novelraw Chapter 128 : Generosity Comes from a Full Storehouse (3)
Chapter 128 : Generosity Comes from a Full Storehouse (3)
Generosity Comes from a Full Storehouse (3)
Late at night, genome's stream.
"Finally cleared it! This freaking game!"
Genome, clad in armor, shouted loudly and threw the pheasant slung over his back.
- Lol you actually cleared it at last
- Succeeded after 38 tries!
- Seriously, this game was infuriating lol
- Designed just to make the player suffer!
Viewers laughed and congratulated him on his success. Genome promptly shut off the game and returned to the studio.
He slumped in his chair with a tired expression.
"Phew... Between the Jangdokdae game and this one, why do these kinds of games keep coming out, seriously."
― Isn't it fine since we enjoy watching?
― Lol perfect for content
― Even just the clips from today are gold
― Lived up to being the most pathetic streamer, so many funny moments lol
Genome cracked a wry smile as he read the chat. It wasn't entirely wrong.
"Anyway, mission complete—'ALTTAP' cleared! Let's wrap up here for tonight. I have an announcement."
At his words, question marks quickly filled the chat.
"I'm not usually this abrupt, but tomorrow there'll be no stream."
― Huh? No stream? What?
― Wait, shouldn't you get approval before taking a break!
― Didn't your blood pressure go up from all the ALTTAP today? lol
― Doesn't look like anything bad happened from your expression?
― Wait, did you get a girlfriend or what?
― The most pathetic streamer in a relationship? Mother Teresa would have to be his match!
― Mother Teresa, my goodness lolol
― Seriously, shirking your broadcast schedule, how low can you go!
― Must be a reason lol
The viewers responded playfully to the sudden break. However, genome could sense the underlying concern.
"It's nothing bad. There's an after-party for PerG-Day tomorrow."
At his words, the mood swiftly reversed.
― Wait, for PerG-Day!?
― LOL offline meet?
― What the heck lol
― Why are you having fun without us!
― Let us join!
― Live IRL stream, now!
― Holding my breath until you do an IRL stream!
The viewers immediately demanded an IRL stream. Genome simply waved his hand as if to brush them off.
"No, guys. Why are you making stream jokes? You all know none of our members do face reveals."
― Playing dirty by using facts...!
― Just shows how much we want to see you guys
― Why do all my favorite smurfs never reveal their faces...
― But honestly, nothing can be done about it
― Frankly, I don't care about looks
― No, if you're human, appearance will affect you
The chat soon filled with disappointment, naturally drifting into the topic of face reveals.
― The elder streamer, sure, but shouldn't Godple at least be okay to reveal?
― Right, judging from the capsule unboxing, his body is ripped
― It wasn't just his build—his head was tiny too
― So with those conditions, why not reveal?
― He must have a complex or something
In the midst of it was a chat about Purple's face. Genome stifled a laugh.
'If Gyeongbok revealed his face, people would flip out.'
As someone who had seen him in person, the viewers' comments felt like pure comedy.
'Gaming genius, streaming genius, and even a face genius—he ticks all the boxes.'
If Lee Gyeongbok ever revealed his face, the streamer industry would be thrown into chaos again.
Genome couldn't understand why Gyeongbok didn't show his face.
'Well, he must have his reasons.'
But that wasn't his business. No matter how close they'd gotten, he didn't know everything about Lee Gyeongbok's past.
"Keep it respectful, everyone. You know how many smurf streamers have quit after being pushed for face reveals like this?"
Genome issued a warning to keep the chat in check. The viewers immediately responded.
― That's true though
― Let's be mindful, fellow Genomes ^^
― Just keep spamming "lol" instead
― Hyung! Then tell us some behind-the-scenes stories later!
"I'll think about it for next time. Have a good night, everyone! End of stream!"
With Genome's farewell, the screen faded to black. The viewer count dropped, but many still lingered in the chat.
― Still, really wish we could get an IRL stream ㅠ
― So jealous of those who get to see Godple in person lol
― Eclipse wasn't going to stream anyway tonight
The chat began to quiet down at last.
Most viewers must have left, except for those who'd fallen asleep with the stream on.
Just when it seemed the chat had finally gone silent—
― But if it's the PerG-Day after-party, could NewtonLord be coming too?
One viewer's question reignited the chat.
― Huh? Now that you mention it?
― No way lol NewtonLord at an offline meet?
― But isn't there a chance? They even contacted them as a team
― Slim chance, it'll just be the three of them hanging out
― If she comes, that would be insane lol
― Isn't NewNunna super rich? What if she just pays for everything?
― Not that it matters! Since we can't see anyway!
― Whichever it is, the real winner is Genome...
― Getting hella jealous now?
The viewers expressed their envy once more.
* * *
The next day, early evening.
The manager glanced back at Yoon Nara in the rear seat.
