Chapter 36: It’s Just Skill, Is That a Problem? (Part 1)

“Stream?”

At Kim Ji-eun’s question, I tilted my head.

“Are you thinking of streaming?”

“Yeah.”

“Why all of a sudden?”

At my question, Kim Ji-eun scratched her cheek and answered.

“Well… If Shihyun, you start streaming, I’m planning to help you with all my might.”

“Help me?”

How?

Can you even help each other with streaming?

When I was puzzled, Kim Ji-eun puffed out her chest and smiled.

“There are many ways. I can collaborate with you to increase your recognition, and there’s also the option of inviting you to a group collaboration. Usually, big streamers create large-scale content and collaborate with each other. If you can participate in such content, it will be helpful in many ways to grow your stream. There are many other things besides that, but….”

Kim Ji-eun trailed off and smiled awkwardly.

“Shihyun, you don’t really need help in terms of recognition. Even now, when you’re not streaming, there are people who come to my stream to see you. Rather, I should say that I’m riding on your recognition.”

“Really?”

It was an interesting story.

My recognition is that high.

‘I don’t remember doing anything particularly great.’

I just played a few games with Kim Ji-eun, and I became that famous.

It’s an amazing thing.

I crossed my arms and asked Kim Ji-eun.

“Then there’s no way you can help me, right?”

“No, even if you exclude that, there are ways.”

Kim Ji-eun cleared her throat and smiled.

“First, an editor.”

“Editor?”

“You have to upload the stream videos to Mewtube, right? It’s not just uploading them. You have to make pretty thumbnails and edit the highlight scenes.”

Kim Ji-eun said that, wiggled her index finger at me, and grinned.

“Besides, unlike the old PC game days, virtual reality has become the mainstream, and editing techniques have changed quite a bit. You have to set the composition well, and there are quite a lot of effects that can be added. Thanks to that, if you don’t have a proper editor, you’ll end up with a strange video.”

“I see.”

I nodded blankly.

Certainly, with virtual reality, this side seems to have changed quite a bit.

Just thinking about Kim Ji-eun’s stream screen, it’s not like the past where only one screen was shown, but multiple compositions are displayed and you can choose one of them to watch.

“And there are also tips related to streaming. Of course, Shihyun, you will be proceeding with a skill-based stream concept, so you don’t have to consider your eloquence or those parts that much, but still, there are things you shouldn’t do and things you must do, you know? I can give you tips based on real-world experience in those areas.”

“I see.”

“There are many other things besides that, but I’ll tell you the details when you decide to become a streamer. For now, these things are only meaningful if Shihyun, you decide to stream.”

That’s right.

After all, all the help is only meaningful if I decide to stream.

Otherwise, it’s all just empty talk.

‘Now I have to decide.’

There are people who want to help me like this, so it’s not polite to hesitate any longer.

Will I live the life of a streamer, or not?

I have to decide.

And the day to make that decision.

It will come soon.

“…….”

When I stood still with a serious face, Kim Ji-eun tapped my shoulder.

“Don’t worry too much. You don’t have to be a streamer. Shihyun, there are definitely other paths for you, right?”

“Other paths?”

What does that mean?

When I was puzzled, Kim Ji-eun giggled.

“Celebrity!”

“??”

Celebrity?

What on earth is this all of a sudden?

While I was flustered, Kim Ji-eun burst into laughter.

And then she manipulated the interface and took a picture of my face.

I was startled and covered my face.

But it seemed that the picture had already been taken.

Kim Ji-eun is giggling.

“What, why did you take it?”

“That expression just now was so funny. I have to keep it as a photo.”

“Ah, you’re taking revenge for taking a picture last time!”

“Nyah.”

“That’s too much.”

To be photographed with a stupid face.

It’s a lifelong shame.

I’ve never been humiliated like this even in ‘that world’!

While I was shivering in extreme frustration, Kim Ji-eun smiled.

“Shihyun, you have a face that could be a celebrity. Of course, being a celebrity isn’t just about your face, but still, since you have the face, wouldn’t you be more than halfway there?”

“Celebrity….”

It’s a strange feeling.

Celebrity.

I’ve never even thought about that.

This is a compliment, right?

Of course, I’m still awkward about receiving compliments for being pretty.

But since I’ve become like this, I guess I have to get used to it.

“Yeah, I have to get used to it.”

When I muttered unconsciously, Kim Ji-eun frowned.

“Shihyun, you. You were a bit annoying just now.”

“??”

No, what did I do?

“What the hell did I do wrong!”

-Thump!

Hong Chunseok couldn’t contain his anger and kicked the desk.

At the same time, he felt a tingling pain rising from his toes, and he grabbed his toes.

