Streamer Crazy About Slaughter - Chapter 130
The hot sun caused my eyelids to open. I raised my body.
Rustle.
Countless white lines obscured my vision.
While absentmindedly brushing down my disheveled hair, Serin suddenly sighed.
“Is it reasonable to be this tired just from spending some time outside?”
I had only spent the whole day outside with Ms. Eunha yesterday, but I felt really exhausted.
Even excluding Ms. Eunha, I seemed to have consciously or unconsciously been aware of others’ gaze, and it felt like that added to the physical strain.
Rustle.
As I fumbled around my bedding, I was looking for something familiar, but I couldn’t feel the usual rectangular shape of something.
After rummaging through the blankets and peeking around, I finally spotted my smartphone on the desk.
I sighed slightly and sat up.
Maybe it was because I hadn’t exercised yesterday, but it was bearable this morning compared to usual, yet it still felt like the same old thing.
I instinctively reached for the phone without taking a few steps.
Notifications were piling up.
And there were an absurdly large number of them.
As I opened the chat, I found that the count was far more than I expected.
Yoon Sua.
[Why haven’t you checked the chat yet?] 10:05 AM
[Serin, surely you’re not still asleep?] 10:20 AM
[You didn’t answer the phone… I’m worried for no reason] 10:24 AM
– Missed calls: 12.
Han Seoyoon.
[Unnie. Once you check the chat I sent, please respond as soon as you can] 9:11 PM
[Unnie, you’re not gaming again, are you?] 9:50 PM
[Are you really going to reply like this, making me feel sad?] 10:20 PM
Kim Ha-yoon.
[The Lin Tube opening video has already surpassed 2 million views!!] 3:20 AM
(Cute otter emoticon bursting with confetti) 4:00 AM
[Lin, please check it as well! If there’s anything you need help with for Ms. So-yul’s next video…] 4:53 AM
Park So-yul.
[Here are a few business-related emails that I thought you should check directly. I can’t judge them on my own, so I think you should review and respond.] 8:52 AM
Yoon Eunha.
[I had fun today, Ms. Serin] 8:52 PM
[I texted because I was bored] 9:01 PM
[You promised to respond…] 9:06 PM
(Small rabbit emoticon with drooped ears looking sad) 9:10 PM
“What’s all this…”
As I confirmed the countless texts absentmindedly, there must have been over 100 messages that came in just overnight.
‘No, this is over 200 messages.’
It was overwhelming to the point my head started to hurt… I felt confused about which ones to check first.
But that was only for a moment; I decided to respond based on what I saw.
“Well then, let’s start with Seoyoon.”
I first checked the messages Seoyoon sent in the evening, and most of them were about my health. They mainly expressed concerns about whether I was pushing myself too hard and if I was eating well, couched in light small talk and nagging.
But knowing that they all worried about me made those messages seem rather cute.
Since I hadn’t responded in a while, there were messages at the end expressing her displeasure, which I found amusing.
“Seeing it through chat, she really seems like a kid…”
As I thought about that, I chuckled at the irony of being the one making her worry.
I operated the phone to send Seoyoon a reassurance that I was eating well and gaming moderately, and then began checking the other messages one by one.
The messages from editors mostly related to business and Lin Tube, and they didn’t require urgent replies.
As for the messages about Ms. Eunha, the first few I had sent, but after I didn’t respond, she seemed a bit down. I wrote a message saying I had collapsed in exhaustion after dozing off.
Me.
[I just fell asleep right after coming home yesterday, so I just checked now. I tend to be a little weak with sleep… if you were upset, I’m sorry. I had fun yesterday, too.]
As I confirmed them one by one, I noticed the alert for messages from Sua (37).
There was an unusually large number piled up.
No matter how I looked at it, Sua normally didn’t text this much.
Yoon Sua.
[Serin, surely you’re not still asleep?] 10:20 AM
[You didn’t answer the phone really…] 10:24 AM
Checking from the bottom up, it seemed that the majority of the messages were about her worrying because I wasn’t answering.
The tone of Sua’s messages felt different from usual, which gave me a bit of a question.
“What’s up with her…?”
If someone were to read them, they might think I had been kidnapped by their worry-filled content.
While checking the messages, it seemed there were far too many, so I quickly scrolled back to the top.
Yoon Sua.
(Attached image.JPG)
[Isn’t this a picture of you, unnie?]
8:42 PM
Then what I saw was my first chat with her since I fell asleep yesterday.
There were several images.
—!!
“…What the hell.”
As soon as I saw the images, I felt chills run down my spine.
The images Sua sent were taken yesterday, capturing me and Ms. Eunha.
One was of us just about to get into Ms. Eunha’s car after leaving a cafe.
The other was of us walking towards Ms. Eunha’s car after leaving a restaurant.
Two images in total.
However, while Eunha was clearly visible in the photos, my appearance was somewhat pixelated.
“When on earth?”
Even so, I felt a sense of urgency emerge, and I couldn’t help but utter that.
The only person who had drawn attention nearby was a cafe employee excitedly claiming to be a fan of Ms. Eunha; beyond that, I had no concrete memories.
In the first place, I hadn’t given anyone a reason to notice us, and both Ms. Eunha and I spent most of our time in private spaces, leaving very little visible to the outside.
Even at the department store VIP lounge, there were one or two people who recognized Ms. Eunha and claimed to be fans, but nobody approached without hesitation.
