Chapter 155: Shorts
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 155: Shorts
Just a moment ago, I was thinking I should put off going back to the dormitory.
It wasn’t that I disliked Seo Ye-rin or Choi I-seo; if anything, it was because I was afraid seeing them would make my heart waver.
But the moment I saw Yoo Ah-rin and Oh Yun-ji facing off with smiles that didn't reach their eyes...
‘I just want to go back.’
Forget Seo Ye-rin and Choi I-seo.
I just wanted to go home.
The atmosphere between the two was just that stifling.
To think the mood could be this bleak even with premium beef sizzling right in front of them.
I punched the knee of my Little Hyung, who was sitting next to me. He looked just as awkward as he leaned in to whisper in my ear.
“I didn’t set this up intending for it to turn out like this...”
“The problem with you, Hyung, is that you’re too optimistic. You’re exactly like Mom.”
Did he really think they’d just sit together and chat happily about business?
Since Little Hyung already knew the whole story on our end, his behavior was giving me a throbbing headache.
“You didn’t do this on purpose, did you?”
I asked just in case, but Little Hyung looked like he was about to burst into tears as he protested his innocence.
“I’m serious, I didn’t! Why would I do this to you? I mean, the Yun-ji I know was always someone who kept her professional and personal lives strictly separate.”
“That’s...”
I had to agree with that.
Yun-ji had always been somewhat cold and clinical regarding those matters.
However, after our conversation at the cafe last time, I realized she had a human side too.
To the current me, her behavior seemed rather expected.
“And besides, Yun-ji is technically the CEO of our company. It’s a bit awkward for me or Eun-byeol to step forward.”
“Sigh.”
At least thanks to Eun-byeol Unni’s presence, they weren't openly brawling.
The atmosphere was grim, but my sister-in-law was somehow managing to keep the conversation flowing.
“So, we specialize in cultivating internet broadcasters. It’ll be much more helpful than starting from scratch on your own.”
“...”
Yoo Ah-rin, who had been listening blankly, crossed her arms and leaned back against her chair.
It seemed she was finished with her meat.
“To be honest with you,” she said, revealing her true thoughts. “I don’t have the slightest bit of interest in that kind of thing.”
“Mmm.”
“Even if you tell me I have talent, I don’t really feel it. And in the first place, I don’t really like living while worrying about what others think of me.”
Yoo Ah-rin was quite skeptical about internet broadcasting.
Because her reaction was so lukewarm, Little Hyung and his girlfriend looked a bit flustered.
“The advantage of internet broadcasting is...”
Oh Yun-ji, who had been maintaining a blunt, business-like expression, finally spoke up.
“...that you can start light. You can turn on your phone and start right this second.”
“...”
“Since you’re a college student, you’d just be investing two or three hours after your lectures. If you really feel like it’s not working out, you can just quit.”
“That’s all it takes?”
“Many people start it as a side hustle.”
“Hmm, a side hustle. But does that actually make money?”
Since I didn't have much interest in internet broadcasting either, I was a bit curious.
As far as I knew, you only made money if someone sent you donations.
“I don’t think anyone’s going to be sending me money,” Yoo Ah-rin said with a shrug, maintaining her skeptical stance. However, Oh Yun-ji responded with a triumphant smile.
She pulled out a tablet PC and showed a profile.
There were anime characters and real-life photos; they seemed to be creators belonging to the company.
“These are our affiliated creators. I’ve personally calculated and organized their average income. Some have been with us for years, but there are also newcomers who just started. If you look here...”
Oh Yun-ji pointed to the average monthly income of a person who had just started.
“...Holy?”
Yoo Ah-rin’s jaw dropped. She looked back and forth between Oh Yun-ji and the tablet, asking if this was for real.
“We will support you with all our heart and soul. We’ll set up collab streams with veteran broadcasters and even find a separate editor and manager for you.”
“I don’t really get the details, but I definitely get that it makes a lot of money.”
Despite that, Yoo Ah-rin still tilted her head.
“Well, it’s not like I have a specific dream. If I can really earn this much money, it probably makes sense to do it, but...”
