Chapter 29 : The entire time, they were just on the phone

Live broadcasts have a sense of immediacy.

Live. Both words contain the meaning of being alive.

The fact that right now, somewhere, that streamer is broadcasting for me to watch.

I am here, he is there.

Although we are in different places, we are sharing the same concept and the same topic at this very moment, this is the charm of live broadcasting.

Even though edited videos that collect only the most entertaining parts of the broadcast are much more fun to watch, the reason why many people still watch live broadcasts is probably because of that ‘feeling of sharing time’.

But Health Boy couldn’t watch Ruffian’s live broadcasts because their broadcast times almost overlapped.

[This broadcast has already ended.]

After finishing his broadcast, he immediately switched accounts and checked Ruffian’s broadcast, but the broadcast that was scheduled to be on until 12 o’clock was already off before 10:30.

“Why did she turn it off already?”

Naturally, Health Boy’s hand went to the VOD.

But today’s broadcast was gone. He had confirmed that she turned on the broadcast at 4 o’clock.

“What! Why is the VOD gone!”

Yeah, the regular broadcast time can be flexible.

But why is the VOD gone too?

Health Boy was about to post a question on the community board when he realized that he had revealed the existence of his secondary nickname ‘SilentMeditation’ to Ruffian, and hurriedly canceled the post he was writing.

“Phew. I almost looked like a stalker.”

But without the community board, there was no place to ask questions.

Then, he had no choice but to look at that trash can.

Health Boy, unable to overcome his curiosity, accessed the art gallery.

[Author: ᄋᄋ]

[Title: Where did Ruffian’s VOD go??]

[Content: Why did she end the broadcast and why is the VOD gone???]

Comments (3)

ᄋᄋ: Mentioning ‘that incident’ is banned

ᄋᄋ: Please check your DMs

ᄋᄋ: Yes, I’ve informed you!

“These f*cking bastards?”

The art gallery doesn’t have a DM feature.

‘That incident’ is not referring to any specific incident, it’s just nonsense to attract attention. The guy who says he informed him hasn’t actually informed anyone”

“Seriously, these social misfits.”

Health Boy, cursing the group of bullfrogs who never give a straight answer, had no choice but to look for the live threads from when the broadcast ended.

[Author: ᄋᄋ]

[Title: So-eun noona has a pretty name ᄏᄏ]

[Content: A name that suits her slender waistline ᄅᄋᄏᄏ]

Comments (2)

ᄋᄋ: What are you going to do by doxing a civilian

ᄋᄋ: What does her waist have to do with her name? Disgusting, go die

‘So Ruffian’s name is So-eun?’

He had actually seen her once at the gym, but they were still strangers who didn’t even know each other’s names.

Health Boy tried to memorize the name, but when he saw other posts, he realized that it was the name of the illustrator woman who lived with Ruffian.

“So…”

She fought with her landlord about eating during the broadcast, and in the process, her real name was leaked, so the VOD was deleted.

Judging from the fact that she ended the broadcast with a tearful voice, it seems that it didn’t end well.

“It’s not a good time to talk about work.”

In fact, Health Boy’s goal was not the collab with Ruffian itself, but to form a connection and become close through it.

But they haven’t become close yet.

He doesn’t even know her name. In this state, it would be premature to ask about the fight with her housemate or to offer clumsy comfort.

In short, it would be crossing the line.

“I have her phone number, though.”

What’s the use of having her phone number if he can’t call her? He felt a sense of regret.

But unlike other viewers, he felt a sense of superiority from being much closer to her.

The thought that she was somewhere in the same apartment building made him feel warm, but he also felt pathetic that he couldn’t even reach her by phone.

“I think it’s okay to at least send a Kakaotalk message?”

Health Boy tried to contact her through Kakaotalk, but he was surprised to see that Ruffian didn’t appear on his Kakaotalk list even though he had enabled automatic friend adding from his contacts.

“What, who doesn’t use Kakaotalk?”

Could the number she gave him be wrong? Was it a mistake not to check the number because he didn’t want to seem untrusting? Did she intentionally give him a different number? Health Boy, in a half-panic, forgot his resolution not to call her and pressed the call button.

Ring ring.

After a slightly long ringtone, he heard someone answer the phone.

<Hello?>

‘It’s really our Ruffian!’

Health Boy felt like he was going back and forth between heaven and hell in an instant.

Fortunately, the number was hers.

Now he felt like he was going back up to heaven from hell.

“Yes, this is Health Boy.”

<Oh, you said you’d contact me today.>

‘Is she surprisingly okay? Or is she just being professional?’

Whether she was hiding her emotions because they were talking about work, or whether she was really okay, Ruffian’s voice wasn’t very dark.

But he can’t pry into such matters.

That would be too stalker-like. Health Boy started the business talk as if he had called to talk about work in the first place.

