Chapter 83: There’s So Much I Need to Say.

Ideally, I wouldn’t have been recognized at all.

That would’ve been the best outcome.

But when someone approaches you with that level of certainty, there’s only so much you can do.

“Who’s that…?”

Playing dumb was the only move I had left.

Of course, even pretending not to know wouldn’t fool someone who regularly watched my streams.

Especially considering, ‘It’s not like my voice is normal or anything.’

And just as I expected.

“…Really?”

The woman stared at me with suspicious eyes.

She didn’t look convinced.

Which made sense.

She’d already ignored my request not to engage in person and approached me anyway.

So she probably wasn’t the type to back off just because I denied it.

But still.

‘If I say I’m not him, then there’s nothing she can really do.’

Once the person in question flat-out denies it, there’s nowhere else for the other party to go.

If I say it’s not me, then that’s that.

With that in mind, I spoke clearly.

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about. Anyway, excuse me.”

I gave a quick bow and made a swift exit.

Thank god.

If she’d tried to push the conversation any further, it could’ve gotten real awkward.

Relieved, I quickly opened the fan café and posted an announcement.

[Title: Official Notice]

[Content: I know everyone’s excited, but please avoid acting like you know me in person. It’s a bit overwhelming. I’ll reveal my face when the time comes anyway, so just be patient.]

I hadn’t planned on posting anything, but I couldn’t guarantee that a situation like that wouldn’t happen again.

Hopefully, this would help people chill out a bit.

[Author: HurryAndLeave]

[Title: Yotte just posted a real-time announcement on the fan café…jpg]

[Content: (screenshot) 👀 He said not to act like you know him]

L: Looks like someone did try to approach him, judging by that post lol

ㄴHurryAndLeave: Yeah, no way he’d go out of his way to post that otherwise

L: Like, how dense do you have to be to go up to someone who explicitly said “don’t act like you know me”?

L: Seriously IQ behavior

ㄴ: But like… if I’ve donated to him regularly, isn’t it kinda fair to say hi in person? If that’s not okay, maybe he shouldn’t take donations at all

L: ?

ㄴ: Ah, so this is what the average unhinged fan looks like lmao

ㄴ: Disgusting. Actually nauseating…

[Title: So based on Yotte’s post, someone did meet him, right?]

[Content: What does he look like? I’m really curious lol]

L: Dude’s probably super handsome

ㄴ: You’ve seen him?

ㄴ: Yeah, I saw a guy earlier with a cap pulled low and a mask on

ㄴ: ? And how exactly did you tell he was good-looking??

ㄴ: He just gave off the vibe, you know?

L: He probably looks pretty normal, don’t overhype it.

[Title: I think I just snapped a pic of Yotte’s back in real-time lolololol]

[Content: (photo) Is this him? Looks like the height he mentioned on stream.]

L: ?

L: ??

L: You’re out here secretly taking photos of strangers? Are you insane?

L: Reported. Bye.

L: What if that’s just some random guy? You’re really posting back shots of people online? Are you okay???

ㄴ: Do you think people on this forum care about stuff like that? They just lurk around taking creepy pics

ㄴ: This is seriously so messed up I don’t even have words for it…

[Title: Is that post not getting taken down?]

[Content: Wtf are you doing posting a photo of some random dude’s back? You seriously need help.]

L: Okay… I did kinda react to that post.

L: ?

L: Not gonna lie, that body was kinda insane lol

ㄴ: Please, even if you’re joking, don’t say stuff like that…

ㄴ: Yeah, that’s just nasty

L: Isn’t that kind of stuff illegal though?

ㄴ: Could probably be reported for something, lol

ㄴ: But like, if the face isn’t visible, what can they even sue for?

[Title: Can we please report that post already lol]

[Content: This kinda stuff is exactly how we get labeled a creepshot forum. Delete it before it spreads.]

L: Too late for that lol

L: Anyone who wanted to screenshot it probably already did

L: There’s way too many anonymous lurkers here—what can you do? Just gotta live with it

ㄴ: Yeah, but still… It sucks to be lumped together with the people who post this kind of trash

ㄴ: Sigh…

‘…Bigger than I thought.’

I had been here once before, but seeing it again with this many people inside, it felt even larger than I remembered.

Maybe it was more than just “big”, it was overwhelming.

Almost too much to explore alone.

But what surprised me even more was how there were barely any empty spaces left in this massive venue.

So many people.

So much energy.

‘There’s definitely a lot to enjoy here.’

At first, I thought maybe the event would be decent, but now I could say it with confidence, this place was packed with things to do.

I was walking around, enjoying the vibe, thinking to myself how much I liked the atmosphere when.

“Why would you use your skill there!?”

