Even If I'm Just a Little Nice to Them
Where on earth had she even gotten an apron like that?
It was only last night that I had agreed to cook on her stream. Which begged the question: just how long had that scandalous thing been lying in wait?
"I'm going to shred it," I warned her. "Don't even think about putting that on me."
"Jeongseo! Put the scissors down! That's dangerous!"
"That thing is far more dangerous. You put it down first, Noona."
My unyielding resolve must have gotten through to her. Looking thoroughly defeated, Yeo-eun folded the apron neatly and slipped it back into the shopping bag. But when her hand emerged again, it was clutching a completely different apron.
"Then... what about this one? Is this one no good either?"
"Ah."
"Noona's really begging you here. Pretty please?"
The new apron Yeo-eun held out was fairly ordinary in cut, devoid of excessive frills. In their place, however, was an enormous, adorable cartoon bear plastered right across the chest. The fabric was a glaring, brilliant forsythia yellow. I stared at it, momentarily struck speechless.
"Well? Isn't this one cute too?"
"If you think it's so cute, you wear it."
"Aaaah, please! I'm telling you, the viewers will go crazy for it! Since you're doing this anyway, let's do it properly, okay?"
She was practically on her knees. Perhaps because the frilly lace apron had been so thoroughly traumatic to look upon, this bright yellow one seemed almost bearable by comparison. Besides, wearing an apron was second nature to me; I had one on constantly while working at the cafe.
"Noona spent so much time agonizing over this..."
"......"
"I spent days racking my brain just trying to find something that would look perfect on you, Jeongseo..."
Which meant she hadn't just ordered this on a whim overnight. She had been scheming to stuff me into an apron long before this broadcast was ever conceived.
"Fine. Hand it over."
"Really?! Hehehe! Here, let Noona tie it for you!"
The moment the words of surrender left my lips, Yeo-eun brightened with delight and hurried over. I turned my back to her, leaving the ties in her hands. Truth be told, I hadn't wanted to wear the yellow apron either. It was merely tame when measured against the lacy atrocity, but still thoroughly embarrassing in its own right.
What changed my mind was the look on her face. Seeing those desperate, sparkling eyes brimming with raw anticipation had melted my resolve.
"Whoa! You're so cute! Aaaagh!"
The sight of me in the apron sent her completely over the edge. She twiddled her fingers in overwhelmed ecstasy before throwing her arms around me in a crushing embrace. My feet left the floor entirely as she swung me around in a giddy circle.
"Photos... I need photos. Let me take some pictures before we go live!"
"Sigh... Do whatever you want."
I was usually willing to humor most of Yeo-eun's requests. Even when it came to things I disliked, I was prepared to do them for her sake. After all, she was someone important to me. Yet this time, putting on the apron hadn't felt like doing a chore just to indulge her.
Did my boundaries slip?
Yeo-eun squatted in front of me with her phone, snapping photos from every conceivable angle. Then, whining that she wanted to be in the frame too, she glued herself to my side. On the screen, her face was radiant with an unfiltered, blooming smile. Looking at that bright grin, a faint smile crept onto my own lips before I could stop it. It wasn't a deliberate, manufactured expression; I was smiling naturally without even realizing it.
Am I smiling just because she's smiling?
The thought caught me off guard. This unfamiliar sensation of growing soft left me feeling strangely unsettled. If there were a line drawn in the dirt around me—a clear, circular boundary that no one was allowed to breach—Yeo-eun had casually rubbed it away and stepped right inside.
Because of her, the shape got all warped.
The once-perfect circle in my heart had been knocked out of round. By all rights, having my boundaries infringed upon should have sparked irritation, yet no anger came. Becoming soft was a truly bizarre sensation.
"This one came out amazing. What do you think?"
"Yeah. Looks good."
"Chuckle. Even your pouting face is adorable. I'm sending this one to you too."
Keeping me penned within her embrace, Yeo-eun flicked through the freshly taken photos one after another. Her low, contented laughter tickling my ear washed away whatever lingering discomfort remained. The feeling of softening up wasn't half bad.
Once our photo session wrapped up, the livestream kicked off immediately. All I had to do was prepare dinner as I normally would.
"He really refused to wear it, but I begged and pleaded until he finally gave in! Ah, should I show you guys the photos?"
While I bustled around the stove, Yeo-eun chatted away at the dining table. Glancing at the monitor as I moved back and forth, I saw that the camera was framed squarely on me.
