episode_0012

Suddenly, I was addressed with an odd title.

“Cat eyes?”

Even if I have cat-like ears and tail, being called “cat eyes” by a person is quite unexpected.

What’s more, the person who called me that isn’t even a guy, but a girl. She looks like she’s in middle school, still giving off a youthful vibe.

But instead of calling me “unni” [older sister], she calls me “cat eyes”…

“Am I just old-fashioned?”

Maybe it’s because I look like a girl even though I’m a high school boy. Or perhaps titles like “unni” or “nuna” aren’t restricted to gender.

If it’s not really the case… then undoubtedly, somewhere along the line, I’ve been given a nickname that refers to me.

It’s a name I don’t like, but it’s akin to how soldiers used to call me “Kasparov,” or how I was referred to as “Twilight Beast” by the Imperial Army.

Wanting to inquire further about this, I gazed intently at the young girl, but she blushed as if embarrassed and quickly turned her head away.

What’s this?

It’s as if she’s saying not to speak to her because she’s not ready. It’s an attitude I couldn’t understand.

However, I couldn’t forcibly detain her and ask, so I momentarily glanced at the girl’s monitor before turning my head back to my screen.

“She’s really bad at the game.”

I kept that thought to myself.

It might be impolite to say, “You’re bad at games for someone I just met.” But when we first made eye contact, her screen was gray due to her character’s death, and it’s still gray now. It seems she really can’t play.

“…But isn’t it impolite to call someone ‘cat eyes’ upon first meeting them?”

That thought crossed my mind briefly, but I decided to stop thinking that way as it seemed endless.

Instead, out of curiosity, I searched “cat eyes” on the internet. The girl next to me, who had been sneaking glances, muttered softly, “She’s searching for ‘cat eyes’!”

Although it bothered me, I tried not to pay attention to her and checked the search results.

“…It really exists.”

Up until the moment I searched, I had been wondering if there might be a character resembling me.

I thought I was just cosplaying.

But as it turned out, there were actually several videos of me circulating on the internet.

Starting from the video of me carrying a woman who had been arrested and fainted all the way to the hospital, to a video taken back in the old days during ‘Anubis.’

For a moment, I caught a glimpse of Adella’s appearance in the video from the Anubis era, then I turned my gaze to the girl sitting next to me.

“Wow…!”

The girl, who had been staring at me absentmindedly, suddenly met my eyes and jolted in surprise.

As she tried to turn her head back to the monitor, I spoke first. However, instead of turning her head back, the girl looked back at me with a squeak.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, yes?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course… I’m Park Daseul, 2nd year, Class 3 at Myeonghak High School… I live in Myeonghak Village, Building 112, Apt. 1105. My phone number is 010-XXX….”

“I’m not trying to ask about that.”

“Is that so…?”

If I had stayed silent, she would have probably told me her bank balance and home passcode, so I was the one feeling flustered.

As I stared at her face, Park Daseul started sweating profusely. Although her focus seemed to be directed towards me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that her eyes were wandering elsewhere.

It was quite an amazing skill! If I could do that, I would have used it for psychological warfare in battles.

“Well… Park Daseul, what I want to ask is about this.”

I pointed to my monitor, which displayed search results for “cat eyes.”

At that, Park Daseul looked noticeably flustered and trailed off in her speech…

“Oh… this…”

“Can you explain what this is? I don’t remember having any pictures taken like this.”

“Maybe you… didn’t know…?”

“You didn’t know either?”

“No.”

“But are the ears and tail real? Even if I touch them….”

“Don’t change the subject, just answer the question.”

Park Daseul looked disappointed, alternately looking at the ears and tail, then pursed her lips.

Then, she leaned forward, as if preparing for some grand speech, and began to stroke her neck as if she were grooming herself.

“Th-the incident started a week ago…”

“Please summarize briefly.”

