Fame?
Just one day after his discharge. Seo Joo-hwan glanced at the clock, and his face crumpled instantly. 06:30.
"Why the hell am I waking up at this hour?"
No matter that he'd been discharged yesterday—it was still too much. Plus, since he'd regressed, he'd only spent about two weeks in the barracks if you really thought about it.
"Has my body gotten used to it?"
His mind had only been there for two weeks, but his body had endured 21 months of grind. That made sense. He kicked off the blanket and got out of bed.
Seo Joo-hwan stepped outside, lit a morning cigarette, and checked his phone. He wanted to see the reactions to the post he'd uploaded yesterday.
The comments were mostly positive. Explaining his military status and the site glitch in the notice had worked. There were still haters, but no need to pay them any mind. People like that weren't critiquing for valid reasons—they just wanted to bite someone.
> Achievement unlocked: "First to Break 10,000 Favorites!"
> Reward: 5,000 LP granted.
An achievement had unlocked while he slept, and his ranking—which had slipped to mid-lower—had reclaimed first place as time passed. The effect of that meticulously polished 5-chapter streak, without skimping on points.
"Yeah, lots of praise for the prose."
He'd gotten compliments on his prose even before regression. Cursed with rotten luck, he wasn't a bestseller, but his small, die-hard fanbase always left encouraging comments like, "How is this not blowing up?"
Now it was even better, so the reaction was only natural. Of course, the web novel scene's average prose wasn't high either.
"Feels good writing like this."
A happy smile spread across Seo Joo-hwan's face. Like all creators, writers needed readers' attention to survive. Beyond the money, it was a key motivator for writing.
*
Up early anyway, Seo Joo-hwan decided to hit morning training.
'Should I switch workouts to mornings from now on?'
His eyes would probably keep popping open early for a while. And after writing with the blessing active, he'd be drained and couldn't train properly. Better to workout mornings and write afternoons.
He'd have to sync schedules with trainer Im Su-hee.
'But does the gym open this early?'
He vaguely remembered it opened early, but not the exact time. He changed into workout clothes and headed out.
'If not, I'll just jog.'
Luckily, the gym was open. For the dawn crowd, they opened at five.
Beep.
He scanned his membership card and entered. Despite the early hour, plenty of people were there—older folks, probably salarymen who trained mornings.
"Seo Joo-hwan, by any chance?"
A woman's voice. His head turned naturally. A woman in tight workout clothes stood there.
"Oh, Coach Su-hee. Morning."
"Whoa, it really is you, Joo-hwan. Discharged?"
"Yeah, just yesterday."
"Hoho, that's why you're out so early?"
"Something like that."
He'd told Im Su-hee he was enlisting and wouldn't come for a while. She congratulated him on discharge, then called him in a sly tone.
"But Joo-hwan."
"Yeah?"
"You know..."
Why the suspense? She whispered,
"You're that soldier from the news, right?"
"News?"
"The one who beat the serial killer."
"Oh, that..."
He'd done a separate interview with reporters at army HQ. He knew it made news and articles, but stuck in barracks, it hadn't sunk in.
Im Su-hee clapped, eyes wide.
"Knew it was you! Timing of return to base, your face—it all matches!"
Her fuss drew stares. Or had they been watching already? They swarmed like they'd been waiting.
"Thought you looked familiar—turns out you're one of ours?"
"Whoa~ Brave guy. Saw you training hard last time, and now you nabbed a killer. Impressive."
"Heard the killer had a knife—weren't you scared?"
"Don't look like a long-time gym rat—do some martial arts too?"
A horde of muscle masses surrounded Seo Joo-hwan. The pressure from those massive pecs made him shrink back.
Im Su-hee chattered like a gossiping auntie thrilled with fresh tea.
"Haha..."
Seo Joo-hwan forced an awkward laugh. As a well-aged 32-proof social recluse, the sudden attention was overwhelming. But honestly, these muscle monsters terrified him more.
'Someone get me out of here!'
Just stop flexing those pecs, please...
*
The same happened that afternoon. Craving tteokbokki, he went to his parents' snack bar, and tons of customers recognized him. Being near school, most were high schoolers.
Seniors on break would find anything fun except studying.
"You're that soldier who nabbed the killer, right hyung? Dude, badass. One pic together?"
"Oppa, can I post this on Insta?"
"Hyungnim, bare-handed on the killer? What do you train?"
To these bored seniors dragged to school, Seo Joo-hwan was prime entertainment. He wore a troubled smile, soulless as at the gym.
