I Have a Reason to Hate Streamers

Honestly, at first, I felt no real interest in it.
Hekate said it was an important matter, but I wasn’t particularly obsessed with dressing up in real life.

At most, I paid attention before broadcasts?
But even then, my broadcasts were centered on gaming, and there wasn’t really anything about “Ga-wol’s” appearance that needed any adjustments.
I didn’t feel the need to dress up too much.

Was my thinking wrong?
I’ve heard that human self-assessments are usually all over the place.
Surprisingly, I didn’t feel bad at all. In fact, I was honestly happy.

My face was probably bright red now.
I was lucky this was inside a game. Thanks to that, my blush wasn’t revealed.
I felt my heart racing, a mixture of embarrassment and excitement.

"How about this?"
"Wouldn't it be better to stick with white tones? It would look nice if contrasted with the assassin style."
"I said I didn’t want anything too flashy... How about this one? The texture is soft."
"Looks good. Could you show me the headband?"

It wasn’t just Hekate in this place.
The team members were also looking at items, asking for my opinion, and occasionally making me try things on.
These small, seemingly trivial actions were leaving ripples in my heart.

I said I didn’t need to wear anything too flashy.
Rather than drawing attention elsewhere, I suggested we keep things natural, sticking to my original look.
Everyone was eager, as though it was their own task.

Ah, now I understand.
Why did I realize this only now?

‘I’ve become someone to these people.’

I spent a cold, dark night.
It was such a long night. Lonely and shivering from the cold, I curled up under my blanket.
I trembled, eyes closed, curling into myself.

Maybe that’s why I didn’t even realize the night was over.
When I overcame my fear and got out of bed, winter had passed.
The early spring greeted me with a bright morning.

The black, rough attire had turned into white and soft clothes.
I had also donned simple armor suitable for a warrior class, and even swapped my sword and scabbard.
Though I had claimed I didn’t care much about my hair, I ended up wearing a headband with pretty white flowers.

Something inside me was gradually changing.
What was once dark was turning white.

As soon as I took up my sword, warmth began to fill my chest, which had once felt empty, like a cold wind.

“It’s done. We think it looks pretty. What do you think, do you like it?”
“Mm… I like it. Thank you.”

I stared blankly at my teammates.
I answered their questions, but somewhere in my head, it felt like something was broken.
I kept my mouth shut because it felt like my eyes were welling up for no reason.

Honestly, I couldn’t focus on my own appearance.
There were so many emotions overflowing inside of me.

But it wasn’t a lie, not at all.
These things were chosen by my teammates for me.
It was impossible not to like this look.

[Written by: Peropero]
[Title: AT Cerberus Finals Interview Translation]

Q: You’ve reached the finals for the second consecutive time. Congratulations.
A: Thank you. I see it as an honor, and I will carry on the joy of last year.

Q: In the last semifinal, Ga-wol’s swordsmanship completely dominated Hero. It has been said to be a significant shock among the officials.
A: I was the first one to feel that shock. To exaggerate a little, it was a shock that could turn the world upside down. I heard in Korea, they call this situation "a frog in a well."

Q: This could be a rare opportunity for a revenge match for Cerberus. Can you tell us what preparations you’ve made?
A: I can’t answer that. I hope you’ll see for yourself at the tournament.

Q: Can you give us a small hint?
A: I’ll just say that I’ve prepared a lot.

The finals of the World Championship were being held in Paris, France.
It was about 8,900 kilometers away from Incheon International Airport in Korea.
To exaggerate a bit, it was almost like the end of the Eurasian continent.

Still, there were many people here who recognized me.
Whenever I went out to cafes or restaurants near the hotel, I would often encounter people asking for autographs.
It was a sensation that was hard to get used to.

While I signed autographs, people would share their stories with me.
When they first became aware of me, what they liked about me, and why they supported me.
They also told me to win the finals for sure.

