Chapter 13: Unconventional Reactions and Late-Night Escapades

[[GOD] Life is Drama has donated 7,000,000 won.]

[Yes, I added more. ^-^; Is it more entertaining now?]

[Wow, ddddd]

[Are you all guncle?! lol]

[How much have they donated already? ddd]

[Looks like they’re going all out against Moonhwa. ddddd ccc]

[Shooting 16 million won in a day. lol]

“Inyeon! Thank you so much for the 7 million won donation! Wow, I’m not even sure if it’s okay to receive such a large amount. Are you really okay with this?”

[[GOD] Life is Drama: It’s nothing, just pocket change. But Moonhwa might struggle a bit. If it’s hard, you can give up. ]

Once again, Inyeon pulled ahead by a margin of 1.6 million won.

No matter how much money they have, seeing someone spend such enormous sums so casually—almost jokingly—feels surreal.

Even back in my pro-gaming days, when I earned billions in annual salary, I wasn’t this desensitized to money.

Maybe it was because I didn’t have many opportunities to spend it, living in a team dorm.

Anyway, both of them are truly incredible people.

[[GOD] Moonhwa Office Worker has donated 10,000,000 won.]

[Yes, it was fun. Let’s play another game next time. Hehe.]

“Moon… Moonhwa just donated 10 million won! What is this?! Why do you keep donating such enormous amounts? Thank you so much—I’ll make good use of it!”

[Suddenly jumping to 10 million won? ccc]

[As expected, office worker class. ddd]

[Office worker trolling the chat. lol]

[I’m an office worker too, but why do I feel stingy even donating 10,000 won? lol Life. ]

[Wait, isn’t this violating some rule? Didn’t things change after CEO Seo Juhee’s hearing?]

“What are they saying? Why are they talking like it’s over? I’m just getting started.

That broke girl must have run out of money.”

“Nuna, what’s with all the constant phone alerts? Are you wasting money on something weird again?”

“Shut up. Just focus on driving properly, like I told you!”

Judging from her tone, that woman must have spent all her money.

I knew it.

Acting all high and mighty as one of the ‘Big Three,’ but in the end, this is all she amounts to.

A basement-dwelling loser who spends all day watching internet streams.

Having money doesn’t change much.

Let’s finish this. If I spend about 1.2 million won more, I’ll become the chairman.

•
Honestly, I’ve spent a lot. I’ve never used this much money on Twika TV before.

But this is about pride. I can’t afford to be labeled a loser to Yuseong here.

Let’s start the payment.

[Payment failed. You cannot exceed 20 million won in donations within 24 hours.]

“What?! What’s this?!”

[[GOD] Life is Drama has donated 3,000,000 won.]

[There’s a 24-hour donation limit. If there wasn’t, I could’ve become the chairman. Such a shame. ]

Ah, so that’s how it works.

I guess there needs to be some sort of mechanism to curb excessive competition.

So, the daily limit is 20 million won?

Both Moonhwa and Inyeon donated 19 million won each.

To be fair, even that seems like an astronomical amount.

This feels more like a superficial restriction than a meaningful safeguard.

I mean, is 20 million won pocket change?

I can’t help but question whether this safety measure is actually effective.

[Limit? That’s a thing?]

[Didn’t CEO Seo Juhee get grilled by the National Assembly after the hearing about how they’re promoting vanity and resentment? lol]

[Oh, that’s when she made that pathetic face and played dumb. lol]

[Yeah, after that, the donation limit was introduced. But this is the first time I’ve seen it in action.]

[Not the first time. It also happened when Jimguk, Gaehal, and Taengchang were competing for chairman.]

[Ah, that legendary showdown of the Big Three. ddd]

Anyway, the seemingly endless donation war—this battle for chairman has come to an end here.

Moonhwa solidified their position as chairman, and Inyeon took the role of vice-chairman.

“Moonhwa and Inyeon, thank you so much.

Really, I mean it. The only way I can repay you is through my streams.

I’ll work hard moving forward. I love you both!”

Receiving such massive donations all the time leaves me speechless.

It feels like I’m just repeating the same words over and over again.

I worry it might start sounding stale and robotic.

“Actually, I have a personal situation… I really need to move soon. My current place isn’t suitable for streaming. But thanks to today, I think I’ve earned enough to cover it. I’m so grateful.”

I decided to open up about my situation.

I thought being honest would help convey my gratitude. Luckily, the response was positive.

[Oh, you did sound a bit timid earlier. Big voices can be tough, though.]

