[TS] Malicious Sniper

After the opera and drill duo was brutally defeated by Barcode, criticism towards them reached an all-time high.

With the duo rank stuck from Master level and above, they engaged in intentional matchmaking.

Despite the controversy erupting, rather than reflecting, they shamelessly kept playing the game.

They even targeted those who had backstabbed them and issued “shooting bans.”

Multiple controversies erupted simultaneously, and as past incidents resurfaced, the duo was plummeting into an endless abyss.

It became clear who was at fault, and various neutral issue Mutubers, who had been sitting on the fence, began to rip into the duo.

What had only been a subject of controversy in the community quickly became publicized through Mutube, and public opinion towards Lanis plummeted to the worst it had ever been.

Amidst this, Lanis’s representative donated 100,000 won during Barcode’s broadcast, and it was pure comedy gold.

The image of Team Lanis solidified into one where both players and representatives had lost their sense of awareness, and interest in Team Lanis waned as time went on.

While Team Lanis slowly sank to the depths of despair, the public sentiment towards Barcode skyrocketed.

As a result, Curry, who was closest to Barcode, also rose in popularity, perhaps thanks to the trickle-down effect.

Streamers who once belonged to Team Curry Breaker, with whom they had previously partnered, also showed signs of noticeable growth.

Later, a handwritten apology from the opera and drill duo was posted on Team Lanis’s social media, but all that came were arrows of condemnation, and in time, it too faded into obscurity.

Thus, the incident concluded with the duo plunging into an abyss while everyone else had a happy ending.

Three days after that duo was targeted, Barcode soared once again by entering the Challenger ranks for the first time.

Everyone expected to see what Barcode would do next, but he was just too busy spending time with Curry to care.

“Alright, ah~ give it a try.”

“Barcode, I can’t even eat alone…”

“You have to call me ‘Mama,’ remember? I set the title.”

“…sigh.”

Curry let out a small sigh in response to Barcode’s demand.

“Mama… ah…”

“Hehe, good job, our little Curry.”

Barcode was solely focused on tormenting Curry, indifferent to how his public image might be.

*

Kim Hyun-tae is a Mutuber specializing in issues.

Though he claimed to be an issue-focused Mutuber, he was really just a wrecking ball Mutuber.

However, after striking a secret deal with the large MCN, Crystal, Kim Hyun-tae experienced rapid growth.

Although he hadn’t officially signed a creator contract, they maintained a mutually beneficial relationship, allowing him to become a top wrecking ball Mutuber.

As he earned more money and gained recognition, he stopped covering trivial matters.

To give a brief overview, wrecking ball Mutubers create videos that exploit the misfortunes, accidents, mistakes, flaws, and wrongdoings of others for profit.

After the backstabbing incident involving the steel plate duo and Barcode’s skyrocketing public sentiment, wrecking ball Mutubers produced attention-grabbing content to pull in views.

Naturally, Kim Hyun-tae also planned to take the steel plate duo on with high-intensity criticism while showcasing Barcode’s strengths for views.

However, Crystal sent a directive instructing him not to touch on this incident, instead requesting an investigation into Barcode’s dark side.

Reluctantly, Kim Hyun-tae started his investigation on Barcode, but he found it chillingly difficult to uncover any information related to Barcode’s past.

Shifting his focus to Barcode’s life after becoming a streamer, the chills only intensified.

While there was no conclusive evidence, all circumstantial and intuitive information pointed to streamer Barcode and the malicious sniper Nayun Queen being the same person.

How could one person torment a single streamer in three distinct ways over several years without breaking them?

Through this investigation, Kim Hyun-tae came to understand why Curry was so wary of Barcode.

He had been amongst those who thought Curry had it out for Barcode, and he silently offered an apology that would never reach him.

“…there’s no point in posting now.”

Currently, Barcode’s public image had surpassed paradise, and posting a video targeting him in this situation would likely receive scant attention.

Of course, submitting a targeted video could attract attention, but it would surely invite a backlash too intense to handle.

In pondering when to release this targeting video, Kim Hyun-tae decided on about three weeks’ time.

As the controversy would gradually cool off with time.

Of course, there was no physical evidence.

Yet, providing ample circumstantial evidence would inevitably fan the flames of debate.

The public was always easily swayed that way.

He didn’t worry about any issues arising with his channel.

With Crystal’s help, Kim Hyun-tae was running multiple channels simultaneously.

Already, in his mind’s eye, he envisioned posting targeted videos and hitting the jackpot.

*

Following the steel plate duo incident, life resumed peacefully and joyfully.

Plans for a pension trip were progressing smoothly.

With the title of the first Challenger under his belt, he enjoyed some popularity.

Having fun with Curry made time fly remarkably fast.

Finally, the morning of the pension trip arrived.

I packed my previously prepared bedding and headed down to the living room.

In the living room, Curry, grinning like a fool, and Ji-hye, who was getting organized, waited for me.

“It seems Curry-san is looking forward to the pension trip. I am too!”

“Yeah? Ah, I guess so… It’s been a while since we traveled.”

