Chapter 37: The Calm Before the Storm

There are various reasons for a sudden increase in viewers, but based on my experience, there was always a specific cause when viewership surged.

For instance, it could be because of an “invasion” from the ‘Mangming Gallery’ or other external factors.

But right now…

‘It’s quiet.’

Of course, it’s partly because I’ve set chat restrictions, but people from the Mangming Gallery don’t just attack through chat.

They usually send attacks through donation messages.

Yet, right now, there aren’t any donation messages either.

So, it’s highly unlikely that they came from Mangming Gallery.

Thinking that, I checked the chat.

[Omniscient Cthulhu: What the heck? Why are there so many viewers?]

[Hwanhee: You’ve suddenly become a major corporation, lol]

[What? 200 viewers and you’re talking big company? Don’t cross the line.]

User has been temporarily removed!

[Omniscient Cthulhu: Hmm, yes, the one crossing the line is you.]

[As expected from the mod, haha.]

[The manager is really on point. It’s convenient to have a mod like that.]

[Harin: Oh-ho.]

[Isn’t it just because the stream hit 200 viewers purely for fun? I can’t think of any other reason.]

Even the people in the chat didn’t seem to know the cause of this phenomenon.

So, I couldn’t guess either.

“Hmm…”

But I couldn’t just let it slide without knowing.

I felt a bit uneasy.

So, I decided to take a slight risk.

“I’ll temporarily lift the chat restriction, so if anyone from elsewhere joined, please explain why you’re here.”

I said this as I lifted the chat restriction.

Then, shortly after…

[Finally, I can type! Phew.]

[I was suffocating, suffocating, suffocating, suffocating, suffocating.]

[Uh-oh, got caught red-handed. Uh-oh, got caught red-handed. Uh-oh, got caught red-handed.]

User has been temporarily removed!

[Omniscient Cthulhu: Everyone’s so tame.]

[Omniscient Cthulhu: I thought they’d be wilder.]

[Hwanhee: Lol.]

[Hwanhee: Why’s everyone so well-behaved? Haha.]

The viewers who couldn’t chat until now finally started typing what they had been wanting to say.

But maybe because of the precedent I had set, there weren’t too many messages crossing the line.

Occasionally, there were a few, but the mod quickly took care of those.

‘They’re doing a good job.’

I thought I could keep them on for another year or so.

With that thought, I read the explanations coming up in the chat.

“So, you heard a rumor that Harin and Mangming were hanging out here, and also found the stream fun, so you joined?”

[00]

[You got it exactly right.]

[Actually, the first reason is bigger, but after watching, the stream is fun.]

[It’s rare for a small streamer to grow this big. You should bow to Harin.]

User has been temporarily removed!

[Omniscient Cthulhu: What kind of nonsense is that?]

[Are you guys really fawning over Harin? Here, you’re just ordinary viewers who can’t even touch the manager, ugh…]

[Kang Hoomin: Useless b*tch.]

[Ugly is a compliment, haha.]

Hearing the unfolding events made things seem a bit dull.

I expected there to be a significant reason, but it was less interesting than I thought.

In that case, it was best to lock the chat again.

After all, it could easily turn into chaos otherwise.

“I’ll lock the chat again.”

[?????]

[Oh, come on!]

[Don’t lock the chat! Don’t lock the chat! Don’t lock the chat! Don’t lock the chat!]

[What did we do to deserve this, you little sh*t?]

[We’re sorry…]

[Omniscient Cthulhu: If you want to chat,]

[Omniscient Cthulhu: just wait a day,]

[Omniscient Cthulhu: and then come back.]

[Don’t be ridiculous.]

[If you really want to kill the manager, give a thumbs up, haha!]

[I really want to kill that b*tch Cthulhu.]

[Give a thumbs up, haha!]

[Just try locking the chat again, damn it. I warned you; don’t really do it.]

While there were viewers protesting in the chat, I couldn’t make exceptions to the rules.

I couldn’t give preferential treatment when Harin and Mangming also followed my stream and waited a day to watch.

“Okay, I know many of you are disappointed, but complaining won’t change anything, so don’t hold it against me too much.”

[Shut up! You’re the one deciding this, so don’t say you can’t do anything!]

[Whoa, calm down, haha.]

[Omniscient Cthulhu: Why are you so angry, haha.]

[Let’s just block them.]

Before the viewers got any angrier, I changed the conditions for chatting.

They had to have followed my stream for over a day before they could chat.

Then, the chat became remarkably cleaner.

[Mangming: Haha.]

[Mangming: Wait a day and then chat.]

[Mangming: You can’t just take advantage of this.]

[Mangming makes a good point, haha.]

[Since when did Mangming start making sense?]

[I’ve heard even a broken clock is right once a day, and finally, it’s true.]

[Omniscient Cthulhu: This is hilarious, haha.]

[Harin: I was waiting too.]

[Harin: I wonder what they’re saying about themselves.]

As I watched the viewers chatting, I continued the broadcast.

“Then, that’s it for today.”

I achieved today’s target tier: Platinum 3.

I played a lot of games to reach this tier.

And I took it quite seriously.

I’m not a big fan of taking games seriously, but there was a mission involved, so I had no choice.

[If I achieve Platinum 3 today, I’ll get thirty thousand won.]

“Then should I hit accept?”

Since I achieved Platinum 3 today, it would be enough to claim it.

[Omniscient Cthulhu: So you’re actually taking this, haha!]

[Omniscient Cthulhu: What’s this money nonsense?]

[Money is important, I guess.]

[But if you’re setting a goal, aim a bit higher. Platinum 3 is too easy.]

[Hwanhee: Haha, there’s no sense of broadcasting.]

