The Broth Cam Epiphany
Someone's ready for a challenge. "Hello~ Hi everyone. Come on in, everyone."
"Hi everyone. Hello. Hello. Yep~ Oh, right. Guys, guys, I've got a topic for today."
I pull up my YouTube channel on screen. Subscriber count: 798. It used to be 34, but showing up in those big corp streams bumped it up big time.
"Thinking of firing it up again... you guys wanna see it?"
I'll watch if it's fun
Subbed anyway
"Nope. Outsourcing, so hiring an editor!!"
Kirinuki? I've heard of it. Fans of popular VTubers clipping the funny moments into shorts... It's pure fan love, totally free. Zero cost. But that's a privilege for the famous ones. Me too?
"For real? I have some? Where?"
I search YouTube for my name.
Subscribers: 120k. A big YouTuber appears. Intro: Introducing Korean VTubers... I'm Korean, so yeah. Right. I scroll through the videos.
Found it. Title:
[Eating Cereal with Water]
Views off the charts. 170k. 170k people watched. But why no traffic to me? Nothing changed for my stream? Still the same.
170k views should mean at least 1k live viewers, right? Where'd they go?
I click the video.
...
Why's this popular? Honestly, it's kinda meh. Not 170k material.
Heading back to watch again
"What's so good about it?"
I ask out of genuine curiosity.
We're screwed
Why?! I rewatch the video. What's the appeal... After three views, it hits me.
"BOOBS!!!"
I get it. Figured it out. Yeah. That's it. My male instincts are still kicking. Right, it was the boobs. Now I see 'em—huge. Massive.
I wasn't conscious of it. Like drawing, boobs are the same. When putting on a bra, body just handles it. Never thought about it once. Just accepted it as normal.
"I get it now. Why it's popular. I figured it out!!"
Forgive me watched 10 times T_T
Sneak broth peek ON
Sudden flash of insight.
I nailed it. My stream... it's a broth cam!! Found my identity!! Nothing else explains editing me.
"Got it... my stream. Broth cam. Right?"
Sneak broth peek ON x3
Yeah now you know?
So random lol
Finally, I get it. One thing bugged me.
Every time monitoring streams, audio's dead silent but viewers stick around, even chat. Didn't make sense. But broth cam? Totally different story.
"I realized it..."
I blurt out Eureka without thinking.
Nah pure fun vibes
No broth, pure fun yeah
Everything clicked into place. Finally uncovered my stream's true nature. I know what I know.
Broth cams pack insane firepower. Elite efficiency. Once on track, pulling corp manager or pro salaries monthly... Heard it all. Total freebie tech. So jealous before, but me? Shivers down my spine. Solving a mystery feels like this.
"So that's what our stream is. Yeah... ehehehe."
I smirk slyly without meaning to. If that's it, why not say so sooner? I obsessed over my stream's identity forever.
"Broth cam. Broth." Me too, getting rich? Mom, Dad... Sena made money. Here! Mom pottery, Dad fishing rod. Ehehe. Already thrilled. No, wait. Snap out of it.
"We'll think broth later, editor first. Hiring an editor. Anyone wanna do it? Job posting!! Serious, send samples if interested!!"
I trust I'llBeEditor and hop to the cafe right away. It's slapdash, kinda shabby. Ah, gotta revamp the cafe later. Growing pains, so much to do.
"This it? Probably, right?"
[Editor Application Video]
Super straightforward title. Already posted? Wild?! Click the post, YouTube link pops up. Hit it.
HimaruHakkoBakiFanTube. Subscribers: 6,354. World spinning. Fan channel outsubs my official one.
Scrolling, not just me. Others too, heeheehee. Mine has the most views. Saved face.
"For real?"
More famous than I thought. Some viewers knew. If big shot, why me? "Then, why become my editor?"
One video screams pro vs noob:
[VTuber Crafts Goods Mid-Pizza Binge]
Intro meh, but grows on you. Subtitles my style. Mid-pizza gasp: [Goods production underway]... Human creativity terrifying.
Lmaoooo hilarious
Crazy bastard subbed
Lmaoooooo
Juice squeeze: [Sneak bang time...] Not sure meaning, but yeah. Laughing squeeze: [New feast grass munch]
Then zooms pity donos: Live ATM preview... Me declaring no pizza, zooms chat: Even mongrels filter food, glutton list.
Subtitles spicy? But fun.
And insane effort. Even obscure sauce bits stitched meticulously.
Subtitles key in edits. Fun? Cheer? Free pass.
"HakkoBaki, you'll really edit? Hired. For real. Yes."
Her editing? YouTube saved. But money...
"HakkoBaki... editing rate? Per minute?"
Hoping our rates match. Please.
＊＊＊
There's a woman. Name: Cha Ji-hyun. In Sena's stream: I'llBeEditor.
She was a hardcore Himaru fan. Top fave VTuber. Life's joy. Knew everything. Memorized quotes. One:
"To truly laugh, you must endure pain—and learn to enjoy it."
⟨ Himaru Quote ⟩
Himaru said it after trolls. Cha Ji-hyun's first feeling applying as Himaru editor—and failing.
Worked hard. 50+ months subbed.
Confident she'd make Himaru funnier than anyone.
But delusion. Response good, even great. Live viewers loved. Himaru? Not.
Too edgy subs, complex edits hurt inflows. Hard to grasp standalone. Heavy internal fan smell.
Dream vanished like mirage.
No regrets. Tried hard. Called fun.
But heart stung. Can't get close to fave, jobless escape fails too. Anger at incompetent self. Bitter.
Post-rejection, two days no proper meals.
Still loved Himaru. Watched streams. Kitten stream too. Usual.
Himaru stream called it annual event.
Cha Ji-hyun, post-shift exhausted, flops on bed, watches.
Not high energy, not super chatty—first impression meh? But Himaru's eye always spot-on. Trusted this collab too.
Believed fun chemistry incoming.
Day one, two... Fell for Sena's inexplicable charm. Boring? Edgy spice? Unique flavor? Indescribable allure.
Dove deep into Sena.
Pizza clip peaked it. Dopamine max. Restarted dormant channel for clips. Inspired.
Today, killing time in Sena's wait room till Himaru. Hears editor hunt, panic-charges donos.
Barely affording meals, but aggro pull necessary. Smart move.
"Rate...?"
Never thought. Net says min 10-20k won.
Fan heart, maybe 10k per min? Big corps like Himaru pay big. Can Sena swing it? Cha types, deletes, repeats.
Or... uh, fully manage my YouTube? Everything...
Revenue? All yours. What if we blow up?
Uh... promised, so all yours...
Trails off. Then.
"Uh. Uh."
Whatever offered. Undervalues self, but fan heart no issue. Slave contract? Chase if needed mindset.
Done what? Cha stares at screen.
Editor, from today, Sena's official editor.
Let's succeed. Ehehi.
Cha gulps. For real? Instant hire? Joke?
No joke. Hits: Himaru stream Three Kingdoms—[Generals devote life to lords who see them.] Cha's feeling. Chills. Mere manager, but peak welfare to her.
"I'll... stay here. Sorry, Maru."
Sena stream only now. Vows it again.