Chapter 23

I met ‘Defeat Hero Defeat Comfort’ about 9 years ago. We were still in our first year of middle school.

We met in a game, in *League of Legends*.

At the time, LoL was in its twilight.

It had gone beyond being a long-running game and was nearing its 20th anniversary, but it had finally hit its limits.

The number of users was gradually decreasing. The loneliness was getting harsher. The number of weird champions was increasing.

Back in elementary school, being a LoL Challenger meant you were respected among the guys, but just before the game was about to die, even being the top Challenger didn’t get people interested… well, not really. They still cared.

I know because I hit Challenger. Even if the game was dying, the whole school knew about it.

Anyway.

Same Challenger. Same age. Same tastes. These three factors matched, so I became close with ‘Defeat Hero Defeat Comfort’. Oh, and there was one more guy. There was this kid named ‘I Like Bbangbbang’, but I have no idea what happened to him.

When playing *League of Legends*, ‘Defeat Hero Defeat Comfort’ claimed to be a one-trick Kayle, a ranged damage dealer. He loved angels but never said Kayle was bad performance-wise.

So when I saw the angel character Metatron, I immediately thought of ‘Defeat Hero Defeat Comfort’. The guy sent hundreds of angel meme links back then, so it was an easy association.

We were pretty close, but at the same time, our relationship was dry.

We didn’t even have each other’s personal contact info. We didn’t exchange voice chat IDs. We never even used in-game voice chat.

We only communicated through the group chat provided by *League of Legends*, so all I knew about ‘Defeat Hero Defeat Comfort’ was his age. I didn’t know his name, real name, or even his voice.

So when I quit *League of Legends*, the connection was immediately severed.

In this situation, the only way to confirm if the streamer Pape and ‘Defeat Hero Defeat Comfort’ were the same person was to observe his gameplay.

I might not know much else, but I knew his playstyle well.

So I turned on Pape’s stream and timed my queue, and luckily, it worked.

Pape: “No, you sniped me, right?”

Han Yoorim: “I didn’t stream snipe.”

Don’t interrupt while I’m explaining.

After playing a game with Pape, I was convinced.

Pape was indeed ‘Defeat Hero Defeat Comfort’.

I typed in the friend chat window.

Han Yoorim: “I thought you’d abandon your old wife and start a new life. I guess it’s because I wasn’t charming enough.”

Pape: “Please stop talking weird. It’s not an old wife, it’s Kayle. Be clear about it.”

Why is he like this?

I checked Pape’s chat window.

―――

Childhood friend and hehehe

My childhood friend, who I hadn’t seen in 10 years, turned out to be a beautiful girl. Please recommend light novels like this.

―――

Nothing unusual.

I checked my chat window too, and it was fine.

I was overreacting.

Han Yoorim: “Give me your voice chat ID. We lost contact because we didn’t have one. Who doesn’t exchange voice chat IDs these days?”

Pape: “Isn’t it because you said you’d never do voice chat no matter what? I sent you my voice chat ID, so add me.”

As Pape said, I sent a friend request using his ID, and soon a voice chat came through.

When I pressed the accept button, a deep male voice came through.

[Hello?]

“Long time no see.”

At my words, Pape went silent for a moment, then slowly asked.

[……You were a girl?]

“You’re only realizing that now?”

I thought we knew each other’s genders, but thinking about it, even when I was a guy, I hardly ever shared personal details.

I only told him my age for family tree purposes, but nothing else. So it wasn’t too strange that Pape only found out my gender now.

“Does it matter?”

[Well, your way of talking did sound like a girl’s.]

“That’s hindsight.”

My way of speaking hasn’t changed. It was the same even when I was a guy.

In other words, Pape’s words were nonsense.

“Your name being Pape made it easy to recognize. You must’ve liked your old nickname, huh? Shortening it like that. If it were me, I’d go with ‘Defeat—.’”

[Hey, wait. Don’t say that.]

“Why not?”

[I’ve never mentioned it on stream.]

“But you’ve mentioned my nickname on stream, haven’t you?”

Why can’t I roast your nickname? This is a double standard.

[You were a clean user. What’s the problem?]

