episode_0162

“I’m trapped.”

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

Excluding the replies, if you take the first letters of the announcements he posted, you get that.

“Huh, interesting.”

Lying on the bed, staring blankly as if solving a riddle with no particular thoughts.

But when the correct answer was guessed, a shiver ran down the spine.

This wasn’t an internet ghost story or a made-up Neapolitan ghost story out of boredom.

“….”

It was a real distress signal that Popo, an internet broadcaster, sent out in an effort to survive.

Suddenly, memories of the festival came to mind.

When we ordered 20 servings of spicy stir-fried pork at our place, I wanted to hit him right then and there.

And that feeling continued as I rejected Popo when he came while I was talking to Choi Iseo.

“….”

I didn’t think I did anything wrong.

In fact, things were going well with Choi Iseo, and it was him who suddenly came and interrupted.

I didn’t know the details, and maybe someone else helped Popo in the end.

“Sigh.”

But what’s important is.

– Anonymous111: Hey, everyone! Hello! I’m BJ Popo! The festival is coming soon! I’ll be live broadcasting on the day of the festival, so please enjoy watching!

The fact that Popo’s post on the bamboo forest was the last one kept catching my eye.

After the festival.

Popo disappeared from the bamboo forest.

And after not broadcasting for a while, he recently returned.

I don’t know what happened during that time, but seeing Yunji stepping up means it wasn’t resolved.

“No, on the contrary.”

It’s possible that it got worse.

I was hesitant.

Yunji stepped up, so I thought I didn’t need to interfere.

But staying still was difficult because my heart felt suffocated.

It was like feeling unnecessary guilt.

“Hmm.”

There was no reply despite all the worries and thoughts.

After sending a few more words, I turned my thoughts elsewhere.

“Come to think of it.”

There was someone who asked me to send Popo’s recent records on the bamboo forest before.

I quickly found it.

“It’s Anonymous300.”

It was clear that they were from the Department of Construction, probably a third-year student.

The Department of Construction runs a fan club-like operation among themselves, revealing anonymous users on the bamboo forest, so if I ask Chanwoo, I can find out right away.

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

“I should ask about this.”

I was curious why they suddenly asked for Popo’s records.

Maybe they know something.

With that in mind, I contacted Anonymous300 this time.

– Administrator: Hello, this is Gahyeondae Bamboo Forest Administrator. Can I ask you a question about Anonymous111?

– Anonymous300: Yes? Popo?

The response came back relatively quickly, but the atmosphere was strange.

– Anonymous300: Why him?

“Him?”

I know he was a big fan of Popo. But now, he seems reluctant to talk about it.

I decided to continue the conversation.

– Administrator: You requested the recent records of Anonymous111 last time. Can you tell me why you did that?

– Anonymous300: I was just a fan back then, that’s why I did it. Not anymore.

– Administrator: Did you really request those records just out of simple fan feelings?

– Anonymous300: Yes.

– Admin: The police investigation has come in this time.

– Anonymous300: Yes?

– Admin: The police investigation regarding Popo has come up. I am also cooperating with them because of that.

– Admin: However, since someone requested Popo’s history, we can’t just let it go.

– Admin: If that’s really the end of it, I will make sure to inform the police accordingly.

Lies come as easily as breathing.

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

– Anonymous300: …The request was really just because of being a fan.

“Was it really just because of being a fan?”

Seeing them confess like that made it seem like it was true.

But on the other hand…

– Admin: Are you not a fan anymore?

When I asked with doubt, there was no response.

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

It was just that it took that long to respond.

– Anonymous300: Yes, that’s right. I’m not a fan anymore. Do you know how many boyfriends that girl has? She’s just a hypocrite. How can she destroy a fan’s heart like this? How can she touch her boyfriends with the same hands she greeted us with, and kiss other guys with the same smile she gave us? How can she do that?

“Holy.”

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

It might be a relief that this kind of person stopped being a fan.

