Childhood Friends on Bad Terms (2)

What had pushed Yu Seol this far? "What's got her so upset?" I had no clue why, but in situations like this, it was almost always bad news. If I had to guess...

"Was she a minor?"

Her parents might've been pressuring her to quit streaming. No matter how much this was a world from a novel, it wasn't some utopia. It was basically the real world. Parents meddling in their kids' lives was par for the course.

"There were a few of those helicopter parents back when I was in school."

So was Yu Seol one of those cases? "That'd be a shame." Her talent as a streamer was top-tier. Sure, I was just a pro viewer who hadn't started streaming myself, but I could vouch for it. "No wonder she's bawling." If she loved streaming, felt she had a gift for it, but someone else crushed that dream... yeah, I got her tears.

So I waited patiently until her sobs ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tapered off. No point bugging someone mid-cry. And when she seemed able to talk...

Yu Seol must've cried buckets—she was still hiccuping as she mumbled.

"Yup, she's quitting." Just like your typical hakko newbie facing a stream shutdown. I'd figured as much.

"She did sing pretty well." I'd been impressed last time she belted one out seriously. But passing an audition meant...

"She's gotta be cute too."

Maybe streaming wasn't her true calling after all.

"...Huh? Company?"

"Not saying it just confirms it." Neo was the only MCN with a VTuber open ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠call right now. Passing their audition basically meant debuting with Neo.

"...Wait a sec." I'd figured out she was debuting as a VTuber with Neo, but one question lingered.

This was contract stuff—they'd enforce it hard.

"What was she thinking, going live?" She'd risk throwing away a golden ticket herself.

"Refund?" 100,000 won was no small change, but I didn't want it back.

Her voice had lost all traces of tears by now. I shot back the same vibe.

"What kinda wild talk is that?"

Streamers favoritism toward specific viewers? Total no-go.

Groups debuting through agencies usually got heavy investment and training.

"I said I don't need it." Her insistence on refunding vs. my "keep it" ran parallel. Knowing it'd loop forever, I donated... "...She'll be raking it in soon anyway." ...everything but a zero from 100,000 won.

I bailed from her stream right after. Donating a tenth stung a bit, but 200,000 won was big for a jobless student on hiatus.

"Why'd I drop ten thousand won though." The question hit while prepping to head home after waking up. "Coulda just chatted and dipped." Why toss cash at someone about to hit the jackpot? Sure, not every VTuber group blows up—plenty flop. But Neo? One of Dwichi's top MCNs. No way she'd tank.

"Meanwhile my nose is too cold to sniff success."

Unlike Yu Seol on the cusp, I hadn't even taken my first streaming step. Sure, I'd been "analyzing" (aka lounging), but...

"Time to lock in a start date."

"Been on hiatus two months now?" After chatting with my parents, I'd taken a year off uni. They said chase my dreams, but fearing endless slacking, we set a one-year limit. "Flop and I graduate, get a job."

Keeping my parents smiling was always priority one in school, so top grades landed me in Korea's best university. Job prospects? Solid.

"...".

I mulled silently. Was two months' analysis enough? Had I missed trends? Did I even have streamer talent? The conclusion came quick.

"One more month."

Just one. Invest one more month prepping, then launch.

...

I punched in the familiar passcode and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stepped into the entryway. Baek Dad, shifting grills, greeted me warmly.

"Hey, Do-hyun's here!"

"Dad."

I smiled back, then snatched the grill he'd been holding and hauled it to the living room. It was smaller and lighter than expected.

"That do it?"

"Nah, got two more just like it. Seeing you flex, guess you can help?"

...No ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wonder it felt light. I grinned with his playful smirk and finished moving them.

Once the grills were set in the living room, I didn't budge much. Not from fatigue—simply, no spot for me to help.

Baek Mom and Yun-jin prepped sides. Ho-seong brought the meat in bulk. But even with everything ready, no grilling yet.

"Where's Se-bin?"

"Said she'd come when ready... No reply to my Kakao."

"Want me to grab her?"

Shin Se-bin hadn't shown. "Shown" felt off—we were next door; ten seconds max.

"Do-hyun, you know anything?"

Ho-seong's question tilted my head. "...Me?"

I thought they knew about us...

"I don't really kn—"

Whack! Before I finished, Yun-jin spiked his back.

"Why make Do-hyun uncomfortable!"

She clearly knew our beef.

"Can't you see his face stiffen?!"

She scolded him harder over my expression—but she caused it. Watching the novel's super alpha-male take a smack had my lips twitching. Don't laugh. Don't laugh. Clenched teeth froze my face.

In the rowdy vibe, Yun-jin's phone rang.

"Se-bin's under the weather. Guess it's just us."

From Shin Se-bin herself, apparently sick. Family gathering kicked off sans her.

"Cheers!"

Three hours into the gathering. At Ho-seong's request, I'd popped into the Shin house.

"......"

"......"

Unplanned, but ages since facing Shin Se-bin. Eye contact hit, and awkward silence swallowed the living room. Heavy awkwardness—I blurted desperately.

"...Puffy eyes, huh."

She yanked her blanket up, hurling a boiled egg my way. Empty-handed now, she glared murderously.

"Get out."

Her dead-serious low growl was icing.

"I get how this looks bad."

Her rage made sense—from her view, some creep snuck in to ogle her sleeping. But, but...

"Got a reason, so hear me out...?"

I had words too.

"Ho-seong asked me to—"

"Get out."

'C'mon, listen...' A sigh bubbled up from deep inside.