Chapter 162: Code

‘I’m trapped.’

The recent record left by Popo was a kind of distress signal.

If you take the first letter of the posts they personally announced, excluding replies, you get that.

“Ha, wow.”

I was lying in bed, absentmindedly staring as if solving a riddle.

But once I figured it out, a chill ran down my spine.

This isn’t some urban legend circulating on the internet, nor is it a bored invention like the Napolitan ghost story.

“……”

It was a real distress signal sent desperately by an internet streamer named Popo who wanted to live.

Suddenly.

I remember the festival.

When they came to us and ordered 20 servings of stir-fried pork, I immediately wanted to kill them.

That feeling lingered, and while talking with Choi Yiseo, I turned Popo away when they approached.

“……”

I didn’t really think I did anything wrong.

In fact, things were going well with Choi Yiseo, and then they suddenly came and spoiled the mood.

I didn’t know the full story then, and someone else might have helped Popo instead of me.

“Sigh.”

But the important thing is.

- Anonymous111: Yo! Everyone! Hello! This is BJ Popo! The festival is coming soon! Actually, I’m going to be cheering with the cheer squad! I’ll be live streaming on the day of the festival, so enjoy watching!

The fact that Popo’s post on the Bamboo Forest was the last one kept bothering me.

After the festival.

Popo disappeared from the Bamboo Forest.

Moreover, she stopped broadcasting for a while and recently returned.

I don’t know what happened during that time, but seeing Yoon-ji get involved, it must not have been resolved.

‘No, rather.’

It might have gotten worse.

It was ambiguous.

Since Yoon-ji stepped in, I wondered if I really needed to intervene.

But just staying still felt a bit off.

Before I knew it, I was typing on my phone under the guise of the bamboo grove manager.

- Administrator: Hello, Anonymous111. This is the Administrator of the Gahyeon University Bamboo Forest. Can we talk for a moment?

‘If I make a move, will things get tangled for all?’

I thought I might be interfering with what Yoon-ji and my older brother were trying to do.

But just staying still made my chest feel tight, hard to bear.

Should I say I felt unnecessary guilt?

‘Hmm.’

Despite all the various concerns, there was no reply.

After sending a few more words, I tried to shift my thoughts in another direction.

‘Come to think of it.’

There was someone who once asked me to send recent records from Popo’s Bamboo Forest.

I just need to search briefly, and it came up right away.

‘It’s Anonymous300.’

It was clear they were from the Construction Engineering department, and probably a third-year student.

The Construction Engineering department runs the Bamboo Forest like a fan club with their identities revealed, so if I asked Chan-woo, he would know right away.

Especially since it’s exactly 300, they could practically be considered the leader of the Popo fan club.

‘Should I ask about it?’

I was curious why they suddenly asked for the Popo records back then.

Could it be that they know something?

With that in mind, I decided to contact Anonymous300 this time.

- Administrator: Hello, this is the Gahyeon University Bamboo Forest Administrator. May I ask you briefly about Anonymous111?

- Anonymous300: What? Popo?

This side responded relatively quickly.

But the atmosphere was strange.

- Anonymous300: Why?

“Him?”

I was sure he was a huge fan of Popo. But now, his tone clearly shows he doesn’t want to talk.

For now, I’ll try to continue the conversation.

- Administrator: You requested Anonymous111’s recent records last time. Can you tell me why?

- Anonymous300: It was just because I was a fan. Not anymore.

- Administrator: Did you really request those records just out of simple fandom?

- Anonymous300: Yes.

- Administrator: The police have started an investigation this time.

- Anonymous300: What?

- Administrator: There’s a police investigation related to Popo. I’m cooperating because of that.

- Administrator: But since someone requested Popo’s records, we can’t just let it go.

- Administrator: If that’s truly the end of it, I’ll report it to the police that way.

Lies fall as naturally as breathing.

After a brief pause, a response came from the other side.

- Anonymous300: …What I requested was really because of my fandom.

‘Was it really just because of simple fandom?’

Having said so much, their confession seemed genuine.

Then conversely.

- Administrator: Are you not a fan now?

I asked with curiosity, and again, there was no response.

No, it wasn’t that there was no response.

It just took a long time to type out the answer.

- Anonymous300: Yes, that’s right. I’m not a fan now. Do you know how many boyfriends she has? She’s just trash. Is it okay to destroy a fan’s heart like this? How can she do that when we said we were fans? How can she touch her boyfriend with the hands she used to greet us, and kiss another guy with the mouth she used to smile at us?

“Holy.”

I almost threw my phone without realizing it. This is serious.