'This is unusual.'
It was rare for Yoon Nara to go out like this on her off days. She mostly stayed in her dorm room.
'The fact that she's wearing both a mask and glasses, she must be going to meet someone.'
She wore a mask that covered half her face and round Anqing for an image change. Sunglasses with a mask would only draw more attention, so she kept prescription-free glasses on hand just for this.
'Probably not a regular friend...'
For whatever reason, yoon Nara hadn't met up with a regular friend since her debut.
When becoming Sweeties' manager, one of the instructions had been to never ask about Yoon Nara's pre-debut figure skating past.
'Whatever, focus on driving.'
Although curious, the manager didn't show it. Even as an aide, he couldn't intrude on her personal life.
Meanwhile, the subject of his curiosity, yoon Nara, was deep in thought.
'It's really been a long time since I've gone out just for fun.'
She'd been excited before leaving, but now her feelings were complicated. It felt so unfamiliar to join a gathering for non-broadcast reasons.
She hadn't always been this way. Back when she trained in figure skating, she'd had several close friends.
But surprisingly easily—
'Nara's kind of stuck up, right?'
'Right? I asked her for tips and she just kept practicing alone.'
'Ugh, so conceited.'
'Let's be real, it's just because of her looks.'
'For real. And always pretending to work hard. Disgusting.'
'If her face wasn't decent, she'd have failed already.'
'Should I "accidentally" cut her with my skate blade?'
'Oh! Now that's a pro tip!'
The relationships crumbled.
She'd overheard their real feelings while away for a moment. They weren't the friends she thought they were.
After hearing that conversation, she fell into a slump. Even during practice, their presence made her shrink back.
Her friendships and grades declined. Ultimately, she had to give up on the path she'd trained for since childhood.
It took her a long time to recover. But time didn't wait for her.
'I didn't succeed thanks to a natural talent.'
It wasn't talent but hard work that made up her life. She'd proven that with her own efforts.
Her parents' help got her foot in the door of the entertainment world, but every achievement came down to her own effort.
'They're not those kinds of people. But still...'
Reflecting on her past, she thought of the PerG-Day team—Purple, genome, and Eclipse. She knew in her mind that they were different from those "friends."
Still, a worry lingered in a corner of her heart—what if they hid another face behind the one she saw?
'I need to get to know them bit by bit.'
That was also why she kept her distance with her manager, not getting too familiar.
It had also taken time to trust her fellow Sweeties. At least she'd spent her trainee years sharing ups and downs with them, so it was easier than with others.
"We've arrived."
The car reached the location set in the navigation.
"Oh, thank you."
Yoon Nara nodded lightly in gratitude and opened the door.
"I'll wait nearby while you do your business. Contact me when you're done."
"Okay, don't worry."
With her reply, the manager drove away. Yoon Nara glanced around and operated her Smart Link.
'Is there really a place around here for an after-party...?'
Half in doubt, half curious.
She double-checked the location Lee Gyeongbok gave her. She'd have to walk the last stretch, as cars couldn't get there.
It didn't take long. Following the map, yoon Nara looked around.
'No matter how you look at it, this isn't a restaurant.'
A shabby building tucked away in a back alley. But it wasn't the exterior that bothered her.
'A room escape cafe?'
Yoon Nara hesitated for a moment.
Were they planning some prank on her? Maybe it'd be better to just turn back?
'Purple isn't the type for that.'
The suspicion faded quickly.
She decided to trust her own eyes. Wariness and doubt were two different things.
With a creak, the door opened, and Yoon Nara grew more curious.
'No one here?'
Once the door shut, silence filled the air.
There was not a single presence. Not even a staff member at the counter.
Instead, a silicon mask and a message were placed on top of it.
[Please put on the mask and enter the room. –P–]
The message was obviously from Lee Gyeongbok. Seeing that, curiosity overtook her worry.
'Is this some kind of test?'
The first thing that came to mind was Escapers. She knew he'd be aware that she'd done promotional work for them as a member of Sweeties.
'Alone in the darkness.'
There was only one available theme. Yoon Nara curled her lips in a half-smile and put on the mask.
"Phew..."
The theme was true to its name. Thick darkness blanketed the room—she couldn't see an inch ahead.
'So I need to find a way out without relying on sight.'
The door closed, and she carefully felt around. With her sight restricted, her other senses gradually sharpened.
'First, I should figure out where the exit is. Then find something to use as a key.'
With her past experience, she quickly worked out a plan. She pressed along the wall for only a short while when—
'Is someone there?'
Her sharpened senses picked up a presence. A chill ran down her spine.
But only for a moment. She quickly turned, ready to respond.
"What are you doing?"
She let out a short breath in relief as the voice rang out in the darkness.
It was a familiar voice—Lee Gyeongbok's.
"What else? Looking for the exit."
"Looking for the exit?"
