It’s not that kind of malicious broadcast

『Me』

Perhaps it was the allure of the word “companion” that was too sweet to resist. As soon as she checked the message, StarPork reflected on whether she had responded too hastily.

‘Even a chatbot wouldn’t reply this quickly. Seriously… it’s not like it’s a first-come, first-served basis.’

She wondered if she might be seen as someone with nothing better to do. Embarrassment seeped in as a faint warmth spread across her face, causing her to lower her head.

However, she had no regrets. More accurately, she refused to have any.

‘… What if it really was first-come, first-served?’

She needed a bit of self-rationalization.

『Me!!』

『What kind of game is it??』

Since she had already acted, she decided to play it off as just a conveniently high moment of excitement. Trying to sound as natural as possible, StarPork sent an additional message while forcing her lips from curving into a smile.

It was indeed a natural occurrence. Even though the competition hadn’t been long over, she frequently found herself reminiscing about those times.

For someone who had been managing an isolated broadcast without any collaborations, the intense but brief competition had been her first taste of such joy.

It was on a whole new level compared to the casual, aimless times she spent with her real-life friends.

Laughing and chatting together, yet also striving seriously toward a common goal… ultimately, basking in the collective joy of victory and the adoration of thousands.

Recently, viewers even teased her that her tone would subtly rise whenever a clip from the competition was sent in as a donation.

Of course, it had significantly helped her streaming career too. Beyond the competition itself, even after it ended, her viewer count had seen a considerable increase.

But StarPork’s quick responses weren’t driven by a hunger for streaming success.

If she had to pinpoint a reason… it was her desire to get closer to some of the members from that time. Especially, she wanted to become better friends with Lee Yena.

It all started from that day she called her for a lesson but ended up handing her a coffee cocktail instead.

Lee Yena was the first broadcaster she had truly become a fan of. Naturally, having planted the seeds of a potential friendship, she wanted to nurture it.

However…

It wasn’t an easy task. She found herself reflecting on how difficult it could be to make friends. The crux of the issue lay in Lee Yena’s demeanor.

She was somewhat unapproachable, her thoughts opaque, and sometimes seemed a bit detached from reality.

Despite having various conversations, StarPork couldn’t fathom what Lee Yena was interested in other than alcohol and rogues.

Talks about clothes, cosmetics, shopping, even favorite foods… Lee Yena would just slightly tilt her head and give vague responses like, “Yes”, “Indeed”, “Interesting”, while nodding with a peculiar expression.

StarPork feared that suggesting, “Shall we go shopping next time?” or “There’s a great place I know, do you want to come with me?” would only earn her a dodgy, “Let’s do that sometime.”

So figuring out how to contact her had been a dilemma. As time passed, the prospect of contacting her casually grew increasingly daunting.

‘If I had asked to teach me more about rogues, she might have immediately listed the time and custom room code… but that would be a bother.’

Amidst such worries, this offer for a collaboration had come knocking. She couldn’t afford to pass up such a golden opportunity.

‘It would be even better if it was just for fun rather than a formal collaboration…’

-Bzzz

『Yena: Oh, it’s not a game.』

This was Lee Yena’s response, as if she had sensed her wish. Filled with joy, Yena was about to reply, saying that just hanging out was great.

『Yena: A rehearsal for a game?』

『Yena: Training like in a real situation?』

『Yena: Feels like that.』

‘… Rehearsal? Training?’

What in the world did that mean? As she pondered this, a new message arrived.

『JinnieUnni: ??What is this? I want to join too!』

It was Ark’s intervention. In that moment, StarPork’s heart swelled with the hope that maybe there was only one spot left.

『Yena: You’re up early.』

『Yena: Welcome.』

『Yena: That’s great.』

Of course, that wasn’t the case. On the contrary, Yena seemed happy to… it all made sense.

‘Well, if it was first come, first served, she wouldn’t have posted it in the group chat. Yeah…right.’

She fully understood, but a slight feeling of disappointment crept in that was quite unfamiliar.

* * * *

On the way back home.

I felt quite fulfilled. The camping itself wasn’t very satisfying, but I had an unexpected achievement.

StarPork and Ark surprisingly agreed to join the camping without hesitation. It’s really rare for inexperienced newbies to be this enthusiastic.

They’re really good people.

My expectations began to grow. To book according to the schedule, I had to wait in line and hurry with preparations… but I didn’t mind. I worked better under a bit of pressure anyway.

Thinking this, I skimmed through the group chat once again with a contented smile. Questions about camping equipment, food, sleeping bags, clothes… no, clothes should just be comfortable and warm.

As I gave some advice to the seemingly confused Ark, I felt a sense of incongruity.

