I Became a Malicious Streamer

I’m thirsty…

I thought I’d just rest my eyes for a bit, but somehow I ended up sleeping until it got dark outside.

When I opened my eyes, the surroundings were quiet and dark; I must have slept for a few hours.

As I passed through the dark hallway, I was feeling my way down the stairs.

“… So, you’re saying – for real?”
“Yeah, #$#…”

From the kitchen, where the lights weren’t on, I heard voices chatting softly.

I had planned on quietly getting some water and leaving, but I tiptoed over to listen.

Upon closer inspection, there were two people sitting at the dining table facing each other.

Only a small mood light was on in the middle.

As I got closer, I realized one was my mother, and the other was an unfamiliar middle-aged man, who seemed to be the father of this household.

“Is Ji-eun sleeping over?”
“Yeah, I think so. She didn’t say much, but she looked tired and fell asleep. It’s for the best. We can all have breakfast together tomorrow.”
“Right, it’s nice to finally have you back.”

Honestly, if they weren’t talking about anything particularly important, I would’ve just jumped in to grab some water and head back.

But sleep had completely vanished from my mind.

There was that little detail of the conversation being about me, but more importantly, the way they were discussing it so seriously made me hesitant to interrupt.

And if I eavesdropped here, I’d surely learn something about what happened to the past Ji-eun.

So, I quietly held my breath and listened in from behind.

“… Have the two reconciled?”
“No, not yet. I went to talk, but she was asleep… If Ji-eun is okay with it, I was thinking we could go to a cafe tomorrow.”

It seemed the issue lay between Ji-eun and my mother, after all.

With the mention of reconciling, it seemed there had indeed been some conflict, but what could it be?

“There’s not much to reconcile, really. Just talking a bit should clear up the misunderstanding.”
“It’s my fault. I didn’t express enough…”
“Why is that your fault? The situation was just what it was.”

Misunderstanding. My curiosity grew as I listened further.

“No, Ji-eun could easily feel that way. Since she’s not a biological child, I should have made extra efforts to prevent her from feeling neglected…”
“It’s not your fault that she found out. Don’t blame yourself.”

Hmm, this seemed to be a bigger issue than I thought. Ji-eun’s situation clearly involved quite the mess.

If she’s not biological, then what is she? An adopted child?

It would be a lie to say there wasn’t a shock to it. However, compared to the real shock Ji-eun must have felt, I was just a bit surprised.

In fact, I could even feel a strange sense of kinship with the original Ji-eun.

If she was adopted, did that make her just like me, an orphan?

“Still, if she came back home like this, then Ji-eun must have healed, right? She didn’t even come when we called before.”

“Yeah… I guess so. Even during dinner, she was chatting well.”
“Try to have a good talk tomorrow. I’m sure Ji-eun missed you too.”

Suddenly, that sense of kinship twisted into quiet jealousy.

How could she go off and claim that her parents didn’t love her when she was adopted into such a good family?

How spoiled could she be?

Yet, on the other hand, I found myself understanding Ji-eun’s feelings.

I had been an orphan since I could remember, but Ji-eun didn’t even know she was adopted.

If she suddenly found out that her parents weren’t her biological ones… would she feel betrayed?

Or perhaps she’d have felt a subtle sense of alienation?

Unlike the biological Ji-yeon, she was a foreigner in this home.

From what I heard, my mother’s blunt personality likely had some impact on Ji-eun’s feelings.

However, even speculating about it, I couldn’t be sure since I had no memories of the past.

I was, after all, the real outsider to this family.

Having uncovered Ji-eun’s secret, I nodded to myself and turned to leave.

It wouldn’t be appropriate to step in for a drink in this atmosphere.

I could hold off my thirst for a while. Not being able to drink right now wouldn’t kill me; I could come back later or just go back to sleep.

I’d overheard everything I needed, and tomorrow I’d have to think about what to say during my conversation with my mother.

What should I say if she apologizes? Should I just mumble that it’s okay, or start with my own apology?

As I was running this simulation in my mind, I suddenly stumbled on the stairs.

“Whoops!”

While looking at the lit kitchen, I shifted my gaze to the dark stairs, thinking I was holding onto the rail, but I ended up slipping and flailing in the air slightly.

