Chapter 100: That person is me

Let’s say I’m a firefighter.

A fire breaks out, and I do my best to put it out.

The flames are persistent, but after multiple attempts, I almost manage to extinguish them.

Then, some idiot walks up and throws in more firewood.

The flames, which were dying down, suddenly roar back to life.

Of course, I’d be furious.

That’s exactly what’s happening right now.

“It was a coordinated attack by multiple unidentified users.”

Si-young was the first to assess the situation.

“This was intentional. Someone planned this.”

It was a form of online terrorism.

There was no direct evidence, so we couldn’t legally prove who was behind it.

But some things?

You don’t need proof to know exactly what’s going on.

Just like now.

“It’s Titan Underrock, obviously. Who else would do this?”

They were holding a grudge because I rejected their contract.

That nameless owner, Park-whatever, was definitely behind this.

I already hated his attitude and behavior—

Now he pulls this kind of childish stunt just because I turned him down?

Pathetic.

I just want to live quietly,

but the world refuses to leave me alone.

“…The photo is too blurry, and there’s no direct proof tying them to it.

Legally speaking, it would be difficult to take action.”

“That’s fine.”

A man as sleazy as him wouldn’t have left any loose ends anyway.

But saying it’s fine doesn’t mean I plan to let it go.

“We don’t need to take it to court to win.”

“…Are you saying…?”

Park Kyung-tae was a businessman with multiple companies.

Of course, he had a legal team covering his tracks.

Taking legal action would be exhausting,

and the chances of me winning were low.

So what was the best way to fight back?

The answer was simple.

“You’re planning to turn public opinion against him.”

“Exactly.”

Calling it a “public battle” might sound dramatic,

but all I was really doing was leveraging the power of people.

My viewers were my biggest weapon.

The same people who joked about launching Molster Call raids or swarming like locusts.

And beyond them, there were internet communities and the ever-hungry cyber tabloids,

always looking for new scandals to latch onto.

“But, boss… if you do that…”

Si-young hesitated.

I already knew what she wanted to say.

This plan required one major sacrifice.

“Yes, I’ll have to reveal my face.”

“We need to frame the narrative as Titan Underrock leaking my photos without permission.”

That was the key.

Si-young must have considered this approach too,

but she didn’t bring it up—

probably hoping I wouldn’t choose this path.

Honestly, I hadn’t planned on making this choice either.

But too bad.

They made the first move.

I refuse to sit back and let them do this.

In the past, I would have hidden away.

I would have shut myself off from the world,

locked myself in a space no one could reach.

But not anymore.

“If they hit first, I’ll hit back.”

I wasn’t just going to stand still after getting sucker-punched.

I would go right up to them and land a counterpunch instead.

And this face of mine?

If I played it right,

it would be a massive advantage.

“…Haaah.”

Si-young let out a deep sigh, filled with concern.

“Don’t worry so much. This was bound to happen eventually.”

I always had this strange feeling—

That one day, while streaming, I would end up revealing my face.

It had been annoying to watch people around me panic

every time a rumor about my appearance started.

Deep down, I had thought:

“I’ll just reveal it someday when this all becomes too much of a hassle.”

The only thing that bothered me was that I wasn’t the one who chose when it happened.

But in the grand scheme of things,

this wasn’t all that different from what I expected.

“All this fuss… over a face.”

“Over a face?! What are you saying?!”

A shocked voice came through my headset.

I mean… sure.

This face is way too much to call it “just a face.”

I looked in the mirror.

The same woman I had grown used to seeing stared back.

A face so far beyond what I deserved,

even Park-whatever had admitted it.

This was a face that ended up with the wrong owner.

There were probably better people out there for it.

But for now—

“Let’s put it to good use.”

A small laugh escaped me.

Talking to my own reflection.

At this rate,

people might start calling me crazy.

But the face in the mirror was smiling—

As if it was just as eager as I was for what came next.

[So… when is Mol-King streaming again?]

“Thanks to you idiots, she’s not streaming today.”

She usually streams at this time, but—

User A: “She usually takes a few days off when things like this happen.”

