I Became a Malicious Streamer

There was a trivial happening where Ji-yeon misunderstood that I had a boyfriend.

No matter how many times I told her it was a lie and just a joke, she just wouldn’t buy it.

After I nodded in response to Ji-yeon’s firm insistence to refrain from such jokes, the debacle finally ended.

After that, we spent our time as originally planned. We watched a movie, went shopping, had a meal together… and finally stopped by that wine bar I had been eyeing whenever I passed by. It was for the purpose of teaching my dongsaeng the proper drinking culture as her older sister now that she was of legal age.

Hearing her say, “That’s so tacky,” I playfully gave Ji-yeon a light flick on the forehead. What in the world was she thinking saying that to her sky-like older sister?

“Welcome…?”

Once we stepped into the store, the overly friendly owner, who had just recently opened the place, immediately showered us with expensive-looking wine and snacks as a grand opening service as soon as we sat down.

At the same time, he started introducing great photo spots for Instagram and showcasing the ambiance of the wine bar, probably mistaking me for some sort of social media influencer.

People who gather tens to hundreds of thousands of followers and casually promote places just by posting pictures with comments like, “This place is nice!” I guessed that’s why he offered us such service. Thinking that made me feel a bit bad.

My own social media presence? It’s pretty much just a messenger to keep in touch with friends; nothing fancy.

The owner mistook me for someone who posts about life on trendy feeds, sharing photos and everyday moments with hashtags. But I wasn’t into those intricate shenanigans.

Sure, I definitely belong to the younger crowd now, but I wasn’t exactly an old hag back then.

However, to start doing stuff I had never done before, it required effort and time.

I didn’t feel the need to go to such lengths. I mean, isn’t there a saying that social media is a waste of life? It’s better to read a book instead. I can’t remember who said that, but it resonated with me deeply. Not that I was actually reading diligently like that.

For that reason, I didn’t take as many pictures as other women my age. I wouldn’t outright reject requests to take pictures, but I also wouldn’t suggest it first. It was rare for me to whip out my phone even when delicious-looking food arrived.

If I took a picture, it would be when I encountered something intriguing or astonishing.

Like standing in front of a cliff that looked like it could slice through the sky, seeing a colossal fish that could swallow me whole, or gazing at a dinosaur fossil that just took my breath away.

Those were the moments when I’d exclaim, “Wow, that’s amazing!” and snap a single shot.

But it’s not like I was completely oblivious to it. Nowadays, viewers are buzzing about wanting me to create a social media account at least once a day. They were practically clamoring for simple daily photos or vlogs, it was chaos!

What on earth is so interesting about someone else’s daily life? Even if you know ten miles of water, a mile in a person’s heart remains a mystery. I genuinely couldn’t grasp people’s minds. I thought to myself, if it were me, I wouldn’t care less how others lived.

“When you like someone, you naturally want to know more about them, don’t you?”

“Yeah, but…”

I wasn’t living the flamboyant life that those Instagram vloggers showcase.

I wasn’t the type to get up early to hit the gym, brew some capsule coffee while reading, or keenly monitor international affairs.

I just slept in late without caring about the day of the week, my routine often becoming a mess, occasionally streamed, and during downtime, I’d eavesdrop on other streamers, exercise, game, and enjoy my own happy time.

Oh, writing this down made me realize I’m basically living a lucky life right here. Anyway, if I share my mundane routine, all the fans might just drift away instead.

“Oh no, that’s not happening!” I’d think, and just like that, I’d crush their wild imaginations. It would be like cutting open the belly of a goose that laid golden eggs.

“Don’t you think they’d actually like you more for being relatable? It would create a sense of camaraderie.”

“Maybe…”

I don’t know. Right now, I didn’t want to think about broadcasting.

I heard that mulling over work even during breaks could lead to burnout.

That would stray far from the true form of happiness I’m pursuing and should be avoided at all costs.

For now, let’s just enjoy this moment.

It was wine I had never tasted in my life. If not now, then when could I try it again? But I still had the decency to order two additional types beyond the complimentary wine.

Names like Sauvignon, Roussanne, and Blanc… Just pronouncing them alone tightened my tongue; I got the staff’s help to pick out two well-recommended choices.

I worried they might be overcharging us, but a quick glance suggested otherwise.

Thus, three types of wine made their way onto our table. Each one had its own personality—pink, yellow, and red.

“This one is rosé, this one is red wine…”

As I watched the staff carefully arrange the wine while explaining, a sense of familiarity washed over me.

This color arrangement… where have I seen this before?

As a vague sense of déjà vu struck me, I rearranged the wine glasses and bottles. I separated the rosy pink wine into its own spot.

Then, I set the wine glasses on the blue-lit table, moving the yellow and red ones beside it.