“If we’re talking clean users, you didn’t swear either. So why can’t I roast your nickname?”

Back in LoL’s twilight era, chat restrictions were strict, so while trolling was possible, swearing was outright impossible.

[It’s…]

“It’s…?”

[Embarrassing.]

“Ah.”

I get it now.

It was that kind of nickname.

When I understood, the viewers went wild in the chat.

―――

What’s this embarrassing nickname that VirginUnicornLoveDog acknowledged? lol

It’s a nickname from middle school. 100% insane.

―――

The viewers started throwing out guesses for nicknames starting with ‘Pae.’

I covered my mouth as soon as I saw a few of them.

It wasn’t *that* crazy.

Well, the elephant in the box is always the strongest.

By the way, Pape, I was going to tell you. Don’t blame me later, okay?

[Hey. What’s up with you?]

“What do you mean?”

[Your reaction speed wasn’t that good before.]

Interesting.

Back when I was a guy, I wasn’t the type to rely on reaction speed, but isn’t this a worldline where I’m a girl?

I thought my reaction speed would be the same as before, but apparently, my physical skills weren’t that great back then.

Maybe they improved after I became an adult.

This was fascinating.

“I’ve gotten good at the game, that’s all.”

[The game?]

“Gaming doping, you know.”

[Gaming doping exists in this world?]

It does.

I took the opportunity to ask something I was curious about.

“What happened to Bbangbbang?”

[Bbangbbang?]

“‘I Like Bbangbbang.’ You know, the guy who liked big-breasted noona.”

I refrained from mentioning more specific preferences, as it wasn’t appropriate for the stream.

[Ah…]

Pape let out a low sigh.

Why is he like this?

―――

Rumen’s preferences are being revealed nationwide lol

―――

Rumen? Isn’t he a pro gamer? I’ve seen his name around the community occasionally.

“Did Bbangbbang become a pro gamer? Well, he did go to become a trainee, so it makes sense.”

[Call him Rumen. You’d feel your face burn too if someone called you by your old nickname…]

“Not really?”

I never had an embarrassing nickname to begin with. I’m proud.

“You’ve been keeping up with Bbangbbang’s news, huh?”

[Well, we’ve been voice chatting for a while now.]

“Except for me?”

I almost cried from the disappointment.

Backroom group chats are a crime. They’re a vicious crime that breaks people’s hearts.

[You were the one who refused to give your voice chat ID no matter what.]

“I had my reasons.”

[What reasons?]

“I couldn’t do voice chat because of home issues.”

[Your home was strict, huh.]

“No? Not really, but…”

Our house is incredibly free. So free that even if a middle schooler plays games until 7 AM on a weekday, no one says a word. Not morning, but 7 AM. People who stay up all night use this kind of notation.

“Our computer was in the living room, you know?”

[So?]

“My mom was watching TV next to me, and if I used the mic, her voice would come through. It’s embarrassing.”

[Just listening is fine, right?]

“But then your voices would leak through the speakers.”

[You could just use earphones…]

“My ears hurt.”

A sigh comes through the mic. Clearly, they were impressed by my logic and let out an excited breath.

After achieving a perfect victory, I suddenly became curious.

“Pape, why aren’t you going pro?”

[If I wanted to, who would let me?]

“You’ve had a lot of offers, right? Your mechanics are still top-notch.”

Pape has always had incredible mechanics. With the brain to match, he was a hot commodity in the pro scene.

“I miss the old Pape. You’d destroy the bottom lane in 2 minutes, mid in 3, and the Nexus in 4.”

[Even with hacks, you can’t do that.]

“Even though you’ve aged, your playstyle is the same. When you’re behind, you respond mechanically. I told you before, but that just makes you easier to read.”

[Most people would call that a calm, emotionless playstyle. You’re the only one who calls it easy to read.]

“Bbangbbang agreed with me.”

[He only agreed because you kept pestering him. Definitely.]

That Bbangbbang guy. Did he just agree because I was being annoying?

This won’t do. This time, I’ll get a sincere agreement.

[Your playstyle is still the same too.]

“I don’t really have a playstyle, though?”

