NoveLight ™
Ga-wol—more precisely, Han Da-eun’s voice—was naturally soft and calm. Rather than sounding cute and lively, it had a languid, composed tone. Some in the community, using a sanitized term, would call it “a voice with a subtle allure.”
But that “subtle” allure was only present under normal circumstances.
When she was drunk or overwhelmed by drowsiness, at times, her gentle voice seemed to awaken something primal in people. It went beyond merely stirring up attraction, tapping into a more animalistic instinct.
“Live? Oh, yeah, that’s fine. Haa… ha… haa.” “…?” “Haaa… hnn… huuu… Anyway, what’s up?”
Underneath that voice was a heavy, breathy panting.
Her labored breathing sounded like she couldn’t contain her excitement, a hint of pain mixed in as if she didn’t entirely mind it. The heat in her voice was enough to ignite a fire just by listening.
Strong stimulation inevitably leads to strong reactions.
Even Sulbbang, who had met Han Da-eun in person, reacted, so it was even more intense for viewers who only knew her through her voice and camera. For those who thought of her as a mysterious figure, the effect was even stronger.
“Just asking, but… are you really okay to talk right now? Is this something you can actually say?” “Huuu… hmm? Oh, sorry. Was my breathing too loud? I’m just exhausted.” “It’s not really loud. I’m just curious about what you’re doing right now.” “Exercise. I was exercising. Huuu.”
“People aren’t buying it.”
“Not buying it? Oh, right. I should greet them. Hello…”
Her voice sounded a bit steadier now. She must’ve caught her breath. But the viewers’ restlessness didn’t stop.
The moderators couldn’t contain the wild energy in the chat. Ga-wol wasn’t some newbie trying to establish a footing; Sulbbang was already a seasoned pro. If the chaotic chat wasn’t managed soon, the platform might step in with sanctions.
“It doesn’t bother me, but shouldn’t you clear up the misunderstanding? Actually… I think it’s bothering me more than I thought. Can you do something?”
“Hmm, give me a moment.”
A streamer’s desperate plea for their channel’s survival. Ga-wol went quiet for a second, then sent over a picture. Sulbbang’s expression brightened at first… then contorted.
For some reason, even he couldn’t quite maintain his calm with Ga-wol.
“Ga-wol, what’s with this picture? This doesn’t explain anything.”
“Huh?”
“You have to be in the picture for it to make sense.”
“Oh… right. I’ll take it again.”
A bemused laugh escaped him. At that moment, Ga-wol’s photo appeared on the broadcast screen. It showed a clean room with yoga mats, a gym ball, foam rollers, and resistance bands placed around.
Knowing Ga-wol’s personality, the “I was working out” explanation was probably true. But without her in the shot, it was understandable why viewers didn’t believe it.
It’s clear she still hasn’t fully grasped the dynamics of streaming. Someone like Elderin would’ve immediately snapped a proper selfie. Or, maybe, she wouldn’t have even picked up the call until she was ready.
“This is taking too long. Switching to subscriber-only chat isn’t even helping.”
The new viewers flooding in were stirring things up. Sulbbang and Elderin had been Ga-wol’s only contact points with the audience for some time, and many of those who settled in during that period were still around. Ultimately, Ga-wol needed to clear things up herself.
But when Ga-wol finally sent the picture, Sulbbang briefly entertained the thought that maybe letting this whole thing sink would be better.
At most, platform sanctions would only last about a week. He could use the time to take a little trip. Either way, posting this picture was sure to blow up the broadcast.
Well, it was a picture Ga-wol sent herself. He had to post it.
The photo on the broadcast showed Ga-wol, whose appearance was already well-known. She had a similar look to Ga-wol, but appeared strangely delicate and decadent.
The slight difference was that her skin glistened with sweat, and her ivory leggings clung to her body’s contours.
The white light melted across the moisture on her soft body. Tracing the glistening line of her skin led to her full chest, a single line formed by her breasts touching. A shy hand covered it, attempting to be modest but only highlighting the enticing flesh between her collarbone and cleavage.
“Yes, she was apparently exercising. Looks like she put in some effort.”
And then.
Going a little lower.
The curve narrowing from her armpit to her waist, her slender side, and contrasting hips displayed their presence. Finally, between her thighs… the indentation…
Sulbbang shook his head.
“I’ll take the picture down now. She’s new to streaming, so please be understanding.”
“So, why did you call me?”
“The girl who streamed daily suddenly went radio silent. Thought something might’ve happened.”
“I forgot to post a notice, I guess. Must’ve slipped my mind.”
“Your forgetfulness nearly blew up my stream.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing. Keep up the exercise; I’m hanging up.”
The brief call ended, and Ga-wol resumed wiping off sweat with a towel. There shouldn’t be anything strange in the picture, right? Not that it mattered now since it had already been sent.
She’d covered her chest, which had felt too exposed, and moved any rehab equipment out of sight, including her left leg. She still didn’t want to reveal her leg issue just yet.
Not that she’d never reveal it. It’s just that she didn’t feel like making it public right now. Perhaps she was simply trying to avoid facing it.
Anyway, it was about time to go wash up.
[Message from Yu Serin]
Truthfully, her channel was doing quite well. Her average viewership and mentions were far beyond what would be typical for a new streamer. She’d skipped over the usual small-streamer phase in an instant.
The gathering this time was partly to celebrate. And since her leg limited her mobility and her friends wanted to make concrete plans, they’d decided on a small meetup.
Slightly embarrassed, she’d picked the location herself.
[Message from Kim Shin-a]
“Starting exercise made my muscles ache way more…”
In the game, she’d managed being stabbed and slashed just fine, but her real body was strangely sensitive to pain. Rehab exercises were one thing, but whenever she did upper-body workouts, she’d be sore and groaning all day.
It’s not like she did it on purpose, but every little movement hurt, making it impossible to keep her voice from slipping out. Even Camellia had commented on it.
She was preparing for the Prelude with Luche now, but those words had left quite an impact on her. She’d have to do something about the muscle pain. That’s when the thought of the sauna came to mind.
In the past, small jjimjilbangs used to be everywhere. Nowadays, the ones that survived were more like spas or leisure facilities. Her master had loved the old jjimjilbangs. Back when they were still around, he’d often taken her there.
Though he’d stopped suggesting it after she became like this.
She knew why. But what could she do about the feeling of missing it? She had enjoyed it, too.
Even back when she was an athlete, she’d dealt with sore muscles. The warmth of the water melted away her fatigue. Since the accident, though, she hadn’t had the time or anyone to go with.
A strange anticipation filled her.
After a quick rinse in the shower room, she changed into fresh clothes. She placed her sweat-soaked leggings in a separate bag and swapped into a fresh pair of underwear. First, she put on her bra, then—
“…?”
What’s this?
A feeling of confusion washed over her.