Chapter 64

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 64

Chapter Title: Skyrocketing Jiming and Coin King's Jewel Box

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My name is Kim Ji-woo, and my streaming name is Jiming.

It's been a year since I started streaming, and I'm now twenty-three.

I turned on the stream thinking it would be my last one,

but somehow, an unbelievable stroke of massive luck came my way in my streaming career.

In truth, I was just a tiny virtual streamer, completely unrelated to the big spenders you only see in girl cam streams or major celebrity broadcasts.

The virtual streaming scene was still dismissed as subculture by most people, who didn't give it much recognition.

Most of my viewers were broke students or kids without much money, so my streaming revenue was pathetically low.

Even after streaming hard for a whole month, once taxes were deducted, I was left with far less than what I'd make from a part-time job.

I couldn't even afford the food I wanted, and in months when donations really dried up, there were plenty of days I skipped meals because I was broke.

Looking back on the past brought tears to my eyes automatically.

Every day was filled with anxiety while running the stream, constantly worrying how I'd eat and survive each month.

Then, out of nowhere, an absurd opportunity ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠knocked on my door.

Now I had a chance to focus purely on streaming without ever worrying about money again.

Even after turning off the stream, I still couldn't believe it.

It felt like all this happening to me couldn't possibly be real.

I glanced around my room, where I'd been streaming just moments ago.

The house I shared with my mom was old, small, and rundown.

The walls were so thin that soundproofing was nonexistent.

Every time I practiced singing, I'd get complaints from the upstairs and downstairs neighbors, and there were so many frustrating days when I couldn't let my voice out freely.

Suddenly, thoughts of my late mother came to mind.

Dad worked far away, so I hardly saw his face even a few times a year.

He always apologized for not being able to properly look after his only daughter.

Seeing this huge luck come after Mom passed made me think maybe she was helping me from heaven.

I cried for a long while thinking of her,

then pulled myself together and opened the AmericaTV gallery.

I started digging into details about this big spender called Coin King.

What I found was even more astonishing.

Coin King was one of the top whales on AmericaTV, but he wasn't some shady guy making money illegally—he was a legitimate businessman certified even by the government.

I read through every post on the gallery.

People who knew him praised his good manners and clean image.

Not only was he loaded, but he was a decent person too, which made me trust him even more.

'I really got lucky...'

I stared blankly at the gallery posts for a while,

finally starting to feel the reality of this fortune that had come my way.

The thought that I might actually achieve my dream again filled my heart to the brim.

How happy would Mom be watching from heaven?

Thinking of her, I vowed once more with firm resolve.

This time, I would truly make the dream she cheered for come true.

I shut down the computer, stood up,

and quietly gazed into the mirror.

Todays stream still felt like a dream,

and something swelled up inside my chest.

In the mirror stood a woman with long, straight black hair that cascaded smoothly and large, clear eyes, staring blankly.

Her skin was a bit pale, but her bare face was clear and pure without a trace of makeup.

A slender yet defined nose bridge and softly parted red lips—back in my trainee days, the company had praised my looks endlessly, saying they were perfect for becoming a celebrity.

I calmed my mind steadily

and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

The warm water soaked my body,

soothing my tired flesh and spirit.

I wrapped my wet hair in a towel

and stepped out, standing before the mirror again.

Through the strands of damp hair, my two eyes shone brightly.

'Do I really look like this?'

The thought suddenly crossed my mind.

Maybe because I only saw myself as a virtual avatar every day, it felt awkward.

A face that seemed pure yet somehow aloof.

Even without makeup, her eyes were sharp,

and the sparkling brown irises beneath long lashes, the smoothly refined nose, and the small, cute lips blended together to exude a strange charm.

Praise from my debut group days at the company came back to me.

'Ji-woo, no matter how I look at you, your face is straight-up idol material.'

Those words had given me courage, helping me steel myself during tough times.

"Things will really change starting tomorrow, right?"

I smiled and made the promise in my heart.

Mom would surely be proud if she was watching.

Lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, I thought.

How many people would come to the stream tomorrow?

Would Chairman Coin King really keep coming to my broadcasts?

A mix of worries and excitement swirled,

but tomorrow still felt anticipated.

I steadied my heart and drifted off to sleep quietly.

Looking forward to my newly beginning life.

The next day, early afternoon, Jiming finally went live.

The moment the stream started, AmericaTV gallery posts exploded in real-time relays.