“…A streamer named Hansua fainted while doing a broadcast to catch a wanted criminal, and in her camera ‘a cat’s eyes’… so, it became a hot topic because you were caught on camera.”

“Why?”

“Pardon?”

“Why did I become a hot topic?”

“Well… because you’re cute?”

“…Am I cute?”

When I asked, Park Daseul looked at me with a bewildered expression.

“Yes! You’re damn cute.”

“Why are you suddenly swearing at me?”

“It’s an exclamation.”

“Students shouldn’t swear or anything like that.”

“But these days, even elementary school kids do it.”

It seemed that “damn” was no longer a swear word but an exclamation. The passage of time was truly astonishing.

But being cute… well, I do recognize that my appearance is rather cute. It’s not like I’m oblivious to the fact that orphanages, educational facilities, and even in the military, people make a fuss over it.

However, I always thought that my emotional expressions were awkward and blunt, and my demeanor itself was serious and charismatic.

In fact, in the military, people used to share snacks with me, saying, “You look cool today.”

“…It’s all because of the ears and tail.”

It was undoubtedly because of these things that my solemn and charismatic atmosphere completely disappeared.

For some reason, it felt like my face was burning, and as I absentmindedly pressed down on the resentful cat ears with both hands, I could hear Park Daseul muttering something.

“Oh. He’s happy.”

“…I’m not happy.”

“His tail is wagging!”

“……”

I gave Park Daseul a glare as if she were some curious spectacle.

Is it the first time you’ve seen a person with a cat’s tail?

“So, I don’t remember being filmed. How did the video end up existing?”

“I’m changing the subject out of embarrassment!”

“…Stop it.”

“Okay.”

It seemed like I had already relaxed, as there was no sign of tension, and I looked overly excited.

The social skills of young people these days are terrifying.

In the military, everyone used to tremble and eagerly share their precious snacks with me whenever they saw me!

“So, what exactly are you curious about…?”

“I don’t have any memory of being filmed, so how is there a video? The person who fainted couldn’t have recorded it.”

As if eagerly waiting for my question, Park Daseul’s eyes sparkled, and she began to chatter excitedly.

“That’s right! The camera that Hansua uses is the [Hyper Max-X Precision Cam]! It’s equipped with three magic stones, so it can even float in the sky. It’s incredibly sturdy, has second-grade concealment functions, and can be used as if broadcasting from within a fortress! Although the price is a bit steep, considering its formidable performance and durability, it’s definitely worth the investment for several years of use! Moreover, when you watch this video, the cam automatically focuses on the owner… capturing your every move. It’s equipped with an automatic tracking feature, so when you were carrying Hansua, the cam followed and filmed you…”

“…So, it’s an artifact used for broadcasting.”

“That’s right!”

I’ve seen something similar a few times.

It’s a camera used during military operations, equipped with first-grade concealment functions, allowing personnel in the field to access and monitor enemy positions in real time through the camera.

Hansua’s streamer cam seemed like a lower-end version of the cameras used for military operations.

As I reminisced about my time in the battlefield, a sudden thought occurred to me.

‘…Then, could I borrow one of those from the military instead of using a regular cam?’

It would save money and allow for a more comfortable broadcasting environment. Killing two birds with one stone.

I silently resolved to ask Baek Sihyun about it next time.

“…So, with just one of those cameras, you can broadcast?”

“You could… But why? Are you planning to start broadcasting too?”

“Well, I’m just considering it.”

Even if I do start broadcasting, should I tell you, whom I’ve just met, about it?

It hasn’t been long since we started talking, yet she’s already calling me “unni.” It was quite surprising.

“When the broadcast starts, could you let me know too? Can you give me your phone number?”

“Uh, um….”

…As if it would make any difference to glare and push away someone who’s sticking close.

In the end, I ended up giving out my number.

It’s the first time I’ve given my number to someone I didn’t know, and the fact that the other person is a high school girl makes me feel like I’ve done something wrong.