It's a Gender-Reversed World, But I Don't Go Out Anyway - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Food Preferences

***

[Daeju checking community sentiment on the bulletin board first thing after waking up – Recommended]

Yeah, since you took yesterday off, community sentiment is in the gutter, so hurry up and start streaming~ If you don’t stream for at least 5 hours today, we’re coming to eat you up.

[Comments]
– What do you mean by “eat up”?
– Don’t act innocent
– Hehe

– I trust our Daeju will manage well
– Does Daeju even care about community sentiment?
ㄴ Probably just checks but doesn’t care
ㄴ But seems to check the board often, my sexual harassment posts keep getting deleted
ㄴ That’s something to be proud of? You crazy b*tch

***

“Good instincts”

I had to read the post since the title was eerily accurate, as I was actually checking community sentiment.

“Ow… my back”

As I stretched after getting up from bed, I felt stiffness and a slight ache running from my tailbone up my spine.

Why does it hurt?

While streaming isn’t physically demanding, sitting for long periods isn’t exactly a healthy habit. That’s why my back feels stiff after sleeping, and lately, I’ve been feeling tired even though I get plenty of sleep.

“Maybe I should exercise…”

Needless to say, I lack exercise, but even when I make up my mind, it’s not easy to follow through. I somehow manage for three days, but after that, I think “I worked hard for three days, so let’s take a day off” and end up completely abandoning exercise.

Since I was thirsty anyway, I decided to go to the convenience store as exercise. I rarely go outside, but the convenience store is one of the few places I do visit.

When buying a lot, I usually use delivery apps, but for just one drink, it doesn’t meet the minimum order amount, so I have no choice but to go out.

But is going to the convenience store in front of my house exercise? While drinking beverages? I have no defense if you put it that way… but isn’t the mindset what matters? To be honest, I was just tired of water and wanted some other drinks. Since it’s summer, I easily drink one to two bottles of water a day, and I’m starting to get tired of its bland taste.

I can’t buy drinks all the time, so maybe I should make barley tea.

I put on clothes and went outside.

It’s that hoodie from back then.

“Ah, it’s hot…”

I felt uncomfortable as soon as I left my air-conditioned one-room apartment. I thought about turning back, but I’d already walked this far, so I kept going.

The convenience store was visible without much walking. Despite the hot weather, the store was quite full. Naturally, the female part-timer at the counter had an expression full of dissatisfaction.

“Welcome… oh?”

The woman who greeted me suddenly started staring intently at my short-sleeved hoodie, pants, and shoes. I checked my outfit wondering if something was wrong, but it didn’t seem particularly strange to me.

Honestly, I wasn’t confident.

I’m not particularly interested in fashion, and if someone asked me what my criteria for choosing clothes was, I’d say ‘comfort’.

I wanted to ask why she was staring like that, but since my combat power drops drastically outside, I just hurriedly walked to the drink refrigerator. I could still feel her gaze on my back as I walked.

While looking at drinks, I saw McCol was on a 1+1 sale, so I got that.

Since I was already out, I also got a banana milk. I don’t usually drink banana milk, but when I drink it after taking a bath when I’m thirsty, the satisfaction is no joke.

When I went to the counter to pay, she was still staring intently at my clothes.

What’s really going on

“Ah, sorry. That’ll be 2,600 won. Would you like a bag?”

I was startled when the part-timer suddenly spoke up after coming to her senses.

Since it was just two small cans and one milk, I said I’d carry them.

“I’ll just carry them…”

“Oh? Oh?”

“Yes?”

The female part-timer’s eyes widened as if realizing something—

“Are you… Daeju?”

“Ah… yes… that’s right.”

My viewer, which I hadn’t expected. Well, it’s not confirmed she’s a viewer, but she was someone who knew me. Though I hide my appearance, thinking about it, I wore this outfit during my first IRL stream too. I hadn’t worn it since that day and put it on today since it wasn’t worth washing yet, and she must have had her suspicions from that, which turned to certainty after hearing my voice.

So was I happy about it?

With my personality, how could I be? I just got extremely flustered and lowered my head. Not so much to hide my face but because I was genuinely embarrassed.

“Keep up the good work with your streams!”

“Yes, yes, thank you.”

The female part-timer processed my card payment with an extremely satisfied expression, and as soon as the transaction was done, I grabbed my card and practically fled.

***

[Met Daeju while working at the convenience store today lololol]

So customers had been coming non-stop since morning and I was getting a bit stressed. Then someone in familiar clothes came in. At first, I was trying to remember where I’d seen him, and this guy came to the counter holding McCol and banana milk.