She let out a sigh with an ambiguous expression.
“Let me think about it for now.”
Yoo Ah-rin remained conservative in her response, and the situation stalled.
“Please think about it positively. It’s not easy for a twenty-year-old college student to earn this kind of income.”
Oh Yun-ji also seemed to think that pushing any further would be counterproductive, so she backed off, leaving just enough of an impression.
‘That’s unexpected.’
I thought Yoo Ah-rin would have accepted immediately.
I figured it would be a similar path to Seo Ye-rin becoming an actress.
After all, both of them seemed exceptionally talented in these areas.
“Then how about this?”
That’s when my sister-in-law cut in.
“Let’s film a Short. You can see the reaction to that and then make your decision, Ah-rin.”
“A Short?”
“It’s a short-form video. I’ve got a real feeling about this, you know? I’m sure you’ll be a hit. Why don’t you see the viewers' reactions and gain some confidence in yourself?”
She really was a professional broadcaster.
By suggesting various directions, she seemed determined to give Yoo Ah-rin some self-belief.
“We actually have a studio we rented nearby. Let’s head over there.”
* * *
“Heh.”
Standing in front of the camera, Yoo Ah-rin scratched the back of her head awkwardly.
“How the hell did Ye-rin do her filming?”
Suddenly, it seemed she saw Seo Ye-rin in a new, impressive light.
‘Actually, she looks a bit...’
Listening to the talk earlier, I thought Yoo Ah-rin would have a knack for internet broadcasting, but seeing her actually stand in front of the camera, she looked incredibly awkward.
However, that must have been just my opinion, as the three professionals were chatting excitedly about how photogenic she was.
“Hey, but what am I supposed to film?”
Yoo Ah-rin, standing there awkwardly by herself, called out to me.
“I don’t know. Based on what I heard earlier, couldn’t you just do some aegyo or something?”
“Blegh, what do you mean, aegyo?”
“You were good at it when you called me earlier. Asking me to buy you beef.”
I felt annoyed at the time, but thinking back on it now, it did feel a little cute.
“That was a bit much back then, so why don't you try doing it with a bit more restraint?”
I thought I was giving her good advice, but Yoo Ah-rin looked at me like I was a piece of trash.
“I only did that because it was you.”
“...”
“Seriously, do you have any social cues at all? Do you think I’d say stuff like that to other guys?”
I found myself clamping my mouth shut at her words.
She was grumbling about how pathetic I was, but seeing her avoid my gaze, it seemed she was embarrassed by her own words.
“Alright, Ah-rin. Are you ready?”
“It’s a simple shoot, so don’t feel pressured. Is there anything you need?”
Hyung took the camera, and Eun-byeol Unni held the lights.
It was so bright it made me squint, so I quickly moved out of the way.
“Ah, my eyes... Just give me a mask. I don’t want my face showing.”
“Of course.”
Since hiding her face wasn't a big deal, she was immediately handed a black mask.
As I watched Yoo Ah-rin standing there stiffly, wondering what to do, Oh Yun-ji approached me.
“Can you film from behind?”
“From behind?”
“Yeah, it’s a Short, so we need to get as close as possible.”
“But then I’ll show up in the front angle.”
“We can just edit that out.”
Editing these days really is amazing.
I tried editing a video last time, but doing something like that seemed difficult.
“Well, alright.”
Since helping out would mean I could go home sooner, I took my phone, went behind Yoo Ah-rin, and started recording.
‘She said I should get close since it’s a Short.’
After taking a big step forward and looking at Yoo Ah-rin through the phone screen...
“What am I supposed to do?”
She still looked lost and hesitant.
“It’s fine to just do something cute. Like this.”
Being a veteran internet broadcaster, my sister-in-law gave a demonstration like a seasoned instructor.
She mimicked a cat while swaying her body slightly; it definitely looked like something that would have a following.
“Mmm.”
But Yoo Ah-rin didn't seem to like that idea. After a moment of humming in thought...
“I’ll just do what I’m good at.”
She lowered her body and placed her hands on the floor.
‘Wait, surely...’
“Hup!”
She immediately started doing a windmill.
But the important thing here...
