It’s not that kind of malicious broadcast

While Shihoon was gathering his thoughts momentarily, Yena was busy sending a screenshot of a shopping mall site.

Maybe she interpreted the silence as a protest due to lack of information. The screenshot, with the price and high ratings circled in red, was sent in a “helpful” manner.

It was hard to determine where to start addressing the issue. As usual. In the past, he might have fallen right into her scheme. But now, Shihoon had somewhat grasped Yena’s behavioral patterns.

Above all, once he got past the initial confusion, this time it didn’t seem too challenging. The product description itself was of a camping hand axe.

Clearly, she was starting this conversation to eventually suggest the camping trip he had previously refused. While also playfully mocking him about being a logger.

He had no intention of letting it go that way.

『No, I’m not buying it.』

『Lee Yena: It’s fine.』

『Lee Yena: I’m gifting it to you.』

‘Seriously—’

She was a woman who didn’t know how to give up. Given her ranking as number one, it was no surprise. The only way to not get swept away by her—if not entirely avoid it—was unwavering firmness.

『I’m not going camping.』

While it was true that such strictness didn’t necessarily yield a clear benefit, after being on the receiving end of her antics often, even in seemingly harmless situations, he’d learned to always raise his guard first. Especially when facing someone who unknowingly dealt critical blows.

However—

『Lee Yena: 😢』

『Lee Yena: I haven’t even made my proposal yet.』

『Lee Yena: You’re so hasty 😭』

Online interactions always posed this problem. Behind that screen, she was undoubtedly making that distinct expression with elongated, slanted eyes.

Just one emoji made him imagine a tearful Yena in his mind, softening his resolve in an instant.

‘No, even if it’s someone else, in times like this, I must stand firm—’

He was about to send an unwavering, resolute reply to convey that he absolutely wouldn’t go camping, no matter what.

-Bzz, bzz

-Bzz, bzz

His phone started vibrating.

『Lee Yena』

Her play style, which enjoyed catching opponents off guard no matter what, must have come from her real personality.

Shihoon, who had prided himself on being somewhat—no, fairly accustomed to her ways, found her pattern completely unpredictable this time.

-Bzzz

Given that they had been messaging each other just a short while ago, it would be even stranger not to answer. He didn’t want to give the impression that he was avoiding the call. If he showed such a weakness, she would dig even deeper.

-Exhale

Light. Keeping things light would be the best approach.

“Hello.”

《Hello.》

“…… What’s the matter?”

《Ah, several things actually. First of all…isn’t the axe pretty?》

Of course, even with such resolve, it wasn’t easy to respond.

《If you prefer a two-handed axe…that’s not really practical in real life. Seriously. A handaxe is a truly versatile tool. You can even use it for cooking in a pinch.》

“…… I’ll just accept the thought. But really, why the sudden gift? Is today some special day?”

《… You’ve helped me a lot recently, but I felt like I haven’t been able to properly repay you. Even when I try to give you something, you just keep refusing.》

“I’m pretty sure I asked you not to try to repay me.”

《… That’s unfair.》

Hearing her sullen voice, Shihoon felt the firm walls he had erected slightly waver and let out a deep sigh.

“…… If I happen to go camping, I’ll ask you for it. Anyway, that can’t be the only reason you called. Is there something you need help with?”

《… It feels like you think I only contact you when I need something. Is that just my imagination?》

“Isn’t it true?”

《It’s not nice to tease someone who’s really bad at games and tell them they’re bad.》

“That means you do only contact me when you need something.”

《… Should I get you the two-handed axe as well?》

She must be teasing. Knowing this, he almost laughed. Or perhaps she was genuinely serious. She was surprisingly critical of herself.

If Yena truly only contacted him when she needed something, they wouldn’t have become this close in the first place. It was an unwinnable fight in the end. To engage in a proper exchange, he would have to take some hits.

– Haa.

Shihoon, who had covered the mic and let out a long breath, continued to speak, trying hard to erase any trace of a smile.

“Anyway. If it’s something I can help with, of course, I’ll assist. So, what’s the issue?”

《I have a concern.》

“Yes.”

《Too many photos are being posted on the fan cafe. Is there a way to, you know, limit it a bit? When I look at Dodat’s or Revan’s cafes, it doesn’t seem like they have this much.》

“…Your own photos?”

《Yes.》

So, the issue was that too many of her own photos were being posted on her fan cafe.

