Chapter 22: Unexpected Interruptions and Relentless Requests

I woke up and checked the time—11 a.m.

I quickly washed my face in the bathroom.

After heading down to the gym for about an hour-long workout, I grabbed a sandwich to eat.

Should I have gone to the sauna to relax? Forget it. I’m too lazy. A shower will do.

Back upstairs, I washed up and sat down at my computer desk.

[Shinyuseong TV]

Subscribers: 768,000

I checked my YouTube channel.

Overnight, the subscriber count had increased by 300,000.

The impact is completely different compared to when I uploaded just one introductory video.

At this rate, today? Or tomorrow? I’ll hit a million subscribers soon.

The momentum will continue.

I reviewed the seven videos and their views.

Even though it’s still early in the day, every video has surpassed 400,000 views.

They’re dominating YouTube’s real-time trending videos.

Not bad. It’s a smooth start.

There’s little variation in view counts between videos.

The song reaction video performed slightly better, but the difference is minor.

This is a positive result. I can keep distributing content the same way.

+++
[Karaoke Surprise: Mini Concert at Dawn!]

Views: 520,000

[“His singing is next-level. Every song is legendary. LOL.”]

[“I’ve never seen a guy sing this song like that.”]

[“Total man-crush vibes!”]

[“Why isn’t he a singer? Being just a streamer is such a waste.”]

[“Wow… Insane, seriously.”]

[“What is this? Why are so many videos dropping all of a sudden? LOL.”]

[“The editor got hired only to be overworked. Hahaha.”]

[“If it’s Dajang, it’s possible. LOL.”]

[“Editor, work harder. There’s still more footage left to upload. LOL.”]

+++

The subscriber reactions are great. Most of them are compliments.

Honestly, with my stock rising so quickly and my undeniable skills, there’s barely any negativity.

Getting feedback from the comments right now is out of the question.

I easily surpassed 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours.

I’ve met the monetization requirements, so let’s apply right away.

This is all to make money, after all. Priorities first.

[Edited videos are here.]

Next, I checked my email. Dajang had sent me the edited videos.

[When the Top Gamer Ran Into a Duo Carry]

[We Moved! House Tour Time]

[Even the TSL Champion Is Shocked by My StarCraft Skills?]

[Singing Reaction in the New House]

Four in total.

Including the videos I didn’t specifically mention, Dajang has already produced everything.

She’s a monster. I once thought of her as just a die-hard internet stream fan turned manager, but I was wrong.

She’s ridiculously capable.

At this pace, she could easily produce over 50 videos a month.

How did such a treasure fall into my lap?

I’m really grateful.

But should I upload these videos right now?

No. Even though my strategy is to push content aggressively, uploading 11 videos in one day… that’s overkill.

I’ll upload them tomorrow.

Ding—!

While I was reviewing the edited videos, my phone rang.

It’s an unknown number.

Who could it be? I picked up.

“Hello?”

[“Hello, is this streamer Shinyuseong?”]

“Yes, it is.”

[“This is Seo Juhee, the CEO of Twika TV.”]

Seo Juhee, CEO of Twika TV—the person who dominates the domestic streaming market.

She has acquired countless competitors and raised her subsidiaries to the top in a short period.

Aside from YouTube live streams, she has no real competition in this industry anymore.

But why would someone so prominent call me directly?

“Oh, hello! Thanks to your platform, I’ve been enjoying my broadcasts.”

[“I watch your streams often too. Our company has high expectations for you, Yuseong. The reason I’m calling is to invite you to participate in an open event broadcast for the launch of Lanaja 4 next Wednesday.”]

“An open broadcast?”

An “open broadcast” is a program Twika TV produces independently, supported by sponsors to promote their products.

Naturally, most of these programs are related to games.

I’m hesitant.

This is my first time doing something like this, and it feels burdensome.

Right now, I’d rather focus on my personal broadcasts.

That said, how could I flat-out reject the CEO of the company that essentially pays my bills?

I’m in a tough spot.

I’ll try to phrase it gently.

“Do I have to participate? There are plenty of other big-name game streamers… and I don’t even play mobile games.”

[“NX Soft, the developer of Lanaja 4, specifically requested you. They said they absolutely want you on the program.”]

“What about the pay? What benefits do I get from this?”

