Gender Swap: The Introvert’s Broadcast

I don’t usually watch professional gaming tournaments, but I often watch other sports—soccer, for instance.
Since coming to this gender-reversed world, women’s soccer has become the norm, and it doesn’t really appeal to me anymore, so I stopped watching.

Still, my past experiences taught me one undeniable truth:
"If you play poorly, you’ll get flamed."
It’s simple.
If you’re being paid to perform but fail to deliver, criticism is inevitable.
Online communities can amplify this criticism, often crossing the line of basic human decency.

Take the chat right now, for example:
[“Absolutely useless LOL.”]
[“Just retire already.”]
[“Why is this chat full of cockroaches?”]
[“Click-clack, scurry-scurry.”]
[🗡️OmnipotentCthulhu: That was a pretty big mistake LOL.]
[🗡️OmnipotentCthulhu: What a waste.]
[“What even is this...”]
[“Disgraceful!”]
[“Nox, is this your idea of playing well?”]
“Come on, everyone makes mistakes. Why’s the chat like this?”
“It’s always like this. No matter how much you moderate, they just keep coming back. You can’t stop them.”
“You’ve got your work cut out for you.”
“At least it’s only this bad during live events. Some even create multiple accounts, follow the stream, and wait for big moments like this just to drop toxic comments and leave.”

There were plenty of similar trolls on Red, but seeing this kind of behavior in an esports setting was a bit surprising.
I focused back on the commentary.
"Even though mid got picked off, they still have lane priority. If they focus and control the lane, they can get back into the game."
[🗡️OmnipotentCthulhu: True, solid point.]
[“One death doesn’t decide a game. Otherwise, it’d be a garbage game LOL.”]
[“It is kind of a garbage game, though...”]
[“Come on, you’ve played solo queue. You know how it goes LOL.”]
[“Solo queue and pro games are totally different, man LOL.”]
[Kang Hoomin: “Can they still win this, though?”]
[Kang Hoomin: “They’ve got the advantage, but their form seems off. Their skill shots haven’t been great.”]

I wasn’t sure about their current form.
I hadn’t watched enough of this player’s games to say.
The only time I saw them play live was during a trip to London.
“Hm…”
We were mid-commentary on the first set when—

-Oh no… getting picked off here could be disastrous!!!
The casters started repeating themselves, emphasizing just how bad the situation was.
I’d said earlier that controlling the lane could turn things around, but recovering after an early death wasn’t so simple.
“...Tsk.”

And so, Rije’s team lost the first set in a rather helpless fashion.
Watching the game, one thought lingered in my mind:
“Are they not used to the stage yet?”
It seemed like an issue of nerves.
There was no other explanation for the frequency of such mistakes.
Though, only the players themselves would know for sure.

[🗡️OmnipotentCthulhu: It’s looking tough for them now.]
[“Why so gloomy after losing just one set LOL?”]
[“They got completely stomped in the first set, that’s why.”]
[“They were ahead early but collapsed in team fights. How do you even win like that?”]
[Kang Hoomin: “They need champions that excel in team fights, clearly.”]
[Kang Hoomin: “They’ve got to shift their strategy for the next set.”]
[“Team fights aren’t their strength. Early game aggression is their best bet.”]
The chat was heating up again.
Beside me, Harin was busy identifying disruptive messages and banning users without a hint of hesitation.
‘She really knows what she’s doing.’
Harin handled the trolls like a pro, clearly experienced in managing this sort of chaos.
While she worked, the second set began.

“The picks for this game are a bit rough, too. Honestly, the team’s only hope is for Rije to hard carry.”
“Yeah, I think so too.”
Whoever was in charge of Rije’s team’s drafting seemed clueless.
They were scrambling to pick whatever was left, without much thought.
Of course, I wasn’t the one playing, so I couldn’t judge too harshly.
We watched the second set—and—

-GG...
They lost again.
However, this time, it wasn’t as hopeless.
There were a few decent plays, and it felt like they could at least take one set if they kept improving.
“Hm…”

The chat, meanwhile, descended into complete chaos.
Harin’s stream had around 30,000 viewers.
Even if just 1% were trolls, the chat was a mess.
[🗡️OmnipotentCthulhu: Man, you’re working overtime with these bans LOL.]
[🗡️OmnipotentCthulhu: I’m helping too, but it’s exhausting.]
[“How are there so many trolls here?”]
[“It’s insane LOL.”]
[Kang Hoomin: “These people are a cancer on society.”]
Harin didn’t stop moderating for a second until—

“Phew… this is exhausting.”
She finally paused and stretched, visibly tired.
Feeling a bit sorry for her, I made an impulsive offer.
“Want a massage?”

A brief silence, then—
“Yeah, my neck’s killing me.”
“...Alright.”
[🗡️OmnipotentCthulhu: Wait, what?]
[“Why’s he giving a massage?”]
[“I want a massage too! I want a massage too!”]
[“Why only you, Dama, you bastard?”]
[“Harin’s just making Dama do whatever she wants LOL.”]
[Kang Hoomin: “Straight to giving Dama a massage, huh...”] ⇨ User has been temporarily banned!
[“Cut the nonsense.”]

I hadn’t actually expected her to agree.
Feeling a bit awkward, I moved behind Harin and started massaging her neck.
It wasn’t the first time I’d done this—back in London, I’d massaged Ye-ram—but it still felt a bit strange.
Press—
“Ah…!”

Harin flinched as I hit a tense spot.
“Ahhh…”
She kept making strange noises.

“Cut out those weird sounds.”
“It feels good, though...”
She even leaned back against me completely, letting me take over.
People had complimented my massage skills before, but I hadn’t expected to use them in this situation.
Press, press—

As I worked, the third set began.
This would decide whether the match ended here or went on.
“Wait, why do the picks suddenly look decent?”
The team’s composition had drastically improved.
They’d chosen champions that were strong not just in lane but in team fights too.

[🗡️OmnipotentCthulhu: The picks are actually solid this time LOL.]
[“This looks good, finally.”]
[“They might actually have a shot at winning.”]
[“Let’s go, let’s go!”]
[Kang Hoomin: “Can they win with this?”]
[“Picks are one thing, but they need to play well too.”]
The third set kicked off.
Then Harin made an interesting suggestion.

“Want to have a beer while we do this?”
Drinking beer during a broadcast?
The idea was tempting, but there was a potential issue.
“...Can we do that?”

Drinking meant enabling the 19+ age restriction, which could shrink the audience.
“It’s fine. Just slap on the 19+ tag. Most of the trolls won’t bother verifying their age, so it might actually improve the chat.”
“Oh, let’s do it then.”
That sealed the deal.
It wasn’t hard liquor, so it wouldn’t interfere with commentary.

“Hold on. Keep the stream going while I grab some snacks.”
Harin got up and left for the kitchen.
Alone for a moment, I decided to ask the viewers something.
“Is it okay to eat and drink during commentary?”

I was genuinely curious. Drinking was one thing, but doing it during a stream felt like uncharted territory.
[🗡️OmnipotentCthulhu: Yeah, it’s fine.]
[Kang Hoomin: “It’s totally fine LOL.”]
[“Actually, fewer trolls might be a huge plus.”]
[“Troll-free chat sounds great.”]
[“The Reld Cup is even sponsored by a beer company LOL.”]
From the chat, it seemed like drinking beer during the stream wouldn’t be an issue.
As long as I didn’t get drunk, it’d be fine.

“Alright, I’ll have just a little, then.”
Just as I said that, Harin returned from the kitchen, holding cold beers.