Chapter 79 : Summer Special Game (1)

“Unnie, I really enjoyed the meal!”

As soon as we left the restaurant, Yoo Seoyeno let out a happy exclamation.

She patted her belly, as if to emphasize that she was full.

“Expensive Hanwoo really is different, this is what it means to melt in your mouth.”

She kept expressing her admiration, clearly enjoying the meal.

Seeing her so happy made me feel proud as well.

‘It really was delicious.’

Seoyeno seemed to be trying to be considerate, so she ordered a cheaper cut of Hanwoo.

But I intentionally ordered the more expensive cuts, like the flower sirloin and rib-eye, and fed them to my younger sister.

Honestly, well.

My wallet did hurt a little.

Okay, it hurt quite a bit.

But it had been a while since I saw my younger sister, so I thought this much was okay… probably.

“I haven’t had flower sirloin in years. Hehe.”

Seoyeno, as if trying to savor the taste of the meat we just ate, started acting overly excited, but then glanced at me cautiously.

“But unnie, are you sure you’re okay? Wasn’t that a bit much?”

When we first ate, I purposely picked the cheaper cuts (of Hanwoo), and now Seoyeno was slightly concerned, wondering if I was pushing myself too hard.

‘I can understand that.’

Not long ago, I was unemployed.

If someone suddenly treated me to such expensive food, I would probably be worried too.

It was expensive, but considering the payment I received from Rydel and my first broadcasting paycheck, it wasn’t really a huge stretch.

My younger sister liked it, and I also enjoyed it, so…It’s all good, right?

“I’ll treat you again next time.”

I whispered softly, and Seoyeno looked at me with wide eyes.

“Hehe. Thank you. It was really delicious. But…”

As soon as I mentioned treating her again, Seoyeno’s face lit up.

Just seeing that, it reminded me that she was still young at heart.

“Next time, I want to go somewhere like a cold noodle place, or maybe Chinese food…”

Seoyeno liked cold noodles, but of course, if she could choose, she’d go for Hanwoo again.

She was clearly trying to pick something affordable, worried about my wallet.

“Okay, I got it.”

I patted her head, though it felt a bit awkward since she was slightly taller than me.

“Then, next time, let’s all go as a family.”

After sending my younger sister off at the bus stop, I made my way home.

As I opened the front door, a cozy atmosphere greeted me.

‘Phew.’

Returning to my comfortable space made me feel relaxed.

I had planned to treat my younger sister to a meal, but…‘It really was delicious.’

Thinking back, the Hanwoo was truly amazing.

The phrase “melt in your mouth” was spot on.

The savory juices that filled my mouth were still vivid in my memory.

Of course, the price tag was really outrageous.

‘But.’

The image of Seoyeno waving goodbye with a big smile stuck with me.

Seeing her so happy made me feel like that kind of expense wasn’t a big deal at all.

“Uhtsha.”

Just as I was about to change into comfortable clothes and collapse onto the bed.

Ding ding ding.

My phone rang.

A familiar name appeared on the screen.

‘It’s from Hayun?’

It was a call from Rydel.

‘I was just about to call her.’

I remembered the YouTube video we briefly watched at the restaurant.

The latest trending game recommended by the algorithm.

I had already planned to call Rydel to discuss some content, so it felt almost like telepathy when she called me first.

“Hello?”

“Seoyeon! I watched your debut stream, it was great!”

I could hear Rydel’s voice on the other end, sounding strangely excited.

“Oh, you watched the replay?”

If it’s about my debut broadcast, it must be referring to the time when I checked the chat late, right?

Before that, I had muted the chat and donation alerts, focusing solely on the game.

“Hehe, by the way, I can’t believe you surrendered to capitalism.”

Rydel said in a teasing tone.

She was referring to the time when I declared the end of my stream but then sang because I was tempted by a 300,000-won donation.

It was a slightly embarrassing memory.

“But 300,000 won… you know, it was way too much money.”

I scratched my cheek and said defensively.

Honestly, I couldn’t resist.

How could I resist 300,000 won?

“No, no. It was actually fun.”

Rydel laughed.

“I liked the impromptu karaoke part! For a streamer, adaptability is really important. It’s about handling unexpected situations.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. And considering it was your first broadcast, you did really well. You were a bit nervous, but that made it even cuter.”

I felt my face heat up a little.

“You did great for your first time.”

I was shaking the whole time, but I was relieved that Rydel saw it in a positive light.

Compliments always felt nice to hear.

“So, what are you planning for your next stream? Do you have any content in mind?”

“Actually, I was planning to contact you about that,”

It was a perfect time to bring it up, so I shared my idea.

