[TS] Malicious Sniper

The fact that Barcode and Nayun Queen are the same person is about to be revealed.

Even if it gets out, thinking about Curry’s reaction makes me feel like it won’t be so bad.

But still, I don’t want this electrifying secret that only I know to be discovered too quickly.

“I need an alibi…”

To enjoy this situation for a long time, I needed a perfect alibi.

During the last collab stream, I sniped while using the Nayun Queen account, and we got matched on the same team.

Before the game started, I dodged to create an alibi, but…

A makeshift alibi wouldn’t be able to keep my secret for long.

In fact, creating a perfect alibi was simpler than I thought.

The three of us—Nayun Queen, Barcode, and Curry—meeting in solo queue and playing together.

I could hire someone to create an alibi, but that would risk leaking my secret.

Even if I wrote up a non-disclosure agreement, I didn’t want to take that unnecessary risk.

Playing as both Nayun Queen and Barcode by myself was nearly impossible.

No matter how good I am at League of Legends, I can’t play two accounts at once.

In the end, I needed someone to impersonate ‘Nayun Queen’ for me.

Someone who would unconditionally keep my secret and be good at acting.

The problem is: is there such a person around me…?

“…Ji-hye?”

The only person nearby was Ji-hye.

She would definitely keep my secret, but could she really impersonate ‘Nayun Queen’?

Ji-hye had shown many talents so far.

Housework, cooking, video editing, even being a broadcast manager.

Despite being trained, she was already doing well as a manager from day one.

Maybe Ji-hye also has a talent for gaming?

Seeing her abilities so far made me unreasonably expectant.

How can a person be perfect in all aspects?

Contrary to that thought, my body was already heading towards Ji-hye’s room.

Knock, knock…

I knocked on Ji-hye’s door.

Since there was no response, it seemed she was busy editing something.

But what was more important than the video was creating my alibi right now.

Squeak…

After waiting for a considerable time with no reply, I simply opened the door.

As expected, Ji-hye was sitting in front of her computer, focused on something.

When I approached to check, it turned out she wasn’t editing a video but playing League of Legends.

“Ah! I died…”

Why does she make such cute reactions while playing alone?

It was as if she was made entirely of cuteness.

No, more importantly, if I wasn’t mistaken…

A moment ago, Ji-hye had just taken a solo kill against five enemies.

After taking down four opponents, her comment upon dying was, “Ah! I died…”

She said she didn’t play League of Legends, but is this really the skill of a beginner?

“Unnie…? This, this is! I thought it would be weird for the League of Legends streamer’s manager not to be able to play… so!”

Feeling my intense gaze, Ji-hye turned her head to look at me and began to ramble an excuse.

She looked cute, like a child caught playing computer games without her parents knowing.

“You said you wouldn’t mind what I do during my free time, right? So don’t worry, I won’t scold you.”

“Really…? You won’t be mad…? ”

There was definitely a clause in the contract stating, “Outside of work hours, the subordinate’s freedom is guaranteed,” and she had even confirmed it herself.

Why is she shaking like a scared puppy, fearing abandonment?

Despite asking subtly, she looked at me with a pitiful gaze, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“By the way, when did you start this?”

“Ah, I just started a little while ago. Three days ago.”

“What level are you?”

“Level 17! I bought an experience booster and it went up quickly!”

She confidently stated her level, and for a moment, I thought I must have misheard.

Even if she bought an experience booster and played the game, leveling up to 17 in just three days?

Of course, I’ve reached level 30 after a similar amount of time.

But I had originally paid people to boost my level up quickly.

Playing alone, you win sometimes and lose at others, so it wouldn’t be that fast.

Just how many victories did she manage to rack up for such a rapid level up?

As I pondered that, Ji-hye’s game came to an end, and I checked her username displayed on the result screen.

[CutieBarcode]

“…”

“This, this is! I’ll change my nickname right now!”

“…No, you don’t have to change it.”

I sighed inwardly.

I had felt uneasy since I assigned her the task of managing the chatroom.

I didn’t expect Ji-hye to be contaminated by the evildoers so soon.

Taking out my smartphone, I accessed the League of Legends stats site to search for ‘CutieBarcode’.

A page appeared showing ‘CutieBarcode’s’ stats, and I scrolled slowly to the bottom.

