Chapter 10: Broadcast Chaos: The Unmasking of Shin Yuseong

The bustling exam district becomes even more crowded around lunchtime.

I find myself repeatedly stopping and walking, pushed around by the throng of people on the sidewalk.

“Hah! Who was that?”

I just felt a hand brush against my backside.

I quickly turned around, but I couldn’t identify the culprit.

Everyone was walking casually, as if nothing had happened.

Ugh, how annoying.

If you’re going to touch, at least ask for permission.

The world outside is dangerous, especially this one.

What if it happens again?

I stayed alert, scanning my surroundings, and finally reached the station entrance.

“To Frame Palace in Seocho-dong, please,” I told the taxi driver as I got in.

The middle-aged woman behind the wheel greeted me warmly.

Finally, some peace and quiet.

I pulled out my phone from my pocket and opened the internet browser.

Streamer Kim Sara – Announcement

Tonight at 8 PM, there will be a “Yaqueen” live stream in Gangnam. It’s been a while, right? I really hope I can find a decent guy today.

See you later! Bye~

[Ah, unnie, just give up already, lol.]

[Even if you catch someone like last time, that’d be a win. It’s so hard to find good-looking guys these days.]

[Good-looking men don’t stay single for long. They’re all married with kids, lol.]

[Stop hoarding them all! Share some with us, sheesh.]

[Lololol.]

How creative.

Top-tier streamers really do think differently.

If I were in a position to invite guests, could I ever come up with an idea like this?

No, probably not.

‘Yaqueen’ is a combination of “outdoor streaming” and “queen.” It’s a content concept where the streamer roams busy streets, scouting for men.

How do they even pull this off?

Talking to strangers, drinking with them, and sometimes even touching them?

Someone like me could never do that—it’s way too embarrassing.

“Are you a student?” the driver asked.

I’m definitely not a student—I graduated high school five years ago.

“No, I’ve graduated,” I replied.

“Oh? Are you preparing for a civil service exam?”

The question I hate the most.

Sorry, dusty textbooks piled up on my shelf—I’ll need to use you as an excuse one more time.

“Yes, I’m studying for the level-12 administrative assistant position.”

“Good for you. Work hard. These days, even men need to have jobs to be attractive.”

“Yes, thank you.”

We chatted about various topics, which made the ride less boring.

Though, I felt a bit awkward when the conversation veered into politics.

How was I supposed to know if the president was doing a good job or not?

I’ve only been in this world for two days.

I just nodded along, agreeing with everything.

“Thank you,” I said as I got out of the taxi.

I looked around and saw a luxurious 15-story officetel building in front of me.

When will I ever get to live in a place like this?

In school, I lived in a cramped, chicken-coop-like dormitory.

As a pro gamer, I stayed in a prison-like team house.

And after retiring, I thought I could finally live nicely.

But no, life reset itself again.

What a ridiculous fate I have.

“Mr. Shin Yuseong?”

A voice called out to me from the side. I turned my head and saw Kim Sara standing there.

[(Gangnam Yaqueen) Waiting for a Celebrity-Level Handsome Guy]

“Hello, everyone!”

[Kim ha!]

[Unnie, you look beautiful as always!]

[It looks like you’re ready to get married, lol—if only you had a man.]

[True, lol.]

“Haha, starting with insults as soon as I go live. You little punks.”

It was 8 PM, the scheduled time.

Kim Sara started her stream, warmly greeting her viewers.

Tonight was the day for her Yaqueen content.

No need to delay—she immediately began strolling the streets, taking on missions from her audience.

“Got any missions? Send them over quickly.”

[Shut up and just go find a guy, lol.]

[Unnie, head toward the clubs.]

[Mission: Seduce a random guy for a one-night stand.]

[Lololololol.]

[It’s a weekday. Will there even be anyone around? Should’ve done this yesterday instead.]

“I just felt like doing a weekday Yaqueen. Honestly, I didn’t have anyone to invite for a collab, and it felt weird to skip a stream entirely.”

[Try getting Shin Yuseong to join.]

[Who?]

[Wow! If you managed to get Shin Yuseong, that’d be amazing. He sings so well!]

[0720.]

“How am I supposed to get Shin Yuseong? He’s still a rookie streamer who hasn’t even revealed his face yet.”

Ah, this is frustrating.

No missions, no men—everything I need is missing.

I don’t even know how to stall for time.

