Chicken (Part 2)
I thought I was seeing things and checked again.
I wasn't.
The words remained unchanged.
"What do you want?"
Almost instantly, the next message popped up.
"Chicken?"
I couldn't help but tilt my head in confusion.
The entity on the other side of this screen was the one who had appointed me as the Head Mod and introduced me to the Gallery Point Shop in the first place.
She was, at the very least, a higher being than me.
If she was so high and mighty, couldn't she just buy it with her own points?
No, she probably didn't even need points.
She was the Operator, after all.
What's her angle?
I decided to test the waters.
"If you want to eat it, why don't you just buy it yourself?"
"Huh?"
"Oh, really?"
To sum it up in one sentence:
"So if I don't buy it for you, you can't eat it for the rest of your life?"
I could practically feel the desperation radiating from the message.
"What should I do? Should I give it to you? Or not?"
"Hmm..."
"Well, I can't see what you're doing on your end. For all I know, you could be lying down and typing these messages with your toes."
I chuckled and closed the message window. What? She had unilaterally forced a deadly choice on me—'Become the Head Mod or get exiled from the Demon Realm'—and now, just because she saw me enjoying some chicken, she was trying to pull a "just one bite!" card? She had some nerve. I couldn't just give it to her that easily.
"Actually, the more I think about it, the madder I get. Based on what you said, you've been peeping on me since I started eating."
"You don't even respect my privacy, and now you're whining for chicken? Do you want to die?"
Even though the Operator was supposed to be some mysterious, transcendent entity, it was hilarious how low she would stoop for a piece of chicken. But then, a memory from my past life surfaced.
—Sang-hyun, you really eat with such gusto!
—Seriously, if this guy did a mukbang, he'd be rolling in cash.
—Right? Honestly, even if he just ate a single bowl of jajangmyeon, he'd get more views than those guys who eat thirty bowls. He just makes everything look so damn delicious.
Back then, I wondered if it was really that big of a deal.
But looking back now, I realized it. I was a mukbang monster, capable of sending anyone's appetite into overdrive just by eating.
Man, she's really whining.
I glared at the message window. It went quiet for a moment.
Then, she suddenly tried to negotiate.
"What?"
"Hmm."
Intrigued by the phrase "any three questions," I made my decision.
"Deal."
I accepted the offer.
"Then, first question."
For the record, I'm not the type to beat around the bush.
"Are you a girl?"
Did the message window break?
"Ah, whatever. I'm just gonna go to sleep~"
"You said you'd answer anything. Don't stall. There are no second chances."
"Wh-What? That kind of question?"
This Operator chick really lacked a sense of priority.
"Whether you're a guy or a girl is a matter of grave importance."
"Yeah. I'll immediately close the message window and go to sleep."
Of course it did. Why on earth would I waste my precious time on some dude?
"Is that the truth?"
Well, at least her responses were quick. But if I believed her just like that, I wouldn't be a veteran forum mod who had survived galleries rampant with gore spam and ban-evading trolls.
"Then verify."
"Why are you surprised? You expect me to believe you without proof?"
I'd seen way too many "Hawawa, I'm a cute high school girl~" types who turned out to be hairy, bearded, military-discharged middle-aged men.
A definitive piece of evidence that would prove her gender beyond a shadow of a doubt.
What else could it be?
"A photo. Quick."
"Hurry up."
"Well, if you don't want to, forget it."
I waited for about five minutes.
Then, a photo arrived.
One hand covering her eyes. A face flushed red with embarrassment. And below that, a body that made me go damn...
"Oh..."
I immediately hit the 'Save Original' button.
"Confirmed."
I immediately opened the Gallery Shop.
I selected the Fried Chicken.
Hmm, since she gave me some nice eye candy, should I throw in a bonus?
I unlocked the Sweet & Spicy Seasoned Chicken as well.
"My treat."
I purchased the Fried Chicken, the Seasoned Chicken, and even threw in a complimentary Coke.
Points Deducted: -1,062 pt
"Is this the gift delivery function?"
"Ah, those?"
To be honest, I didn't really have anything I was curious about right now.
"I'll save them and ask later when something comes up. Just accept the delivery."
The items have been successfully transferred.
"Enjoy the chicken. I'm going to bed."
The Gallery Operator received the items with an excited heart.
"Sniff, sniff. Is this the smell of chicken?"
It was an incredible, mouth-watering aroma. However, the box was much larger than the one Derek had been eating from earlier. When she opened the packaging...
"Oh my?"
A glorious, golden-crisp fried chicken and a bright red, sauce-drenched seasoned chicken welcomed her.
"Whoa..."
Staring blankly in awe, she suddenly snapped out of it and immediately took a bite.
"Mph?!"
By the time she regained her senses, she had already devoured half of both the fried and seasoned chicken.
"Oh my goodness..."
It was pure culinary bliss. Furthermore, among the items the Head Mod had sent was a beverage called Coke.
Psssssh!
As she washed it down with the Coke, the greasy feeling vanished instantly. Munching on the chicken, the Operator fell into thought.
Why did the Head Mod ask me to send a photo?
To find the answer, she lurked around the gallery. Soon, she realized that photos held a very significant meaning for the gallery members.