Chapter 13: The Word That Shattered Everything

My lips started to curl into a smile at my sister’s request, but they froze.

I was happy, yet guilt gnawed at me.

‘…Maybe I shouldn’t have sniped her.’

Everyone was laughing, but I could tell.

My sister was breaking.

She didn’t need to say it—I knew.

‘She always forced a smile when things got tough.’

Her YouTuber avatar hid her face, but I could see it.

The strained smile. Imagining it made my chest ache.

“Ha…”

Despite our two-year age gap, she’d always been my breakwater, shielding me from the world’s waves.

So I never realized.

She was young too. Not an adult. She struggled just as much.

I was too young to understand, and she grew up too fast.

I only realized it after becoming an adult.

By then, she’d given up college and was working in a factory.

The girl who always ranked top five in school.

So I vowed.

To succeed. I couldn’t undo the past, but I’d make it up to her moving forward.

“But then that damn goddess whisked me away…”

Rage surged, and I clenched my fists. Even now, it felt like a cruel twist.

Surviving that wretched other world was all for returning here. To repay her. That was my sole drive.

‘I’ll start repaying her now.’

That’s why I came back.

[Is Carrier not there?]

Her voice on stream snapped me back. Now wasn’t the time for this.

『Sent a friend request to ‘Noir’!』

Replying in chat was pointless—she’d likely miss it. So I sent a friend request.

『‘Noir’ has been added to your friends list!』

She accepted.

[Noir: Hello. This is Carrier, right?]

[Me: Hi. Yes, it’s Carrier!]

My hands trembled as I typed, heart pounding.

‘Calm down.’

No need to rush. This connection meant we could keep talking.

[Me: Is this conversation being broadcast?]

[Noir: No. I wanted to talk privately first, so I switched to standby mode.]

I checked her stream—true enough.

Gulp—

‘What should I do?’

Should I reveal myself over chat? I wanted to do it face-to-face.

To tell her I was back.

That I survived the hell of that other world by thinking of her every day.

That I missed her… so much.

I wanted to tell the real her, not the avatar.

‘But that’s not realistic.’

If I suddenly asked to meet, she’d be wary, maybe even block me.

She was a YouTuber—real-life talk was sensitive.

‘I can’t ruin this chance.’

But I didn’t want to just toss it out in chat. I wanted a real conversation. That was my wish.

[Me: Could we talk over voice instead of chat? And keep it off the stream?]

[Noir: Sure.]

She agreed easily. What a relief.

[Everyone, can you wait a moment? Carrier wants to talk privately, so I’ll step away briefly.]

– ???

– Why privately?

– What’re they gonna talk about???

– Guess I’ll play tug-of-war with the ceiling till they’re back ㅇㅇ

– Holding my breath till they return… inhale!

– This person’s passed out.

『Live Viewers: 1,859』

More viewers than before. Word must’ve spread on the forums.

‘Not exactly a great situation for her.’

She needed some crowd control. Most were just wolves chasing drama and dopamine.

[‘Noir’ has requested a voice chat!]

‘Finally…’

I didn’t expect to connect this fast. After a few deep breaths, I joined.

“Hello.”

“Ahem. Hello…”

Her avatar and voice choked me up. I wanted to run and hug her, but I held back.

“I’m so sorry…!”

What should I say? How should I react? As I hesitated, she suddenly bowed deeply.

“W-Why are you doing that?”

Her sudden action threw me off. This wasn’t the reunion I wanted…

“I reported you, and now you might get banned… I heard you’re starting a stream, and I might’ve ruined it…”

“It’s fine! I announced I was sniping you on stream! If anyone’s wrong, it’s me. You’re the victim!”

“But… if you get banned and can’t stream, the viewers will flame you…”

“I don’t care. I’ll just stay off the forums for a month. I don’t even mind not streaming! So please, get up…”

Her behavior shocked me. What happened while I was gone to change her like this?

“…Thank you.”

At my earnest plea, she slowly raised her head. Her forced smile brought a wave of sadness.

