I Became a Malicious Streamer

Change comes in an instant, whether we like it or not.

Take, for instance, an unexpected accident that leaves you disabled overnight, or suddenly losing your family’s fortune due to your parents’ failed business, or getting fired from work out of the blue.

Unforeseen misfortune snatches everything away from us.

Of course, there are also gradual changes, most of which are positive and meaningful.

Like when a wicked person decides to change their ways and start giving back, or when a slacker gets motivated by a motivational video and vows to work hard, or when someone who hates sweating steels their resolve and starts exercising every day.

These instances of redemption take time and happen slowly.

It’s not like you can change everything all at once.

But looking at it broadly, it could also be seen as a quick trigger for change.

Positive changes usually come from a person’s determined heart, and deciding to change doesn’t take much time. It’s just the decision itself that’s hard.

I, too, encountered a significant change, though I can’t tell if it’s positive or negative.

“Hey, hey, look over there.”

“She’s really pretty…”

“Oh…”

I could feel the gazes upon me.

Usually, they start from the face, trace down the neck and shoulders, and land around the chest, thighs, and calves.

It’s like being scrutinized like a pretty piece of craft or merchandise.

Shivers

It feels wrong.

I trembled with an inexplicable sense of discomfort.

Maybe Ji-eun is more sensitive than I thought.

Or perhaps she’s been receiving such gazes for a long time.

If that weren’t the case, there’s no way she could naturally feel where people’s gazes land on her body like that.

Boys giggling and chatting loudly with friends, a guy who can’t take his eyes off me even with his girlfriend beside him, and a girl who whispers quietly to her friend, trying to make sure I don’t hear.

I could see other sidelong glances as well.

I wasn’t used to receiving so many gazes; I had no idea that people’s stares could be so cold and lifeless.

It felt like all the hair on my body stood on end in this new situation.

My chest felt a bit tight, too.

Woah It felt dizzying. My breathing was uneven, making it hard to catch a breath.

For some reason, I needed to find some stability.

I sat down on a bench to catch my breath.

Was I not feeling well?

But it had been fine up until I left the house.

I should have noticed when my face went pale; this body was weaker than I thought.

Did I become a sickly beautiful girl or something?

That thought seemed spot on since even this sickly appearance appeared attractive to others.

Even as I sat on the bench trying to catch my breath, their gazes didn’t leave me.

I expected it, but Ji-eun’s looks were far more striking than I had thought.

I suddenly realized that being a celebrity isn’t something anyone can just do. While some might enjoy this kind of attention, I certainly didn’t belong to that category.

Feeling this overwhelmed right now proves it.

I hurried my steps, leaving the pouring gazes behind.

*

Dragging my hungry body, I headed toward the food court. Checking my phone, it was already pointing to 3 PM.

An awkward time.

Since it was this time of day, there weren’t many people around.

Thinking I wouldn’t have to deal with that overwhelming stare made me feel a bit more at ease.

What should I eat? That’s the classic dilemma served at every mealtime.

Usually, a few fixed options exist.

I thought of soup first. I felt there was nothing better than soup to soothe an empty stomach.

Just imagining it made me feel full already.

Looking at Ji-eun’s state, it seemed she hadn’t had a proper breakfast either.

But for some reason, even while checking the map app, I couldn’t bring myself to open the door of the soup restaurant.

The smell wafting from the door didn’t awaken my appetite; instead, it somewhat reminded me of a nasty meat smell.

Normally, I would’ve been drooling over it.

Stopped in front of the soup restaurant, I soon came to a realization.

When the body changes, so does the appetite.

Ji-eun’s tongue and stomach were clearly expressing their disinterest in soup.

Could it be that the physical takes precedence over the mental?

Experiencing a change in the body isn’t something one often goes through, so I wouldn’t know.

With the first stop unexpectedly failing, I had to be cautious.

What could satisfy a woman’s taste?

As I pondered, Ji-eun’s body gave me a simple answer.

“How spicy would you like it?”

I responded casually to the staff who kept glancing at me.

It was a mala tang place. The name itself was unfamiliar, but the smell led Ji-eun’s feet right there.

Should I say my feet now? It was quite a strange feeling to have my footsteps lead me there naturally.

Yet, aside from that,

I had never tried mala tang.

Of course, that’s to be expected.

How many robust men would ever have the occasion to eat mala tang?

Usually, guys get together and say, “Let’s have soup!” but never “Let’s have mala tang!”

The very phrase mala tang is odd, but anyway, even though I had heard it was popular among girls as one of the three main foods through social media, mala tang was still unfamiliar to me.

Even the peculiar aroma wafting inside the restaurant felt strange.

Sniff Was I regretting coming? Not quite; deep down, I was now curious about the taste.

I waited for my food with an inquisitiveness close to excitement.

After what felt like an eternity, the taste of mala tang was…

“Hmm…”

Well, it was an indescribably profound flavor, something unlike anything I’d ever tasted before.

I didn’t even know what was inside; it was a texture I had never experienced.

Incredible!

But separate from that confusion, my hands began to move unconsciously, devouring mala tang.

Ji-eun’s body was quite honest.

*

Days passed since then.

Through a few outings, I managed to dull the sharpness of others’ gazes a little.

Though my body still trembled each time I went out.

There’s no one who could remain calm when all eyes are on them.

I thought I would get used to it eventually.

Regardless, since I must now live in this body, it was better for me to adapt quickly to the change.

Other than that, there was nothing particularly worthwhile gained. I merely learned the whereabouts of convenience stores and eateries in the neighborhood.

I found no leads about Ji-eun.

The only clue I discovered wasn’t outside but inside the house.

It seemed Ji-eun majored in design, or more precisely, she was an illustrator. She likely drew for a living.

Her working method appeared to be more freelance, taking on projects as they came. If she belonged to any company, she should have received calls on her phone by now. It had been several days since she last went to work.

I was sorting through a few pieces of work on her computer along with the transaction history in her bank account, trying to piece together her past.

Right, the computer. I was rummaging through the computer that occupied the center of Ji-eun’s room.

If you want to know about someone, search through their phone and computer.

I can’t remember who said that, but it was a quote that had stuck with me.

And it turned out to be true.

Chubby and cute yet incredibly detailed artwork greeted me.

What a unique art style; is this in vogue nowadays? No, that’s not it.

As I admired the individual pieces, I snapped back to reality and refocused on my searching.

The mission of finding clues about Ji-eun had shifted slightly.

As I browsed through programs like Photoshop and 3D rendering software, I moved the mouse haphazardly.

What was vital wasn’t any of this right now.

The wandering cursor hovered towards a corner of the desktop.

[Xteam]

The world-famous gaming platform Steam was sitting there in one corner.

It seemed Ji-eun had played quite a bit of games. Among her drawn works were also game characters, so she might have played them for prior research.

But that wasn’t what mattered now.

What mattered was that I wanted to play a game.

You might wonder why I suddenly wanted to game, but I was thirsty for it.

Call it laziness… I won’t deny that.

But rest is essential for humans.

Just like a machine that breaks down without maintenance, a human without rest will surely break down as well.

In a situation where I’ve turned into a complete stranger, someone of a different gender at that,
my tense body, having been on edge all this time in this unfamiliar environment, was crying out for some relaxation.

Gaming could serve as a perfect way to unwind.

Hmm… just one game?

One game should be fine, right?

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