[Kang Hoomin: Buy me some snacks.]

[The audacity to ask is truly remarkable, haha.]

Click.

Since I achieved my target tier, I clicked the [Accept] button—

Ding!

I saw that the total donation amount increased by thirty thousand won.

“Ah, thanks to you guys, I’m having chicken tonight. Thank you.”

[Omniscient Cthulhu: Suddenly.]

[Omniscient Cthulhu: That’s really infuriating…]

[Bragging about eating chicken is crossing the line.]

[Huh?]

[Mangming: What kind of chicken are you having?]

[Mangming: I also like chicken.]

[Harin: For girls, local fried chicken is the best.]

Hmm.

As for the type of chicken, I hadn’t really decided what to get; I was just thinking about eating chicken.

While I was contemplating for a moment, a good idea came to me.

‘I can just ask Yeram.’

It seemed like a good idea to ask Yeram since she likes to eat.

So, I shouted loudly to Yeram, who was dozing off with a book open on her desk.

“Hey, little sister!”

When I called out loudly,

“Uh, yeah?”

Yeram sprang up as if she hadn’t been dozing off at all.

It was a bit funny, but I understood since she was in her third year of high school.

That aside,

“What chicken do you want? I’m currently debating.”

“Oh, chicken?”

The moment she heard the word chicken, Yeram’s eyes lit up.

After a brief moment of contemplation—

“Let’s add chicken, cheese balls, and sausage skewers to the whole leg.”

“What?”

I questioned if I was hearing her correctly.

I said I would buy chicken, and she suggested adding cheese balls and sausage skewers.

[Omniscient Cthulhu:???]

[Omniscient Cthulhu: Am I hearing this right?]

[If I achieve Platinum 3 today, I’ll get thirty thousand won.]

“Then should I hit accept?”

Since I achieved Platinum 3 today, it would be enough to claim it.

[Omniscient Cthulhu: So you’re actually taking this, haha!]

[Omniscient Cthulhu: What’s this money nonsense?]

[Money is important, I guess.]

[But if you’re setting a goal, aim a bit higher. Platinum 3 is too easy.]

[Hwanhee: Haha, there’s no sense of broadcasting.]

[Kang Hoomin: Buy me some snacks.]

[The audacity to ask is truly remarkable, haha.]

Click.

Since I achieved my target tier, I clicked the [Accept] button—

Ding!

I saw that the total donation amount increased by thirty thousand won.

“Ah, thanks to you guys, I’m having chicken tonight. Thank you.”

[Omniscient Cthulhu: Suddenly.]

[Omniscient Cthulhu: That’s really infuriating…]

[Bragging about eating chicken is crossing the line.]

[Huh?]

[Mangming: What kind of chicken are you having?]

[Mangming: I also like chicken.]

[Harin: For girls, local fried chicken is the best.]

Hmm.

As for the type of chicken, I hadn’t really decided what to get; I was just thinking about eating chicken.

While I was contemplating for a moment, a good idea came to me.

‘I can just ask Yeram.’

It seemed like a good idea to ask Yeram since she likes to eat.

So, I shouted loudly to Yeram, who was dozing off with a book open on her desk.

“Hey, little sister!”

When I called out loudly,

“Uh, yeah?”

Yeram sprang up as if she hadn’t been dozing off at all.

It was a bit funny, but I understood since she was in her third year of high school.

That aside,

“What chicken do you want? I’m currently debating.”

“Oh, chicken?”

The moment she heard the word chicken, Yeram’s eyes lit up.

After a brief moment of contemplation—

“Let’s add chicken, cheese balls, and sausage skewers to the whole leg.”

“What?”

I questioned if I was hearing her correctly.

I said I would buy chicken, and she suggested adding cheese balls and sausage skewers.

[Omniscient Cthulhu:???]

[Omniscient Cthulhu: Am I hearing this right?]

[Is this for real???]

Sausage skewers with cheese balls—

[This is insane.]

[This really is the average request from a little sister, haha.]

[Average little sister, haha.]

[Harin: Oh.]

[Harin: I have a gift certificate at the moment.]

[Harin: Should I send it to you?]

Although Harin’s attractive offer was tempting, I decided to decline.

Personally, I wasn’t a fan of accepting things from others.

“I don’t really like getting things from others, so you don’t have to send me a gift certificate.”

[Harin: Ah.]

[Harin: I was just joking.]

[Harin: Hehe…]

[Hahaha!]

[Omniscient Cthulhu: Haha!]

[Harin, you little brat!!!!]

[What are you doing, making it awkward? What are you doing, making it awkward? What are you doing, making it awkward?]

[Huh?]

I stared at Yeram intently.

I wondered if she was being serious.

But—

‘…She’s serious.’

Her eyes were genuine.

The look she gave me was one of truly wanting cheese balls and sausage skewers.

I thought to myself, “Why would anyone want to eat that?”

But—

“Okay.”

“Nice.”

Still, since she was my only little sister, it wouldn’t be bad to treat her.

“By the way, I’ll order it for takeout, so go and pick it up.”

“Huh.”

The chicken place was a 20-minute walk away.

Walking for about 20 minutes would be a good way to get some exercise.

“Delivery fees are a waste.”

“No… Hmm… Alright.”

Yeram seemed like she wanted to argue, but she quickly accepted.

She must have felt grateful that I was buying her chicken.

That aside—

“Then, I’ll let you know what else to buy while you’re out.”

I decided to give her some errands to run while she was out.

We should be efficient with our time.

By the way, I heard it might rain in the early morning; hopefully, it won’t rain during this short trip.

Thinking about those random things, I handed my card to Yeram.