Palm
Palm
Balloons were pouring onto the screen like crazy.
Thanks to that, my real-time ranking was climbing at a terrifying speed.
"Jjoinamed-nim! Of course that's how it should be!
I'm not that kind of heartless CEO!"
As Park Haneul gestured off-stage, a waiting staff member threw a towel.
Draping the towel over my shirt, I glanced at Park Haneul.
The face that had been hardened and fierce in the hallway earlier,
was now blooming with a bright smile.
I can practically hear the sound of eyeballs rolling from here.
As I unleashed tremendous firepower from my comeback debut,
the other female streamers sitting on the stage began to stir.
***
The penalty opening ended and the main talk time began.
Lee Suyeon, sitting in the 1st place seat, grabbed the mic and opened fire first.
Towards me.
"Oh my, our Wolha came because she was sick, but her ranking has already risen that much?"
It was a gentle tone, but hidden within it were blades.
"While others couldn't even rest and streamed every day for two whole weeks."
Suyeon turned her head to the side and looked at the other girls.
"Must be a bit disheartening."
"That's true."
"CEO-nim, isn't this a bit biased?"
The female streamers murmured in agreement.
"Right. We're punching in for work every day, but someone comes back from playing and raises their rank with sympathy points."
Arin, seizing the moment, added her two cents in a sly manner.
[lol facts]
[her expression is fucking hilarious lol]
[but isn't Suyeon right though?]
[The consistent ones must feel wronged]
It was political maneuvering from the very start.
...Seems like they're trying to paint me as a leech.
If I openly refute it, I'll just end up looking like the bad bitch, right?
Wiping my hair with the towel, I opened my mouth.
"I'm sorry if you were upset."
But it can't end like that.
"However...
I thought showing my sincerity to those who come to find me was more important."
Besides, how much money did I dump into your stream over the past two weeks?
"I also wanted to be a crew member who cherishes those who come to me, like you seniors.
If my doing my best seemed uncomfortable to you...
I'm truly sorry."
Just looking at your face, I can see exactly what you're thinking.
"...Hey, it's a joke, a joke.
Why are you answering so seriously?"
Suyeon replied, maintaining her smile and pretending it was nothing.
[Why is it so cold?]
[Suyeon: Rude bitch / Wolha: I learned it all from you]
[shivershivershiver]
[I'm so scared]
***
The talk time, which was on the verge of exploding, ended and a short break was given.
I returned to the waiting room and plopped down on a chair.
Drying my hair with a dryer, I checked my phone.
There was a notification.
[Lee Yul: Yunha-ssi! I started exercising right from today!]
[Lee Yul: (photo)]
I opened the attached photo.
Lee Yul, with her hair tied up tightly and wearing loose workout clothes,
was smiling brightly at the camera.
Holding a small dumbbell in one hand.
...2kg?
Even that seemed too much, as her arm was trembling and twisting.
That sight was pitiful yet so absurd that a laugh leaked out.
And she calls that exercise...
How cute.
But suddenly, the image of Lee Yul pouring out light from that very hand during the boss fight came to mind.
I want to go back quickly.
...No, what am I thinking right now.
I hurriedly shook off the strange thought and flipped my phone over.
Now is not the time to be lost in such sentiments.
"What are you looking at that's making you crack up like that?"
Arin, who had been peeking at me laughing from a distance, shot a sharp remark.
I shrugged my shoulders without answering and headed back to the studio.
***
"Alright! The atmosphere has gotten very heated!"
As soon as the break ended, Park Haneul caught the murderous vibe and immediately escalated the situation.
"But surely no one came to our broadcast just to watch some talk, right?"
[Right right]
[Take a seat]
[I'll go change my panties and be right back]
"Good! Now let's get started in earnest!"
He grinned slyly, looked at me sitting in the chair, and then shifted his gaze to Arin.
"First, we should see a battle between masters, right?
Arin vs Wolha!
Let's open the show with a dance battle!"
[Straight to the main event shiver]
[But Arin got completely wrecked last time]
[For real lol]
"Hey hey, are you underestimating our Arin-ssi?
She! Is! A! Former Dancing Queen from last season.
It's about time to start the engine again!"
Park Haneul grinned slyly and fanned the flames for Arin.
"Arin-ssi, you're ready, right?"
"Of course!"
Arin stepped to the center, her eyes filled with venom.
At the same time, a staff member brought a single chair and placed it in the middle of the stage.
And as the music changed, a sticky melody filled the studio.
The studio lights dimmed, and a red spotlight shone on her.
Arin sat on the chair, crossed her legs,
then leaned her waist back, flaunting her chest and waistline.
Then, holding the back of the chair, she slowly slid her body up and rose from the seat.
It was a primal, vulgar dance that stimulated the lower body.
Right at that moment.
[Keunson Gom-nim gifted 10,000 Balloons!]
[Keunson Gom: Our Arin is number one in dancing. As expected, my eye for talent is never wrong.]
...There he is.
Keunson Gom appeared, showering Arin with 1 million won.
It seemed like he was boosting Arin, but his words felt like they were aimed at me.
"Aah~ As expected, our Gom oppa!"
Arin, breathing heavily, blew a hand kiss towards the camera.
But I had no time to care about such provocations.
The choreography and movement path of the dance Arin just performed.
Her footwork, the angle her waist bent, and the timing—I quietly engraved them in my mind.
***
"Now, it's Wolha-ssi's turn!"
I walked to the center, crossing paths with Arin who was leaving the stage.
"Hmph."
Arin snorted.