“Ouch! Damn it!”

Hong Chunseok shed tears and gritted his teeth.

Nothing is going right.

Everything has been going wrong lately.

My tier, which was Diamond, dropped to Platinum, and the growth of my stream also stagnated.

No, it’s not just stagnating.

Rather, all indicators were showing record negative numbers compared to last month.

‘It’s all because of that b*tch.’

Hong Chunseok gritted his teeth so hard that a cracking sound could be heard.

Shihyun.

Sung Shihyun.

It’s because of that monstrous woman.

Nothing has gone right since I met that woman.

My main account dropped to Platinum?

It’s because I met that woman as an enemy.

My stream went to hell?

It’s because I got traumatized after being beaten like a dog by that woman and took a break from streaming.

It’s a bonus that the subscribers left because they were disappointed in Hong Chunseok.

Objectively speaking, it was all Hong Chunseok’s fault, but Hong Chunseok didn’t think so.

If that woman hadn’t so viciously(?) crushed me, I wouldn’t be in this state, would I?

‘Damn it, damn it.’

It was obvious to anyone that it was blaming others and taking out anger on the wrong place, but Hong Chunseok didn’t realize that fact.

No, he ignored it.

Because I couldn’t stand it if I thought it was my fault.

“F*ck, f*ck.”

While Hong Chunseok was shedding tears and cursing.

-Buzz!

Hong Chunseok’s smartphone, which was lying on the desk, vibrated.

“F*ck… What?”

Hong Chunseok frowned and roughly picked up the smartphone.

And then I checked the name of the caller.

I wanted to hang up the phone, but I had to check it in case it was an important call.

[CEO Hwang]

And the moment I checked the name.

Hong Chunseok hurriedly answered the phone.

“CEO? Wh, what’s the matter?”

It was inevitable.

The opponent was.

[…Hey, Hong Chunseok. You’re just doing whatever you want these days?]

A cold voice came from beyond the speaker, and Hong Chunseok’s body trembled as if he had been struck by electricity.

“Th, that’s.”

[Getting beaten like a dog by some crazy b*tch, ruining the concept, and breaking the stream schedule as you please? Are you just living your life happily? Don’t you want to stream anymore? Do you think the contract is a joke?]

“I, I’m sorry!”

Hong Chunseok hurriedly lowered his posture.

It was a habit that had naturally been ingrained in his body while working with CEO Hwang.

It was an unbelievable behavior considering Hong Chunseok’s temper that was usually revealed on stream, but it couldn’t be helped.

‘F*ck, you f*cking gangster.’

Because, the opponent is a human being who is rumored to be a gangster.

You can’t act according to your stream concept in front of a gangster, can you?

What the hell would happen to you if you did such a crazy thing?

Hong Chunseok wanted to live as long as possible.

[Hey, don’t you want to stream?]

“No.”

[Then why are you like this? Are you looking down on me because I’m letting you go? Should I do it according to the contract?]

At the word contract, Hong Chunseok’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.

Hong Chunseok hurriedly put excuses into his mouth.

“C, CEO. Actually, there’s a reason for this….”

[Yeah, let’s hear some excuses. Let’s hear what you’re going to say.]

‘Damn it.’

And then I regretted it.

Because my mind went blank at the cool voice coming from beyond the speaker.

Hong Chunseok closed his mouth tightly.

‘This f*cking.’

Excuses?

What excuses are you talking about?

Of course, Hong Chunseok also knew.

That this is all his fault.

That it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t needlessly picked a fight with that woman.

But honestly, I had something to say.

‘You’re the one who assigned this ridiculous concept!’

This ridiculous concept was the concept that CEO Hwang recommended when I started streaming, saying that this kind of thing is popular these days.

Of course, it actually worked out pretty well.

Until I met Shihyun.

[Hey, we’re suffering a lot of damage because of you. Do you know?]

“I’m sorry, CEO….”

I don’t know what kind of damage CEO Hwang’s company suffered because of this, but Hong Chunseok quickly apologized.

This was also a habit that I had while working with CEO Hwang.

[Are you sorry? Are you really sorry?]

“Yes, yes!”

To Hong Chunseok, CEO Hwang ordered.

[Then, you clean up the sh*t you made.]

“Yes?”

[That Shihyun or Jihyun or whatever. You take care of them.]

Hong Chunseok asked with a stupid face.

“H, how?”

[Well, even you think it’s ridiculous, right? That skill. It’s not like they’re using a bug.]

“……?”

[Yeah. A bug.]

CEO Hwang muttered in a voice mixed with laughter.

[Or a hack wouldn’t be bad either. Right?]