"... Aren't we supposed to?"
At her reply, Lee Gyeongbok chuckled.
"No, why would I make you struggle when I've invited you as a guest? This way."
Now that she heard it, it made sense.
Yoon Nara couldn't hide her embarrassment, but thankfully, the darkness remained.
Following Lee Gyeongbok's voice, she still found herself hesitating since she couldn't see.
"Take my hand."
She felt something suddenly reaching out. She could tell instinctively that it was Lee Gyeongbok's hand.
She hesitated for a moment.
'It's not like we're kids.'
Holding hands with men? She'd done that many times at fan autograph sessions. And he was a fan(?) too, so any discomfort faded quickly.
'Warmer than I expected.'
She swallowed dryly without realizing it. She had felt his touch before, when he saved her during the event.
But the warmth of reality was different from virtual reality.
Taking Lee Gyeongbok's hand, yoon Nara moved forward through the darkness.
"It'll be bright, watch your eyes."
At his warning, she shielded her eyes. Bright light seeped through—apparently the exit was opening.
She frowned slightly, about to complain to Lee Gyeongbok.
'Could've just given me night-vision goggles.'
But she couldn't put that into words.
"Everything's fine, but this is a bit uncomfortable,"
Lee Gyeongbok said, laughing.
To her surprise, he wasn't wearing any mask.
Yoon Nara's pupils widened as she saw his bare face.
She could have guessed he'd look decent, having glimpsed under his mask during the autograph session.
He looked even better than expected, but something else surprised her.
'Is he really navigating that darkness without night vision?'
How could he see so easily in such pitch-black? How sensitive were his senses?
Right then, Lee Gyeongbok lightly tapped her mask with a finger. Flinching, she followed his gesture to a mirror on the wall.
"What's this...?"
She turned automatically.
Reflected in the mirror was a completely different, but perfectly natural, face, generated by a sophisticated hologram.
"It's a special effects mask developed in Japan for makeup artists. As long as no one touches it, you can't really tell. The silicon is soft, so the movements seem natural too."
"I know."
"You do?"
At her unexpected reply, Lee Gyeongbok's eyes widened.
"It's something used by Japanese idols, well, virtual idols. Since I'm sort of in the same industry, I've heard of it."
"Virtual idol?"
"... It's a thing. Anyway, it's pretty expensive, right? It's not something you could just pay for with event prize money, and it's probably hard to get."
Lee Gyeongbok grinned awkwardly at her words.
"I didn't prepare it myself."
He'd left it to Yang Gyuri's auntie, so he didn't know all the details. He'd just learned enough to reassure others about the item.
Yoon Nara didn't dig any further. The two exited into another room.
It was decorated in an antique style, with a round table in the center where other guests were already seated.
"Wow, you really came? Good call!"
"Welcome."
Genome and Eclipse greeted them warmly. They too wore the same masks—resembling their virtual reality avatars.
Only Lee Gyeongbok's face was bare.
"So you wore that after all. Kind of hoped I'd see your face just this once."
At Genome's comment, yoon Nara shook her head.
"If I was going to show my face, I wouldn't have come somewhere like this. Same for you, isn't it?"
"Yeah, true. Honestly, my face isn't all that anyway."
"I might have a scar, or burns. Everyone has their reasons. But at least understand that no one here judges people by their faces."
His sharp answer made Genome laugh sheepishly, as Eclipse stepped in.
Maybe making the best of it.
Genome rolled his eyes, then nodded.
"Yeah, you're right. Let's sit down!"
Lee Gyeongbok, with a bright smile, guided Yoon Nara to a seat.
"Thanks for coming, everyone, even though you're busy. You can order whatever you want from the menu on the kiosk."
The portable kiosk had categories for Korean, Japanese, Chinese, western food—almost anything you could imagine.
"Wait, you can really order anything on this list?"
Genome's eyes widened at the variety. Lee Gyeongbok nodded.
"It's my first time here too, but they say yes. Place your order, and a serving robot will bring it out."
Even the chef preparing the meal wouldn't know who his customers were—just the dish to be cooked.
Yoon Nara felt a bit more at ease with that explanation.
"How did you even find a place like this?"
"Seriously, never knew something like this existed."
"I owe it all to Sir Purple. Expanding my horizons yet again."
Lee Gyeongbok smiled at their reactions.
"That's the beauty of connections. Order as much as you like."
* * *
The food arrived quickly.
"This is insane! The quality is top notch!"
"Mmm, not bad at all."
"I feel my palate expanding."
The food drew more than just satisfaction—it was genuinely impressive. Smiling at their delight, Lee Gyeongbok joined in.
As the meal went on, the conversation turned to something they all could relate to—the 'Time Warfare' event.
"I'll admit, I was really shocked in the end. Never thought NewtonLord would strike from behind."