Then, I began to scroll back up, checking her past records, only to find all blue.

There were some losses, but those were games lost purely due to terrible team luck.

The champions listed as her most played were Yone, Yasuo, Talon, Azhar, Akili, Silas…

All champions I primarily use during my broadcasts.

Looking at this record, anyone would say that this is not the profile of a newbie who just started playing League of Legends three days ago.

If someone saw this impressive record, they would certainly think she’s a smurf account without a doubt.

“Try it again.”

“Can I do it in front of you…? Uh… I’m getting nervous.”

“Don’t mind me.”

After hesitating, Ji-hye queued up for a game.

Since it was a normal match, it matched quickly.

Ji-hye typed ‘ㅁㄷ’ faster than anyone else.

Despite the fact that I only played solo queue on my streams, maybe she picked it up naturally while playing.

Or maybe she researched the unspoken rules of normal matches separately.

Having secured mid-lane, Ji-hye picked Akili.

She took Ignite and Teleport, while her key rune was Electrocute.

Generally, it’s common for Akili to take Conqueror or Predator, so choosing Electrocute usually indicates a strong laning preference.

“Why did you pick Akili?”

“Well… I tried a few things, and Akili turned out to be the most fun!”

“Why Electrocute?”

“I tried out a few runes, and Electrocute just fits my style… so I picked it.”

She might not have been able to articulate her specific reasoning for choosing Electrocute, because Ji-hye hesitated before finishing her answer.

Although Ji-hye’s response lacked conviction, I found that uncertain answer to be very satisfying.

I also think Electrocute suits Akili best in the current meta.

Everyone has different preferences for runes, as styles vary.

However, Ji-hye shared my preference for runes, which is exactly what I had hoped for.

“Ji-hye, I have something I want you to do.”

“Something you want me to do?”

“Yeah. It’s something only you can do.”

“Something I can do… gulp I’ll definitely do it!”

Hearing the words “only you can do,” Ji-hye gulped before responding energetically.

To assign the task, I needed to explain my relationship with Curry.

But considering we were in the middle of a game, it was awkward to explain now.

I decided to watch Ji-hye’s game for one match and talk afterwards.

After I told her that I would explain after this match, she focused on her game.

Once the minions arrived at the lane, the official laning phase began.

I checked the tier of Ji-hye’s opponent on my smartphone.

[Diamond 2]

Her opponent’s tier was Diamond 2.

That would definitely be quite a challenge for Ji-hye, who had just started playing League of Legends.

This often happens in normal matches where unranked players get matched against higher-tier users.

I expected Ji-hye’s Akili would likely lose, given her opponent’s considerably higher tier.

[First Blood!]

Contrary to my expectations, Ji-hye’s Akili took a solo kill less than four minutes into the match.

As I watched Ji-hye secure her solo kill, a story of a genius came to mind.

She started playing League of Legends at the behest of her friends.

In her very first match, she faced an opponent whose current tier was Master.

In a situation where anyone could easily predict an unranked beginner would lose…

That genius completely crushed her opponent in the laning phase.

Eventually, she would leave behind the great achievement of ranking in the top players of her server.

Of course, I couldn’t think Ji-hye had the same level of talent as that genius.

But it was certainly clear that she had talent on par with that level and was talented enough to be called an extraordinary genius.

While there might be many geniuses in the world, there’s a saying that only one can reach the pinnacle.

Ji-hye was most certainly a candidate deserving of the title “genius.”

The game progressed smoothly, and Ji-hye carried the match easily to victory.

While I couldn’t fulfill Nayun Queen’s role like this, if I refined this brilliant gem, I could definitely secure a solid alibi.

After the game ended, I quietly shared my secret with the waiting Ji-hye.

The conversation turned out to be lengthier than expected, but Ji-hye nodded a few times and showed understanding.

“I’ll do my best! I won’t let Curry find out!”

I worried that she might think I was strange, but contrary to that concern, Ji-hye didn’t find me odd at all.

Instead, her proactive attitude in wanting to help with my “prank” made me smile warmly.

Thus, I stayed by Ji-hye’s side for a while, continuously teaching her about League of Legends.

She was receptive to my real-time feedback and quickly absorbed concepts that were more advanced.

The Princess Maker project to create a new Nayun Queen was sailing smoothly.