I have no choice.

Rejecting the CEO’s first request is unwise.

I can’t afford to get on her bad side.

For now, I’ll play along until I’ve built a stronger reputation and connections.

Still, I should get as much out of this as possible.

I asked about the benefits.

[“NX Soft will pay you a 30 million won appearance fee, and Twika TV will sign a partner streamer contract with you.”]

“A partner streamer?”

[“Yes. You already meet the qualifications, but as you know, the standard practice is to stream for at least a month before approval. If you appear on the open broadcast, we’ll waive that requirement and give you special treatment.”]

Partner streamers get a lower commission fee—20% instead of 30%.

For example, on a donation of 1 million won, regular streamers keep 700,000 won, while partner streamers get 800,000 won.

Given the rapid increase in my donations, I need to sign a partner contract soon.

Plus, 30 million won as an appearance fee is no small amount.

I agreed immediately.

“Yes, I’ll appear on the show.”

+++

“What? I’m in this video too?”

[Big Spender vs. Big Spender: Epic Donation Battle]

Views: 450,000

After finishing a morning shoot, I had lunch.

Finally, my long-awaited break.

I sat on a folding chair and took out my phone.

I checked the notice about hiring an editor, and as expected, new YouCube videos had been uploaded—seven, to be exact.

Which one should I watch first?

I skimmed through the titles and found one featuring me.

I could’ve beaten her and become the champion, but unfortunately, I hit my spending limit.

The gap must be even wider now.

It’s disappointing, but what can I do?

It’s hard to compete with someone who’s busy around the clock.

“He’s so handsome.”

How can someone look this good while just playing games?

I want to get closer to him, but I’m too busy right now.

Maybe once we finish filming the final episode, I’ll have a little more free time.

“What are you watching?”

“YouCube.”

“Oh! It’s that Shinyuseong guy, isn’t it? I know him too.”

What’s this? Who is this guy slipping into the seat next to me?

The male actor leaned his face in and stared at my phone screen.

Ugh, infuriating. Use your own phone.

It’s a small screen—why are you peering at it? Don’t you have a phone? Should I buy you one?

I wanted to say it right away but bit my tongue.

Even if he looks sloppy, he’s still a top-tier actor.

Who knows when I’ll meet him again in another project?

Maintaining basic human relationships is essential.

Being nice to him, though? That’s physically impossible.

“These people all look good thanks to the camera angles. If I were in that spot, I’d look much better. Maybe I should try being a streamer? Haha!”

“Sure. Knock yourself out.”

“Oh, I hope I’m not disrupting the ecosystem or something.” Really?

“Yep.”

When will he leave already? Why is this man hovering so close? Does he not feel embarrassed?

Seriously, he has no tact.

What an insufferable person.

“I’ll go take a nap inside the car.”

I didn’t want my precious break to be interrupted.

I stepped into the van and pulled out my phone again. Just then, it rang.

“Hey! Didn’t I say I’m on my break right now?”

“The boss wants you to call back. What am I supposed to do? I don’t have a choice here.”

“Ugh, can’t you handle that on your own? Let me rest, Please?”

The boss called. It was undoubtedly about a schedule change, and this call was going to drag on.

My precious break would now be spent chatting with the old lady.

I glared at my sibling in the front seat before picking up.

[“Hey, Your schedule’s changed.”]

Of course. My uneasy premonitions always come true.

What now? I’m already exhausted from filming—what else is being added?

[“Next Wednesday, you’ve got a live broadcast for Lanija 4. Be at Twika Studio by 7 PM. The drama production team coordinated the schedule, so don’t worry about it.”]

“That commercial shoot is over! Why are we filming again?”

[“There was a clause in the contract about participating in one live event. I know you’re tired these days, but take it easy by playing the game. It’ll relieve some stress.”]

“That stupid pay-to-win game? I wouldn’t play it even if you gave it to me for free. How would that relieve my stress?”

[“Hey, models can’t talk like that. You’re supposed to say it’s fun.”]

I’ve done similar broadcasts before. Oh, sure—it’s “fun.” Like meeting the game of my life. I spent two whole hours faking smiles and being drained of every bit of energy.

This is why game commercials aren’t worth it, no matter how much they pay.

They’re exhausting.