[That sneaky, suffocating, annoying playstyle is how I recognized you.]

Was my old playstyle really like that?

Maybe it was.

But there was no other way.

With mechanics that barely got me to Master or Grandmaster, I had to use tricks to reach Challenger.

But I don’t do that anymore.

I’ve reformed.

―――

You’ve always been a bit shady.

It’s science, science.

If you’re like this now, I wonder how you were back then lol

―――

Weird. Why are the viewers agreeing?

I’m a very clean player now.

Aren’t I?

If not, whatever.

“Can you give me Bbangbbang’s contact info?”

[I’ll tell him to add you as a friend.]

“That’s all I needed. You’re busy streaming, right? I’ll get going now.”

[Don’t go. How about we duo for old times’ sake?]

“Duo?”

I thought about Pape’s position.

His position is Main Carry. So if we duo, I’d have to play Support.

“No thanks.”

[Busy?]

“No, not busy.”

[Then why?]

Why, you ask?

You’re a streamer and you still don’t get it?

“Watching a Support’s screen on stream isn’t fun. I feel bad for the viewers.”

[You really haven’t changed.]

“Thank you.”

[You don’t have to play Support for a duo. Let’s do City Core.]

I thought for a moment and then replied.

“Alright. I’ll do as you say, Pape. But I’ll turn off the stream.”

[Why?]

Why? What did you think I just explained?

“Watching a Support’s screen on stream isn’t fun.”

[You really haven’t changed.]

*

Pape wasn’t the number one live streamer.

He averaged over 10,000 viewers, but that wasn’t enough to take the top spot.

You needed at least 30,000 average viewers to be number one.

[38,647]

And right now, Pape was number one in total viewers on V-TV.

All sorts of interesting situations were happening.

Pape getting sniped (though it was a misunderstanding) and dying repeatedly was entertaining enough, but the sniper turned out to be a beautiful girl (speculated) childhood friend (not really) he hadn’t seen in 10 years?

Couldn’t resist.

And now they’re duoing? Even people who don’t usually watch streams were flocking in.

38,000 viewers wasn’t the highest record in streaming history.

Just two weeks ago, Ga Joon-sik hit 100,000.

But hitting 40,000 with a simple duo stream was extremely rare.

Thanks to that, the VR streaming forum was in a festive mood.

<Found Pape’s old nickname lol>

(Probably something perverted)

100% this

-This guy pretending not to be a weeb, I knew it lol

<Wow, it’s been a while since Pape hit 40k>

First time since that streaming tournament, right?

-He hit it once during the 1v1 tournament too

Most of the talk in the VR streaming forum was about Pape.

But that didn’t mean Han Yoorim wasn’t mentioned at all.

Let’s see what they’re saying.

<If Han Yoorim is like this, she must’ve been obsessed with games since she was young?>

And a former Challenger? People who spend that much time on games usually have a BMI that’s….

-Her voice doesn’t sound like she’s gained weight.

┗It’s hard to tell from just the voice.

<She’s crazy for men, huh?>

Look at her, she’s loving it

-In front of an alpha male, everyone’s the same

-Sigh. I loved her

Let’s stop here.

We’ve gauged the level of the VR streaming forum.

Now let’s check out the VTuber streaming forum, which is also live-streaming Pape’s broadcast.

<If her name is VirginUnicornLoveDog, does that mean she’s a virgin?>

I’m right, aren’t I?

-(Link to average age of first experience in Korea)

┗What you believe is the truth

<ILikedHerFirstWhyOnlyMe>

IKnewHanYoorimFirstWhyOnlyPape?

-Pape met her first, though?

Let’s stop watching and focus on the game.

The Han Yoorim & Pape duo was devastating.

For some reason, Han Yoorim knew the exact locations of the enemy Main Carry, and Pape’s overwhelming mechanics slaughtered the enemies. Their synergy was catastrophic.

Thanks to their rapid win streak, Diamond became a slaughterhouse.

Everyone they met prayed they’d just leave for Challenger.

They went on a 3-win, 4-win, 5-win streak.

And Han Yoorim reached Master.

It was almost the end of April.