I Have a Reason to Hate Streamers

*

[Author: Peropero]

[Title: Ripper’s Round of 16 Interview Translation]

Q. You had a bloody battle against Rime. What are your thoughts?

A. It was a valuable victory. For a veteran player to grow that rapidly is quite difficult, and Rime achieved it. It was a match that made me reevaluate him.

Q. There was no loser interview in the group stage, so I couldn’t ask. What do you think was the reason for your last defeat?

A. As always, there’s no other reason for my defeat. My opponent was well-prepared and skilled. I couldn’t overcome that.

Q. You’ve been showing high regard for Gawol since the beginning of the Arena. Any particular reason?

A. I happened to watch a qualifying match video. I just made an accurate assessment.

……

Q. Is there an opponent you’d like to face in the next match?

A. It’s impossible due to tournament rules, so I haven’t thought about it yet. Regardless of whom I face, I will give it my all.

Q. Your ground technique in the final game of the second set has become a hot topic.

A. … I think it was a good gamble. I prefer not to share any other thoughts on it.

Q. There have been rumors that you had personal feelings involved.

A. Absolutely not!

*

In the video, a man’s hands trembled shiver shiver.

The background seemed to be a small apartment’s folding dining table.

A white bowl held turquoise ice cream and a serving of rice.

A freshly opened beverage can was poured over it.

I didn’t want to watch the eating process, so I skipped it.

However, I did confirm that the man successfully finished his meal, which felt like a hellish feast.

Only after the video ended did I erase a nickname from my kill list.

When someone makes a promise, they should keep it well.

It’s a necessary task anyway, and if you run away, unnecessary noise will be created.

There’s always a price for distrust.

I left a comment saying, “Confirmed~”.

It was a happy ending.

– Is this year any different? Luce, Traveler, Gawol advance in winner’s bracket.

– Ripper successfully reaches the Round of 16 after a fierce battle.

In the loser’s bracket, Ripper defeated an enraged Rime and advanced to the Round of 16.

I heard it was an intense match, but I didn’t see a reason to verify it.

In the Round of 16, you won’t face anyone from your own group anyway.

The next opponent is decided through a draw conducted by the referee.

Winners advance as seed number 1. Losers go in as seed number 2, mixing things up.

My opponent will be the seed number 2 from any group except Group E.

During Ripper’s interview, one part caught my attention.

“The next match opponent…”

Surely, I couldn’t find any particularly prominent players among them right now.

Though none of them are players likely to be easily humbled, they seemed lacking compared to names like Ripper or Kelberos.

With the average skill of survivors increasing so much, they didn’t seem unique.

Even Traveler and Luce advanced in the winner’s bracket, so we wouldn’t meet in the Round of 16.

But shouldn’t I set my sights higher starting from the Round of 8?

“Ugh, I don’t know. Uggggh!”

To relieve my tired body, I stretched out my limbs, and my whole body screamed owww.

I felt my breath calming down a bit.

I had no desire to get up since my stamina was completely drained.

The lounge of the expensive hospital had a dangerously addictive quality.

Even if I twisted the clock, time kept moving.

Similarly, the weekend always comes, and today I worked hard on my rehabilitation training.

Encouraged by the statement that my condition was improving, I ended up overdoing it.

– The test results have definitely improved.

– Although changes are still minimal, resulting in no significant outcomes, overall, things are getting better.

Since I had plenty of time today, should I just rest a little more?

It’s not because the lounge cushion is super comfy or anything.

I just remembered I had something to do.

Yesterday, I received a video of the kendo team from my coach.

I intended to watch it right after training. But instead of checking on my promise, I got sidetracked.

In the video, men in black kendo suits were clashing their swords.

“Wow, they all have so far to go. If they hold the sword like that in front of me, I would….”

A tingling feeling crawled inside my chest.

In a complex emotional mix, I jotted down notes on my tablet.

I wrote their names on the left and added comments on the right.

– Right hand is excessively tense, so left hand isn’t supporting the sword properly. It might be good to correct this with some mental conditioning.

– Lacks basic physical strength.

– Natural physical talent is good, but basic skills are lacking and showing off. If the mindset doesn’t change, won’t last long.

This was my little side gig.

Briefly reviewing the kids my coach teaches.