But more importantly…

“A boyfriend.”

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

I’ve seen a story of someone trapped somewhere, only continuing their broadcast on YouTube.

Popo could be in that situation, and the men he saw could be related to that.

– Admin: Can you tell me more about what you know?

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

This stalker got scared of what they were doing.

– Admin: Tell me.

I was able to hear a detailed explanation about Popo.

* * *

The studio where the shorts were filmed last time.

Yoo Arin didn’t like it from the start.

Kim Woojin’s second brother was fine, of course, but internet broadcaster Eun Byeol and Kim Woojin’s ex-girlfriend Oh Yoonji.

Most of the faces she didn’t want to see, and not preparing beef was disappointing.

“What is this.”

So from the beginning, it was awkward.

It was clear that there was some other intention behind Kim Woojin secretly calling her.

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

She didn’t want to waste time elsewhere, and she didn’t want to show off in front of people she didn’t know.

Famous people always thank and love their fans.

But Yoo Arin wasn’t famous yet.

The word ‘fan’ didn’t really resonate with her, and she didn’t think she would become one.

“And whatever you do, you know I’m on Kim Woojin’s side.”

Also, one of the most uncomfortable reasons was that she was called secretly by Kim Woojin.

She warned Oh Yoonji as she looked at her, but Oh Yoonji sighed and shook her head.

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

Since they drank together last time, they could talk and understand each other.

The current Oh Yoonji is not Kim Woojin’s ex-girlfriend, but the CEO of a company.

“…Wow, the atmosphere is really serious.”

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

Now that she was thinking of trying to have a conversation, she waited for them to speak.

Ignoring the serious expressions of the other two, Oh Yoonji started to explain.

“Do you know Popo? An internet broadcaster from Geongong.”

“Yeah, I know, they’re famous.”

“That person has a contract with a strange company. It’s called Rainbow… It’s a suspicious company, but nothing seems to be coming out of it.”

“Hmm?”

The atmosphere suddenly shifted to an investigative tone.

Yuarin thought she knew how to manipulate her way into debuting as an internet broadcaster.

But the atmosphere was completely different.

“You’re similar to us. You contract with internet broadcasters, manage and take care of them.”

“But?”

“Especially now, they want new broadcasters. Talented newcomers who have just started.”

“……”

“I’m not telling you to become a broadcaster. I’ve given up on you already. Instead… can you be our bait?”

Yunji subtly handed over a tablet.

On it was the windmill shorts they had filmed with Kim Woojin last time.

“Let’s upload this. It’ll be controversial enough, and if not, we’ll make sure it becomes controversial.”

“……”

“We’ll leave an email on the shorts. Then Rainbow will definitely contact us.”

“Popo, Rainbow. The names are really cheesy.”

Isn’t the name suspiciously cheesy?

It even feels like an uncle or uncle forcibly gave nicknames to their nieces and nephews.

“But will they contact me? Isn’t it too uncertain?”

Yuarin was doubtful whether they would contact her from that side, but…

“They will.”

O Yunji confidently replied.

“No, we’ll make them contact you.”

“Hmm.”

“It’s for finding people. It might not be just one.”

It was clearly a dangerous task.

She wanted to suggest asking the police for help, but she probably didn’t think it was certain enough to go to that side yet.

Finding people.

‘I wondered if learning Taekwondo would be useful in the future.’

She thought she might need it this time.

“Just one thing.”

Yuarin set a condition.

“Let’s keep Woojin in the dark.”

She didn’t want to get involved in dangerous things for no reason, and she didn’t want to worry him either.

“Hmm.”

O Yunji hesitated for a moment, feeling something strange, but…

“Let’s try our best for now.”

She agreed with Yuarin’s opinion.

* * *

“Hello! Everyone! It’s Popo!”

A room decorated in pink.

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

Her hair, dyed in a deep pink, had become her trademark.

The chat messages coming up beyond the screen welcomed her.