Each word they casually threw at me made me so happy.
What was I so afraid of, and what was I so tightly holding on to?
The world I broke out into after shattering the egg of fear was far more beautiful and bright than I had imagined.

There were even people who came all the way from the other side of the world just to see me.

[Message from Elderlyn]

• (Attached photo: Early morning. Elderlyn and Mountain Bird arriving at Paris International Airport)
• "Sis, I arrived!"
• "We can meet after today’s match, right? I’ll be cheering for you!"
• "I wish I could’ve come earlier, I would’ve treated you to a meal (ಥ﹏ಥ)"

[Message from Mountain Bird]

• "I arrived in Paris with Serin."
• "I was worried about syncing the time, but it was fine."
• "This is your first time in Europe, so I really want to see you win."
• "I’ll be cheering for you!"

These messages had arrived just a few hours ago.

It was still a bit early, almost too early to call it morning.
The blue light of dawn. By now, I imagined they were both probably catching up on much-needed sleep in their hotel rooms.
I didn’t want to wake them, so I simply sent a quick thank-you message.

I would meet them after the match, anyway.
I had things to do now.

After all, it was the finals of the World Championship.
Since it was such an important event, I needed to hold some kind of ceremony for it.

Luckily, this hotel wasn’t just a simple hotel.
It was more like a luxurious mansion rented out rather than just a pension.
If I wanted, there was even space for cooking.

• "Slice the salmon gently while it’s still filleted, and season with salt."
• "I’ll make garlic oil, which Koreans love."
• "When grilling, don’t flip the fish; just add the oil while cooking…"

My breakfast for the finals day was always salmon steak.
I could eat other things, but I couldn’t imagine not having this.
So, I grabbed my crutches and headed to the kitchen early.

It was harder than expected.
It was difficult, as this wasn’t a place I was familiar with.
The floor had a subtle incline, which made it hard to walk with crutches.

Hekate came in when I was finely chopping garlic.

“What’s this? Salmon?”
“Yeah. It’s like my routine. On important days, I always have salmon steak in the morning.”
“Ah, you did the same during IKL, right? Let me help you. Is preparing it alone part of your routine?”

She was really good.
Her skills were surprisingly better than mine.
Her knife skills were far superior to mine.
The soft yellow garlic was chopped finely.

It didn’t take long to finish.
After all, it wasn’t a very complicated dish.

The well-grilled salmon smelled golden.
The garnish that I never dared to add was now included.
Where did she learn these skills? She even made a convincing sauce.

“Can we eat together?”
“Yeah. Let’s eat together. I like it more that way.”
“Good. I was getting hungry after making it.”

I didn’t need to prepare the meal alone, nor did I need to eat alone.
My parents, who used to cook me salmon, would have eaten with me too.
In fact, it felt like the meal with Ye-won was the real routine, and my solo meal was the amateurish one.

The two of us sat across from each other and shared the salmon.

What was the difference?
It tasted even better than the salmon I had before.
It felt like the salmon I had back then. Something simple yet it warmed something deep inside me.

No, now I understand.
I couldn’t not understand.@@novelbin@@

The reason I ate salmon the day before the finals… it was probably the expression of longing.
I knew it wasn’t about the salmon itself, but I believed that eating it would bring back the happiness I felt when I was with my parents.
I know it sounds like a foolish thought, but I needed something like that.

My deceased parents could never come back.
I could never get back what I lost in the accident.
But I could fill that empty space with something else.

I had something to say to my friend.
I’m glad I didn’t cry this time.

“Ye-won.”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you. I’ll do my best.”
“Okay.”

Mom. I’m fine now.
I’ve made good friends and overcome so much.

The salmon you used to make for me was different in taste from the one Ye-won made.
But it was much better than what I would have made alone.
Honestly, it was greasy and tough.

I liked hearing your nagging, but now I want to hear your support.
I’ll do my best. So, please rest in peace now.
I love you, Mom. I’ll visit you from time to time.