Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Campsite (3)
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Park Su-han. He was the type who innately craved attention.
Following that instinct, he started broadcasting.
He usually covered all sorts of games and trending topics, and sometimes collabed with other streamers. The results were solid.
Five years in, he had racked up 100,000 subscribers, and his live streams pulled in a whopping 4,000 viewers. That was impressive for a channel of his size.
Today's outdoor stream was something he'd planned with real ambition.
Always stuck streaming from his room, now out having fun in a fresh spot—cooking, swimming, chatting it up.
Then he screwed up.
While cooking, the oil caught fire.
Thinking back on that moment still sent chills down his spine.
A blast of scorching heat hit him all at once, and his vision filled with massive flames straight out of a movie.
Truth be told, he panicked hard in that instant.
'Fire! How the hell do firefighters deal with this shit? I'm screwed. How do I put it out? Water? Water water!'
His frantic thoughts cut short when the guy cooking at the kitchen station saved his ass.
After ending the stream and eating dinner alone, it suddenly hit him that his apology and thanks had been half-assed.
His kind heart couldn't just brush off someone who might've literally saved his life with a throwaway line. The nagging guilt stuck like a thorn.
So he swung by the tent with some meat to pass along, hoping to express his gratitude properly one more time.
But the second he spotted the woman inside, Park Su-han froze solid—like a herbivore staring down a predator.
First impressions? She was idol-level gorgeous. Perky nose, a beauty mark just under her eye. She seemed aloof at a glance, but next to the guy, she lit up like a smiling cat.
A picture-perfect couple, totally in sync.
The trouble started when she opened her mouth.
"Hold on. Sit down. Fire? What're you talking about?"
The bright, sunflower-field vibe turned icy in a heartbeat. Even bundled in long sleeves, he could feel the air drop.
Gulp.
"Th-that..."
Park Su-han instinctively glanced at the man.
It felt just like getting chewed out by Mom after leaving the room a mess for a week and stumbling home drunk late.
"Noona, it's nothing. Right?"
The guy—who'd been so cool and charismatic in the kitchen—turned into a total lamb. He twitched one eye: Play along.
Park Su-han nodded.
"Yeah. It's no big deal. Just a tiny hiccup during the stream, and this guy helped out. Came to say thanks, that's all."
"Oh? So it'll show up in the stream too? YouTube stream, so there's a replay."
Lee Juyeon pulled out her phone and searched for Park Su-han's channel. Up popped the fresh thumbnail from an hour ago.
The title...
"'Nearly burned to death?' Nothing happened, but that's a pretty clickbait title."
"That's..."
"It's really nothing, noona."
The two tried to downplay it, but they had no ground to stand on.
The chance for confession slipped by on a white lie. Their hope? Seven hours of footage. No way she'd comb through all that.
But that hope shattered miserably.
Lee Juyeon found the clip way too easily.
"Comments are blowing up."
Over a dozen at a glance.
"Wanna see?"
Lee Juyeon clicked it stone-faced. And watched.
Flames shooting to the ceiling, the peaceful kitchen turning into an inferno in seconds. Kim Haneul put it out quick, sure—but fire's just so damn dramatic, it looked insanely dangerous.
"Haneul-ah."
"Yes, noona."
Kim Haneul sensed the vibe shift and straightened up. Big-sis energy radiating.
"You there. YouTuber guy?"
"Park Su-han, noona."
The guiltiest one, Park Su-han dropped to his knees. A grown man kneeling before a stranger bruised his pride, but yeah—this was all his fault.
No fire if he'd handled the hot oil right.
"Haneul-ah. Next time, just tell me. Wasn't even your mess, and even if it was, I'm your girlfriend. Gotta share stuff like this."
"...Just didn't wanna worry you. Got it."
"And you. Park Su-han? Be more careful next time. I watch tons of streams, see folks pushing too hard and getting hurt. What's that?"
Like a mom laying into him. Park Su-han, head down listening, finally squirmed.
"N-not a big deal. Meat grilled perfect, thought you'd try it. As an apology."
"Nothing more to say then?"
"Uh, one thing..."
Park Su-han gauged their looks, then mumbled it out. Now or never.
"Saw the guy cook like a pro. Mind a quick cameo on my stream? I'll pay well."
"No."
"Yep."
