Chapter 51: Reunion (2)

I sat quietly on the edge of the bed and watched my little sister bustling around the small kitchen.

“Just wait a second.”

With those words, Yoo Seo-ha had darted out to the neighborhood market and returned with arms full of groceries.

Without hesitation, she began cooking with swift hands.

Clinking of dishes, rhythmic chopping of the knife—

Soon followed by the savory aroma of oil sizzling in the pan.

The cheerful sound of sizzling echoed in the room.

Yoo Seo-ha’s movements were smooth and confident.

It felt strangely fascinating watching her prepare food in the tiny one-room kitchen.

Now that I think of it, my sister Seo-ha had always been a great cook.

Unlike me, she was really handy with housework.

‘But… it seems like Seo-ha has misunderstood something.’

I was just overwhelmed with emotion, relieved that my sister from my previous life existed here just the same—

That’s all. I almost teared up.

But judging by my red, puffy eyes, Seo-ha had clearly jumped to the conclusion that something terrible must have happened to me.

It was obvious she’d spun up a dozen scenarios in her head.

Truthfully, my mood wasn’t bad at all.

More than anything, I felt immense relief and gratitude.

My precious sister was still by my side.

‘I do feel a little guilty.’

Watching her worry so much over a misunderstanding made my conscience sting.

‘But I can’t exactly tell her the truth.’

It was a situation I couldn’t explain, no matter how honest I wanted to be.

In times like this, it was better to just quietly accept a loved one’s kindness.

…Definitely not because I was lazy.

Before long, Seo-ha brought over a steaming bowl to the table.

I sluggishly got up from the bed and sat down opposite her.

“Unni, it’s hot, so let it cool a bit first.”

She placed what looked like a carefully made beef porridge in front of me.

It was packed with meat and vegetables—you could tell at a glance it was full of nutrients.

“Sorry it’s not much. I threw it together quickly, but it should be gentle on your stomach.”

She looked at me cautiously.

Her eyes were still full of concern.

“You might not gain weight easily, but… you still need to eat healthy, warm meals.”

Such a gentle tone.

I silently nodded and picked up the spoon.

The porridge was steaming, its aroma savory and comforting.

I blew on a spoonful and brought it to my mouth.

Warm and smooth, it slid down my throat.

…Delicious.

Seo-ha, who had been quietly watching me eat, gently placed her hand over mine.

I felt her small, warm touch.

“Unni.”

I lifted my head and looked at her.

“If anything’s bothering you, tell me. Okay?”

“…”

“Don’t bottle it up. I’ll listen to everything. Let’s figure it out together.”

Her sincere voice and warm gaze.

Afraid I might cry again, I quickly focused on finishing the porridge.

…Maybe because of the tears seasoning it, it tasted a bit saltier than usual.

---

“Whew… This event really was… spectacular.”

Zeronix rolled his stiff neck and let out a long sigh.

The one-month anniversary event for the server.

And the incident with the Aegis Golems firing lasers.

Things had mostly settled down, and the server had returned to its usual lively atmosphere.

Of course, the community was still buzzing with talk about Silverhair, the golems, and her new “Spatial Distortion” ability.

Frost reviewed the compiled results and spoke up.

“It ended way too quickly, which is a shame, but in terms of buzz, I think it was a massive hit. The unexpected outcome really spiked community engagement.”

At first, they thought the event had flopped due to going off-script,

But surprisingly, mentions across the community had increased.

A boss monster that looked like it would take hours to bring down,

Was obliterated in one hit by a golem with maxed-out attack power.

The catharsis of seeing it melt away was being talked about a lot.

It helped that this was a streamer server, where people weren’t so sensitive about balance.

There was a unique thrill in watching a meticulously designed boss collapse in one hit.

It was a design oversight,

But since they handed out rewards without fuss, even the dev team, including Zeronix, were able to laugh it off.

Word had it that Kreetzone had been ranting for quite a while, though.

Still, all in all, things ended well.

“Oh right, about the… finale concert tickets. The ones given out as special rewards. Did Silverhair accept?”

It was the final day event of the server—its highlight.

Silverhair and Raidel had been invited as special guests to perform alongside famous streamers.

A bit of fan service, and a last bid to keep the buzz going—a small ploy by Zeronix.

