Moderately Fast (1)
NewbieSlurp has entered the chat.
AwakenedMintChoco has entered the chat.
Pomodoro has entered the chat.
StraightSojuOneShot has entered the chat.
NyangsterTouch has entered the chat.
Was it thanks to MangoSmoothie, who called herself a social butterfly?
Suddenly, viewers started pouring in.
NewbieSlurp: Slurp!
AwakenedMintChoco: Wanna join the Mint Choco faction?
Pomodoro: Came here after hearing the news!
The viewer count quickly shot up to twenty, making Saebyeok's head spin.
"Welcome. This is Saebyeok's Music Radio."
StraightSojuOneShot: Whoa... what is this voice?
NewbieSlurp: Yeah yeah
NyangsterTouch: My ears are literally melting... I don't even need snacks with my drink.
Pomodoro: Sing for us!
Although he had watched plenty of streams before and felt confident, he realized that live chat was a different beast altogether.
It's only going to get wilder from here, right?
Trusting in the mental fortitude he had built up dealing with sasaengs and anti-fans, Saebyeok began to interact with them.
"Thank you for the compliments on my voice. I think I'll start with a song. Is that alright?"
StraightSojuOneShot: Make it happen!
NewbieSlurp: Yeah yeah
Pomodoro: I'm already getting drunk!
NyangsterTouch: Sing for us
Watching them, he found them rather cute. It seemed there weren't any malicious trolls yet.
What song should he play?
After a brief moment of thought, he picked up his Martin acoustic guitar.
He set up the backing track to fill in the gaps and adjusted his posture.
Ah.
He should let them know what song he was playing before starting.
"You're probably familiar with this one. I'll play 'Yellow' by Coldplay."
Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
NewbieSlurp: I know this song!
Pomodoro: His pronunciation is so native...
The chat flickered for a moment before falling silent.
Yeah, they were all yellow
The chat window filled with music notes.
You know I love you so
The viewer count continued to climb.
StraightSojuOneShot: 😍😍😍
NewbieSlurp: My ears are melting the moment I walked in!
Pomodoro: A precious person in a humble place...
NyangsterTouch: Is this guy really Korean?
The most common question was about his pronunciation.
AwakenedMintChoco: Dunno
NewbieSlurp: I guess I like pop songs.
StraightSojuOneShot: Isn't it just good because it's a male version?
Pomodoro: Just type lol
NyangsterTouch: lol
AwakenedMintChoco: lol
Among them, 'MangoSmoothie' Choi Seola was nodding along to the rhythm, completely mesmerized.
To think he could sing with a completely different color than the sorrowful tone of 'Wind'!
Her pick today was a massive hit. Seeing the viewer count rise made her feel strangely proud.
I guess keeping him as my little secret streamer is out of the question now...
The internet ghosts of Twitch wouldn't leave him alone.
They were like bloodhounds when it came to sniffing out good content.
As his first viewer, she quickly did the math.
"I just need to get a moderator badge!"
It was a classic move for a hardcore viewer like her.
She wouldn't waste any more of her life searching for hidden gems!
Waiting impatiently for the song to end, she quickly sent a donation.
As soon as the song ended, the electronic alert rang out, nearly startling Saebyeok.
Singing a song and immediately collecting money felt a bit like busking and having dollars tossed into his guitar case.
Regardless of the amount, he had to thank her.
"Ah... MangoSmoothie, thank you for the first donation."
"Thank you for the donation, NyangsterTouch. I am comfortable with English. I have dual citizenship, actually."
NewbieSlurp: No wonder he's so good.
Pomodoro: Thought his tongue was coated in butter.
StraightSojuOneShot: This is rare.
"Haha. Grazie. Is this foreign language class now?"
NewbieSlurp: What does that mean?
AwakenedMintChoco: It means 'Beautiful voice, beautiful performance!'
StraightSojuOneShot: Am I the only one who didn't know?
Pomodoro: Auntie, what are you doing when Papago exists?
StraightSojuOneShot: Geez... damn it... back in my day, we didn't have stuff like that... guess I'll just crack open some soju.
NyangsterTouch: The roleplay is a bit...
"Thank you for the donation, AwakenedMintChoco. But what is the Mint Choco faction?"
NewbieSlurp: Silence!
Pomodoro: Not even worth considering.
StraightSojuOneShot: A true viewer respects minorities... like hell they do, why would anyone eat toothpaste!
Looking at the chat, Saebyeok finally realized what they meant.
"Ah! You mean mint chocolate."
NewbieSlurp: It tastes like poison.
Pomodoro: Nobody eats mint choco, right? Mad? Can't do anything about it, right?
AwakenedMintChoco: The one million Mint Choco faction will not forgive you.
He had thought it was fun just watching the viewers play their roles, but now that it was happening in his own channel, he found himself chiming in.
Besides, he couldn't let the audio go dead.
"I don't really drink Americanos either. I usually prefer cafe lattes."
NewbieSlurp: Huh? The streamer has a kid's palate. Two spoons of sugar and cream?
StraightSojuOneShot: Back... in my... day... 3-3-3 was the golden rule.
Pomodoro: Iced Americano even if I freeze to death faction, assemble!
NyangsterTouch: Real coffee is espresso, ahem!
AwakenedMintChoco: Now *that* is actual poison.
One of the things that had surprised him when he came to Korea was how everyone seemed united under the banner of the Americano.
In the US, cafe lattes were the standard base.
Either way, Koreans' love for coffee was famous enough to catch his interest before.