Though it’s hard for me to go to the training hall due to my body, my eye for technique hasn’t disappeared.

I started it as a way to repay my coach’s kindness, and he consistently deposited a modest appreciation fee.

I initially refused it, but that was futile.

Honestly, it’s been helpful for my living expenses, so I couldn’t keep refusing.

If my legs were a little more functional, I might have tried coaching.

Though since I can’t train directly, there were limits to walking the path of an educator.

Nah, even with that meager pay, it wouldn’t cover treatment costs anyway, right?

Well, that’s all in the past.

Sometimes just watching videos like this is plenty… uh.

I wouldn’t say it’s exactly okay.

“Wow, is that kendo? I didn’t know you were interested in this area.”

“Huh?!”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Just as I was finishing my notes, a voice from behind surprised me and my body jolted whoosh.

If it were someone else, I probably wouldn’t have been shocked.

But it just had to be Luce’s voice.

“Was that rude?”

“No… it’s not a big deal. Kendo is just something I used to practice hard back in the day.”

“Hmm. Kendo is cool. So, are you resting after rehab training again today?”

“Yes.”

As I spoke, I suddenly got chills down my spine.

Recently, I’ve exposed my voice in various places.

What if she notices?

Fortunately, it seems she didn’t connect me to Gawol.

Well, my connection device’s microphone has quite a bit of echo, and the sound quality isn’t the best.

When heard in the video, there was quite a difference from my actual voice.

Luce showed her signature smile with a slight squint.

“Are you here alone today? I was just about to head back. If you don’t mind, I could give you a ride.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Should I just drop you off in front of the bus stop like usual?”

“Uh, well… if possible, could I ask you to take me to the shopping mall?”

“Of course! No problem at all.”

As we left the building, Luce matched her pace with mine slowly.

Being next to her felt comfortable.

That’s because she didn’t pity me.

She once shared my circumstances.

She doesn’t send those pitying looks that turn people miserable.

She merely extends her hand silently when we reach our destination.

“If it’s a shopping mall nearby, the terminal side would be the best. Should we go that way?”

“Yes, please. I’m not planning on buying much, so anywhere is fine.”

“Looks like you’re going shopping. Are you by yourself?”

“I’m fine on my own.”

After walking a bit through the parking lot, the door of a luxurious sedan opened.

I’m completely clueless about cars, but I could tell this one was expensive.

It looked luxurious at a glance, something I had barely seen from outside.

As I timidly got into the passenger seat, the engine started.

“Da-eun.”

“Yes?”

“It’s been quite a while since we last met, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah, I guess so. We saw each other when I first started rehab training.”

Our relationship was limited to brief conversations or occasionally getting a ride.

But when you think about the time, it had to be measured in years by now.

By the way, I still can’t seem to adapt to this car no matter how many times I ride in it.

I’m sure the wheels are moving, but it hardly feels like it vibrates at all.

How expensive of a car could this be?

Do pro gamers in this country earn this much?

My head felt dizzy.

“Would it be okay if I went to the shopping mall with you?”

“Of course it’s fine… huh?!”

“You look so surprised that it’s almost hilarious! If it’s too much pressure, feel free to say no. I was too abrupt.”

“No, it’s not that. I just thought you’d be busy. I didn’t want to be too much of a bother….”

“Bother? I’m the one asking for permission because I want to go. I’m not busy at all today.”

I nodded.

It’s definitely better than wandering around by myself.

Ever since I turned into a girl, this would be my first time going to a shopping mall.

A place that smells of femininity felt starkly opposed to my original self.

No different than the dungeons teeming with monsters.

“Did you just get permission?”

“If you’re going shopping, then of course Luce should go too.”

“Me? Absolutely! It’s been ages since I last shopped.”

Oh? Ages, you say?

Suddenly, a glimmer of hope welled up in my head.

Right, come to think of it, Luce was a pro gamer.

When you pour countless hours into gaming, it’s common to dread the spaces of the cool kids.

Beneath the glamorous exterior, she might also find shopping malls uncomfortable like I do.

Now we had become companions about to walk down a risky path.

Still, just to be sure, should I ask her?

“When was the last time you went?”

“Hmm, it’s been about a month? I should have gone when I had the time, but it turned out like this.”

“…….”

Betrayer.

She deceived me.

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