Click.
The stream went live.
The camera shook slightly before settling on the man seated in his gaming chair.
"Goha~"
He waved at the camera with a cheerful smile.
As the notification for the live stream popped up, viewers started flooding the chat with messages.
— Goha~
— Hey, Retro!
— Feels like it's been a while, haha.
— It's because it has been a while, lol.
— Is this your first stream since getting out of the hospital?
— Looks like it…
— How was hospital food? You look even more puffy than usual.
RetroAddict scratched his messy hair with a wry smile.
"Yeah, so I kinda collapsed during the last stream… got rushed to the ER and ended up staying in the hospital for a few days to get some rest. Fired up the stream as soon as I got home from being discharged."
— I was watching that live, scared the crap outta me; you just suddenly keeled over.
— For real, Retro legit passed out, lmao.
— Guess clearing Protect the Empire was too much of a thrill…
— Clearing the Ironman mode of that nightmare is totally worth it, though.
— The news even covered your clear on international gaming forums, dude.
— But in Korea, the headline was about you fainting, lmao.
— You were streaming for, like, an entire day at the end there. No wonder you conked out.
— LOL, 10k viewers for the clear, 50k viewers for the ambulance, legendary.
As they discussed the day he collapsed, RetroAddict looked pretty embarrassed.
"Man, yeah, everything started spinning all of a sudden, and I just blacked out. But hey, thanks to you guys for calling 911. Lucky my manager knew my address too…"
— So basically, we saved your life.
— How about thanking us with some ice cream?
— The good side of streaming, LOL.
— But like, you wouldn't have collapsed from overwork if you hadn't been streaming in the first place…
— Shh! Don't bring that up!
— Can't even joke that streaming is more important than your health now…
— Old and fragile RetroAddict, smh.
— Retro, man~ you gotta take care of yourself from now on, okay?
And then,
Ding!
The notification sound played, and the first donation message of the day popped up.
['BlackBox' donated 10,000 won!]
— What did you eat in the hospital? I'm asking for the third time.
"Thanks for the ten bucks… But why are you all so curious about what I ate?"
— Food is serious business, LOL.
— This country is obsessed with food, hahaha.
— Seriously though, what did you eat? (4th attempt)
— (5th attempt)
— (6th attempt)
— (741st attempt)
"Okay, okay, chill! No need to go up to the 742nd attempt. I figured you'd ask, so I took pictures of everything."
— Haha, now he knows to take photos before we even ask.
— 'As expected of Retro.'
— Honestly, taking pics before eating is just common courtesy at this point.
— For real, lol.
— Seriously, if you don't, we'll unsubscribe, no cap.
RetroAddict started showing the pictures of his hospital meals on the stream.
The viewers recoiled at the sight of the bland, healthy hospital food, but RetroAddict just waved his hands dismissively.
"Honestly, I thought it was pretty good! The food was lightly seasoned, which I liked. If the hospital were closer, I'd want to eat there every day. You guys really underestimate hospital food—it's actually healthy and tasty."
— Okay, boomer.
— I'm a boomer too, but that's too much…
— 'Mom! Bring me some real kimchi!!!'
— Real Koreans should eat spicy and salty food, tsk tsk.
The silly conversation about hospital food soon led to RetroAddict sharing stories about his time in the hospital.
Since there was a chance he might have had a serious health issue, RetroAddict had stayed in the hospital for almost a week, undergoing thorough examinations and resting.
He talked about the scary tests he had to go through, the shady vendors selling alcohol and cigarettes at the hospital's convenience store, the power struggle between "King of the Patients," Mr. Park, and "Queen of the Ward," Mrs. Hong, and their epic showdown…
RetroAddict shared these stories in detail, and then suddenly clapped his hands.
"Oh, right! And something super weird happened too."
— Here we go, Retro's overreacting to something minor.
— Retro's nonchalant stories are the ones that are actually insane.
— But seriously, what happened between Mr. Park and Mrs. Hong?
— Yeah, who became the new ruler of the ward in the end?
"No, guys, this is no overreaction. This was actually the most bizarre thing that's ever happened to me."
— Something crazier than the ward's royal rumble…?
— Hmm… intriguing.
— Okay, let's hear it.
— This better be good, or I'm unsubscribing, lol.