They said the average Korean drinks 353 cups a year, which meant almost one cup every single day.
It certainly deserved the nickname 'Coffee Republic.'
As he chatted with the viewers about trivial things, two hours flew by.
"It's already been two hours since I started the stream. Time really flies, doesn't it?"
NewbieSlurp: Ah!
Pomodoro: Looks like he's about to make a run for it.
StraightSojuOneShot: Ending stream, 'Stop!'
NyangsterTouch: I'm enlisting tomorrow, could you please stream for just one more hour?
Saebyeok was startled.
Enlistment!
The conscription system in Korea was the same here. Except it was the women who had to go...
"Oh dear... Please stay healthy and take care of yourself. Thank you for your service."
Having lived in America, the greeting slipped out naturally.
It was a simple truth that people could enjoy a peaceful life because of the soldiers protecting the nation.
NewbieSlurp: Wow... even I'm touched.
Pomodoro: But seriously, that pronunciation.
StraightSojuOneShot: First time hearing a guy say something like that...
AwakenedMintChoco: That's what they say to US soldiers. The streamer must have lived in the US.
"Hey, give me back my emotions... But thank you for the donation anyway."
NewbieSlurp: lololol
Pomodoro: Financial therapy is always right.
StraightSojuOneShot: But the streamer is seriously touching.
NyangsterTouch: I already clipped it.
AwakenedMintChoco: Share it plz
"Why are you clipping something like that? It's embarrassing!"
Saebyeok had often seen streamers scream in agony when their clips were shared.
An indelible dark history.
Whether you were a public figure or a streamer, you had to watch your step all the same.
NyangsterTouch: I clipped the song too... (but I'm not sharing this one)
Pomodoro: I totally get that.
StraightSojuOneShot: Even so, keeping him as my little secret streamer is going to be tough.
"Uh... thank you for the donation, AntiNoCamCommittee. I don't have any plans for a webcam stream yet. But is a stream like mine, where we just chat quietly and sing, not that appealing?"
NewbieSlurp: Love it!
Pomodoro: 100 times better than plastering filters all over a webcam.
StraightSojuOneShot: In a way, isn't this kind of communication 'sincerity' itself?
NyangsterTouch: Honestly, compared to cash-grab streams... you're totally right.
AwakenedMintChoco: Wait! You guys, the streamer said he has no plans 'yet'.
NewbieSlurp: Huh...?
Pomodoro: Huh...?
StraightSojuOneShot: !
NyangsterTouch: !
AwakenedMintChoco: !
Saebyeok broke into a cold sweat as he read the chat. He had let his true thoughts slip without realizing it!
"This is why I hate quick-witted viewers."
NewbieSlurp: Whoa...
Pomodoro: His voice is just a reward.
StraightSojuOneShot: No! Hold out!
NyangsterTouch: I'm going to offer clean water and pray from today.
AwakenedMintChoco: They say sincerity moves heaven.
NewbieSlurp: Seconded
As expected, there was no saving it.
Well, I'll have to show my face eventually anyway.
"Ahem, I'll sing one last song and call it a night. Any requests?"
NewbieSlurp: Blue Eyed Soul's 'Don't Go, Don't Go'
Pomodoro: Reincarnation's 'Never Ending Story'
StraightSojuOneShot: Unnies, you're too old...
NyangsterTouch: Uh-huh!
AwakenedMintChoco: Shut your mouth!
"Ah, thank you for the donation, MangoSmoothie. The stream... yes, I plan to turn it on at this time tomorrow. If there are any changes, I'll leave a notice on the community board."
The donations were coming in quite a bit more than he expected.
Even if it wasn't a massive fortune, he couldn't judge since he didn't know their individual financial situations.
Since donations were so visible, he couldn't just ignore them either.
The viewers seemed to have their own unspoken rules, agreeing to follow MangoSmoothie's request.
"The last song... hmm... this one should be good. I'll play Whitney Houston's version of 'I Will Always Love You'."
NewbieSlurp: Oh my god.
Pomodoro: He's doing Whitney unnie's song?
StraightSojuOneShot: Saebyeok is a legend...
Sitting back down at the keyboard, he gathered his emotions.
He started the backing track and pressed the first key. Then, his sweet voice followed.
If I should stay
As the first line flowed out, the chat fell silent once again.
The viewers, already accustomed to his voice, put on their headphones or turned up their speakers.
And I will always love you
As the song climbed to its high notes, their jaws dropped in awe.
When the first verse ended, they finally let out the breath they had been holding and furiously typed away.
NewbieSlurp: Insane...
Pomodoro: This is seriously no joke.
StraightSojuOneShot: Shh! Verse 2 is starting.
And I hope life
Immersed in the music once more, the women all thought similar things.
I need to buy a pair of audiophile headphones.
Maybe I should just buy speakers?
If it sounds this good on gaming headphones, imagine if I heard it properly...
I will always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you
Delivering even the very last line and breath with absolute focus, Saebyeok spoke to the quiet chat.
"This has been Saebyeok's Music Radio. Have a peaceful night."
NewbieSlurp: Huh?
Pomodoro: Huh?
StraightSojuOneShot: Is this really a radio show?!
NyangsterTouch: A streamer who ends the stream without even collecting donations?
AwakenedMintChoco: But it was seriously so good...
NewbieSlurp: Holding my breath until he comes back!
They lingered in the chat for quite a while even after Saebyeok left. The viewer count at the moment the stream ended was 133.
Gaining this much traction on a first stream purely through music was no easy feat. None of them could have predicted how far the ripples of these viewers' actions would spread.