I was still spacing out trying to remember, but then I realized I needed to scan the barcodes and process payment, so I apologized and started checking him out. Asked if he wanted a bag but he said it was fine. But then

Wait? The voice was Daeju’s. That’s when I remembered he wore the same outfit during his IRL stream lololol

I asked if he was Daeju and when he said yes, I cheered him on to keep streaming hard lololol

[Comments]
– Daeju barely leaves his room but whenever he does, he just keeps running into viewers lololol

– And this f*cker drinks McCol instead of Coca-Cola or even Pepsi, what a crazy bastard
ㄴ F*ck lololol I might have covered for him if it was Pepsi but he drinks that sh*t
ㄴ The banana milk is acceptable though

– You b*tches talk about eating him up during streams but why act normal when you meet him in real life
ㄴ Because that would be a crime
ㄴ They’re potential criminals but don’t actually commit crimes

– How did he look?
ㄴ OP: Average. But since it’s a voice I hear all the time, the inner familiarity and likability were so high that looks were secondary and I felt hooooo~attracted[1]
ㄴ For real lolol would feel that familiarity

***

Reading the long post, I thought this much was fortunate.

I wondered if she might be a viewer, but she even used my tgether. I decided I shouldn’t go to that convenience store anymore. On another note, while they act like complete lunatics on stream and tgether, they surprisingly lead normal social lives.

That was the scariest part.

Having such people mixed in among regular passersby was like having aliens mixed in among humans.

“Sigh, let’s just start streaming.”

“Hello everyone!”

[Welcome]
[Hey]
[Hi]
[Is this the stream of that crazy guy who drinks McCol?]

“What’s wrong with McCol? And I bought it because it was 1+1.”

My desperate excuse wasn’t an excuse at all.

[If you’re making good money now, you should’ve bought two Coca-Colas instead of 1+1 McCol]

[You actually like McCol, don’t you?]
[It’s okay. Daeju… I can’t understand you, you f*cker]

“No… everyone, I don’t have money because I need to pay my editor”

[Isn’t it your fault for hiring an editor when you don’t have money?]

[For real lolol If you don’t have money, let’s make 1+1 McCol our meals]

[Oh lol I’m jealous~]

[Hey lol don’t tease Daeju lolol he’ll become the Joker]

I started streaming but never expected to get teased over a drink.

McCol tastes good though. Well—

“I’m not picky about food or drinks.”

[What about mint chocolate?]

“It’s good, right? There’s a reason it’s always in the top ranks at Baskin Robbins”

There’s a saying that statistics don’t lie.

Looking at order numbers, it’s always in the top ranks, so isn’t that combination of flavors proven by now?

[What about pineapple pizza?]

“It’s not my favorite but I like it? I mean, it’s pizza”

It’s a bit disappointing to pay money for it, but not enough to make a fuss about hating it. Of course, my favorites are just pepperoni or combination, but I don’t have any negative feelings about pineapple pizza.

[What about Sol’s Eye?][2]

“It’s good when you drink it cold~”

[Are you maybe a mutt? You eat everything]

[For real lololol Are you a countryside dog?]

[Why are you eating toothpaste?]

[Number 1 streamer most hated by Italians]

[Did you lose your sense of taste by filing your tongue with sandpaper?]

The food talk started heating up.

The problem is that when the haters stand up, the defenders hiding in every corner also raise their flags and stand up.

[You b*tches, would mint chocolate products be pouring out if it wasn’t popular?]

[Even Master Baek Jong-il[3] approved pineapple pizza.]

[Sol’s Eye… is… the best… drink~ That’s what I’m saying…]

[Yes yes]

“Ah wait, everyone calm down, calm down”

Their war had begun, and the food talk started changing topics. Meanwhile, donations asking which side I was on started flying in.

[Sweet and sour pork is god tier food donated 10,000 won]

Sauce mixed or dipping?

“I’m a dipper though?”

[Ah lol dipping is right, you sauce mixing bastards]

[We, the Big Package Squad, have decided to hate Daeju for being a dipper.]

[Who are you to represent the Big Package Squad, f*ck Dipping is right]

[Just soy sauce for sweet and sour pork]

[?? I might accept that for dumplings but sweet and sour pork needs sauce]

“Hey this is my stream. If you want to fight, go fight outside.”

[You stay out of it.]

[How dare you when adults are talking!]

With a strong feeling that today’s stream was ruined, this fight continued for 40 minutes, and eventually led to talks of ‘Let’s have Daeju do a food ideal type world cup.’

***

(End of chapter)

T/N:
1. The term “hooooo~attracted” (호오오감) is a play on words combining “호감” (attraction) with elongated vowels for emphasis

2. Sol’s Eye – A Korean soft drink brand known for its mint flavor

3. Baek Jong-il – A famous Korean chef