Chapter 1: Woo -yeon becomes money

‘Do you know about “We Got Married” content?’

‘It’s a term for content where male and female streamers virtually date or get married, setting a period to create sweet scenarios.’

“Boss, I think you need to see this.”

“Huh? What is it?”

I was in the middle of editing a video at work when I was startled by the numbers before my eyes and had no choice but to call my direct superior.

– [Current Viewers: 58,432]

A broadcast on a rival platform was recording viewership that easily surpassed double Jamsil Baseball Stadium’s capacity of 23,000.

– [At first, it just started as a joke. Ms. Rin was the one who handled the design and rigging for my son’s character, after all.]

A no-cam male streamer who created a virtual son character using AI,

– [Actually, I’d been called “Albus’s Mom” even before this. Honestly, I didn’t mind it. I became quite famous after meeting Albus and Mr. Dotori.]

And the female virtual streamer who was in charge of that character’s overall design and rigging were holding hands and speaking in the same spot, which caught my eye.

It was a half-cam, where their faces weren’t visible.

Off-screen, where only their voices and hands were visible, the AI character Albus—whom viewers had nicknamed their child—was holding a sign that read [It’s not ‘We Got Married’, it’s ‘Seriously Dating’!].

– [Thank you for sending us more fervent attention and love than we ever imagined. My son Albus was originally just a doodle I scribbled in my notebook during middle school…]

– [Thanks to preserving such a small childhood dream, you were able to meet me now, weren’t you? I certainly didn’t expect you to fly all the way to Japan on a same-day flight.]

The woman’s soft laughter.

The sight of the man slightly shrinking beside her made viewers wonder if this was truly virtual dating content or genuine.

“What, isn’t this streamer Dotori’s broadcast? He’s the one who adopted a chuunibyou character named Albus as his son and played games with him under a single father concept… Why are there so many viewers?”

“Who knew the power of ‘We Got Married’ would be this strong? They say he actually flew all the way to Japan for the broadcast. Viewers must have been drawn by that sincerity.”

I couldn’t help but show a slightly envious expression while watching the broadcast screen.

Even though it was a rival platform, the narrative and story the two presented were so sweet they could make your teeth rot.

“Is the other person Japanese?”

“Yes, the man used to work at an AI development company before quitting, and the woman is an illustrator and 3D modeler active in Japan. It’s quite a unique combination.”

I opened a file, half-mixed with my personal thoughts, on the adjacent monitor and spoke to my direct boss.

Originally, I had organized it into a document because I thought it could be useful for our company, an MCN (a management agency that supports and manages streamers and influencers working on internet platforms).

“Is this kind of thing trending again these days? I thought the ‘We Got Married’ meta had largely passed in the internet broadcasting scene…”

“It seems that if there’s enough narrative and story, and the two people are quite mature, existing viewers also cheer them on.”

First of all, the connection between the two who started ‘We Got Married’ this time is quite unique.

The man had quit a small to medium-sized company related to AI development to jump into the streamer market, and the woman was a talented individual capable of both 3D modeling and illustration, but her name wasn’t well-known.

Even if both were broadcasters with streaming abilities, a broadcast with naturally low viewership is difficult to become popular without some kind of catalyst.

The current state of affairs where all sorts of RP (role-playing) and streamers and influencers with diverse concepts are created.

That’s exactly what this internet broadcasting was.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the internet broadcasting industry is the red ocean among red oceans.

I couldn’t help but be surprised myself when a 90-year-old YouTuber who was a former Minister of Finance appeared.

“First, the male streamer Dotori started his broadcast with a concept of being a father, and mainly did content where he bickered with an AI character while experiencing the latest games.”

“So, the one who handled the design and rigging got the nickname ‘Mama.’ The Japanese virtual industry sometimes uses such terms.”

Lee Jihye, who held the position of CEO at EASY Network, quickly grasped the reason after seeing the materials I showed her.

Even though it was a small company, my direct superior had an excellent ability to read such trends.

“So, it seems they both had that ‘this is it!’ feeling. One is a streamer broadcasting with a single father concept, and the other has a motherly image because she was in charge of the character’s design, modeling, and even rigging.”

“…And this is really the result? 50,000 live viewers? At this rate, I’d believe it if you said it was a foreign platform, not a domestic one!”

A small to medium-sized company with a family-like atmosphere due to its small scale and few employees.

As someone in my fifth year at the company this year, I told the CEO to watch the broadcast herself instead of submitting a report.

In the first place, she had even said that if an issue like this broke out in internet broadcasting, I shouldn’t think about summarizing it in a report, but to call her immediately.

Saying that there’s a difference between actually watching a broadcast and making judgments based on numbers or data in text.

– [Unlike before, Kamiya Rin’s viewership has also increased significantly, and she has succeeded by working with various large corporations whose names are recognizable… So, this ‘We Got Married’ will conclude today, as planned.]

– [It’s exactly one year as of this year. Haha, last year, we had so few viewers that I drank alone, you know. Honestly, the path we’ve walked with all of you feels like a dream.]

Moreover, this was ‘We Got Married’ content that was originally supposed to end today.

If one didn’t watch the broadcast marking its finale directly, they would miss the emotional flow.