“Do you know the game ‘Scrap Planet’?”

Scrap Planet.

It was a game that came up on YouTube’s algorithm while I was watching videos at the restaurant.

“Ah, that one? Yeah, I know it. It’s really popular right now.”

Rydel seemed to be familiar with it too.

Honestly, any game streaming pro would know about it by now.

“Yeah! It’s a horror game where you go to a deserted planet to collect scrap and sell it. It’s a VR game, and I think it supports up to 3 players…”

It was officially released a few days before the Pixel Wars streamer server closed.

“Would you like to play it together? I think it would be fun.”

It felt like the game we first played together.

It had a similar vibe to Chain Roller, but the difference was that while Chain Roller was at the indie “bad game” level,Scrap Planet was a well-funded game for a horror title.

It was an anticipated game.

It had been somewhat overshadowed by Pixel Wars Streamer Server until the server shut down, but after that, gaming streamers who cared about trends started flocking to it.

“Ah, right? That doesn’t sound bad. Haha, I’ve been thinking about it too…”

Kim Hayun’s voice seemed to tremble slightly,But maybe it was just my imagination?

Anyway, it seemed like Kim Hayun was willing to play Scrap Planet together.

But then, a new problem arose.

“So, what do we do about the third person?”

The biggest feature of Scrap Planet.

It wasn’t just recommended to play with three people, it was mandatory.

It was impossible to play with fewer than three.

You had to form a 3-person party to play the game.

“Hmm. Since this is a big-budget game, I think it’d be better to play with a streamer than with viewers.”

Unlike Chain Roller, which could be casually enjoyed like a bad game,Scrap Planet was a major game that required focus, so it was better to play with a streamer who was somewhat verified.

Kim Hayun seemed to be thinking for a moment.

After a brief silence, she spoke as if she had remembered something.

“Oh, actually, there’s someone who would be perfect to play with…”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She likes games, and… she’s a woman, so I think you’d feel comfortable too. But, um…”

Kim Hayun’s voice seemed to hesitate for a moment.

“…I think it should be fine. Just a second.”

It seemed like Rydel was checking something.

“Oh, she says she can join the voice link now.”

Voice Link.

A program that connects the voices of people who are connected.

Streamers also used it as an essential tool during collabs.

“Can you join too, Seoyeon? I thought it’d be nice to at least greet her.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

It was sudden, but I didn’t have a reason to refuse.

Since we were going to play together, it was better to greet her beforehand.

I turned on my computer, ran the Voice Link program, and connected to the channel address Rydel sent.

The other two were already in the room, as their usernames were listed in the participant list.

Rydel, and someone named Siren.

With a ding sound, I heard Siren’s voice.

“Ahahaha! Hello!”

A bright and lively voice.

It was the kind of voice that made you feel good just by listening to it.

“I’m Siren! Seoyeon, your performance was amazing!”

Siren?

Siren.

Ah, now that I think about it, I think I’ve heard of someone like that.

The concert on the last day of the Pixel Wars server.

The avatar with mint-colored hair who sang there briefly crossed my mind.

Actually, I didn’t remember very well.

A fleeting fragment of memory passed by.

“Oh, ah! Nice to meet you, Siren!”

I greeted her, stumbling over my words without realizing it.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Siren!”

To be honest, it was almost the first time I was hearing that name, but I said that out of courtesy.

No, I think I’ve heard the name somewhere before, even if just in passing.

I was sure we had been together on the Pixel Wars streamer server, but my memory was blurry.

‘By the way.’

Suddenly, another thought crossed my mind.

‘Hayun also… had close streamers.’

For some reason, I always thought Hayun didn’t have many friends.

No, more like, she liked to play games alone, that kind of image.

But to immediately look for a streamer to play with, that was a bit unexpected.

“So, um, are you two close… friends?”

I cautiously asked, curious.

“No, no! It’s not like we’re that close,”

Siren answered cheerfully.

“I actually contacted Rydel first!”

“Huh?”

“I thought you two might be close. You said you’d love to do a stream together if there was a chance!”

Siren’s voice got even higher in pitch.

“During the streamer server finale concert, wow, it was so amazing! How do you sing so delicately?”

“Ah… really?”

“That… slightly melancholic but nostalgic feeling! The tone was just… wow.”

It seemed like Siren was genuinely amazed.

“And do you happen to know a famous composer? The song you sang, it was a new one to me, but the melody was so good! It had that unreleased hit feel to it?”

“It was a pretty difficult song, but your voice really brought it to life.”

“Ah, ahaha…”

With the overwhelming praise, a bead of cold sweat started to form on my back.