Fenrir Translations
-[Notification: Streamer 'Harmony' has started streaming.]
-[Notification: Current Status // ON AIR]
-[Stream Title: Drinking at a Luxury Wine Bar with Special Guests ON]
Chat:
It’s Thursday, 8:40 PM.
After the intense Streamer Showdown on Monday, Harmony took a well-deserved break. For nearly a month, she’d been pushing herself relentlessly, honing her skills to the absolute limit. Even though she suffered two losses, she managed to prove herself by dismantling Manager Kim’s team with techniques she learned from Yujin. Despite Harmony’s progress, her mental stamina wasn’t quite up to par, and after sharing some brief reflections, she declared a break.
Everyone had expected her to return by Saturday, but suddenly, she went live midweek.
The viewers were greeted with a view of an upscale wine bar.
Chat:
Above the luxurious setting, a small drone hovered, equipped with motion-capture gear to project their VR avatars into real life. Familiar silhouettes came into focus: Harmony, Yujin, and Dice.
"Hello, everyone. Can you hear me okay?"
"Hey there! I brought Dice along too."
"Uh, hi, everyone. Not sure how I ended up here today, but it's nice to be on stream. Dice from SSM Entertainment."
"You didn’t need to introduce yourself so formally! People already know you."
"Come on, Harmony and Yujin don’t need to say it, but I do. Yujin is technically still an external consultant for SSM AP, you know!"
Chat:
<User “Squeak” donated 10,000 won!>
"Thank you for the donation! Well, since both of them placed first and second in the Asian qualifiers, I thought this called for a celebration. We also wanted to take a moment to chat with you all, so here we are!"
The chat erupted with cheers. Harmony and Yujin’s presence, along with Dice, was enough to attract a crowd of over 100,000 viewers, eager to witness the rare trio’s interaction.
Three glasses were filled with golden liquid, and as they clinked together, the bubbles fizzled and popped.
"Harmony, care to give a tasting note?"
"Me? I’m not a wine expert. It’s a little sweet, bubbly… Definitely fancy. But I don’t usually drink."
"That’s why I brought you here!"
Harmony’s playful laughter filled the air, but Yujin's tail, hidden under dim lighting, flicked up and tapped her on the head. Harmony likely hadn’t even watched Yujin’s interview during the qualifiers; this entire setup was probably a scheme to observe her drinking habits firsthand.
Dice, with a similar expression, confirmed that Harmony’s hunch was likely spot-on.
"To be honest, I don’t get all the flavors either. I’m not used to fancy drinks. It’s a bit sweet, slightly bitter, with a warm aftertaste."
"Yet, you’ve perfectly described the flavor."
Chat:
Harmony raised her glass with a grin, and once more, they toasted. As they chatted, the topic gradually shifted toward the upcoming finals. Dice, who had already traveled to the U.S. for previous tournaments, took the lead.
"When we land at JFK, a huge bus will pick us up, and after a 15km drive, we’ll arrive at the hotel. Then, we’re free until the schedule kicks in."
"Is it really that flexible?"
"Not really. We’ve got personal practice, photoshoots, interviews, and we have to acclimate to the time difference. Not to mention, it's winter, so we have to be cautious about our health."
Yujin thought about the many preparations involved. She might have a different schedule from Harmony and Dice, considering the significant attention around her.
"Harmony probably has the most free time, huh?"
"Ugh, I guess so. Maybe I should start cramming some English lessons now."
"There will always be interpreters with us, but it’s still hard if you can’t communicate at all. I had to brush up on my English when I went there too."
"Yujin, teach me English, please!"
"If you memorize English phrases for 16 hours a day, in two months, you’ll manage."
"Aaaah!"
Chat:
While Harmony lamented, Yujin picked up a cherry-red Manhattan cocktail. The flavor wasn’t too sweet, with a slight tang, contrasting sharply with her memories of Manhattan. After all, the Yujin of today could easily navigate English, being as fluent as a native speaker.
"Just stick with me, and you won’t have any issues."
"I knew I could rely on you…"
"Then I’ll just stay by your side and skip the studying. The three of us together will stay nice and warm!"
Chat:
The three continued their banter, and the viewers witnessed a deepening camaraderie. Though the stream’s interactive feature allowed two-way communication, the trio became more engrossed in their own conversation. Yujin’s face had turned beet-red as they recalled past memories, much to Harmony and Dice’s amusement.
Just as the chaos was about to peak, Harmony leaned forward, placing a hand on the drone camera.
Click!
"I’ll start up the stream again around midnight. See you then, everyone!"
Chat:
Pop.
-[Notification: Noise-canceling barrier engaged.]
-[Notification: Controlling bodily functions. Ethanol neutralized.]
"…It’s off."
"Doors are locked, and no one will disturb us for a while."
"Good."
Two digital documents appeared in front of them: Non-Disclosure Agreements. With quick taps of their thumbs, they agreed, as green lights blinked twice.
"Alright, let’s begin… I’ll give you a brief look into my past."
And so, a story that might be forgotten—or should never be remembered—began in the quiet stillness.
"As you may have guessed, I’m an American citizen and hold dual citizenship."
"Oh…"
"I can’t recommend you dig into which unit I was in or how long I served. There’s no guarantee you’d find anything."
It was a cautionary message for Harmony and Dice’s sake, not her own. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a dog tag. Name, Social Security Number, blood type, and religion were etched on it, with a special feature verifying her identity.
-[Notification: Dog tag authenticated.]
-[Notification: Operator - <Sergeant First Class> Eugene 'Viper' Lee confirmed.]
-[Notification: No current operations.]
"Sergeant First Class? That’s quite a rank."
"Viper? Is that your code name? And it’s snake-themed, of course."
"Well, Dark Zone has its perks."
The conversation lulled into silence. Dice and Harmony seemed uncertain about what to say, and Yujin wasn’t about to offer a lengthy explanation. It was a simple matter of acceptance or denial.
"…Thinking about it, isn’t this basically like learning from a retired UDT? Not much of a difference."
"Yeah, doesn’t feel like an issue. Plenty of our coaching staff are ex-military."
"Right?"
Harmony chuckled.
"Well, I’ll go with that reason too. I didn’t know what to say, so I just kept quiet. I guess pro gamers really do need to be good talkers."
"Right? You wouldn’t think it, but I won first place in a speech contest back in kindergarten."
"Wow. I won first place in a singing contest."
...Why is this conversation heading in this direction?
Watching Harmony and Dice eagerly go back and forth, Yujin suddenly felt a light sensation on her tail. She turned, meeting their gaze.
"Anyway, yeah. I don’t mind what Yujin’s past is. If I’d thought there was something off, I would’ve stopped reaching out. I like to think I’m a good judge of character."
"Same here. If Yujin had been difficult personality-wise, no one would want to learn from her. I’m here because Yujin’s a good person, so don’t worry."
Then, with a grin, they added,
"So, you must know a lot of great places to eat. We should go together sometime. No need to worry about getting lost this time."
"Look at you getting excited already. Let’s go to, what’s it called—Peter Luger Steak House? I heard it’s amazing. We should try it when we’re in New York. How about it?"
"…."
Ending as the "human GPS," huh? What a conclusion.
Still, as the conversation wrapped up, the noise-canceling barrier lifted, and with a new round of cocktails, the mood grew lively once more.
Beyond their colorful drinks, the hour hand crept toward midnight.
Just six months ago, a peaceful day like this seemed impossible. Now, as the tranquil night drew to a close, another quiet chapter in their journey was coming to an end.