Ah. Now that I thought about it.

Revan had been silent. Quite a bit of time had passed since he had read the messages.

Why? Does he… dislike camping?

If he doesn’t like it, there’s nothing I could do. But, maybe.

If it’s not that he utterly dislikes it, but is feeling pressured because of his lack of experience and can’t bring himself to promise to go, so he’s staying quiet…

Now I felt a challenge rising.

.

.

.

From experience, there were two things one should never do when luring a camping novice. Firstly, trying to preach the romance of camping in a clumsy manner.

This was always a time when one truly realized the stark difference between the camping seen in visual media and the reality.

The betrayed gaze of someone facing the harsh reality of the great outdoors, after the organizer had raised their expectations sky-high, was something I never wanted to witness again.

I, too, had made such mistakes during my novice days.

For example…

I once told people a story like, “As you tilt your head back while sipping beer by the campfire, the countless stars in the night sky will pour down before your eyes, making you forget about drinking beer.” and then on that very day, it wasn’t stars but countless numbers of insects pouring down.

Anyway.

There’s always a reason for regulating false advertising. Even if it wasn’t intentional, romance was ultimately up to each individual. I never had a good experience from promoting it recklessly.

Secondly, saying they could talk comfortably anytime they wanted to go.

From an experienced person’s perspective, going camping often felt burdensome. After all, at its core, it was a night where the comfort of city and civilization were lost. There were people who enjoyed shopping for camping gear the most.

Perhaps because of this. Beginners, when told to participate comfortably, tended to run away comfortably. Therefore, one had to urge them in advance and firmly tie them down with promises.

Induce a definite answer but without seeming too pushy… Right.

『If you have any thoughts, let me know by today』

『I need to book it so that we can secure 2 tents』

『There’s only one good spot left now』

I subtly dangled the bait through private messages. Revan, from what I had observed, had a strong sense of responsibility… ignoring such messages wouldn’t be easy for him.

-Buzz

As expected, a response came within a few seconds.

『Revan: Somehow this feels a bit uneasy』

『Revan: I’ve never been camping before either』

Ah.

This type.

Someone who got scared thinking they had to do something…

『It’s okay』

『Since it’s your first time, you can trust and leave it to me』

『I’ll guide you kindly』

Struggling to create a kind message since he might need some reassurance, I sent it, but did it lack trust?

Even after the number 1 disappeared, an answer did not come easily. Well, Revan especially disliked feeling indebted. It might have had the opposite effect.

… Maybe I should just exclude him and go with the three of us. He’s no cat… This was a bit annoying.

But somehow, it felt a bit regrettable to just let this newbie go… Ah. Could it be he was picky with food?

Actually, there’s no need to worry about that. Eating anything after working outdoors tastes great.

As soon as he arrived, I planned to make him eat after thoroughly wearing him down with rich, sweet, fatty food.

“No need to worry too much about the meal.”

“I’m actually pretty good at cooking.”

“You’ll be amazed when you taste it.”

Of course, I couldn’t openly disclose this plan. Just roughly this much—

[Revan: ??]

[Revan: You said you’d make a scallion pancake, but you let the batter dry out completely. That was only the other day.]

[Revan: There were more alcohol bottles than ingredients in the fridge.]

[Revan: What kind of cooking skills are you talking about here? Let’s hear it.]

What? Is he overly obsessed with food?

His reaction was stronger than expected. Well, come to think of it, he had always been quite passionate about whatever he pursued. Consistent, to say the least.

Anyway, it was good that the conversation had started. To carry on… oh, right.

“Grate?”

* * * *

[Author: ㅇㅇ]

[Title: Is GetDevoured doing well?ㅠㅠ]

[Is she really doing well?

Why is she doing well? Damn it.]

– If she’s really doing well, I’ll be damned.

– She seems to be doing happily even in the middle of Worlds, and still keeps in touch with Orthodox.~~

– 5 million GetDevoured fans are watching with their eyes wide open.

– Seriously, stop messing around. Teacher married a rogue, she isn’t seeing any guys.

[Author: ㅇㅇ]

[Title: But is this clip for real?]

(Video)

[Pulling the chest parameter all the way to the right didn’t change anything? Does that even make sense?]

– It’s a rare occurrence but sometimes happens in the West.

– More likely with large body types, but Teacher is super skinny.

– (Link) If this was unedited, it’s totally possible.

– Seriously, how long are you going to keep exploiting this picture?

– Look at the image degradation. LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL Did you re-cook it like three times?

– Ark said: That it was the first physique she’d seen in Korea.

– Wow…

– I’m deeply envious of Revan who likely enjoyed that to the fullest…

– Seriously, stop spouting nonsense.