User B: “Yeah, considering how many trolls are swarming, taking a break makes sense.”

User C: “She should just wait until things die down before coming back.”

User D: “Not seeing any signs of that happening though. LOL.”

User E: “Mol-bang-on s*x WAKYAPYA!”

User F: “Troll detected.”

User G: “Wait… no way.”

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Molru started a stream.

This was already the third time a controversy about her appearance had erupted.

But unlike before, when she avoided streaming until the rumors died down—

This time, she was doing the complete opposite.

[Mollru is now live!]

-ZZ

Her stream title—mocking the situation.

Instead of ㅋㅋ (Korean laughter), she had written it in English.

It was as if she was laughing in their faces.

Was she planning to confront this head-on?

Viewers sensed something unusual and rushed into the stream.

[Wait, what? She actually went live?]

[Mol-King! Mol-King! Mol-King! Mol-King!]

[Mollru, are you really the ‘Titan Girl’ from the forums?!]

As the viewer count skyrocketed, the chat exploded.

People from all over the internet—her fan café, random forums, and esports communities—had gathered.

The chat was a chaotic mix:

Some asking if she was going pro,

Some demanding if she was the woman in the photo,

Some wondering why she didn’t just wait for the drama to settle,

And others… just spamming random emojis.

The chat was scrolling so fast,

it was only during brief pauses that the messages could even be read.

People were too busy saying what they wanted,

and it felt like a collective monologue.

Unlike usual, there was no background music.

This made the disorganized chatter feel even more unsettling.

Meanwhile, Molru said nothing.

All that could be heard were faint rustling sounds—

The occasional click of her mouse.

Every time a sound was heard,

the chat spiked again.

The tension peaked.

Just as lag began to hit from the overwhelming flood of viewers,

Molru finally spoke.

“Hello.”

Her voice was calm.

Too calm.

It was not the reaction people had expected.

“I have something to say.”

By now, tens of thousands were watching.

Yet, Molru wasn’t moderating the chat.

Her managers were only removing extreme comments—

not controlling the flood of people.

“Yes, I know.”

“There’s been a lot of talk about me lately.”

Her soft voice echoed through the stream.

And strangely, as she continued speaking,

the chat began to slow down.

People were actually listening.

“I’ve disabled donations today.”

“But I noticed some were sent before I did.”

“I’ll read those first.”

“‘Are you debuting as a pro?’

No.

I’m not going pro.”

She read through the donations like a radio host,

completely unbothered by the chat’s reaction.

“Last one.

‘Is the woman in the Titan Underrock photo really you?'”

Molru paused, then casually continued.

“Oh, that photo?

Yeah, I saw it too.

She looked really pretty, whoever she was.”

The chat erupted.

“Told you it wasn’t her!”

“No way! That was definitely her!”

“How can you be this in denial?!”

Viewers argued among themselves,

splitting into believers and skeptics.

And then—

The stream screen changed.

Previously, it had only shown her desktop.

But now—

something completely different appeared.

A dimly lit room.

Curtains drawn, despite it still being daytime.

A woman, sitting on a chair.

Soft sunlight filtering in, creating a subtle backlight.

This wasn’t like Molru’s usual streams.

It felt too different.

At the center of the screen,

the woman’s lips moved.

“…Is this working?

Can you guys see me?”

Black hair. Pale skin.

Large eyes staring directly into the camera,

blinking rapidly—

as if she wasn’t used to having her face exposed.

Every time she blinked,

her long eyelashes trembled slightly.

She furrowed her brows slightly,

checking if the camera was working properly.

She was stunning.

The dimly lit room,

the way the sunlight cast a glow around her,

it was like she was perfectly framed by a natural spotlight.

After confirming that the camera was on,

she clicked her mouse.

Something new appeared on the screen.

The photo.

The same image people had been arguing about.

The blurred silhouette of a woman,

her face unidentifiable.

Molru smiled, albeit awkwardly.

“This… yeah.

That’s me.”

Her pale wrist, her long, delicate fingers—

she gestured between herself and the image,

as if to confirm it to everyone.

At that moment—

The chat, which had briefly frozen,

erupted like a tsunami.

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