Chapter 40: “People Who Are Not Honest”

Rest is truly a precious thing.

A week of grace before the final match of the competition.

The first day was spent going out with Jiyeon.

The second day was a rest day due to the fatigue from going out.

The third day, I rolled around in bed, and before I knew it, the day was over.

And so, here I am today.

The sweetness of laziness is truly irresistible.

Ah, I want to be a rich unemployed person.

As I lay in bed, clutching my phone, notifications began popping up at the top of the screen.

The messages weren’t for me, but rather notifications from the team Discord.

As the team members practice for the competition and share information, notifications often flood in when there’s something to discuss.

Honestly, I didn’t need to practice.

After all, I’ve been playing this game for years.

To exaggerate a bit, just running simulations in my head, my skills wouldn’t rust.

Taking a few days off wouldn’t affect my ability.

Since my physical issues had been resolved, I just needed to stretch my fingers before the competition.

So, I reluctantly forced myself out of bed and sat in front of my computer.

Everyone else was practicing, and I felt guilty resting while they were working hard. Since I’m the team leader, I should set an example, right?

[Mollru: If there’s anything I can help with, please let me know. I’ll be waiting.]

I left a message and turned on the stream.

The gallery had been spamming “Turn on the stream” after I hadn’t streamed for two days.

It was like an Indian rain dance or something.

[Molha] [Finally turned it on, you 10-year-old]

[Thank you, teacher, thank you, thank you, thank you]

[Why are you leaving right after the competition? I charged up to support you]

[Weirdly rejecting incoming viewers, this ant-scratching type streamer]

“That day, I wasn’t feeling well, so I went back early.”

[Got it]

[You sent the names of the team members to the ear message, confirming, check it out]

[Molha, those evil spirits were strong, there was nothing like that chaos]

“That happened? But what does ‘Molhakwi’ mean?”

[It’s a group that likes people who are suspiciously good at games, have big ‘chuchu,’ and have pretty hands]

[It’s your fan nickname]

“Fan nickname, huh…”

I was deeply concerned about how my stream’s image might be perceived by others, but since my name had already been solidified like this, changing it now seemed unnecessary.

I could only hope that it wouldn’t cause a big controversy.

<Mamang Mollru donated 1,000 won!>

• What are you doing today?

[Not practicing with the team?]

[This person seems like a lazy genius, so probably not practicing.]

[Other team members are all practicing.]

[Maybe they’re keeping their strategies hidden and turning off the stream.]

[The team leader is low-key a brainiac.]

[Ordering is sexy.]

[Watching the semifinals and analyzing?]

“Analyzing? Well, the commentators have probably already covered that. And you’ve probably seen it on the other team members’ streams too.”

It was more fun to hear directly from the person involved, like why they made that play, the direction the team took, and how they felt at the time.

It’s somewhat like mining for gold, a concept close to that.

Not very appealing.

I didn’t want to just grind away at AoE either.

Maybe I should pull out a car like last time, but that would be more fun at night.

“Let’s find a new game.”

I immediately set out to discover a new game.

As an all-around game streamer, I needed to try out various games.

In today’s world, with countless new games being released, there was no shortage of options.

There were plenty of interesting games, but I decided to choose carefully.

As a streamer and YouTuber now, it was better to find a game that had a good “fun factor” and could deliver content for YouTube.

This is… troublesome.

The fact that I couldn’t pick a game based on pure interest was troubling me.

After all, you can’t truly understand a game just from its description.

As if sensing my inner turmoil, a compromise was suggested.

[Let’s just try it, and if it’s boring, we can switch to another game.]

[Try it?]

[It’s about discovering things while playing.]

Right, no one is perfect from the start.

Everyone grows through trial and error.

I scrolled back up and found the game I thought seemed interesting earlier.

I guess I’ll start with this one.

I picked a game where a cute girl character was happily smiling and holding a microphone.

[Oh, teacher, that’s a bit… ;]

[Is she a real nerd?]

[Seriously, this is absurd.]

[Feeling an uncomfortable connection, hahahaha.]

[Even the nerd coins, and training the broth… Teacher, where are you going with this?]

“Why? What’s wrong with Rhythm Master Idol?”

Rhythm Master Idol.

It’s a game where you help an idol, who has dreams but is still unknown, grow into a seasoned musician.

But that’s not all; this game was unique because it was a rhythm game.

When the player performs well in rhythm sections, the story progresses, like a stage-based game.

It targets a specific audience, while also offering a chance to warm up my fingers, so I rated it highly.

Of course, I am part of that specific audience.

-ᄆ–!

As soon as the game started, a girl greeted me with a bright smile.

She’s polite.

[Ugh, this is…]

[Do you guys watch stuff like this? Do you really watch stuff like this?]

[Mom says our son is the best!]

[The art style seems like something those who like turtle-shaped breasts would enjoy.]