[“Oh, and while you’re there, I have a favor to ask.”]

“What is it?”

[“You know we’ve started an MCN company, right? There’s someone I’ve got my eye on, and they’ll also be at the broadcast. Try convincing them to sign with BigStars TV.”]

“Boss, are you seriously making me sell this? Do you think I’m a pushover because I just nod and go along with everything?”

This is over the line. The things they make me do… Don’t they know Twika TV already has all the major streamers signed up?

Why do I need to step in just to recruit some minor streamer?

It’s embarrassing.

[“It’s not like that. Ugh… That’s why I’m asking for a favor. This one’s really promising. We even offered them ridiculous contract terms, but they’re not biting.”]

“Who is it?”

[“Oh? Ah! You’ll know them. They’re a big topic online right now—Shin Yuseong, the gamer.”]

“What?!”

“See that? AD Katarina is this strong.”

[“Just spinning the ult wipes everything out, lol.”]

[“Isn’t this Plat tier? Can’t believe that still works here.”]

[“Plat or Bronze, it’s all the same pub stomp, lmao.”]

[“Yuseong’s skills are just insane. That build doesn’t even work normally. On-hit skill patch or not, the damage isn’t supposed to be this high.”]

[“Crazy. This one’s YouTube-worthy, lol.”]

At 8 PM, I started the stream.

After some thought, I decided to show my viewers a unique champion build that isn’t often used.

The first game was an easy win. I scored 26 kills in a one-sided massacre.

Katarina’s ultimate has an “on-hit” effect, meaning basic attack items trigger alongside it.

Since it’s an AoE skill with continuous damage, all those AD item effects activated, melting the enemy team instantly.

Of course, as the chat said, I was ridiculously fed, which is why I could pull off this kind of damage.

[[God] YuseongFan has donated 260,000 won.]

[“Great job! 10,000 won per kill. Here’s 260,000 won for you.”]

[[God] NaturalPurity has donated 200,000 won.]

[“Seriously, Yuseong, when will you stop being so good? lol.”]

“Thank you! I was hoping for 40 kills, but the game ended too quickly since the gap was so big.

YuseongFan, NaturalPurity—thanks so much. I haven’t seen your name before, NaturalPurity, but I appreciate the big donation.”

Sweet donation time after a victory.

A new mid-tier supporter appeared, and even the small donations kept pouring in.

Within an hour of starting, I had already earned about 2 million won.

It meant even more since Moonhwa wasn’t here today.

But… why isn’t Moonhwa watching? Is she busy?

Even though I don’t care about the money, it feels a little disappointing.

When someone who always cheers you on suddenly disappears, it leaves an empty spot.

“The positions of both your pelvic bones are slightly different.”

Yesterday, it was a massage; today, it’s pelvic alignment.

I was at a physical therapy clinic getting a check-up.

The therapist started the diagnosis as I stood close to the wall.

“I don’t think it’s noticeable… Is it serious?”

“Not at all. This is very common for people who sit for long hours. It’s easily fixable.”

“If it gets fixed, will my body look better?”

“Yes, of course.”

I’ve been jogging every morning for years, but it seems that’s not enough.

After four years of sitting at a desk all day, my body’s condition has worsened.

“Let’s start by loosening up your muscles.”

I lay face-down on the mat. The therapist began pressing on my muscles.

It hurt, but it was the good kind of pain—relaxing and satisfying.

I was so drowsy I almost fell asleep.

“Okay, now I’ll begin the treatment. Please lie on your side.”

“Alright.”

I turned onto my side, pulling my upper arm behind my back and bending my legs.

The therapist supported my lower pelvis with one hand and pressed on the upper side with the other.

CRACK!

“Ack!”

The sound of bones snapping was alarmingly clear.

Is this even normal? Am I still going to be able to walk?

It was a little scary.

But I did feel lighter. Since this place came highly recommended by someone I trust, I decided to believe in them.

I couldn’t afford to show any weakness.

Even if it hurt, I needed the best body shape possible in the shortest amount of time.

“Please turn to the other side.”

“Okay.”

CRACK!

How long is this going to take? I left work late today and couldn’t even catch the broadcast.

I hope this ends quickly.

I wonder if Mana will worry because I’m not showing up on the viewer list.