Was that I was standing way too close.
THWACK!
My vision spun.
Before I knew it, my body was airborne. I briefly got close to the ceiling before crashing back down to the floor.
As I lay there, I locked eyes with Yoo Ah-rin, who was still mid-windmill, completely oblivious.
“Sh... it.”
* * *
I let out a sigh while glaring at Little Hyung and his girlfriend, who were rejoicing over the "legendary Short" they had just captured.
“Are you okay?”
Oh Yun-ji was applying ointment to my chin.
“Sorry...”
Yoo Ah-rin offered a rare, sincere apology.
“Forget it. It’s not like you did it on purpose.”
Anyway, they said the footage looked great, so I guess it was a good result.
Even when I saw it earlier, the video was hilarious. A guy in the background just suddenly went flying.
“I think it’ll be pretty popular. You might become famous through this.”
“I... guess?”
Yoo Ah-rin nodded blankly, seemingly agreeing that it was funny to watch. It was clear her heart was finally starting to sway.
“I’ll send you a copy of the contract separately. Please give it a read.”
Oh Yun-ji began to reel her in, even sending a copy of the contract to Yoo Ah-rin’s tablet.
“There aren't many places that treat broadcasters as well as we do. Ah-rin, a chance to earn this kind of income at your age is very rare, and you have talent.”
Oh.
I thought Oh Yun-ji and Yoo Ah-rin would be locked in a power struggle from the start.
But Oh Yun-ji was sincerely trying to recruit Yoo Ah-rin, and Yoo Ah-rin was gradually being moved by her efforts.
‘That’s Oh Yun-ji for you.’
She really does keep her professional and personal lives separate.
As I was thinking that while stroking my chin...
“Wait a minute.”
Yoo Ah-rin, who was reading the contract on her phone, furrowed her brows and shot a sharp glare at Oh Yun-ji.
“There are quite a few restrictions here?”
“Well, internet broadcasters are public figures in their own way.”
Oh Yun-ji replied as if it were no big deal.
“Dating is prohibited too?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Yoo Ah-rin let out a sigh of realization.
“I’m not doing it.”
She cleanly decided to give up on the path of an internet broadcaster.
“You didn’t try to recruit me just because of this, did you? You didn’t do this because you know Woo-jin and I are... like this and that?”
“Hey, Ah-rin! No matter what, Yun-ji wouldn't—”
I tried to interject, thinking there was no way Oh Yun-ji would go to such lengths just for that.
“...”
But Oh Yun-ji’s mouth clamped shut, and the atmosphere turned strange.
“Ha! If I had signed this, I would’ve been legally bullied every time I met you, wouldn't I? That’s just nasty.”
“I wasn't lying.”
Now that her true intentions were exposed, Oh Yun-ji seemed to decide to just be brazen about it. She squared her shoulders and looked back coldly.
“It’s true that you can earn money that’s impossible for someone our age, and it’s true that you can do it as a side hustle. Not being able to date for a few years is hardly a big deal compared to those benefits, is it?”
“I don’t want to. Miss ‘Ex’-Girlfriend. As you well know, Woo-jin is a Super Diamond Spoon. It’s much more profitable to stay on his good side than to act all cute for strangers on the internet who I don’t even know.”
“...I don’t have any money, though.”
When I whispered awkwardly, Yoo Ah-rin gave me a look, bit her lip, and hissed a small threat.
“Shut up. I have to say stuff like this to have an excuse. It’s one of the few advantages you have.”
One of the few advantages...?
“Hmph, that’s as far as it goes.”
Hearing that, Oh Yun-ji nodded sarcastically.
“Right. Knowing that Woo-jin is the Chairman’s youngest son. That’s about the extent of what you know.”
“What...?”
That seemed to sting. Yoo Ah-rin’s expression immediately soured as she took a step toward Oh Yun-ji.
It looked like they might actually come to blows, so I was about to rush in to stop them when...
Vrrr! Vrrr! Vrrr!
I checked the phone in my hand as it vibrated with an incoming call.
— Captain Ju -
At this late hour, out of the blue, Senior Ju-hee was calling me.