My viewers had this uncanny sensitivity to the word "snipe" — they'd lose their minds over it.
I first noticed it when I got intentionally trolled in a match.
"Ugh, is this a snipe?"
One little comment, and the chat just started growling.
They were human beings, I swear, but they were typing like actual animals.
And it wasn't just that. Whenever I said "snipe" instead of "sniper," it'd happen again.
- Sni…pe
- Hyeok-ah, I'm sorry
- Sniping is bad sniping is bad sniping is bad sniping is bad sniping is bad
- getchaechaeouttamyheadgetchaechaeouttamyhead
- I will kill the snipe that killed Chaechae that killed Durihyeok.
A flood of unhinged messages like that.
Obviously not everyone — it was a handful of the normally well-behaved viewers who'd suddenly snap and go feral.
Were the trolls who'd migrated over from Durihyeok's stream still lurking around?
I had no idea why they were still squatting in my channel.
'Once Durihyeok comes back, those types will all disappear, right?'
My mindset was basically: just keep them from causing trouble in other people's channels until then, and hand them back when the time comes.
That was the whole reason I'd started streaming in the first place, after all.
Not that I minded them.
They're like the neighborhood strays. Yep.
Kind of like that one dog who lives behind the school gate.
That dog's eyes go from glazed and vacant to bright and dewy the second you say the word "snack."
Anyway. The whole thing with Masok's channel getting raided just now was entirely my fault.
I realized it too late and went to check the other streamer's broadcast — and sure enough, my viewers had stampeded right in.
"Ahem."
My train of thought had been pretty simple.
Masok isn't a viewer, so it's not viewer participation — it's streamer participation. Streamer join-in? Str-join?
Wait. This is different from when Kim Eun-ha and I ran into Durihyeok — he came in knowing exactly who I was. Isn't that basically a snipe?
And his ID is Masok Sniper.
Sniper?
Heh. What a sniper. What a snipe-lord.
What a cheap ID.
Drunk on the sweetness of victory, my urge to make a terrible pun was growing by the second.
Yeah, that's what I was going for — a wordplay attempt.
'So like, his nickname is Sniper, which in Korean is 저격수, and if you dumb it down you get 저격러… snipe-lord… that was the joke….'
Nobody got it, and I started to explain, then gave up.
Having to explain a failed joke a second time? That's not a joke, that's torture.
Not only did the other person miss that I was even attempting a joke — my own viewers didn't catch it either.
My face just got hot all by itself.
Thank god there's no cam.
If they could see my face, they'd have caught me flustered for sure.
'Ugh, the PTSD is hitting….'
Back in elementary school, I'd tried to make friends with some boys and ended up being so awkward about it that I walked away genuinely hurt.
Then in middle school, I'd psyched myself up and tried again.
They happened to be talking about games, so I slid in as naturally as humanly possible.
'Oh, oh wow, you play Dead Zone? I play it all the time — I got like 50 kills just from the crawl space yesterday!'
They'd stared at me blankly.
Our eyes met, and they started fumbling over their words. I waited patiently, and the answer I finally got was:
- Oh, yeah… that's impressive….
- We're not talking about Dead Zone though, we're talking about Dead King — the Undead King game….
I wanted to die.
After that day, I became physically incapable of speaking to anyone first.
'Forget it. Life is a solo run.'
Ugh, I'm going to cry again.
Sniff sniff.
I couldn't even make friends properly at school, so what made me think online would be any different.
I got all worked up for nothing and nearly made a complete fool of myself.
Still, this time feels a little unfair.
I had every reason to be excited.
That guy was Challenger, after all.
I'd been happily smacking around helpless viewers when suddenly this guy with a Challenger badge just popped out of nowhere. The feeling in that moment?
'Whoa, a Challenger.' Followed immediately by 'I'm dead.' That was it. Just those two things.
It was my first time actually seeing a Challenger in the flesh, so I was genuinely starstruck.
And at the same time, I was worried — 'If I lose, is everyone going to think my Winchestor is trash?'
Hiding my racing heart, the match began.
The thrill when I took the first round.
"Mmph."
It was incomparable to winning against viewers.
'My plays are actually working!'
I might've gotten a little carried away wanting to see how far I could push it.
But a Challenger's a Challenger.
The moment I slipped up, I died without mercy.
This is fun.
This is so fun.
I want to 1v1 again.
Actually — what would a 5v5 feel like?
Would I be this focused? Or would my attention get split?
Could I even reach Challenger someday?
I pressed my lips together and tried to hold back the grin leaking through.
Literally, exactly what it sounds like.