A voice rang out from the distance.

Loud.

And very, very familiar.

It had begun.

It sounded like someone was using a microphone.

Curious, I headed in the direction of the voice.

Then.

“Ah, switching heroes now? I wonder if this will be the right call…!!”

“Isn’t that swap kind of a bad idea? Hmm.”

“Yeah, not the best choice, honestly.”

I spotted someone who seemed to be an announcer, commentating on a live game.

Apparently, Heart Memorial had prepared this kind of event too.

People nearby were watching the match, listening to the commentary, and trying to guess who’d win.

I leaned in a little to see who was playing.

One player wore a mask pulled high, expressionless, totally unfazed.

The other was decked out—clearly someone who put in serious effort to dress up.

‘Looks like a total social butterfly.’

Not the kind of person you’d expect to see at an event like this, at least not that glamorously styled.

I kept watching, finding the match surprisingly engaging.

Even without being super into the game, the tension was real.

—”Are they really using their ultimate here?! Wow, that’s a bold move…!!”

I hadn’t played Heart Memorial much, but I did know that ultimates were super valuable in this game.

This was a gamble.

A big one.

“Isn’t that way too risky? Like, actually kind of a throw…?”

I muttered to myself, half-invested, when suddenly.

—”Ah!! It breaks through! Straight through the barrier—hero down!”

The flashy player had pulled it off.

Broke straight through and secured the kill with one decisive strike.

‘Damn, that was good.’

Honestly, it was impressive.

If I’d been in their shoes, I probably wouldn’t have thought to use the ultimate like that.

They had guts.

Feeling more drawn in, I stayed a little longer to watch the rest of the match.

“…Mmm. I should probably get going soon.”

How long had I been wandering the event hall?

By now, I’d pretty much experienced everything there was to try.

I had considered joining that small tournament earlier, but decided against it.

It would’ve drawn way too much attention.

‘Still… I wonder what that woman does for a living.’

The one who won the tournament hours ago.

I kept thinking about her.

She was confidently chatting with cosplayers too, which wasn’t something just anyone did.

It made me curious about what kind of person she really was.

As those thoughts swirled in my mind, I hailed a taxi.

‘Ugh, traffic’s gonna be a mess since it’s rush hour…’

Which meant the fare would be higher, too.

Should’ve left a little earlier…

Regretfully leaning back in the seat, I pulled out my phone and started scrolling through the fan café.

By now, people were probably starting to post their impressions and reviews of the event.

[Title: My thoughts after attending the Heart Memorial event…txt (long post)] [15]

Right at the top. A review post.

‘Hope it’s something positive.’

I tapped on it, and immediately froze.

[Author: HurryAndLeave]

“…Huh?”

The name was very familiar.

It was my mod.

The mod who had been with me since the very beginning of my streaming journey.

I figured they might attend the event, but I didn’t expect them to write an entire review post.

A strange mix of nervousness and curiosity bubbled up as I opened the post.

[Author: HurryAndLeave]

[Title: My thoughts after attending the Heart Memorial event.txt (long post)]

[Author: HurryAndLeave]

[Title: My thoughts after attending the Heart Memorial event.txt (long post)]

[Content: First impression of the venue? Honestly, pretty solid lol
The place was huge, and it looked like they actually put effort into managing it.
(Photo) Everything was clean 👀 (Photo) They even had a food stand based on the characters, so of course I had to try some.]

[Content:(Photo) Found a game tournament while walking around and, you know… I just casually snatched the win lol (Photo) Also ended up buying like four merch items. Most of them were pretty high quality. (Photo) Oh—and the best part? The cosplayers. No joke, they were insanely good. Seriously lol If I had to give the event a score… Out of 5? Solid 4.]

“…Wait a sec.”

The outfit in the photos looked really familiar.

Her face was partially covered, so it wasn’t 100% clear, but…

‘That’s her, right?’

The woman from the tournament earlier, the one who boldly used her ultimate and broke through her opponent’s defense.

It had to be her.

Should I say something?

Or just let it be?

I scrolled down to the comments, and there it was. Confirmation.

L: Wait WHAT?! That showoff was the mod?! LMAOOOO

ㄴ: Holy crap I didn’t see that coming

L: She was stupid pretty though, damn…

ㄴ: Bro, how does someone that hot just sit at home watching streams all day??

ㄴ: Maybe she just does whatever she wants lol

ㄴ: Yeah… seems like it

L: If she ever tries to act modest on stream again, I swear to god, I’m calling her out immediately LMAOOO

After reading the comments, I had no more doubts.

The woman who made that wild ultimate play in the tournament— was my mod.

So it’s ‘Rapid Jump’, right?