I Became a Raid Boss

Chapter 147

“Haa…”

“….”

“Haaaa…”

“…Da-eun.”

“Hm?”

“Sighing like that won’t cause the ground to cave in, you know.”

Unless it were a dragon’s Breath Attack, that is.

Not only was she sighing, but her face was filled with so much worry that anyone looking at her might think she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Still, I was curious about why Da-eun was sighing. After all, it wasn’t just for a day; she’d been like this for three days straight now.

If it was just one day, I could have brushed it off as “Da-eun being weird again.” But when it’s two, then three days in a row, it’s hard to ignore.

“Is something wrong?”

“Hm?”

“It just looks like you’ve got a lot on your mind.”

Da-eun awkwardly scratched her head.

“…You noticed?”

“How could I not?”

It was like her whole body was screaming, “I have a problem!” Why did she think anyone wouldn’t notice?

I just sat quietly, waiting for her to speak, and Da-eun sighed once more before sitting across from me.

Plop.

“It’s nothing big.”

“Doesn’t seem like ‘nothing’ to me.”

“It’s really nothing… Well, it’s a bit of a headache, though.”

To tell or not to tell.

It seemed Da-eun’s internal scale had finally tipped.

“Well, you know… remember the day you broke the dishes, Kana?”

“…Yeah.”

It’s not like it happened that long ago. If I didn’t remember, I’d either be shameless or really forgetful.

Unfortunately, I’m neither of those.

“…But why?”

Could it be that she’s bringing it up now to scold me?

Of course, the dish set we bought yesterday was more expensive than I thought…

It did make me realize my mistake more deeply.

But she said she wouldn’t get mad.

Feeling a bit on edge, I held my breath and waited for Da-eun to continue.

“Oh, I’m not blaming you, Kana.”

Noticing my expression, Da-eun waved her hands to reassure me.

“It’s just, I was streaming when the dishes broke. The noise got picked up on the stream. I told them it was my cousin who had an accident, but now they keep pestering me to bring my ‘cousin’ on the stream. I kick them out whenever they mention it, but they just keep popping up everywhere. It’s driving me crazy…”

“Ah, I see.”

Finally, I understood the meaning behind Da-eun’s sighs.

She feels uneasy about having me on her stream, yet ignoring it only makes the chat worse.

“Well, I can keep the chat in check on stream, but in the fan café or community forums, it’s not that easy. Now there are people saying I’m lying to cover up a secret boyfriend. And as my popularity’s grown, so have the weird ones in my fanbase.”

If it were back in the day, even if she did have a boyfriend, things wouldn’t have gotten this intense.

Da-eun muttered to herself.

“If it really were a boyfriend, at least it wouldn’t feel so unfair.”

“Agreed.”

“About what?”

“I kind of wish I’d been born a guy too. It feels unfair.”

“….”

Half-joking, half-serious, I threw the words out there, and Da-eun’s narrowed eyes took a slow look over me.

Then she shook her head with a smile.

“I won’t allow that! Kana is perfect as she is now!”

“…Why does Da-eun get to decide that?”

“Anyway, that’s the situation. Sigh… It’s not like I can just take a break, either.”

“If you want to rest, just take a break.”

“I’ve already taken a few days off, and the viewers still aren’t fully reassured. If I announce a break in the middle of all these boyfriend rumors, it’ll only make things worse.”

“…That’s complicated.”

In moments like this, maybe Silia is the better choice.

‘…Or maybe not?’

I quickly dismissed that thought. Although it’s not exactly the same, similar situations happen in Silia too.

Mainly in the social circles where the nobles gather.

Who’s eyeing whom, who supposedly has a secret lover somewhere… People would go on and on about these things as if they were the most entertaining stories in the world.

And given that some of them actually had the power to bury someone’s reputation, it was truly nasty.

Thinking about it now, maybe gossiping about others is just part of human nature.

“If it were me, I would’ve just taken the break.”

And left the aftermath to Aeron.

To my rather irresponsible suggestion, Da-eun responded like this:

“But then I wouldn’t be able to buy Kana delicious chocolates.”

“Hm. Well, in that case, I suppose there’s no choice.”

You should’ve said that from the start.

I nodded, and Da-eun’s face looked a bit exasperated.

But the look didn’t last long before her face returned to one of deep concern.

“Unless I plan to quit this job entirely, taking breaks is the worst choice I can make.”

Judging by what she said, Da-eun doesn’t seem to be thinking about quitting streaming anytime soon.

It’s not easy to give up a job that supports you without any backup plans.

As I pondered over Da-eun’s worries with her, a thought came to mind.

‘Is this really something worth stressing over?’

In the end, the viewers only want one thing.

They just want Da-eun to introduce her “cousin” on the stream.

If that’s the case, the solution is simple.

“I’ll help you.”

“…Kana will?”

“Yeah.”

“Weren’t we trying to keep things as low-profile as possible? Did you change your mind?”

“Nope, not that.”

I shook my head slightly, indicating that wasn’t the case.

“We don’t have to actually show my face, right?”

Point.

I pointed at something, and Da-eun followed the direction of my finger.

“…Oh!”

She let out a brief exclamation.

What I was pointing at was a costume headpiece.

If I put that on, you wouldn’t see even a strand of my hair, let alone my face.

I don’t know why she has something like that at home, but it seems perfect for the situation at hand.

“I just need to alter my voice a little.”

If I do that, no one would think I’m Canaria.

And even if someone does, voicing it out loud would only make them sound like they’re delusional.

“…This could work.”

Da-eun stroked her chin, clearly seeing the logic in my plan, and responded positively.

“I didn’t want to burden you… but if you’re okay with it, could you do it for me?”