To Shihoon, it seemed like a perfectly natural phenomenon—though it wasn’t something he could say outright. Such a response would undoubtedly invite the question of why it was obvious, and explaining it would inevitably lead to commenting on Yena’s appearance.

He desperately wanted to avoid saying something like, “Well, you’re beautiful, so of course, fans would want to post pictures.”

Moreover, the comparisons themselves seemed flawed from the start. One simply couldn’t ignore the inherent differences between male and female broadcasters.

In Shihoon’s experience, even if they both claimed to focus purely on their skills, the types of fans they attracted were inherently different.

However, he worried that mentioning this to Yena might hurt her pride in her gaming skills.

“Right after you reveal your face, more photos are bound to be posted. This probably won’t be the case after some time.”

‘That’s only true for average-looking people.’

In the end, he could only offer a basic explanation. But even he wasn’t fully convinced by his own advice.

《Hmm… That makes sense. I’ll wait and see. Thank you.》

Hearing the voice growing sullen again made Shihoon’s desire to help even stronger.

“But is there a specific reason why you don’t like the photos being posted?”

《It’s because I keep encountering them when I’m not mentally prepared. Even if there’s a warning, it’s often hidden in unrelated posts. If I mandate warnings, there will be a flood of trap posts. If I ban it completely, there will be protests. I’m really torn.》

“…Didn’t you say your fans were kind?”

《Being kind is different. If you put a big red button in front of someone and label it ‘Do not press’, people, no matter how nice, will want to press it. There’s a reason why entrapment is illegal.》

“…I don’t get it, but I can actually imagine your viewers really doing that. Anyway, if that’s the issue, why not create a separate board? Make it so photos and videos of you can only be posted there. That way, you can avoid it if you don’t want to see them.”

《Hmm. That sounds like a good idea… Yes. I’ll do that. Thank you. I’ll make sure to repay the favor.》

Her tone brightened. Had he helped?

Feeling a swell of satisfaction, Shihoon quickly added, “No, please don’t. And send it to me before you post any notices.”

There was a brief silence.

《Hmm… just a moment.》

There was a response neither positive nor negative. It was a slightly stiff voice, quite different from just a moment ago.

Had asking for a preview been too nosy?

However, he couldn’t shake off the worry that a statement like “Revan’s advice was a great help” might find its way into the announcement. If he questioned it later, he’d probably only hear excuses like “It’s not about taking credit from others.”

And so, just as he was about to say it was fine not to send it—

With a notification sound, two photos arrived.

One was a screenshot of the announcement composed on the cafe’s writing screen. A brief message read, “We have created a new board for miscellaneous photos/videos. Please post any non-game-related photos or videos here. Below is an example.”

The second photo showed a woman with a somewhat awkward expression.

The photo lacked any editing or proper lighting. The dim room was barely illuminated by sunlight filtering through a window, not even enough to light up her face.

Moreover, her attire was casual—she wore a white T-shirt that seemed to be pajamas, hastily covered by a cardigan. Anyone could tell it was a hurriedly put-together outfit.

One could believe she had no experience taking selfies.

Yet, there was something intriguing about it. The way her eyebrows were slightly furrowed as she looked up; the awkward expression, with her lower lip slightly bitten; the T-shirt that seemed a bit too large, appearing to slip off her shoulder; the hastily worn cardigan; and the long hair cascading over the whole ensemble—all combined in such a way that her pale skin seemed to assert that no lighting was needed, emanating an indescribable aura.

《I sent it.》

So Shihoon kept his silence this time.

《Revan?》

* * *

It was a day with many announcements.

With the support of Canary’s advice, the announcement regarding photos was finalized. There were opinions questioning whether an example was necessary, but… it’s always better to have clear guidelines.

The best way to convey exactly where such photos should be posted was to provide an example. And if an example was to be posted, it should be an original one.

The results could be checked later.

However… this was ultimately a notice I was personally struggling to post.

The announcement most necessary for the viewers was about the upcoming clash tournament. While I hesitated, dozens of speculation posts were already being uploaded.

And now, since I had made up my mind.

《I plan to participate in the tournament.》

With a somewhat solemn resolve, I typed my declaration. Still, once I started writing, I found I didn’t have much to say. While too long a message might be an issue, something too brief also seemed…

… Should I include the notice about the upcoming camping schedule here as well? It was a bit of a dilemma.