Chapter 12: Chapter 12

**[Title: Is it really possible to block a fire spell with the back of your hand?]**

[Yeah, it is.]

Is this something all high-rank hunters can do?

I saw it at a bar not long ago.

- Bar? Which one?

- Like I’d tell you, lol.

└ Doesn’t it make sense that high-rankers can do that?

└ No way, you’re not a hunter, are you?

- I mean, it depends… Every hunter’s different.

- I’m a D-rank hunter, and I’d be able to block an E-rank magic attack like that.

└ D-rank, my ass. Go kill some more goblins and come back.

└ Wow, rude much?

- Just get hit or dodge—why use the back of your hand?

└ Because that’s what we call style. Nod.

**[Title: I saw it from a distance too]**

[Yeah]

The guy hitting that lady was a B-rank hunter. The other person had to be at least as strong.

- She was pretty, but I’d never seen her face before.

└ Is she a foreign hunter?

└ I remember seeing a post recently looking for foreign hunters on the forum.

- Why were you the only ones who saw it?

- Show me what you showed them too!

- I’m looking it up, but there’s no info at all, lol.

---

*《Arghhhh…….》*

- Lol, it’s broken now.

- Lololol

- Really lol

*Crunch crunch.*

Sihyun lay sprawled on the couch, eating chips and watching TV.

Her favorite virtual streamer’s live broadcast was on. She’d already watched nearly all of the short edited videos, so she ended up here.

*《Why did I agree to do this……》*

- You brought this on yourself, didn’t you?

- Nobody told you to do it, lol

- ???: I’ll finish this today.

- Lolololol

As the VTuber’s defeated voice echoed, the chat became lively with teasing comments.

Sihyun, staring blankly at the screen, slowly moved her fingers. She felt an urge to join in on the fun.

*“Totally hopeless, lol”*

Her finger paused just before hitting the keyboard. She hesitated, wondering, *“Is it okay to type something like this?”*

Everyone else was making fun of her just like that. The streamer was probably used to it by now and wouldn’t mind.

She knew this in her head, but writing it herself still felt wrong.

After a moment’s thought, she held down the delete button and rewrote her comment.

*“Try a bit harder, lol.”*

Yeah, this seemed fine. She’d joined in the conversation, and it wasn’t too harsh. Nodding, Sihyun sent the message.

*《Got it, I’ll do my best again!》*

“Hm…”

Did she read my comment?

Though it might not have been directed at her specifically, Sihyun grinned at the feeling of connection.

After all, my favorite streamer is the best! So cute, too!

*《…But first, I need a bathroom break.》*

- She left?

- Is she gone?

The microphone clicked off, and the VTuber character stopped moving.

“Break time, I guess.”

Sihyun stood up and stretched, reaching her arms above her head.

At that moment, the door to the next room opened, and Si-yoon stepped out, looking tired. Her gaze landed on Sihyun.

Unintentionally, her eyes drifted to a certain, very noticeable area before she sighed.

Finished stretching, Sihyun tilted her head in confusion. Without a word, Si-yoon turned to look at the TV.

“…Ugh.”

After a strange expression crossed her face, she made her way to the bathroom.

“…?”

Sihyun blinked, watching her retreating figure. Must be having a hard time with work.

Turning back to the TV, she hoped her favorite streamer would come back soon.

**[User ㅇㅇ donated 1,000 won!]**

- I’d love to see Momo with a larger chest.

The donation message echoed in the broadcast, and the other viewers responded.

- Not happening, lol

- Momo apologizes...

- lol

- Her name’s Momobin, *bin* as in empty, so that’s never happening lol

- Lmao

Reading the chat, Sihyun scratched her chin thoughtfully.

She recalled reading online once that VTuber characters are sometimes purely virtual creations and sometimes modeled after the streamer themselves.

Which one would her favorite, Momobin, fall under? …As curious as she was, she decided not to look it up.

They called it the “red pill,” right? It felt better not to know her real face. It’d be disappointing if the look didn’t match the voice.

While Sihyun was lost in thought, Si-yoon returned from the bathroom and headed back to her room.

A moment later, the microphone turned back on, and the VTuber character resumed moving. Sihyun, who’d been zoning out, refocused on the screen.

*《Thank you for the donation. But, honestly, bigger chests only look good. Actually, they’re not even that great.》*

- What is she even saying, lol

- So true, lolol

- Still hasn’t recovered mentally lol

- Lololololol

*《Oh, I guess I misspoke. Anyway, I’m still bigger than my model.》*

- lolololol

- Bigger than her model? Really? Bigger?