Isn’t it rather fortunate that someone like this stopped being a fan?

More than that.

‘Boyfriend, huh.’

Since I cracked Popo’s code, it was hard to see this as just a boyfriend issue.

I once saw a story on YouTube about someone who was confined somewhere and only continued broadcasting.

Popo could have been in a similar situation, and the men he saw might be from that circle.

- Administrator: Can you tell us what you know in more detail?

- Anonymous300: Um…but can you delete what I just wrote above?

This bastard got scared of being a stalker.

- Administrator: If you tell us.

I was able to hear detailed information about Popo.

The studio where we shot the shorts last time.

Yu Arin didn’t like it from the start.

It was fine up to Kim Woojin’s second brother, but then there were internet broadcaster Eun-byeol and Kim Woojin’s ex-girlfriend Oh Yoon-ji.

Most of the faces were ones she didn’t want to see, and the fact that they hadn’t prepared beef was disappointing.

“What is it.”

Maybe that was why she was curt from the start.

Because it was clear that secretly calling her out without Kim Woojin knowing had some ulterior motive.

“Sorry, but I said I don’t do internet broadcasts.”

She didn’t want to waste her time elsewhere, nor did she want to flatter strangers she didn’t even know.

Celebrities always say they’re grateful and love their fans.

But Yu Arin wasn’t a celebrity yet, was she.

The word “fan” didn’t resonate with her, and she didn’t particularly think she would have any.

“And whatever happens, I’m on Kim Woojin’s side, so just know that.”

One of the most unpleasant reasons was that it was done behind Kim Woojin’s back.

She spoke as if warning Oh Yoon-ji.

Oh Yoon-ji sighed and shook her head.

“That’s not what I meant.”

Since they had drinks together last time, they dropped formalities and talked openly.

The current Oh Yoon-ji is not Kim Woojin’s ex-girlfriend but the president of a company.

“…Wow, the atmosphere is really serious.”

Yu Arin adjusted her posture slowly, wondering what was going on.

She felt like having a conversation now, so she waited for them to speak.

Setting aside the other two with serious expressions, Oh Yoon-ji began to explain.

“You know Popo, right? The internet broadcaster from the Department of Architecture.”

“Of course, she’s a famous person.”

“That person is contracted with a strange place. It’s called Rainbow, a somewhat…suspicious company, but nothing substantial is coming up?”

“Hmm?”

The atmosphere suddenly shifts to a detective story.

Yu Arin thought they would try to coax her into debuting as an internet broadcaster.

But that wasn’t the vibe at all.

“They’re quite similar to us. They sign contracts with internet broadcasters, manage, and take care of them.”

“But?”

“What they particularly want now are new broadcasters. Talented newcomers who are just starting out.”

“……”

“They’re not asking you to become a broadcaster. They’ve already given up on that regarding you. Instead…could you become our bait?”

Casually, Yoon-ji hands over a tablet.

On it was the ‘Windmill Shorts’ that were filmed with Kim Woojin last time.

“Let’s post this. It’ll definitely become a hot topic, and if not, we’ll make it one by force.”

“……”

“We’ll put it up on Shorts with an email. Then Rainbow will surely contact us.”

“Popo, Rainbow. Those names are really damn lame.”

A name suspiciously lame.

It feels like an uncle or a grandpa forcibly gave nicknames to their nephews.

“But will they contact me? Isn’t that too far-fetched?”

Yu Arin wondered if they would really contact her.

“They definitely will.”

Oh Yoon-ji replied confidently.

“No, we’ll make it so they have to.”

“Hmm.”

“It’s about saving people. It might not be just one, but several.”

It was clearly a dangerous task.

Wouldn’t it be best to ask the police for help, but perhaps they judged that it wasn’t certain enough to go that route yet.

Since it’s about finding a person.

‘I wondered if I’d ever use my Taekwondo skills in my life.’

Thinking that she might get to use them this time.

“Just one thing.”

Yu Arin proposed a condition.

“Let’s keep Woojin out of this.”

She didn’t want to get him involved in anything dangerous, nor did she want to worry him.

“Hmm.”

Oh Yoon-ji hesitated for a moment as if something was bothering her.

“Let’s try our best for now.”

She agreed with Yu Arin’s opinion.

“Hello! Everyone! This is Popo!”

A room decorated in pink.

Popo greeted with a smile through the cam placed in front of the computer.

Her hair, dyed in a vivid pink, had become her trademark before she knew it.

The chat messages coming from beyond the screen greet her.

- Love you, Popo!

- Popo! Popo! Popo! Popo!

- Damn it! How much do I need to marry you, Popo?