The pink one slightly distanced on its own, while red, yellow, and blue clustered together.

This familiar image. It was…

“The whole world is a mess…”

It looked like it could leave me stuttering, “Wow… this wine is delicious…” just by its visual alone.

Have these guys even taken over the wine world? Their influence is unbelievably strong.

“Um, enjoy your time!”

That’s when the staff awkwardly smiled while leaving, having been interrupted midway through his explanation.

“…How embarrassing, unnie.”

Ji-yeon grumbled, as though I had drawn too much attention to myself. She hoped I’d keep it together in front of others.

But come on, the color combinations were just too exquisite!

*

The wine was delicious. Extremely so.

As I drank, it felt like I had unlocked a new world. It had the right mix of bitterness, sweetness, and sourness, along with various fragrances—it was bewildering yet kept me pouring another glass.

Honestly, I never thought soju tasted good while drinking it. I was merely looking to get tipsy, so I didn’t particularly care about the flavor.

But this stuff was undeniably delicious, and that made it all the more dangerous. Sipping it could incentivize one to go overboard without realizing.

And what’s worse was right beside me…

“Ugh…”

Ji-yeon, clutching her wine glass, let out some indistinguishable sounds as she slumped over.

The idea of educating Ji-yeon on responsible drinking alongside my now-adult dongsaeng went down the drain.

The truth was… Ji-yeon had a much more serious alcohol tolerance than I anticipated.

Ever since I became myself, my alcohol tolerance had decreased significantly. I used to gulp down two bottles of soju, occasionally reaching three when in good condition, but I couldn’t quite hold my liquor the same way anymore as I, I Ji-eun, couldn’t manage that anymore.

Having experienced the embarrassment of being a nuisance to others in the past, I realized, “Ah, I can’t do that anymore. I can’t drink like I used to.”

My body just wouldn’t cooperate with my mind. At least I was thankful I wasn’t at the point of completely avoiding alcohol.

But Ji-yeon seemed substantially worse. After a few sips of wine, her condition was already like this.

I couldn’t help but think that one of our parents must be a complete lightweight. It could potentially be both of them.

Watching Ji-yeon like this snapped me back to reality. If I continued to relax, both of us would end up completely wasted, so I immediately set my glass down.

I made up my mind to take the leftover wine home. I wasn’t sure how well it would keep, but leaving behind so much expensive wine would just be a waste.

So, I ended up carrying the leftover wine in one hand, while I helped Ji-yeon, who had turned into a wobbly mess, with the other hand as we made our way back home.

Originally, I intended to send her back to our parents’ place, but I thought it would be better to just let her sleep at mine than to show up in such a state at home. I figured it’d be needless trouble to let my mom and dad see me like this. Plus, my place was closer than the other. That’s how I ended up here.

“Whoa!”

I finally succeeded in laying Ji-yeon, who was snoring, into bed. It had been a grueling journey. I really didn’t know I’d gotten this strong. I never realized how heavy someone unconscious was.

As I rolled my stiff shoulders, memories of times when I was intoxicated with the company of others flickered through my mind. Thinking of all those I inadvertently caused trouble made me feel a surge of regret. I ought to make it up to them in some way later.

“Ugh…”

I stretched while looking at the peacefully sleeping Ji-yeon. I could just wash up and go to bed now. It had been a longer day than I realized.

I contemplated changing Ji-yeon into pajamas so she could sleep comfortably, but then I worried about waking her unnecessarily; it seemed more bothersome, so I decided to let her be.

After slipping a cushion under her head and ensuring she wouldn’t catch a cold by tucking her in tightly, I was just about to leave the room.

“Oops.”

Suddenly, I lost my balance due to an unseen force and nearly fell back.

No, I did almost drop.

My body landed softly on the cushy mattress. More precisely, my wrist was caught by Ji-yeon, and part of me was kind of sucked into where she had coiled herself.

Did she yank me back…?

“What kind of strength is this…?”

As I wrestled to free myself while feeling reminded of Ji-yeon’s questionable drinking habits, she gradually opened her eyes and pressed her face against my neck.

“Unnie…”

Like a dog or cat rubbing against its owner, Ji-yeon nudged against me, shifting her body around.

She has a habit of being clingy when drunk. I definitely need to be more cautious.

If this kind of situation happened with someone else while drinking, it would be extremely awkward. Especially with guys.

Finally wiggling out from Ji-yeon’s grip, I took a deep breath. After covering her with the blanket once more, I was ready to exit the room this time.

“Nnn… I… love you…”

Mumbling in her sleep, Ji-yeon uttered those words. I briefly froze before tenderly stroking my sleeping dongsaeng’s hair until the creases in her brow relaxed.

“What a pretty girl…”

Feeling something warm well up inside me, I quietly slipped out of the room.

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