touch with that real-life friend."
"Y-yeah… It worked out. I'm happy too. This is all thanks to you guys……."
Everyone was startled. People drawn in by the words "real-life friend collab" started chatting excitedly.
People asked if my real-life friend was pretty. After thinking for a moment, I nodded.
"Y-yeah… She's pretty. I think so. She probably knows that best herself…?"
Their wild speculation circuits were running at full speed. I could only chuckle at their guesses. None of those images matched Yeon-a at all.
'Villainess young lady, queen, timid girl… none of them fit.'
They all didn't suit her. Yeon-a was most like herself. A shining star, different from me. I worried that I might end up dimming her light.
"The stream will be a cam stream… I think I'll start it around tomorrow evening."
"N-no… H-half cam! It's half cam…! Ugh, my tongue got twisted, agh……."
"N-no, my tongue isn't bitten… Ahem! It just hurts a little."
After checking my tongue in the mirror, I smacked my lips and waited for the taste of blood to fade. By the time the metallic taste was gone, the notice was finished. I felt a sense of satisfaction as I looked at it.
"Phew… It's done."
"W-what do you mean I can't do conversation… Y-you're too mean… Black Jireongi…!"
Riding the wave of public opinion, I quickly banned the black Jireongi and restored peace to the chat.
"I-I can hold a conversation just fine……."
"Ehehe… Thanks. A kiss… probably won't work. You'd only feel dirtier after getting a kiss from me…!"
With a bright smile, I prepared to end the stream. Then came the flood of disappointed cheers.
The Jireongi squirmed.
'K-kisses are that good?'
The only memories I had were of giving Minwoo a quick one whenever he whined about not being able to sleep as a kid. As for receiving one…
'Probably from my mother in this life…….'
"Ah……."
For a moment, thinking about Mom made my mood sour. I felt like I needed to wash my brain right away.
"Uh… It's nothing."
They immediately flooded me with apologies. I told them there was no need to apologize and waved my hand, saying it was fine.
"I-I'm okay! I was just nervous thinking about giving you a k-kiss……."
They were waiting for my kiss. Slightly nervous, I carefully brought my mouth close to the mic.
Chuu!
"Hik… So embarrassing……."
"B-bye… I'll be going……."
With my head bowed deeply, I ended the stream. After turning off the computer, I stared blankly at the now-black monitor.
"Ehehe…"
Embarrassment made a hissing sound as steam seemed to rise from my head.
* * *
After changing into her pajamas, Yuna smiled brightly as she looked at the now-dark stream screen.
"Today was productive too!"
With that, she thought she could sleep soundly, satisfied by the kiss sound that had come through her earphones, and turned off the lights.
While scrolling through the internet on her phone, buried under the blanket, she suddenly realized something.
"Ah…! I didn't use my wish ticket!"
She had completely forgotten. Suhyun had said during a stream that she could ask for anything as long as it wasn't stream content.
Yuna had forgotten.
"Aah… No, my verbal abuse is gone……."
While shedding tears of regret, Yuna let out a deep sigh before quickly coming up with a good idea. It was to ask the real-life friend for verbal abuse during tomorrow's half-cam stream as well.
"…I-if it's not a bother, maybe the real-life friend could do it too?"
Her username, filled with her own tendencies, had just revealed the inner Gaemanyeo within her. Without even considering the backlash that request might bring…….
* * *
Lee Yuna (Gaemanyeo)
