I Have Reasons to Hate Streamers

The part-timer’s eyes irritated me.

He opened his eyes wide upon seeing my face, then his gaze towards my chest was tinged with bewilderment.

Usually, it lasts at most 1 to 2 seconds. But this part-timer stared at my chest for a full 4 seconds.

His gaze, which had been directed at my baggy clothes, then turned elsewhere as if nothing had happened.

Now comes the climax.

The convenience store part-timer finally noticed my crutch.

Along with a sticky, unpleasant sympathy.

This part-timer seems quite introverted, so he might say something like this:

“Um, do you need any help?”

─ “Um, do you need any help?”

He guessed exactly right.

I held back a bitter smile that was about to emerge.

In my heart, there were things I wanted to say.

Get lost. Even if I’m a girl who can’t walk well, do you think I’d let you touch me?

I don’t want to receive pity from the likes of you, so just stay behind the counter before I gouge your eyes out.

But it takes courage and strength to pick a fight with others.

I had neither, and my body was exhausted from coming down the stairs.

So all I could do was force a smile.

Fortunately, in the midst of misfortune.

Even as skinny and bony as I was, I was still damn pretty.

“Yes. Then, I’m sorry, but could you please ring up three cups of mild ramen, and help me boil one of them?”

“You’ll eat here, right? Give me your card and sit over there. I’ll boil it and bring it to you.”

“Thank you. You’re kind.”

I gained physical comfort at the cost of my pride.

No. I knew it wasn’t really a matter of pride.

The part-timer was just unfamiliar with women, and he was being kind because I looked struggling.

The only twisted thing here was my personality.

The part-timer put two cup noodles in a bag and brought one well-boiled to me.

I could feel his glances occasionally conscious of me, but I decided not to mind.

I could forget about such things while looking at my phone.

Putting on the earphones I had bought with great resolve, I headed to the game community as usual.

[Author: Anonymous (411.36)]

[Title: Today’s GIF of Gawol catching Sooljbbang]

[Likes: 107]

Actually, when Gawol and Sooljbbang clash, it’s obvious that Gawol is the natural winner, but today there was a decent scene, so I brought it.

It’s when Sooljbbang charges with his shield…

[Author: Ingaller (318.235)]

[Title: Did Sigma Esports Ruche re-sign????]

Infinity Black Gallery.

I didn’t usually stick to just the gallery, but sometimes when I needed a change of mood.

In other words, when I needed some stimulation for my brain, I would open the gallery.

There’s no particularly grand reason for it.

The sites in more popular areas don’t mention Gawol much.

It’s because I’ve killed so many streamers and pro gamers that I’ve earned a lot of hate from fans.

It seems to have become a kind of taboo word at some point, so I didn’t go there often except when looking for information.

[Author: HappyGraduateStudent]

[Title: Summary of changes in next season’s ranked games]

Infinity Black was currently in a kind of lull.

A patch close to a major upheaval was announced for the next season. Because of this, it was uncertain how the siege landscape would turn out.

Pro gamers who focus on ranked games, as well as super-large guilds, were holding their breath, reluctant to make enemies carelessly.

More precisely, that’s what everyone thought.

It wasn’t really like that.

There’s no such thing as peace in the Inbl scene full of scheming.

In Infinity Black, if you die in the field, you get a penalty that prevents you from logging in for 4 hours, which means falling behind in the infinite farming competition.

If you secretly kill opponents now, you can gain an advantage in the competition.

I’m the only one in this game who can kill named users alone and not be suspected no matter who I kill.

So now was when my value was at its highest.

Although it’s probably much less money than officially streaming or being a pro gamer.

The money I received from various guilds under the pretext of item farming was my only source of income now.

[Author: Anonymous (423.28)]

[Title: Hey, I heard some volcano erupted in Iceland?]

[Author: HanRiverJjamtong]

[Title: Today Sigma’s 2nd team pro was killed by Gawol, why doesn’t this person become a pro?]

[Author: Anonymous (423.62)]

[Title: Is Gawol really the youngest son of some chaebol family or what?]

Pause.

My mouth, which had been inhaling ramen, stopped for a moment.

