Hunting Hakko and Discovering a Gem
Internet streaming has ridiculously low barriers to entry, whether you're a viewer or a streamer. That's why there are so damn many of both. Most streamers—those in the latter category—eke out a living as Hakko, barely scraping past 50 average viewers.
"It's their own damn fault."
A ton of them just chalk up their shitty situation to 'bad luck.' Take a look at this guy right now.
[No fucking way, why are you diving in there?! I told you I don't have Platinum!]
No analysis of the matchup before jumping in. No clue about their strengths and weaknesses as a streamer. They just fire up the game and spew nonstop profanity in full tilt mode all day. Their actual tier? Platinum at best. Zero effort, yet dreaming of streaming stardom. That's the Hakko staring back at me.
[Sigh... fuck, this is hopeless. No more Rift today. Hit me with game recs.]
Game recs from who? His only viewer is me, but the streamer on screen acts like he's some big corporation hotshot.
"Shouldn't have bothered."
One tab closed, and the grating voice vanished.
"Anyone else worth analyzing today...?"
I'm going to become a streamer. But unlike that loser, I'm gonna succeed for sure. That's why I've been Hakko hunting. Analyzing why they fail. Breaking down broadcasts from those who graduated to mid-tier. Figuring out what I can offer. It's been a full month already.
Maybe it's time to start my own stream...?
"Nah, better wait till I'm dead certain."
Not yet.
"One last refresh to check for stragglers, then bed."
I'd combed through pretty much every stream under 50 viewers. Hit refresh, and bam—a new face.
"Day 1, huh..."
Classic newbie title. Stream started an hour ago.
"......"
Meaning I'd spent over an hour on that trash stream that just ended.
"A girl?"
Profile and username reeked of estrogen. Pure newbie vibes.
"Lucky her."
No verification badge? That's a blessing around here.
I clicked in.
[Hnnngggg...!]
"Holy shit."
A lewd moan greeted me.
[Hmmm...]
"...The hell?"
Making those noises on day one? She knows exactly what viewers crave.
[Whew...! Stretched nice and good. Let's get going!]
But her charms didn't stop there. Cute voice, tension that never dipped below a solid baseline. Even...
[Eek?! No way, why'd I lose?! I played so well!]
...when she lost, she showed fun rage. Tilt too hard, and viewers get wary or bail. Ignore wins/losses entirely, and there's no immersion—viewers dip out. The sweet spot? 'Fun rage.' Tough as hell from what I've seen...
"And this is day one?"
There's a word for people like her.
"Slap a paid verification on that ass, and she'll blow up overnight."
Talent incarnate. She had massive streaming potential. Bet she'll shine soon.
...
Or so I thought back then.
Day 30. Streamer Yu Seol's broadcast had been running for a full month.
"Even someone like this can't make it?"
Yet her steady viewer count? Exactly one. Me.
"...Why?"
Every other streamer I'd flagged as promising had hit mid-tier at minimum. Late bloomers exist, sure, but they showed insane promise from the jump. I'd figured Yu Seol was the same. Her low chats with the occasional rando viewer? Smooth as silk. Above-average skill in most games.
[Hnnng...! S-scared me! How'd you pop out there?!]
And above all, that voice. Pure cheat code. She'd strum a guitar and hum sometimes—solid singing talent too.
"If anyone's got a right to whine about luck, it's her."
I quietly watched her stream as always. Then came end-of-broadcast time.
[Everyone! Uh, can I even call you that? Hmm... Y-you, the viewer who's here every day!]
She paused, then continued.
[Truth is... it's getting hard to keep streaming...]
"...Huh?"
[Probably today's the last one, but... you always show up, so I wanted to say thanks.]
[I didn't want it to end like this either...]
Her voice turned soggy in seconds. Sniffling echoed through my speakers from the mic.
[Hic, th-thanks for the chat...! Hic! O-oh, it's been a while since your last one!]
Even mid-tears, she was forcing a smile—it was obvious.
[Pfft, enough already...! You never say that stuff usually!]
Still teary, but better than before.
They say luck favors the prepared. Yu Seol was prepared. The type who could explode any second if luck knocked. Letting talent like that fade? Criminal.
I fired up the donation window and sent her a fat one.
zxcqwe donated 100,000 won!
That covers a week, right? No ulterior motives in the big donation. I'm not simping for her.
...Definitely not.
No simping here. Don't even know her face. The only reason I'm going this hard? Her talent's too good to waste. Seen this before once. Convinced that guy to keep going, and he made it big. Figure Yu Seol will too, so I'm helping. Good deeds come back around, right?
[Wha—?! Th-thank you so much! zxcqwe...? H-how do I even address you...?]
"Still got a lot to learn."
Her talent was real, but her streamer know-how? Rookie level.
[Oh... Got it...! I'll remember!]
[...Huh? Oh?! 100,000 won?!]
"Kinda ugly reaction."
Nah, fair enough. Tenfold difference between 10k and 100k—you're allowed a little flex.
[No, really... th-thank you! I'll work super hard! For real!]
After thwarting the demise of a talented streamer.
"Mom called."
I flopped onto my familiar bed and checked my phone.
"What's she so worried about with a son who's even done military service?"
Since I started living alone, Mom hits me up on KakaoTalk once a day without fail. Way more affectionate than in the novel, for sure.
"Having parents like this? Definitely lucky."
It's been over 15 years since I isekai'd into this novel world. And not just any novel—a romance slice-of-life one. I became the eldest son of a sub-couple.
No truck, no noose from my past life—just woke up here one day.
But despite the suddenness...
"Maybe swing by the family home soon."
The emotion I felt most after possessing this body? Happiness. A harmonious family, reliable adults—stuff my orphan past life never had. My parents showered me with unwavering love. And our neighbors next door? Total rocks I could lean on.
Oh, those neighbors? The novel's protagonists. They were in their twenties during the story's peak; now that I'm an adult, they're in their forties.
"Not for nothing are they the protagonists."
Still, they held onto their youthful looks.
"Not your typical forties."
Anyway. I'd kept smooth relations with everyone in the novel. Smooth? Nah, extremely close.
With my parents, who first showed me parental warmth. And the next-door protagonists—basically my second parents.
All but one.
Just one person I'd been on bad terms with forever...
"Shin Se-bin's coming?"
Next-door folks. A.K.A. the pure-love novel heroine and hero's daughter. My childhood friend, Shin Se-bin. Culprit identified.
"What's her deal?"
We weren't always on bad terms. Back in elementary, when we went to the same school, we got along fine. Drifted apart in middle school—different schools. By high school, no contact at all. She'd started ignoring my messages outright, killing even small talk.
I don't think I did anything to piss her off, but there must be a reason.
She used to be super sweet back then.
"Might as well ask her straight up this time."
Haven't seen her face-to-face since turning twenty. Good chance to chat her up.
Time flew. Day before heading to the family home.
8 PM rolled around, and as usual, Yu Seol went live.
But...
"...What the."
Her title was off.
"Why's the title 'Sorry nya'?"
And get this.
[S-sorry... Hic! Sorry...!]
Tears streaming like a faucet.
I smacked my forehead hard enough to hear the thwack.
Bad news had found its way to me.