174 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.174 #174. The Dream of a Solo Advertisement [Ah~ Hello everyone~] [Ruha! Ruraruha!] [Ruha~] [Luka-tang is so cute] It wasn’t the first time Luka had appeared in an advertisement. However, the crucial point was that this was her first time doing it solo. Despite her usual poise, Luka seemed nervous, as indicated by the occasional voice cracks early on. [Alright~ everyone~ the game we're trying out today is~ Wow! It’s all automated? Level-ups are automatic just by idling?] Most viewers were already familiar with this idle RPG gacha game. While it didn't boast particularly unique or special features, Luka was visibly determined to explain it as best as she could. [So! Doesn't it look sooo much fun, everyone?] [Yes, yes!] [Wowww, it looks so fun!] [Luka, is this the right way to do it?] Nodding in agreement, she encouraged the excitement. Unable to resist, I joined in, typing in the chat about how fun the game seemed. [Alright then, here comes the highlight of a gacha game! Let's try a pull!] Gacha content can be intimidating due to its financial implications, but it’s always enjoyable to watch. It's like witnessing someone else trying their luck with the lottery. In that brief moment, it was a perfect compact content encapsulating the highs and lows of life. [Let's start with 10 pulls, here we go!] With a flashy gold effect, the previously face-down cards began revealing themselves one by one. [C, C, B, A, SS, C, B, B, C, A] Considering SSS is the top tier card, it was quite a good outcome. There were times when even an SS tier wouldn’t appear in a single pull. [Is this considered a good pull?] As viewers confirmed it was decent, Luka nodded happily. [Then should we focus on leveling up this SS card? And see what happens if we don't get anything good next?] [The character's avatar is so pretty. Ah... but I wanted to pull the blonde on the first screen.] It seemed like a safe choice. By focusing on this card, most of the game seemed conquerable. However... [Huh? Guys? Why is this happening?] With a different effect from before, the Pingtuk clan who knew what it signified began shouting. [Manufactured] [Set-up] [Manufactured] [Manufactured] [Set-up] [Uh? Why? Huh?] Luka, who didn’t understand the meaning, finally grasped it after pulling each card. [Wowwwwww!] Her already energetic broadcast voice climbed to heights unknown. [Wow! Guys, I got an SSS card, isn’t this amazing! It's the strongest one!] [This is insane~ Wow! Isn't this game a godsend? For real?] However, there were more critics than fans in the chat. [That’s so fake...] [No way this isn’t rigged lol] [Did you get paid lol] Desperate to clarify, Doa continued to explain. [No! Since it's an ad, I did get paid, but I really pulled this myself? It's not rigged!] [You saw me make a new account!] [I'm telling you, it’s not rigged?] Everywhere, there are always people who mock others' success. This was a fate that even a world-class company like Closer couldn’t avoid on its broadcasts. [Oh! Even if it isn't rigged!] Even as Luka tried to move on, the harsh claims of set-up continued to flood in. Despite the managers quickly banning trolls in real-time, the chat seemed unstoppable. Luka's pink-haired avatar now bore a stern expression. [Everyone... I really pulled it just by luck...] [I was just trying to have fun, why are you saying such harsh things...] [I didn't harm anyone...] Hey... Doa... Are you crying? Hearing her choked voice, the fervent Pingtuk members couldn’t hold back any longer and started to defend her fiercely. [Hey! Shut up! She said it’s not rigged!] [Can't you just shut up and watch?] [Can we please continue the broadcast! Seriously;;; what is happening;;;] [Why are you making Luka cry, you idiots!] Caught amidst this chaotic scene, more than defending her, I was worried about Doa. She had prepared so diligently for her first solo advertisement. Recalling how she incessantly practiced explaining the game beside me, I found myself anxiously fiddling with my phone. Ah... things must be really bad by now. [Ah. I’ll just continue... Can you guys stop? Please!] In a regular stream, she might have simply turned it off and quit abruptly, but Luka was determined to see it through to the end with a sense of duty. Even though some merciless verbal attacks persisted, Luka stubbornly ignored them and managed to clear stages, eventually defeating a mid-boss. [Haha! Everyone~ Did you see? It’s such a fun game! You should all go to the store, download the app, and enjoy the adventure~ Bye~] And with that, the broadcast abruptly ended. ...No part two? A second part was expected. It was only 10 PM; there’s no way the broadcast would end now. Even at the start of the broadcast, she mentioned that after the ad, she would host interactive sessions or play other games in part two. Everyone thought it was a prank, but Luka never returned. Feeling uneasy, I called her, only to hear my girlfriend crying. [Huuhuhuu brother.] I quickly grabbed my slippers and dashed to Doa’s studio. “Hah... hah...” How many men would remain indifferent after hearing their girlfriend cry? Running up the stairs three at a time, I caught my breath and knocked on the studio door. Once the door opened, Doa pulled me into a hug before I could even ask a question. “Uwoooahh oppa...” "Ah, it’s alright, Doa. Really, everything's fine." After slipping off my shoes and leading her to the couch, I gently patted her back to comfort her. Doa sniffled as she wiped her nose. Though it seemed like a minor issue, comforting her came first. "Are you skipping the second part because you're too upset?" -She nodded. The first words she managed to say, after wiping her tears with her sleeve, were... "...Did I... Did I do something so wrong?" "...Hmm?" "I mean, did I really do something so wrong... Can't anyone have a lucky pull in gacha? Sniffle..." Though it was a situation that called for comfort, why did she look so adorable? Watching her sob as she shook her small shoulders made her seem like a crying doll. "Of course not~ You know they were just unfairly blaming you. You've dealt with this stuff before." "But... this was my first solo ad, you know... What if the advertiser gets upset..." Had this been broadcast live, it might have become a legendary clip, spreading all over the internet, even if the advertiser didn't intend it. "The company will understand. And if we manage to clean out the toxic viewers, the chat will be better too." "Did you... also think I was rigging it... sniff...?" To be honest, it seemed unlikely, but... Because it's you, I'll let it slide. "No way. It can definitely happen. Why not?" "Right? Really... snifffffle. But why are they attacking me over it..." Her phone rang right on cue. Realizing it was her manager, Doa's face blanched as she pressed a finger to my lips. "Stay quiet... please..." "Hello?" "Oh, yes." "It's fine... really... hahaha." "As for the second part, today is just a bit... yes..." "Oh. Well... the advertiser might be upset, I guess." "Yes, yes. Okay." "Oh, that's a relief. Thank you, sis." I couldn’t hear the contents of the conversation, but thankfully, it seemed resolved smoothly. "Is the company alright with it?" Instead of answering, she nodded again and motioned for me to come closer. Assuming she wanted a hug, I approached, only to feel a sharp pain in my side. "Hey. Hey. Why are you hitting me?" "...You're today’s Pingtuk leader. Alright?" "Hey, I stayed calm! I didn’t doubt you for a second." "I know, but just be the clan leader today." Her small fists flailed as Doa playfully hit me. "Take that, take that!" Seeing her calm down, I allowed her to let out her frustration, feeling like I was taking care of a child. Not having much stamina, she soon exhausted herself and collapsed into a contented heap. "Feeling better now?" "...I don't know." "Still, I’m like an SSS-ranked boyfriend, don't you think?" Sensing her mood had lifted, I teased her slightly, and she playfully poked my cheek. "You're more like this." "What does that mean?" "Hmm... You're like those SSS-ranked characters that consume a lot of resources and can only be used in specific situations." ...Did she just call me a useless character in a roundabout way? Having resolved to let it slide today, I decided to play along without issue for now.