- Popo’s loss is being covered!

“Haha, I feel like playing some games today instead of a mukbang. I ate 10 chickens yesterday, and my stomach feels queasy.”

- ;

- Aww, Popo’s pretending to be weak again.

- If it’s Popo eating 20 burgers while gaming, mega thumbs up.

- Hmm, this is lame.

- She’s lost her original spirit.

- Anyway, you’ll get hungry while gaming and eat again.

The number of viewers and chat reactions dropping in real-time.

Even so, Popo wasn’t greatly shaken as she was a seasoned broadcaster.

Next to the broadcasting computer.

In the notepad open on the small monitor, words suddenly start to appear on their own.

[Sushi outside the door.]

“…Hey, everyone, you can eat while gaming. Just a moment!”

What Popo brought back after leaving the screen was an enormous amount of sushi.

“Now, did you know sushi is gaming food? Let’s try eating while playing!”

Saying it made her feel nauseous was no lie.

Having eaten 10 chickens, staying cooped up in the room made digestion difficult.

Unable to properly wash, the smell of greasy chicken mixed with the forced-on cosmetics.

- This is it! This is itttt!

- Wow, sushi ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Unnieee! What about my dietttt!

- As expected of Popo! Never disappoints!

- Who eats that amount as a gaming snackㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Everyone was applauding and welcoming her mukbang.

Popo, once again today, eats sushi with a smile.

Twelve hours later.

“Alright, that’s it for today’s broadcast? See you tomorrow!”

After finishing her farewell, Popo ended the broadcast.

As she smiled and saw the screen turn off.

“Uweeeek!”

She started retching into the trash can right below her.

She thought someone would come to clean up, but seeing no one come.

They were probably having another card game on another floor.

“Huuuk, huuuk!”

Popo, struggling to catch her breath, pushed the vomit aside.

Looking haggard and exhausted.

Anyway, she has to turn on the broadcast again in a few hours.

As she tried to gather herself and organize today’s broadcast.

Vrrr!

A notification buzzed on her phone.

There shouldn’t be any alerts since all the messengers were deleted and all the chats erased.

Wondering what it was, unexpectedly.

Something came from Gahyeon University’s Bamboo Forest.

Last time she tried to escape, they inspected her phone, but…

They thought it was the Gahyeon University app, so they didn’t delete it and just left it as such.

However, Popo had already given up hope on that side.

Directly asking for help was too risky, so she sent indirect signals, but no one noticed.

If she were to make a direct request, she could have just turned on the broadcast and asked for help.

Even the person she directly approached for help during the Gahyeon University festival refused to listen to her.

Popo had already given up on doing anything through Gahyeon University and was just living day by day, unable to die.

- Administrator: Hello, Anonymous111. This is the Gahyeon University Bamboo Forest Administrator. Can we talk for a moment?

The Administrator of the Bamboo Forest suddenly contacted them via a 1:1 inquiry chat.

Clatter!

At that moment, the door opened and a large man entered.

“Hey, what was that just now?”

“…!”

Startled, Popo quickly handed over her phone like a trained dog.

She knew she was being watched, but she didn’t expect them to be looking at her phone screen too.

So, was it just laziness that they hadn’t come to clean up the mess?

The more she thought about it, the more disgusted she felt.

Bzz! Bzz! Bzz!

“Administrator? Ha, what the hell is this guy?”

Judging by a few more messages, there must be some other content.

The man, annoyed, tossed the phone back to Popo.

“Since they seem to be your fan, just give a rough answer. And don’t leave that behind, delete it, we’re watching everything.”

These guys really do a sloppy job.

Muttering to himself, the man left the room again.

Popo cautiously picked up her phone.

A few words added by the Administrator.

- Administrator: I can’t hold it in any longer, so I’m leaving this personal message. Actually, I’m a real fan of Popo.

- Administrator: I often watch your GIFs too. I also watch your edited YouTube videos every day. I’ve probably watched each one a hundred times.

- Administrator: I make sure to watch your live broadcasts as well, and if I miss them, I always watch the recordings.

- Administrator: I saw you eating pizza recently, and it was amazing. Eating it all with such a small and cute body, seriously wow.

- Administrator: ? Are you seeing this?

“……”

Popo, who was blankly staring at it, realized the sincerity contained within and almost got choked up.

Unknowingly, their body trembled slightly, and their breath became short.

Their eyes became moist, but they bowed their head and tried hard to hold it in.

Towards the person who found them.

Very cautiously and swiftly.

- Anonymous111: Yes.

After answering, Popo deleted the Bamboo Forest.

Hope seemed to flicker a little.

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