Chapter 117: Even Being a Nuisance with Elegance

“See? I came early.”

“Yeah. Thanks to the car, I got here like this, but I’m not sure if I should be grateful or not. I never knew the roads in Soul could part like the Red Sea until today.”

Dayoung shook her head, then suddenly turned as if remembering something she had forgotten and asked a question.

“How did you get a car? It doesn’t look like you bought it yourself.”

“Everything was set up when I returned.”

“They provided you with a house, an identity, money, and all sorts of things, and now even a car? Just what kind of goddess are you?”

“Just take it as a sign of how much I went through.”

“Well… I guess it’s not something we can discuss here. Hey, Ajin, edit this part out.”

“Don’t worry.”

***

We arrived at Warfare Mark and soon met with the event organizers.

After a brief identity check, Dayoung and Ajin were approved to accompany me, and we reached the waiting room.

Inside the waiting room, we took seats, but unlike our lively chatter in the car, we all fell silent as if it had never happened.

This was a space for players and staff.

There were only streamers present, but our opponents, the STK members, were nowhere to be seen.

‘Are they in another waiting room?’

‘If Eunha were here, it might have been easier to start a conversation. ‘

I clicked my tongue in disappointment.

Aside from Ajin occasionally speaking to me for the vlog, Dayoung and I were either staring blankly into space or absorbed in our phones.

Meanwhile, Ajin diligently twisted and turned, capturing me from various angles.

Her dedication to her work was truly admirable.

‘I should give her a reward later.’

‘A reward… What kind of reward should I give Ajin?’

As I was pondering, Dayoung leaned in close and whispered in my ear.

“Everyone’s looking at you.”

Her tone carried both a warning and a reminder, but more than that, I was distracted by her breath tickling my ear.

Ah, Dayoung… That tickles. Ugh.

I tried to suppress the slight shiver in my shoulders and subtly glanced around.

She was right.

They were looking at me.

They glanced at me before murmuring among themselves.

The hushed whispers, low and resonant, felt like waves spreading through the room.

Some might call it self-consciousness, but I was sure of it—

‘They’re definitely looking at me.’

They weren’t staring outright, but their side glances were obvious enough to be amusing.

For a regular person, subtle gazes might go unnoticed, but they were so blatant that denial was impossible.

It wasn’t arrogance to acknowledge it.

I wasn’t crossing a line by thinking this way.

Some people might be sensitive to such attention, feeling like an animal in a zoo and getting uncomfortable.

But that had nothing to do with me.

***

“Uh, excuse me….”

A man approached hesitantly, his hair overly slicked back with too much product, but otherwise, he had a friendly demeanor.

‘Who are you?’

“Are you… Friede?”

“Yes, that’s me. What’s the matter?”

“As I thought! I’m Gunder. We fought once in the past—back in the tournament.”

‘Gunder?’

‘Who was that again?’

‘I tilted my head, unable to recall immediately.’

Dayoung leaned in and whispered.

“The guy I knocked out.”

Ah, now I remember.

“The one who got smacked in the face?”

“…….”

Seeing a person cycle through surprise, embarrassment, anger, resignation, and laughter all in one second was quite entertaining.

The way Gunder’s expression changed in real-time was so amusing that I wondered if Ajin had caught it for the vlog.

It would make a great reaction clip.

“Ahem, I was invited as part of the streamer team this time. It’s reassuring to have someone like you on board, Friede. Haha.”

“Oh, I see.”

‘If he was the one who got smacked in the face back then, he was at least a decent player.’

‘Not a bad teammate to have.’

Since getting along with teammates was important, I smiled warmly and replied.

“Likewise, I look forward to working with you.”

“Ah, yes. Well, I’ll be going now.”

I thought he had more to say, but that was the end of it.

After a polite bow, he awkwardly waddled back to his seat.

The way he moved reminded me of a penguin.

“Why is he walking like that?”

‘Did he throw out his back?’

“Unnie, these days, even being naturally awkward gets you criticized.”

‘What?’

I was about to retort when a lively voice jumped in before me.

“Well, it’s because Friede looks absolutely stunning today.”

At the source of the voice stood a woman in a sharp casual suit, her eyes sparkling.

‘Who is she?’

Now that I thought about it, other than me, all the streamer team members were men.

Unexpected arrivals always came suddenly.

Sensing our collective gaze, she flashed a bright smile.

Her presence was radiant, almost like a sunflower.

“Wait… I’ve seen her before.”

“Hello, Friede. We’ve met before, right?”

If she knew me, then there had to be some connection.

I searched my memory and suddenly recalled a woman who had energetically conducted interviews.

Not so much a player, but someone who bridged the gap between gamers and their audience.

“Jiyoung?”

“That’s right! This is our first time meeting in person, Friede.”

She winked playfully at my response, greeting me with a grin.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on you ever since your Kesakbbang match with SUHO. You’re just as impressive as I expected.”

“Jiyoung, are you the interviewer for this event?”

“Of course! The name Jiyoung is definitely on the rise these days.”

Jiyoung’s eyes sparkled brighter than ever as she let out an excited squeal.

‘Did she actually put some kind of glitter in her makeup? I wasn’t well-versed in cosmetics, but the way her face shimmered under the light was undeniably beautiful.’

Her captivating appearance and confident demeanor seemed to lighten the tense atmosphere in the waiting room.

“Wow, this is the first time I’ve seen someone pull off that outfit so well. Friede, you have a surprisingly mature taste.”

“Mature? Do I look too revealing?”

“Yes, very. But I don’t mean that in a bad way. It just means you have an incredibly alluring presence. And also….”

Jiyoung glanced around briefly before leaning in with a sly smile to whisper in my ear.

Seriously, my ears have been going through a lot today.

“You saw how Gunder and the others were acting earlier? That’s because your sex appeal is off the charts.”

“Huh?”

“You’re already an incredibly stylish person, and now you’re dressed this stunningly. It’s only natural.”

The sly, fox-like curve of her smile seemed to say, ‘You know I’m right,’ and honestly… it caught me off guard.

Sure, I was aware that my outfit had a bit of exposure, but I thought this level was pretty standard these days….

“Should I just change into something else if I have a spare outfit?”

“That’s not the issue, Friede. The problem isn’t the clothes. The clothes are just the wrapping—what really matters is this!”

Jiyoung pointed directly at my chest.

I wasn’t dense enough to miss the implication.

I understood exactly what she was getting at and why she phrased it that way.

“It might be a little over the top, but trust me, no one’s complaining. After all…”

Just as I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, Jiyoung grinned and offered what seemed like a backhanded compliment.

“It’s rare to see someone be a nuisance with such elegance.”

***

[Which team is the favorite to win this event?]

User: Anonymous
—Let’s get some betting going.

[ᄋᄋ: STK is still the favorite. Warden and Lotus look solid.]

[WashBasin: If Friede is in top form, she’s above Warden, but her team is kind of weak. LOL.]

[LAmpadu: Objectively, if you take Friede out, the rest get stomped. So yeah, streamers are gonna lose.]

[Loo: LMAO.]

[MeatEater: Who cares about the outcome? Friede’s presence alone makes this worth watching!]

[GarterBeltKnight: To me, Friede is… a killer.]

[Loo: What does that even mean?]

[GarterBeltKnight: Dunno.]

***

[Breaking News! A legendary “Lurs Louis Swagtail” car spotted at Warfare Park!]

[User: SweetGuy
—There are only two of these in the world, and one of them just appeared at Warfare Park! Who owns this legendary ride? Could it be connected to the STK event?! Stay tuned!]

[hope5555: Stay tuned, my ass. Shut up.]

[Kimkkattulakku: This guy’s addicted to making clickbait posts.]

[TheDominator: If it’s not a luxury car flex, this dude’s always hyping some nonsense.]

[You idiots, the winner doesn’t matter!]

[User: RedLotus]
[The real highlight here is that Friede is making an offline appearance!]

[oo: Nope. The event lighting will expose her. That foundation will melt right off, and she’ll look greasy as hell. Total feminist mess.]

[LyaSergei: You clearly haven’t watched Friede’s streams.]

[DaylightSword: Her stream is notorious for having zero filters or beautification. You think she ever goes all out with makeup? LMAO.]

[SweetGuy: Who cares if she wears makeup? Just worship our queen.]

[RedLotus: Shut up, you sweaty nerd.]

[PepeKing: The amount of nonsense in this thread is insane. LOL.]

***

[I’m heading to the event to see Friede in person!]

[User: MeatEater
—Told my wife I had plans with a friend and sprinted to Warfare Park. ETA: almost there. I will see Friede’s bare face today.]

[DaylightSword: Yo, you too? Same here!]

[GarterBeltKnight: MeatEater, you absolute clown….]

[oo: Aren’t you ashamed to lie to your wife for this? LOL.]

[TheDominator: This is so pathetic, it should be tagged under ‘mental decline.’ LOL.]

***

[Best part about this event?]

[User: DaylightSword
—The fan meeting, obviously. STK is popular, sure, but no way they’re leaving Friede out. I’ve spent years watching her streams—this is finally my reward. What kind of fan meeting will Friede have? A handshake? Autographs? Eye contact? Or… a hug?]

[ᄋᄋ: You absolute madman… truly insane…]

[GarterBeltKnight: If she gives hugs, I swear I’ll pledge my loyalty forever.]

[MeatEater: Honestly, even just a handshake would be legendary.]

[ToothpickWarrior: Why are you all fantasizing so hard? LOL.]

[LyaSergei: You really think a streamer fan meeting won’t be full of bait? Wake up.]

[LAmpadu: But our Friede is different… I just know it. Can’t wait!]