RetroAddict took a deep breath.
Then, in a more serious tone, he slowly began.
"A woman suddenly appeared in my hospital room!"
— Already boring;
— Skipping ahead.
— Alright, thanks for the story, it was fun~
— Lemme guess, it's just a fan who tracked you down.
— 'I'm a fan! Let's hang out!'
— Classic stalker meetup, LOL.
"No, no, I'm serious! She said she was a fan and everything!"
— ?
— Really?
— What's going on?
— But how did she even find out which hospital you were at?
— Sounds like stalking…
Viewers started to worry that RetroAddict might have been stalked by a crazed fan.
But what he said next was even stranger.
"She just appeared in my room out of nowhere! Or did she even enter? Suddenly, she was just there! She said she came to this world just to see me!"
— ?
— ??
— ???
"And she was foreign! She had this super unique style—pink hair, tanned skin… She said she wanted to take care of me!"
— …?
— ?????
— What is he talking about now?
The chat was flooded with question marks.
But RetroAddict kept going, completely serious.
"She even said she wanted to take care of me for the rest of my life! She practically clung to me… I was so shocked!"
— ㅡㅡ
— Ugh…;
— So… some pink-haired tanned girl showed up… and said she liked you?
— ~Sounds like an anime plot, anyone got a recommendation?
— That's your type, huh, Professor…
"No, I'm not making this up! I'm telling you the 100% truth!"
RetroAddict was clearly frustrated, but the chat was already losing patience.
— This weeb… I can't believe I actually worried about him for a second.
— Dude, are you sure you weren't just hallucinating?
— Did you forget to take your meds or take too much?
— The way you collapsed, you probably messed up your head.
— Looks like it's time for another hospital visit.
Ding!
More donations rolled in.
['BadGameSommelier' donated 10,000 won!]
— I think you've played so many bad games you've finally lost it;;;
['SuDonManPer' donated 100,000 won!]
— Hey, Mr. Ko, stop talking nonsense and play that game I sent you.
['NoFunStreamMakesMeBark' donated 10,000 won!]
— Woof woof grrr woof woof hyaaaargh!!!!!
"I'm telling you, it's true! A pink-haired, tanned woman just appeared out of nowhere and said all that… I'm only speaking facts…"
Retro's eyes started to tear up. He seemed genuinely upset.
"But who am I kidding? I'm RetroAddict, a lifelong bachelor. There's no way a woman would be that into me. I figured she was just trying to scam me and steal my kidneys, so I kicked her out."
— At least you've got some common sense left.
— Pretty sure it was just a weird dream…
— We're really grateful you're streaming even though you're this sick…
— Poor Retro, all alone for so long that he's losing it.
— Okay, I got it, I'll dress up with pink hair and a tan at the next fan meeting, alright?
— Pink Hair Gang, assemble!
Seeing that no one believed his story and the atmosphere was getting cold, RetroAddict gave up on trying to explain.
'Maybe I really was just seeing things…'
Honestly, it was such a ridiculous story that even he found it hard to believe.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but ever since then, he kept catching glimpses of pink hair in the corners of his vision… But yeah, it must just be a trick of the mind…
After that, RetroAddict and the viewers discussed the Protect the Empire stream.
Even though RetroAddict fainted at the end, he had been the first person in the world to clear the impossible difficulty mode since the game's release. It was something worth celebrating.
The stream turned into a belated review of the months-long challenge. RetroAddict started going through his old videos on his channel, reminiscing about the long journey.
From Empire 1 to Empire 742.
The battle-scarred path he had taken was all recorded there.
As RetroAddict was going down memory lane, a donation notification popped up.
Ding!
['MissionFairy' donated 10,000 won!]
— So, are you really going to donate all your stream earnings to the Children's Cancer Foundation?
This was something he had announced when he posted an update to the community after his hospital stay.
He had promised to donate all the earnings from his Protect the Empire streams to the Children's Cancer Foundation. He had even signed a pledge to that effect half a year ago.
RetroAddict nodded firmly.
"Yep. I'm going to donate everything as soon as this month's earnings are calculated."
The viewers seemed a bit taken aback.
— It's a good cause, but why all of a sudden…?
— Hey, Mr. Ko, why not use that money to buy yourself some clothes?