- My head’s spinning, lol

- Oof!

Even though Momo stated it proudly, her viewers were unconvinced. But she didn’t mind.

This was common in Momobin’s streams. She smoothly changed the subject.

*《Anyway, enough of that topic. Back to the game.》*

The game resumed, and Sihyun nodded in satisfaction.

She preferred it when they focused on gameplay rather than chatting during the game. That’s what she liked best.

*《Ugh… Isn’t this game way too hard?》*

Starting over from the beginning again, Momo struggled. Sihyun joined the flow of the chat.

*“Is it really that bad?”*

She typed a phrase she’d seen somewhere online. Sometimes, she didn’t know where phrases came from, but they felt satisfying to use.

And since Momo’s mental state was fragile thanks to the unforgiving game, it hit a nerve.

*《Urghhh…》*

---

That night.

After the stream ended, Si-yoon cautiously approached Sihyun.

“Hey, sis?”

“Yeah?”

Lying on the sofa, Sihyun sat up to give her sister space. Sitting beside her, Si-yoon hesitated before speaking.

“Just curious, what’s your username on Ttube?”

“My username?”

Sihyun handed her phone over without much thought. After checking the username, Si-yoon let out a small sigh.

She’d look into it later.

Returning the phone, Sihyun asked, looking concerned.

“Is work hard?”

“Yeah, a bit? My job’s got its pros and cons, definitely.”

“…I see.”

Sihyun nodded lightly. Si-yoon had only mentioned being a freelancer and hadn’t gone into details.

She didn’t want to pry. After all, her sister was respecting her privacy too.

“Seems like you mainly watch one streamer. Is it fun?”

“You mean Momobin?”

“…Yeah.”

Si-yoon felt a bit embarrassed but couldn’t hide her curiosity.

What part of her streams appealed to her sister? Did she really find them entertaining?

Honestly, it wasn’t a big stream. It only brought in enough to get by, which sometimes made her feel insecure.

“I kind of like people whose voices give off a sense of kindness.”

“Voices?”

“Yeah, like… you can tell they’re considerate just from their tone.”

“And that’s Momobin?”

“Yep!”

Sihyun nodded emphatically. This was her chance to gush about her favorite streamer.

“I like her gentle tone, and she doesn’t get mad during streams. Sure, she’s a bit of a free spirit sometimes, but that’s also charming. She seems like she’s living life with gusto, and I love that.”

Compliments tumbled out one after another, and Si-yoon’s face grew redder by the second.@@novelbin@@

But Sihyun, excited, didn’t notice.

“Her voice never sounds forced or awkward, which is nice. I wonder if there’s any footage of her real voice somewhere. I’m curious all of a sudden.”

“There… wouldn’t be. Probably.”

“Really? That’s too bad.”

Sihyun twirled the ends of her hair with a disappointed sigh.

Si-yoon tensed slightly. There definitely wasn’t, right?

“I’m sure her real voice is as lovely as her streaming voice.”

“I… hope so…”

*You’re listening to the real voice right now, Sis.*

Si-yoon held back the words rising up.

“So, do you send comments or donations?”

“I’ve never donated, but I do send comments sometimes.”

“Oh.”

So she did comment.

What kind of things would her seemingly innocent sister say in the chat? Si-yoon’s curiosity grew.

*“If she’s a saint, maybe her comments are just… saintly?”*

Several possibilities flitted through her mind.

Just then, Sihyun’s

phone rang. After checking the number, she answered.

“Hello? Oh, really? Then I’ll visit tomorrow. Thanks.”

Ending the call, Sihyun looked at Si-yoon, her eyes shining.

“Good news?”

“…Yeah! I can’t wait for tomorrow.”

It was a message from Dayoung saying the gift she’d prepared was ready. Although it wasn’t made from the best materials, it was the finest she could manage with D-rank ingredients.

When her activities took off, she’d make something even better. Sihyun felt delighted.

She wanted to tell her sister right then about the gift but held back, thinking a surprise would get a better reaction.

What kind of reaction would Si-yoon have when she received it? She could hardly wait.

Her toes wiggled in excitement.

Watching her sister’s endearing little movements, Si-yoon thought, *If anything, it feels more like I’ve got a quiet and adorable little sister than an older one.*