Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: But There's Something I'm Really Curious About
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But there's something I'm really curious about.
The top internet broadcasting platform, <Garden>.
Ask who holds the overall number one spot there.
"Lera."
"Of course it's Lera."
"Has to be Lera."
"Who else but Lera?"
Everyone's in agreement: 'Lera.'
An adorable VTuber design that moves like a real animated character.
Her signature white ribbon headband and flowing pale pink hair.
A fragile, easily embarrassed personality that matches her innocent looks perfectly.
From her periodically changing outfits to perfectly motion-captured model animations.
She usually bundles up tight, but the occasional glimpses of skin drove viewers wild.
She'd only kept her face hidden.
She'd shown her body and hands a few times.
Fans speculated her real-life appearance was just as unreal.
According to fellow streamers, she could easily outshine celebrities—and that was official word.
On top of that, a honey-sweet voice and her soft, cute way of speaking.
Even singing skills that could humble professional vocalists.
Lera was undeniably the empress of Garden.
And as empress, she had far too many subjects to manage.
Which meant she had to sacrifice some personal time to keep her empire running.
In that process, the one thing Lera regretted most was.
'New faces—especially ones of the opposite sex.'
Her shrinking circle of human connections.
Viewers didn't mind same-sex friendships much, but opposite-sex ones had them raging about broken antlers and unleashing waves of jealousy.
'I thought it was just a joke at first...'
She'd been shocked seeing turret-level backlash happen live.
So Lera had worked hard to keep her distance from opposite-sex relationships.
'But even so, this atmosphere of banning them outright so ridiculously—don't I need to put a stop to it?'
But knowing that didn't make it easy.
Of course, it wasn't like she was screaming 'I love guys! I'm gonna hang out with guys!'
Broadcasting and doing various content meant moments with the opposite sex were inevitable.
And she didn't like how the chat exploded every time.
'I'm not even inducing fake romance or anything... That's not my streaming style.'
Couldn't relationships build naturally over time, leading to casual hangouts?
She'd been mulling that over as usual.
-Whoa, check out those tits. Just wanna suck 'em dry and drink the milk.
A voice crashing into her concert mid-stream startled Lera.
After learning the full context, she realized it wasn't aimed at her.
She even acknowledged that he'd turned on his cam and apologized sincerely.
'He's insanely handsome.'
Unreal looks.
Lera, who'd never dated, knew instinctively.
A guy like that could snag anyone in a heartbeat.
'But... since we crossed paths like this, couldn't we build it up slowly and hang out?'
So she'd dared to hope for her first opposite-sex friend in ages.
These things needed buildup, after all.
Start with an absurd encounter, gradually build rapport, become friends.
Viewers would buy into a story like that.
So Lera had tried to learn more about him.
She'd made a burner account and lurked quietly in Mungki's stream without chatting.
'Third-year streamer... but doesn't seem to have many close connections.'
Maybe hit him up with an invite to the GTA server opening in a few days?
To convey full forgiveness, apologize for her toxic viewers harassing him.
'If I take the lead, he could build connections with others... Yeah, sounds good?'
Honestly, with looks like that, he had real streaming potential.
She thought his vibe worked well on camera too.
'Hehe.'
She was lost in happy thoughts.
- Thanks for the 100,000 won donation from EV Lady.
[ Hi Mungki. I'm EV, streaming on the same platform. Got time tomorrow? Could you help with my mission? ]
"...."
A sudden donation from a stranger made Lera's delicate brow furrow ever so slightly.
And then, in that moment.
-"Of course! Absolutely, I'll go!"
She watched Mungki bow deeply and agree to help with the mission.
"Funny."
She couldn't understand why a wry, incredulous chuckle escaped her.
+++++
EV.
A general gaming streamer.
Known for her cute looks contrasting with her tall height and husky voice—her signature charm.
She pulled in thousands of steady viewers.
Definitely a major corporation.
