Chapter 2: Former pro -gamer trainee kim baek -hyun (1)

Virtual Streamer Yujacha.

She was a streamer broadcasting on a platform called Sepia, and a ‘hako’ (a streamer with a small audience or scale) whose viewership had never exceeded three digits in ten years.

Of course, I was one of Yujacha’s early fans, and because I wished her streams would do better, I had actively edited various videos into clips and uploaded them to YouTube.

That connection led me to be officially hired as an editor at the company Yujacha belonged to.

[New Content Proposal: To Streamer Yujacha.]

Anyway, I believe the most important thing between a fan and a virtual streamer is maintaining distance.

There’s even a saying that when a virtual streamer who quit reappears, the appropriate greeting isn’t ‘Nice to meet you again,’ but ‘Nice to meet you for the first time.’

[Hello. This is Kim Baekhyun, the editor always in charge of Yujacha’s video editing.]

I was drafting an email to my favorite streamer in the most polite and formal tone possible.

Even though I was lucky enough to become Yujacha’s editor and had been a devoted viewer who had watched her longer than anyone, I couldn’t approach her carelessly.

That is the proper relationship between a fan and a broadcaster.

Because they are further apart than anyone, yet closer than anyone in giving and receiving support.

[The reason I am contacting you is to discuss a ‘virtual romance concept content (hereinafter referred to as “Woogyul”)’ that our EASY Network is planning.]

However, I couldn’t tolerate my favorite streamer quitting broadcasting like this.

Because rewatching Yujacha’s streams after work, identifying the interesting parts, and editing them was the last joy left in my life.

[I heard about this from CEO Lee Jihye beforehand, but I would like to ask for your opinion on how you, Yujacha, feel about filming Woogyul content.]

Of course, the company might have made this offer because they knew my personal information.

[The attached file below is a proposal I personally devised. It’s a compilation of content from streamers who have done Woogyul on internet broadcasting platforms so far….]

Because I was the one with the narrative of a ‘successful fan’—a former pro gamer trainee who became an official editor from a fan channel.

[Please reply with your preferred method of communication, and we can discuss the details together.]

Streamer Yujacha was already 30 years old this year.

It was a time when, rather than viewers harboring pseudo-romantic feelings, there were more people who worried about her marriage or relationships and wished her well.

Moreover, with her bizarre concept RP, it was safe to say that new viewers or collaboration offers were almost non-existent, except for the first year.

‘…She debuted at a time when South Korea didn’t really understand virtual streamers yet. There were so many trial-and-error moments.’

In the summer of 2015, a YouTuber who streamed using a character that mimicked the broadcaster’s movements and gaze first appeared in Japan,

and that winter, Korean streamers like Yujacha began entering the virtual streamer market.

However, her RP, that of a succubus and a saint, who occasionally made lewd remarks despite her rigid appearance and speech, was still too early for humanity to accept.

Even though she entered the virtual streamer market early, it was rushed and unprepared, leading to many regrettable outcomes.

That’s why her streamer name didn’t fit the concept, and it became the biggest reason she couldn’t escape being a ‘hako’ streamer.

“Ha, what a shitty life.”

Immediately after sending the email, I was on the company rooftop, smoking a cigarette and cursing.

Was it truly right for me, just an ordinary editor, to film Woogyul content with her?

Of course, the thought of a broadcaster I’d watched for nearly ten years suddenly disappearing was terrifying enough to make my hands tremble and bring a bitter taste to my mouth,

and there were no male streamers close enough or with a suitable narrative to do Woogyul with Yujacha right away.

Moreover, if it were a disagreement with the company or a rebirth as an independent broadcaster, that would be different.

Because directly stating to a company she’d been with for a long time that she had no talent for broadcasting was tantamount to saying she would look for other work.

‘Yujacha, what do you think about ambiguous talent? I have a dream I want to achieve, but I keep hitting a wall, so I’m sending this donation.’

The content of my first donation to her, from when I was immature, overlapped with the current situation.

Back then, I truly had no one to lean on, so I went into a stream where I didn’t even know the broadcaster’s face or name, donated a thousand won, and poured out my worries.

– Ambiguous talent? There’s no such thing as ambiguous talent.

Despite it being a very small amount, she listened to my concerns more earnestly than anyone and said this.

– The fact that you have a dream you want to achieve means you’ve been continuously working towards it, and experiencing setbacks doesn’t mean you’ve failed.

Whether it was part of her saintly RP or a genuine personal sentiment, the answer Streamer Yujacha gave me back then became the driving force that allowed me to be in this position today.

– I don’t know what you’re going through, but I believe the day your talent shines will come someday.

After that, despite my lack of skill, I edited videos, wishing for others to recognize her more, and I was able to rise from operating a fan channel to an official editor position.

– So, anonymous viewer, hang in there!

The acrid smoke obscured my vision. The cigarette I was smoking after a long time left a bitter taste in my mouth.

****

[RE: New Content Proposal: To Streamer Yujacha.]

[I’m fine with anything if it can increase viewers! Let’s talk on CodeCode!]

[ID: citrus_yuja]

After getting off work, I returned to my studio apartment, showered, and sat down in front of my computer to find this email from Streamer Yujacha.

