episode_0121

“I also know how to play Northern Warworld!”

Choi Hana spoke in a voice full of enthusiasm.

“At Thea… I almost didn’t do it.”

As she said.

Because she always comes home early due to her vertuber activities and organization work, I have never seen her playing Northern War World with her fellow cadets.

Theia has special AR and VR equipment that can be linked to Mana Heart, so there are many cadets who enjoy War World at the training center.

‘You can play at home, though.’

Of course, since it is the number one game with a large number of general users, there were also many users playing on PC.

After school, I also watch Lim Jae-ho or Jeong Si-woo. And I sometimes played co-op at home with friends like JiU.

But Choi Hana had a reason why she couldn’t do that.

Exactly, the reason why you can’t enjoy War World with Theia’s cadets.

‘Even when I played games, I always played them on broadcast.’

Because Naharing’s identity cannot be revealed.

He could not play games with Theia cadets whose identities might be identified.

Although I knew the inside story, I pretended not to know and answered her.

“Do you usually play War World often?”

“Yes… I know how to do it to some extent!”

As Choi Hana said, she was actually quite good at playing Warworld.

Unlike Ha Ye-eun, who cannot get beyond the beginner rank due to her extreme lack of gaming talent.

Because she has reached mid-level rank.

Warworld’s rank is about silver.

So, it could be said to be the optimal rank for streaming.

“Well… then you can sit here!”

I sat in front of the spacious desk with her.

There is a monitor and computer on the desk arranged in a U-shape. And it was full of broadcasting equipment such as microphones and audio interfaces.

‘This is Underdolls’ studio…’

Of course, all PCs are optimized to play the game.

It was a better place to play games than most PC rooms.

Choi Hana hasn’t said anything about that fact yet.

Judging from the idea of doing a duo together, it seemed like she had decided on something of her own.

“Well… Blood Jaguar is also engaged in the internet entertainment business.”

“I see. These days, clans are also involved in various fields of business. It’s not strange.”

“Yes! Well… it’s part of that business method. Of course it’s a legal business! Very wholesome!”

Still, Choi Hana added, as if she was somehow embarrassed.

The name clan is another name for an underworld organization.

“My biological family has ties to the Jaguars… so I also occasionally helped out with the clan’s work. Well… Actually, I didn’t tell anyone in Theia other than Scarlett about this.”

“Really? Then, among Theia’s classmates, this is the first time anyone has said this to me.”

“Ah! First… yes. that’s right. Well… Junwoo is the first to tell me about my personal life.”

For some reason, Choi Hana’s face turned red again when she heard that it was her first time.

As if to erase the awkwardness, Hana Choi personally helped me set up the PC and monitor in front of me.

“Junwoo is a War World Master level, right? I know it well because I heard about it from my classmates in the liberal arts department. So, you will be sensitive to settings…”

“Ah. I’m not that picky about adjusting sensitivity. I think it will be okay.”

At the moment I said that, Hana Choi stood next to me and continued to help me with the setup.

I unintentionally got very close to her.

Choi Hana’s long black hair waved in front of my face.

Unlike Ha Ye-eun or Song Sia, who wear lots of expensive perfume.

I didn’t feel any particular perfume smell.

A fragrant smell, like the scent of body lotion, came from the cadet uniform.

And at that moment, she turned her head towards me as if checking the setup she had helped me with.

“Then, just this setting… will be ok, right? Hehe?!!”

Of course, their bodies were close together.

When she turned her head, my face was right in front of her face.

“Sorry, sorry!!”

There’s nothing to be sorry about, though. The shy and surprised look on her face was so different from her usual cool self that it was honestly cute.

“…… Trigram, it’s okay.”

So, uncharacteristically, I stuttered a little.

And then the two people who sat side by side again avoided each other’s gaze for a moment.

Then, I accessed War World with the familiar opening bgm.

***

The two focused on Warworld for a while.

Currently, it is the Academy Competition, so 3:3 competition is the most popular in Warworld.

So, before playing Duo, I thought I would lighten up and play in a 3:3 public room.

I think about 30 minutes have passed since I started the game.

“xbar!! Aren’t you crazy!!!”

And I was shocked. Choi Hana shouted from the side.

As it is a public room.

The level of other users who joined the two people’s team was also mixed.

It was a normal PC play without using any mana heart synchronization equipment.

But Choi Hana’s reaction was beyond imagination.

