Chapter 162: Password
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 162: Password
‘I’m trapped.’
The "Recent Activity" Popo had left behind was a sort of distress signal.
If you took the first letter of every post she had personally uploaded—excluding her replies—that was the message they formed.
"Huh. Wow."
I had been staring at it while lying in bed, idly trying to solve it like a riddle.
But now that I had the answer, a chill ran down my spine.
This wasn't some internet creepypasta or a "Rules Horror" story made up out of boredom.
“……”
This was a genuine SOS, desperately sent by an internet personality named Popo who was fighting to stay alive.
Suddenly, a memory from the festival flashed through my mind.
When she came to our stall and ordered twenty servings of spicy stir-fried pork, I had wanted to kill her on the spot.
That irritation had lingered, so when she approached me while I was talking to Choi I-seo, I had flatly rejected her and told her to go away.
“……”
I didn't think I had done anything particularly wrong.
She was the one who had barged in and ruined the mood just as things were going well with Choi I-seo.
I hadn't known the details of her situation, and I figured someone else would eventually help her if I didn't.
"Sigh."
But the problem was...
The fact that this was Popo’s last post on the Bamboo Forest kept gnawing at me.
After the festival, Popo had vanished from the Bamboo Forest.
Furthermore, she hadn't broadcasted for a while before recently making a comeback.
I didn't know what had happened in the interim, but seeing Yun-ji get involved meant the situation hadn't been resolved.
‘No, if anything...’
It might have gotten worse.
It was a gray area. Since Yun-ji was already on the case, I wondered if there was any need for me to interfere.
Still, I couldn't just sit still.
Before I knew it, I was tapping away at my phone screen in my capacity as the Bamboo Forest Manager.
‘Will things get messy if I move?’
I worried that I might interfere with whatever Yun-ji and my second brother were planning.
But staying still made my chest feel tight and restless.
It was like a sense of unnecessary guilt was weighing on me.
‘Hmm.’
Despite all my agonizing, there was no reply.
After sending a few more messages, I turned my thoughts elsewhere.
‘Come to think of it...’
There was someone who had asked me to send them Popo’s recent Bamboo Forest history before.
A quick search brought them up immediately.
‘Anonymous 300.’
It was clear they were from the Department of Architectural Engineering, likely a junior or senior.
Since the students in that department ran their own fan club-like circle while revealing their Bamboo Forest identities to each other, I could find out who it was instantly if I asked Chan-woo.
Especially since the number was exactly 300, they were essentially the leader of the Popo fan club.
‘Should I ask them about it?’
I was curious why they had suddenly asked for Popo’s history back then.
Maybe they knew something.
With that in mind, I reached out to Anonymous 300.
This person replied relatively quickly.
However, the tone was strange.
“Her?”
I knew for a fact this person used to be a die-hard fan. Now, their tone made it obvious they didn't even want to talk about her.
I decided to keep the conversation going.
The lies flowed out of me as naturally as breathing.
After a brief pause, a reply came back.
-
‘It really was just because he was a fan?’
Given that he confessed even after I mentioned the police, it seemed to be the truth.
But then...
When I asked out of curiosity, there was no immediate reply.
No, it wasn't that there was no reply.
It just took that long for him to type it out.
“Holy hell.”
I almost threw my phone. This guy was a basket case.
It was probably a blessing for Popo that someone like this had stopped being a fan.
More importantly...
‘Boyfriends, huh.’
Since I had cracked Popo’s code, I knew this wasn't a simple matter of her dating life.
I had seen stories on Neutube about people being held captive somewhere and forced to continue broadcasting.
Popo could be in that exact situation, and the "men" this guy saw could be her captors or handlers.
This bastard was scared his stalking would get him in trouble.
I was able to get a detailed explanation about Popo.
*
The studio where they had filmed the shorts last time.
Yoo Ah-rin was unhappy from the very start.
Kim Woo-jin’s second brother was fine, of course, but the streamer Eun-byeol and Kim Woo-jin’s ex-girlfriend Oh Yun-ji were also there.
Most of the faces were people she didn't want to see, and the fact that they hadn't prepared any beef was the icing on the cake.
“What is this about?”
Perhaps because of that, she was blunt from the beginning.
She knew they had a hidden motive for calling her out secretly behind Kim Woo-jin’s back.
“I’m sorry, but I already said I’m not going to be a streamer.”
She didn't want to waste her time on useless things, nor did she have any desire to flatter people she didn't even know.
Famous people always said they were grateful and loved their fans.
But Yoo Ah-rin wasn't famous yet.
The word "fan" didn't resonate with her, and she didn't particularly think she’d ever have any.
“And no matter what you’re planning, I’m on Kim Woo-jin’s side, so keep that in mind.”
Furthermore, the fact that they had called her without Woo-jin knowing was one of the most unpleasant aspects.
She spoke as if warning Oh Yun-ji, but Yun-ji only sighed and shook her head.
“It’s not about that.”
Since they had shared drinks and talked before, they were on a first-name basis and could speak comfortably.
Ah-rin could tell that the Oh Yun-ji standing before her wasn't Kim Woo-jin’s ex-girlfriend, but the CEO of a company.
“……What’s with the serious atmosphere?”
Sensing something was wrong, Yoo Ah-rin slowly adjusted her posture.
She was finally ready to listen, so she waited for them to speak.
Leaving aside the other two who looked grim, Oh Yun-ji began the explanation.
“You know Popo, right? The streamer from the Architectural Engineering department.”
“I know her. She’s famous.”
“She’s under contract with a strange place. It’s a suspicious company called Rainbow…… but no matter how much we dig, nothing comes up.”
“Hmm?”
The conversation had suddenly turned into a detective thriller.
