I Have a Reason to Hate Streamers

It was not my first interview.

I was quite the promising athlete back in my playing days.

There were times when reporters would come to talk to me, and when I won the national championship, even foreign representatives showed up.

Especially after being selected for the national team, I was asked for interviews several more times.

So, there was absolutely no reason for me to feel shy or nervous.

I wasn’t dragged out here for doing something wrong; I was confidently in the position of a winner.

I knew that in my head, but…

Maybe it was because my body had changed, but for some odd reason, my heart was racing thumpity-thump, and I couldn’t calm down.

Relax. You know how to ease your nerves, right?

First, deep breaths. That should help a bit.

Hoo… Haaaa. Hoo….

Fortunately, it worked.

At last, my narrowed vision returned, and I could see my surroundings properly.

In another room, it seemed like the Ripper was preparing for his interview.

A few reporters, looking just like their reality version, were starting to take their seats next to me.

From the empty seat beside me, it seemed to be the interviewer’s spot.

Soon, a beautiful announcer settled in next to me.

I’d seen her face a few times on broadcasts.

I couldn’t quite remember her name, though.

“Are you feeling very nervous? I saw you taking some deep breaths.”

“Ah, no. I’m feeling much better now.”

“That’s impressive. I was shaking like crazy at first. So, can we start the interview now?”

“Yes. I’m ready.”

“Great! Let’s begin!”

A simple icebreaker.

The announcer smiled sweetly, and a signal indicated the camera was rolling.

“In the Arena Group Stage E, Gawol defeated Rime with a score of 2:0. We’ll now have a winner’s interview. First off, congratulations on your victory!”

“Thank you.”

“As you confidently claimed at the selection ceremony, you defeated Rime, the spear knight. I’d like to ask for your thoughts on the win.”

“Um… Rime put up a better fight than I expected, but I’m glad I won. I’ll do well in the next match too.”

“Yes! That was Gawol’s thoughts on her victory.”

I wanted to sound a bit more natural.

But it was hard to control my emotions in this body.

Even after calming down just moments ago, I felt the shaking slowly creep back in.

“Gawol, you showed significant confidence in the match against the spear knight right from the selection ceremony. It’s generally known to be a difficult matchup. What are your thoughts on that?”

“I think that’s just… a misunderstanding. If the assassin plays well, they shouldn’t hit. If you keep gnawing away, you’ll win.”

“Yes. A confident answer, true to Gawol’s style.”

The announcer chuckled.

What’s that? Did I just make a slip of the tongue?

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like a mistake at all.

The interview flowed on surprisingly smoothly.

Maybe they were being considerate, as I wasn’t asked any sensitive questions.

However, they seemed to want to hit on certain points without fail.

For instance, why I hesitated to use skills in the first match or questions about the engagement dynamics.

It seemed like the one creating the questions really knew how to watch the game.

“Now, the Ripper just finished his match with a win and has become Gawol’s next opponent. Would you like to share a word of determination?”

“Um, it’s not exactly a resolution… but then again, I’ll win.”

*

[Author: ㅇㅇ(314.32)]

[Title: Gawol “If an assassin plays well, they can’t get hit.”]

If you lost to a spear knight with an assassin,

You’re the ones who messed up.

Just avoid him!

[Comments]

– So he really didn’t get hit..

└ He sticks to what he says..

[Author: PeroPero]

[Title: Arena E Group Ripper’s Victory Interview Translation]

Q. Please share your thoughts on your victory.

A. I think I won without any difficulties.

Q. You achieved overwhelming victories in both sets. Do you have any prepared strategies or secrets to your win?

A. Simply put, there was a significant difference in skill.

……

Q. In the match between Gawol and Rime in the same group, an unexpected result occurred.

A. Not surprising.

Q. Is there anything you’d like to say before your next match?

A. I’m really looking forward to the match. Ever since I saw the qualifier videos, I’ve wanted to face that opponent. Regardless of winning or losing, I hope it’ll be an intense battle between our strengths.

[Author: DongtanMissEducation]

[Title: Gawol’s voice is incredibly beautiful.]

[Author: ㅇㅇ(326.95)]

[Title: Lee Yeon-bik, the announcer’s SNS is hilarious, lol.]

(Attached video: Gawol taking deep breaths before the interview)

From the side, she was flinching and looking cute.

No wonder she was stuttering a bit.

