It’s not that kind of malicious broadcast

Chapter 37 – A Day Full of Celebrations

A day full of celebrations. The first broadcast reached a viewership of 1,600, and within just two hours, 287,000 won was donated for the Rogue Revival Movement.

It would be great if I could handle the donations as a tax write-off. Most importantly, I earned the “Kickback Privilege” for Ark’s broadcast.

One experience of being unfairly kicked from a broadcast is enough; it’s no longer needed, especially considering Ark’s broadcast doesn’t have the Trial by Combat system.

After carefully placing the wet underwear and shirt in the laundry basket, I took out some soju from the refrigerator and set up with an espresso cup.

At first, it felt awkward, but over time, I found the handle even better than a soju glass. The slightly larger capacity was also pleasing.

With a colorful espresso cup filled to the brim, I took a long sip of the soju, feeling satisfied…

But something was missing.

Yes.

To properly commemorate such achievements and also console myself for the small mistake, I definitely needed some snacks or side dishes. It’s kind of a party after all, even without guests.

It was too late to order delivery, but I decided to head to the convenience store to grab some frozen food to set the mood. There’s no point in overthinking; it just wastes time.

I threw on a hoodie over my shirt, pulled the hood deep over my head, and slipped my feet into my shoes at the front door.

But just as I opened the front door—

Ding-dong.

For some reason, the doorbell rang. Almost simultaneously as the door opened, with my weight pushing it further open, a familiar face gradually appeared through the widening gap.

Someone with a worried yet slightly surprised look, contrasting with their cold eyes, looked right at me.

“Ah. Uh, unni.”

Her gaze scanned me from head to toe, then shifted inside the room through the fully opened door, focusing on the table set with nothing but soju.

… From that angle, she can’t see the soju setup on the table, right?

“…Yena…?”

She can see it. Today really isn’t my day.

***

Where does a person’s identity reside, in the soul or the body?

Over the last six months, I’ve pondered this question—

“Yena. Are you listening?”

A soft yet piercing voice pulled me back to reality from my escapist thoughts.

“Yeah…”

How much time had passed?

Judging by the growing hunger in my stomach, probably about 30 minutes.

Only the droplets slowly running down the now-cold soju bottle seemed to reflect my state of mind.

“Unni isn’t just saying this. Drinking soju alone without any snacks is a dangerous sign…”

Wondering when this would end had long evolved from, ‘Will it ever end?’ to, ‘Let’s just think whatever I want.’

I lowered my head to the floor and muttered another apology.

“Yeah… sorry.”

If only, just a sip of that soju within arm’s reach. Is this what people dying of thirst in the desert in front of an oasis feel like?

Whether it was my throat burning, or my insides, I wasn’t sure.

“Are you taking your medication properly?”

“Yeah.”

It felt like I didn’t even need to think about it anymore; responses came automatically at the right timing.

It was like a rhythm game.

Just like how your fingers move automatically in the correct sequence without consciously thinking, ‘Press left index-middle-ring-index in order’, responses like ‘Yeah,’ ‘Sorry,’ ‘I will,’ ‘I’ll be careful’ rolled off my tongue at the right moments.

“Did you take it today too?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“You didn’t take it with alcohol, did you?”

“What?”

Just like always, accidents happen the moment you think you don’t need to worry about something because it’s automated.

“Yena…! You know mixing antidepressants with alcohol is dangerous! The doctor warned us so many times!”

When I came to my senses, Lee Yeri was holding my right hand tightly, looking like she was about to cry.

Quickly waving my free hand, I hurriedly tried to explain.

“Oh. Oh! You were talking about that medication. I’ve been feeling better lately, so I’ve paused the antidepressants for now.”

“…Really? Then what medication were you trying to take?”

“My stomach hasn’t been feeling well lately. Stomach medicine.”

Especially now, it feels terrible. I swallowed that part back. That was my mistake. I’ve been thinking for a while that I need to fundamentally change how I interact with Lee Yeri.

But she keeps showing up unexpectedly, throwing me off balance. Lee Yeri is too strong. If I let her take the initiative, I just can’t defend myself.

If we have to talk, it’s better for me to choose the topic.

“Do you want to go eat?”

At least while we’re eating, the nagging might stop. And if I eat heartily, it might reassure her.

Lee Yena’s body has always boasted extreme efficiency, not needing much food. But today, I was willing to have a feast if needed.

“Eat?”

“I haven’t had dinner yet. There should still be some restaurants open around here.”

“But it’s already 10 PM, why haven’t-”

“Just because.”

Quickly blocking Lee Yeri’s attempt to turn the tables again, I forced a smile, my lips trembling slightly.