– Love you, Popo!

– Popo! Popo! Popo! Popo!

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

– Popo, I’ll make up for the loss!

“Haha, today, I thought about playing games instead of doing a mukbang. I ate 10 chickens yesterday, and my stomach feels heavy.”

– ;

– Ah, Popo is pretending to be weak again.

– If Popo eats 20 burgers as snacks while gaming, she’s a legend.

– Hmm, she’s bluffing.

– She lost her initial intentions.

– Anyway, she’ll get hungry again while gaming.

The real-time viewer count and chat reactions dropping.

Despite that, Popo, with her accumulated experience as a broadcaster, remained unfazed.

Beside the broadcasting computer.

On a small monitor, text suddenly started appearing on a notepad.

[Sushi outside the door.]

“……Ah, everyone, it’s normal to eat while gaming. Just a moment!”

Popo, who left the screen as it was, came back with an enormous amount of sushi after a while.

“Now, do you know that sushi is a gaming food? Let’s eat while gaming!”

It wasn’t a lie that her stomach felt heavy.

After eating 10 chickens, she was stuck in the room, unable to digest properly.

And because she couldn’t properly wash up, the smell of chicken seeped through the forced makeup smell, but…

– That’s it! That’s it!

– Wow, sushiㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Unnie! What should I do with my diet!

– Oh my gosh, Popo! Don’t disappoint us!

– Who eats that much as a snack while gamingㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Everyone was clapping and welcoming her mukbang.

Pofu, still smiling, continued to eat sushi today.

And so, 12 hours later.

“Well then, shall we end the broadcast here today? See you tomorrow!”

With a farewell, Pofu finished the broadcast.

As the screen turned off, she suddenly started vomiting into the trash can below.

Thinking someone would come to clean it up, but seeing no one around, it seemed like they were probably having a card game on another floor.

Pofu struggled to catch her breath as she cleared the vomit to the side.

Feeling nauseous and disgusted.

She had to go back on air in a few hours.

As she tried to catch her breath and organize today’s broadcast, her phone buzzed.

There were no saved messages, and all the texts were deleted, so there shouldn’t have been any reason for her phone to ring.

She was curious, but suddenly, she received a message from Gahyeondae Bamboo Forest.

She had given up hope on that end a long time ago.

She had indirectly signaled for help, but no one had noticed.

If she had directly asked for help, she could have just turned on the broadcast and asked for assistance.

Even the person she had asked for help during the Gahyeondae Festival had ignored her request.

She had already given up on doing anything through Gahyeondae and was just trying to survive each day.

– Administrator: Hello, Anonymous111. I am the administrator of Gahyeondae Bamboo Forest. Can we talk for a moment?

The administrator of the Bamboo Forest had suddenly started a chat with her.

Then, a large man entered the room.

“Hey, what’s with the recent message?”

Startled, Pofu handed over her phone like a trained dog.

She knew she was being watched, but she didn’t expect him to look at her phone screen as well.

Was he too lazy to come clean up the vomit?

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

The man threw the phone back at her and left the room.

Pofu cautiously picked up the phone.

The administrator added a few more words.

– Administrator: I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I contacted you privately. I’m actually a big fan of Pofu.

– Administrator: I often watch gifs and even watch the YouTube edits every day. I must have watched each video a hundred times.

– Administrator: I make sure to watch the live broadcasts and if I miss them, I rewatch the recorded ones.

– Administrator: I saw you eating pizza recently, and it was amazing. The way you eat everything with your small, cute body is really impressive.

– Administrator: Are you watching?

Pofu, who had been staring blankly at the screen, suddenly realized the truth and almost burst into tears.

Her body trembled uncontrollably, and she struggled to hold back tears.

With a bowed head, she carefully and quickly replied to the person who had found her.

– Anonymous111: Yes.

After replying, Pofu deleted the Bamboo Forest app.

She felt a glimmer of hope and a sense of excitement.