Signing with Starcore Network
I'd heard plenty about the Starcore Network contract. It was the largest MCN in the country, with tons of streamers under its wing enjoying all sorts of perks and explosive growth. My broadcasting mentor, Sarea, was signed with them too.
"...Shall I give it a read?"
After meticulously reading through it for 30 minutes, here's the summary:
1. Starcore wants to recruit me as one of their streamers right now.
2. In exchange for splitting revenue 8 (me) : 2 (Starcore), they provide editors, thumbnail artists, NewTube consulting, a dedicated manager, and more to boost channel growth.
3. In return, they might occasionally assign content or ads for me to promote.
4. I might do occasional collabs with other Starcore streamers.
It was definitely an attractive offer. Handing over 20% of revenue meant they'd take responsibility for easing my worries and making my streaming life smoother going forward.
Still, there were vague parts in the email that weren't crystal clear, so I called someone who should know all about it.
"Hello? Juwon?"
It was none other than Sarea—Kim Sun-woo. She was signed with them and the only one among my acquaintances who streamed.
"Oh, um... just wanted to ask something."
"Sure, what's up?"
"I got a recruitment offer from Starcore. Wanted to ask what you think."
"Ahh, you finally got it."
Sarea seemed to ponder for a moment before continuing.
"It's definitely good, right? No need to hunt down editors or thumbnailers yourself—super convenient. You have to do ads once a month for stuff you might not care about, but it's tolerable."
"You build connections with other streamers... and they help fix any demonetization issues on NewTube videos."
"...You're not just saying good things 'cause it's your agency? No pressure from the boss or anything?"
"Haha, I get how it could look that way. But it's true. Anyway... if you're signing, better go to the office in person to review the contract."
After that, Sarea gave me tons more advice, and we wrapped up with my thanks.
"...Guess I have to go in person and talk it out."
I dialed the number from the email.
"Yes, yes. When would you like to come by? Anytime that's convenient is fine."
"Then... tomorrow. It's too late today."
"Got it. Please come to headquarters by 2 PM tomorrow, and we'll finalize everything then."
The call with the rep ended on a positive note. They were kinder than expected, answering all my questions, and we agreed to review the contract in person.
"...I just wanna pick my own editor."
They said hiring my own editor could lower the revenue split they take, so I planned to do that unless necessary.
"...Let's check the applicants first."
The applicant count had ballooned from around 100 to nearly 200, so I'd have to review tonight.
"...Hmm."
After the first pass on the videos, it was past midnight. Forty-two candidates remained—only those with top-notch quality.
"When am I supposed to do all this..."
I considered using their provided editor but hated wasting the time already spent, so I kept going. Second pass: Filtered for those who could produce at least one video every two days—down to 20.
Third pass: Prioritized preferences and compared editing experience—down to 9.
...Meanwhile, 30 new applications came in, but with standards set, I filtered them easily.
"..? Wait a sec."
While sifting emails, I spotted a familiar nickname.
The 'NoelFootRag' channel was one I'd checked out recently. They'd donated during my streams, and the weird name stuck.
"No way... she's a girl?"
The macho nickname screamed guy, but nope—female.
"..."
The shady channel name gave me pause, but her skills were stellar, so I added her to the candidate list.
"...That's enough for tonight."
Applications were open until the day after tomorrow, so I noted the 10 pre-selected candidates, planned to mull it over, and finally crashed at 2 AM.
"Meow!"
I jolted awake from deep sleep at Bambi's [Wake up!] intent.
Bambi, tail swishing on the desk by my bed, had woken me from my sound sleep.
"Meow..."
Her meow grated annoyingly, so I scooped her up, plopped her on my belly, and tickled her furiously.
"Mrowr~"
...No effect. I grabbed my phone to check the time.
"...?"
I rubbed my eyes and double-checked.
"...Ah, shit."
I bolted up, cast Clean on myself, and rushed to get ready to head out.
My place was farther from Starcore HQ than expected—even the subway took an hour. But I'd make it on time. Today's outfit: jeans, black short-sleeve tee, thin jacket over top. Anything looked good on this body and face, and I'd considered a hoodie... but
'It's a semi-official meeting—what kind of impression would that give...'
Luckily, I arrived right on time.
Starcore's recruitment rep, Kim Se-hun, couldn't hide his trembling excitement.
'I get to see the real Noel...'
He hadn't let on during the call, but he was a huge fan—hooked on her skills even before she revealed her voice. And objectively, she was worth recruiting: that silky voice captivating all ages and genders, top rank in Lost World, mysterious aura with zero real-life info leaked. A total star package.
Her star power peaked yesterday's booze mukbang, finally showing her real face a bit. Se-hun was determined to snag her with the best terms and now waited anxiously.
Creeeak—the door opened, and a silver-haired woman peeked in.
"Eh..?"
Se-hun froze in his seat.
I used Shape Change to dye my eyes black before entering HQ.
'Silver hair's iffy, but purple eyes are too distinctive, right?'
I could've dyed my hair black too, but everyone who knew me saw it as silver anyway, and dye wouldn't stick—it reverted fast. "Whoa... is she an idol..?" "Are we expanding from streamers to real idols now..?"
Still, the stares were unavoidable. I slipped into the meeting room as agreed and peeked in. A guy sat there, frozen upon seeing me.
"H-hello...? I'm Noel... did I get the right place..?"
"Ah! Y-yes... I-I'm your rep, Kim Se-hun. Nice to meet you."
I cautiously sat across from him.
"...I'm a huge fan personally, so it's an honor to meet you like this."
"...Oh, th-thanks. Shall we jump into the contract talk?"
Business mode flipped him professional instantly.
"Yes. I'm planning to hire my own editor, so no need for support there. Lower the revenue split instead..."
"In that case, ads would go through your approval..."
Things went smoother than expected. He tailored terms generously, and we signed on great conditions: 9:1 revenue split (me 9), dedicated manager, NewTube consulting on demand, tons of growth support. In return, occasional ads or company content on stream. That was it.
"Thank you. That's all for today."
"Yes. I'll assign a manager soon and send their contact via text."
And just like that, I was officially with Starcore Network.
After signing, Se-hun reviewed the contract with his boss, the sales team lead.
"Didn't you give her too sweet a deal? We don't gain much."
"Don't worry."
"Her influence will only grow from here."
Se-hun's eyes burned with unshakeable resolve.