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EP.108 Bae Yeri (5) – Noona, Please Play With Me Instead 

The shock of that night was still vivid, three days later in the afternoon. 

Unable to resist Yeri’s insistence, Seung-ah was dragged to the trendy new café Yeri had been raving about. 

Bright white interiors, stylish lighting, and the cheerful noise unique to people snapping SNS photos filled the space, even on a weekday. 

“Isn’t it awesome? This place is super hot right now. You have to wait at least an hour to get in.” 

Unlike Yeri, who was like a fish in water, Seung-ah shrank like a kitten lost in a strange place. Even as Yeri snapped perfect photos of the cake with her phone, Seung-ah just quietly folded and unfolded a napkin at the table’s edge, not knowing where to look. 

“Uh, yeah. It’s pretty…” 

Once satisfied with her photos, Yeri finally put her phone down. 

“By the way, are you really looking for a new place? You haven’t said a word about it since we talked at your house.” 

Moving. 

That word made Seung-ah’s mind go blank for a moment. 

Her head was so full of Hyun-woo that there was no room for such practical matters, but she forced herself to answer in a dutiful tone. 

“Ah, well… sort of. But I just haven’t found anywhere I like…” 

Yeri sighed inwardly at the clumsy lie. 

“If it’s too hard, you can always ask me for help.” 

“I said it’s fine! Anyway, maybe instead of moving, I should reinvest in the stream first?” 

So she dodged it again. 

Yeri shrugged and poked her cake with a fork. 

“Oh? Reinvest? Like what?” 

“Um. How about adding a new outfit to Moka’s avatar?” 

“Hm. Any ideas?” 

After hesitating, Seung-ah blushed and said, “Maybe… a bunny girl outfit?” 

“What? I didn’t catch that. Say it again.” 

“Bunny… girl…” 

“Bunny girl?” 

“Your voice is too loud!” 

When Yeri asked again, Seung-ah blurted it out, making people at nearby tables glance over. Her face turned bright red. 

“Your voice is louder.” 

“Ugh.” 

“A bunny girl, huh… That would probably get a good reaction. With Moka’s figure, it’d look great.” 

As she said it, Yeri looked Seung-ah’s petite body up and down. 

“Ugh. Yeah, unlike my flat chest, Moka’s got big boobs and all…” 

“Just kidding. But honestly, there’s demand for your body type too. Be confident.” 

“Just please, not this kind of talk in a café…” 

“Hehe. But you picked something bold for once. You always refused when I suggested stuff like that.” 

“Hyun-woo said… he’d like it.” 

Yeri’s smile vanished instantly. 

The scene she’d witnessed four days ago flashed through her mind. 

“Does Hyun-woo still come over?” 

“Huh? Yeah. But I’m being careful so nothing happens like last time, so don’t worry.” 

How could she not worry? 

“Seung-ah.” 

Hearing her name spoken so seriously made Seung-ah’s shoulders tense. 

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but… how about you cut back on seeing Hyun-woo for a while and focus on your stream?” 

“…What are you talking about?” 

Seung-ah’s voice immediately sharpened, but Yeri calmly continued. 

“This is a really important time for us. We just passed 300,000 subs, and the channel is finally taking off. You need to be extra careful now.” 

Yeri’s earnest gaze pierced Seung-ah’s eyes. 

“But right now, you seem way too into that kid. Honestly, it worries me.” 

Seung-ah was silent for a moment at the heartfelt concern. 

“…I really appreciate your help with my stream.” 

But when she spoke, her voice was unexpectedly calm. 

“But that’s that, and this is this. You don’t have the right to tell me what to do with my personal life.” 

“Seung-ah, I’m just worried…” 

“Worried? About what? I’m working hard on the stream, and everything’s going fine.” 

Fine? 

Does she really not see how strange this all is? 

“I’m not your daughter. I can take care of myself, so please stop meddling.” 

