Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: First Snow and Duck Snowmen
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I couldn't keep the staff member, who was doubled over laughing while clutching their stomach, in the booth for too long. The live broadcast wasn't even over yet.
So I sent the staff member outside the booth and sat down in the chair to catch my breath.
Just a little movement and I'm already overheating.
"...Everyone saw that, right?"
I looked straight at the camera lens, then fixed my gaze on the monitor.
'Chats scrolling endlessly.'
The reactions from fans watching my flashy dance in real-time were all over the place.
Overseas fans were flooding the chat begging me to stop, while domestic fans were spamming hearts to cheer me on.
"...I danced pretty well this time, didn't I?"
I muttered softly to myself and took a sip of water to wet my throat.
Five minutes later.
Negative reactions started popping up in the chat one by one.
Comments like "Where's your conscience?" or "Nothing's changed since before—practice your dancing" were piling up.
"Ah, you all heard that?"
I chuckled nonchalantly and continued.
"I do dance as well as any idol, don't I? Since time's short, let's take the next question right away."
Ignoring the fans' intense reactions, I jumped straight back into the Q&A.
Questions about whether the height and weight in my profile were real, where and how I professionally learned acting.
How much I practice when I get a script—I answered every question sincerely, and my throat was parched.
"Someone asked what made me start acting... Hold on a sec."
I turned my head to take a sip of water, about to slowly open my mouth.
Outside the transparent glass window, a young staff member was holding up a sketchbook high.
[Due to a minor issue, the second content will be replaced by displaying four photos on the monitor. We'll run a poll on the fan cafe, so please promote it.]
'A problem with the content?'
Please promote it...
I snapped to attention and cleared my throat with a fake cough. It was still live, so I couldn't show any agitation.
Isn't this what being a pro is all about?
"Ahem! The trigger wasn't anything dramatic like in a drama. I just realized late in life that I had a talent for acting and immediately auditioned for a sitcom. That's it."
I mixed in a bit of a lie, then clapped my hands. The chat, which had paused briefly, started flooding again.
"Alright, everyone. Pay attention! Can you see the time? Unfortunately, it's time to end the live broadcast now."
That was right.
It had been over two hours since we started the live stream.
I only realized now that it was time to wrap up, but that wasn't important.
Questions were still pouring in.
'Should I stall for five minutes again?'
That's when it happened.
Suddenly, four stylish suit photos appeared on the monitor screen.
'These are the outfits for the vote.'
They look identical at a glance.
But up close, you could tell the four suits had subtly different colors.
[Photos just posted to the fan cafe. Please let them know we're voting on the outfit for the year-end awards ceremony. Voting period is just two days.]
I nodded at the staff's instruction on the sketchbook.
Then I spoke up.
"Everyone? You must be surprised by these four suit photos that popped up out of nowhere. There's a year-end awards show coming up soon, right? Fans will vote on the outfit I'll wear in the fan cafe. Check the details there directly."
With that, I waved at the camera lens.
I didn't forget to smile brightly.
"See you later."
Not long after, the live-streaming screen went black.
The broadcast was finally over.
"Whew."
I leaned back against the chair and let out a deep sigh.
It's finally done.
As I trudged weakly out of the studio booth, applause poured down on me.
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
"Jun-seo, good work."
"You did great."
"You really worked hard today."
The staff members flashed bright smiles.
I waved to them and turned the thanks around.
"Ahaha. No, no. You all did way more work preparing the broadcast than me just sitting in the booth moving my mouth."
That's right.
All I'd done here was answer viewers' questions.
Content creation, broadcast setup.
Managing the flood of viewer chats.
Everyone here had worked hard.
"Ahaha. You think so? Anyway, Jun-seo, your broadcast pulled insane numbers."
"Yeah, yeah. Did you see the viewer count at the end? It broke 900,000. Isn't that the highest for a live stream?"
"Nah, not quite. Probably top 5 or 6 on domestic channels?"
"If we'd announced it a day or two ahead and streamed then... would it have been different?"
"Probably."
"Even your personal channel with just one video got a ton of new subscribers."
While everyone was laughing and chatting, the CEO strode over without a word.
Step. Step.
He stopped right in front of me.
CEO Do Bong-seok placed a hand on my shoulder with a calm smile.
"Jun-seo, good work today. We'll handle cleanup, so head home early."
"...Really? Is that okay?"
"Yeah. I'll pass the detailed schedule to your manager. Rest up today."
No reason to refuse if he's sending me home early.
"Then, I'll head out first. Everyone, good work."
I said goodbye to everyone and headed straight to the parking lot.
My steps felt incredibly light.
By the way.
It feels extra cold today...
I hunched my shoulders and quickened my pace. That's when I reached the short hallway leading to the first-floor parking lot.
