"Hoo." I let out a long sigh of relief after heaving Kang Min-hyuk onto his bed.
Yena, as if it were routine, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and poured me a glass. "Thanks for the help."
"No problem," I said, downing the cool water in one go. It eased the tension in my chest, if only a little.
"…"
With Min-hyuk safely delivered, there was no real reason for me to stick around. Yena's subtle glances told me she was thinking the same thing, her eyes practically nudging me toward the door with a silent, Time to go, right?
I glanced at my phone and let out an exaggerated sigh, playing up disappointment. "Haaa…"
"What's wrong?" Yena asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Oh, nothing. Just found out the stream I was hyped for isn't airing today."
Her reaction was immediate. Her breath hitched, and her hands trembled slightly. She had to be thinking about the post she'd just made as Amber on X. Even if I didn't know her secret identity, her response would've raised red flags.
She hesitated, then asked cautiously, "Wh-who's the streamer?"
"Huh? Oh, you wouldn't know them," I said, brushing it off.
"I watch a ton of streams," she insisted, leaning closer. "YouTube, personal broadcasts, you name it."
"Nah, it's fine…" I trailed off, feigning embarrassment, which only made her press harder.
"Tell me!" Her persistence brought her face inches from mine, close enough that I could feel her breath. A faint peach scent—her perfume, maybe—tickled my nose. I swallowed hard, pushing down the heat rising in me, and leaned back slightly.
"It's not a big deal…"
"Who is it? Come on, spill it!" Her hand brushed my thigh, a coaxing gesture that felt dangerously close to seduction.
"Why're you so curious?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because you're dodging the question!" she huffed. "Just tell me."
"It's… kinda awkward to say out loud."
Her eyes narrowed, and she lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Is it… an adult streamer?"
The words, soft as they were, hit like a shockwave. I widened my eyes, playing up my surprise. "How'd you guess?"
"Really?" she asked, as if confirming her suspicions.
"Yeah," I admitted, scratching the back of my neck. "It's a bit weird, right?"
"What? No way. Guys are into that stuff. It's not a big deal," she said, brushing it off with a casual wave, though her tone held a hint of excitement.
"Really? I figured you and Min-hyuk wouldn't be cool with talking about this kinda thing."
"Me? I'm fine with it," she said, her voice dipping slightly. She glanced at Min-hyuk, sprawled unconscious on the bed. "Min-hyuk's the one who doesn't like it."
"Oh… got it," I said, nodding. Just as I'd suspected. Yena's need to hide her true nature as Amber likely stemmed from Min-hyuk's prudish stance on sex.
"So?" she prompted, snapping my attention back to her. Her eyes were expectant, almost hungry for my answer.
"Who do you watch?"
I hesitated for effect, then dropped the name. "There's this streamer called Amber."
"Ah… Amber?" Yena's voice faltered, and she bit her lip. Her pupils darted nervously, and she started fidgeting, rubbing her thighs together. The tips of her ears flushed red.
"Why do you like Amber?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You really wanna know? It's kinda… explicit."
"Tell me," she insisted, leaning closer. "I'll forget you said anything."
I lowered my head, playing the part of an embarrassed fan, and started listing Amber's qualities. "Well, it's the usual stuff guys like about adult streams. She wears a mask, but you can tell she's gorgeous even at a glance."
"Uh-huh…" Yena nodded, her breath quickening.
"Her body's… I mean, it's sexy. Feels weird saying this to you, but she's got this, like, lewd figure."
"Haa… haa…" Her breathing grew heavier.
"And there's something about her that's just… different from other streamers. The way she talks is so perverted. Always begging people to, y'know, take her."
"Ugh… hoo…" Yena's thighs pressed together, and one hand subtly slipped between them. Soft, needy sounds escaped her lips, syncing with my words.
I pulled back, rubbing my neck. "Sorry, I'm probably drunk. Spilling way too much."
"No, it's fine!" she said quickly, her voice a little too eager. "You're, like, a real fan, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess," I said with a sheepish grin. "My stocks have been killing it lately, so I'm thinking of dropping a big donation soon."
"A big one?" Her eyes widened. "Why?"
"I heard some adult streamers do dinner or dates with their top donors," I said, letting the implication hang.