With those cold words, Seung-ah stood up a clear sign she had no intention of continuing the conversation. 

Yeri could only stare forlornly at the cake left on the table and Seung-ah’s retreating back. 

Ding  

Once the café door closed and Seung-ah was out of sight, Yeri let out a long-held breath and rubbed her aching forehead. 

‘This can’t go on.’ 

If it were just a normal romance, she might have tried to understand. But this was different. 

Seung-ah dismissed Yeri’s advice as “meddling,” but took the kid’s every word as gospel. 

That boy had already wormed deep into Seung-ah’s mind. 

At this rate, something terrible was bound to happen. 

Advice and persuasion would no longer work. 

There was only one thing left: face the problem head-on. 

Determined, Yeri pulled out her phone. 

For the sake of her one and only friend, her savior, she would do anything. 

Ding-dong  

The cheerful doorbell echoed in the quiet apartment. 

As if waiting for it, Yeri went straight to the door and opened it to find Hyun-woo the same innocent child’s face as a few days ago. 

“Hello, Yeri noona.” 

“Come in, Hyun-woo.” 

With a gentle smile, she led him inside. The tight leggings she wore showed off her toned legs with every step. 

Her home was nothing like Seung-ah’s cramped old villa. 

Bright pastel wallpaper, cute decorations, and the subtle scent of a fancy diffuser. 

“What do you want to drink? I have cola and orange juice.” 

“Cola, please.” 

While Yeri went to the kitchen for cola, Hyun-woo looked around the living room with curious eyes. 

“Where are your parents?” 

Yeri gave a wry smile. 

“My parents both work, too. They’re not home a lot.” 

It felt like looking in a mirror. 

She set the glass of cola on the table and had Hyun-woo sit across from her on the sofa. 

But Hyun-woo didn’t touch his drink, just stared at his smartphone, thumbs moving expertly, a faint smile on his lips. 

“Who are you texting so much?” 

Yeri couldn’t help but ask sharply. 

“Oh. Just a noona I know. She asked to meet this weekend.” 

After doing all that with Seung-ah, he has another woman? 

Definitely dangerous. 

Oblivious to her thoughts, Hyun-woo asked, “So, didn’t you say you had something to talk about?” 

Yeri didn’t stall any longer. 

She sat facing him on the sofa and got straight to the point. 

“I’ll be blunt. I want you to stop seeing Seung-ah noona for a while.” 

It was a bold request, but Hyun-woo didn’t even flinch. He just tilted his head innocently. 

“Why?” 

That single, innocent word made Yeri’s brow furrow. 

She tried to sound as mature and logical as possible. 

“You’re a fan of Moka, right? Our channel is at a really important stage. But lately, Seung-ah seems too focused on you to concentrate on streaming.” 

She paused to gauge his reaction. 

“…You want Moka to succeed too, right?” 

“Yes, of course. I want Moka to succeed more than anyone.” 

He took a sip of cola and nodded easily. 

“Okay. I’ll do as you say, Yeri noona.” 

‘Huh?’ 

Yeri couldn’t believe her ears. 

He gave in so easily, without a hint of resistance. 

‘That was… too easy.’ 

Relief washed over her, but at the same time, a warning bell rang in her mind. 

And her instincts had never been wrong. 

Hyun-woo flashed an angelic smile. 

“But I have one condition.” 

“…Condition?” 

“Yes. If I can’t see Seung-ah noona…” 

The boy looked her straight in the eye and made a bold proposal. 

“Yeri noona, you play with me instead.” 

“…What?” 

Yeri was stunned, but Hyun-woo pressed on as if he’d expected this. 

“It’s for Seung-ah noona, right? You can do that much, can’t you?” 

She’d walked right into her own trap. 

Still, better her than letting Seung-ah be manipulated by this kid. 

Licking her dry lips, Yeri sighed and surrendered. 

“Ha… Fine. So how do you want to play? Should we play a game?” 