No matter how much I looked around, all I saw were barren fields.

The guys walking around were all dressed terribly.

It’s like they’re trying so hard to make something happen, but nothing’s working.

Not that I can’t relate—I’ve been there myself.

[LifeIsDrama donated 100,000 won.]

[Mission: Get five guys’ phone numbers. 300,000 won if you succeed.]

“Wow, thank you, LifeIsDrama! Long time no see. Why haven’t I seen you around lately?”

[LifeIsDrama: Work’s been hectic. But I finished early today for a change.]

“You must be busy. Hang in there! I’ll get started on the mission right away~”

First, skip the PC cafes—guys hate being interrupted there.

Better head toward pubs or clubs.

But wow, there really aren’t any men out tonight.

Did all the quick-footed women already snatch them up?

“Ah! Found one.”

Finally, I spotted a guy. I quickly approached him and struck up a conversation.

He seemed to recognize me and greeted me with a wave.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-three. I’m a big fan of yours, noona.”

“Okay, thanks. Can you give me your number? It’s for a mission I’m doing right now.”

“Sure.”

Once I find someone, it’s a guaranteed win.

After all, I’m Kim Sara—when I ask for something, people give it to me without hesitation.

It’s not my first time doing Yaqueen in Gangnam.

I often run into guys I already know because I’m pretty famous in this scene.

[Oh, he’s kinda cute. Let’s recruit him.]

[Are you blind? Lol, he’s a total loser. Looks like a fish head.]

[He’s kinda meh.]

[Pass.]

[Still, it’s not easy to find a guy like him again, lol.]

I gave him a once-over, from head to toe.

Nope, he’s not it.

With my viewership barely scraping 20,000, I can’t waste time on him.

If he had potential, I might’ve used him for future content, but there’s no hope.

“Thanks for the phone number. I’ll contact you later.”

Now, I just need to find two more people… Oh! Speak of the devil—some guys nearby are gathering around.

Word must’ve spread that I’m live-streaming.

In no time, I’m surrounded by a crowd.

“Can we take a picture together?”

“Sure, hand me your phone.”

After taking photos with the guys, I picked the most decent-looking one and asked for his number.

Mission accomplished in no time.

We exchanged some casual pleasantries, and I moved on to the next spot.

[?????]

[Why’d you send them all away?]

[That guy in the red cap was cute, though! Ugh, such a waste.]

[??]

[Are you even doing the Yaqueen content today?]

[Did you come here for a fan meeting or what, you clown? LOL.]

“Hey! Give me a break, you brats. I’m going to find a hot guy today—just you watch.”

[User **has donated 300,000 won.] – LifeIsActing

[Wow, that mission ended faster than I expected.]

“Whoa! LifeIsActing, thank you for the 300,000 won! Yeah, that was way too easy, wasn’t it? Guess the mission balance was off, huh? Hehe.”

Now that I’ve hyped things up, it’s time to get to the real game.

Maybe it’s because this content feels so hollow?

The audience doesn’t seem all that engaged.

Their reactions are lukewarm at best.

Fooling them isn’t as easy as I thought.

I quickly made my way to the meeting point.

“Hey, what do you think about that guy over there?”

[OMG, his proportions are insane. He’s tall and slim—chef’s kiss.]

[Wait, don’t tell me… Is it another one of those setups?]

[You crazy woman. Didn’t I tell you not to sexually harass regular people?]

[Go talk to him LOL. He looks promising.]

[Why is he wearing a mask, though? I’m dying to see his face.]

Thank goodness.

I was worried he might get surrounded by girls while waiting, but he’s just standing there awkwardly, all alone.

Pretending to meet him for the first time, I put on my friendliest tone and approached him.

“Hi there! Are you here alone?”

As I walked by, I noticed women stealing glances my way.

I should’ve been used to this by now, considering how often it happens whenever I go out, but it’s still overwhelming.

Thankfully, none of them tried to cling to me or strike up a conversation.

“I-I’m here with someone,” I muttered.

Sara had taught me how to politely reject people, but actually saying it out loud felt embarrassing.

I hoped I wouldn’t have to use it.

“Hi there! Are you here alone?”

Finally, the savior of this awkward situation had arrived.

Time to wrap up this silly charade.

I glanced at Sara coldly and answered bluntly.

“Yes, I am. Why?”

“Wow! Even your voice is nice. Right? What do you think, everyone? Isn’t he great?”

