Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: My Changed Status, and Finally Meeting Ma-sam
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Large waiting room.
"Ah! It's Jae-ho!"
Someone spotted me and shouted loudly. It was a guy I'd never seen before.
But with just that one shout, countless people turned to look at me.
"Really?!"
"Whoa!"
"Wow, Park Jae-ho..."
"He even brought his wooden sword?"
Of course, everyone staring at me was a streamer. And I was a streamer too.
But they were gawking at me like I was some celebrity.
It made sense.
No major corporations had shown up in the waiting room yet. Mostly mid-tier companies or small fries.
I probably had the highest viewer count out of everyone here.
That's why they were all looking at me like that.
'This feels a bit awkward.'
I walked slowly to an empty seat. It was my first time being in the same place with so many streamers. I couldn't help feeling a little out of place.
But I didn't show it and just sat down in an empty spot.
'I'll just sit quietly for now.'
There was no need to make a fuss and try to buddy up with them. Right now, mind control for passing the audition was more important.
But a few people wouldn't let me stay quiet.
"Whoa! Jae-ho! Long time no see!"
"No way! I never imagined you'd debut as a streamer, Jae-ho!"
"Hey, long time! Jae-ho!"
They were streamers I had some acquaintance with.
More precisely, people I'd built a slight rapport with back when I was a manager.
They approached me, acting all friendly. It even seemed like they wanted to show off their connection to me.
"Ah! Long time no see, everyone!"
I greeted the ones who came over warmly.
I'd planned to sit with my eyes closed, focusing on mind control, but there was no helping it. For image management here, greeting them nicely was the right move.
By the way, they all seemed amazed by my streaming skills. All their talk revolved around that.
"I seriously never thought you'd be so good on stream, Jae-ho!"
"Right? How are you that good at broadcasting?"
"Haha, no, not really."
The sharper ones even asked me to invite them as guests.
"Invite me as a guest sometime! It'd be such an honor!"
"Ah, sure. It'd be an honor for me too."
"It's a promise, right?!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Seeing them like this, I could really feel how much I'd grown.
If I'd just stayed home, I never would've noticed.
'Not bad.'
Plus, they weren't jealous of me. Just surprised. They all seemed like decent people.
Then, someone sidled right up next to me. A guy with a somewhat rat-like face.
"Jae-ho! Jae-ho! You remember me, right?"
I made a pondering face at his question. He looked familiar.
"I'm Sea Otter! The Sea Otter from Ma-sam's stream!"
"Ah!"
It clicked. Back when I did content with Ma-sam and small fries, he was one of the small-fry streamers I'd booked.
Anyway, he looked like he had something to tell me.
He actually brought his mouth close to my ear and whispered quietly.
"I'll share a special audition passing tip just with you."
"A passing tip?"
"Shh! Someone might hear!"
"Ah, okay."
I lowered my voice.
Then Sea Otter gestured for me to follow. He even lightly tugged my clothes. He probably wanted to share the tip somewhere quiet.
But a thought crossed my mind.
'Am I really that close to this streamer?'
I'd even forgotten Sea Otter's name. And from what I vaguely recalled, he hadn't paid me much attention before. He'd been too busy fawning over Ma-sam.
A typical sycophant vibe.
'Hmm, should I hear him out anyway?'
Still, I followed him. No harm in hearing a tip.
"Jae-ho! Where are you going?"
"Ah, just stepping out for a bit. I have some history with Sea Otter."
"Really?"
"Whoa, jealous of Sea Otter..."
"You were friends with Jae-ho?"
"Does that mean Sea Otter's joining Jae-ho's crew now?"
"They say everyone in Jae-ho's crew blows up..."
I ignored the streamers' whispers and headed out of the waiting room.
Fortunately, no one was outside. We could talk quietly here.
I got straight to the point with Sea Otter.
"So, what's this tip?"
If he attached any conditions, I planned to just leave. That's how much value Sea Otter held for me.
Did he sense that?
Or was he just quick on the uptake?
Either way, Sea Otter shared the tip without any strings.
"You know all the judges are masters, right?"
"Yeah, I heard."