Through the hallway window, something white was fluttering down outside.
Is it snowing? I turned toward the window.
'A completely white landscape.'
Big snowflakes were falling from the sky.
Snow already piled thick.
In front of the agency, a man who looked like a parking attendant was diligently shoveling the snow with a green spade.
"Snow, huh..."
I went out the emergency exit and gently stepped on the pristine white snow.
Crunch. Crunch.
It packed so well that my footsteps sounded extra loud.
'With snow like this, I can't resist!'
I loosened up my hands and wrists.
I scooped snow from the ground and packed it into a round ball—it shaped perfectly.
"...This really packs well, doesn't it?"
It felt like my childhood innocence was coming alive. Savoring that pure joy, I set the snowball down and rolled it along the ground.
Roll. Roll.
As I rolled the growing snowball forward.
I spotted an incredibly ugly snowman in front of the agency's main entrance.
Eyes, nose, and mouth crudely stuck on with small twigs, all crooked.
"This snowman is really poorly made..."
Even I could make a better one... I muttered under my breath, and that's when I heard footsteps behind me.
"What do I do? I'm sorry—I made the snowman so ugly that I dirtied the snow for my junior."
A familiar voice I'd heard before.
My body stiffened.
Crunch. Crunch.
The person who passed me and approached the snowman was none other than senior Yoo Na-hyun from Lunatic agency.
"...There, done. Complete."
She jabbed two long twigs into the sides of the ugly snowman.
Now that the snowman was finished, she turned around and looked me straight in the eye.
"S-Seonbae-nim. I didn't mean... I wasn't talking about that snowman..."
"Then what were you talking about?"
I glanced around nervously, then it hit me.
Next to the snowman senior made was another one covered in dirt and stones.
I pointed at it right away.
"I was talking about that snowman."
Senior's sharp expression softened as she followed my finger.
"...Oh? Weren't you heading home, junior? I made it rough, so I'm off."
After seeing her off, I let out a deep sigh of relief.
'...Just go home.'
Grabbing the equipment for easily making duck-shaped snowmen, Yu-na and I headed straight to the apartment playground.
The first snow of this winter.
Yu-na, walking ahead, was hopping along and waving at me.
"Daddy! Hurry! If we're late, all the snow will be gone!"
"No need to rush. And watch out—it's slippery, don't fall."
"Then Yu-na will go first!"
She wasn't listening at all.
What if she falls and gets hurt?
'No helping it.'
As Yu-na wished in her excitement over the first snow, I hurried my steps.
We arrived at the playground in no time.
Kids Yu-na's age were having a blast with snowball fights, while others huddled in a corner making snowmen.
Just like Yu-na said.
If we'd been late, there might not have been any snow left to play with at the playground.
We'd had so much fun.
Compared to other places, the snow at the playground had mostly melted away.
"Daddy! Make them quick. Okay?"
We could've made them in front of the house...
Why insist on coming all the way here?
I readjusted my grip on the equipment with both hands.
"Alright, shall we make some?"
"Hehehe. Let's make lots."
"Heh. Yeah."
We squatted in a corner and started making duck-shaped snowmen.
One, two, three.
As the duck snowmen multiplied, kids gathered around.
"Mister, make one for me too."
"Me too! Me too!"
"Can't you just give me one of the ones you made?"
"Sure, I'll give one to each of you."
I grinned and handed out duck snowmen to the kids as gifts.
One by one.
The kids who received them smiled happily and ran back to their moms and dads.
'Should I make more snowmen?'
I shrugged and turned to Yu-na. She was staring at the lone remaining duck snowman with a noticeably dark expression.
"...Are you upset that Daddy gave all the snowmen to your friends?"
"...The duck looks lonely."
So she felt bad for the one left alone.
I smiled and gently stroked Yu-na's head.
"Hmm, how about... Daddy makes a family for the duck? Then it won't be lonely anymore. Sound good?"
"A family?"
"Yeah, a duck family."
With that, I looked around and spotted a mountain of piled-up snow.
'That'll work.'
I strode over to the snow mountain. The kids hadn't touched it yet, so it was perfectly clean.
Time to get started.
To make a sturdy duck like Daddy, I pressed down and packed the piled snow.
I smoothed and shaped the packed snow.
Then, to form the duck shape, I kept adding more white snow without rest.
I repeated the process.
Soon, I had perfectly crafted a large, sturdy-looking duck.
This should be perfect.
"Wow! A really big duck!"
"It's bigger than me!"
Before I knew it, the kids had gathered again. Leaving them to touch the big duck over and over.
I went to Yu-na, who was holding the small duck snowman in both hands.
"Now that Daddy duck is here, the little duck won't be lonely anymore, right?"
Yu-na blinked her wide eyes, and her face lit up.
"...Yeah!"