I'll Sign the Contract
I stopped scrolling at the last comment.
Contract. Channel management rights. Slightly unsettling words.
But when I thought about it again, it only made sense for a major MCN to have ironclad contracts. There was no way a place like that would help out a small fry like me for free.
If you're a mana awakener, Neon Ark's the best choice, right?
The commission is high, but they give you strict management, solid ad deals, and even broadcasting equipment support.
Tons of the top ManaOn streamers started at Neon Ark.
I stopped my finger on that last comment.
Contract. Channel management rights. Slightly unsettling words.
But thinking about it again, it was only natural for a major MCN to have strict contracts. There was no way a place like that would help out a small fry like me for free.
According to an acquaintance who joined Neon Ark, they blocked nearly all the early hate comments and doxxing.
But once you're in, the company seems to take a heavy hand in your activity name and channel direction.
There were a few suspicious parts, but I soon turned my phone off.
It would be fine.
The most famous mana-awakener MCN in Korea. A company that managed several top-ranked ManaOn broadcasters. There was no way a place like that would openly do anything shady.
Above all, I didn't have many options.
I would succeed as a major streamer.
No matter what.
The Neon Ark Entertainment headquarters was bigger than I expected.
No, calling it big felt like an understatement.
Glass-covered exterior walls. A blue neon logo embedded on the front of the building. Even the holographic advertisements slowly rotating inside the lobby.
It felt like an entirely different world from the convenience store I usually frequented or my 280,000-won semi-basement room.
“Did I really come dressed like this?”
My face burned when I compared my outfit to the surroundings.
Tracksuit pants and a hoodie thrown on carelessly—an unmistakable unemployed bum. This clearly wasn’t a place for someone like me.
As I stood there, the automatic doors opened and cool air flowed out.
“Ahem…”
I cleared my throat quietly and walked awkwardly toward the elevator.
The location written in the email was… the sixth-floor conference room.
“Gorani-nim?”
The moment my streaming name reached my ears, the redness that had begun to fade rushed back to my face.
It was the first time someone had called me by it, and the fact that I was still just a small fry made me feel embarrassed.
“I’m Cha Yujin. You are Gorani-nim, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Please come with me. The Representative is waiting.”
She repeated my streaming name as if to double-check, then guided me into the elevator with her.
Cha Yujin introduced herself as a manager and said that if the contract went through, she would be my dedicated manager.
From the ride up to the sixth floor all the way to the conference room, she mostly talked about other streamers and bragged about her company.
Her voice showed no sign of stopping, as if she never got tired.
I tried to respond vaguely and move on, but she casually spilled secrets about the streamers she had managed, which left me in an awkward spot.
“So get this? The streamer I handled last time hit first place in real-time searches on the practical wiki…”
“The one I managed recently was a dog beastkin, but they went around pretending to be a fox beastkin. You already know who I’m talking about, right?”
“This is the conference room.”
The manager said she was disappointed we had already arrived and opened the conference room door for me.
“Representative, Gorani-nim has arrived.”
The smile and cheerful voice she’d worn just moments ago vanished instantly, replaced by a completely business-like tone. It was a little startling.
But she was a manager at a major company, so I suppose that was normal.
The inside of the conference room was narrower than it had looked from outside.
Instead of a large table, there was only a small desk where a man who appeared to be the Representative sat, and a single chair placed opposite him as if inviting me to sit.
It felt more like an interview room than a conference room.
The man smiled warmly.
“Welcome. You must have had a hard time getting here.”
He instructed the manager to bring some tea, leaving just the two of us in the awkward silence.
I had never been in a situation like this before in my life, so I fidgeted nervously, fingers twisting together.
“Please, have a seat.”
“Th-thank you!”
My voice came out louder than I intended and I cringed, but the man looked like he was used to reactions like mine.
Maybe the other streamers had been the same at first.
“Oh, is this all right?”
“What do you mean?”
“The music. I turned it on to help you relax.”
Only after he spoke did I realize a very low melody was playing.
Until he mentioned music, I hadn’t noticed any sound at all.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Now that I focused on it, the music felt similar to a frequency I had seen on TubeOn once. It definitely put my mind at ease.
No, it went beyond ease. It almost felt like my head was growing fuzzy.