After reviewing the PerG-Day team's victory, Eclipse's words silenced the table for a moment.
Genome and Lee Gyeongbok glanced at Yoon Nara, who calmly met Eclipse's gaze.
'Criticism like this, I was expecting it.'
She'd braced for this when agreeing to come. Eclipse had reason to be upset, but she believed she had nothing to be ashamed of.
Not that it made things pleasant—the mood could definitely turn awkward.
"But thanks to you, I got a wakeup call about my complacency. I realized every battlefield has different rules. I'd gotten stuck in my ways."
Eclipse's next words left the group surprised. Contrary to their worries, Eclipse was a thoughtful person.
"I guess diverse experiences really do keep your mind flexible. I'm considering trying out Mystic League too."
He said this with a confident smile, eyes twinkling at Yoon Nara.
"Next time, I won't go down so easily."
"Ah, right. Someone at your level's already 'dug a well,' but now it's time to dig another one!"
Genome quickly jumped in with a joke, lightening the mood.
Yoon Nara quietly chewed her salmon steak.
"Next time, huh..."
It struck her as odd.
Up until now, "NewtonLord" had always just responded to criticism and hatred. There were fans, but most just used her as a shield to stir up trouble.
'Does that mean he's planning to play with me again next time?'
But these people were different.
They—including Eclipse—didn't intend to reject her.
Their relationship wasn't just for a single encounter.
'Actually, thinking back, it's been like that since the start.'
The first rival she couldn't beat—the only person she'd formed an ongoing bond with through all her otherwise fleeting connections.
Things started changing when she met Purple.
'Interesting.'
She glanced at Lee Gyeongbok. He was smiling as innocently as he did when they first met.
'... Comfortable.'
As leader of Sweeties, yoon Nara had responsibilities. But as NewtonLord, she didn't.
She realized this was why she genuinely enjoyed games—and moments—like these, with these people.
"There's something I've been curious about. NewtonLord, have you ever thought about streaming?"
Genome suddenly changed the subject with a smile.
"Hah...!"
At that, Lee Gyeongbok turned his head to stifle a laugh. It was deeply ironic to ask a real celebrity if she'd consider streaming.
Yoon Nara threw a sidelong glance at him before replying.
"I have no plans to stream. I play games for my own enjoyment, not for attention."
"Ah, you just have such a strong character. I thought you'd do well if you tried. Anyway, you, anything new lately?"
Genome gave an awkward smile and quickly changed topics.
As attention shifted to him, Lee Gyeongbok rolled his eyes, then spoke.
"Actually, I was going to tell you. I've been asked to co-host a game show with MetaGamer."
"A game show?"
"Oh?! Is it V-STAR?"
"On V-STAR...?"
His words piqued everyone's interest, but Genome's reaction was the biggest.
"Wow! Congrats, man. I've hosted on V-STAR before. It's a great chance for a streamer."
"Yeah, even my editor and manager said the same."
"Seriously, the bonuses are sweet. Sponsors throw around gifts and prizes. The viewers pour in for those—your inflow is just... amazing!"
Genome, drawing on his experience, gave a thumbs-up, full of nostalgia.
Eclipse nodded. But he was more interested in the games than audience numbers.
"A game show, huh? That means you'll get to enjoy an even wider variety of games."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."
"It sounds like a great opportunity. I'll have to check it out myself as an individual."
"Oh! Then want to look around together?"
Genome quickly jumped in to nudge for a collab. As the two chatted, yoon Nara turned to Lee Gyeongbok.
"... So it's confirmed?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah, it's official. I wouldn't say so otherwise."
Lee Gyeongbok replied with his bright smile.
"But why?"
Yoon Nara gazed at him, then simply shook her head.
Lee Gyeongbok looked puzzled, but didn't probe further.
The meal came to a close. Feeling satisfied and full, the four stood up.
"Wow, I really overate... Thanks to Purple, I'm stuffed."
"For me, it was just right. Food was delicious and it was a great time."
"You've done well. Didn't expect you'd set this up."
Smiling at their thanks, Lee Gyeongbok replied,
"I'm glad you all enjoyed it. By the rules here, you have to leave one by one, in the order you arrived. So I'll go first. See you next time!"
One by one, the four left. Yoon Nara, having messaged ahead, found her manager waiting outside.
"Shall we head to the dorm?"
"Yes, please."
She replied and looked out the window.
Her gaze drifted then returned to the manager.
"Um, the schedule for next week is unchanged, right?"
"Changed? No, I haven't heard anything."
The manager looked surprised. She nodded.
Bringing up the schedule chart on her Smart Link, she thought,
'Then it must be that day.'
A faint smile spread on her face.
[V-STAR Online Congratulatory Performance & Event]
On the very first day of the game show.
Sweeties was also scheduled to appear.
---
NEW NAMES, lOCATIONS, sKILLS, tECHNIQUES: