“I’m here.”
“Welcome!”
Dayoung greeted me warmly, but something about her looked different.
‘Was it the makeup?’
Her makeup was slightly heavier than usual, giving her an entirely different impression—almost unrecognizable.
‘Was this the so-called “transformation of a woman”?’
“Was the journey tiring?”
“Yeah. How’s your mom?”
“She’s still in the hospital. Recovery isn’t coming easy.”
“Ah, I see. She’ll get better soon.”
I said this, but instantly regretted asking.
It felt like I’d brought up something I shouldn’t have.
I quickly shifted the topic, holding out a box wrapped in luxurious paper.
“Anyway, I brought this.”
I handed her a ruby-colored glass bottle with an elegant shape.
It was a bottle of Pepe the Frog-brand red wine, a premium product with a distinct mascot—a frog—emblazoned on the label.
It was a well-known brand that cost well over hundreds of thousands of won, making it a rare indulgence.
Back before I was summoned to this world, my father would bring it out as a secret weapon during family gatherings on holidays.
All I had ever tasted of it was a few sips while my father uncorked the bottle.
‘I can’t even remember how it tasted that day.’
I strained my memory but couldn’t recall the experience, no matter how hard I tried.
Any further effort seemed likely to bring on a headache.
I shook my head.
‘Could a hero develop dementia after all these years of living in this world?’
“Yo! You’re here, Bitch Sehee! At last, I, Pepe, am making my debut!”
‘Even trash has its uses, they say…’
Snapping out of my thoughts, I spotted Pepe fluttering in front of me, greeting me with a sly grin. Seeing him rummaging around the house, it was clear Dayoung’s mom was still at the hospital.
I might need to step in and provide some “financial treatment” for Dayoung someday.
“What’s this wine? Why’s there an insanely cute face on the bottle?”
“It’s someone more handsome than you, so stop talking nonsense.”
“Heh, are you feeling insecure, Sehee?”
‘Not even close.’
One of these days, if he messes up big, I might just dunk him into a barrel of wine.
“Do you want to put on some makeup too? Isn’t it a bit much to be completely barefaced?”
Dayoung asked while bringing out a tray of snacks.
I shook my head.
There didn’t seem to be a need for makeup right now.
Honestly, after putting makeup on at the mall that one time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my skin was wearing a mask.
The discomfort made me feel like my skin might peel off along with the makeup.
Since then, I’d completely given up on it.
‘Why does this feel oddly sinful?’
“Pepe, I’ll lend you the laptop, so log in here. I already created an account for you. Make sure to log in properly. I’ll set you as an admin before the stream starts.”
“Don’t worry, Dayoung. I’ll purge any trolls like the twilight in Moscow.”
“Just stay calm and don’t overdo it, okay? Calmly.”
Dayoung set up the laptop, giving him instructions on the basics of managing the chat.
Considering his usual behavior, I felt equal parts hopeful and uneasy—he was like a wild card.
Whether he’d be a warm, fresh piece of fried chicken or a cold, leftover one remained to be seen.
“Ah, would you like to try this, too?”
Dayoung handed me something.
“Ears?”
It was a headset decorated with rabbit ears.
“What’s this?”
Seeing my curious expression, Dayoung cleared her throat and gave a reason, as though she needed an excuse.
“Since you’ve already done a face reveal, why not spice things up with some fun accessories? You can’t rely on your bare face or helmet forever. This has great functionality too. Want to see?”
She fiddled with the buttons on the headset, and soft ballad music played through LED-embedded rabbit ears.
“You can listen to the music, but there’s also a speaker in the rabbit ears that lets others hear it too. The sleek, metallic design is modern and appealing without being too flashy. It’s surprisingly fun.”
By the way, I’m a fan of cat-ear headsets.
As she put the rabbit-ear headset on me, she paired it with her cat-ear headset, smiling contentedly.
I touched the rabbit ears and fiddled with the controls.
They twitched realistically, folding and perking up depending on the settings.
—Perk perk.
“Hmm.”
‘Cute.’
***
“Hello! Another great day, everyone!”
[Hello!]
[Meow~!]
[Is it true you’re streaming with Friede today?!]
[Who knows.]
[Lol, ignorance deserves a bonk.]
[What’s with the cat theme?]
[Why not a dog theme instead?]
“Why? Cats are adorable. Look, the ears even light up. Check this out.”
I adjusted the settings, and a crisp green light illuminated the ears.
The lighting in the room was slightly dimmed to make the glowing ears stand out.
[EmperorGura donated 6,000 won! – Welcome, Cat-astrophe.]
“Cat-astrophe? That’s so mean. Cats are super cute!”
[No, they’re just furry cockroaches. ^^]
[If they weren’t cute, they’d be extinct by now!]
“Friede has a matching set, too, so let’s see if you’ll still say that when she joins the stream. Look forward to it!”
[For real? Friede’s joining?]
[Friede fans reporting in. Where’s our queen?]
