Chapter 12: The day before planting (6)
Part 11
“For that reason, today we’re doing my sister’s Genshin Impact experience.”
While I wore a puzzled expression, Sanghyeon was already setting up to plop me in his chair.
This was the 300,000-won gaming chair he treasured, freaking out whenever I tried to sit in it before.
Was he chill now because it’s almost a year old? Or because of my new look?
Either way, who cares?
“Hey, why’s the camera on? I said no to that. I’m turning it off. No way.”
– Siscon, lol.
– We’re not donating for that~ We’re not the clingy type~
“Siscon? What’s that about? It’s not about donations. No matter if it’s a million or two, some things are just off-limits.”
In one corner of the wide monitor, the webcam feed blinked out.
The viewers were probably mocking Sanghyeon’s shadowboxing, but he seemed to misinterpret their reaction.
A misunderstanding born from text-only chats without tone or gesture.
“Does streaming feel that good, Sis?”
“Huh?”
“Your smile’s practically ascending. If you want to try gaming or streaming, just say so. I can make it happen as long as the camera’s off.”
– Ugh, I wanna see smiling Sis.
– How much? Name the price!
“Five seconds ago, you guys said you didn’t care about the camera. No way, it’s staying off. Only I get to see her~”
– Siscon ;;
– Cheungjeokun… the weeb game’s one thing, but this…
“Don’t start with the weird nonsense again! Cross the line, and you’re banned!”
Watching Sanghyeon bicker with the viewers, I unconsciously touched the corners of my mouth.
Oh. I was smiling.
The realization hit me late.
Was streaming fun? Hmm…
“Anyway, sit. I’ll teach you the controls.”
“Okay, okay.”
It’s probably just the absurdity of the situation.
Swallowing my words, I sat in the chair he offered after finishing the setup.
Soft and cushy, with a bit of lingering warmth.
The monitor, already huge from a step away, loomed even larger up close.
An involuntary “Haa—” sigh escaped, and the chat exploded with abbreviations, making me snort with laughter again.
“I said earlier, I’m pissed that people ignore the gameplay and just call it niche or whatever, right?”
“Sure.”
You’ve already lost, Sanghyeon.
“Anyway, you don’t play games, read manga, or watch anime, so I want you to play this objectively and tell me if it’s fun or not.”
“…I don’t think that’ll help your image—”
“Just do it! You might save your brother’s ruined reputation!”
His desperate tone made me groan and nod.
He’s clearly into this stuff and somewhat popular—why not just own it?
“…Okay, can you hear me?”
– SISSSS!!!!
– Ugh… Mommy… one more sigh, please…
– I’d pledge eternal loyalty—any plans for a personal stream?
“…Uh, HappyMealBurger nim, thanks for the 10,000-won donation. …I don’t like your nickname.”
A ticklish feeling.
No one was looking directly at me, yet I felt oddly exposed, like I was on a stage.
Still, my smile wouldn’t fade.
Kindness is just kindness.
No need to overthink and put up walls.
Recalling the doctor’s words, I realized my smile wasn’t just about Sanghyeon’s antics.
– Don’t be mean, no sulking…
– She knows HappyMeal!
“…Who doesn’t know HappyMeal’s nasty taste these days? Even if you haven’t eaten it.”
– Army vet college girl, whoa!
– Which unit were you in?
“Pfft… army vet over this?”
Unspecified masses, no eye contact, unknown faces—yet there was a connection.
I could feel their kindness.
A shared little secret.
A faint link through the virtual world.
That bond, that tiny overlap, made this moment so much more enjoyable.
“…You look way too comfortable. Like you’ve done this before.”
“You know I’ve always been like this. Even at competitions, they docked points for my lack of emotion or stiffness.”
– Competitions?
– Sis does music too?
– Great personality, good at games, pretty, nice voice, and plays instruments???
“I played piano a bit until middle school… not something to brag about. Now it’s just a casual hobby.”
