Chapter 69 : Virtual Marriage Cohabitation?

The new season had begun, and most LoL streamers were focused on broadcasting solo rank games to climb the ladder.

Every season in LoL felt like an entirely new game, and playing solo rank in that environment was like fresh content.

There was no need to prepare anything fancy—just queue up, and viewers would flock in naturally during this early-season period.

Not playing solo rank was practically a loss at this point.

In such circumstances, among the streamers in the LoL category, Curry was the only one not playing solo rank.

Ironically, however, the stream with the most viewers in the LoL category belonged to Curry.

The sudden reappearance of Barcode, who had been avoiding Curry and hanging out with other streamers for a while, stirred things up.

That alone was enough to create a whirlwind of attention.

As rumors spread that Curry, who had been ignoring Barcode’s signals, was finally warming up to a romantic tension,
the news quickly circulated across streaming-related communities, drawing a flood of viewers to Curry’s stream.

Questions about their supposed relationship were something Curry might consider a traumatic subject.

I impulsively asked an inappropriate question, and as soon as I did, I was filled with anxiety and regret.

“When would be a good time for you, Barcode?”

I hadn’t expected Curry to respond positively to such a rude question.

So when he did, it left me momentarily stunned, unable to respond to his unexpected counter-question.

“What, were you joking?”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“Then give me an answer.”

“…Next week?”

I mumbled softly, averting my gaze in embarrassment.

Even though the stream wasn’t on, it felt as if Curry was looking directly at me.

When I turned my gaze away, what entered my sight was Curry’s rapidly scrolling chatroom.

[LOL, you panicked so hard you pushed them away.]

[As a five-year veteran of dating sims, I’d like to say this is the perfect time to make a move.]

[Sweet Curry’s voice is dripping with honey…]

[Who dumped an entire bag of sugar into Curry?]

[Barcode’s flustered reaction is adorable!]

[Oh wow, “adorable” isn’t banned here, huh.]

The comments were grating, so I shifted my focus back to the screen.

On the broadcast, Curry had a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his face.

“Our chairman usually doesn’t act like this.”

“What do you mean by ‘like this’?”

“Last time, you were so bold it was overwhelming, but now, why are you acting so timid?”

“When was I ever bold? So, when would be a good time for you, Curry?”

Curry didn’t answer right away, just like me.

His flustered expression was clearly visible on the stream, and seeing it gave me a surge of confidence.

I smiled and spoke slowly.

“Curry, you’re the same as ever. Still oblivious, timid, and far from manly…”

“Tomorrow.”

“…And tomorrow? Seriously?”

I was teasing Curry, and out of nowhere, he gave me an answer.

For a moment, I thought I misheard him and instinctively asked again.

“I said, tomorrow works for me.”

“…!”

Curry gave such a definitive answer that it left no room for denial on my part.

As I sat there in stunned silence, I noticed the faintest hint of a smirk on Curry’s lips.

I was always the one teasing him, so being on the receiving end left me utterly dumbfounded.

‘Hah.’

The moment I realized Curry was teasing me, the first thought that crossed my mind was, ‘How dare he?’

I didn’t know what had changed to give him this newfound confidence, but there was no way my pride would let me just sit back and take it.

Lowering my voice, I replied in a slow and measured tone.

“Why tomorrow? We could start right now.”

“Well, it’s my first time doing something like this. Shouldn’t I at least have time to prepare myself mentally?”

“Is that so? It’s my first time too, but I don’t need any preparation.”

“You know that’s not what I meant!”

Seeing Curry suddenly flustered after his confident act made me feel much better.

“We already live together, doing everything and anything, don’t we?”

“If you phrase it like that, I’m going to end up with another controversy on the rumor wiki!”

“A controversy? The real scandal is how you walked in on me showering that one morning—”

“Ahhh! Barcode! I just remembered I have something urgent to do. I’m ending the call now!”

Curry abruptly ended the call.

I was disappointed I couldn’t finish my sentence, but any perceptive viewers would know exactly what I was about to say.

With that thought, I glanced at the chatroom.

[If he walked in while you were showering, that’s spicy. LOL.]

[Curry, you sly dog. Acting innocent, huh?]

[Was I the only one taking this seriously? Was I? WAS I?!]

[Real-time edits on the rumor wiki incoming. LMAO.]

[Boycott Curry’s streams and donations.]

[Acting all cute on stream must’ve been exhausting, huh? You jerk.]

As expected, the chat was more heated than ever.

It was amusing to see the chaos my words had caused, especially when Curry’s despair only amplified my satisfaction.

“Alright, everyone. That’s all for today’s stream!”

[Where do you think you’re going?!]

[You’re just going to run away without addressing this?!]

[Don’t run. Face it head-on!]

[Forget tomorrow. You’ve been doing this behind our backs already, haven’t you?]

[End the stream now, and it’ll be your last stream, Curry.]

Normally, Curry would have tried to put out the flames before ending the stream.