Seeing the messenger ID written below, my fingertips trembled slightly.

Because it meant that instead of just hearing her voice on stream, by pressing a single call button, I could directly converse with the streamer I had admired for nearly ten years.

It surpassed my expectation that she would use SNS, where direct conversations could be exchanged.

Normally, I would avoid private conversations as much as possible and refrain from contacting her unless it was work-related editing.

‘…Do I really have to add her as a friend?’

I hesitated right at that threshold.

Normally, a virtual streamer and a fan having a private relationship or personal contact is the ultimate taboo.

Because in most cases, fans don’t like the person inside the virtual streamer, but rather the character itself.

Of course, Streamer Yujacha was now 30 years old, and after nearly ten years of broadcasting, she hadn’t escaped being a ‘hako,’ so most viewers even suggested she just find a good man and get married.

The reason she could continue broadcasting until now was also rumored to be because her family was wealthy, and she did it as a hobby.

“Alright, let’s just talk about work as much as possible and then hang up. Ignoring a reply wouldn’t be polite.”

I muttered, looking at the delivery box that arrived at the company address. CEO Lee Jihye had only provided me with a microphone worth 100,000 won and told me to figure things out from there.

It seemed she judged that the raw sweetness, without the help of professional content planners or scripts, was the key factor in the recent success of Woogyul content.

It was minimal investment.

Since a camera wasn’t used, no additional equipment was needed, and because I did video editing and was formerly a pro gamer trainee, my computer specs were decent.

– *Trrrring* ♪

Who knew the dial tone of CodeCode, the messenger that allowed screen sharing and calls while gaming, could be so nerve-wracking?

“Hello?”

The high, cute voice I heard every night. The moment I heard Virtual Streamer Yujacha speak, I couldn’t help but freeze.

“……”

“Hello? Hel-lo? Can you not hear my voice?”

Yujacha spoke slowly, clicking her tongue. Among viewers, she was called ‘ahjumma’ due to her age and RP, but to me, she was like a first love.

“I can hear you clearly. It took a moment to set up my microphone. Hello. This is Kim Baekhyun, the editor who contacted you via email earlier.”

Precisely because of that, I had to hide my personal feelings.

Because I believed that an editor and a broadcaster shouldn’t become privately close, no matter if it was for content or drawing attention.

“Aren’t you too nervous? We’ve exchanged so many emails over five years. Hehehe.”

Perhaps trying to ease my tension, Yujacha continued the conversation with a playful laugh.

“Of course, I’m nervous. I believe editors shouldn’t get to know broadcasters personally.”

“Aren’t there many streamers who are actually close? Many even appear on broadcasts and gain popularity… and there isn’t a single viewer who doesn’t know you, Kim Baekhyun, ran my fan channel.”

Such cases do exist in reality. Like ‘editor number X,’ or editors who regularly collaborate with streamers and appear on broadcasts as named editors.

“But what we’re doing is Woogyul content, isn’t it? Normally, a fan and a broadcaster shouldn’t do that.”

“You know my viewership numbers now, don’t you? Even if there’s a problem, there’ll be no one to curse at me, and they’ll just tease me for being silly and worry about my stream…. Besides, I was only planning to stream until the end of this year.”

The moment I heard her talk about ‘graduation’ (quitting), my expression couldn’t help but harden.

At times like this, it was fortunate that there was no camera.

“Honestly, I think I’ve done my best doing this for ten years since I was 20. Don’t you agree? You, the editor, are too good to be in charge of a ‘hako’ like me.”

As she said, the now-inactive fan channel indeed had higher views than the videos on Yujacha’s YouTube channel.

“Actually, maybe I never had talent to begin with. So I thought this Woogyul would be my last chance—”

However, I hated the idea that such trivial things would be the reason my favorite streamer had to quit broadcasting.

“That’s not true. There’s no such thing as ambiguous talent in this world.”

I sent the pre-prepared script and content to Yujacha, diligently preparing for the Woogyul with her more than anyone else.

****

“? You want to do this as a duo?”

Streamer Yujacha tilted her head, looking at the script for , an AOS game set in an SF movie background where players fight by combining various skills.

But why this game of all things?

To proceed with Woogyul content, which was considered taboo between an editor and a streamer, shouldn’t they go for something more provocative?

Although it was a major game with the most viewers on the internet broadcasting platform where Yujacha was active, her streams, where she was merely a gaming novice, were more teeth-grinding than entertaining.

– Yes, I’m confident in this game. Besides, if we say it’s Woogyul from the start, many people might find it strange, right? We’re building it up like this first.

To Yujacha, who didn’t understand his intention, Kim Baekhyun sent his ID and left this message.

“What, oh… you’re quite good, aren’t you? Wait a minute…”

Streamer Yujacha, Im Yujeong, who was checking his records on a match history lookup site, spotted something unusual and stopped scrolling her mouse.

“Your highest season rank is Co… Cosmos? Editor-nim, were you a ranked player in this game?”

Because she had seen the evidence of the second-highest rank, achieved ten years ago when Kim Baekhyun received an offer to join a pro gaming team—a rank only obtainable by players within the top 500 in the game.

– Yes, but that’s all in the past now.