I'd beaten a Challenger and was absolutely buzzing.
And then I rode that energy straight into a complete disaster.
Sigh.
What a way to end things.
I clicked my tongue, staring at the empty space where Masok had been before disappearing.
Ding—!
[Hyeokjugari — ₩1,000: Ha, damn, I wanted to see the penalty. How are you this good, you actually won]
"What are you on about. I wasn't going to do a penalty even if I lost. That bet was with the viewer who came in at the start."
- Fair enough, that's true.
- Boooo, that's not how it works. You lose, you do the penalty.
- Fr, what kind of streamer are you
"I'm not a streamer?"
- ??
- What does that even mean....
- Wait, was the notice serious...?
- ????
- Don't go ㅠㅠ
- You're playing with my heart? I thought we'd be together till the end, how could you do this to me.
- There's nothing rarer than a skilled female streamer, you know.
- Fr, you could actually make it big streaming.
I hadn't meant I was quitting, but the reaction was explosive.
'Oh, this feels kind of nice actually.'
They're trying to keep me around, so now I'm getting smug about it. Ahem.
"I'm going to keep streaming, I just can't do it full-time. I, um… I have a day job."
Got school to go to, after all.
And more importantly, I can't even receive the donation payouts yet. What kind of streamer is that.
- Oh, what, you're a working adult?
- Your voice sounds really young though lol
- I just assumed you were a college student.
- I thought you might be in high school.
- Same fr
- Guess it can't be helped then ㅠ
- No plans to go full-time...
Whatever they assumed, I let it slide.
I'm not great at lying. Didn't want to answer and get caught.
'Time to wrap up soon.'
I got sidetracked with the 1v1 and never hit Diamond 2.
Oh well. I'll come back after school tomorrow.
Evenings are uncomfortable — I have to watch my parents and can't even talk at a normal volume.
Ding—
[Hyeokjugari — ₩1,000: Hmm… so that's why you won't do the Lucy thing?]
This person really loves Lucy.
"What even is the Lucy thing. Someone explain."
Before logging off, I searched "Lucy transformation" on NuTube like the viewers told me to.
They said to just click the one with the highest view count.
The moment I searched, the first thing that caught my eye was—
"Ugh."
'Wh-why is this—!'
[Nostalgic Toy Commercial｜Magical Girl Lucy Magic Wand (Legendary Child Actor)]
(Views: 820,000)
Someone had edited and uploaded an old commercial I'd filmed.
I frantically scrolled down—
And checked the chat.
- Oh, that child actor video works fine, same lines
- It's cute though lol
- I feel like it'd suit Chaechae's voice.
With view counts like that, of course some people recognized it.
I ignored them completely and quickly found the actual top video.
"This one?"
[Duel King Magical Girl Lucy Transformation Scene]
(Views: 1,430,000)
I hit play, and sure enough — just like people said, it was the same scene as my commercial lines.
'Why would anyone want to hear this.'
I stared at it blankly.
Back then I only did it because I was obsessed with the cards. Wouldn't have touched it otherwise.
That was kindergarten, so almost seven years ago?
What a memory. Truly.
I nodded to myself a little and closed the video.
I could see the disappointed comments in chat.
Too bad, I'm not doing it!
I was just curious.
Ding—!
[ChaechaeSolePitchBlack — ₩1,000: Act it out with the lines and I'll give you 100,000 won.]
"Huh?"
A hundred thousand won?
I was tempted for a split second, then immediately cooled off.
Money I can't even touch….
"No thanks."
[ChaechaeSolePitchBlack — ₩1,000: Ha, this place drives a hard bargain. Fine, 300,000.]
- This person is insane, what a whale.
- On day two of streaming, what the hell.
- How are you not doing it? How are you not doing it?
'300 is… that's a lot….'
300,000 won is 300 packs of Duel King cards, or 600 servings of cup tteokbokki.
Of course, it's all digital money that only counts if my parents sign off on it.
"Hmmmm…."
Still not doing it.
After deliberating, I turned it down again.
Ding—!
[ChaechaeSolePitchBlack — ₩1,000: Fine, you win. Last offer, for real! 700,000.]
"Se-seven hundred??"
They must be loaded.
Without thinking, I swallowed.
"Y-you. That's — that's a lie, right?"
You're going to make me do it and then run!
What kind of lunatic drops 700,000 won just to hear someone recite lines!
[ChaechaeSolePitchBlack — ₩1,000: Pay upfront and you can't run, can you?]
"Huh?? No wait, hold on. S-seven hundred? Even with tteokbokki and sundae combo it's still… holy…."
