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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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When In-ho told her he was going on a trip, Ga-ram told him to have a good rest, but she felt a strange pang of unease.
The funny thing was, she couldn’t quite pinpoint the reason for her discomfort.
She felt a sudden surge of anxiety when he mentioned skipping his morning workout and going to the hospital.
And when he talked about his health issues, her eyes welled up.
She could have easily come up with reasons for him not to go.
It would be difficult to maintain his diet while traveling.
His carefully established workout routine would be disrupted.
If she had voiced these concerns, In-ho would have likely chuckled and agreed to stay home and rest.
But the doctor had recommended a change of scenery, and more importantly, she felt she couldn’t burden In-ho, who was putting so much effort into her streaming career.
What she hadn’t yet realized was that, deep down, she simply wanted him to stay.
She felt comfortable when he was around.
She felt safe when he was around.
Things seemed to go well when he was around.
She felt less anxious when he was around.
They had agreed to help each other, but the reality was that she was the one benefiting the most.
She felt like a princess in a fairy tale.
A fairy godmother had sprinkled magic dust on her rags, transforming them into a beautiful gown.
The fairy godmother, In-ho, asked for nothing in return, supporting her both financially and emotionally.
He had cut down the thorns in her path and built a shimmering glass bridge over the treacherous chasm of her debt.
Lately, she had been thinking, ‘Is it okay for me to keep relying on him like this?’
She often found herself lost in thought, pondering their relationship.
One day, it would inevitably come to an end.
When she finally paid off her debt and no longer needed his financial support.
Or perhaps when he regained his health and no longer needed her help.
‘What will I do then?’
The thought of his absence, after spending almost every day together, working out and sharing their lives, made her chest tighten.
‘What is this? Muscle soreness?’
She pressed her fingers against her chest, but the discomfort was unfamiliar.
Whenever she felt this way, she instinctively reached for her phone.
It had been three days since In-ho left for Donghae.
>> Ga-ram: Don’t forget to send me your dinner menu.
She used the pretext of checking his diet to message him frequently.
She commented on his meals, made small talk, anything to keep the conversation going.
As long as they were talking, the ache in her chest subsided.
The messages have become more frequent lately.
It was all because of that strange streamer’s DM.
The streamer hadn’t contacted her again, which made Ga-ram wonder if it had all been a prank.
Or perhaps she had been too forceful in her rejection.
Either way, it was probably for the best.
Getting involved with someone like that wouldn’t have ended well.
…
But the DM had cast a ripple of doubt in her mind.
The equation Kang In-ho = SupremeLandlord had been established.
And she had meticulously scrutinized the donation lists of every female streamer on OceaniaTV.
She had been clueless about streaming culture initially, but she was quickly learning the ropes.
And what she discovered made her stomach churn.
The username “SupremeLandlord” appeared on the donation lists of almost every popular female streamer, each instance dragging her deeper into a sea of unease.
She felt inexplicably anxious.
Was In-ho really just using her, like that streamer had suggested?
No.
That thought didn’t cause the familiar ache in her chest.
Then what was it?
The thought of In-ho flirting with other women.
Throb, throb.
That hurt a little.
She was getting closer to the truth.
She delved deeper, forcing herself to be honest.
The thought of In-ho’s attention shifting to someone else.
Throb, throb, throb.
That hurt a lot.
That was it.
The realization hit her hard.
Her mood plummeted.
A wave of despair washed over her, followed by a sudden urge to stop thinking altogether.
She questioned her existence, her purpose in life.
She wanted to ask God, ‘Why am I here?’
She stood up abruptly.
She looked around the gym.
The inert weight machines.
The stationary treadmills.
The speakers emitting static.
Outside the window, autumn leaves swirled in the wind.
The world lost its color, fading to gray.
Everything felt meaningless.
She had been about to do something.
But she couldn’t remember what.
Exercise?
Make a phone call?
Hand out flyers?
Her usual tasks swirled in her mind, but her body refused to cooperate.
It felt like she was trapped in quicksand, unable to move.
– KakaoTalk notification
Just as her vision began to darken, a faint notification sound reached her ear.
“Gasp… gasp…”
Her vision cleared.
The well-maintained weight machines.
The treadmills, ready for action.
The speakers playing upbeat music.
Outside, the autumn leaves blazed with color, like fireworks.
The world regained its vibrancy.
Hope flickered within her.
>> In-ho: Having kalguksu for dinner. Will run extra hard tomorrow.
A simple message, but it was enough to bring a smile to her face.
She hummed a tune.
>> Ga-ram: Sounds good~ Don’t eat too much!
Energy surged through her body.
She felt like she could lift more weight than ever before.
>> In-ho: Good luck with your stream tonight, Ga-ram. I’ll probably be asleep by then.
He had been going to bed early to manage his blood pressure.
She was a little disappointed that he wouldn’t be watching her stream, but his thoughtfulness warmed her heart.
“Let’s do this!”
She spoke to herself, adjusting the camera angles, determined to make the most of the day.
Feeling like a princess in a fairy tale, she reached for the barbell.
This time, spent exercising while thinking of In-ho, felt like a magical carriage ride to a grand ball.
But did she know?
That the fairy godmother’s magic would wear off at midnight.
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