I Returned, and Now I See Strange Things-Chapter 55: Rock, Paper, Scissors
(Ayun is live streaming now!)
A sudden notification.
What greeted the viewers—who had clicked in, confused by the unannounced stream—was...
An even more scuffed broadcast screen than usual.
What’s with the quality?
My eyes hurt...
Why’s this a surprise stream???
The low resolution of a smartphone stream, combined with what looked like a bunch of grime smeared across the lens.
“Ah, hang on a sec.”
Soon, something white appeared on screen and started wiping the lens.
???
Is this a car wash???
Could’ve wiped it beforehand, lmao
Despite the effort, the screen showed no real improvement.
It still looked like the air was full of dust.
Then, someone stepped into frame.
...Naturally, it was the owner of the channel—Ayun.
Wearing the oversized hoodie Hyeyeon had given her, Ayun plopped down on the floor and waved.
“Hi.”
Yeonha~ (Means Hi Ayun~ Not saying you're younger~)
Aha~ (Means Hi Ayun~)
Yeonsang~ (Means you're older~)
“...Pick one and stick to it.”
Frowning at the barrage of greetings cluttered with unnecessary explanations, Ayun muttered.
One of those isn’t even a greeting.
As she squinted and glared at the camera, Ayun felt a strange sense of something as she noticed how many viewers had tuned in—even at this weird hour.
Truthfully, she hadn’t expected this many people.
It was an unannounced, impulsive stream.
If it was only a few people, I was just gonna say hi and log off.
But seeing how many had joined, she felt like she had to do something.
...And if she got some donations while she was at it, even better.
Where is this? A haunted house?
The place looks spooky, maybe it’s the bad quality
Yeah, it looks super creepy
Ayun blinked.
It seemed like the viewers were misunderstanding something.
She figured it was just because of the poor quality of her phone camera.
...Once I get a steady income, I need a new phone.
She couldn’t keep freeloading off the neighbor’s Wi-Fi forever, either. That reminded her—she should get him a little thank-you gift sometime.
With that thought, Ayun opened her mouth.
“This is my place. Where I live.”
???
Wait, it’s not a haunted house?
Ah... uh...
The chat suddenly turned solemn, and Ayun tilted her head.
What was the problem now?
Feeling vaguely irritated, Ayun leaned toward the camera and picked up the phone.
Unaware that her oversized hoodie was giving the audience a clear view of her form.
Uh... uh...
Do you WANT to get banned???
“What’s with the fuss? Just look. It’s not a haunted house, right?”
Unfazed, Ayun panned the camera around her room.
Inside was a fridge, a sink, and a grimy old cabinet with a gas burner. That was pretty much it.
Among the worn-out furniture, only the foldable table—recently purchased—looked even remotely new, and the tiny rice cooker on the floor blinked miserably.
What am I supposed to be looking at?
Looks haunted AF
That table’s the only new thing lol
Wait, is that pile on the floor clothes?
Never seen a rice cooker on the floor like that, lmao
As the camera captured more of the room, the chat’s judgment only grew harsher. Ayun found herself wondering:
...Is it me that’s weird?
No way.
It was probably just the spoiled whining of people who’d never had to freeze their asses off.
Ignoring the increasingly noisy chat, Ayun sat back down in front of the table.
...But she didn’t really have anything to say.
So why’d you start the stream?
“...Do I need a reason to stream?”
???
???
What???
The chat filled with question marks. Ayun quickly added:
“...Obviously to decide what I should call you guys.”
Didn’t you already call us evil spirits?
Sounds like she’s backpedaling now lol
“Yeah, you evil little shits.”
So what now?
The lightning-fast shift in the mood made Ayun feel a cold sweat trickling down her back.
The room, which she'd thought would soon be cold with winter, suddenly felt hot.
Ayun fanned herself with her hand and thought:
...Maybe I shouldn’t have gone live. novelbuddy.cσ๓
The lingering sting of being duped by the store clerk.
Ayun had gone live on pure impulse, mostly because she’d hoped for some donations.
But clearly, not just anyone could be a streamer.
Did you sew your mouth shut?
Hellooooo what are we doing???
The viewers—who had just been stunned by the state of her room—were now rapidly turning into true evil spirits.
Staring at the chat and thinking it over, Ayun eventually stood up.
Her pale legs made thudding noises as she moved quickly.