“I thought you might come over without having dinner today, so I didn’t eat either.”

… Am I just bad at impromptu excuses?

I awaited her counterargument, but Yeri just kept her lips tightly shut.

It was hard to read anything from her expression, but at least the nagging had stopped. I considered it a half-success.

*

‘Could she have been delaying dinner all this time, thinking I might come over?’

Yeri found it hard to shake off the worry that her unannounced visits might have inadvertently turned into a faint hope for her sister, even though she didn’t believe her sibling would do that.

‘From now on… I should only visit on pre-determined days.’

Lost in thoughts of guilt and regret, Yeri absent-mindedly followed her sister to a 24-hour ox bone soup restaurant.

“They have great oxtail soup here too.”

Maybe it was because she was living independently now. Her sister seemed to have broadened her culinary preferences quite a bit.

Yena eagerly scooped a noodle-filled spoonful of soup with plenty of leeks into her mouth and bit into a refreshing piece of radish kimchi.

Perhaps she liked it because it was food Yeri had never let her eat during her athletic career, considering the excess carbohydrates and sodium.

But seeing her sister nodding in satisfaction, Yeri realized she didn’t need to dwell on such complicated reasons. Unconsciously smiling, Yeri took a big spoonful of her own soup and brought it to her mouth.

‘It’s delicious.’

For someone who often skipped dinner or settled for a salad due to her busy schedule, the warm soup felt like it was gently soothing her body.

“… Does it suit your taste?”

Seeing Yena’s slightly anxious question, Yeri once again smiled gently.

“It’s delicious. If you want to order anything else, go ahead. Shall I get us some boiled pork slices?”

“Oh! Then—”

“Without the alcohol.”

“Okay…”

Yena’s face fell as expected. Yeri was tempted to scold her sulking sister who had turned her attention back to the soup but stopped herself by shaking her head.

‘Alcohol is bad for your health, but it’s better than drinking alone.’

Thinking this, Yeri was reminded of the solitary soju bottle on the table and called a passing waiter.

“Excuse me, a bottle of soju, please.”

“Sure, which one?”

“Red Jinro Soju.”

The type of soju was decided by Yena’s quick answer, who had already raised her head and lit up her eyes.

Pouring each other a glass, Yeri was about to give some heartfelt advice about drinking responsibly—saying it was fine now because her sister was with her—

“Today’s Friday, is your schedule okay?”

Yena interrupted Yeri’s flow with a perfectly timed question, breaking her rhythm.

“Ah, yeah. I’ll be heading to work tomorrow, so it’s fine. About the alcohol—”

And then, “Are you still really busy these days?”

“It’s about the same as always. Don’t worry too much. But—”

Continuing, “Are you getting enough sleep?”

“…As much as possible? I take naps at the office too, so don’t worry too much—”

On repeat, “Are you eating well?”

“Uh? Yeah, sure?”

Perfectly timed, leaving no room for rebuttal. If this were KoK, there would have been a great parry animation with accompanying effects.

“Don’t skip meals because you’re busy, okay?”

“Ah, sometimes…?”

“You shouldn’t do that. At least eat some fruit.”

“Yeah… I’ll do that.”

“You didn’t eat dinner today, did you?”

Answering Yena’s continuous questions one after another, Yeri suddenly found herself on the receiving end of concern.

As the alcohol flowed, smoothening her sister’s tongue with every sip, Yeri raised her hand to momentarily halt the seemingly endless chain of questions.

“Ah. Speaking of dinner, it reminded me of something.”

“…What? You don’t usually eat dinner, right? So then—”

“Yena. That computer you’re using now is the one I bought for you, right?”

Yeri ran her hand through her sister’s hair, who had suddenly fallen silent with a troubled expression, and continued.

“Yesterday, while eating with my colleagues, the topic of games came up. A junior mentioned that to play KoK properly, you need a good computer. Otherwise, it just doesn’t feel right.”

The computer she had bought for her sister back when she was a poor law school student, saving up her allowance and tutoring fees to gift it.

It was bought with love, but according to that junior, it wasn’t nearly powerful enough to fully enjoy KoK.

“So, I talked to the junior and ordered a new computer for you. It should arrive soon. Try using it, and if you need anything, don’t hide it and let me know.”

Showing the ‘order details’ screen on her smartphone, which listed the specs of the soon-to-arrive computer, “Ah.”

Her sister nodded slowly as she examined the details. From that moment, she stopped her barrage of questions and began to respond earnestly to Yeri’s continued conversation.

It was hard to distinguish between a scolding paired with a high-level reward and genuinely helpful advice.

TL’s Corner:

Haha, Yena got caught drinking alone.

Also, very supportive sister.