“Should I turn it off?”
“It’s fine. Thank you for your consideration.”
He smiled again and pulled out a stack of documents from beneath the desk.
It was so thick that it made a heavy thud when he set it down.
“Then shall we discuss the contract?”
Gulp.
I swallowed instinctively at the word “contract.”
The only contract I had ever signed was a part-time convenience store agreement.
This was different.
“Before that, how long have you been streaming?”
“About a year.”
A whole year.
In that entire year my channel had shown zero growth.
He probably already knew that.
That was why I felt even more curious, and why I couldn’t hide my suspicion.
“Why did you contact me of all people…”
“Because I saw potential in you.”
Potential? All I had shown yesterday was a complete disgrace.
Still, there was one thing I had to make clear.
“I want to continue streaming as a man.”
When he asked what I meant, I spoke with determination as if I had prepared the words in advance.
Thanks to the music, my racing heart had calmed considerably.
“I was originally a man. That’s why I streamed using a male avatar. I can’t compromise on th—”
Creak—.
Right then the manager who had gone to get tea opened the door and entered.
Two cups of tea sat on the tray in her hands.
“The tea is ready.”
She naturally placed one cup in front of the Representative, then set the other before me, and stood at the side.
“Did I interrupt?”
She seemed to read the atmosphere belatedly and apologized while looking at me, though she avoided direct eye contact.
“…Not at all.”
“In any case, I have understood Gorani-nim’s wishes.”
That was a relief.
The Representative took a sip of tea, flipped through the documents quickly, found the page he wanted, and slid it across to me.
“Would you read this page first?”
Honestly, I had no confidence in examining the documents carefully.
I had looked up things like “How Not to Get Scammed” and “Five Ways Not to Be a Pushover” on the internet and in the galleries, but I was far too ignorant on the subject.
And above all—
What even is all this?
There was simply too much text.
I wanted to ask an AI to summarize it, but one of the five ways not to be a pushover was to not look like an easy target.
“Hmm…”
Still, I forced myself to concentrate and stared hard at the letters on the page. A strange sensation came over me.
My thoughts refused to continue. I sensed that something was wrong, yet the idea of doubting it never formed.
When I tried to say that something felt off, my thoughts simply cut off.
Instead, the voices of the others and the music became crystal clear.
“How is it? Did you manage to read any of it?”
“Yes…?”
The voice pulled me back as if waking me from sleep.
How far had I read?
“Why don’t you have some tea first? You must be tired after coming all this way.”
At those words I looked down at the tea in front of me.
It was a deep reddish-black.
I didn’t know what kind it was, but the aroma reminded me of black tea.
“I’m fine.”
I didn’t really want to drink it.
My throat was dry, but my hands might shake. Spilling it would only make me look pathetic.
“No, it helps with concentration.”
The manager pushed the teacup even closer.
“You seem to be having trouble focusing right now.”
Was it that obvious?
Doze off while reading a contract and I’d already look like a pushover.
I reluctantly brought the cup to my lips as if I couldn’t refuse.
The two of them seemed to be smiling strangely, but after I drank, their expressions returned to normal.
Must have been my imagination.
“Then shall we continue discussing the contract?”
“Yes…”
A strange feeling. My head felt wrapped in thick fog.
In truth I couldn’t understand a single thing the man was kindly explaining in front of me.
“Gorani-nim’s average viewer count and donation amounts have been low until now. However, the influx metrics right after yesterday’s broadcast accident were completely different. It isn’t simply because of your appearance.”
“Your chat response speed, the habit of continuing the broadcast even while flustered, and even the profanity and negative reactions—all of it confirms strong content potential.”
None of it was registering in my head.
I couldn’t react at all.
Then he looked at my face and spoke to the manager.
“Confirm it.”
The manager’s hand naturally settled on my waist.
Her warm palm slowly traveled upward, gliding over my arm and brushing past the side of my chest.
The touch was so natural that the thought of refusing couldn’t quite form in my mind.
Even though a hand was clearly on my body, I didn’t resist.
No—I couldn’t.
He spoke.
“Then we will proceed with the contract in this manner, Gorani-nim.”
At the Representative’s words I nodded blankly. The manager smiled softly.
“Shall we begin by filming your introduction video?”