Her laid-back personality meant she gamed with folks across the industry.
And today, as usual, she was playing with other streamers.
"Ah... are you insane?! Do I really have to do this?!"
-"You lost, so who else?"
"Eek! Ah... Why is my roulette luck always this bad?"
-"Now you hit it. Crazy, right? You've dodged punishment roulette how many times... Just do your mini-march quietly."
『 EV Draws Punishment! 』
"Arghhhhh!"
She spat out desperate despair into Discord at the result on screen.
A light gaming showdown among Garden streamers.
Today's game: PUBG. EV, solid with a gun, racked up good kills.
But team games aren't won solo.
Her teammates' disastrous performance led to a crushing bet loss.
Landing her on punishment roulette: an inescapable 20km mini-march.
"Ahhhh! I did the best!"
- Nyaa, you did best? No wae~
- NG JYJHND
- NG JYJHND
- NG JYJHND
Viewers gleefully teased EV, long overdue for punishment.
EV racked her brain to lighten the load.
"Wait... Can't I bring a companion for the punishment?"
- Yup
- But you know the conditions?
- Can you even?
- Who'd do it now lol
Sharing misfortune doubles it, but splitting punishment halves it.
Just 20km total—so one partner meant only 10km each.
But the catch.
"Ah... Find someone at this hour to walk 10km with me by the Han River? Someone with no prior connection?"
- Tough conditions
- That's why lol
- Constraints and oaths
- Oh, that setup?
- But really no one
- Making a girl walk 20km alone at night is kinda lol
- Ugh lol who sets these sweet traps
- Sweet 'n sour pork soup, please vanish ㅠㅠ
- EV,,,sheep,,,me,,,here,,,me,,,you,,,Han River beer,,,wanna,,,so.....
"What was that last chat? Insane, out."
- LMAOOOOOOOO
- LMAOOOOOOOO
- LMAOOOOOOOO
The conditions were brutally strict.
Made sense, though.
Punishment too easy? No fun.
'But who, seriously...'
Late hour, so she scanned male streamers.
Being a big corp made finding zero-connection folks hard.
Precisely.
'Needs decent cam chem... some recognition, good on-stream synergy...'
Finding a guy who'd shine on a collab was the challenge.
Chatting idly with viewers, eyes darting.
Finally.
"Huh? Mungki? Mungki? Isn't he the hot guy blowing up lately?"
- How's a early-20s say "hot guy"?
- Speech so old-school
- Familiar girl reeks of 7080 karaoke vibes
"Ugh, shut up... But seriously, Mungki seems solid?"
Target locked.
Blew up from that sudden NSFW comment mid-Lera concert.
Turned on cam, unreal face cemented his presence.
'No raid refusal... Enter and check stream chemistry?'
Looks: pass.
Key: collab fun guaranteed?
'What's his main content?'
Entering his stream.
First thing heard.
-"You toxic soup bastards, aren't you ashamed sending shit like this? Donate 10k and beg forgiveness? No shame? Get punished, get banned, let's burn that 12-month sub."
Furious voice laying into malicious mail displayed on screen.
'Of all people, tangled with Lera's soups—trouble magnet.'
Most would crumble.
But he boldly opened his inbox, turned it into content.
'Definitely stream potential.'
Honest verdict: pass.
"...Didn't know Mungki was such a real man."
- True
- Whoa
- Taking down water buffalos lololol
"Wow, felt it during video reactions too, but damn, he's handsome."
- Fr
- Fr
- True
- Can't deny this
- Wanna look like that
Now, he had to like her too.
Most effective: donation.
'Just blast 100k.'
EV fired off 100k to Mungki's stream.
He bowed instantly, swore to help any mission.
"Ah... If you're near Han River, walk 10km with me now?"
- Why read chat aloud instead of typing?
- Boomer trait?
- Early-20s with all boomer habits insane lol
"Ugh, I can read sometimes! Such a big deal!"
