It’s not that kind of malicious broadcast

“Are you really going to do it? It didn’t seem like an ordinary task. The headquarters might go berserk, you know?”

“Yes. Of course, I have to.”

“…… Are you okay?”

After quite a lengthy meeting, we were leaving the Korean branch office. The weather had warmed up a bit, but as soon as the sun set, the cold wind brought along that question.

It was the kind of question that made me feel like I should always ask who it was about.

“… Yes.”

Accustomed to the question, a habitual affirmation slipped slowly from my mouth. But this time was different. For the first time, there was genuine sincerity in the answer.

I was okay.

For now, at least.

“Unni.”

Maybe it was because I had just vented. Or perhaps, because I was now fully prepared for what was to come. Or maybe, because I realized just how much Lee Yeri loved Lee Yena.

“Hmm?”

It seemed, truly, truly okay. Responding to the gentle smile with a corresponding smile, I confessed.

“I have no memory.”

It was sudden. But no, it would have been sudden no matter when or how I said it. Trying to set the mood wouldn’t have made it any less abrupt.

“… Huh? What do you mean, no memory? Have you been drinking a lot again? Did you mix it with meds… No, I’m not scolding you. Just-”

“It’s not related to blacking out from drinking… Probably. Saying I have no memory… is already putting it mildly.”

“… Since when? Since when do you not remember?”

“It’s been quite some time. Honestly… I knew you had some inkling about it.”

Lee Yeri did not respond. She probably had a lot on her mind. She might even want to take me to a mental hospital right away. I’d feel the same if I were her.

I wouldn’t go quietly, but I’d understand. However, having deliberated over a long time—and having made a decision just a moment ago in that room—I did not feel silent standing in the cold alleyway.

“I think it’s a bit cowardly… However, I know I should have said something from the beginning. I was just too scared, so I kept avoiding it.”

I cut off the apology words that were about to spill out involuntarily. It was a story I no longer felt sorry for.

“… Yena.”

It was a pitiful story.

For unni.

And for Yena… no, for me.

“But… over the past week, I’ve realized something for sure. I don’t think I can do anything while constantly trying to guess what you, unnie, are thinking about Yena…”

I even felt that I couldn’t act normally myself, so it must have seemed even worse from an outsider’s perspective.

To the viewers… it likely looked much worse.

“I’m not saying I acted ahead of you. Nor am I blaming you. I understand it might be hard to believe, but, truly, that’s not what I’m saying.”

I had been prepared for this. Nevertheless, it was difficult to see Lee Yeri’s expression, so I slightly lowered my gaze. Yep, a bit better.

It had been quite a long time.

Let’s call it the past life. Sometimes even that expression scared me, and I didn’t know what else to call it… though I’d often stop mid-sentence.

Anyway, compared to the time spent in another life—it wasn’t much—1 year.

During that long time, my obsession with KoK, my lifeline linking me to my past life, had grown strong. Even though I knew that what I’d built up until now wouldn’t disappear even if KoK went under.

Yes. I knew well. Even if KoK fell apart, it wouldn’t change the fact that I had inscribed my name at the top of the first season. Nor would it change the fact that tens of thousands of people had witnessed my ascent.

Most importantly, Ahri would not suddenly say, “You’re no longer my teacher, so I don’t need you anymore”, and cut ties.

The same went for Jinhee—

As for Revan… it might be a bit tricky since I’d need to come up with a new teasing nickname, but it’s something I could manage.

The pro gamers I got to know… hmm. They might even get closer to me by cursing Faraday together.

I’m especially curious about Orthodox’s reaction. How vehemently would he curse Faraday with that serious-sounding voice?

That’s something I’d really want to hear. Perhaps being an assassin wasn’t all bad.

And, most importantly, the viewers.

Everyone loves KoK. When we announced its demise, it would burn brightly, like a fire of unprecedented scale. Undoubtedly, the impurities that mingled in recently would melt away effortlessly—

Yes. I want to see it. The viewers too.

So, in the end, that’s it.

Only at the moment I heard a story that made me certain KoK would truly fall, did I realize.

That now, more than the name KoK or rogues, everything connected through the two—relationships I single-handedly forged—had become stronger roots for me.

Hence, I wanted to be greedy.

“I’m sorry for preparing and saying all this on my own. If you have anything you want to say, even later, please tell me… unnie.”

I wanted to live as Lee Yena, connected to so many things.

I awkwardly waved, looking away, and finished my farewell to unnie.

I hope we can greet each other again.

.

.

.

Dare I say, the past year was a constant struggle.

As a consequence, I gained various realizations. I even found moments of peace in my heart.

However, life was neither a novel nor a movie, so my life did not change with just a few realizations.

