“Wow…”
I came back to my room with arms full of snacks that Bora and Haru had bought for me. They were all my favorite snacks, so just looking at them made me smile.
Of course, I planned to savor them slowly. Eating them all in one day wasn’t a good idea. I slowly walked over to my desk because I had to start my broadcast.
It was the same routine every day. After lunch, I’d start my afternoon broadcast. Since I streamed daily, I even had some regular viewers. My mic, which cost 20,000 won, broke before I could even use it properly, so I had to order a more expensive one.
[‘Hanaboraharu’ has started the broadcast!]
[Viewers: 35]
Not long after starting the broadcast, people started flooding in. For a small streamer like me, this was top-tier.
– Hi hi hi
– Cubing again today?
– Let’s go jungle Grama today lol
– This dude’s Grama is insane except for jungle lol
– [Hello!]
Since the mic was on its way, I typed to chat with the viewers. Streaming was pretty fun. The thrill of interacting with viewers in real-time was unmatched by any other job.
[Today, we’re teaching the noobs again.]
– Teaching the noobs – Current record: 1 win, 5 losses
– Who’s the noob here?
– Lol, the guy struggling in Diamond and Master, Grama main lol
‘Ugh…’
I laughed at the viewers’ sarcastic comments. They weren’t wrong—my brain wasn’t exactly cut out for the jungle role, where strategy mattered more than mechanics.
Well, mechanics weren’t completely useless. They were essential for skirmishes. But as the game progressed, my lack of strategic depth in vision control and objective fights became glaringly obvious.
I often couldn’t carry the early-game leads I created. That’s why I kept losing games as a jungler. It was unavoidable. Though lately, I’d been improving a bit…
But my elementary school-level brain wasn’t exactly suited for the battlefield of cyber gladiators.
Currently at Master 0 points, one more loss would demote me back to Diamond. I had to win the next game at all costs.
[I’ll carry this one with my life on the line.]
I queued up with a determined expression, though the chat remained calm.
And 30 minutes later…
[Defeat]
“Argh!”
I grabbed my hair and rolled around on my bed. I played well, but my team was the problem. It’s always the team’s fault. No matter how well I played, if my teammates were trash, there was no winning.
In lower tiers, you could carry despite bad teammates, but the higher you climbed, the harder it became to cover for their mistakes.
– That last throw was insane
– “I’ll carry” – 30 minutes later – “Team diff, gg”
– Honestly, I thought we’d win after the early lead, but our comp was just bad.
I got demoted back to Diamond. Defeated, I had no choice but to sit back down in my chair. Demotion aside, I still had to keep streaming.
– This guy’s mechanics are legit. If he had a brain, he’d hit Challenger.
– But his tone sounds like a kid? Feels like I’m talking to my nephew.
– A kid who spends 5 million won a day on cubes? Nah, he’s probably just rich.
– His chat style is like a normal guy in his 20s, but sometimes he sounds like a kid.
“Hmm…”
Last time, when someone asked my age, I said I’d be in 3rd grade next year, but no one believed me.
Bora told me not to reveal my face, so maybe once the mic arrives, the misunderstanding will clear up? My voice sounded like a typical girl’s.
[I’ll cube and end the stream.]
Since today wasn’t my day, I closed League and opened Icarus. There were still a lot of gear pieces I needed to optimize, so I casually swiped my card and bought unlimited cubes.
– Let’s go
– Will we get triple attack today?
– Honestly, doesn’t this guy spend the most on cubes among streamers?
– Spending 500k a day on cubes isn’t common, but even after all that, he still doesn’t get what he wants lol
Bora said the money I earned was like an endless well, as long as I didn’t touch the principal. So, following her advice, I spent freely.
Bora didn’t seem to mind, so it was probably fine. With a determined expression, I started rolling cubes to get the stats I wanted.
——————————————–
Lately, my days have been packed. I wake up in the morning, recharge in the sunlight while watching TV. After doing a bit of homework, I recharge again during lunch.
Next time, after doing an internet broadcast, since it was winter and the days were short, I went out to eat with either Bora or Haru, whoever hadn’t left work yet in the evening.
My fulfilling daily routine had been established. But lately, my stomach felt weird. Like the sunlight wasn’t entering my body anymore? Maybe it’s like when a battery is overcharged. Holding my bloated stomach, I said to Bora.
“Bora, my stomach feels bloated…”
“Are you okay? Everyone in the lab has left for the day… Can you hold on until tomorrow morning? If not, let’s go to the nearby hospital right away.”
But I was too lazy to go out. Going to the hospital because of bloating? And since it was bearable, I told Bora I could hold on until tomorrow morning.
“Let me pat your back first.”
“Okay…”
Bora patted my back vigorously. I felt like something I had eaten was going down. Bora’s hands were indeed magical.
———————————————-
“Ugh…”
I realized I had forgotten to draw the curtains yesterday. The sunlight pouring in was bothering my eyes. I opened my eyes. But something felt off. It felt like I was wearing clothes that didn’t fit.
“What’s this…?”
My dinosaur pajamas couldn’t have shrunk this much. They were supposed to be roomy, so unless I turned into a pig, they shouldn’t have gotten smaller. I flailed my arms around and got up from the bed.
My vision seemed higher. Was my room always this small? Normally, when I got up from bed, my feet would dangle in the air before touching the ground, but now my feet reached the floor even while sitting on the bed. Usually, my legs were short, so they would dangle in the air.
I had no choice but to call for help. The first person I thought of when something was wrong with my body.
“Bora!!! Ugh!”
I was startled by how high-pitched my voice was and covered my mouth with my hand. My voice was supposed to be childlike, but now it sounded like an adult woman’s.
I hadn’t noticed it earlier because I was still half-asleep, but now I realized my body had completely changed.
I heard someone running down the hallway. There should only be one person in the office now, Bora. The door slammed open, and Bora appeared.
I said to Bora in a tearful voice.
“Bora… I think something’s wrong with my body.”
But contrary to my expectations, Bora looked at me with a confused expression, like she was seeing a stranger.
“Who are you?”
———————————————–
Haru came to work at the research institute today, smiling brightly as usual. Very few people actually enjoy going to work.
If you ask a random office worker on the street if they enjoy going to work, nine out of ten would glare at you and ask if you’re joking.
But Haru could be that one person.
“Hmm hmm~”
While waiting at a traffic light, Haru took out her phone and scrolled through her photo album. It was filled with pictures of Hana. Haru, who loved her nieces when meeting relatives, found immense joy in Hana’s presence at work.
At first, she was a bit scared of this creature, but after spending time with Hana, she realized she was just a little kid. Once she realized Hana was a pure, untainted child, Haru’s affection for her skyrocketed.
And the company, which was barely breaking even, completely revived with Hana’s arrival. Not only did it turn a profit, but bonuses started pouring in, something they hadn’t even hoped for.
With that, no one at Starlight Research Institute could dislike Hana. Everyone loved her.
Haru, who came to work early, stopped by Hana’s room before going to the office.
But there, a mature woman with the same hair color as Hana was sitting and crying. Next to her was Bora, looking flustered and making phone calls.
“Huh?”
Haru couldn’t comprehend the scene unfolding before her eyes.