– [But, Mr. Dotori, no, Dongmuk. Did you truly have no feelings for me?]

– [Huh?]

– [Actually, today’s broadcast was supposed to be done separately, not with the two of us meeting like this, right?]

Yes, it was precisely because I anticipated such variables or sudden situations that I called the CEO.

– [There must be a reason you went to the trouble of taking a same-day flight to Japan just to find me, right? Of course, I did give you my home address for this very reason…]

The boldness that came from the female streamer.

Along with that provocative comment, the chat window was scrolling up at an incredibly fast pace, ablaze.

– [It’s the last time, isn’t it? Even if it’s ‘We Got Married,’ it feels impolite to break up without even seeing each other’s faces after a year of meeting.]

– [I like that about you, Dongmuk.]

‘Isn’t this practically a confession?’

Forcibly suppressing the slight upward curve of my lips, I was glancing at the CEO, who was watching the broadcast next to me.

“Oh my, oh my. The woman is quite a vixen. So that’s why she was popular?”

“Yes, usually most ‘We Got Married’ content just ends with them playfully flirting, and they often become awkward acquaintances, but…”

– [Even after we break up, I want to remain on good terms with you, Dongmuk. You were the only person who treated me kindly, whether I succeeded or failed in life.]

I smiled, watching the virtual character vigorously wave its sign at the female streamer’s words.

It felt as if I were a child watching my father remarry, and a warm, mellow feeling welled up in my chest.

“No matter how you look at it, these two clearly had feelings beyond mere interest for each other, and it’s precisely because of that that the parting aspect feels so strong.”

“For each other’s sake? Because unlike before, their influence has grown, and it might interfere with their broadcasts?”

“Or it could be a highly calculated move. Ending things amicably like this is often better.”

Looking at the ‘We Got Married’ couples who became legends in internet broadcasting history, most of them maintained a good relationship even after breaking up, and didn’t prevent mentions of each other.

There were even couples whose ‘We Got Married’ relationship was years old, yet they were still brought up whenever others did similar content.

– [Someone might misunderstand if they hear that.]

– [I said it to make them misunderstand, didn’t I? You’re good at that kind of thing. Didn’t you send cold medicine and fever patches to my company when I said I was sick… and when you first created Albus, didn’t you give me tens of thousands of yen as a bonus, saying I worked hard?]

– [That’s not in the script.]

– [What does it matter? It’s really lonely when you’re sick alone and no one’s by your side, you know? Besides, you didn’t even know that I’d considered quitting drawing because my unknown period was so long, did you?]

The woman was seen playfully kneading the man’s hand like a toy, and the atmosphere was rapidly heating up to its peak.

[I feel like I am who I am now because you were by my side.]

– [……]

– [I’ll be waiting for your answer, Dongmuk oppa.]

And so, the ‘We Got Married’ finale broadcast, which marked a significant moment in internet broadcasting history, ended with a conclusion that left much room for interpretation.

****

“Should we try it too?”

“With whom are you referring?”

“Well, isn’t the reason Kim Baekhyun joined our company enough?”

And seeing that, my company’s CEO smiled cunningly and made me an offer.

“Baekhyun, you’re still a huge fan of our company’s VTuber, ‘Yujacha,’ aren’t you? Starting from the fan channel that clipped her early on, there isn’t a single viewer who doesn’t know the story of you officially becoming her editor.”

“Boss, no matter what, if a mere editor and a streamer do ‘We Got Married’ content…”

“Baekhyun, you’re not just any ordinary editor, are you? Your skills are good enough that it wouldn’t be strange for you to become a streamer right now.”

It was a suggestion to do ‘We Got Married’ content with the streamer I edit, no, my oshi (my favorite person).

“Actually, we’ve been running a deficit related to that person for quite a while, so I was planning to let her ‘graduate’ at the end of this year. Her age is also a factor, and she herself said she doesn’t seem to have talent for broadcasting.”

“……”

“Wouldn’t it be better than doing it with another male streamer? Shouldn’t we give a chance to someone who hasn’t even surpassed 100 viewers until now? Don’t worry about the editor; I’ve already found a replacement.”

Lee Jihye, the CEO, was speaking as if everything was already prepared and only my agreement was needed,

“Were you planning this content with me in mind from the beginning?”

“Well? Baekhyun, they say your skills were so good in middle school that you even received a scout offer from a professional gaming team. I think there’s a possibility for the broadcast to grow if you both complement each other’s weaknesses.”

In addition, she was mentioning the future dream I had briefly harbored during my middle school years.

As for me now, I had given up my dream of becoming a professional gamer due to certain circumstances and was walking the path of a video editor.

“Doesn’t that paint a good picture? A male editor hiding semi-pro skills and a cute female VTuber who’s really bad at games… The buzz will be enough to beat the rival platform.”

“Then I’ll contact her through the email I always receive videos from. If she says it’s okay, I’ll consider it.”

Having heard the CEO’s confident assertions, I couldn’t help but sigh and type on the keyboard.

If it weren’t for my oshi Yujacha’s broadcasts, I wouldn’t have been able to endure the difficult moments in my life,

And I couldn’t let her give up broadcasting without being able to do anything.