Chapter 19: The Streamer’s New Challenges: Sponsorships, Tournaments, and Alliances

[Hello?]

Moonhwa answered the call immediately.

How should I explain this? No need to beat around the bush—just be honest.

I panicked during the sudden call with my mom and didn’t consider Moonhwa’s position.

I’ll treat her to a meal next time.

“Moonhwa, I’m sorry. It turns out the housewarming guests are just my parents and you—just the three of us.”

[Oh! Yuseong’s parents will be there too? But why are you apologizing?]

“Well, it’s become more like a family gathering, so I thought it might make you uncomfortable. It might be difficult for you to come, right?”

[I don’t mind.]

“What?”

A response I didn’t expect. She says she doesn’t mind.

What’s this about?

I was sure she’d refuse, so I even apologized in advance.

It seems like Moonhwa is more easygoing than I thought.

“Alright then, I’ll call you again on Saturday. Take care.”

I was the one left flustered. Was I worrying about nothing?

Fine, I’ll just explain to my parents that I invited someone who’s been a great help to me.

Actually, this works out well.

No need to overthink it—just focus on preparing for the housewarming.

“Should I have a cup of coffee before getting back to work?”

My eyes feel strained from staring at my phone too much.

I need to take breaks when I can.

I pulled a can of coffee from my suitcase, stood by the living room window, and gazed at the city night view.

Sipping the coffee slowly, I felt like I was in heaven.

I succeeded earlier than I expected.

How much more will I grow in the future?

A life filled with hope for tomorrow—it makes me feel grateful.

“Yes, let me know.”

What is this? Am I going crazy? Is this a meet-the-parents event or something? Why is everything escalating so quickly?

I’m not even mentally prepared for this.

We haven’t even met face-to-face yet!

“Ugh, I give up.”

I threw myself onto the bed with my arms wide open.

Thud, thud! Burying my face in the pillow, I alternated kicking the mattress with both feet.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted.”

I woke up early in the morning and visited Yongsan Electronics Market.

I bought two computer towers and two monitors.

Now that I’ve established myself as a streamer, I need to broadcast in a better environment.

I’m setting up a dual-PC system.

One for gaming and one for streaming.

This setup prevents lag, ensures smoother gameplay, and allows for high-spec gaming during broadcasts.

Right now, I’m mainly streaming low-spec games like League of Legends, but who knows when things might change?

It’s better to prepare in advance.

I set up the computers and streaming equipment.

Are they working properly?

Before I knew it, two hours had flown by while I was testing the setup.

I’m starving.

Time to go downstairs and grab a bite to eat.

After all, we do all this to eat, right?

“One double bacon set meal, please.”

At the fast-food joint on the first floor, I ordered a burger set.

Taking bites from the burger, I skimmed through online news articles.

[U-Guk Party’s Im Gayun: Capturing the Hearts of the 20s and 30s with SNS-Focused Campaigns]

Interesting.

The woman who caused a scene yesterday is now prominently featured in a political article.

Honestly, I thought she seemed a bit clumsy, but the comments about her were surprisingly positive.

She’s quite a popular politician with solid support.

So what?

Just because she’s an important figure, does that mean it’s okay for her to mess up someone else’s computer?

I should get compensated for the damage.

I pulled out her business card and called her right away.

[Hello, this is Im Gayun of the U-Guk Party.]

Wow, her voice is different.

It sounds calmer, exuding an intellectual aura.

“Hello, I’m calling about what happened yesterday regarding the compensation.”

[Ah! Yes, how much compensation would be appropriate?]

“I think 1,000,000 won should cover it. I work on my computer, and it caused a disruption yesterday.”

Honestly, my old computer probably wasn’t worth even 600,000 won, but this seems fair.

After all, I did suffer a loss.

[Alright, understood. You’re Mr. Shin Yuseong, right? I thought your name sounded familiar. For damaging the computer of a popular streamer, I could even pay more. Are you sure 1,000,000 won is enough?]

“Yes, 1,000,000 won is sufficient.”

I considered asking for more, but it felt petty.

I don’t want to come off as some scammer.

She already knows who I am. 1,000,000 won is good enough.

Let’s not tarnish my image for a few extra hundred thousand won.

[Alright. Please send me your account number via text, and I’ll process the compensation immediately.]

“Sure. I’ll send it right away. By the way, is your leg okay? It was bleeding a lot yesterday.”

[I applied some ointment and rested, so I’m fine now. Thank you for asking.]

“That’s a relief.”

I hung up the call and sent her my account details via text.

Before long, 1,000,000 won was deposited.

Quick and efficient—how refreshing.

One less thing to worry about.

I finished my meal.

Compared to convenience store burgers, this was on another level.

Eating good food melted my stress away.

