Chapter 42 - Cat Pajamas Incident
I placed four fingers on the keyboard instead of two, and during the countdown, I drifted into thought.
It had been a long time since I played a rhythm game with four keys. I started with two keys and managed to clear all the maps without any issues, though I repeatedly felt the limitations of two keys. I failed countless times but attempted even more. While Lesik was a game I played purely for fun, rhythm games had become a source of minor comfort for me. Of course, 98% of that comfort came from Chocoa.
Thinking of Chocoa, who appeared strongly in my mind once again, I pressed the keyboard.
-“Uh… Mom… I need some underwear…”
-“Isn’t that mine…?”
Aroalo: “Sir, isn’t this a bit much?”
= “What are you talking about?”
= “Please change your own underwear and don’t burden your parents.”
-“Hahahaha, was it really that?”
-“…Mom, I’ll take care of it…”
Baraa’s broadcast went on for quite a while. For the next few hours, she tried other maps, then switched the broadcast topic to “Just Chatting,” claiming her fingers hurt. She expressed her gratitude while responding to donations and various chats, but as soon as Chocoa’s broadcast notification popped up, announcing she was ending early for the day, Baraa’s broadcast closed and immediately hosted Chocoa’s.
Several days passed. Every day, Su-yeon called the manager, asking if she could return to work, but she was repeatedly denied, only receiving permission on Saturday morning. For some reason, Chocoa’s recent broadcasts featured rhythm games, but she struggled even on the second level of the basic maps, nearly slamming her desk in frustration, though she ultimately finished with just a small tap.
“Hm… Hm… Hmhm…”
“…You don’t like it?”
I was in a bit of a headache-inducing situation. My younger sister had given me clothing as a belated moving gift. Normally, a simple clothing gift as a congratulation for moving wouldn’t pose any issue, but there was definitely a problem.
“Why… is it… cat pajamas…?”
Inside the shopping bag was a clearly visible pair of pure white cat pajamas. I hadn’t taken the clothing out yet, but through a small gap, I could clearly see pink cat ears and a cat paw pattern on the white fabric.
“…Well… I was walking downtown… and saw it…!”
Though I sensed a hint of a lie, I didn’t comment further and carefully took out the clothing.
“…………”
The clothes in the shopping bag turned out to be exactly cat pajamas. I looked at my younger sister, who stared back with sparkly eyes.
“No…?”
Holding both hands together, my sister bent down slightly, striking a pose that made it impossible to refuse. Sighing, I unwrapped the package.
“…Alright… I’ll wear it, but… don’t get too excited…”
She acted like this unless she really wanted something. Her heartfelt request, something I hadn’t seen in years, left no room for refusal. Entering my room, I began taking off my clothes one by one.
Or maybe not…?
“Hey, Minyoung?”
– “Yeah?”
“Do I… wear underwear with this?”
– “Oh… oh, yeah! Really…!!”
“…Got it…”
After putting on my sports bra, which I felt bare without, I wore the unexpectedly soft pajamas and slipped into the pants, completing the outfit.
Wait… this thing has a tail?
While checking out my outfit, I discovered a few interesting details. At the end of the sleeves, there were cat paws I could use anytime, which seemed handy for cold hands. The hood was topped with cat ears, and a wobbly tail hung from the back.
To make the tail move, I swayed my hips a bit, watching it gently sway along. Thinking I’d be a complete cat if I had cat-paw slippers, I stepped out of my room.
“Cats are the best,” I grinned.
In the living room, Minyoung was cuddling and rubbing her face against Strawberry.
“Meow!”
As I emerged, Strawberry swiftly escaped from my sister’s embrace and ran toward me. By the way, after being fed a lot over the past few days, Strawberry had experienced explosive growth. She was now big enough to get down from the bed by herself and, after a few attempts, could even jump into my lap if I was sitting on a chair. Unfortunately, she still couldn’t climb onto the bed on her own.
I crouched down and hugged Strawberry, who ran over, and from the front, I heard an excessive number of camera flashes.
“……..”
For several minutes, Minyoung took photos from various angles, capturing every detail, and finally lay down on the floor with a satisfied expression.
“Happy now?”