There, they'd been intimidating but polite, so less pressure. These kids shoved phones in his face demanding pics—not so bad, but still mortifying. He wasn't a celeb, sweating bullets over whether to oblige—then salvation arrived.
"Hey! Get off my oppa! You brats come to a snack bar to eat snacks, not mob people!"
Seo Joo-hee, who always called him "hey" or "you," shielded him as "my oppa."
"Yeah, yeah! Back off Hwan oppa! Boo!"
Han Su-ah hid behind her, pitching in with one arm raised.
Some pushback at first, but it settled quickly. Seo Joo-hee glared—most scattered with squeaks or sat meekly.
What kind of school life have you had, sis...
Seo Joo-hwan decided not to dwell. She had some sense—not the delinquent type.
"Phew. Thanks, sis. Thought I'd die of stress."
"Pfft. Must've been rough for my asocial oppa."
Seo Joo-hee mocked, but he zeroed in on "my oppa" again.
Was she nuts?
"Why the sudden creepy 'oppa'?"
She flushed at the callout.
"Y-you told me to call you that!"
True, he'd said to use proper terms or get spanked. But Seo Joo-hee wouldn't go "my oppa" over that. Sibling bonds didn't shift so easy.
No clue, he tilted his head.
"What's with the freakout?"
"F-freakout? Hey!"
"Yeah. One spank banked."
"You crazy bastard?!"
"Joo-hee! What language to your oppa!"
"He's annoying me, Mom!"
"Place your order!"
"Ugh, Mom knows nothing... Ow! Fine! Jeez..."
Smacked on the back, she quieted. Fully sulking, puffed cheeks, lips sealed.
Han Su-ah glanced nervously, patted her back.
'Teased too hard?'
A bit guilty, he called,
"Seo Joo-hee."
"..."
"No answer and no granting your request? You need something, right?"
"...Yeah."
He grinned and nodded. There we go. No way she'd act buddy-buddy without reason.
She looked wronged.
"Wasn't blocking them just for that."
Han Su-ah backed her.
"Yeah oppa. Joo-hee wouldn't be petty like that."
"Hah, what do you take me for."
"That was just fixing the mess for us... Mmph!"
"Ahahaha..."
Seo Joo-hee clamped Han Su-ah's mouth, awkward laugh. Under his narrowed glare, she confessed.
"Kids at school saw your article, so somehow..."
"Hwan oppa, sorry..."
He sighed deeply, then nodded.
"I forgive my two sinners."
"Really?"
"Hehe. Thanks, Hwan oppa."
"Yeah. Not really your fault."
They'd just let slip in excitement seeing him in friends' articles at school. Hard to blame fully.
Forgiven, Seo Joo-hee perked up.
"Right? Not my fault. I even played dumb like 'not my bro.' But some from the shop recognized..."
"Seo Joo-hee, head to table."
"Why!"
"Haven't heard your request yet?"
"Jeez..."
She thunked her head down. Why so compliant for a request?
He chuckled at Han Su-ah pondering the same, said,
"Su-ah, spill the request. You're always glued together anyway."
Like gum, they stuck tight. Probably some duo project gone wrong.
Nailed it.
"Hehe. So, Joo-hee and I are streaming..."
But the details blindsided him. His eyes widened.
"Streaming?"
"Yup!"
"Afreeca?"
"Nope. TrickyTV."
"Ah, yeah. Makes sense—not Afreeca material."
He nodded, convinced. Same internet broadcasting, but AfreecaTV and TrickyTV vibes clashed. Afreeca was savage beasts brawling; Tricky, herbivores in subtle mind games. His personal take, but these two didn't fit Afreeca.
"Hey—not hey, oppa. Why 'no way'?"
"Yeah. Keep thunking."
"Jeez..."
Ignoring her pout, he continued.
"What kind of stream? Wait, how do you stream together? Can't always sync."
"Well, I stream, Joo-hee manages and edits."
"Edits? Right, she was learning. YouTube too?"
"Yup. Uploading one by one."
"Since when?"
"Not long. Week-ish?"
"Hm. Low viewers then. What format?"
"Uh... chit-chat? Sometimes sing, um. Study streams too."
No solid concept.
"Fixed schedule?"
"Wh-when free?"
"......"
He closed his eyes, sighed. No experience beyond watching, but this screamed amateur hour. He could guess her request.
"...Seo Joo-hee, head up."
"...Hehe. Oppa, can I keep thunking?"
"Gonna really smack it..."
Help us 'cause we don't know where to start was pushing it.