She tried to interpret “play” in the most harmless way possible. 

But Hyun-woo crushed even that last hope. 

“No, not that.” 

He leaned over the table and whispered in her ear. 

“Just do what Seung-ah noona did for me. You do it instead.” 

“What Seung-ah… did for you?” 

The moment she repeated his words, the memory of what she’d seen on the fire escape four days ago flashed in her mind. 

Her friend, clinging to the boy in pleasure. 

Their ragged breaths. The eerie green emergency light. 

“Ah…” 

Seeing Yeri’s face go pale, Hyun-woo delivered the final blow. 

“Can you do it, noona?” 

Without thinking, Yeri jumped up and screamed. 

“N-no! Absolutely not!” 

But Hyun-woo didn’t even blink at her outburst. 

He just tilted his head with innocent curiosity and asked the most damning question. 

“Huh? Why are you so shocked what do you think Seung-ah noona did with me?” 

“…Ugh!” 

Yeri was speechless. 

‘I’ve been found out.’ 

He’d known all along that she’d witnessed their act. Her panicked refusal was proof enough. 

“A-anyway! No means no! I’m busy, and, um, grown-up stuff…” 

As she babbled nonsense, a small sigh, like a child dealing with a foolish adult, reached her ears. 

“Really? Then I can’t do your favor, either.” 

“W-what?!” 

Hyun-woo stood, delivering the final blow. 

“This is between me and Seung-ah noona, not you, right?” 

His face was still innocent, but his voice was colder than an adult’s. 

“And if Seung-ah noona wanted to stop, that’d be different. But she doesn’t, does she? That’s why you called me here, right?” 

“Y-you little…!” 

Yeri trembled, but that was all. 

Hyun-woo gave her a polite bow. 

“Well, that’s it then. Thanks for showing me your place, Yeri noona. I’ll go see Seung-ah now.” 

“W-wait!” 

As he turned to leave, Yeri desperately grabbed his arm. 

Grinding her teeth, she finally bowed her head. 

“…Fine. Fine! I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever you want! Just… leave Seung-ah alone.” 

To protect her friend, she finally decided to sell her soul to the devil. 

With a bloodless face, swallowing her humiliation, Yeri led Hyun-woo to her room. 

She had to invite that devil into her most private space. 

Inside, Hyun-woo looked around as if he owned the place. 

“Wow, this is where you work. Two monitors and everything.” 

High-end editing PC, dual monitors, neatly organized bookshelves, cute decorations reflecting her taste. 

But those things only interested Hyun-woo for a few seconds. 

“And… your room smells nice.” 

He approached Yeri, sniffing near her legs. 

“Oh, that’s the smell. It’s you, noona.” 

A child’s innocent admiration. 

But to Yeri, those words felt like bugs crawling on her bare skin. 

“…Enough with the tour.” 

Unable to take it anymore, Yeri spoke in an icy voice. 

“So, what do you want me to do? Just say it.” 

At her urging, Hyun-woo slowly turned and took his phone from his pocket. 

“First, this.” 

He held the screen up to her face. 

“Stare at this screen without blinking.” 

“What is this…?” 

As she looked at the screen in confusion and suspicion, a strange light from the display forced its way into her pupils. 

Before she could resist, her eyes lost focus. 

========================= 

[Status Window] 

Name: Bae Yeri. 

Age: 23 

Bust: H cup. 

Erogenous zones: ??? 

[Status] 

– Rationality paralyzed by humiliation and anger. 

– Obsessive self-sacrifice: “must protect my friend.” 

– Trance state induced by hypnosis app. 

[Traits] 

– Extrovert with strong sociability and initiative. 

– Overly interested and meddlesome in others’ affairs. 

– Producer mindset, truly wishing for VTuber “Moka’s” success. 

[Secrets] 

– Trauma from past school bullying. 

– Witnessed the sexual relationship between Jeong Seung-ah and Hyun-woo.