Homecoming Chores and Community Inferno

After filling our bellies with hearty jjambbong in Gangneung, we set out for more sightseeing. Im Nana had zoned out midway through because the spice was too much for her, so I was the only one with a truly stuffed stomach. The weather was a bit chilly, but we strolled along the beach and did some light trekking on the trails to aid digestion. All in all, it felt like we'd had a pretty enjoyable time.

Fun times fly by, and soon it was time to return to everyday life. On the drive back to Seoul, we weren't as rowdy as before, but we were both quietly savoring the memories in our hearts. Before long, we entered the familiar Seoul nightscape, and the navigation announced our arrival.

We parked at the apartment complex entrance, unloaded the gear together, and stood facing each other to say goodbye. But suddenly, no words came to mind.

"Hey, Areum."

"Yeah?"

"Today... no, this whole camping trip... thanks so much."

"What do you mean thanks? It'd been ages since I camped with someone, so... it was fun for me too."

"...Yeah. Still, thanks to you, I feel recharged. Time to dive back into streaming with full energy."

"If burnout hits again, let me know ahead of time. Next time, I'll show you what real survival camping is like."

"Pfft, yeah... thank you, really."

Life started sparkling back in Im Nana's face. Oh, right—I'd meant to ask her something.

"Nana, I got a call from CEO Kim Manho."

"Huh? What about?"

"He asked if I'd ever consider joining an MCN... Does that mean I'd join the one you're with?"

"Huh? No, no. I couldn't run a company like that."

"You mentioned forming a team before..."

"Ah, must've been a misunderstanding. Technically, it wasn't my team—the company introduced a few people saying, 'This is your support team from now on!' One of them was CEO Kim Manho."

"Oh... so he's not exclusive to you, more like a headquarters employee at the MCN? That's why he pitched to me too."

"Yeah. He handles PPL and ad schedules for me primarily, but he still does MCN work. Guy's basically superhuman."

"Hmm... got it. Anyway, it's getting dark—head on in."

"Okay! Thanks again for today. Drive safe."

With that, Im Nana dragged her luggage into the complex. Climbing back into the car, I glanced at the empty passenger seat, then spotted her waving from afar through the window. I rolled down the window and waved back; only then did she turn and walk away. I didn't hit the accelerator until she rounded the corner and vanished from sight.

Home at last. Gotta crash... no, gear to unload, tent and grill to clean. Why is camping so fun in the moment but such a pain at the end?

I unbuckled, got out, and started hauling stuff down one by one. YouTube ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠reactions popped back into my head. 'Oh right, gotta film this too...' No choice. I set up the camera roughly first, then resumed unloading.

Hngh—! What the hell? So damn heavy. I'd split everything into multiple boxes on the way there to keep them light. Looks like Nana consolidated it all into one on the way back.

"Urgh...! Hnngh... can't lift this."

What the heck did she pack? Even a big box shouldn't weigh this much. Curiosity won; I opened it.

Inside: compact-but-heavy tent (stakes included), fully disassembled BBQ grill to its limits, folding camp table and chairs, leftover shells from the clamshell briquettes. Nana crammed all this into one box...

She'd lifted it into the trunk like it was nothing. Am I weak, or is Im Nana just strong?

No wonder the sounds from hollowing out that quinzhee were so intense. Is Im Nana some untapped sports prodigy?

Grousing, I separated the contents. My strength's lacking, but unpacking comes first. The camera captured my grunting struggles again, and after over 30 minutes of wrestling, I finally got everything inside.

I collapsed in the entryway right after shutting the door with the last load. Exhaustion crushed me, but I couldn't just lie there... Camping ends with cleanup. For a camping YouTuber, it ends with editing.

Editing could wait till tomorrow, but on this upward streak, I couldn't slack. Dragging my leaden body up, I grabbed the tent and gear for the bathroom. Kinda grimy—might as well shower too.

Snatched some clothes and headed in. Splash—.

Crouching, I rinsed the groundsheet first, then tent, tarp, BBQ grill—all the used gear thoroughly. Showered too, dried my hair, and my smartphone on the desk buzzed insistently.

Who at this hour? Nana forget something? Caller ID: [Nana Channel - Kim Manho CEO]. Perfect timing—I had questions. Set down the hairdryer and answered the still-ringing phone.

"Hello?"

My drowsy voice was met immediately by Kim Manho's slightly excited tone.

His polite businessman demeanor as always. Gotta admire the professionalism.

"Yeah, it's fine. Just finished cleanup."

"Oh yeah? What'd you think? We had a blast."

This guy's testing the waters. Business types butter you up when they want something.

"Haha... you're too kind. So, what's the real ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pitch?"

"The MCN one?"

"Me? A nobody? I heard a bit from Nana—not just job leads like any MCN..."

"Hmm. Mind meeting to discuss details?"

"Sure. Around noon..."

He kept gushing "Thank you, perfect!" till I hung up. Too much hype—now I'm wary about committing anywhere.

Phone down, but I stood there lost in thought. Fine. If I'm negotiating, I need to know my value first.

"..."

A bit scary. I'd avoided my channel and the Camping Gallery for a while... Gallery bait probably died quick. No new activity post-upload.

Sat at the computer, grabbed the mouse with trembling hands. Hovered over the bookmark "Camping Gallery," steadied my nerves, squeezed my eyes shut, and clicked.

Slowly opened my eyes. Posts looked like normal Camping Gallery fare. Thank goodness. Clicked a highly recommended one: Reckless Camping... how bad could it be?

Fuck. This is cheating. If you wanna hatepost in CampGal, win with skill...! Ngh, whatever. At least it looks normal. My bait seems forgotten. Gallery folks obsessing over a low-sub YouTuber after one vid was the anomaly anyway.

Habitually clicked the hatepost list. And there, mocking my complacency: every other post—half the page—dozens of "Camp Verji," Han Areum, Han-geol-like memes.

Panic brief. Y-yeah, expected this. Even braced for worse. Clicked the latest.

I clawed my head and slammed it on the desk. Guh...! Fuuuuck... why are they so persistent...?

I dreamed of "gentle, healing smiley girl camping specialist." But the image they're consuming: polar opposite—camp-obsessed young boomer.

Sigh. At least I could guess why Kim Manho pushed so hard. Community on fire? Of course he'd want me.

Deep breath, clicked the one below.

GRAAAAAH!!!! "Roll around with Han Areum at Rakgurakgu"?! Whoever you are, you're dead! Indescribable rage boiling—not quite shame, pure human-target fury.

Fuck, good I checked spicy stuff first. YouTube channel should be milder?

Deep breaths, calmed down, opened YouTube homepage. Right-side notifications, but browser-synced email caught my eye first.

Email... yeah, could be ad offers. Check that first.

......

...

BAM—!!!

I... couldn't hold back anymore and slammed the desk.