Was she talking to me or her viewers? Sara kept looking at the camera as she chattered away.

So this is what it feels like to be a regular person caught in Yaqueen content?

Awkward, uncomfortable, and filled with long stretches of waiting.

“You know who I am, right?”

“Yes, I do. You’re a streamer.”

“Exactly. So, here’s the thing… How about coming to my place for drinks?”

This is it—time to shine.

I needed to nail this part, just as I’d practiced.

First, a cold expression paired with a quick glance at my watch.

Then, I’d stare straight at Sara, ensuring my gaze translated well on camera.

Finally, a shallow sigh followed by a silent nod.

“See that, everyone? I told you I’d find a hot guy! To those of you who doubted me earlier—go cry in a corner and reflect on your poor judgment!”

“You sure talk a lot. Not interested.”

“Ooh! Feisty. I like guys with attitude—they’re more fun to conquer.”

“Sorry, but you’re not my type.”

Hearing this, Sara burst into laughter.

She leaned into the camera and delivered her closing remarks.

“And that’s it for the first part of Yaqueen content today! Stay tuned for the second part, where I’ll be hosting a drinking stream with this sassy hottie. See you later!”

Sara ended the stream and pulled out a cigarette.

She took a drag and exhaled with an oddly satisfying motion, then shot me a sly smile.

“You’re a pretty good actor.”

“Well, I just followed the script. Did it seem awkward?”

“Not at all. You nailed it.”

Good. I’d been worried my stiff, robotic performance might turn into a cringy meme that’d haunt me forever.

Just imagining being immortalized in a mocking gif made my face burn.

With the event-style Yaqueen content now wrapped up, we headed back to Sara’s studio.

On the way, I couldn’t help but ask something that had been bugging me.

“By the way, I’m wearing the same outfit I had on during my phone booth stream. Don’t you think the viewers might’ve caught on to my identity?”

“And if they did?” Sara flicked her cigarette butt to the ground and continued.

“Wouldn’t that just bring in more attention? Sounds like a win to me.”

[Guest Reveal: Who’s Sara’s Drinking Buddy?]

(Comparison pic: Shin Yuseong’s phone booth stream vs. Yaqueen outing.jpg)

It’s totally him.

Same outfit, hat, and mask—it’s obvious.

[Whoa, he’s already making guest appearances on Sara’s stream?]

[Yuseong was born to be a star, TBH.]

[His debut was legendary—he wiped the floor with WheelNine LOL.]

[Ugh, Sara and her attention-grabbing antics again LOL.]

That’s definitely Shin Yuseong. I mentioned it and got banned from chat LOL.

[No wonder she ignored all the other decent-looking guys LOL.]

[But do you think he’ll finally show his face? Keeping the mask on during a cam stream would be so awkward.]

[Oh? Could it be?]

100% sure it’s him.

[Bora Stream: Handsome Guest and Drinks—Time to Dust the Cobwebs]

“Hey, everyone! Welcome to part two of the stream. Wow, look at the chat go wild. Were you all waiting for my drinking stream this badly?”

[Stop the nonsense—just introduce Yuseong already!]

[Nobody cares about you drinking LOL.]

[Finally, Yuseong on cam! ]

[Thought you said you couldn’t get him on stream LOL.]

Back at the studio, Sara restarted the broadcast.

As expected, her antics had successfully drawn in the crowd.

Before she even finished her intro, the viewer count had surpassed 20,000.

If this momentum continued, how many viewers would tune in by the end of the stream?

It was hard to even imagine.

“Alright, alright. I get it—I’m always the side dish. Let’s cut to the chase and introduce today’s guest. Hey, Mr. Chic from Gangnam, care to introduce yourself?”

“Gangnam chic? Let’s drop that, please. Okay, here we go.”

[Under the studio lights, his skin looks flawless.]

[Thanks for appearing on Bora’s stream! ]

[Are we playing LoL later?]

[LoL streams are for the gaming channel, dummy.]

[Wow, Yuseong is already world-class LOL.]

[Bet he’ll have the most annoyed expressions every time someone donates LOL.]

In just a short time, the viewer count surged past 30,000.

Coming onto Sara’s stream was the right move.

This was the perfect stage—the stars had aligned.

With everything set, I decided it was time to reveal my trump card.

I removed my mask and spoke up.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Shin Yuseong, a new game streamer. Nice to meet you.”