‘Did I hear wrong?’

Of course, it seems like self-praise.

Aside from being a professional gamer, I am quite good at playing Warworld.

So, the regular user’s messy play almost made my blood pressure rise.

What surprised me wasn’t the user’s messy play.

“Ha… I missed all the games because of crazy x… x bar… hehe?!!”

And Choi Hana’s head turned as she hit the shotgun on the keyboard while swearing.

He made eye contact with me.

“This… I’m sorry!!!”

She, who had been very angry just a moment ago, was embarrassed when she saw me.

“Ah. are you okay. Because blood pressure often rises in public rooms.”

“That’s not it… Wow, I don’t normally play while cursing like this!”

Since Northern Warworld is a very popular game, in-game swearing and voice chat swearing were common.

Of course, I too have hit the keyboard more than once while playing games.

“Phew…”

That reaction made me laugh without even realizing it.

I had no idea that Choi Hana, and no one else, would be so honest during the game.

‘Come to think of it. Naharing also tended to swear very harshly.’

Naharing is usually a virtuber with a relaxed attitude, like a soft-spoken fox.

Especially when I played games, my personality tended to become combative.

So, surprisingly, being upset about the game seemed like another side of Choi Hana.

“No… Don’t make fun of me! I really don’t swear usually!”

“I’m sorry. Sigh. I’m not kidding. It’s just… I’m so surprised that you get so angry during the game.”

“I’m also an ordinary person. And I can’t help but feel angry while playing Warworld…!!”

“Yes. haha. I understand too.”

He smiled and said playfully to Choi Hana.

Still, her suggestion to play Warworld together wasn’t a bad idea.

Today, Choi Hana was more conscious of me than usual.

‘Are you a little more relaxed now?’

She, who stuttered more than usual, began to speak more naturally as we played War World together.

At that time, Hana Choi suddenly logged out of Northern Warworld.

“Huh? Stop already? Both of them seem to have relaxed their grip a bit now…”

“I’m not trying to quit! Well… I think I can stop playing in public rooms here…”

After saying that, Choi Hana stood up.

He went out to the studio’s entrance for a moment and came back carrying something that looked like a package.

“Noeul brought me drinks and snacks.”

I held the coffee she handed me in my hand.

There, Noeul wrote a message for me on a small sticky note.

[No one will be going into the studio today, so do your best with Hana! (That’s true haha) – Noeul’s sister – ]

I wrote something that could be misunderstood if others saw it, so I hurriedly hid the note.

“Huh? Did Noeul leave something to say?”

“No. Well… it was a note that was often attached when drinks were delivered at a cafe.”

Fortunately, Choi Hana, who did not see the message, kept moving.

“This studio also has mana heart synchronization equipment like Theia. So, like I said at the beginning, I think we can play duo from now on.”

Choi Hana was right.

Here, Underdolls, a female gang member who broadcasts with Choi Hana, broadcasted using that equipment.

‘Because the synchronization equipment is completely optimized for Virtubers.’

In virtual space, it can be played like the actual Awakened combat method with synchronized movements.

Due to that natural synchronization, more precise movements than any other tracking equipment used by vertubers were possible during the broadcast.

That’s why Naharing’s fans worshiped Naharing like a real idol, not a vertuber.

‘Well, I’m not suggesting that we use it for that purpose now.’

Naturally, for awakeners, those who use the synchronization equipment are more familiar with Warworld games and the game becomes more immersive.

I put the synchronization device she gave me on my chest.

It was a simple device that looked like a necklace.

When mana was injected into the equipment, surprisingly, the surrounding scenery changed.

Although I didn’t wear any VR headgear.

The familiar Northern Warworld game lobby unfolded.

A lobby designed like a real-life Hunter Guild office.

My attire consisted of wearing a relatively common hunter jacket.

Since I was connected from the beginning, I was connected in synchronization mode with the default settings.

‘Has Choi Hana not arrived yet?’

She logged out a little while ago.

Tiring-

However, a connection notification sound soon went up in the lobby.

It looks like Choi Hana is online again.

“I’m in. Then, use Duo to find games… Huh?”

But when I saw Choi Hana online, I was momentarily speechless.

‘What happened?’

Unlike me, Hana Choi did not connect as she originally did.

“Ah… Hello!”

Vertuber and Na Haring were standing in the lobby instead of Choi Hana.