Chapter 24: Tangerine Flower Paper (6)
Part 14
With a clever move, Cheungjeokun enlarged the webcam feed, earning silent applause from the viewers in their hearts.
In the corner of the now quarter-sized webcam screen, a honey-blonde girl shyly appeared.
Some viewers gasped in surprise, others grinned widely at the sight.
Her honey-blonde hair shimmered even in the dim lighting, her golden eyes darting nervously between the webcam and the monitor, unsure where to look.
The chat erupted with comments calling her cute as she hesitated.
“…Uh, um…”
“Just say ‘Hello~ Here to tease again~’ or something, no?”
“When have I ever greeted like that?”
“Come on, chat, doesn’t that vibe fit?”
Cheungjeokun’s hand, out of view, went limp with relief.
The chat was much tamer than he’d expected.
Sure, there were occasional “wows” and exclamations, but nothing blatantly inappropriate or close to harassment.
Was it the white lie he’d planted earlier paying off?
Or had the time spent interacting with her, face hidden, built some restraint?
Either way, it was a relief for Cheungjeokun.
– She’s a different species, man.
– That species gap is tough to bridge lol
“What, you’re not even treating me like a human?”
The girl—Cheungjeokun’s sister—looked visibly tense in the cam’s corner.
Viewers assumed his self-deprecating jab was meant to ease her nerves.
Whether they’d seen her before or not, they joined in, and the slightly subdued chat livened up with laughter again.
“…Pfft. Well, with his awkward height and broad shoulders, he does kinda look like an ape.”
“Hey, Sis, if you don’t greet soon, I’m the one getting roasted! Come on, say hi!”
It seemed to work.
A faint chuckle escaped her, followed by a playful remark joining the banter.
Those familiar with her knew she wasn’t oblivious to such subtle gestures, and it was clear she’d mustered the courage to speak.
“Nice to… meet you all. I’m Cheungjeokun’s sister. I’ve been on the stream a few times, but this is my first time showing my face, right?”
A low, mischievous giggle followed, splitting the chat’s reactions.
Those seeing her for the first time expressed simple joy at her relaxed demeanor.
Those who’d caught her earlier stream smirked knowingly at her giggle’s implication.
“Haha… It’s kinda embarrassing to be called cute at my age. I’m older than this guy next to me, you know. I’m the big sister.”
– Baby face alert!!!!
– King-tier cuteness…
– Hnng, Sis, just try twin tails once, please…
“Ugh… Twin tails would not suit me.”
The conversation quickly veered into casual chatter.
Despite the initial nerves, these were familiar people she’d talked to for a while.
Once the ice broke, it flowed effortlessly.
What’re we doing today? “Dunno, probably not gaming.”
Where’d you get your clothes? “Just grabbed something from the mart’s clothing section.”
Light, trivial exchanges bounced back and forth.
– So, Sis, you cool with showing your face?
The question everyone had been dodging but secretly wanted asked.
Her expression froze.
The lively chat slowed noticeably.
Cheungjeokun’s stunned face filled one side of the cam feed, unfiltered for all to see.
“…Um. Face reveal… uh.”
– Oh no ;;
– Sorry, Sis, we didn’t mean it!!!!
– You don’t have to answer if it’s tough!
“No, it’s not a problem or anything. I was just thinking about what the question meant.”
Forcing an awkward smile to hide her unease, she was met with a flood of concerned “Are you okay?” messages.
Repeating “I’m fine,” she quickly tried to piece together the situation.
Her brother’s obviously suspicious vibe, the viewers’ oddly cautious attitude—she couldn’t make sense of it.
Leaning carefully toward Cheungjeokun’s ear, she spoke.
The mic shouldn’t pick it up if she was quiet enough, but just in case, she cupped her pale, slender hands around her mouth and his ear.
“…Did you say something weird about me?”
“…Not exactly a lie, but…”
“Then what?”
Her eyes narrowed.
Oblivious to the wild guesses swirling in the viewers’ minds, Cheungjeokun’s nervous, sweaty expression met her gaze as their hushed conversation continued.
“So… too many people kept asking to see your face. I kinda used a convenient trick, playing on people’s assumptions and psychology…”
“Spill it.”
“…Yes, ma’am.”
In an equally soft voice, Cheungjeokun explained.
A pretty face and “past history” could evoke images of a troubled school life or something similarly grim.
He’d used that assumption with a bit of wordplay, condensed into a brief explanation whispered to her.
She nodded silently, then let out a deep sigh.
“…I get that you did it for me, but making me out to be some tragic figure with a dark past is a bit much, don’t you think?”
“…I never actually said that, so maybe we could…”
“We’ll talk later, you.”
“…Yes, ma’am.”
She wasn’t really mad, but she decided to act like it.
This way, if her secret cam stream came out later, she could brush it off with a “let’s call it even.”
Things were working out better than expected, and she struggled to hide her twitching grin.
“Sorry, everyone. Seems my brother said some unnecessary stuff behind my back.”
– Sob, Sis…
“I’m totally fine, really. Body’s fine, mind’s fine, I love talking to people. I’m just a normal person, so no need to worry.”
She shot a sharp glance at Cheungjeokun, who flinched dramatically, almost whimpering.
But then her stern expression softened into the faint smile she’d shown earlier.
You’re forgiven for now, the viewers thought.
“Thanks for the concern, but I’m really okay.”
– Sob, Sis, let’s walk a flower path with us viewers from now on…
“Haha… MumuMu, thanks for the 10,000 won donation. I’ve been having a blast already. Honestly, I always thought it’d be nice to talk face-to-face like this someday.”
Her bright smile sent the chat into a frenzy again.
Angelic, repentant, over-the-top praises turned her cheeks red.
“I’m just a normal person like you all… No need for confessions at church or temple.”
– Hnng, Sis, do another confession session like lunchtime…
“…Uh, ConfessionRegular, thanks for the 10,000 won, but… please, stop with that…”
Her head dropped, burying itself in her knees.
Her trembling hands covered her face, fully exposed on the webcam.
Cheungjeokun, sulking silently in the corner, sneaked behind her and playfully patted her shoulder blades as if they were wings, prompting a flood of “lol”s in the chat.
The embarrassed, squirming girl and the viewers, who kept teasing because her reactions were too fun, continued their comical back-and-forth until she finally begged them to stop.
Part 15
[Why I Especially Want to Kill Cheungjeokun Today] – Anonymous
– This jerk’s been raking in donations but still won’t upgrade that trash cam. If he’s gonna make Sis do cam streams, get a damn high-end one, not this garbage lololol
┕ Anonymous: Fr, her face is all blurry!!!!
┕ Anonymous: Anyone know Cheungjeokun’s address?
┕ Anonymous: I wanna buy one and send it lol
┕ Anonymous: Gotta starve him of donations till he buys a new cam fr
┕ Anonymous: But her reactions are so cute, how do you resist donating…