Sponsoring an Internet Broadcast
"Ah." Kim Jia opened her eyes. It was dark. Not the darkness of dawn, but the deep black of nightfall after sunset.
"Am I... late? If I'm late... that's bad."
Jia hurriedly checked her phone. Her stream was supposed to start at 7 p.m. It was now 8:30.
"I need to get up... gotta get up."
But the blankets clung to her, refusing to let go.
Even if you drag yourself out of bed and turn on the stream, you'll be lucky to get ten viewers anyway, right? The voice of reason pinned her body down.
"Still... I have to do it."
She'd heard it a million times from everyone who'd jumped into this industry: consistency was key. But even knowing that, she couldn't bring herself to hit "go live" just yet. She was exhausted.
"I... I should eat something. Can't sing without energy."
Somehow, she had to get up. She shuffled to the light switch and flicked it on.
Ow, too bright... Her already sore eyes protested in pain.
"The people who make VTuber software... they're all racists, I swear..."
Her eyes weren't small by any means. As a former idol trainee, her looks could hold their own anywhere. But the cheap facial recognition program didn't give a damn about "East Asian facial structures." She had to strain her eyes the entire stream. And while doing that, she had to stare at the monitor and chat with viewers. Not easy.
"I should save up and buy a decent one..."
As if. Good gear, blowing up—all that took money.
She grabbed bread from the cupboard and ate it with milk.
...One more? Just as she reached for the next bag,
"Even just hearing your voice, you're a total pig lololol" That mocking chat message flashed in her mind.
"Fuck, what do they know? I'm pretty and cute as hell..."
She'd been an idol trainee. She wasn't as strict with her diet anymore, but she still had a slimmer, prettier figure than the average girl on the street. Her voice didn't scream her weight. That's what she believed. But in the end, Jia couldn't eat that second piece.
"Gotta post the notice. Shower first..."
After uploading the announcement on her phone, Kim Jia stripped and stood under the shower. Doubt crept in about all of it. Maybe it was just an excuse.
VTuber life. The people beyond that monitor couldn't know who she really was. Could be an ugly creep, or some half-foreign guy who just spoke decent Korean. Whether she showered or came in sweaty, they'd never tell.
"...Whatever."
The water washed away the sweat, and her mood lifted a bit. Though that massive void still weighed her down.
After showering, she booted up her PC, checked her setup, and glanced at her latest notice on her fan cafe before going live. One of the few late-start apologies she'd posted. Views: 0.
Views: 0
It meant nothing.
"Time to start the stream..."
With great effort, she went live. A banner on one side of the screen read 'Taking song requests!'
No one was there. Jia stared at the bottom of the screen, waiting for the '0 viewers watching' to change that zero.
0 viewers watching
But no one came. Naturally. The 'Live' indicator ticked away endlessly. All that time, she sat in silence, lips sealed, letting the seconds pass.
1 viewer watching
A viewer joined. Jia held her breath quietly, waiting for more.
Her pricey custom illustration, her expensive thumbnail—they drew some in, lured by the art.
When it hit 5 viewers, she finally spoke.
"Alright, song requests open! Any songs you wanna hear?"
The empty chat started filling, one by one.
"Of course! Real girl here. Song requests, advice, chit-chat—bring it all!"
"Absolutely!"
"Aw, come on, that's..."
She wanted to ban him on the spot, but with the chat already so dead, losing even this guy might kill any reason to talk. It terrified her. The idea that she'd gone live... for nothing.
"Ah... no can do. Sorry!"
With that, one viewer left. Jia swallowed a sigh.
Maybe I should cam... Not hiding behind a character, but showing her real face. Might get more viewers. She was confident in her looks, her body. If she could show off her dance skills, maybe pull in a crowd.
But it scared her. Strangers ogling her face, her body—it gave her chills.
Eighteen minutes later, finally something normal.
"Nope! Just say it, I'll do anything right away!"
Desperation leaked into her voice. She knew it wasn't great for a streamer, but she had no strength left to hide it.
The requested song was by a female idol group. Jia sighed in relief. She knew it well.
Since starting VTuber work, she'd memorized countless J-pop tracks laced with synth—stuff she'd never heard before. As someone dreaming of "skill-based singing streams," she hated fumbling requests.
Compared to that, Korean girl group songs were child's play. She could sing them blind, no lyrics needed.
Jia opened her mouth. Nailed the familiar tune perfectly. Flawless.
She exhaled, checked viewers: down from 4 to 3.
Ah.
Probably not because her singing sucked. Just randos who clicked by mistake, heard her, realized "oh shit, stream's still on," and bailed. Miserable, but better than them hating her voice.
Empty. Pointless.
...
A hollow ache rattled her chest. Then she imagined a world without it.
Nonexistent memories tormented her. Dancing passionately. In an outfit so slutty she couldn't believe she'd worn it. On a massive stage, before dozens of women and one man. Pouring her heart into it with long-lost comrades.
It never happened. No such performance.
She knew it. Yet it felt eerie. A void that shouldn't exist shouldn't ache, but her instincts screamed it's empty.
...Maybe quit.
This platform was dying anyway. No monetization in Korea soon. Others were migrating, but she didn't have to join. End with a bang, fill the void with one non-boring stream, then job hunt. TOEIC books, computer certs. Walk the safe path like everyone else.
Viewers hit 8, but even 80 wouldn't change her life. This sponsorship cash couldn't cover rent, let alone savings.
So—
"Huh?"
LambRibLemonSorbet has donated 1,000,000 won!
"Wha... huh?"
No reason for this. Even top streamers rarely got a million-won dono from one viewer out of nowhere.
But seeing that username, Jia couldn't help a smirk. Harmless. Pure, no threat.
If it's someone like that...
To cap off her VTuber life on this platform with flair. A light service for the guy who tossed a million like pocket change? Why not.
She flashed a bright smile. A touch self-destructive.
"Thank you so much for the million won, LambRibLemonSorbet!"
"And if you can, I'm planning some special content! Mind DMing me?"
A calm settled in her chest. For no reason she could name, the gnawing emptiness and boredom... vanished.