ō͜ūȳā
Please leave the room
Moments later, Ayun reentered the frame holding snacks and drinks.
“Let’s just eat some snacks and think about it.”
I can’t with her, lolol
Ayun bit the center of the snack package and tore it open, splitting it cleanly down the middle.
She opened it wide to reach in easily and began silently popping pieces into her mouth.
The crunch, crunch of the snacks rang out in her room—and through the stream.
She even snacks like a pro
What is this lmao
Since it was such a sudden stream, neither Hyesung nor Hyeyeon were around, and some unsavory chat messages began to pop up. But Ayun didn’t care.
She even chuckled, reading a few aloud while snacking.
I’m scared...
So this is what it takes to hunt ghosts...
After devouring the snacks, Ayun licked the seasoning off her fingers and cracked open a can.
It was a fruit drink from a bulk deal at the Mart.
Gulp, gulp—the sticky liquid slid down her throat.
“Puhaha...”
Should we go get another snack?
Ban that guy already!!!
(This message has been deleted)
Everyone, lower your heads!!!
Just then, Hyeyeon appeared in chat, having just received the stream alert, and started moderating.
Assistant🔧 : Unnie, what is this??? You’re live all of a sudden??
Ayun, still sipping her drink, smiled and waved at the message.
“Hey, I mean, Assistant. You’re here.”
Assistant🔧 : You’re not drunk, are you??
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Assistant🔧 : Never mind then...
After chatting briefly with Hyeyeon, Ayun seemed to remember something and picked up her phone.
She crossed the room and grabbed the doorknob.
Creeeeak.
The door opened, and the bathroom came into view.
Compared to the bleak room outside, the bathroom almost looked lived-in.
Thanks to all the ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) toiletries Hyeyeon had supplied.
Why the bathroom all of a sudden?
Looks cleaner than expected tbh
Ayun stepped into the bathroom and stood silently in front of the mirror.
Reflected back was a girl with silvery-purple hair, holding a smartphone.
“They say if you win rock-paper-scissors against a mirror, it grants your wish.”
I thought it had to be a tie?
Never heard that one
Doesn’t that summon a ghost instead?
“A tie, huh? Whatever.”
The girl in the mirror raised her arm.
If the mirror granted a wish, great. If it summoned a ghost, that was even better—it’d be great streaming content.
Ayun stared at her reflection.
I really do look like a ghost myself.
Letting out a bitter sigh, Ayun spoke:
“Let’s try it.”
You even have a wish?
Bet she does lol
lol fr
But ties are automatic though lmao
Unfazed, Ayun muttered with conviction:
“Rock, paper, scissors.”
The girl in the mirror threw a fist.
A tie.
She’s seriously doing this lol
Let her be, she wants to do it
Am I the only one getting weirdly hyped?
No fr, same
“Rock, paper, scissors.”
This time, the girl in the mirror threw scissors.
Another tie.
“Rock, paper, scissors.”
Now she threw paper.
Still a tie.
Ayun calmly repeated the game, staring into the mirror.
...Okay, this is getting creepy
Her blank face is what makes it scarier
fr
Honestly, sometimes she’s scarier than the ghosts
“Rock, paper, scissors.”
Who knows how many rounds she’d done by now.
She’s gotta be close to 100 now
Anyone keeping count?
That was the 99th just now
There is someone, lol
Ayun looked at the chat with a blank expression.
“This next one’s the 100th?”
Yep
Apparently
Had she really done that many?
She hadn’t even noticed how focused she’d gotten.
Ayun took a deep breath.
If the rumor was true, something should happen on the next round.
She looked toward the camera and said,
Since it’s a broadcast, I should do it like this, right...?
“This’ll be the 100th round.”
She’s growing... 🥹
Thought she’d just keep going without saying anything
Suppressing her tense shoulders, Ayun stretched her arm out again.
“Rock... paper... scissors.”
Ayun threw a fist.
In the mirror, the expressionless Ayun mirrored her with a fist of her own.
“...Guess it really was just a dumb rumor.”
Honestly, her being able to do it all the way is what’s scary
fr
Does this girl not have emotions??
Ayun chuckled softly as she glanced at chat, then looked back toward the mirror.
“...The hell.”
In the reflection—
It wasn’t Ayun.
Another woman’s face was staring back.