“Why are you so foolishly kind…”

If only she’d cursed me out, been selfish, not the person she showed on stream.

“…Kind? How am I kind when I might’ve ruined your future? I’m just weak… Maybe streaming’s not for me…”

“With this many viewers, how can you say that?”

Many streamers toil for years without breaking out of obscurity.

She’d only been streaming for a year, yet had hundreds of viewers. How could she lack talent?

“No. I’m telling you first, but I’m thinking of retiring.”

“W-Why?”

“I’m scared of being in front of people… Pretending to smile is exhausting… I’m just tired. I want to disappear quietly…”

My heart sank. It didn’t sound like she was just quitting streaming—it felt deeper.

“I’m sorry for saying weird stuff. Why am I telling this to someone I just met… I’m being a burden again. Sorry…”

Her forced smile made me clutch my chest.

I’d planned to reveal myself after getting closer.

She seemed unstable, and the shock might be too much.

‘But it might be too late then.’

She was on the edge, like someone barely clinging to a cliff.

If I let her go, who knows what might happen?

‘I can’t let that happen.’

After everything to reunite, to return, I couldn’t just watch. That couldn’t happen.

“…Noir, you have a younger sibling, right?”

“S-Sibling…”

She bit her trembling lips, lowered her head, and exhaled shakily.

“That’s… why I’m retiring. Streaming doesn’t suit me, so I’ll quit and follow my sibling.”

I couldn’t hold back anymore. My vision blurred, my breath caught.

“I need to say something.”

“What?”

“It might sound crazy. You might think I’m insane. But I have to say it now…”

Curiosity flickered across her face.

I swallowed hard, my lips trembling. I watched her reaction.

Silence stretched. She sighed and spoke.

“What do you want to say?”

“…”

My lips quivered as I barely managed one word.

“…Noona.”

“What? Noona? Why suddenly…”

Her brow furrowed slightly.

“Noona, it’s me. Siwoo.”

I said it and watched her reaction, heart pounding. I swallowed hard.

“…What did you say?”

Noir—no, my sister—stared blankly.

“What did you just say?”

A faint tremor crossed her face, like she’d heard something unthinkable.

“Don’t joke about this…”

Her eyes shook. Her voice trembled, but she tried to stay calm.

“My sibling, Siwoo, is dead. I held their funeral.”

“You didn’t see me die.”

“It’s been over a year since they disappeared from that bridge. I checked every CCTV and dashcam—nothing.”

She wet her dry lips and met my gaze. Her eyes burned with anger.

“This kind of joke… I really… I can’t forgive it. You’ve crossed a line.”

I expected she wouldn’t believe me. Who’d believe a stranger claiming to be their sibling?

“Remember my first birthday at the orphanage? You put a candle in a cupcake and celebrated. You said birthdays aren’t just one day, so we’d enjoy it for two. You gave me your birthday…”

“That’s…”

“When I cried for Mom at night, you sang me lullabies, saying I’d meet her in dreamland.”

“How do you…”

“Who else would know? Just you and me.”

Her eyes wavered.

“…No way.”

“…It’s real, Noona.”

I steadied my breath.

“It’s me, Siwoo. Your little sibling. I’m back… Late, but I’m back…”

A suffocating silence followed.

“…Really?”

A tiny voice slipped from her lips.

“…Really, Siwoo? Is it really you?”

She reached out, cupping my cheeks.

“Yeah.”

“Then…”

Her voice broke.

“Why now… Why when I’d given up everything…”

Her shoulders trembled. Her body shook. Her voice crumbled. Suppressed tears burst out.

“…Siwoo.”

As if relieved she wasn’t alone anymore, she poured out her hidden loneliness, pain, regret, and longing as tears.

“…I’m sorry, Noona. I’m so sorry…”

Seeing her, I hugged her tightly, tears streaming down.

“You’re back… You’re back…”

Her breaking sobs, trembling breaths—her emotions proved this moment more than words could.

“Yeah. I’m back. I’m back… to your side…”

I’d finally returned to where I belonged.