Kim Haneul shut it down flat. Already disliked streamers—now go be their clown for viewers? Pass.
Park Su-han knew it'd be a no. The distaste was obvious. Didn't sting getting rejected to his face. Just a shame.
"I'll head out then."
Park Su-han seized the moment, set the meat down, and bolted.
Now it was just Kim Haneul and Lee Juyeon in the chilly tent.
"Anywhere hurt?"
"Nah. All good. For real."
I stood and spun a circle to prove it.
"Inside too? Kinda shy stripping out here. But you're noona..."
"That can wait. Ahem. Let's finish eating. Got such a scare, I'm hungry again."
Noona's face wasn't bad at all. We'd cleared up the misunderstanding, and she felt bad for getting stern—clumsily picking meat off the bone with chopsticks for me now.
Thank goodness.
Saw her pissed like that in forever. Freaked me out.
"This one's a bit fishy."
"Can't help grills. I'll take it. Hungry? Boil some ramen?"
"Nah. Ramen now'd bloat me."
I shoveled the gizzard shad fast so she wouldn't feel alone.
Glossy skin that crunched and crumbled on first bite. Moist, chewy flesh—nailed the heat control.
Almost done when noona grinned at her phone.
"Whatcha looking at?"
"Your clip. Reactions are funnier than I thought."
She dragged her chair next to mine, leaned on my shoulder, and held out the phone.
Sure enough, she was rewatching that Honey Eater live where I popped in briefly.
Short and sweet: Me putting out the near-fire, then Park Su-han reacting to my cooking.
But the reactions? Lit.
Park Su-han tripping at the flames. Me staring down pitifully. Instant meme gold.
"This one's hilarious."
The grab as Park went for water. Him all intense, me totally deadpan.
Next to it, a GIF: Dungeon noob panicking, vet stepping in.
"What even."
"Perfect fit, right?"
Noona looped my bits for ages.
She loved internet streams anyway, but me in one? Thrilled.
Had to watch along. So much weird shit.
—(Time-stop edit GIF.)
—(Hero looming over despairing demon king GIF.)
—(You're not ready yet anime GIF.)
—(Drooling piglet GIF.)
—(Please donate to UNICEF GIF.)
Every random thing imaginable, first I'd seen most. Some edits so bizarre I debated DMing takedowns.
But noona was cracking up, so I played it cool.
Michelin days had worse. Later AI edits had me shooting guns. This was tame.
"No more memes."
"Stream just ended."
"Time for comments then. Hehe."
She smirked darkly, scrolling text posts. Skipped pics for memes earlier—now everything with me.
"They say you're handsome."
"Hear that sometimes."
"My man's a looker."
Hearted the handsome post.
Next: Food curiosity.
How killer the smell to make Park drool like a desperate pup?
"Park Su-han, huh? Knew he wanted a bite?"
"Guy stared like a hawk. Got all pitiful later—still no freebies."
"Why? Plenty to go around."
"Know my goal coming here? Feed noona every last gizzard shad. Can't hand your dish to some rando."
Noona patted my head like a proud pup. Then suddenly fumed, hammering a comment.
Wonder what now. Peeked over.
Sniper shot at my curt line to Park Su-han.
Noona lit up, firing back a reply.
"Why post without thinking? No help from you, Su-han could've been toast. Public kitchen on a mountain—fire spreads to forest blaze..."
"No biggie."
"Still. Gotta report trolls like this to nuke the post. Think it'll stick?"
Noona dove into report, typing a novel.
I watched quietly, then muttered.
"Maybe I should try streaming."
She never got this worked up over streams. Meant she loved my cameo, tying to her joy—maybe worth a shot.
Noona cocked her head.
"You turned it down. Don't you hate it?"
"Didn't know you'd dig it this much."
I hated streamers for their fake inferiority trips, selfishness, arrogance—all tanking my shop.
But now? Just a normie. No drama fodder, no restaurant.
Park Su-han seemed different—came to apologize proper.
"I'd love clips to binge... you sure?"
"What's the big deal?"
"...Why so sweet today. Freezing. Let's go in."
Noona stood. Offered blanket for cold—she waved it off.
Slipped into the tent, tied her hair low, shrugged off her top. Pale neckline gleaming, corner of her mouth quirking up.
"You coming?"