“…Thank you very much.”
With an odd response, we continued chatting over our meal, just the two of us, as Eunah-unnie had chosen to stay home, wanting a break. Eunah-unnie had been living a busier life than I’d seen before. She went to school, spent her time doing assignments, and watched streams or played games late at night. Although it had only been a few days since she became a channel manager, she was only available to help on weekends.
“…Are you getting along well with Si-ha? I think he’s the one person you know well.”
“…I don’t know. I don’t like him.”
“Why? He’s nice.”
“He keeps trying to be friendly, talks to me a lot… helps me out… I just don’t like him… just….”
“………”
While thinking that I should probably have my sister talk to a counselor as well, I continued eating.
“…So, what should we do now?”
“Good question… I’m feeling a little sleepy…”
While sunbathing, lying next to my Sister and Strawberry, I felt the warmth and softness of my pajamas, and drowsiness washed over me.
“…Unnie.”
“What?”
“I want to see you stream.”
“What?”
My sibling’s words immediately cleared away my drowsiness.
“Purr…”
It seemed Strawberry had already fallen asleep.
“I mean, I don’t mind you watching… but shouldn’t you stay off-camera…?”
“…Unnie.”
“Hm?”
“I’m sorry, but just the fact that you came to my school means everyone already knows I’m your sister.”
“…I’m sorry…”
Apologizing to her, who was already known because of me, I saw her shake her head and accept my apology.
“Then… should I go live?”
Baraa has started a live broadcast!
– Sister
Viewers flooded in, a lot more than usual. The title “Sister” spread rapidly, and within moments, Baraa’s stream link reached the top of the recommendations. Less than five minutes into the stream, it reached Twitch’s main page.
The microphone and camera were still off. Shocked by the number of viewers, I looked at my sister sitting on the bed, and she seemed just as wide-eyed.
“Is this… normal…?”
“Good question… has it ever been this crowded?”
“Maybe it’s because of you…?”
“Nah… It’s just because it’s Saturday, I guess…”
“Well, then… should I turn on the mic?”
Clicking the mouse, I turned on the mic and greeted the viewers.
“Uh… Hello. Wow, way more of you came than I expected…”
– “What’s with the title!!!”
– “OMG, so many people here lol”
– “Oh, your voice is back! Are you fully recovered?”
“Yes… I think I’m almost fully better now.”
“…?”
Turning slightly, I saw my sister looking at me with curiosity.
– “Explain the title!!”
– “Ex”
– “plain”
– “the”
– “title”
“Yes? Oh… it’s just because my sister is right behind me…?”
– “?!”
– “Turn on the camera right now!!!”
“Uh… Hey, you… do you want to say hello or something?”
“Uh… Hi…”
– “Noona!!!!”
– “Noona’s here!!!”
– “Wow, she has an amazing voice too.”
“Oh… thanks?”
Nervously greeting the viewers, she stammered a bit and, even without the camera on, showed some odd gestures and a faint accent, clearly nervous. Smiling, I continued leading the broadcast, reminding myself that I was the streamer here.
“Well… I didn’t plan anything special for today. I was going to sleep, but my sister wanted to try it out, so we’re just doing a short stream.”
“Yes, the weather’s been great since that rain last time. It’s perfect for doing laundry.”
“A camera? Hm… I’m not sure…”
“…Should I turn it on?”
I looked at my sister, who then stared back and spoke.
“Uh… Did you forget what you’re wearing?”
Her words reminded me of my outfit, but I didn’t mind. After all, it’s my house, and I can wear pajamas if I want to.
“It’s fine. I’ll turn it on.”
My sibling nodded, and I activated the camera.
“Hello.”
The screen shifted from black to camera mode. With over a thousand viewers, the chat, which had been moving constantly, froze for a second.
Aroalo: “Sir, should we arrange a meeting later?”
CoffeeIsBeer: “I feel like visiting, Aroalo, let’s schedule that meeting.”
Aroalo: “Sure.”
As my broadcast managers Eunah-unnie and Aroalo made some odd comments, the chat…
My computer made a whooshing noise, and the stream crashed.
“…Unnie… I might be a little scared of people now.”