- LMAOOOOO
- LMAOOOOOO
- LMAO
Please, please, please!
EV prayed Mungki lived near Han River.
-"Ah, taxi about 40 mins? But dawn streets empty, maybe 20. Fine by me."
Willing if she could wait a bit.
'Perfect.'
EV beamed, typing furiously.
"Can wait. Han River Park? I'll Kakao ID via DM."
- Why tf read verbatim, pls explain or superchat lol
- Childhood habit of reading aloud strikes again
- Familiar girl smells like musty old bookstore
-"Ah! Yes, please. I'll contact on arrival!"
Confirmed.
EV grabbed outdoor streaming gear.
- Big corp vibes, low-tier exploitation heavy lol
"Ah! What exploitation?! Twisting words again?"
- You Han River view, 5-min walk. Mungki low-tier, taxi hell
"I'll pay taxi fare?!"
- True lol
- Nailed the core lol
- Deep thinker
- EV headaching over late-night surcharged taxi? Superchat lol
"What! I invited, of course!"
Banter with chat, gear in hand, out the door.
Never show leaving home—killed stream briefly.
Restarted near Han River Park.
"Ta-da! Outdoors—prettier, right?"
- Thanks for 1,000 won from Anonymous Donor.
[ Darker so less visible, prettier lol. Long live Jiangkai settings and let's go ]
- LMAOOOOOOOOOO
- LMAOOOOOOOOOOO
- LMAOOOOOOOOOOOO
- LMAOOOOOOOOO
"Insane."
Banter to kill time.
About arrival time.
Knock knock!
Kakao ping from sent ID.
> Arrived. Where to?
< Sending my pin
< Come here
[Thanks for ok'ing sudden outdoor collab ㅠㅠ] No, I love walking. Grateful for the chance, actually.
'Oh, super polite?'
Handsome guys often cocky.
Personality matched the face.
'How'd a guy like this survive 3 years cam-off, low-tier grind?'
Rude thought, sure.
Maybe dumb?
Face alone crushed every male cam she'd seen—no contest.
Held it back 3 years, only revealed for apology stream.
Musing that.
"EV Lady! Mungki here!"
"...."
- Mungki here formal af lololololol
- Internet meetup vibes? Lolololololo
- Early 2010s offline meet energy max
- Not easy peasy
- EV realizing 10km long af? Superchat lololol
- UDNTBTW lololololololo
Tall, easily over 185cm.
Track pants only, but model aura oozing as he approached.
'Whoa... insane?'
First impression: 'Cam fails to capture him.'
What cheap cam? Gap this huge?
Viewers via EV's outdoor cam.
- Who dis
- How shitty cam to gap this much
- Was using potato cam lololololo
- Potato cam real? Age?
- Outdoor cam this good lol indoor female setup would explode
- True lolol
Even stingy with male looks praise.
Mungki's: unanimous nods.
Not just decent.
League apart—pure awe.
"Just walk 10km with me! Chat about stuff!"
"Sure!"
- Chat about stuff lololololo
- EV shy?
- Unfamiliar blush on familiar girl
- LMAOOOOOOOOO
- That face would shake anyone
- Hm, mine rising too
- ?
EV schemed to hype stream during 10km.
~3 mins in.
'...Flop?'
- Why silent?
- Low-tier reason real
- Dude can't even
- Not interview, just answers questions
- Looks around after replies, not at EV?
- Rude af
Glancing at silent-walking Mungki, sensed stream dying.
'He was all hyped to help earlier—wtf!'
Camera fright now?
Overwhelmed by viewers?
Send him back?
Every thought racing.
Suddenly Mungki face hardens, leans in.
"...Wh-what?!"
Face to her ear.
Handsome saved him—otherwise punched.
But then.
"But there's something I'm really curious about."
Mungki continued.
"There's been a guy following us since earlier. Do you have a separate manager?"
"...Pardon?"
EV's face rapidly stiffened.