[Remember when we could even hear the bathroom sounds? lol]

[Judging from the layout, it looks like you’re living in a goshiwon.]

[That’s great! Move quickly! lol]

[But have you thought about where to move? Finding a place with good soundproofing won’t be easy.]

“I’ll start looking tomorrow.

I’m sure I can find something quickly.”

Now that I think about it, it might not be that simple.

I’ve been so focused on making money that I overlooked this.

I need to find a house where I can stream comfortably.

Will I be able to find a property that meets all the requirements?

[[God] RecklessOfficeWorker: Ah! That’s perfect. My sister is going on a three-year overseas business trip soon and will be vacating her house. I think I can talk to her about letting you live there.]

“Huh? Really? What kind of house is it? Does it have good soundproofing?”

A stroke of luck.

Moonhwa brought some good news.

Since it’s a recommendation from someone trustworthy, it must be a good place.

Maybe I won’t have to search endlessly online or visit real estate offices.

[[God] RecklessOfficeWorker: It’s Luxury The Hill. Of course, the soundproofing is excellent. ~^-^ hehe.]

“Luxury The Hill? I’ve never heard of it. Let me look it up real quick.”

[You’ve never heard of Luxury The Hill? dddd]

[Basement gamer level. lol]

[It’s an apartment built by the Shinhwa Group.]

[Luxury The Hill is such a common internet meme. How do you not know about it? lol]

[Wait, are you living in Luxury The Hill too, sis? lol]

[Sometimes, Yuseong seems like she’s from a completely different world. lol]

Judging from the chat, it’s obviously a great apartment.

But now, I’m worried about the cost.

I opened a portal site to look up information on Luxury The Hill.

Obviously, renting long-term is out of the question—I’ll have to check monthly rent.

[Luxury The Hill, 26-pyeong unit, immediate move-in—Deposit: 1.15 billion won / Monthly Rent: 5 million won.]

“What?! Moonhwa, this isn’t going to work. The deposit is over 1.1 billion won. There’s no way I have that kind of money. Thank you for thinking of me, but I’ll look for a different place.”

[[God] RecklessOfficeWorker: Oh no, my sister told me I could live there without a deposit and only pay the monthly rent. But since I already have a place, I think I can persuade her to let you live there under the same conditions.]

“Hmm… that sounds too good to be true. You’re not scamming me, are you?”

The deal seems too perfect.

How can things align so well? Honestly, I’m a little suspicious.

Although Moonhwa is a verified and well-known figure on Twika TV, there’s no harm in being cautious.

[[God] RecklessOfficeWorker: Haha, does Yuseong owe you money? Honestly, the money he has now was practically all mine originally. Haha.]

“Ah!”

[Ah! OMG LOL]

[Wow, does that mean Yuseong is living in Luxury The Hill now?]

[Seems like it? LMAO.]

[Crazy, the status upgrade is insane LOL.]

[We’re neighbors now, huh? Take care of me, Yuseong. ^^]

[Me too.]

[Wow, this is wild LOL.]

The conditions are definitely good. With no deposit, there’s less risk of getting scammed.

I think it’s worth meeting this sister of Moonhwa and deciding carefully after hearing her out.

“Could I get your sister’s contact information? I’d like to meet her in person.”

[[God] RecklessOfficeWorker: Sure. I’ll check with her and send it to you via message.]

“Thank you.”

+++

So Yuseong is moving, but can he really find a decent place with just a few thousand won?

He’s surprisingly sharp for someone who doesn’t act very masculine, yet he seems oddly inexperienced with society.
It’s unsettling.

What if something goes wrong and it affects his streaming?

I wouldn’t even be able to see his face until it’s resolved.

Let me find my aunt’s number… It’s been a while since we talked since I’ve been busy.

Here it is—Shinhwa Construction Chairwoman, Na Minjeong.

“Hi, Aunt. How have you been? Sorry to call so late.”

+++

“Alright, let’s move on to the reactions. Any specific ones you’d like to see?”

After a stormy session, the waves settled into gentle ripples.

Donations trickled in here and there like scattered beans during a drought.

It seemed like time to wrap up the stream after doing some reactions.

[[God] Life is Drama: Could you stick out your tongue for 30 seconds?]

Stick out my tongue? That’s a bit embarrassing, but why not?

They donated money, so I feel guilty not doing it.

Actually, it feels like too easy a request.

Maybe I should offer something more prepared instead?

“Are you sure that’s all you want? I can do other reactions, too.”

[[God] Life is Drama: Nope, I really just want to see you stick out your tongue.]

“Well, if that’s what you want… Alright, I’ll do it.”