[Hang in there! It’s the team leader’s strategy!]

[If you can’t hold out, you’re not Molhakwi. I’m taking a nap, brb.]

“No, seriously, just watch first, and then decide. Don’t you want to see Kazuhachan become an idol?”

[Yes.]

[Kazuhachan, oh my.]

[Just met this random stranger, why should I care if they become an idol?]

[She’s pretty though.]

I tried to calm the viewers down and began the game.

Kazuhachan, who had lived as an unknown idol for years.

Her manager and the people helping her were all gone, and now it’s only me, the new manager, who can turn her into a professional idol.

“Shall we play a round?”

The basic plot started to unfold.

To build her popularity, Kazuhachan begins street busking.

The busking starts with poor sound equipment.

As she starts singing, musical notes scatter across the screen.

I just have to tap in time with the rhythm.

It’s pretty easy, probably because it’s a tutorial.

<Songpa Police Station donated 1,000 won!>

• There’s an option for difficulty settings, so let’s turn it up. This looks too easy.

“Oh, really?”

Following the viewer’s suggestion, I opened the options and adjusted the difficulty.

Easy, Normal, Hard, and even Hell.

Seems like they didn’t make this game haphazardly.

[Can’t resist Hell mode, hahahaha.]

“I can’t resist.”

I immediately selected Hell mode.

Tough woman trait: doesn’t hesitate.

I moved on to the next stage.

After successfully completing the busking, Kazuhachan decides to join an idol survival program.

The audition begins there.

The first stage of the audition starts.

“Wow, this is no joke?”

[Legend;]

[It’s a god-tier game.]

[Can I even hit this? Just watching makes me dizzy.]

A storm of musical notes pours out.

The song Kazuhachan is singing is a ballad, but the notes flying across the screen resemble funky hard rock.

I crack my knuckles, warm up my hands, and face the notes coming at me.

With the clicking of the keyboard, I clear the stage without a single mistake.

[What kind of machine is this? Hahaha.]

[Her physical skills are amazing, it’s fun to watch.]

[Is this… the true essence of rhythm games?]

The reactions weren’t bad.

Riding on that momentum, I move to the next stage.

Kazuhachan, who survived with good feedback, is now facing the stage that will determine her final debut.

To cement her successful debut, she attempts a transformation.

She decides to go for a girl crush image with hip-hop music.

Kazuhachan takes charge of the stage, moving to the irregular rhythms of the music.

“She cut her hair, I don’t like short hair.”

[Why did she go for a short cut? Hahaha.]

[She’s a character, it’ll grow back fast~]

[Looks good though;] The song is nice.

After clearing about five more stages, the story reached its conclusion.

Now, Kazuhachan is so familiar with the stage that she’s recognized as a full-fledged artist.

She sings for her fans who fill the audience, tears streaming down her face.

After coming off the stage, she thanks me, her eyes also brimming with tears.

-口2-廿一人, you…!

Kazuhachan’s bright smiling face is captured in a photo, which is added to the photo album, marking the end of the game.

“That was quicker than I thought. It only took just over an hour. According to reviews, each character’s episode is supposed to take about 2 hours.”

[You did too well, hahahaha.]

[I’m going to miss Kazuhachan…] [The best idol of this era, Kazuhachan.] [Honestly, I was skeptical, but her singing is great.]

[Just listen to it first, hahahaha.]

[This makes me feel weird.]

[Is this what a parent’s heart feels like…? Mom…]

[Parents who failed with their kids probably won’t feel this way. Hahaha.]

Judging by the viewers’ reactions, it seems like I could play a bit more.

I looked at the new characters that had been unlocked after clearing Kazuhachan’s path and thought about who to choose next.

“Three new characters just unlocked—blonde, silver, and redhead. The hair colors are diverse. I think I like the redhead.”

She had a slightly sharp expression, the kind of girl who might say, “Huh? I don’t need your help,” at any moment.

Her name… is Karen.

After deciding to train Karen as the next idol, I began reading her background story when I suddenly heard a voice in my ear.

<Kazuhamoto Lost! donated 10,000 won!>

• Are you abandoning Kazuhachan? Didn’t you say you’d stay with her forever?

“What? Kazuhachan’s training is complete. It’s time to train another one.”

[How cold-hearted.]

[Kazuhachan is probably still waiting for her new song to be produced…]

Are you a psycho? Switching to another girl just like that?] Team leader.

[Look at these people, they’re so immersed. Hahahaha.]

The sudden wave of criticism started with the donation.

I had never seen such aggressive backlash before.

“No, when you think about it, Kazuhachan abandoned me first. She’s all about her own success now.”

[Leave her!!!!!!!!!!!!]

[Don’t slander Kazuhachan!] Oh.

[She needs to be protected.] Kazuhachan is…

[How can you say that about your own idol?]

“These people who were screaming before I started the game…”

I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle, completely bemused by how much they were enjoying the game.