“This is veering off-topic. Guys, this is my stream! It’s a gaming stream, not a talk show!”
It wasn’t a bad feeling.
I said that, but if it’s just these kinds of people, maybe I would try streaming.
As a job, it’d probably be tiring and stressful, like anything else, but my personal fondness for “streaming” was pretty high right now.
“Anyway, controls! Look, it’s a third-person view with the character—”
“I know that much. I can use a keyboard and mouse.”
“Can’t you at least act like a pure newbie?”
– Lololol.
– Cheungjeokun!!! How many Ls are you taking today?!
Sanghyeon hit a sore spot, but the vibe let it slide.
For now, I’d just enjoy it.
Part 12
“Got it, more or less.”
“Complicated?”
“Pretty simple, isn’t it?”
Some areas were locked due to “adult reasons,” and it felt a bit flat, but it was an open-world game where you roamed freely as your chosen character, admired the scenery, took on quests, and fought villains or monsters.
The much-hyped graphics, though heavily cartoon-rendered, were undeniably intricate and beautiful.
I could probably wander for a day or two just soaking in the views without getting bored.
The character models were great too—not realistic, but cute, pretty, or cool enough to evoke those feelings.
“So, you swap between characters with different elements to trigger elemental reactions, right?”
“…Could’ve given a more emotional take that suits your voice, Sis.”
“What’s the big deal?”
It boiled down to combat.
You cycled through a party of four characters, applying their elements to enemies to trigger “elemental reactions” for an advantage.
Electrify wet enemies for shock, douse burning ones for evaporation and extra damage.
“…But shouldn’t pouring water on a burning enemy put out the fire and heal them or something?”
“Game logic.”
“…Kinda sloppy there.”
Since Sanghyeon apparently owned most characters, he told me to pick ones I wanted for a party.
I asked how much he spent on gacha pulls, but he just gave me a sour look and no answer.
– Zhongli’s a handsome character.
– Zhongli, Xiao, Venti—those guys are cool.
As I browsed the character list per Sanghyeon’s request, seasoned viewers chimed in with suggestions.
“Hm… Zhongli… Venti… Xiao…?”
A tall, dark-haired spear-wielder in a sharp uniform-like outfit.
Another with fierce makeup and cold eyes, evoking a demonic vibe.
And a pretty, androgynous bard boy.
“Why are they all guys?”
– ???
– The female characters are too blatant for Sis, lol.
“I only play female characters in RPGs. Always.”
Visual enjoyment’s part of gaming, right?
Even with this body, I still preferred female characters over male ones for aesthetic reasons.
“…Oh. She’s… wow.”
– Oh!
– Hoo!
– Whoa!
– Sis’s taste, lol!
I dove into the character’s profile, entranced.
Rotating the model, listening to the voice, reading the lore.
“I’ll start with her.”
“She’s a meta pick.”
“If I chose her, she’s my love pick.”
A gentle voice.
Ethereal eyes with a wistful charm.
Horns curving from her head, a full-body tights outfit with scraps of cloth, exuding a decadent vibe.
She took a spot in the party screen.
Ganyu, huh?
Chinese game, so the names are a bit unique.
“…That’s your taste?”
“What? Full-body tights and big boobs are great. You pulled her for the same reason, didn’t you?”
“Well, yeah, but…”
I heard him mumble that he thought I’d like something more “normal,” but I let it slide.
Normal?
Not liking an obviously eye-catching design like this would be less normal, wouldn’t it?
“Plus, her workaholic vibe resonates with the dark side of modern society. I like it.”
“…You both do have a spaced-out, airy voice.”
“Call it ethereal. …My tone’s a bit higher, though. If I lower it, it might be similar. Ah. Ah—Ahh—”
– Oh, kinda similar.
– Wanna do overtime with us? Say it!
“…‘Wanna do overtime?’ What’s that?”
As we chatted, I filled the four empty party slots—all female characters, of course.