Though it was a blatant lie, this trip was intended more as a reward for Curry.

Of course, my initial intention was to torment him more.

But with Rine joining along, this was more than enough of a reward for Curry.

I didn’t mind one bit if Curry showed more interest in Rine.

Curry and I were in a lovey-dovey relationship, and this was a trip for the two of us.

During our stay at the pension, we were planning to live stream most of the time; would Curry dare to get distracted?

Due to the previous incident, Curry’s once-flourishing image would likely crash and burn.

This concern applied equally to Rine, which is why I could stay care-free and relaxed.

If Rine was going to be interested in anyone, it was more likely to be me, not Curry.

We each packed our bags and then left the residence together.

We booked a pension situated near a must-visit attraction for winter.

Although we hadn’t scheduled every detail, we planned to visit a sightseeing spot on the last day.

Until then, we would be either enjoying the indoor spa or swimming, or we could sing together in the karaoke room at the pension.

Or we could host a barbecue party outdoors and party with drinks in the evening.

When thinking about it from a broadcasting perspective, it was an unimaginative schedule.

Anyway, I wasn’t one to care much about broadcasts.

Of course, even if it wasn’t me, no one would be thinking about broadcasting during a trip.

“There might not be enough cameras…”

I thought this as I considered myself foolish.

Curry, mumbling while checking for discrepancies in the items loaded in the trunk, expressed concern, prompting me to grab his wrist and close the trunk.

“Since we’re on a trip, don’t worry about other things. Just focus on me.”

“Even so, if we’re doing outdoor broadcasting…”

“Ugh. Curry-san? Who planned this trip?”

“…That was Barcode-san.”

With a slight glare from me, Curry quickly backed down and moved to the driver’s seat.

I sat in the passenger seat while Ji-hye settled in the back.

Among us, only Curry had a driver’s license, but his driving skills, with over two years of accident-free driving experience, inspired trust.

Thus began our drive to pick up Rine.

Bored during the ride, I took out my smartphone and logged into Triche.

Immediately using Barcode’s account, I started a broadcast from my phone.

“Barcode-san. You’re not live-streaming, are you?”

“I am.”

“Why would you start without discussing it…!”

“Isn’t it boring?”

After answering Curry’s question, I skimmed through the chat coming in.

[Hey!]
[Are we there yet?]
[Why is it a mobile broadcast?]
[I can tell it’s the car.]
[Where’s Curry? Where’s Curry?]
[Please say hi to Barcode-san.]

“Hello, everyone. It’s Park PD, the face of Noryang City.”

“Why are you reading such a nickname?”

“It catches my attention. Do you think I’d say it on purpose?”

“…What happens if I answer ‘yes’?”

“Hmm… I’ll torment you more when we arrive. A little severely.”

“Sigh…”

Curry let out a huff before refocusing on driving.

I captured Curry’s demeanor in the broadcast, and perhaps troubled by it, Curry put on a mask.

“Why wear a mask when this situation is over?”

“…”

“Hmm… You’re committed to ignoring me, huh?”

The urge to tease him surged, and unable to resist, I poked Curry’s side with my finger.

“Can you tolerate this? Isn’t it ticklish?”

“Stop…”

“When you say stop, it makes me want to keep going.”

I poked lightly at him, just enough to be bothersome, and finally, at a stop signal, Curry took off his mask.

“Are you satisfied now?”

“Yes. You can drive comfortably now.”

Initially stopping my torment of Curry, I switched my focus to connecting with viewers.

While the broadcast screen still showed Curry, it seemed to generate fewer questions and more requests to see me.

Reluctantly turning the phone toward myself elicited a fierce response from the viewers.

[Finally, the broadcast has gotten interesting.]
[Is this realistically possible?]
[Every time I see this, I think how plump Curry has gotten.]
[For real, haha, Curry’s become so chubby.]
[Mom! I want to kill Curry when I grow up!]
[Why would you kill Curry, you little brat? Haha.]
[A curry eating show is forgivable!]

As the conversation-focused broadcast continued, the topics eventually ran dry.

Just as the broadcast sound started to fade, we arrived at the meeting point for Rine’s joining.

Having prearranged contact, Curry stopped the car next to Rine, who was waiting there.

As Ji-hye opened the door for her from the back seat, Rine boarded the car with a bright smile.

After exchanging short greetings with Rine, Ji-hye and I, the conversation resumed once again, with Curry unable to hide the smile on his face.

“Rine-san, how about a greeting for me? It feels a bit disappointing…”

“Huh? Ah, I didn’t mean it like that! I’m happy to see you, Curry-san!”

“Just joking. By the way, are you cold in the back? I did warm up the car beforehand…”

“No, it’s fine at all. It’s warm and nice.”

Although I thought I wouldn’t care much even if Rine arrived, seeing them interacting harmoniously made an inexplicable feeling stir in my heart.

“How have you been since we last met… agh!”

“Curry-san? You need to focus on driving.”

I poked Curry’s side even harder than before, and turning my head away to look out the window.

I certainly wasn’t doing it in a huff.

Really.

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