Perhaps entering the community was a mistake after all.

Thanks to seeing an unnecessary post, my appetite dropped sharply.

I should have turned off the phone screen at the point of seeing the dirty picture.

Since I’ve eaten enough, let’s just throw away what’s left.

There wasn’t much left anyway.

Now that I’ve filled my stomach, it would be better to play the game again.

Broadcasting or being a pro gamer… It wasn’t that I didn’t want to do it.

That path was one I couldn’t walk.

Nickname Gawol.

Actually, a typo that was supposed to be ‘Sawol’ (April).

April was the time when I lost everything.

From that day on, I became unable to walk any path.

* * *

[Han Da-hoon, Overwhelming Victory in National Kendo Championship]

[National Team Coach: Han Da-hoon Will Be an Unprecedented Player in Kendo History]

Congratulations came to me from all directions.

My parents silently supporting me from behind. My master firmly guiding me.

So many messages came that my phone kept ringing.

Surely today should be a happy day.

Nevertheless, my mood was not quite right.

“Da-hoon. Did you see the article? I heard Coach Kim has really high expectations for you this time.”

“Well… I did see it.”

“You don’t look very happy. Are you still worried about Jae-hyun?”

“He was a friend. A rival. I could have definitely beaten him next time we faced. Even though I won, it doesn’t feel like I won. It feels like I only fought the semi-finals.”

It was all because of that stupid friend.

That monster-like guy. Someone I wanted to catch up to for my whole life, but now I can’t.

Winning without my strongest enemy, my friend, made my victory feel incomplete.

It was all because of that strange novel.

He got into some novel about a saint’s reverse harem or something recently, did he lose his mind to it?

The guy who was said to be a once-in-a-lifetime monster in kendo history died miserably, hit by a truck.

There’s a saying somewhere that if you die hit by a truck, you reincarnate into another world.

I hope he did too. He was too great to leave so meaninglessly.

I have a long way to go if I’m going to take his place from now on.

“Still, stand tall. It’s not respectful to those you beat. If you won, you should show a dignified appearance befitting a winner. Jae-hyun wouldn’t like seeing you moping around either.”

“…You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine if you understand. Go home early today and spend some good time with your parents, and from tomorrow, let’s slowly prepare for the world championship.”

“Yes. I’ll work hard.”

“Take it slow. You’re already doing well, how much better do you want to be? I don’t know for sure, but foreign guys will probably wet themselves when they see your match video from today.”

Clap clap. My master patted my back and sent me to my parents.

His brief words were a great comfort to me.

Thanks to that, I was able to spend the day in a much better mood and prepare for what’s next

To be honest, I didn’t see anyone who could be my match from abroad either.

It was the difference in the opponents I had faced so far.

No one in this world exuded such an overwhelming aura as that guy, so I couldn’t think that I would lose.

Not that I’m planning to slack off, though.

“Coach Jung. How’s Da-hoon these days? He’s not slacking off after winning, is he?”

“No way. If anything, he’s even more tenacious than before. Even if Jae-hyun were here, I can’t guarantee he’d win against Da-hoon now.”

“To that extent?”

“Yes. That kid, he’s definitely going to win this world championship.”

I spent each day gritting my teeth.

Now I only had one means left to prove myself.

Look. I am the most outstanding player in the world right now.

So I was the only one who could challenge you and defeat you.

I lost in our last match, but this time would have been different.

To say that, I needed the title of world champion.

The heavy name of ‘pro’. The bright spotlight. The honor of being the world’s best.

All of it felt like a promise with him to me.

‘This is my way of keeping our friendship.’

As time passed, my senses became clearer and clearer.

Had he seen the world this way for a long time?

It felt like I could read everything about my opponents, from the slightest muscle movements to each breath.

No one in the country could match me anymore.

The dojo master who taught me the sword. My master who could keep up with my pace until recently. Other players who joined the national training center.

They all crumbled easily. By the time we were about to leave the country, no player wanted to spar with me, citing mental management as the reason.

I can do it.

At this rate, I can achieve it.

A strong conviction took root in my body.

However, I never got to stand in the competition arena.