Chapter 72 : Black History Mission

After the fan meeting incident, Curry found himself constantly thinking about her and struggling to come to terms with his emotions.

The time that had passed, whether considered long or short, didn’t help him arrive at any clear conclusion.

Treating her casually brought back the memories of the torment he had endured at the hands of NayeonQueen, filling him with bubbling resentment.

Yet, when he thought of treating her too harshly, the countless moments of solace and support offered by the Chairwoman surfaced, paralyzing him from crossing any line between them.

Now, as a streamer romantically paired with Barcode in a fake relationship for content, Curry was stuck in a state of shock, staring blankly at the game results screen.

The moment he started his stream, NayeonQueen had sniped him with uncanny precision.

The memory of when the “Florist Owner” had traded a donation for a friend request resurfaced.

Piecing it all together—the perfect timing and consistent sniping—Curry realized the truth, his trembling hands reaching to remove “Florist Owner” from his friends list.

The first time he had met the “Florist Owner” wasn’t particularly special.

An obscure, struggling streamer and a devoted fan—it was a simple dynamic with an unbreachable divide.

Still, the Florist Owner was always by his side.

There was that one day—a day forever etched into his memory.

After attending the funeral of a dear friend’s father, Curry had made the reckless decision to stream, against better judgment.

That stream, one of his worst performances, left the audience disappointed for the first time.

Amid the wave of criticism, only the Florist Owner had stayed, offering gentle, heartfelt encouragement.

And yes, even on that day, NayeonQueen had sniped his game.

The sound of soft footsteps pulled Curry from his thoughts.

As he turned his head, he locked eyes with Barcode, holding a bowl of sliced apples.

What do you even want from me, NayeonQueen?

Chairwoman, what is it that you’re trying to achieve with me?

If you wanted to torment me, you could have been crueler—at least then I could freely hate you.

If you wanted to comfort me, you should have only shown kindness—then I could have unreservedly admired you.

Though the questions lingered in Curry’s mind, they never made it past his lips.

Instead, he gazed at her with a conflicted mix of emotions, only to be met with her twisted, euphoric smile.

Placing the bowl on the desk, I casually dragged over a spare chair I had prepared beforehand and sat down.

Curry looked at me, his expression questioning why I dared to sit down uninvited, but I cleanly ignored him.

It wasn’t because I took pleasure in watching Curry squirm in discomfort—definitely not.

[Is this what real couple content looks like?]

[I can feel my teeth rotting from how sweet this is.]

[Barcode just showing up increased the viewer count by 1.5x LOL.]

[Curry, I’m so jealous. Is this what inferiority feels like?]

[Yes, it is, and it suits you.]

As a “streamer” shooting couple content with Curry, I had an obligation to deliver what the audience expected.

It was my duty—absolutely devoid of any personal desires.

…Even if I wasn’t sure how believable that claim sounded.

Curry’s mental state seemed a bit shaken, though not completely broken.

The last time he had a panic attack, his polished streamer persona had crumbled, revealing his raw emotions.

For now, though, the mask held firm, which meant there was room to push further.

I leaned forward slightly, breaking the silence.

“Would it be okay if I sat here and watched your solo ranked games?”

“As much as I’d like to kick you out, I value my public image too much. Do as you please.”

“Wow, so you’re speaking informally to me now? Does that mean we’ve gotten closer?”

“Please don’t attach unnecessary meaning to my words.”

Anyone watching this exchange would think that Barcode was playfully chasing after Curry, who was desperately trying to push her away.

[Curry… have you finally crossed that line? Are you okay?]

[Ugh, this is so frustrating LOL.]

[This just makes the rumors about ‘that’ all the more believable.]

[LOOOOOL.]

[Mom! When I grow up, I want to be like Curry!]

[I wish I had a noona like Barcode who would obsess over me.]

The viewers, unaware of the full story, started labeling Curry as a deceiver.

It was undoubtedly an unfair situation for Curry, but that was none of my concern.

All I was focused on was figuring out how I could tease Curry more effectively in this situation.

As I pondered this, a massive donation suddenly came through.

{Malicious Couple Fan has donated 100,000 KRW.}

・Curry, do you accept missions?

“Wowww! Thank you so much for the 100,000 won donation, Malicious Couple Fan. Of course, I accept missions! Although… your nickname is a bit, well… Yeah.”

As soon as Curry agreed to the mission, the previously empty mission window updated with a new task.

{Barcode feeding Curry an apple.}

Reward: 100,000 KRW

(Time remaining: 23 hours 59 minutes)

“Huh…?”

“Sigh Why do I always have these bad premonitions…?”

“Curry? I’m right here next to you.”

“…Why do I feel like these instincts of mine are always wrong? Truly wonderful. Haha.”

[They’re truly the ultimate sponsor for couple content.]

[How suspiciously wealthy is this person…?]

[Seriously, only a true menace would pull something like this, lol.]

[Who spends 100,000 won just for someone to feed another person an apple?]

[I’m great at eating apples, too. Where’s my 100k?]

Judging by the chat, this donor seemed to have a reputation for being heavily invested in couple content.

