LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 241
Chapter 241 – Steak House
-[Notification: Streamer ‘Dol’ // ON AIR]
-[Number of Viewers: 31,042]
“Hello, hello, this is Kim Stone—whoa, what’s going on today!? Why are there so many people!”
A giant tree fell, hitting the sea, creating a massive spray of water.
However, just as a falling bomb had no effect on an airplane in the sky, after dropping bombs leisurely and having them explode, the only ones affected were those on the ground.
In other words, when Yoo Jin boarded a plane to New York after dropping the Tsar Bomba on Korea—Kim Stone, Limit, and Hotteok, the three who had realized Yoo Jin’s identity since the Asian preliminaries, were mercilessly swept up by the internet storm.
The day before departure, after seeing off Harmony, she leisurely turned on the broadcast from home the next day, but an unimaginable mess started pouring in.
<*PapitaPatita donated 10,000 won! Thank you!>
– Siitpral, Dol, did you already know that Yoo Jin was Snake Eyes??
“PapitaPatita, thanks for the donation… well, yeah. But there was no reason to tell. At that time, there was an embargo.”
-Of course there was an embargo, but LOL was there even a thought of hiding it LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
-Avatar (self)
-Even Vishnu, the origin of the term ‘avatar’, at least changed his form slightly LOL LOL LOL
-This girl held it in for a long time LOL LOL
-The fable of ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ being reenacted herewwwwww
A pandemonium, a pandemonium.
Of course, she understood. With Yoo Jin officially revealing herself, the implicit or official embargo was lifted, meaning the suppression of the two large corks was released.
But pressure, even with a single hole, would all escape in that direction, and adding the agenda of Yoo Jin being part of a special forces unit, everything compressed burst out from December 9, when her true identity was revealed.
She had been a recurring topic on real-time searches and major sites, but this scale was entirely different.
Specifically, tens of thousands of viewers flocked to any related site.
“…Anyway, did you all gather to hear about it? You guys are legends. How much did Yoo Jin not tell you… it’s unavoidable, though.”
-LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
-Fact) She really had no intention of sharing anything, crazy girl
-People say she’s too firm LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
-You can’t deal with someone who doesn’t need streaming to make a living!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-If you don’t like it, just stop watching her broadcast, what do you expectㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
“Ah, really…?”
What a headache.
But they weren’t wrong. As much as she recalled, Yoo Jin wasn’t the type to cling to broadcasting.
It was very much like her, but in another aspect, it was beneficial.
Even big companies, despite their status, were sometimes caught up in back advertising or strange promotions, ending up as memorials on Tree Wiki – having no attachment to broadcasting was rare – though the viewers must have hated it.
She was skillfully able to manipulate viewers who twisted their bodies begging for streams after just a day or two of absence.
Yoo Jin didn’t leave anything for viewers to hold over her.
Anyway, seeing the thousands of viewers making a fuss from the afternoon, she thought they must have had a lot of pent-up frustration.
At least, Kim Stone felt so.
“So, what are you curious about? Do you want some story? You all know what Yoo Jin looks like now. You probably came here to gossip about how ‘Yoo Jin looks like this!'”
-Real LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
-In fact, it’s useless pride and just poking aroundwwww
-Yoo Jin doesn’t stream LOL, just do anything LOL LOL LOL
-In essence, thousands of troublemakers wandering around LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
-Kim Stone unni!!!! Sorry for being such brats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A sigh echoed. Naturally, it was Kim Stone’s voice.
She had content planned for today’s broadcast, but it was already derailed. But it wasn’t a big deal. To be precise, this was content created by the viewers, so she saved the first part planned for today.
After roughly wrapping up her thoughts, Kim Stone pondered how to package her memories to please the viewers – when did she first meet Yoo Jin. On reflection, she met her in reality before the virtual world.
An invitation to the Asian preliminaries, and that evening.
“…I first met her on the day of the Asian preliminaries. The day 300,000 people crowded Yongsan Park. Harmony, Limit, Hotteok, and I had reserved seats because we were Dark Zone partner streamers. But….”
Ironically, this conversation was not only happening with Kim Stone.
“…After the match, it was dinner time. Think about it. When the sun sets, and at one of the most active times, tens of thousands of people spread out at once. Kyungui-Jungang Line and Line 1 were packed. Even if you came by car, it was tough.”
Limit.
“Then suddenly, we had an appointment with Yoo Jin. They said there’s a catering system underground. A buffet, I think… anyway, we took the elevator at the end of the path used only by staff and went down. And….”
Hotteok too.
Everyone’s stories pointed to one person.
Three different people talked about the same event. The elevator opened, Harmony led, and among the many staff, players, and coaching staff having dinner, a snake tail swaying proudly… it was a moment when an unimaginable deception was revealed.
It wasn’t even deception; it was like giving the answer and still being fooled, so there was no reason or energy to argue.
Anyway, the story continued.
“Before the elevator doors opened, Harmony asked where Yoo Jin was. They said we’d know right away. So, when the doors opened, I asked, ‘Where is she?’ and there she was. And do you know what Harmony said? ‘She’s here.’ Geez.”