*

After enjoying dinner prepared by Ji-hye, I went upstairs.

As much as I wanted to continue with the Princess Maker project, Ji-hye was exhausted, so I could only pause our League of Legends tutoring for the day.

With a sense of regret, I returned to my room and lay on the bed.

Among the notifications on my smartphone was a stream alert from Curry, so I immediately connected to Twitch.

I expected Curry to stream a scrim again today as usual.

However, surprisingly, Curry was playing solo queue on his stream.

Checking the title, it read, “Solo Queue for Skill Improvement,” and as soon as I saw that title, I felt a strange sense of discomfort.

Curry’s broadcast was packed with evildoers from the Yellow City.

Even if there had been an increase in new viewers recently, the chronic “sniping” issue hadn’t been resolved.

If anything, it had likely intensified.

Given this situation, it seemed odd that he’d be in solo queue for the sake of skill improvement.

Considering the approaching Platform Tournament, scrims would be the normal choice.

If his purpose was genuinely to improve skills, he wouldn’t be streaming what he was doing during the preseason.

Moreover, engaging in scrims with higher-tier players would certainly help improve one’s skills more.

So why was Curry forcefully streaming solo queue with such absurd reasoning?

I focused on the camera feed of Curry instead of the game screen.

For someone claiming to be trying to improve, he seemed unable to focus on his game.

It was as if he was waiting for something, and his eyes reflected a sense of impatience.

“Ah, I’ve died…”

[Not feeling well today?]

[Let’s dive into a 7-game losing streak~]

[??: There was a reason for that…]

[^1/10/5^ had its own reasons]

[Yesterday’s scrim results were shocking, indeed]

[If you’re tired, why not take a break, Curry…?]

[Honestly, it’s concerning to watch]

Unable to focus on the game, Curry kept dying.

Even the audience, known for being harsh, grew worried about him.

‘Was yesterday too much…?’

Thinking that Curry’s state stemmed from yesterday’s events, I felt a pang of guilt.

Really, when I thought back, yesterday’s torment did seem a bit excessive.

Displaying such a side in a scrim broadcast filled with viewers must have been quite the mental shock for him.

I had no idea why he seemed so anxious or what he was waiting for.

Still, I couldn’t bear to see this feeble Curry slowly break down.

{ Flower Shop Owner has donated 100,000 won. }

– Worried about you, how about taking a little break…? ㅠㅠ

As I logged in with the Flower Shop Owner account, I quickly initiated some capital therapy.

“Oh no! Our Flower Shop Owner donated 100,000! You don’t need to worry! I’m just as energetic as ever! Kyaaa!”

Curry quickly responded with an insane level of enthusiasm, seemingly back to form after just one donation.

With the donation boost, he reverted back to the Curry I knew, which made me smile.

“But just saying don’t worry isn’t enough to ease our chairman’s worries, so what can I do for you…?”

After finishing his reaction, Curry tapped his fingers on the desk, contemplating, and after a short pause, his eyes lit up as if he had a brilliant idea.

“Got it. That’s it. For today, I won’t say anything even if the snipers come, so come at me, you sniper trash!”

Curry quietly declared ‘sniping allowed’ and stared straight ahead into the camera.

It was as if he was looking directly at me, making me unable to hold my smile.

I had no choice but to wipe it away.

I finally realized the source of the discomfort I felt earlier.

I could no longer keep smiling or wear a grin.

A ridiculous reason for streaming a solo queue broadcast.

Throughout this solo queue broadcast, I got the unmistakable sensation that he was waiting for something.

The tension in Curry’s eyes was unmistakable.

Ultimately, it was his acceptance of sniping—just because of a mere donation—that drew the final line.

Was it really possible for someone to change so drastically over just the reason of feeling unwell?

Curry’s state had become so strikingly different that I could believe he was a different person altogether.

Curry had never allowed sniping during his broadcasts.

While he might seem lenient about it, he hated and avoided snipers who disrupt the flow of his stream.

For him to allow sniping simply because of a donation of 100,000 won?

Considering what could have triggered such a drastic change, there’s only one conclusion.

“…You figured it out, didn’t you?”

I had thought that eventually, he would catch on.

But Curry figured out my secret about Nayun Queen and Barcode being the same person sooner than I expected.

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