I mean, it’s not surprising—if someone casually spends 100,000 won on something like this, they’re bound to get famous, whether they want to or not.

With the mission successfully registered, I turned my attention back to Curry.

Curry seemed deeply torn, caught between his personal convictions and the harsh realities of capitalism.

He acted as though my agreement was a given, as if the moment he consented, I would just go ahead and feed him the apple.

“Ugh… sigh Fine, whatever. It’s couple content, so… Barcode, I’m okay with it. You can go ahead and—”

“I don’t want to.”

“What?”

“I said, I don’t want to. That mission.”

This whole setup of ours—this couple content—was my way of teasing Curry on my own terms.

I didn’t want this fun little game of mine to be warped by a single donor.

I’m the kind of person who saves the best bites of a meal for last.

Sure, what the donor wants is probably some sweet and romantic moment between me and Curry, the kind that’s so sugary it would make your teeth rot just from watching.

But seeing Curry’s face, acting like he could just take my goodwill for granted, combined with the donor’s attempt to force the situation, completely killed the mood.

Not that it would’ve been a big deal to create that kind of atmosphere right now.

But I didn’t want to let this precious moment be tainted by someone else’s vision.

And yet, when I saw the slight hint of disappointment on Curry’s face, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

“Oh, I see. Well, if Barcode doesn’t want to, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“If you do one thing for me, I’ll feed you the apple.”

“What kind of thing…? Ugh, Barcode, what do you want?”

Scratching his head in frustration, Curry asked me.

Pretending to think deeply, I rested my chin on my index finger and gazed into the air.

Then, as if I’d just come up with a brilliant idea, I turned back to Curry with a smile.

“Say, ‘Noona Barcode, please feed me.’ Then I’ll do it.”

“What?”

“It’s not weird, is it? I’m older than you, you know. I’m 24.”

“…?!?!”

Was my request so shocking that it left him speechless?

Curry, who had been silent for a while, stared at the mission window with trembling eyes.

The thought of 100,000 won dangled tantalizingly before him—close enough to touch, yet he wrestled with himself, questioning, “Do I really have to do this?”

It was painfully obvious that he was torn between the temptation of easy money and his personal pride.

Watching Curry’s wandering gaze, like a lost child, always filled me with joy.

I couldn’t quite understand why his conflicted expression brought me such amusement, but I stayed true to my desire to relish the moment, maintaining a facade of nonchalance.

“Ugh, no, seriously. Do I have to? This is driving me nuts…”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I don’t mind either way.”

Leaving the decision entirely up to Curry, I simply sat back, savoring the unfolding drama.

Surely, even the donor who had initiated the mission must be satisfied by now.

I waited patiently for Curry to make his move.

[Haha, 100k for a single line of dialogue—just say it already!]

[Your pride as a man is no match for the price, Curry.]

[You’re really not gonna do it? REALLY? REALLY?]

[Bro, I’d PAY 100k to say that, lol.]

[One thing’s clear—Curry is MSAD.]

[What the heck is MSAD, you nerd?]

[Virgin loser syndrome, lol.]

As Curry’s indecision dragged on, the viewers grew increasingly impatient.

Of course, Curry was aware of the mounting frustration, so he couldn’t prolong his dilemma much longer.

With a resolute expression, as if he had made a significant life decision, Curry finally spoke in a trembling voice.

“B-Bar… Barcode noona… Please… feed m-me…”

Curry looked at me as if to ask, “Is that good enough?”

But instead of giving him an encouraging smile, I put on a cold, emotionless expression.

“You didn’t say it properly. Do it again.”

“…!”

Seeing Curry on the verge of tears gave me immense satisfaction, but my thirst for this peculiar amusement was not yet quenched.

I wanted to see him blush—something he rarely showed during streams.

In a way, I could justify this as a treat for the viewers.

Though, even I knew that was a flimsy excuse.

After a long moment of despair, Curry shut his eyes tightly and spat out the words, as if purging himself of embarrassment.

“Noona, please feed me.”

“Good job.”

I grinned as I picked up the apple slice with a fork.

Slowly, I brought it toward Curry’s mouth, and he accepted it without protest.

[HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!]

[LMAOOOOO]

[This is comedy gold!]

[Clipping this! Bookmarking it!]

[Let’s take Curry’s channel global!]

[It’s already uploaded to Mutube, lmao.]

[Export complete.]

“Hey! Don’t you dare send this clip to anyone else! Don’t even make it!”

Though Curry warned the viewers not to create or share clips, the chat was already flooded with links to his freshly minted embarrassing moment.

Watching the chaos unfold in disbelief, Curry finally clicked the “Complete Mission” button.

{Mission Complete!}

Earned 100,000 KRW!

{Malicious Couple Fan has donated an additional 100,000 KRW.}

“Absolutely satisfied. Barcode, here’s your share separately!”

With the mission reward and an extra donation, Curry had made 200,000 KRW in mere moments.

But alongside the sound of money pouring in came a wave of self-loathing, leaving Curry unable to lift his head for some time.

“Curry, I’m heading out now. Good luck with the rest of your stream!”

Having had my fill of entertainment, I left the stream with a cheerful smile.