“Excuse me, are you Shin Yuseong by any chance?”

“Oh, come on, who else could have a face that perfect? Of course, it’s Shin Yuseong!”

And just like that, my good mood vanished.

Two young women approached me, clearly recognizing me since I wasn’t wearing a mask.

Obviously, I’d be easy to spot with this face.

I’m still not entirely comfortable with this kind of fame.

“Yes, that’s me. Hello.”

Still, I can’t ignore them or pretend not to know.

These are neighbors I’ll probably run into often.

I need to leave a good impression.

I smiled and greeted them politely.

“Oh my, even your voice is amazing! I’m a fan of yours, Yuseong. Nice to meet you.”

“Could we take a picture with you?”

“Sure, that’s fine.”

We took a picture together.

The two women giggled and chatted excitedly, clearly thrilled.

Surprisingly, I felt a small sense of fulfillment.

Initially, it was annoying and awkward, but I started enjoying the fan interaction.

“Can we post the photo on our social media accounts?”

“Sure, just don’t write anything bad about me.”

“Oh, please, that’s such a joke! If anyone insults you, the internet would tear them apart.”

“Ha, that sounds like a joke in itself. I’m really not that big of a deal.”

“No, we’re serious.”

I chatted with them for a while.

I was worried they’d cling to me with unreasonable requests, but that wasn’t the case.

They were polite and considerate, leaving as soon as they’d gotten what they wanted.

At this rate, I might be able to walk around the complex without a mask. It’s worth considering.

“What romance? Paying for love isn’t romance.”

Back at home, I checked my messages.

Sponsorship offers were pouring in.

Ugh, can’t they tone it down?

It’s so annoying every time I look at them.

:

[We’d like to cast you as the lead actor in a web drama funded by EKX Entertainment. Could you please respond?]

[This is the producer of the variety show Masked King. Would you be interested in appearing on the show?]

[This is Kim Juryun, CEO of RTT Entertainment. To be direct, we’d love to sign you to our agency. We think very highly of your potential.]

…

Even offers from the entertainment industry are starting to come in.

Ignoring them outright isn’t wise—it’s important to stay on good terms with everyone.

I politely declined each one.

I have no intention of becoming a celebrity.

I love gaming and take pride in my skills.

Besides, streaming is much more cost-effective.

Why bother with months of shooting on a set or constant stage rehearsals when I can earn money just by gaming from my room?

Of course, no one knows what the future holds.

My thoughts might change, but for now, I want to focus entirely on streaming.

…

[We would like to cast you as the model for a new product advertisement from the cosmetics company, ‘TheBareum.’ Please contact us.]

…

– This is disappointing.

I’d love to shoot the ad, but the pay is too low.

I should raise my value first before signing on for commercials.

Signing contracts recklessly on my own is something I want to avoid.

It’s about time to prepare for a contract with a company that manages streamers’ schedules.

Was it called MCN?

If I receive a proper offer, I’ll carefully review it.

[Hello, this is star streamer Choi Yoonkyung. I’m hosting a TL tournament today and would like to invite you. By the way, do you know how to play StarCraft?]

Next is an invitation to a tournament.

‘TL’ refers to short-term tournaments supported by Twika TV, which streamers can sign up for.

They usually end within a day.

I know who Choi Yoonkyung is. She’s the winner of Twika TV’s official StarCraft tournament, TSL.

With her large viewer base, people call her the “Star President.”

I’d like to participate. It would be a good chance to show a new side of myself to the viewers.

[Hello. I watched the TSL finals, and I’m a fan. Yes, I do know how to play StarCraft.]

[Yoonkyung:  Ah! You do know how to play. I was just planning to match you against a newbie-tier male streamer. You know, for TL, buzzworthiness matters more than skill. By the way, what’s your ladder score?]

Should I?

No, I shouldn’t.

I don’t even have an account in this world.

No need to come across as a delusional liar.

I’ll just vaguely say it’s around 300 points.

[I used to play a lot in the past, but now I’ve forgotten my account. I’m not sure how to answer that.]

[Yoonkyung: Okay, I’ve got a rough idea of your skill level. I’ll match you with someone appropriate. You’re available to participate, right? I heard you’re busy moving, but is it manageable?]

[It’s manageable. I’ve already finished moving. What time does it start?]

[Yoonkyung: It starts at 9 PM. Oh, I almost forgot—what’s your race?]

[Random.]

9 PM start.

That’s fine.

First, I need to purchase and install StarCraft… While it’s installing, I’ll watch some edited videos.

The number of applicants is higher than I expected.

Since I promised to announce the results tonight, I need to hurry and finish the evaluations.

Streamer Shin Yuseong – Announcement

Here are the results of the editor recruitment evaluation:

ChE**@never.com**

Unfortunately, I could only hire one person.

