Chapter 82 : Disturbance

After the dizzying Pocky game, Curry announced a three-day break from streaming.

The official notice stated it was to take some time off for “condition management,” but the real reason wasn’t about physical health—it was to sort out his tangled emotions.

During the Pocky game with Barcode, he had pretended to dislike it, acted as though he was doing it reluctantly.

But her face, so close to his, and the sudden intoxicating scent that wafted over—
combined with other factors in the complex situation—had cracked his resolve to keep rejecting her.

Maybe it’s okay to forgive Na-yeon Queen.

That weak thought kept creeping in.

Why should I be the only one suffering?

Why not just forgive her, accept it, and enjoy it?

These thoughts surfaced during his personal streams, during collaboration streams with Barcode.

So he chose to take a break, and in truth, it wasn’t a bad decision.

Living for two days without the fictional marriage concept gave him a sense of mental clarity.

As he rested and worked to stabilize his shaken emotions, Curry found himself enjoying the comfort of lying in bed on the third day.

I wish this fictional marriage would just end.

As hopeful thoughts filled his mind, his eyes began to close.

He was about to drift off into sleep, wasting time in slumber, when—

The sound of the door opening startled him, and Curry opened his eyes and sat up.

The person who entered was none other than Barcode, exuding an ominous atmosphere.

“Barcode-nim? Without knocking, what’s the matter…”

Curry cautiously opened his mouth, gauging Barcode’s mood.

After a brief silence, Barcode slowly spoke.

“Curry-nim. Be honest.”

“Sorry? Honest about what…”

“Crystal.”

“Crystal? Oh, are you interested in MCNs? I’d imagine someone like Barcode-nim would’ve received emails from Crystal…”

Curry thought he had answered as politely as possible, excluding all personal feelings.

But judging by the increasingly cold aura emanating from Barcode, it seemed his answer wasn’t the right one.

With the mindset of even in a tiger’s den, you’ll survive if you stay calm, Curry maintained his composure.

No matter what words came out of Barcode’s mouth, he prepared himself not to be rattled.

“The email didn’t come through.”

“That’s strange. Crystal isn’t the kind of MCN to overlook talent like Barcode-nim…”

“I sent an email expressing my interest in joining, but the reply was just a flat rejection without any explanation.”

“…”

At this point, Curry couldn’t help but realize what Barcode was implying.

While he could understand why Barcode might think that way, Curry felt unfairly accused, especially since he hadn’t done anything after the Pocky game.

“Uh, I really don’t know anything about this. Maybe there was some miscommunication? Should I try contacting the manager for you…?”

Curry cautiously suggested, but unable to meet Barcode’s piercing gaze, he avoided eye contact and waited for her response.

“Pfft.”

After what felt like an eternity, Barcode’s laughter broke the silence.

Slowly turning his gaze forward, Curry saw Barcode smiling.

“I just got an unexpected reply and wanted to ask if Curry-nim knew anything about it.”

“Ahaha… So, the misunderstanding is somewhat cleared up…?”

“Well, I trust Curry-nim. We’re in a fictional marriage and living together, after all.”

If Curry-nim were lying to me, I wouldn’t even know how I’d react.

Her follow-up comment left Curry momentarily stunned.

Though he quickly regained his composure, Barcode had already moved to the door.

“Should I bring you some fruit?”

“Oh, yes… Please do.”

Barcode left the room, and Curry was left alone in the now-quiet space, lost in thought.

Since moving into Barcode’s house, Curry couldn’t shake the feeling of being constantly “managed.”

From the Pocky game to the revelation that Crystal had rejected Barcode’s email expressing her interest in joining—

“Ugh…”

No matter how he thought about it, there was no logical reason for Crystal to refuse Barcode.

Even if they hadn’t reached out first, rejecting someone who proactively expressed interest in joining was baffling.

Unable to make sense of their response, Curry decided to investigate further once his three-day break was over.

Knock, knock, knock—

“Curry-nim, here’s some fruit. Oh, and I brought some snacks for you to enjoy when you’re bored.”

“Thank you.”

Curry quietly began eating the assortment of fruits and chocolates from his favorite brand that had been handed to him.

Since starting the fictional marriage arrangement, he had unknowingly gained about 2kg from the constant pampering.

Crystal.

One of the largest MCNs in the country, Crystal boasted an impressive scale.

With numerous broadcasters under contract and a massive team of staff to manage them, Crystal had a formidable presence.

Though most of their talent were unpolished gems, Crystal had the skill to transform them into dazzling jewels.

Their recruitment policy focused on securing talent who could lead the broadcasting media industry, even at significant cost.

This principle had been the key to Crystal’s success and growth.

Naturally, given these principles, streamer Barcode was their top recruitment target.

A streamer who had, without outside polishing, ascended on her own and imprinted her presence on the world.