Though I turned my body to minimize the noise, it still let out a significant sound.

“What was that noise? Did the kids wake up?”
“Is it Ji-yeon, or… is it Ji-eun?”

Of course, that noise wouldn’t go unnoticed in the kitchen.

I hung my head, bracing for the upcoming situation.

*

-Not that it’s completely infertility… but it’s a bit harder for you to get pregnant compared to others. So maybe you shouldn’t have too great expectations…

When I first heard that, I thought my world was crumbling.

It was just a little over three years since I married my husband, a time when the honeymoon was fading, and I was starting to want a child.

Despite having countless intimate moments, why wasn’t I getting pregnant?

Feeling uneasy, I made a visit to the hospital, secretly hoping for good news, only to hear that news.

Not infertile, but my chances of getting pregnant were low. That was my condition.

As time went on and my age increased, the chances of pregnancy would grow even slimmer.

On top of that, while my in-laws and my own parents didn’t pressure me, I could tell they were just waiting to see a grandchild.

Even putting that aside, I wanted a child more than anyone.

I wanted to have the fruit of love between my husband and me. I would often turn my gaze to mothers guiding their children.

Why was I being given such trials? Was it because I hadn’t faced much hardship in life until now?

I was sinking deeper into despair, filled with all sorts of thoughts during that time. Even my husband’s comforting words couldn’t lift the sadness that consumed me—I didn’t want to do anything.

Even when I forced myself to have more intimate moments with my husband, I was growing weary, finally telling myself I should give up.

Then I met Ji-eun.

-I feel so bad for that little one.

-Are there no relatives who can take her in?

-I heard both parents have no connections…

Her father had passed away in a car accident. Her mother died giving birth due to her frail constitution.

Ji-eun had been alone since birth.

Watching her squirm alone in the incubator felt both pitiful and adorable.

It felt like fate when I heard the nurses talking at the obstetrics clinic, that she would be sent to a protection center soon.

Without hesitation, I decided I would adopt her.

It didn’t take long to persuade my husband. Later, I found out that just seeing me, who had been so haggard, glow with happiness was enough for him to agree.

Since both my family and in-laws were open-minded adults, they had no opposition to me adopting Ji-eun.

In fact, they encouraged me, saying it was a difficult decision, but a good one.

We had briefly thought about giving her a new name, but since Ji-eun had already grown on our tongues, we decided to stick with it.

Somehow, her name suited her well.

Bringing Ji-eun home, I felt so proud of the wonderful moments we shared.

Raising a baby wasn’t easy, but I was happy. It didn’t matter if I spent sleepless nights trying to soothe a crying baby.

Watching Ji-eun grow day by day filled a void in my heart, leaving me with a strange sense of satisfaction.

From her crawling on the floor to walking on her little legs towards me for a hug.

When she looked up at me and called me “Mom,” it felt like I had the whole world.

Those days of feeling proud that adopting Ji-eun was the right choice were supposed to last indefinitely as I watched her grow alongside me.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re pregnant. It’s been 8 weeks.”

Maybe because I brought Ji-eun home, things became harmonious between my husband and me again.

I found myself unexpectedly pregnant.

Everyone in the family, including my husband, was thrilled, and I accepted the news about Ji-eun’s little sister in a daze.

It was a high-risk pregnancy. Plus, with my body already said to make it hard to conceive.

Fortunately, it didn’t end in miscarriage, but Ji-yeon was born quite weak.

From an early age, she often fell ill, and parenting her was so much harder than it had been with Ji-eun.

It wasn’t that I neglected Ji-eun; it’s just that Ji-yeon needed so much more care, so I concentrated on raising her.

What I didn’t know was that this could hurt Ji-eun.

– “Mom, I have a school event today.”
– “Is Ji-yeon sick? She has a high fever… I think we need to take her to the hospital. Huh? What did Ji-eun say?”
– “… Nothing, I’ll be back after school.”

Caught between a busy father and a mother who couldn’t pay her any attention, Ji-eun became a child who couldn’t express her feelings of dislike.

Before I knew it, she had grown into a capable firstborn who knew how to handle everything on her own.

And I, foolishly unaware, found joy in that development. Not realizing that something was festering within my child.

I was the only one oblivious to the symptoms. The bond between my daughter and me was gradually fraying.

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