Yena cut me off, her voice trembling. "If… if you got that date, what would you do?"
I glanced at her sexual proclivities again with my skill. [Sexual Proclivities: Masochist, Secret Relationship, Broadcasting, Exposure, Rape, Choking] Still as wild as ever. I knew what kind of answer would hook her, but saying it straight felt too raw. I hadn't drunk enough for that. So, I went vague, trusting Amber would get the hint.
"I'd do whatever Amber's always asking for," I said, keeping my tone suggestive.
"Whatever she asks?" Yena's voice quivered, her head dipping as if recalling her own broadcast catchphrases. I hadn't seen much of her streams—arriving in this world and rushing to the reunion left little time—but I'd caught enough clips to know her habits: "Oppa, take me…" or "Choke me, do it rough…"
"Really?" she whispered, almost to herself.
"Yeah," I said firmly, no hesitation. Then I sighed, playing up disappointment. "It's just a pipe dream, though. I'll donate anyway. I kinda owe her."
"Don't… don't give up," Yena said, her voice soft but urgent. "You never know. Maybe Amber will meet you."
She bit her lip again, her eyes conflicted. I stood up, ready to leave. "Anyway, I said too much weird stuff. I should head out."
"Uh-huh…" Yena started to stand but suddenly sank back to the floor. "Oh, I'm… probably drunk."
"It's fine, just rest. I'll see myself out," I said, waving her off.
"Don't be too discouraged," she called after me, my earlier sigh clearly lingering in her mind. "Maybe Amber really will meet you…"
I left Min-hyuk's place, her complicated gaze burning into my back. As I walked away, I replayed the moment in my head. For just a second, as she'd stood, I'd caught a familiar scent—a raw, feminine musk I'd smelled before. All it took was a few suggestive words to get her there. That confirmed it: I'd be meeting Amber soon.
The next morning, I dove into Amber's social media and past broadcasts, determined to learn everything I could. A few things stood out.
First, Amber was open about having a boyfriend on X, and her fans didn't seem to care. The reason was clear: her attempts to seduce him always flopped. A post from yesterday summed it up: [This idiot showered and said he's tired, then passed out. I'm gonna kill him.] Countless failed attempts before that painted the same picture.
"Is he even into women?" I muttered, half-serious.
Her fans brushed off her boyfriend's existence, treating him like a non-issue. As for her streams, she had a solid viewer base—not surprising, given her figure. But her donation numbers were lower than expected for her popularity. It clicked when I watched more: Amber wasn't streaming for cash. She was chasing her own desires. Even without donations, she'd flash her chest or do ASMR streams filled with suggestive moans, camera off. She wasn't begging for money, so fewer people tossed it her way.
Still, the account tied to this world's stock investor—presumably mine—had donated enough to rank third on her leaderboard. The site displayed donation rankings to spark competition. "Nice," I muttered, pleased.
Amber's streams were growing on me. I wasn't a regular viewer of adult content, but I was starting to get why people got hooked.
My phone buzzed, snapping me out of it. A message from Kang Min-hyuk. It was long-winded, but the gist was gratitude for dragging his drunk ass home last night.
At the same moment, Amber's stream popped up on my screen. "[Look… I'm a little excited, so it's hard…]" she purred, her fingers teasing her nipples through her thin lingerie, the fabric barely concealing their outline.
A strange mix of emotions hit me, watching Amber's sultry performance while reading Min-hyuk's wholesome text. Guilt and pleasure tangled together, laced with possessiveness and the thrill of conquest. This wasn't just the rush of revenge I'd felt with Hanna. This quest was twisting my desires in ways I hadn't expected.
I shot Min-hyuk a quick reply, keeping things friendly. No harm in staying on his good side—for now. "Maybe I'll get him something nice later," I mused. With all this stock money, I could afford a flashy gift. He'd never guess the real "gift" I was planning.
Amber's stream kicked off at 6 p.m. It was supposed to be her day off, but skipping yesterday's broadcast had pushed it to today. She was in her usual barely-there outfit, all exposed skin and confidence.
"[Hey, everyone, welcome!]" Her voice was a touch higher than usual, laced with an excitement that mirrored my own. I had a feeling Amber was as eager for tonight as I was.