Honestly, he had considered the possibility Silverhair might decline.

She was an enigma. Hard to predict.

Frost checked Raidel’s stream logs and answered.

“Yes, both Raidel and Silverhair confirmed participation. Looks like they’ll both be joining.”

“Okay. That’s great.”

Zeronix sighed in relief.

Silverhair standing on the concert stage?

That would generate solid buzz.

A fitting way to cap off the server.

“But, hey.”

Frost tilted his head.

“Do you think Silverhair… can sing? We know she’s insanely good at games, but singing is a whole different thing.”

Truthfully, Frost was a bit worried.

Raidel, well…

She wasn’t invited for her singing skills.

Her fun personality could carry her even if her performance was lacking.

She had broadcast experience and could read the room well.

She seemed to be taking it seriously, but if she chose energetic songs to liven things up, it would go well.

It wasn’t a talent audition, after all. It was just a fun concert.

But Silverhair?

She wasn’t like Raidel.

If anything, she seemed shy.

She had no broadcast experience.

If her singing was subpar, it could really flop.

She had to be at least good enough to impress.

But.

Zeronix chuckled at Frost’s concern.

“Nah, don’t worry. She’ll be great. Seriously, she’ll be amazing.”

“Huh? How do you know? Have you heard her sing?”

Zeronix wasn’t guessing.

After becoming curious about Silverhair’s gameplay,

He had made time to check out Raidel’s stream.

Specifically, clips featuring Silverhair.

That was the only clue he had to go on.

That’s how he came across her singing.

‘Holy sh*t.’

It was hard to believe she had no formal training.

She had raw talent.

She didn’t sing many songs, probably because she didn’t know that many,

But even a short broadcast was enough to recognize her skill.

No, it was more than enough.

“Hey. Hold up.”

Zeronix confidently typed to find the replay of Raidel’s stream.

“Huh?”

His fingers stopped.

The replays were gone.

He hurried to check Raidel’s E-Tube channel—but even the edited clips were missing.

Like they had never existed.

‘What the… why’d she take them all down?’

He was momentarily flustered.

Then smirked.

He, too, was a streamer. With way more experience than Raidel.

He instantly caught on to her plan.

‘Raidel really is a pro. She’s slick.’

This wasn’t a mistake.

‘It’s less fun if people already know how good she is, right?’

Controlling expectations is key to streaming.

A known talent is great, sure.

But someone unexpected wowing the crowd? That’s even better.

Sure, some fans who watched the singing stream already knew.

But most of the concert viewers would be new.

There might be some leaks via clips online,

But once the source video is gone, people will start to doubt what they remember.

‘Still, she really is looking out for Silverhair. Gave up ad revenue and everything.’

Of course, she probably just made it private and would reupload it later.

It wasn’t a huge loss,

But for a streamer, ad revenue was everything.

So it really did seem like Raidel was backing Silverhair up.

Then again, her stream had blown up thanks to Silverhair.

So maybe it was fair.

It did show some loyalty, though.

‘Guess I’ll stay quiet too.’

No need to explain this all to Frost.

More fun to keep it to himself.

“What is it, bro?”

Frost looked puzzled.

“Nothing important.”

Zeronix shrugged and answered slyly.

He looked at Frost with playful eyes.

“You’re curious? Just wait till the concert.”

“Come on, really? You said she’s good.”

Frost grumbled.

Still doubtful.

Her gameplay was unquestionable.

But singing?

“Don’t trust your bro, huh?”

Zeronix chuckled and tapped Frost’s shoulder.

“…Wanna bet?”

“Yeah. You think she’ll suck, I say she won’t. What do you say?”

“I never said she’d suck!”

Frost hesitated but was intrigued by Zeronix’s confidence.

Did he know something?

Or was he just going off her pretty voice?

Sure, her voice was nice.

But that didn’t mean she could sing.

“Alright, sure. What’s the wager?”

“Hm… loser buys drinks.”

“Deal!”

Frost agreed readily.

If it were a big bet, he’d have sided with Silverhair,

But drinks were a fun enough stake.

“Oh, and one more thing.”

Zeronix changed the subject, suddenly serious.

“The final server event… not the concert. That other one. You’re building it up properly, right? It’s starting soon.”