"They say masters can gauge talent just from the first sword draw."
"And?"
I listened a bit more closely. It piqued my interest a little.
"Don't show off any sword techniques. Just focus on the draw."
"Just the draw?"
"Yeah. Show only the first draw, then just bare your teeth for the rest. Your pass chance will skyrocket."
Sea Otter said he'd practiced nothing but draws for two weeks. Confident he'd captivate everyone with his first one.
"Hmm... not a bad idea."
"Right? They're not big corps anyway—they just want talent. So focus on the one thing that shows it right away: the draw."
The more I heard, the more plausible it sounded.
No, it actually seemed viable.
'Abandon everything else and focus solely on the draw...'
It might cause issues if they found out after I passed, but they couldn't revoke it.
'Pass first, worry later.'
I'd pegged him as a sycophant who'd spout nonsense, but he actually had a decent tip.
Of course, I had no intention of following it.
I already had my half-sword ready.
Still, his idea wasn't bad.
Anyway, I thanked him. It wasn't super helpful, but solid info.
"Thanks for sharing this..."
"Haha, no problem! Sharing info with you is never a waste!"
He acted like my loyal retainer. Anyone would think he'd worked under me for years.
But I didn't dwell on it. Instead, I brought up something he'd like.
"I'll call you as a guest sometime. See you then."
"R-Really? Thank you!"
I do a lot of guest streams. And I always cover travel and appearance fees meticulously.
Word must've spread positively among streamers.
'Plus the rumor that joining my crew guarantees success.'
An Young and Heyni were prime examples. Lately, Doonggni and Rena's viewers had surged too.
Naturally, some streamers were getting the wrong idea. Like Sea Otter, grinning ear to ear in front of me.
'It's not a surefire success just by joining my crew...'
And I had zero interest in adding Sea Otter to it.
Of course, I didn't say that.
I just returned to the waiting room side by side with Sea Otter.
The streamers whispered again at the sight.
"They must really be close."
"Yeah, Sea Otter's grin is huge."
"Did he snag a guest invite?"
I ignored the murmurs and sat back down.
Of course, Sea Otter had quickly claimed the seat next to me. Anyone would mistake him for my bodyguard.
How much longer did we wait?
Suddenly, the closed waiting room door swung open.
And an astonishing figure appeared.
"Ah!"
"Whoa...!"
"No way!"
People tore their eyes from me and stared at the newcomer.
Almost everyone did. Even Sea Otter next to me.
The new arrival had a very likable face. His round, chubby build was subtly cute— the kind some women would swoon over.
"Ah! Hi, everyone!"
His greeting was bright too.
Maybe that's why.
Nearly every streamer rushed to greet him.
"Hi!"
"N-Nice to meet you!"
"Wow! It's an honor, Tangguri!"
"No way! First time seeing Tangguri in person!"
That's right.
The guy in front of me was Tangguri, a streamer known as the closest to the top five corporations right now.
If Ma-sam got booted, he'd be the first in line.
That's why everyone reacted like that.
Unlike me, he was solidly a major corp. No— he was gunning for the top five. No wonder they looked at him with envy.
'Someday, I need to reach that level too...'
He was a streamer I'd have to surpass eventually. Beat him, and the top five were mine.
Maybe because Tangguri broke the ice.
Soon, various major corps started filing into the waiting room.
"Whoa! It's Suddenman!"
"Backheel's here too!"
"A-Anna! She's even more amazing in person!"
"Heuhahat! I'm a fan!"
Heuhahat, Anna, Suddenman, Backheel, and more. Korea's renowned major streamers arrived one after another.
'Wow, already five major corps?'
This definitely qualified as big content. I hadn't seen so many majors together like this before.
But then a man appeared who silenced every one of those majors.
Creeeak.
As soon as he entered the waiting room, the chatter stopped dead.
Everyone stared at him in shock.
It was warranted.
His name hadn't been on the audition applicant list.
And he wasn't just any major corp.
Even if he'd cooled off lately, he was one of the top five corporations.
Everyone fell silent, eyes on him.
'Ma-sam.'
That's right.
The one who'd just opened the door was the streamer Ma-sam.