Yoon-seul and I continued to sleep in the same bed for two whole days afterward.
Even though I had clearly cleaned the room, she adamantly refused to leave my room.
Eventually, her prophecy of turning me into a pillow came true, and every morning I woke up feeling ugh and groggy.
The V-tube video claiming I’m 7 years old was, of course, just a sensational title aimed at drawing in views.
“7-year-old (wearing an avatar) genius girl!”
It wasn’t a funny title, but its effectiveness was outstanding.
It made for a fantastic snack for people who only searched for sensational videos.
However, the problem was that it kept attracting people who believed it just by reading the title.
Recently, I hadn’t gone out at all, so I didn’t have to worry about my face being recognized, but as rumors spread, I wouldn’t be able to hide my identity forever.
The Academy Foundation keeps strict confidentiality regarding students, so that wasn’t a problem, but there was no guarantee that the academy kids would keep quiet either.
Fortunately, second graders in elementary school were still quite far removed from the news, but no one knew when that would spread to families and then to society.
Someone might have already posted about spotting me somewhere.
So, through Kariri, I asked people to believe that I was 14 for the time being, and she gladly accepted.
“But is that really enough? There are only about 10,000 people watching my stream.”
“I have to use my trump card.”
“Trump card?”
“Yup, this.”
Ding ding ding
[Inbox: 999+]
Since they were all just spam emails cluttering my inbox, it didn’t matter that they kept pouring in with just the subject line changing.
Yoon-seul’s eyes traced the screen quickly.
“Hello. This is the World of Arseria pro team, Clutch Esports. Wow, is this an offer to go pro?”
“There are plenty more!”
Inundated with messages from all directions.
Offers were pouring in from not just pro teams but also various media outlets and even universities.
People were trying to contact us for interviews or to set up connections for various purposes.
Until now, they had been nothing but a hindrance to my streaming, but now it seemed I might find their usefulness.
*
On the day Na-me posted proof of 7 challenging problems, the hottest reactions came, of course, from NoName’s TGDD, NoName Minor Gallery, and NoName Fan Cafe.
[1. Raises NoName.] [41]
1. Raises NoName.
2. Completes 50,000 games of LoL in 7 years.
3. Climbs to LoL Master in 2 weeks.
4. Clears WoA 10/10/10 in 18 cycles.
5. Hits a KDA of 134 at the WoA showcase.
6. Advances to the finals of the LoL Fall Tournament undefeated.
7. Proves 7 unsolved problems that have gone unproven for 300 years.
8. Puts down NoName.
[Comments]
– Is this a real person? LOL
– LOL if they raise it twice, the world might end.
– All of this and they’re just 14 years old?! Crazy, NoName!
– But doesn’t it feel strangely believable because it’s so unrealistic?
└ I feel exactly that way, LOL. If they had just done one of those, I wouldn’t be questioning, but since NoName did all of them, I can only nod along.
– It was 6 yesterday in the template, but now it’s 7, LOL.
└ Aren’t they going to add more tomorrow? LOL.
└ NoName, please stop!!! Someone’s going to die at this rate!!!
– LOL don’t drop it!
└ Is the game really the issue here? Is that proof actually real?
– A genius is a genius, but at a different level, ahh.
└ Is it possible to get the Fields Medal as a girl?
– Ham Cho-rong, 19, Fields Medal; 22, Nobel Prize were already incredible, but this is like… LOL
└ The Abel Prize is even more legit than the Fields Medal. The prize money is 100 times more.
└ How much is that?
└ It’s 1 million euros, so about 14 billion won!
└ Crazy!
– National pride is going wild, LOL
– Why does searching NoName bring up national pride videos before the game?
└ But the title is so clickbait that the video is surprisingly good.
└ That’s brainwashing for you!
└ That can’t be right! It’s better than I expected!
└ My brain’s already leaking, LOL
NoName always stated she was the second author in 5 of the 7 videos, so attention also turned to the first author, but no university had a record of someone named “Maria Euphrasia Terarubi.”
Therefore, it likely meant she was using a pseudonym, leading to a rather deflating conclusion.
The next person of interest was, unsurprisingly, Professor Cheon Kyu-jin.