Hoping I could splash water on that face next time, I stood in front of the chair.
The music that had stopped turned on again.
I sat on the chair, just as Arin had done earlier.
The shirt, still not fully dry, was cumbersome, but there was no choice.
I lifted one leg and slowly slid it over the opposite knee.
But the details were completely different.
Unlike Arin, who was busy just keeping her body steady,
I subtly tensed my waist and crossed my legs very, very slowly.
"Haa."
As I let out a light breath in the gap between beats, the air in the studio froze for an instant.
[Gasp]
[Shit]
Holding the back of the chair, I slowly leaned my upper body back.
The wet shirt stretched taut.
This way is better.
Leaning back, I turned my pelvis to the side and slowly swept my leg upward.
Under the lights, the lines of my white calves and thighs shone dazzlingly.
Pausing for a moment to completely capture their gaze...
I leaned my waist back again.
Over the silhouette of the black underwear visible through the wet shirt,
my protruding chest swayed precariously.
[Heheung]
[Wolha up]
[ㅇㅇ-nim gifted 100 Balloons!]
[ㅇㅇ-nim gifted 200 Balloons!]
I took only the skeleton from Arin's dance, then reassembled it as I pleased.
My long legs drew wider, more elegant trajectories,
and my wet silver hair fluttered lightly every time I twisted my waist.
Slowing the beat here would be more stimulating to the eye.
Finally, with my hips perched on the chair,
I leaned my upper body back, let out a rough breath, and looked up at the camera.
[Insane]
[Can't even compare to Arin hehe]
[Her physique is beyond insane lol]
[But Arin did splash water well]
[I admit that]
Holding my breath, I maintained the pose.
The studio was so quiet you couldn't hear a single breath.
The chat also paused for a moment.
And at that moment, the screen I had been waiting for exploded.
[Jjoinamed-nim gifted 30,000 Balloons!]
[Jjoinamed: Your form is insane shiver]
[Jjoinamed: But Keunson Gom? This person really has zero fucking discernment lololol]
Jjoinamed, who had marked me, shot another 3 million won,
scratching Keunson Gom's pride.
***
---
[Internet Broadcast Gallery]
Title: Guess who?
Haneul Company's new Dancing Queen.
Wolha.
Arin: ....
ㅇㅇ: lololol
Arin's Fan: Isn't it a bit too much to just copy the dance of the person in front exactly?
ㅇㅇ: Well then she should've done it better hehe
ㅇㅇ: The skill difference is fucking huge
ㅇㅇ: Arin's expression lololol
ㅇㅇ: Lags in face, lags in body, and now lags in dance? Hmm....
ㅇㅇ: Actually, if you put it that way, Wolha crushes all the others lolol
Suyeon Lover: Even so, she's just a leech with no sense of responsibility.
ㅇㅇ: The one and only diligent Suyeon...
Leader Su-yeon: You done?
ㅇㅇ: Gullible Whale Leader, hello
---
***
The chat was burning up like crazy.
Keunson Gom's chat stopped due to Jjoinamed's provocation.
10 seconds.
20 seconds.
And then.
[Keunson Gom-nim gifted 50,000 Balloons!]
[Keunson Gom: Don't cross the line. This is my territory. Wolha, you're not sulking because I was away playing for a while, are you?]
5 million won.
Not to Arin, but to me.
While Arin was behind me, her eyes wide open and bloodshot.
[What, Keunson Gom is shooting for Wolha? lol]
[Abandoning Arin again and switching?]
[That's a bit too much...]
[History repeats itself]
Arin's face twisted horribly.
But she immediately squeezed out a forced broadcast smile.
"Our Gom oppa~ You're donating a lot to Wolha too.
I'll keep waiting, so play to your heart's content and come back~"
But the moment she took her hand off the mic.
I could see Arin gritting her teeth.
"That gullible bastard, really...!"
I could read Arin's lips muttering with the mic off.
I turned my head and bowed towards the camera.
"Keunson Gom-nim, really... thank you."
I lowered my voice a tone, cast my eyes down, and looked up at the camera with a hazy gaze.
[Honey is dripping]
[If you give me 5 million won, I can do that too]
[Oppa (thud)]
[lolololol]
Small balloons kept popping without rest.
Judging by today's broadcast firepower alone, I'd probably be right below Suyeon.
My cumulative ranking itself isn't high yet because I missed the last broadcast...
I glanced sideways at Suyeon.
Her smiling face had frozen solid.
I might be able to go to that seat soon?
...If I can just restrain myself from spending money like a gullible whale when I become a man again.
***
Lee Suyeon looked down at Wolha, who was smiling while catching her rough breath, pretending it was nothing.
But.
'That bitch... is really not ordinary.'
Just before the broadcast started, public sentiment was at rock bottom,
yet she completely reversed public opinion in such a short time.
On top of that, she's roasting a new gullible whale and even making the one who left crawl back on his own.
'No, but she was in the hospital until recently, right?
Was she really sick?'
And she completely crushed Arin with her dancing.
And did it blatantly by dancing the same choreography.
'Did she study our weaknesses while watching only our broadcasts in the hospital?'
Suyeon's head spun complicatedly.
'...Also, why are the donations in my room so low today?'
Suyeon glanced at the ranking on the leaderboard,
then secretly took out her phone and checked her own donation history.
The firepower had clearly decreased compared to recent days.
'...Wait.'
Her finger, which had been scrolling down the screen, paused.
Suyeon's pupils trembled slightly.
'That gullible whale... the one for Suyeon didn't come today, did he?'