What a strange person.

But if they’re happy with it, I can’t argue. Fine, let’s just do it.

I leaned close to the camera, stuck out my tongue, and froze.

Ah, once I started, it really was embarrassing.

My face burned as I squeezed my eyes shut.

One, two, three… I counted the seconds until it reached 30.

Why was time moving so slowly? Why was my mouth suddenly salivating so much?

Unable to bear it, I licked my lips quickly and opened my eyes.

[LOL, he opened his eyes LOL.]

[Wow, no manners. Doesn’t everyone close their eyes during a kiss?]

[Relax, LOL. She’ll handle everything LOL.]

[Why is it so hot in here? So warm LOL.]

[There’s still 10 seconds left. You’re not done, are you?]

“Ugh, you perverts.”

[Thanks for the fan service LOL.]

[Wow, disdainful eye-roll from a handsome guy LMAO.]

Such vivid descriptions—what the heck?! LOL.

[Ah, my first kiss is ruined.]

Next time I do a reaction like this, I’m definitely not closing my eyes.

What did they even make up about my face? They practically wrote a whole drama.

“I’m not closing my eyes anymore. I’ll watch the chat next time.”

Ten seconds later, I finished the reaction requested by the viewer.

Surprisingly, the audience loved it.

The chat exploded with enthusiasm.

Sure, it attracted some flirty jokes, but who cares?

Better that than being accused of not earning the money.

[[God] Life is Drama: That was great. It really helped me a lot.]

“I’m glad you’re satisfied. Not sure how it helped, but…”

[[God] Life is Drama: There are reasons. ^-^ Haha.]

I had no idea what they were talking about, but if they say it helped, then fine by me.

Got to keep the big spenders happy so they don’t leave disappointed.

It was now Moonhwa’s turn for a reaction.

But oddly enough, there hadn’t been any chat from them for a while.

Were they asleep?

The viewer list still showed their name.

“Moonhwa, what kind of reaction would you like to see?”

No response.

Ten seconds passed before a message finally appeared.

[[God] RecklessOfficeWorker: Ah! Sorry, I was on a call. I’ll just watch whatever you’ve prepared, Yuseong.]

“Ah, okay. Then I’ll do the reaction I’ve planned. I’ll switch to mobile streaming in 10 minutes, so please wait.”

[???]

[What’s he doing now LOL?]

[Can’t wait LOL.]

[What kind of reaction needs a mobile stream? LMAO.]

The stream ended.

Pulling my cap low and putting on a mask, I walked down the stairs and stepped out of the gosiwon (boarding house).

It was well past midnight—around 1 a.m.

The streets were pretty quiet, save for a few drunk people stumbling near bars.

Feeling free without any prying eyes, especially from women, I strolled down the sidewalk.

After a while, I stopped in front of a small semi-basement karaoke room on the outskirts of the cram school area.

For the reaction, I stepped inside.

“Welcome. How many in your group?”

“It’s just me. Do you have an empty room?”

“Just you? It’s rare for a guy to come alone at this hour. Take room 6. I’ll give you extra time.”

“Thanks. One hour, please.”

After paying, I entered room 6.

Sitting on the plush sofa, I gazed blankly around the room.

The world may be different, but this felt familiar.

I used to come here with my teammates on weekends.

Now, it’s just a memory I can’t return to.

[New Male Streamer: Drunk karaoke is the ultimate vibe.]

“Welcome, everyone. Did I keep you waiting long?”

[OMG karaoke!!]

[So good LOL.]

[Whoa, is this the first time you’re singing on stream while showing your face?]

[He’s all in now LOL.]

[Adjust the camera angle so we can see your face better.]

[How many songs are you singing?]

“I’m planning on three. Any more, and I’ll be too tired… Plus, I don’t know many songs. Moonhwa, is this reaction okay with you?”

[[God] RecklessOfficeWorker: Yes, I love it. I want to go to karaoke now.]

“Thanks! Let’s get started.”

I opened the song list and quickly picked one, as my options were limited.

After pressing the code, the intro music began.

[This song? For real?]

[LOL.]

[Isn’t this a really high song for a guy?]

[Sounds like he’ll mess up LOL.]

[But that’s the charm LOL.]

The viewers’ reactions were amusing.

They all seemed to expect me to fail, and honestly, I didn’t blame them.

This song, one of the rare high-pitched male tracks in this world, was a challenge.

But rock ballads are my specialty.

No way I’d mess this up.

“For the first song, I’ll be singing Spike Culture’s ‘Sister, I’m Hurting.’”