Chapter 63 : Worst Case Scenario

From the moment Nayeon-Queen began her targeting, Curry’s attitude toward me had noticeably changed.

If before, they resembled a stray cat wary of humans, now they were more like a curious puppy.

“What do you think about the Diamond 1 rank, Barcode-nim?”

“Just as you always say, Curry-nim. It’s hell.”

“See? Our chairman knows their stuff. This rank really is hell. Literally.”

Though Curry had never indulged in personal conversations unrelated to the broadcast,

They now seemed relaxed enough to engage in light topics, their wariness toward me completely gone.

It was clear that they no longer thought of me as Nayeon-Queen.

That didn’t mean I’d lower my guard.

If I kept my secret hidden until the perfect moment and revealed it at just the right time…

What kind of reaction would Curry have when they discovered the truth?

Curiosity bubbled up, and I chose to savor my current thirst for the sake of future amusement.

“Ah, so close!”

“Too bad. Well, I didn’t do well in the top lane this round anyway.”

“You’re hitting me with facts now? That hurts my feelings…”

“You don’t look hurt at all, though.”

“…You know me too well, Chairman.”

Though Curry had lost in their fourth promotion match, they didn’t seem particularly upset.

If anything, they looked at ease, enough to joke around with me.

The real issue, however, was that the loss had placed them in a win-loss-loss-loss situation.

At this rate, they were headed for a three-game losing streak and an inevitable crash.

“This time, I really think we can hit Grandmaster! Don’t you all agree?”

“We need to win the last promotion match, though. Focus.”

“Ah, yes, sir.”

The previously excited Curry cooled down and shifted their focus back to the game.

In a high-stakes match where even the smallest mistake could decide the near future,

Curry approached this final promotion game with a seriousness that contrasted their earlier attitude.

Thanks to their focus, we managed to take control of the game’s flow.

Internally, I allowed myself a small smile, one I’d been hiding.

If Curry managed to hit Master rank, I was planning to start teasing them properly.

First, I’d lure them with the “Master” title as bait, and the moment they bit, the real teasing would begin.

Mocking them in the Diamond rank would only sour their attitude toward me.

My earlier “backseat coaching” had been nothing more than a playful expression of affection.

[Victory]

“Aaaahhhh!!! I made it to Master rank!!!”

Curry leaped out of their chair and half-screamed, overwhelmed with joy.

It wasn’t just a performative reaction for their stream; it seemed like they were genuinely thrilled.

Well, after their tier and ranking had tanked since preseason, it wasn’t surprising.

Their excitement wasn’t unwarranted.

“Ah… ahem!”

Still standing, Curry glanced at me and awkwardly cleared their throat before sitting back down.

The way they kept avoiding my gaze made it seem like they were embarrassed.

Usually, they’d have even more over-the-top reactions than this. Why were they embarrassed now?

“Congratulations on making it to Master rank.”

“Haha… It’s all thanks to you, Barcode-nim.”

“Barcode-nim?”

“…Do I still have to keep up that act?”

“I’m just joking.”

I wasn’t joking.

What a shame.

“How about we get some dinner to celebrate Curry-nim’s promotion to Master rank?”

“It’s already around dinnertime, isn’t it? But I don’t really have much to eat at home… What should we do?”

“We can order delivery. I love delivery food.”

“Hmm… I do eat delivery food often, too.”

While Curry pondered over what to order, I leaned in closer.

Close enough to whisper near Curry’s ear, I spoke slowly.

“How about chicken? I’m really craving chimaek.”

“What? Um, well…”

Maybe it was because of that previous fan meeting incident,

But Curry showed a negative reaction to my suggestion of drinking alcohol.

[What’s going on?]

[Why are you two talking behind our backs?]

[Couple isolating 40,000 people, huh?]

[This is why couples are a problem.]

[What’s up, Curry?]

[Ahahaha, I figured it out.]

[You can tell just by Curry’s expression.]

[So, what is it, you little…—]

[Acting like you know everything, huh? Lol.]

Checking the chat, I saw that the reaction I had aimed for was coming to life.

Curry looked back and forth between me and the viewers, wearing a conflicted expression that screamed, “Should I explain or not?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. I just asked about chimaek, that’s all…”

[Asking to drink alcohol isn’t a big deal…?]

[For extroverts, it really isn’t lol.]

[It’d be weird if Barcode-unnie wasn’t an extrovert.]

[Man… I’m just jealous!]

[Curry’s PTSD is kicking in again? LOL.]

[Living together and doing a chimaek stream? This is rare content…]

The viewers quickly latched onto my whisper, filling the chat with hopeful anticipation.

With public opinion clearly leaning toward a drinking stream, Curry really didn’t have much of a choice.

“Haah… Which chicken brand do you prefer?”

“I like all of them. You can pick whatever you want, Curry-nim.”

“Alright, then…”

Curry’s voice was filled with visible dissatisfaction, but I didn’t care.

After all, celebrating the Master rank promotion was a good enough reason for a drinking stream.

And more importantly, Curry loved chimaek—so much so that they often sang its praises.

Even if they acted like they didn’t like the idea, they were probably excited deep down.

And if they really didn’t like it? Well, that would make things interesting in its own way.

“Ah, but I don’t think I have any alcohol at home…”

“Should I go buy some?”

“How could I make a guest run errands? I’ll go get it myself.”

Without waiting for my response, Curry left the room to buy alcohol.

They moved so quickly that I didn’t even get the chance to tell them to be careful.

Now that I was alone in Curry’s house, I glanced around cautiously.

After all, I was planning to do something mischievous, and there was always the slim chance that Curry was pretending to leave but was actually still inside.

Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—there were no signs of anyone else, and I confirmed I was alone.