Even so, it was fine.

The feeling of being lost was no longer unfamiliar. If there was a difference from the beginning, it was perhaps that I could now faintly see the North Star to guide me.

I couldn’t yet name exactly what that North Star was, though. It was no longer guilt. Nor was it longing. If I lived as my heart guided me.

Then, maybe. Maybe, as Lee Yena, I could start to understand how I should live from now on.

So-

As the beginning, from now on, it was GetDevoured’s time.

* * * *

Ten days had passed since the protest. Nine days since the lawsuit notice. The broadcasts of CravingWarmAmericano had reached a state where talking about any regularity was difficult.

The start time. Whether there was a notice or not. The broadcast duration. Even the content of the broadcasts, as well as the style. Complaints were bursting out, saying that the randomness had gone too far.

Quite a few pointed out that this was a fatal flaw of an inexperienced broadcaster. They clicked their tongues, saying that with this kind of broadcasting, no matter how promising, the fixed viewer base would eventually erode and crumble.

However, such criticisms were hard to take seriously for a newcomer who, within just a few months of debut, had conquered and reigned at the top of KoK and Tw*tch with ease.

Grumbles and complaints from some corners of communities were often dismissed as mere jealousy from fans of other broadcasters. But when signs of decline started to appear, the situation turned 180 degrees.

Of course, CravingWarmAmericano’s rank was still high enough to easily surpass Tw*tch’s first place.

However, it was also true that signs of a slow but certain decline were beginning to show. Those who had watched internet broadcasts for a long time knew the typical pattern of rising stars declining like a comet.

A broadcaster made famous through KoK seemed to lose interest in it, merely touching on it here and there.

A broadcaster who used to allow any kind of joke was now declaring widespread lawsuits and even hired a lawyer.

A broadcaster known for all kinds of crazy antics was now cautiously choosing words as if appearing on public educational broadcasts.

Nevertheless, the broadcasting time remained as lacking and irregular as before.

While these signs, even if just one or two of them, would have been signal flares of a downward trend, all of them occurred simultaneously, hiding even her once relatively famous face.

In places like galleries that specialized in internet broadcasts, there were dozens of posts daily predicting that CravingWarmAmericano was becoming outdated, suggesting she would decline as typically as a newcomer known for just one fresh crazy trick.

Of course, those predictions were on the mild side. There were malicious comments from IPs around the world saying they hoped she would fail properly, reveal her face, and more openly expose her famous body.

But the clear thing was that CravingWarmAmericano was still at the center of attention. There were so many people trying to track her every move.

So-

『Author: CravingWarmAmericano(👑)』

『Title: Broadcast Announcement』

『Long time no see.

Cam broadcast in 5 minutes.

Thank you.』

– ????

– Nope~ Not falling for that~

– Someone please go home and burn all that damn duct tape.

– Lawsuit incoming, good luck.

– How can you joke about a lawsuit, you *beeping*…

– Lawsuit incoming, good luck.

– Seriously, this *beep*…

– Is the cam broadcast real?

– No way, *you disgusting*…

– Why do you keep swearing…

– Now, we can’t swear at the host anymore, damn it.

– There’s no option not to swear… This broadcaster really knows how to gather a certain type of viewers.

– ‘Legendary X-army.’

– You don’t have to turn on the cam~ I’ll just look at the protest photos next to it~

– Did you go to Zotterday?

– If there were no news about a Molotov cocktail, then no.

– Exactly.

– Are you seriously going to turn on the cam? If you trick us again, I swear…

– Will you vouch for that?

– I’ll just look at a picture of a motorcycle helmet~

– Why has the excitement for this broadcast died down?

– Then why are you here on the fan cafe? If you want to complain, just leave.

– Yeah, I won’t come anymore. Good luck with only those voice-loving idiots watching your broadcast, lOLOLOL.

– Please, just leave and stop coming back to check comments.

– The quality has definitely gone downhill.

– Today, will they spout nonsense for 5 minutes and then log off?

– There was a time when just cooking buchujeon (chive pancakes) was fun.

– I’d rather watch the same G-Tube broadcast I’ve seen five times on FanTube than the live show.

– Just because they’re a bit off for a week, these comments are too much… Some fans they are.

– This broadcaster sues their fans, can’t we say something too?

– Did you see what those who are about to be sued wrote? You call that being a fan? Seriously, lOLOLOL.

– You all will run over to watch like crazy anyway, so why are you so angry?

– Because if they trick us again saying it’s a cam broadcast, I’ll be furious just thinking about what nonsense they’ll pull.

Hundreds of comments were posted on a short three-line notice—

And it didn’t take even three minutes for a screenshot of it to spread across various communities.