- Tteokbokki lmaooo
- This energy is legendary.
- Didn't you say your parents are in the living room, keep it down.
- This person is unhinged lol, 700k just to see that.
'Shouldn't I make money when I can?'
I can't collect it right now, but 700,000 won is kind of a big deal.
That's practically ad money.
And if I ease my dad into it, maybe the paperwork situation could get resolved easier than I think.
I've already filmed a commercial before.
Can't I handle a few measly lines?
Compared to that, this is nothing. Easy money.
'Though honestly the odds are higher that this is a prank!'
"…I'll do it if you actually pay."
I said it quietly, tentatively.
It stayed quiet for a while, and just when I was thinking 'wait, was this actually a bluff?'—
[ChaechaeSolePitchBlack — ₩700,000: Shoooot.]
"Whoa—"
I almost hiccupped from the shock.
I immediately opened NuTube and pulled up the video.
Copied the lines into a notepad.
Tried my best to dig up the old memory.
Me, holding Lucy's Magic Wand.
Across from me, the director with the promised stack of Bone Dragon card boxes.
A massive camera pointed right at me.
I opened my closet and dug out the toy magic wand I'd kept tucked away in the corner.
And channeled my past self.
Exhale—
I snapped my eyes open and called out.
"Lucy, Magic Wand! Twinkle twinkle, transform—!"
Fully committed, throwing in invisible gestures and everything.
Flashing a V-sign in front of my face with a grin—
"Carrying the power of starlight…!"
"…Pretty Magic, transformation complete~!"
Thrusting the Magic Wand forward.
"Darkness, begone! Lucy Magic, fiiire~ chu!"
Perfect.
That 700,000 won is mine.
Nailed it in one take. I dropped back into my seat.
- Why are you actually good at this?
- This isn't what I imagined….
- Why aren't you embarrassed, what's wrong with you.
- This wasn't what I had in mind.
- fr natural born monster lmaooo
- It suits you though. Like genuinely.
- Ha, damn, why is this cute, I'm done.
"Hehe, thank you so much for the 700k~"
Should I ask for this as my birthday present — like, please sign the consent form?
Or maybe if I offer to split it with Dad, he'd go for it?
Hehehe.
It was evening so I'd been keeping my voice down, but just now the volume had crept up a little.
Oops. Got excited and slipped up again.
The door didn't burst open, so it seemed like I got away with it.
"That's all from me today. Goodnight, everyone."
Still spooked, I whispered the last part and ended the stream.
***
Angler had been grinning from ear to ear the entire time.
'Hehehe, nice~'
He'd just been sitting there minding his own business, and a golden opportunity had rolled right into his lap.
He'd already updated the NuTube title.
[Dead Zone Pro Female Player's Massacre of a Toxic Guild!!]
Current view count: 420,000.
Climbing fast.
"Is this just my year or what. Ha—"
- Why is he like this again lol
- Must've checked the NuTube views lol
- Chaechae's got this lively energy, it's nice to watch.
- Who's Chaechae?
- Woniwoni>.< yeah
- But wasn't there some controversy? Is it resolved?
"Now now, controversy? She's a streamer now. Please refrain from bringing up anything that might cause misunderstandings."
DuelKingChaechae needed to stay in good standing with the public — that was good for Angler too.
Thank goodness it all turned around completely once people found out she was a girl.
Just thinking about Durihyeok's trolls flooding into the NuTube comments and the live stream gave him chills.
'But why does her ID still have DuelKing in it? Hasn't she changed it?'
She was a strange one, in all sorts of ways.
[Match Found!]
"Oh, got one."
Angler's current account was Diamond 2 with 10 points.
His main was parked at Master while he played casually on this alt.
And then—
- Wait? What the hell, Chaechae's on the enemy team.
- Woniwoni's there lol
- Running into a streamer~
- Good luck, she's insanely good. Watched her wipe a Challenger, didn't you?
"Ah, damn."
Looks like she was climbing too.
The image of her toying with four Master-tier players from that toxic guild — who'd been in the same tier as Angler — was still fresh in his mind.
'I'll have to let this one go. But.'
DuelKingChaechae was clearly going to keep growing in popularity.
Even if he lost the game, if he could put on a good enough show, maybe it'd be worth uploading to NuTube.
"Alright team, let's do our best~"
The mission: 5v5 team deathmatch with a 70-kill limit.
Angler ambitiously equipped his rifle and was all set to charge out — when—
Ding—!
[DeadZoneIsSoFun — ₩1,000: lmaooo hey Chaechae's enemy team. Go kill her fast.]
"Pardon?"
A cuckoo had flown in.