I Have a Reason to Hate Streamers

Luce. Gawol had a persistent side to her.

It wasn’t that there was a problem with my left foot; I just tripped once.

Still, she insisted on returning to the hospital’s sterilization room to start the treatment herself.

Squish!

A moist cotton-like substance touched my skin.

It made me flinch as if an electric shock ran through my body.

An unfamiliar groan escaped my lips.

“Ah…!”

“I’m sorry. Your skin is so beautiful, and now it’s scraped. Just a moment, it’ll sting again.”

“I really am fine… Uh!”

Tripping is a common occurrence for people, and minor wounds usually heal on their own.

Even so, Gawol was making a fuss as if it were a big deal.

It was just as cold and damp as before.

But the cotton, although stinging, wiped near my wound gently.

It seemed she was sticking something on, but I couldn’t see it in my line of sight.

“I’ll pack an extra one for you, so you can shower and put on a new one.”

“Thank… you.”

“No need to thank me. You got hurt because of my child.”

For a moment, Luce’s eyes turned toward the nape of my neck.

In her dark eyes, my bare skin reflected.

The weather had been getting warmer lately.

No matter how much I wanted to bundle up, I couldn’t do it completely, so I wore clothes that revealed a bit of my neck and collarbone.

Fortunately, I hadn’t cut myself or anything.

Anyway, she’d been staring for quite a while.

Stare, stare

You could call it sticky.

But I felt no unpleasant emotions like a black heart.

Still, having spent a long time alone, I found it somewhat burdensome when someone kept looking at me.

Moreover, Luce was someone I admired.

The feeling was akin to being exposed, as if she could see right through me.

“Uh, did I get something on my neck?”

“Ah! I’m sorry! Your neckline is so pretty and delicate. Your skin is clear, too.”

“Thank you…”

But Luce herself had very nice skin.

Even though she wore light makeup, it felt clean.

Her skin was definitely well-maintained.

Anyway, the treatment was done, and it was time for me to go back.

As I lifted my backpack, I heard a creaking sound.

An uneasy premonition brushed through my mind.

Good thoughts always miss the mark, while bad worries always hit the nail on the head.

When I opened the bag, the expected disaster happened.

“Ah.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well… the glass bottle broke.”

It was a glass bottle I had brought from the convenience store.

It seemed to have broken inside the bag when I fell.

The shattered glass fragments and the few drips of milk made a mess of the bag.

I felt a bit gloomy, like I had lost a precious souvenir.

As for the bag… should I just shake out the pieces here?

If I clean it thoroughly on the way back, I could use it again.

I took out my wallet, important documents, and prescribed medication, flipping the bag inside out.

I wasn’t the type to carry a lot, so there wasn’t much to take out.

Shake, shake, shake I emptied it over the trash can, and sparkling glass powder spilled out.

Luce, who was silently helping me organize, paused in surprise.

“Clonazepam?”

“Ah… I haven’t been taking it regularly; I just got it prescribed this time.”

“Yes. Da-eun will get better and better. I’ll cheer for you.”

Receiving encouragement definitely felt good.

I would do my best to be like you.

“By the way, I see you really like Inbl.”

“Yeah. It’s fun. Congrats on the opening match victory.”

“Thank you! By the way, what character do you play?”

“Ah, um. A mage. I’m a fire magician.”

Telling a lie tugged at my conscience.

Still, there was no option to say “assassin.”

If I went that far, Luce might just cross-reference me with Gawol.

Our body types were nearly identical, and our voices were the same.

If my connection device’s mic wasn’t so echoey or if the performance wasn’t decent, I would have been caught long ago.

Honestly… I didn’t mind getting caught.

Luce was such an upright person that the thought made me a bit fearful.

If that kind, innocent impression looked at me with disdain, it would feel painful.

[You’ve received mail: Infinity Co., Ltd…]

“Hey, I really appreciated the gift last time. I already thanked you by text, but I wanted to express my gratitude in person.”

“Hmm. I thought it might have been too sudden, but I’m glad it helped!”

“You can pretend you didn’t hear this. Once my health improves a bit. And after the league ends, when Luce is a bit freer…”

It was too awkward to make eye contact.

Just then, I got a mail notification and fiddled with my phone.

Bowing my head slightly made me feel like my innermost thoughts were hidden.

The mail was probably just an advertisement.