The only person who seemed to know NoName’s identity was the Dean of the Academy of Magic at Korea University and the head of the Theoretical Conduction Engineering Research Institute.
[The customer cannot be reached. Please try again later.]
“Well, they still aren’t answering.”
“This was a hard-earned number… Ah, what can we do?”
“I never thought they’d be accepting the interview like this. It’s like…”
“A press conference.”
“Yeah, it really is a press conference.”
The reporters each pulled out their laptops, waiting for NoName to appear.
In the last few days, her Twish and V-tube channels had been flooded with comments requesting interviews from various broadcasting companies.
Among all those people, there were some who were overjoyed thinking their media outlet had been chosen for the interview, but they never dreamed that NoName would agree to them all at once.
Thus, a space that transformed from an interview into a sort of press conference was filled with 47 people from 19 different news outlets.
Moreover, even people whose affiliations were unknown were sprinkled throughout, so a veteran reporter cautiously approached to ask.
“Could I ask where you are from?”
“We’re from LG!”
“Why is LG here? I can’t believe you’re looking for an ad?”
“Oh, no, no! We’re LG’s gaming team! WoA!”
“Oh, I see…”
Returning to his seat, the male reporter glanced around to find a junior reporter huddled and whispering in his ear.
“The gazes on us are a bit intense.”
“Everyone sees us as a thorn in their side.”
“Then why do we have to bear that karma…!”
The invited QBS reporters at the press conference had to endure the sharp glares coming from all directions.
It was as if someone was asking if they thought nobody knew and didn’t report it.
However, as the editor-in-chief had said, to survive in this industry, one had to be brazen.
Veteran reporter Jang Seong-mun cleared his throat loudly enough for the room to echo and straightened his back.
Only then did some of the stares relent, allowing the junior female reporter to finally exhale.
“Wow, she’s coming out…!”
NoName appeared from behind the stage.
At that moment, the multitude of camera flashes went off, causing her to look startled and glance back.
“Do we really have to take pictures even in virtual reality?”
“Then what will we put on the banner? Hurry up and take a picture too.”
“Oh, no…!”
Not used to the sudden flood of light, NoName squinted.
Climbing onto a chair that looked like it was half her height, she sat down adorably.
“Geniuses really do have something strange about them. Their preferences are so unique.”
“I guess she doesn’t want to grow up. You’re almost 72!”
“What do you mean 72? Am I just aging?”
“Shush, quiet!”
Tap tap
After simply checking the microphone, NoName announced the start of the press conference.
“I don’t have much time, so please try to avoid repetitive questions.”
In the midst of this big crowd, she confidently made her assertion.
However, there was no time for her to be surprised.
Waving hands everywhere!
“Ms. NoName, you’ve continually claimed you’re 14 years old. Is that true?”
This question came from just beside the veteran reporter.
An impolite question right from the start.
They didn’t fully believe it yet and demanded clarification.
However, NoName simply dismissed it with a “yes” and moved on to another question.
But the ensuing questions were all equally pointed.
“You mentioned co-author Maria Euphrasia Terarubi, could you perhaps share a bit about her and your relationship?”
“She’s my mentor. I don’t think there’s a need for me to elaborate on who she is here.”
“Is your relationship with Professor Cheon Kyu-jin from Korea University also a mentor-mentee one?”
“Yes.”
“How much did the two of you contribute to the proof? Moreover, do you truly believe you proved the challenges solely on your own merit?”
An uneasy silence fell over the hall.
Other reporters kept waiting for answers, alternating between their laptops and NoName, all with expressions devoid of movement.
Veteran reporter Jang was clearly taken aback by the unexpectedly heavy atmosphere.
“Why are the questions like this…? This isn’t a hearing…”
“It seems like everyone came prepared.”
The intent behind the questions was quite impure.
It felt as if they were all presuming there was someone else behind her achievements.
“Hey, senior, I just got a text from the manager…!”
Jang checked the message from the manager.
On the main page of a portal site was a sensational headline:
[Creating a fake ‘genius girl’ that doesn’t disappear. It may now be time to consider serious penalties under child abuse laws.]