“Curry-nim is so careless, isn’t he? I wonder what he was thinking, leaving me here by myself. Hehe…”

[ccccc]

[What are you planning?]

[Is this stream mine now?]

[Could it all have been an act?]

[Honestly, isn’t Curry’s stream basically Barcode-noona’s anyway?]

I moved to Curry’s chair and changed the stream screen to the standby mode.

I could practically hear the cries of protest from the viewers, but I ignored them.

I started searching through various folders, looking for something… interesting.

Mockingly, I tried searching for bird names: magpie, cuckoo, goose, owl…

But there wasn’t a “guy’s folder” to be found.

Despite my persistent searches, I only came across files related to the stream.

Should I give up? That thought crossed my mind for a moment when—

[Persistent Stream Snipers]

A folder name that stood out instantly caught my eye.

My cursor moved over to it as if guided by instinct.

I double-clicked the folder icon.

[Persistent Stream Snipers List.txt]

Inside the folder was a single text file with an ominous title.

Should I check it? I hesitated, but curiosity had already taken control of my body.

Eventually, I opened the file and began reading from the top.

It contained brief descriptions of various stream snipers.

To me, someone who had been actively engaging in streams, all the names were familiar.

Some were players who had crossed the line and gotten a taste of discipline, while others had joined me in tormenting Curry.

Was there anything about me? That thought spurred me to scroll down to the bottom.

[Na-yeon Queen/Na-yeon Princess/Na-yeon Royalty]

Main account tier – High Grandmaster

Active hours – Stream times

Sniped relentlessly for years but never crossed the line

Occasionally disappears, but with no fixed pattern

Believed to be the same person as the streamer Barcode, though conclusive evidence is lacking

“Hmm…”

After reading the entry about Na-yeon Queen, I checked the last modified date of the file.

Last modified: December 15, 2020.

The file had been updated once after the platform war but hadn’t been touched since.

This meant Curry had already suspected my secret—either during or before the platform war.

Not that it was surprising; I had already noticed that Curry knew my secret.

After all, I’d never really tried to hide the connection between Barcode and Na-yeon Queen.

I stared at the text file for a long time before a thought struck me.

Could I use this file to mess with Curry?

If so, how could I make it more entertaining?

As I mused over various ideas, I suddenly heard the sound of the door lock beeping.

Step, step—

Footsteps grew closer, and soon the door to the room opened.

Curry entered, carrying a black plastic bag filled with what I assumed was alcohol.

“Barcode-nim! You’re not supposed to touch the stream settings—”

Curry froze mid-sentence.

His gaze was fixed on the monitor, where the ‘Persistent Stream Snipers List.txt’ file was still open.

Truthfully, I’d had plenty of time to close the file when I heard the door lock beep, but I didn’t.

Because I instinctively knew that I could use this situation to make tormenting Curry even more fun.

Curry stood frozen, his lips sealed. I, too, maintained my silence.

The heavy quiet settled in the room like an oppressive weight.

Curry had gone to the nearby convenience store to pick up soju and beer.

While waiting for the elevator, he checked the stream.

The broadcast screen had reverted to the standby mode.

It was clear that Barcode had touched the computer.

A thought crossed his mind—was there a file she mustn’t see?

Then, like a lightning strike, he remembered.

There was a file she should never find out about.

As the realization dawned, Curry’s chest tightened.

Anxiety gnawed at him as he stepped into the elevator, pressing the button hurriedly.

The usual short ride felt endless, each second dragging on.

“Please, let it not be that file,” Curry muttered under his breath.

By the time he reached his floor, his prayers had become desperate pleas.

He punched in the passcode faster than he ever had.

Swinging the door open, he rushed inside.

“Barcode! You can’t mess with the broadcast scree—”

His words faltered.

Curry’s gaze was fixed on the monitor.

If it had been nothing, he would have looked away in an instant.

But he couldn’t.

He froze in place, staring at the screen.

The screen displayed a single file titled ‘Notorious Snipers.txt.’

It was the exact worst-case scenario he’d feared.

“…You’re back sooner than I expected,” Barcode said, her tone calm.

Curry forced out a shaky reply.

“Y-yeah.”

Normally, he would’ve added more, considering the stream was still live.

But forming words felt like moving mountains.

“Why are you just standing there? Come sit.”

“…Alright.”

Feeling like a condemned man, Curry shuffled over and sat down beside her.

Hoping for a shred of mercy, he glanced at Barcode.

Her gaze was cold, devoid of any warmth.

Since the beginning of her streaming career, Curry had been her supporter.

Yet here she was, staring at him as if he were the worst kind of stranger.

The thought of how betrayed she must feel churned his stomach.

He’d experienced his own betrayal once—during that infamous fan meeting.

Was Barcode now feeling something worse?

The guilt clawed at him, dragging him into a pit of regret.

“Hey, Curry,” Barcode said softly, breaking the silence.

She leaned closer, speaking just loud enough for only him to hear.

“This is still a live broadcast, so… let’s talk later.”

Her words carried an air of finality, cutting through the tense atmosphere like a knife.

In that moment, a glimmer of hope sparked within Curry.

Maybe he still had a chance to make things right.

“Thank you for giving me another chance,” Curry said, his voice trembling.

Barcode’s expression didn’t soften.

“Don’t misunderstand.”

Curry’s throat tightened, his breath catching in his chest.

“I haven’t forgiven you.”

Barcode’s voice was steady, her words as sharp as glass.

“And I’m still angry.”

At that, Curry dropped his head, feeling like a scolded child.

What he failed to notice was the fleeting smile on Barcode’s lips.

A smile that hinted at plans far more mischievous than forgiveness.