Moreover, the cafe was rented entirely by Ms. Eunha, and the restaurant was booked as a private space.
Rustle.
I continued scrolling down my phone’s screen to check the messages Sua sent one by one.
Yoon Sua.
[Those images were attached to an article. The person mentioned in the article looked like Serin unnie and the Joan of Arc player, so I recognized it right away.]
[The title of the article is ‘Joan of Arc Announces Unexpected Break, Followed by a Sweet Rest Period.’]
[I’ve attached the article link here.]
10:25 PM
The link was in her message.
When I clicked it.
Soon, a site appeared.
*
——
——【Exclusive】 Joan of Arc Announces Unexpected Break, Followed by a Sweet Rest Period——
(Deleted image.)
(Deleted image.)
Joan of Arc (Yoon Eunha, 25) has declared an unexpected break during the ACK Summer Season.
After her last match against BS, she stated during an interview that she was ‘tired’ and that she hasn’t been enjoying herself lately, generating hot topics across various communities among fans after her declaration.
A woman was spotted enjoying her time at a high-end cafe in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam, smiling and appearing relieved in contrast to her usual weighty demeanor, indicating that she was relaxing as an individual.
……
Meanwhile, Joan of Arc’s team, ‘TSJ (Team SJ Entertainment),’ is currently holding the top position in the ACK League, but just days ago, ‘G1’ threatened that position by one point after achieving a seven-game winning streak.
——
*
Yoon Sua.
[This article has caused a huge controversy among TSJ’s fandom.]
[The team is on the verge of playoffs, and whether it’s okay for the key player to be openly taking a break has sparked discussions, including several comments about the unnie who was with her… Honestly, I was pretty confused during yesterday’s personal broadcast too.]
[I was just worried that the fallout might also affect Serin unnie…]
10:41 PM
……
[But as of now, it seems TSJ has taken measures to protect Joan of Arc, as the content of the article has been revised, and all images have been removed.]
1:32 AM
Scrolling through the messages Sua sent one by one, I unknowingly let out a sigh.
“…Sigh.”
When I first saw the images, I truly felt chills run down my spine, but the more I read Sua’s messages, it seemed that the pro team TSJ had taken steps to protect its player.
I didn’t know how the journalist had recognized Ms. Eunha to take her photograph, but the fact that my image was also included in those pictures made me uneasy.
If there was any relief, it was that my appearance in the photo was sufficiently pixelated, lacking specific details that could identify my face or features.
But conversely, Eunha’s clarity in the image bothered me deeply.
“d*mn it.”
It seemed they had written the article to exploit Ms. Eunha’s fame, but I couldn’t figure out when it had been taken.
From the looks of the images, it seemed they had been taken from a distance, yet that alone sent chills through me.
The realization that I was photographed by someone without my awareness made me feel incredibly dirty.
“First, I need to reply to Sua…”
Me.
[After I got home yesterday, I was just tired and fell straight asleep. I just checked the messages now…]
Yoon Sua.
[Ah, so that’s what happened…? I was a bit surprised that you didn’t respond at all when I messaged you. I thought something might have happened.]
Me.
[Thanks for worrying, Sua. But I just checked those images you sent. Is it common for articles to invade pro players’ private lives like this?]
I found it absurd even while texting.
Ms. Eunha was clearly a pro gamer from Another World, not a celebrity.
Yet, the reality of these paparazzi-style articles being written was frustrating.
Moreover, considering the locations and movements from yesterday, I wondered how they had known to take photographs and write the article.
Yoon Sua.
[Not all pro players, but Joan of Arc’s popularity is indeed unmatched among some players. I know there are quite a few paparazzi around too.]
Me.
[Isn’t this a clear invasion of privacy, can’t those who write such articles be punished or something?]
Looking at Sua’s messages, I found myself frowning.
As for my image, it was pixelated and thus not public anyway, so I could just stay holed up at home.
‘But what about Ms. Eunha?’
I knew she had to return to the team in a few days to perform as a player again.
The reality that she now had to be considerate of this short rest period felt pitiful.
“How on earth is Ms. Eunha enduring this?”
Then, I recalled how she had rented out the cafe to herself yesterday, and even the restaurant was specifically reserved as a private space.
Moreover, her preferences for quietness and that she preferred places with no people.
Including her statement that she didn’t feel like she was really resting while trying to relax.
Now that I thought about it, it made sense why everything she’d said had a reason.
Yoon Sua.
[Honestly, I’m not entirely sure, but it seems possible to request corrections for the article and images. I guess enforcing actual punishment is tough. However, it’s a relief that TSJ, a fairly powerful team, stated they would handle private-life-related articles more strictly from now on, even as soon as this morning.]
As I read Sua’s subsequent message, I felt incredibly tangled.
Just like celebrities cannot punish all the journalists who take their photos or write articles about them. Even if I wanted to punish the journalists who wrote wild articles, it would be difficult if it’s not malicious or degrading content.
Yet, I felt relieved to hear that TSJ would take stricter action regarding players’ privacy-related issues.
The woman who had genuinely expressed her affection, wanting to become closer to me. Although we had only spent a day together, Ms. Eunha’s situation did not feel like someone else’s problem at all.
—Batoq!
At that moment, while I was thinking, a Batoq notification came from Ms. Eunha.