Or it could be one of those constant personal data protection notices.

After all, most South Korean citizens’ personal information holds little value.

Names and resident registration numbers are traded at a pittance, like in the hundreds of thousands or millions.

I was planning to just skim the worthless info and move on.

But before I knew it…

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, um, it’s nothing.”

Thud. My hand lost strength, and I dropped my phone.

I hurriedly picked it up and turned off the screen.

“…?”

“I, um, have to go. Is it okay if I leave?”

“I can give you a ride. Where are you headed?”

“It’s fine. Really… I want to go back alone today.”

*

[Non-identified connection device usage record notification]

Hello, ‘Gawol’ client. This is the Infinity security team.

Usage of a non-identified connection device has been confirmed with your account, so we are notifying you.

Your device is confirmed to be a device without an official identification code.

Upon reviewing the server logs, no illegal programs or abnormal operations were found, but it is suspected that an excessively high sensory adaptation rate has been applied.

According to current laws, virtual reality game providers must ensure client safety…

…

Please reply with a convenient schedule, and our security team will visit.

We will support detailed device log verification, and precision analysis may take about 2 to 3 weeks.

Please understand that if intentional log alteration or damage is confirmed during the analysis process, penalties may apply.

…

Excessively high adaptation rates can lead to acute shock and other life-threatening risks.

If we cannot guarantee your safety, services on the device in question may be restricted.

Access through other devices is permitted.

Given the amount of time you have been using the device.

Considering the potential impacts of temporary measures such as Arena participation, the restriction on access has been temporarily withheld.

*

I felt like I was suffocating.

At the desolate bus stop, I moved my phone screen here and there for no reason.

There were all sorts of difficult words, but ultimately, it summarized into a single sentence in my mind.

“I may not be able to play games on my device.”

The part about logs was fine.

I was just using a device that wasn’t commercialized; I had never employed any shameful cheats.

Unless there was some problem I didn’t know about, it would be fine.

The concern lay with the sensory adaptation rate nearing 70%.

Some people believe that a high adaptation rate is related to reaction speed, but that’s false.

If the character and brain communicate via electrical signals, the adaptation rate is closer to the ‘strength’ of the signal.

In contrast, reaction speed falls into the realm of ‘time’ for the signal to arrive.

Just a light tap on the knee makes the leg move, and as long as a certain level of strength is guaranteed, there’s no significant difference in reaction speed.

High adaptation connection devices are less special tools and more like punishment devices for me.

If the subject shifts to ‘safety,’ then things aren’t looking good.

– The examination result shows no particular abnormalities in the neck. It’s slightly swollen, but do you have any guesses?

– According to your guardian, it was said that your neck hurts and is sore, right?

– Yes. When I came in, it was quite chaotic. I even witnessed vomiting.

– Oral tissues are quite important and surprisingly delicate in the human body. It’s best to avoid foreign inserts or harsh actions.

On the first day I died, I suffered outside the connection device and had to go to the hospital.

Even though I had died cleanly with a low level.

Thanks to that, I received the embarrassing misunderstanding.

Thinking logically, such a machine can’t be safe.

What if one day I accidentally allowed an attack on my left leg?

I wouldn’t even bet on my ability to endure.

The reason the brainwave connection method has died out in the current device market is also related to this.

But… I have no choice. It’s not like I enjoy using it.

This damned leg won’t move. To express all the movements I want, this is the only way.

“Is anyone… Anyone there?”

I mindlessly rummaged through my phone.

At some point, I had hysterically erased most of my contacts, leaving only a few names.

Mom. Dad. Teacher. Luce. Sulbbang. San-sae. Elderin. Dol-gwal.

Luce was out of the question.

I didn’t want to unload this kind of dilemma onto my idol.

I wanted to stand before her when I could do so proudly.

For similar reasons, the teacher was ruled out too.

I didn’t want to add more burden to someone who had sacrificed enough for me.

With just a few candidates left, two were already gone.

Now, I barely had anyone left. Sulbbang was busy, and Dol-gwal and San-sae had to work.

Without processing it through my head, I called Elderin.

– Hello?

“Uh, sis. I’m sorry for calling out of the blue. I don’t have anyone else to call.”

– Hmm, it’s fine. What’s up?

“Um… can we meet now? I know it’s sudden… Umm, I’m sorry. I’m sorry… I’ll just hang up…”

– Where should I go?

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