[The influx of fans is insane, lol.]
“You’re really collaborating with that 10-year legend… Our Forming is finally walking the path of success. 😭😭”
“Friede genuinely cherishes Forming… It’s so nice to see.”
“Agreed. Even hosting the collab on Forming’s channel. Their sisterly bond is heartwarming.”
***
Changing the stream title to [Forming x Friede Collaboration] caused the viewer count to skyrocket, almost overwhelming in its speed.
The chat was a blur—unlike anything Forming had ever experienced in her streaming career.
However, her years of experience kicked in, and with a bright smile, she opened her arms wide to welcome everyone.
“Yes! Here we have my older sister, Friede! Everyone, please give her a warm welcome with donations! ♥”
As Forming shifted aside, a blonde-haired woman appeared in the vacant space on the screen.
Her bunny-ear headset, with a sleek deep-blue LED glow, twitched rhythmically to the background music.
“Hello, I’m Friede.”
[Lukkakkung donated 10,000 won! – I thought she was cute because of the bunny ears, but what’s the difference between her and Forming?]
[ZiegGarmentBelt donated 8,000 won! – Turns out she’s a max-level bunny powerhouse.]
[Forming Forever donated 15,000 won! – Our Forming isn’t someone who’d lose out to anyone… sniff.]
[OoO564654 donated 20,000 won! – Friede, please take good care of our Forming.]
[I’llCryToo donated 10,000 won! – What’s with the bunny ears twitching in sync with her chest movements?]
“Hey, sir, you’re banned. Sayonara~.”
With a sharp snap of her fingers, the offender was permanently kicked out of the chat.
The remaining viewers erupted into reactions.
[Whoa, is this a purge meeting? Tiananmen Square vibes?]
[Why Tiananmen? People think every ban is Tiananmen these days.]
[Well done, Forming. Lately, there’s been a rise in people being outright gross about Friede.]
[Let’s hear it for ethical purges! 👏]
‘Good job, Pepe,’ Forming thought, inwardly praising him for his excellent timing and decisive action.
With a serious expression, she addressed the audience firmly.
“If anyone says weird things to my sister or during the stream, you’re all going straight to hell. Got it?”
The chat atmosphere seemed positive.
While ejecting donors wasn’t ideal, given how bad the comments about Friede had been, this was an exception.
“Now, let’s start with a casual Q&A. Since my sister is famously mysterious, I’ve prepared a few questions. Are you okay with that, Friede?”
“Sure, but this is more fun.”
Friede fiddled with the buttons on her headset, making the bunny ears twitch nonstop, their movements visible to everyone on the camera.
The sheer adorableness was palpable.
The lively and festive atmosphere in the chat was almost surreal.
[LOL, no need for questions! The twitching bunny ears are everything. 😂]
[Friede’s twitching ears are giving me pumping hearts vibes.]
[What’s pumping?]
[Ahem! It’s my feelings, of course.]
[The collab effect is insane. 😂]
[Forming’s stream is about to hit an all-time viewer record!]
It was a wild success.
‘As expected of my sister!’ Forming thought, clenching her fists in determination.
Even when they first met during a Soul Warfare session, Friede’s presence had been unforgettable.
Her face and figure exuded charisma, making even the slightest gestures feel like premium content.
‘This will definitely blow up into clips and GIFs.’
The influx of viewers felt like a flood, and Forming braced herself to ride the wave without drowning.
***
“I’m so jealous. I want to be part of that.”
In a dark room illuminated only by the flickering monitor, Ajin bit her nails nervously.
She had once believed that becoming Friede’s editor would bring salvation and closeness, that she’d be the one who stood nearest to her sister professionally.
‘But why was Friede now surrounded by those fools—a clueless airhead and a girl who couldn’t even decide if she was a lotus or something else?’
“I made a mistake.”
If only she had volunteered to become a streamer herself.
—Crunch!
Ajin bit too hard, the metallic taste of blood spreading across her tongue.
Ignoring the pain, she licked the blood from her thumb.
Her eyes gleamed with a strange intensity.
Her anxiety mounted.
Her body trembled with unease.
***
[First question: Do you have a boyfriend?]
[Boyfriend? No, I don’t. I’ve been single my entire life.]
[Really?]
[Is that even possible?]
[With that face and figure, she’s been single?!]
[Sigh, are all men blind?]
[No, calm down. Maybe she’s so intimidatingly perfect that no one dared approach her.]
[Top-tier heroine material!]
[Top-tier? She’s galactic-level!]
[Get out of here with your small-town nonsense. Even Forming could easily overshadow that.]
The chat was filled with lighthearted banter, laughter, and enthusiasm.
Ajin’s scornful thoughts raged internally.
‘Idiots. Blind fools. Vile creatures.’
Her silent curses were more hollow than audible.
Her expression darkened further, her gaze fixated on Friede’s twitching bunny ears.
Each twitch captivated her attention—proof that her instincts were as honest as they were troubling.
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