— Seriously, LOL. All you ever wear is a hoodie and shorts or a T-shirt and jeans.
— There are other things you need besides clothes, right?
— We gave you that money to splurge on yourself!!!
— We donated so you could afford to eat something other than instant noodles!
"Hey, I have other income streams besides donations. Don't worry about me."
— We're not worried about you; we're worried about how you're spending our
money, lol.
— For real, LOL.
— For real, LOLLLLL.
"You gave me the money to use as I see fit, right? So I'm using it the way I want."
RetroAddict didn't explain why he had decided to donate to the Children's Cancer Foundation.
"I'll explain why I decided to donate… another time."
The viewers sensed his reluctance to talk about it and didn't press further.
"…"
RetroAddict bit his lip, his expression turning bitter.
Before starting the final Protect the Empire stream,
He had received a text from the child's parents.
They said they would let their child go in the next 24 hours. They would contact him again after setting up the funeral.
But after RetroAddict fainted at the end of the final stream and woke up a few days later, there was no word from the parents.
There were a few missed calls in his call history, but RetroAddict was too scared to return them.
If the child had passed away, the funeral would have been over by now, and he didn't want to reopen the parents' wounds.
Perhaps this donation was just a way to cope with the regret of not being able to send his message to the child in time.
'I knew it from the start.'
RetroAddict's blurry eyes stared at the light from the monitor in front of him.
'Beating a game wasn't going to make a miracle happen. That kid was never going to wake up just because I did.'
He knew that.
He had just done what he could.
The way he and the child had communicated was through game streams. He was the streamer, and the child was the viewer.
It might seem silly to others, but this was how the two of them were connected.
"…"
RetroAddict clenched his fist.
But.
Even if it was too late.
Even if he didn't say the words in time, even if he couldn't see the child off properly…
He still needed to convey his feelings.
RetroAddict squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them wide.
"Hey, guys, hang on a second."
With his resolve renewed, RetroAddict grabbed his phone and stood up.
"There's someone I need to contact real quick."
He started scrolling through his contacts to find the child's parents' names.
At that moment.
— Hey, Retro!
Among the flood of messages in the chat,
One line stood out, catching RetroAddict's eye.
— Long time no see, Retro!
"…"
RetroAddict rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.Th.ê most uptod/at𝓮 n𝒐vels a/re published on n(0)velbj)n(.)c/o/m
He thought he was seeing things.
But he wasn't.
— I heard you were in the hospital? Are you feeling better?
— My surgery was a success! LOL, I did sleep for a while, but I'm recovering just fine now!
— While I was out, you cleared Protect the Empire on Ironman? That's amazing!
"…"
RetroAddict stared at the chat in disbelief.
Another message from the child appeared.
— Oh right, now I have to donate for you to see my messages. Hold on!
"No."
RetroAddict's voice trembled.
"You don't have to donate. I can see it."
Tears welled up in his eyes.
"Thank you."
Wiping away his tears hastily, RetroAddict spoke in a choked voice.
"Thank you for coming back…"
He couldn't hold it in anymore and started sobbing.
He sat back down in his chair, covering his flushed face, and cried for a long time. The viewers, bewildered, tried to comfort him.
— What's going on? Why's Retro crying???
— Why'd he start crying all of a sudden?
— Sorry, we were just messing around; we won't tease you anymore!
— Should we clip this? Or will it get taken down?
— The man's crying, hurry up and donate!!!
— Hey, Mr. Ko, blow your nose, it's not a good look!
In front of his shocked and concerned viewers, RetroAddict wept openly.
This was just a coincidence.
There was no connection between him clearing the hardest game in the world and the child finding the will to fight for life again.
But at the moment when a wish he had given up on was fulfilled,
He felt more grateful than ever that he had chosen to become a game streamer.
"Thank you for staying alive."
He wiped his tear-streaked face with his sleeve and smiled.
"Thank you for coming back to watch my stream."
He couldn't see the child's face.
All he could see was the flood of messages in the chat. He couldn't physically reach the person on the other side.
But still, in this moment,
He felt that connection clearly.
"Thank you. Really…"
RetroAddict beamed through his tears.
And perhaps, on the other side of the screen…
The child was smiling back just as brightly.