Every time I turned around, the chat window erupted into a frantic blur. The viewers seemed to enjoy the view from the front far more than my back. Because I was wearing short sleeves and casual shorts, the apron completely shielded my clothes from the front, creating an optical illusion that sent their imaginations running wild.
"Uh-uh, cross the line and you get banned," Yeo-eun warned playfully. "Watch yourselves."
Ten minutes into the broadcast, the viewer count spiked exponentially. Every time I ferried a dish over to the table, the leading digits on the counter jumped forward.
As the numbers swelled, donations poured in steadily. Even when leaving simple greetings with no real substance, people were tossing out generous sums. Whenever a donation alert chimed while I was cooking, I made sure to offer a polite greeting in return.
"Oh?! Joy-nim! Thank you so much for the donation! I'll post it right away!"
While Yeo-eun was momentarily distracted with her phone, I walked the viewers through the evening's menu. Since the meal was nearing completion, I tilted the bubbling stew pot toward the camera and showcased the side dishes.
Fortunately, the dinner spread looked appetizing even through the lens. The reception was unanimous praise.
"Thank you for the—wait. Please change your username."
"Noona, that much is fine," I murmured softly. "Don't police the chat too harshly."
"Huh? Really? But once you give them an inch, people start crossing the line everywhere."
"Then ban them when that happens. Just the ones who take it too far. Everyone's just here because they like me, right?"
When I flashed a gentle smile toward the lens, the chat erupted in rapturous agreement. Affirmations and embarrassing outpourings of adoration cascaded down the screen without pause.
In truth, Yeo-eun and I had already coordinated this dynamic before going live. Previously, she had maintained ironclad moderation, giving zero leeway because some viewers used internet anonymity to spout vulgarities they would never dare utter in person. But looking past the screen, the people typing in that chat were simply women of this world. Framed that way, being overly strict seemed unnecessary. It wasn't as though dirty jokes or crude remarks were capable of hurting my feelings anyway.
"It's hard to set an absolute standard right this second, but... couldn't we just figure things out together as we go?"
"If anything makes you uncomfortable while reading, you have to tell me," Yeo-eun insisted.
In short, it was an orchestrated routine between us. Yeo-eun took on the role of the stern enforcer while I played the peacemaker.
Sitting side by side at the table, Yeo-eun and I began our meal. Interacting with the audience between bites made it feel like we were having dinner in a crowded, bustling room.
"I never said I'd keep streaming," I clarified mildly. "I only showed up today because you all demanded an explanation."
Thinking of the viewers simply as regular women made talking to them far easier than before. Though, naturally, there were probably male viewers mixed in as well.
"Here's the little brother who cooks for his noona, just as promised. You saw me make the food with your own eyes, so please stop teasing my sister now."
In truth, Yeo-eun, the viewers, and I all knew the score. Demanding an "explanation" was merely an excuse to drag me on camera.
As if by prior agreement, the viewers banded together, concocting ever-more ridiculous grievances that required my personal rebuttal. Watching them scheme in unison felt strangely endearing.
"Thank you for the donation, Jeongseo's Slave Kim Minji-nim. But how exactly do I prove that I'm human?"
"Yeah, seriously..." Yeo-eun chimed in. "Do we need to draw some blood or something?"
Throughout the meal, we were bombarded with all manner of playful interrogations. By the end, it seemed like the chat was actively competing to see who could conjure the most absurd pretext for an explanation.
"Uh... Joy-nim. Another massive donation... Thank you very, very much."
I sprang to my feet and bowed deeply. Glancing down at my empty bowl, I checked the chat stream once more. The viewers were busy tossing around suggestions for what I should do next.
"Well, it's about time for me to do the dishes and go study."
That was indeed my regular routine. But to tease them a little, I left my answer intentionally vague. The chat instantly went into overdrive, a wall of panic surging upward.
No way.
You still have countless things to explain, you can't just leave!
Their transparent desperation coaxed an involuntary chuckle from my chest. Streaming did nothing to alleviate my deeper urges, yet an odd sense of amusement welled up within me nonetheless.
"Why don't you just say it honestly?"
Before I could stop myself, I leaned slightly toward the camera, meeting the lens with an unwavering, playful gaze.
"Just admit that you missed me."
My lips curved into a soft, teasing smirk as I tossed in the final hook.
"Can't you noonas even be honest about something that simple?"