Despite amassing hundreds of thousands of subscribers in a short period, Barcode oddly seemed indifferent to streaming itself.

The team leader of Crystal’s creator management, Bae Ji-hoon, sought to recruit Barcode, whose quirky yet captivating character was undeniable.

“Don’t recruit her.”

“Excuse me?”

Crystal’s CEO, Lee Seon-ah, personally vetoed Barcode’s recruitment.

“CEO, streamer Barcode is a target every MCN is vying for right now.”

“I’m aware.”

“Then wouldn’t recruiting her maximize our company’s benefits, especially in marketing and advertising?”

“Team Leader Bae, what did I just say?”

“…You said not to recruit her.”

Bae Ji-hoon couldn’t understand Lee Seon-ah’s decision.

Perhaps his confusion showed on his face, as Lee Seon-ah paused her paperwork and turned toward him.

“Of course, if we successfully recruit Barcode, we could reap substantial benefits in marketing and advertising.”

“Then, isn’t it worth pursuing her?”

“But it doesn’t feel right. There’s no guarantee Barcode would act in line with our intentions. At this point, she’s essentially a poisoned chalice.”

“…Understood.”

Despite the CEO’s explanation, Bae Ji-hoon couldn’t fully accept the decision not to recruit Barcode.

Whether he liked it or not, the matter had already been decided by the CEO, and as a mere team leader, there was nothing he could do.

Leaving the CEO’s office, Bae Ji-hoon stepped out, while Lee Seon-ah, now alone, opened her desk drawer.

Ignoring the payment documents she had been processing, she placed her smartphone on the desk.

On the screen, a Mutube video was playing—a highlight of Barcode and Curry’s Pocky game.

The radiant editing created a sweet atmosphere, and Lee Seon-ah stared intently at the two, biting her nails.

Crunch.

Streamer Curry.

Before founding Crystal, Lee Seon-ah had already marked Curry as her top recruitment target.

Her influence played the biggest role in successfully recruiting Curry, and after that, Crystal experienced rapid growth.

At the time, Curry wasn’t widely known, but his solid fanbase made him highly effective in merchandise and marketing ventures.

Lee Seon-ah had been watching Curry as a viewer for years, and to her, Curry was the cornerstone of her MCN’s success.

A streamer she personally selected and refined.

Untouched by anyone else’s influence, Curry was a blank slate painted solely with her colors.

But recently, an unknown streamer named Barcode had latched onto him, and now they had even reached the stage of a fictional marriage.

Lee Seon-ah knew better than anyone that Barcode had propelled Curry to incredible heights.

Yet, her tinted view of Barcode clouded her judgment, leading her to rationalize internally.

Even without Barcode, Curry would have risen higher than he is now.

And she wanted the world to know that the person who polished this gem from the start was none other than herself.

“Annoying…”

Barcode’s presence had undeniably benefited Curry.

But seeing Curry’s distressed expression in the video, Lee Seon-ah could no longer observe the situation from the perspective of a CEO.

She had to find a way to separate Curry from that sly fox.

As the Pocky game highlight reached its peak, that thought consumed her entirely.

Just then, a new email arrived on her laptop.

After reviewing its contents, Lee Seon-ah smirked and sent her reply.

The reply instructed sending a template rejection email to Barcode’s message expressing her intent to join.

To clear her distracted thoughts, Lee Seon-ah entered Curry’s Mutube channel and played his latest uploaded video from the day before.

It was a 15-minute solo queue highlight video of Curry—a video she had already watched four times but never tired of.

For a while, Curry’s voice filled the CEO’s office, and treating it as ASMR, Lee Seon-ah continued her remaining work.

Crystal’s CEO, Lee Seon-ah.

For Barcode, the name Lee Seon-ah wasn’t entirely unfamiliar.

Back when Curry wasn’t very well-known, there had always been one viewer who constantly typed in his chat.

Using the exact name “Lee Seon-ah,” this viewer filled the chat’s quiet moments daily.

Since she tuned in to Curry’s streams every single day—just like Barcode—the name left an impression.

Whether this viewer was the same person as Crystal’s CEO Lee Seon-ah remained uncertain.

“Hmm… interesting.”

An anonymous email arrived.

Its contents stated that CEO Lee Seon-ah had prohibited Barcode’s recruitment.

While it lacked solid evidence such as recordings, the attached staff ID image and the suggestion to join another MCN lent credibility to the email.

It seemed an insider was planning to switch to another MCN.

As part of their pitch, they insinuated that recruiting Barcode into the new MCN would earn them favorable treatment there.

The sly calculations behind the email ironically made it seem more believable.

“What should I do…”

The email didn’t explain why CEO Lee Seon-ah had forbidden Barcode’s recruitment.

But if Lee Seon-ah truly was the same “Lee Seon-ah,” and if she knew Barcode’s secret—

Letting this slide wasn’t an option.

After all, Barcode intended to spend even more time happily with Curry.