The New Year had been unusually exhausting for LilySixSix.
It wasn't supposed to be that way. Normally, the holiday season meant relaxing, streaming casually, and spending time with people she cared about. But this year felt strangely complicated.
First, she had failed her driving test again.
And that alone would have been annoying enough.
But the second problem was even more frustrating.
Her brother, Tank, had decided to leave her behind in the city and return to his hometown for the holiday. Without hesitation, he packed his bags and disappeared, leaving her to celebrate the New Year alone.
The audacity!
How could he leave the Empress herself behind to guard the city?
But after thinking about it more carefully, LilySixSix realized that maybe she wasn't exactly alone.
She leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling.
Her boyfriend appeared in her thoughts.
A man seven years younger than her.
Maybe Tank had actually been thoughtful after all. Maybe he had deliberately left them alone to spend time together.
When she thought about it like that, her annoyance faded.
Perhaps her brother wasn't so heartless after all.
Still…
Her relationship was complicated.
Very complicated.
There was a seven-year age gap between them.
That wasn't the only difference.
There was also an enormous gap in their education.
LilySixSix had graduated with a master's degree from a prestigious university. Her academic achievements were something she had worked hard for.
Her boyfriend, on the other hand, had not even finished junior high school.
If someone heard that these two people were together, they would probably laugh.
It sounded like the plot of a dramatic romance novel.
But the truth was simple.
They had been together for three years.
At the beginning, their relationship had been unstable. There were doubts, disagreements, and awkward moments caused by their different backgrounds.
Yet over time, things had changed.
They slowly learned how to understand each other.
The age gap and educational differences did create a kind of generational distance between them.
But her boyfriend was willing to listen.
He tried to learn.
He tried to change.
Whenever conflicts appeared, he chose compromise rather than pride.
LilySixSix herself wasn't a particularly delicate woman either.
She was rational.
Direct.
Sometimes even a little blunt.
In many ways, she had a personality closer to that of a straightforward guy.
Ironically, the younger man who appeared carefree on the outside actually had a much softer personality.
Over time, the balance between them slowly stabilized.
But stability in love didn't mean stability in life.
Especially for someone like LilySixSix.
She was a streamer.
And for a female streamer, announcing a romantic relationship could be extremely dangerous.
It could destroy a career overnight.
LilySixSix never relied on so-called "devoted fans" who imagined themselves as her future partners.
But even so, she knew the reality of the internet.
There were always people who treated streamers like possessions.
Once they discovered that the person they followed had a real relationship, they would become angry.
Some would unsubscribe.
Others would attack.
And the worst kind would spread rumors.
Actually, LilySixSix didn't mind people leaving.
Fans came and went all the time.
What she feared were the chaotic storms that followed.
Because once public opinion turned against you, the truth rarely mattered anymore.
The internet loved entertainment.
It loved drama.
Facts were secondary.
Sometimes people would spread rumors simply because it was fun.
Even if they were wrong.
Even if they ruined someone's life.
And that was what LilySixSix feared the most.
Meanwhile, her boyfriend Bubbles had recently begun pushing for something important.
He wanted to make their relationship public.
Not secretly.
Not quietly.
Openly.
He wanted the world to know they were together.
To him, it was something worth celebrating.
To LilySixSix, it felt like standing at the edge of a cliff.
She was already thirty years old.
Marriage was naturally becoming part of her thoughts.
But her career had also reached a strange stage.
Stable.
Yet stagnant.
She had hit a bottleneck.
If it weren't for the sudden rise of Northstar Games, things might have become even worse.
Their single-player games had revived the market.
More players were beginning to appreciate story-driven experiences.
And that suited LilySixSix perfectly.
She had never been passionate about competitive online games.
She could play them.
But she didn't love them.
Story games, on the other hand, were different.
They felt meaningful.
Today's live stream would feature one of those games.
The game she had seen during Northstar Games' offline showcase event.
A game that immediately caught her interest.
The title was simple.
"Pick Love."
A narrative-driven game focused entirely on storytelling.
She looked at the file size.
Tiny.
Probably a game that could be finished in a few hours.
After applying light makeup and adjusting the camera angle, LilySixSix opened her streaming software.
At exactly 3:00 PM, the stream began.
"Hello everyone, can you hear me clearly?"
Her voice sounded relaxed.
"Today I'm going to play a new game from Northstar Games. I'm guessing most of you have already tried it, right?"
The chat exploded instantly.
Messages flooded the screen.
"Played it already! It's short, maybe an hour or so, but it's amazing. It feels like watching a movie!"
"After finishing it, I suddenly felt so regretful about my past…"
"Once there was a sincere love placed before me…"
"The gameplay is so creative! I failed the first two attempts before realizing how to play it properly."
LilySixSix read the messages and chuckled softly.
"Well then," she said calmly.
"Let's start."
She began downloading the game.
"Honestly, this is the only annoying thing about Northstar Games. They never promote their releases. They just drop the game suddenly and disappear."
"But I guess that's also part of the surprise."
The download finished quickly.
She launched the game.
The opening screen appeared.
It was extremely simple.
Almost crude.
It looked like something created by a tiny indie studio.
Thinking that this game came from the now-famous Northstar Games, LilySixSix couldn't help laughing.
But that was their style.
Their art direction always fell into two extremes.
Either incredibly impressive…
Or strangely rough.
But strangely enough, it never affected their sales.
Because they understood something important.
What mattered most was whether the game was fun.
And Northstar always delivered that.
LilySixSix clicked "Start."
The first chapter began.
Her streaming style involved narrating everything she did in real time.
So she immediately began talking while playing.
"Oh?"
"Am I playing from a male perspective?"
"That's great!"
"I love chasing beautiful girls."
She laughed mischievously, deliberately using a jokingly creepy "uncle voice."
The audience burst into laughter.
The first level told a simple story.
A man fell in love with a girl at first sight.
He pursued her.
They eventually started dating.
And their relationship lasted three years.
Soon, the first choice appeared on screen.
It was the scene of their first date.
Three dialogue options appeared.
"I like you."
"Can I hold your hand?"
"The moonlight is beautiful."
LilySixSix didn't hesitate.
She chose the second option.
"Are you kidding me?" she said.
"The atmosphere is already perfect. Of course you hold hands!"
The chat immediately reacted.
"Everyone behave! No spoilers!"
"That's not how you should choose…"
"The first time I played, I said 'I like you.' Looking back, I was way too timid."
"Holding hands is correct, but the approach matters."
LilySixSix continued playing.
More choices appeared.
More relationship decisions.
Each selection influenced the outcome.
Time passed quickly as she navigated the story.
Finally, the level ended.
The results screen appeared.
LilySixSix stared at the score.
Her expression slowly changed.
Because she suddenly realized something strange.
The game wasn't just about romance.
It was about choices.
Small choices.
Tiny moments.
Moments people often ignored.
And those choices slowly shaped the relationship.
Sometimes strengthening it.
Sometimes quietly destroying it.
For a moment, LilySixSix stopped talking.
She simply stared at the screen.
Because the question inside the game was suddenly no longer fictional.
It felt real.
Very real.
Her eyes drifted slightly.
Her thoughts moved somewhere else.
Toward someone waiting outside the stream.
Toward the man who wanted to tell the world about their love.
And suddenly, the title of the game echoed in her mind.
Pick Love.
Should you pick it up?
Or should you let it go?
For the first time that day, LilySixSix felt truly uncertain.
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