“I’m fine with it.”

It would be strange to oppose the idea when I was the one who suggested it. There’s no reason to worry, especially since I won’t be showing my face.

Above all—

“If my sponsor disappears, that’ll be a problem for me too.”

“…Kana, your true feelings slipped out.”

“They didn’t slip out; I meant them.”

“Kana, Kana, what are you saying…?”

However, even with what seems like a perfect plan, there was one flaw.

“What if they still don’t believe it, even after I go on stream?”

Wouldn’t that make all our efforts pointless?

I tilted my head as I asked, but surprisingly, Da-eun didn’t seem to be worried.

“That’s okay. I’ve done my part by introducing you, right? I have a clear justification, so if anyone acts out, I can ban them. And those who won’t believe me now wouldn’t believe me no matter what I do.”

This whole thing shouldn’t have gotten this big anyway.

“There are always people who enjoy stirring things up…” Da-eun muttered, certain that this mess had been fueled by troublemakers.

With my plan accepted, we sat down together to go over the story we’d present. Although, in reality, it was mostly Da-eun who came up with the details.

Since I hadn’t been on Earth for long, I still wasn’t familiar with its culture or Da-eun’s family situation, so it was only natural.

“How is it? Doesn’t it sound pretty convincing?”

“Da-eun, was being a writer your dream?”

“What? Haha, not at all! Like I said before, I hate sitting still for too long!”

Da-eun laughed lightly, waving her hand as if the thought was absurd.

Still, her storytelling skills were pretty impressive.

“Maybe it’s from watching a lot of dramas or reading books?” Da-eun suggested, attributing her storytelling abilities to indirect experiences.

In any case, thanks to “amateur writer” Da-eun, we completed our little deception.

“When should we introduce me?”

As I repeatedly read over the details we’d written, memorizing them, Da-eun asked me about the timing.

When, huh?

I tapped my lips lightly and tilted my head.

“They say to strike while the iron is hot.”

If we hesitate, I’ll just end up seeing Da-eun sigh for another day, right?

She sighed so often that, if I were a sensitive person, I’d have smacked her on the back ages ago.

I let it slide, but hearing it so often was exhausting in its own way.

“Let’s do it today.”

“…Where did you learn to say something like that?”

In a past life.

But of course, I couldn’t say that, so I just shrugged lightly.

***

***

It’s not uncommon for viewers to want to see a streamer’s family.

There are various reasons.

Some hope to hear stories from the streamer’s past that they haven’t shared themselves.

Others expect to see an unfiltered, hidden side of the streamer.

And some just want to see the chemistry between family members in a candid, casual setting.

The strong demand to see Da-eun’s “cousin” was for similar reasons.

While the initial spark may have been lit by a few malicious troublemakers, the fact that the topic lasted this long indicated that many viewers were, in fact, genuinely interested.

So, when Da-eun announced that she’d introduce her “cousin”…

—Hahahaha finallllyy!!!!!

— “We won!!!!”

— “If you’re excited for the stream today, like this comment lol.”

— “What’s with the hype?”

Many cheered. It was finally an opportunity to see the “cousin” that had been hidden so carefully.

While she wasn’t an immediate family member, there were bound to be some stories about her.

— “Am I the only one curious about how her cousin looks?”

— “If she looks anything like the streamer, she must be pretty.”

— “Bet the cousin is just another anime-obsessed nerd.”

— “If she was actually pretty, she’d have shown up by now. Must be a real plain Jane.”

— “Do you think everyone just wants to show off if they’re pretty?”

— “Says the one who’s insecure about his own looks.”

— “Aren’t you guys afraid of getting sued? She’s a private citizen, y’know lol.”

Excitement about her appearance was palpable.

Da-eun rarely showcased her looks on stream. However, it was hard to say that her appearance hadn’t contributed to her rapid rise in popularity.

Objectively, Da-eun had a striking appearance, and there were certainly followers who’d subscribed because they were drawn to her looks.

Naturally, people thought, “The cousin must be pretty too, given they share some blood!”

It was more wishful thinking than logical deduction. Realistically, whether Da-eun’s cousin was beautiful or not was irrelevant to the viewers.

But the appreciation of beauty is instinctive, so why overthink it?

With everyone waiting in anticipation, the seconds ticked away as the promised stream time approached.

Though it wasn’t her peak viewer count, a significant number of people were eagerly waiting for the broadcast to begin.

Finally, the tightly shut door opened.

[Joanie has started streaming.]

[Introducing the Cousin Special]

— “Here’s my addiction!”

— “Let’s goooo!”

— “First comment!”

— “Hey Joanie!”

The chat filled rapidly.

The surge in viewers momentarily caused the chat to lag.

Usually, when Da-eun started her stream, she would display a loading screen and wait for people to join, but perhaps because she sensed the influx, this time, the camera was already live, showing the soundproof booth.

Viewers cheered, thrilled by the straightforward start with no delays.

However, after one minute, two minutes… and then three minutes passed with no changes to the screen.

Neither the supposed “cousin” nor Da-eun herself appeared, and just as the chat began to murmur with curiosity—

Creak.

The soundproof booth’s door opened.

Thud.

A child wearing a cat mascot costume walked in and sat in the chair.

Clearly, this was no adult. The chat froze for a moment, then erupted.

Head tilt.

The cat costume tilted its head, as if puzzled by their reaction, which seemed to be the cue for the chat to explode.

— “??????”

— “?”

— “???”

— “??”

— “A gathering?”

— “Lololol”

— “OMG lololol”

— “Whaaat”

— “Could it be??”

As the costume-wearing girl stared at the whirlwind of confusion in the chat—

Canaria thought to herself.

“This… this must be hell.”

—

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