Then came the QnA story.
The hidden truth began to unfold from there.
“…Anyway, since the Asian preliminaries, Yoo Jin had some plans. She intended to reveal her identity within the year. But I never imagined she’d do it the day before leaving the country.”
-There was already a plan LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
-Really crazy LOL
-What a systematic choice, just like a special forces member LOL
-The most powerful strike at the weakest point, isn’t this a choice a special forces infiltration team would make????????????
-Anyway, making people anxious LOL
Those left behind missed and reminisced about those who had left.
For nearly three weeks. Yoo Jin and some others were enjoying the New Year in a Times Square building and planned to return to Korea on January 1 after crossing the Pacific.
Even if they didn’t choose not to stream in the US, some felt the absence just because they weren’t on the same land.
“Maybe I should’ve gone to the US too.”
Lately, thanks to Harmony, viewer inflow was significant, and both advertisements and donations had surged compared to before – it was a serious thought that passed through Kim Stone’s mind, but unfortunately, there were too many things to prepare to go to the US.
The packed viewers were clamoring ‘Is Kim Stone also going to the US?’ but the chat was already forgotten in her mind.
It seemed like it would take enough and plenty of time to come to a conclusion.
—
“Peter Luger Steak House?”
“Don’t you like it?”
“No, a few people came with me, and they’ve been singing about wanting to come here. They’d be quite upset if we went without them.”
“You’re talking about that green cat and the blonde girl you usually hang out with? They were definitely cute.”
“Unfortunately, the six-person seats were fully booked. But for three-person seats, it shouldn’t be hard to reserve, so take them next time.”
Parking the car, four people got out.
Looking at them, it was quite an absurd combination—Logan, with ears fluffy like a polar bear’s, walking briskly in shorts and a T-shirt as if it wasn’t cold, Christopher with long silvery hair and red eyes that couldn’t be natural, and the senior officer, who was just an ordinary person.
Of course, even though I described it that way, I stood out the most. My ears were pointed, and today was exceptionally cold, so I wore a tail-padding coat, making me look like a large cactus with clothes.
It must have looked funny since the other three commented on my appearance.
“Can’t you just turn on the warming function? You have a perfectly good ICARUS gear.”
“I need to save the shield for emergencies.”
“Geez, always worrying about the youngest.”
As they said, there was a reason I kept complaining about the cold but didn’t turn on the warming function.
The ICARUS gear’s shield could save up to two people from a collision with a dump truck without a scratch and withstand at least 50 bullets—even more with the gear’s settings and armor linkage.
But mentioning this was like revealing a PTSD I hadn’t shown. I only turned on the warming function in extreme cold threatening my life.
Moreover, Task Force Elysium was once wiped out because the warming function tripped the temperature sensors.
Naturally, everyone in the group knew why I hesitated, maybe even better than I did.
Logan chuckled and patted my head.
“Don’t worry and wear it comfortably. We can handle anything that comes up.”
Then he said something shocking.
“A few weeks ago, your gun and ammo case sent via diplomatic pouch are
in the car trunk. If something happens, use them. We all have 2nd CCW licenses, so we’re carrying pistols now.”
“…What? Really!?”
“Yeah, I miss it. MG338 and Mk.18 Mjolnir? Carrying only the fiercest weapons. The last mission was at Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, right?”
“Yes, but… you brought them here? And you’re carrying pistols?”
“The safety is linked to your gear, so they won’t fire now. They’re just metal. Don’t worry. The pistols we carry are also controlled by software, so they’re useless metal too.”
They talk about heart-stopping stuff so casually.
Anyway, we sat at the pre-booked, secluded four-person table. It wasn’t sophisticated but had a quaint charm. I heard it operated even during the Joseon Dynasty, not exactly at the forefront of change.
The menu was the simplest I’d ever seen. Just paper and text. I didn’t care since my seniors were paying, but their next words were absurd.
“Four servings of steak… about 1.6 kg each.”
“Four of these? Everyone eats about 16 servings?”
“Lunch alone will cost $1,500.”
Of course, we weren’t just eating steak but also ordering hamburgers, roasted potatoes, shrimp cocktails, etc., likely spending nearly 2 million won.
I felt compelled to speak.
“I can pay too. We can split it.”
“Sit down. Our youngest crossed the Pacific to see us; do you think we can’t buy this?”
Stubborn as ever.
But such thoughts vanished seeing the waiter’s shocked face when we ordered, which intensified when three of us showed our rare EM-grade manifested certificates.
“…Then, let me confirm the order. Four servings of steak, four hamburgers with added bacon and onions, two roasted potatoes, and two shrimp cocktails. We’ll prepare it right away. How would you like the steaks cooked?”
“All medium-rare, please. Just a simple wine pairing.”
“Understood. Here are the pre-meal bread, butter, and sauce.”
How much time passed?
“Wow.”
“Quite impressive.”
The smell of meat began to fill the hall.