Just to clarify upfront, the new editor is Dajang, who is currently managing my stream.

This is not a case of nepotism, and once the YouTube videos are uploaded, you’ll understand my choice.

Oh, and of course, I plan to offer compensation matching their skill level.

PS: Today’s stream starts at 9 PM. I’ll be participating in Choi Yoonkyung’s StarCraft TL. Please cheer me on!

…

[Oh~ You know how to play StarCraft?]

[Probably not as good as he is at LoL. StarCraft is a game for alpha players.]

[He’s probably just participating for fun. Not expecting much.]

[Ah, just stick to playing LoL. ]

[Yeah, next LoL addict.]

[Ah, I just need to win a few games to reach my promotion matches.]

[What were the evaluation criteria? I worked hard on my edited video too. Honestly, wasn’t it just nepotism?]

[Nope, it wasn’t.]

[Go watch Yuseong’s YouTube. Dajang has been editing his videos for a month.]

[Still, didn’t expect him to hire just one person.]

…

Before I knew it, it was past 8 PM.

That took quite a bit of time.

double-checked everything meticulously, but no one matches Dajang’s skill.

It’ll be tough for them to handle it alone, but it can’t be helped.

I don’t want to hire someone I’m not confident in.

If Dajang requests it, I’ll decide to recruit additional staff later.

Should I practice StarCraft until the stream starts?

It’s been so long that I don’t know if my reflexes are still sharp.

My hands are likely to fumble a lot.

I started getting reacquainted with the game by playing against the computer’s AI.

Streamer Choi Yoonkyung – Announcement

Here’s the TL tournament bracket for today:

Match 1: Kim Dumin (T) VS Goo Sunjoon (P)

Match 2: Choo Hadaehyeona (P) VS No Doyeon (T)

Match 3: Shin Yuseong (R) VS Buwak Jihye (Z)

Match 4: Choi Yoonkyung (Z) VS Jo Heejin (P)

Match 5: Ace Match

…

[Choi Yoonkyung vs. Jo Heejin, TSL finals rematch!]

[This is gonna be so good.]

[Isn’t Heejin in better form these days?]

[Why pair Yuseong with Jihye? That’s unbalanced!]

[What’s unbalanced? Yuseong might be good at StarCraft.]

[Lol, Jihye’s ladder score is 1700. She’s insanely good.]

[Yoonkyung must’ve thought carefully about the bracket. She wouldn’t make one that sets herself up to lose, would she?]

[Matches 3 and 4 are gonna be hype.]

[Men’s StarCraft: TL First Entry, Dominating!]

…

The stream began, and I chatted with the viewers.

I mentioned that the move went well and showed the interior of my new house on camera.

We spent time casually talking about random topics.

[Choi Yoonkyung: Yuseong, please join the Discord room.]

“Sure.”

I connected to the voice chat program to talk with the other streamers.

“Hello, I’m Shin Yuseong.”

[Wow, your voice is amazing. Finally, we get to stream together! I’m Haena.]

[Noona, what about my voice?]

[Shut up, Dumin. It’s annoying, hehe.]

[Thanks, everyone, for participating in the tournament. Let’s start with the funding, shall we? The viewers are eager to watch the games.]

‘Funding’ refers to live audience donations that serve as the tournament prize pool.

For instance, if one viewer donates 40,000 won, each of the four players on the winning team gets 10,000 won.

Though it might seem trivial, this is a very sensitive time for game streamers.

If you fail to gather much funding, it essentially proves your incompetence as a streamer, and your pride takes a massive hit.

For smaller streamers, it’s probably the most difficult moment.

No matter how much they plead, there just aren’t enough viewers willing to donate.

“The funding cap is 250,000 won. Please help me protect my pride—let’s make it a million won!”

Begging for funding for the first time in my life.

Strangely, it doesn’t feel embarrassing.

Have I nagged for donations too many times before?

It feels oddly natural, almost like muscle memory.

Honestly, I’m not worried.

Humility may be a virtue, but I see Moonhwa’s name on the viewer list.

There’s no need to fret.

I’m confident we’ll hit one million won in no time.

Bam-bam-bam-bam!

Immediately, the donation alert sound rang out.

[[God] RecklessOfficeWorker has donated 1,000,000 won.]

[Yuseong, I’m looking forward to your StarCraft stream. I’ll handle the funding.]

“Wow! Moonhwa, thank you for the one-million-won donation! The 250,000 won funding is complete. I’ll show you a great match!”

As expected, Moonhwa instantly ended the funding process with their donation.

Truly reliable. Well, this is the outcome I expected.

Now it’s time to focus on the game.

I need to show such an impressive performance that I can confidently think, My viewers are the best.