But this time, perhaps realizing he couldn’t handle the fire alone, he abruptly logged off without another word.

Even after the stream ended, viewers lingered in the channel, continuing to fan the flames in the chat.

But Curry didn’t make any dramatic return.

“Hmph…”

Not only had he cut off the call, but he also ended the stream entirely.

Just a moment ago, I had been worried about Curry’s gaunt appearance.

Now, I was filled with mischievous thoughts about how to torment him further.

How could I catch him and make him even more flustered?

As I mulled it over, a brilliant idea struck me.

I logged into my Barcode account and started a stream.

[zxcv1234 has started a live stream.]

After confirming the notification had gone out on my phone, I turned on some background music to set the mood.

Then, I sent Curry a direct message on Discord.

[Barcode: Where do you think you’re running off to, Curry?]

[Curry: I streamed for seven hours today… I’m exhausted…]

[Barcode: I started a stream just to help you explain yourself comfortably.]

[Curry: Why on earth would you start a stream for this?!]

While exchanging messages with Curry, I adjusted my stream settings.

Since it was an impromptu broadcast, I hadn’t prepared anything beforehand.

I quickly set up the stream layout and webcam feed.

Despite the rushed setup, I managed to prepare everything for my ‘Curry Interrogation’ content.

Turning on my broadcast microphone, I spoke.

“Testing, testing. Can you hear me?”

[Yes, we can!]

[We can hear you.]

[Barcode, please go catch Curry for us.]

[Clear audio.]

[But seriously, did Curry walk in while you were showering?]

[So, you two have been dating off-stream, haven’t you? Haven’t you?]

[Barcode, you owe us an explanation too. LOL.]

[Explain yourself!]

The viewers, lost after Curry ended his stream, quickly flocked to mine.

In no time, the viewer count surpassed twenty thousand, and it was still climbing rapidly.

It was obvious this was a nightmare scenario for Curry, and I could already guess how he would react.

The thought made me smile as I called him.

After several rings, the call connected.

“Curry.”

“…Yes.”

“You can’t just leave without explaining yourself.”

“Well, uh… Barcode, could you check your personal DMs?”

I heard the sound of typing, followed by a message from Curry.

[Curry: Please, just this once. I’ll agree to anything you want regarding the ‘fake marriage’ content… Please…]

[Barcode: Hmm… Words already spoken can’t be taken back. What should we do…]

I debated whether to help Curry out of this mess or make things even worse for him.

Weighing the pros and cons in my head, I eventually made my decision and spoke.

“Everyone, I was just joking.”

[Liar.]

[That’s a blatant lie.]

[Who’s going to believe that?]

[You’re so obviously acting right now. LOL.]

[So, did it happen or not? Did it happen or not?]

It was a lie no one was going to believe, and sure enough, the viewers didn’t buy it.

[Barcode: I said it was a joke, but the viewers don’t believe me. What should I do?]

[Curry: In situations like this, diverting their attention with another story usually works.]

[Barcode: Another story, huh… Then join the call real quick.]

[Curry: On my way.]

As Curry joined the call, I racked my brain for another story.

The only topic that could effectively divert attention was, of course, our ‘fake marriage’ content.

‘Fake marriage.’

A term derived from the phrase We Got Married, a popular segment among streamers and content creators.

There’s a fanbase that’s particularly fond of fake marriage content. Even those unfamiliar with specific streamers often tune in just because of the concept.

With such a devoted audience, it’s no surprise many creators opt for this content.

Most fake marriages take place purely online, with only a small number happening offline.

Unlike the original TV program, which involved actual cohabitation.

Ding—

“I’m here.”

“So, Curry, when should we meet?”

“…Meet? What do you mean by meet?”

It seemed Curry had assumed we’d stick to the usual online version of the concept.

His confusion at my question was evident.

Maintaining a neutral expression, I continued.

“Fake marriages usually involve cohabitation, don’t they?”

“What are you… Barcode, don’t tell me…”

Just as Curry was about to explain the concept, I cut him off.

“We filmed the last collab at your place, so this time, let’s use mine.”

Curry fell silent, seemingly at a loss for words.

Satisfied with his reaction, I glanced at the chatroom.

All the controversy-driven comments had vanished, replaced by new ones reacting to the shifted topic.

Feeling triumphant, I delved deeper into the narrative.

“Once we start living together, food will be the biggest issue. I can only make instant ramen…”

“Ordering takeout isn’t an option since my place is in a poor delivery area.”

“And hiring a housekeeper when we’re living together seems unnecessary too.”

Having seen similar lines in other fake marriage content, I couldn’t resist the temptation to try them out.

I altered the wording slightly to fit the mood.

“Curry, if you’re okay with it, I could… cook you some ramen.”

Ding—

Before I could even finish, Curry ended the call.

At the same time, the chatroom erupted with explosive reactions, heating up the stream to its peak.

That day, Barcode’s stream reached a record high of one hundred thousand viewers, forever cementing its place in streaming history.