Yoo Ah-rin had expected them to try and trick her into debuting as a streamer.
The mood was nothing like that.
“They’re similar to us. They contract streamers, manage them, and take care of them.”
“And?”
“Specifically, what they want right now are new streamers. Talented rookies who have just started.”
“……”
“I’m not asking you to become a streamer. I’ve already given up on that. Instead…… could you be our bait?”
Yun-ji subtly pushed a tablet forward.
On the screen was the windmill short Ah-rin had filmed with Kim Woo-jin.
“Let’s upload this. It’ll generate enough buzz, and even if it doesn't, we’ll force it to go viral.”
“……”
“We’ll put an email address in the description. Then Rainbow will definitely contact you.”
“Popo, Rainbow. Those names are seriously tacky.”
Weren't the names suspiciously bad?
It felt like some middle-aged uncle had forced nicknames onto his nieces.
“But will they really contact me? Isn't this a bit of a long shot?”
Yoo Ah-rin doubted they would actually reach out to her, but...
“They definitely will,” Oh Yun-ji replied with confidence. “No, I’ll make it so they have no choice but to come.”
“Hoo boy.”
“This is to save someone. Maybe more than one.”
It was obviously dangerous work.
She wanted to ask why they couldn't just ask the police, but they probably judged that there wasn't enough hard evidence to involve them yet.
Saving people, huh.
‘I wondered if I’d ever have a chance to use the Taekwondo I learned.’
Thinking that she might actually use it this time...
“Just one thing,” Yoo Ah-rin proposed a condition. “Let’s keep Woo-jin out of this.”
She didn't want to drag him into something dangerous, and she didn't want to worry him.
“Mmm.”
Oh Yun-ji hesitated for a moment as if something was bothering her, but...
“Let’s try that for now.”
She agreed to Ah-rin’s request.
*
“Hello! Everyone! It’s Popo!”
Inside a room decorated in shades of pink.
Popo smiled and greeted her viewers through the webcam in front of her computer.
Her hair, dyed a deep pink, had become her trademark.
The chat messages scrolling across the screen welcomed her.
“Haha, I think I’ll play some games today instead of doing a mukbang. I ate ten chickens yesterday, so my stomach feels a bit greasy.”
The viewer count and chat reactions fluctuated in real-time.
Even so, Popo was a veteran streamer and didn't let it rattle her.
However, next to her broadcasting computer...
Text suddenly began to appear on its own in a notepad window open on a small monitor.
[Sushi outside the door.]
“……Ay, everyone, you’ve got to eat while you game. Just a second!”
Popo stepped off-camera and returned a moment later with a staggering amount of sushi.
“Now, did you know sushi is the ultimate gaming food? Let’s eat while we play!”
Her claim that her stomach felt greasy hadn't been a lie.
She had eaten ten chickens and had been confined to the room, so she hadn't even digested them.
She hadn't been allowed to wash properly either, so the smell of old chicken grease was wafting through the thick layers of makeup she had been forced to apply.
Because everyone was cheering and welcoming her mukbang...
Popo continued to smile and eat the sushi today as well.
Twelve hours later.
“Alright, that’s it for today’s broadcast! See you tomorrow!”
After saying her goodbyes, Popo ended the stream.
The moment she saw the screen go dark, the smile vanished.
“Bleeegh!”
She immediately began to retch into the trash can beneath her desk.
She thought someone might come to clean it up, but seeing as no one appeared, they were probably on another floor playing cards again.
“Sob, hic!”
Popo struggled to catch her breath as she pushed the vomit-filled bin aside.
Her face was gaunt and haggard.
She would have to turn the stream back on in just a few hours anyway.
As she tried to force herself to organize today’s broadcast footage while gasping for air...
Vrrr!
A notification buzzed on her phone.
She had no saved contacts and all her messages had been deleted, so there was no reason for her phone to ring.
Wondering what it was, she saw something unexpected.
A message had come from the Gahyeon University Bamboo Forest.
When she had tried to escape last time, they had inspected her phone.
But they must have thought it was just a school app and left it alone without deleting it.
However, Popo had already given up hope on that front.
Directly asking for help was too dangerous, so she had sent indirect signals, but no one had noticed.
If she were going to ask directly, she could have just done it on stream.
Even the person she had personally gone to and begged for help during the Gahyeon University festival had rejected her without even listening.
Popo had already abandoned the idea of doing anything through Gahyeon University and was simply living day by day because she couldn't bring herself to die.
The Bamboo Forest Manager had suddenly initiated a 1:1 inquiry chat.
Clack!
Just then, the door swung open and a large man walked in.
“Hey, what was that sound just now?”
“……!”
Startled, Popo reflexively handed over her phone like a trained dog.
She knew she was being monitored, but she hadn't realized they were watching her phone screen too.
Was the reason they hadn't come to clean the vomit just because they were lazy?
The thought made her feel sick all over again.
Vrrr! Vrrr! Vrrr!
“Manager? Ugh, who is this guy?”
Seeing that a few more messages had arrived, there seemed to be more content.
The man tossed the phone back to Popo with an annoyed look.
“Looks like one of your fans, so just give him a vague answer. And don't leave those messages there; delete them. I’m watching everything.”
These guys are so sloppy with their work, he muttered as he walked back out of the room.
Popo cautiously picked up the phone.
The Manager had added a few more lines.
“……”
Popo stared blankly at the screen, and as she realized the true meaning hidden within the words, she almost burst into tears.
Her body began to tremble uncontrollably, and her breathing grew ragged.
Her eyes welled up, but she lowered her head and fought to hold it back.
To the person who had finally found her.
Very carefully, and very quickly...
After replying, Popo deleted the Bamboo Forest app.
She felt as though a small flicker of hope had been ignited.