With these posts flooding in rapidly,

AmericaTV lurkers began trickling into Jiming's stream one by one.

Unfamiliar lurkers started spamming playful messages in the chat.

The existing small fanbase welcomed them enthusiastically in response.

The longtime fans couldn't just be purely happy.

The streamer they'd quietly supported in their small circle was suddenly thrust into massive attention.

It was proud-making, but a pang of reluctance was inevitable too.

At that moment, Jiming's cute, youthful virtual character appeared on screen.

"Hello~ Looks like a lot of you came thanks to Chairman Coin King? Nice to meet you all~ I'm the virtual streamer Jiming!"

Jiming introduced herself to the new viewers with a bright, cute voice.

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Seeing the viewer count way higher than usual, she was a bit tense but tried her best to keep a relaxed vibe.

Viewers kept pouring in, and soon, despite being a virtual stream, Jiming hit #1 viewer count, landing at the top of AmericaTV's main page.

It was incredibly rare for a virtual stream to top the charts.

Unlike mainstream girl cams, virtual streams struggled for broad appeal.

Viewers chanted "Jimerica!" and pointed out the #1 rank,

and Jiming checked the screen in surprise.

"Whoa... It's really #1? Guys, I never imagined a day like this in my streaming life. Thank you so much!"

To commemorate the emotional moment, Jiming suggested a group photo with viewers.

"Everyone, this is such a special day, so let's take a screenshot! Help me out~ Ready, V~~!"

As her character cutely flashed a V-sign, viewers flooded the chat with 'VVVV', posing along.

Jiming burst into laughter at the adorably loving chat reactions.

"No way, why are you all so cute? Hehe, you're all too cute, I'm going crazy~"

Viewers fell deeper for the virtual character's cute, lovable look and sweet voice.

The sugary streamer-viewer interactions—known as "juice simmering"—unfolded, letting Jiming shine with her charm.

Even influx viewers got completely hooked without realizing it, swept up in her bright, cute atmosphere.

As viewers were fully enchanted,

a key notification popped up in Jiming's stream.

Viewers went wild with ecstatic cheers at the alert.

Jiming jumped in surprise and immediately had her virtual character salute cutely.

"Chairman sir! Jiming reporting for duty~"

The chat exploded with laughter at Jiming's sudden strict-manners cute act.

Jiming kept up her cute, lovable interactions with viewers, and Coin King's entrance pushed the stream vibe to its peak.

The broadcast brimmed with fun banter between Coin, Jiming, and the audience from start to finish.

A familiar nickname popped up in Jiming's chat.

At Coin King's appearance, Jiming's expression lit up instantly.

Her character beamed a bright, cute smile and greeted warmly.

"Welcome, Chairman! After all that support yesterday, I had to hustle~!"

"Yes, Chairman! Jiming will stream super hard from now on! You'll come visit often, right~?"

Jiming coquettishly wheedled in her cute voice.

Coin King chuckled lightly, clearly amused, and fired back.

The moment he finished, a star balloon alert rang out.

Jiming yelped in shock at the rare greeting superchat in her stream history, unable to hide her excitement.

"Kyaaaaah! Our Chairman gave 10,000...!! I love you, Coin King Chairman! Jiming has to repay this, right?! I'll sing an absolute banger for you!"

She immediately asked,

"Chairman! Any song you wanna hear?"

The chat overflowed with hyped reactions.

But Coin King replied casually.

Jiming pondered briefly and selected her song.

"Then I'll sing one I really love~ Everyone, listen closely!"

The chosen track was a famous rock ballad that exploded in popularity in the late '90s.

Unlike her usual cute, aegyo-filled voice, a powerful tone filled the stream.

Her character's exterior was adorable, but her voice was explosive and intense.

The raw emotion and vocal power captivated listeners instantly, tugging at male viewers' heartstrings.

Coin King especially showed keen interest in this unexpected charm.

He promptly expressed admiration with more star balloons.

Blushing at Coin King's praise, Jiming got even shyer.

"For real?! Kyaa! I got praised by our Chairman! What do I do, guys!!"

Unable to hide her embarrassment, she made a cute gesture covering her face with both hands,

and the chat blew up.

Viewers rapidly turned into fans upon discovering Jiming's hidden charm and new side, and Jin-seong—having dropped in briefly before heading to the gym—found himself hooked, losing track of time as he enjoyed the stream.

And so, Jiming, Coin King, and the viewers crafted a happy page in the afternoon.