She must have been really nervous.

[Comments]

– Flinching? That’s a bit suggestive.

└ Hey there.

└ ?

└ You…

*

I parted ways with the Traveler after watching the matches up to Group G.

It was the group Luce was in.

She performed beyond expectations, making it to the winners’ bracket.

Both the Traveler and I were receiving a string of good news.

Thanks to that, the atmosphere in the community was on the rise.

I even searched sites I hadn’t checked in a while, the mood was that good.

Though there were still plenty who disliked me, in sports, opinions can shift quickly.

I should enjoy while I can.

A day passed, and today was once again a day full of matches from Group A to D.

Normally, it would have been a day with no special schedule. But, I was preparing for a big outing.

“After all, wearing workout clothes feels a bit off, doesn’t it?”

That guy probably wouldn’t care, but there’s still a thing called manners.

I had to think about how others would view it too.

I took out a pair of black stockings from the storage closet and put them on.

Initially, I had strong aversions to wearing women’s clothing, but now I had no choice.

There weren’t many clothes that I could actually wear.

The government’s adjustment of my identity turned out to be surprisingly decent service.

They even prepared several outfits for me after my body changed.

Ever since the accident in April, I had lost all my living relatives.

The few remaining connections, my coach, were about to leave for the national team.

Even he had threatened that he’d die if he didn’t board the plane because of me, so now no one was left here.

– Got it. I know, so please don’t say stuff like you’ll die.

– Then let’s go abroad.

– If I go, will you really behave and take good care of yourself? Promise me properly.

– I’ll do that.

– Alright. I’ll call you at least once a day, so make sure to answer.

That part was fine, but… I couldn’t leave while wearing my original clothes when being discharged.

So the person in charge of adjusting my identity prepared several outfits for me.

The problem was that most of the clothes I received at that time were regular women’s clothing.

I actually just bought whatever fit my size from a nearby mall, so I barely had any long pants.

When excluding those that were too troublesome to wear, like training pants, there was practically nothing left.

I had no choice but to pull out a skirt I had been carefully storing. Fortunately, the length was knee-length, making it less burdensome.

Clothes were a luxury for someone like me who had been struggling with money…

But now that I had some extra, I might need to buy a few outfits later.

The moment I actually put on a skirt, the aversion surged dramatically.

– This stop is Incheon City Cemetery. Incheon City Cemetery.

The stockings were to cover my legs.

Because my left leg had a noticeable large scar.

It would be off-putting to see at a glance while walking.

Already, I easily attracted people’s attention, and now I had to wear a protective brace on my left leg.

Of course, it was only natural that eyes would be drawn if I walked around in bare skin.

It was a utilitarian decision for everyone’s mental health.

While I was lost in those thoughts, I arrived at the cemetery.

Walking up the now familiar path, I quickly reached my friend’s spot.

“Haaa… I’m exhausted. That rotten little bastard. Making a friend with a body like mine go through this much trouble.”

Fortunately, the spot where my friend’s ashes were laid was in a low place.

I felt no need to stand awkwardly; I could just sit down on the ground.

Luckily, there were no people passing by nearby.

After plopping down on the ground, my body felt a bit better.

His picture looked strangely heartwarming.

Given my situation, I could not properly hold a ceremony for him.

He probably wouldn’t want that either. Instead of such an embarrassing thing, it’d be better to just have a drink on a bench outside and come back.

Boys being all mushy in front of others would just make us look bad.

“I came early because I’ll be busy tomorrow. Just be thankful I showed up.”

Truth is, today was not my friend’s anniversary.

To be exact, it was tomorrow, but since I had a match scheduled, it couldn’t be helped.

He wouldn’t be the type to be upset if I showed up a day early.

Had the roles been reversed, he would have said I did well.

“I’m competing tomorrow. It’s not an official tournament or anything, just an event tournament. Still, there are quite a few pros among the participants. It should be fun.”

He would have told me not to worry about him and just do well in the match.

I figured he’d probably think the same way. At least, that’s what I decided to believe.

The first wall I ever faced in my life.

My first failure. And my only friend.

So, I wanted to at least receive some encouragement while I was there.

“I don’t really know what would change if I win… but… maybe something will change? At the very least, it won’t get worse.”

Muttering about my recent situation, the time quickly passed.

My throat was dry, and I craved alcohol.

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