“Yes, I’ve thought about the collab content. I think the most standard and safe way is to do an educational broadcast. I’ll watch you in real-time and give you advice as a Diamond-ranked player to a Diamond-ranked player.”

<Oh? Are you really okay with that? What if I actually reach Master because of it? This is like you putting up the mission and then helping me clear the mission.>

“Of course, I’m okay with it. I put up the mission for you to succeed.”

Why do men earn money? It might be for social recognition, but isn’t it more to build and take care of their own families? No matter how low the birth rate is these days and how prevalent skepticism about the reproductive instinct is, Health Boy couldn’t deny that instinct engraved in his genes.

15 million won, isn’t that a price that’s not even a little bit regrettable if it means getting closer to Ruffian? If he could have this personal conversation time just for that, if he could form a connection, it’s a price that’s almost too cheap.

Forbes’ No. 1 female streamer that men want to marry (never selected), Ruffian had that much charm.

<Oh, then what about the schedule? I’m not sure if I can broadcast tomorrow because I’m going to the hospital.>

“Are you sick?”

Health Boy was surprised.

It’s true that Ruffian looked very frail, not living up to her nickname.

<It’s not that serious. I’m just going for a checkup to see if there’s a problem with my health because I’m not gaining weight.>

She said that the reason she fought with her landlord today was also because of her skinny body.

The body he saw at the gym today was so attractive, like a beautiful piece of glasswork that was so fragile it seemed like it would break if touched, but it was also concerning.

He wondered if God had pressed the wrong button when creating her, wondering how such large breasts could be attached to such a body.

Most women would be lying if they said they were worried about being underweight, but in Ruffian’s case, it’s actually a matter of survival.

Health Boy, who was very interested in exercise, had a long history with it, and was also very knowledgeable about it, knew very well that not being able to gain weight could be more painful than not being able to lose weight.

“To gain weight, it’s important to eat, but you also need to exercise diligently. I can help you with that. I have 7 years of experience in weightlifting.”

<Oh, the person I live with said she’d help me, so I’m fine.>

He was rejected outright.

It was clear that Health Boy had much better expertise unless she was an unusual fitness fanatic.

It was probably because of the psychological resistance of not being close yet.

‘Was I being too forward?’

It might have been too transparent of him to say that to someone he had just met for the first time, someone he wasn’t close to at all, someone he didn’t even know the name of.

Health Boy reproached himself for it, but he couldn’t control his impulses and expressed his desires.

“I see. Well then, Ruffian.”

<Yes?>

“Can I ask for your name? It feels awkward to keep calling you Ruffian. Oh, I’m Eugene Woo.”

I want to know her name.

I don’t want to remain strangers on the internet who don’t even know each other’s names. Unable to suppress that desire, Health Boy asked to exchange names.

<Eugene Woo? With the last name Yu and first name Jinwoo?>

Ruffian’s voice was startled by Health Boy’s words.

“Yes.”

<No, how.>

She was just told his name, what was there to be so surprised about?

“Is there a problem?”

<No, it’s just surprising. I’m Eugene Ah.>

‘Isn’t this totally fate?’

Health Boy jumped up from his room in the middle of the call.

He was so happy about the commonality that he did a vertical jump.

Of course, he didn’t say something like, “Isn’t this fate?”

He still wanted to approach her without being too obvious, hiding his ulterior motives.

‘Since when have I been so smitten?’

Health Boy was surprised at himself.

He no longer denied the fact that he wanted to look good to Ruffian, that he wanted to get closer to her, that he liked her.

But looking back, the reason is obvious. He fell in love at first sight.

Because he saw Ruffian’s face through a very fortunate coincidence.

Because she was a beauty who was flawless enough for him to devote his whole life to loving her.

But on the other hand, he also felt uneasy, wondering if he, who was just a little bit more successful than his peers, could reach her.

Could such beauty be compared to a flower on a cliff? Shouldn’t it be compared to a single flower in a high, heavenly, sacred garden to describe its beauty?

But the possibility is not zero.

They play League of Legends, they are both broadcasters, they are residents of the same apartment building, they have so much in common.

So let’s do our best.

Acknowledging that he fell in love with her at first sight, Health Boy steeled his resolve.

“Then, Jin Ah. Let’s just post a notice tomorrow, and do the collab the day after tomorrow.”

<Then, are we doing the collab in person?>

A real-life collab, that’s when they gather in the same room and broadcast together.

That would definitely have more of a collab atmosphere, but this is the cyber age.

Of course, there are also collabs that share cyberspace instead of real space.

“Of course, meeting in person is common sense to attract more attention.”

But Health Boy was true to his desires.

<Oh, I guess so, right?>

‘She’s agreeing!’

Maybe he could go to her house. Or maybe she would come to his house.

Health Boy’s heart was pounding louder than when he was doing intense cardio.

He was so nervous that he wondered if it could be heard through the phone.