The Reaction Turned Completely Around
Han Seonhwa, after meeting Lee Doyun, had learned that his interest in her was sexual in nature.
For some reason, that realization brought not disappointment but relief.
If he had truly come at her with genuine romantic feelings...
that would have been a headache in its own way.
He had already done so much for her.
Rejecting his heart would have made her feel guilty.
At least if it was all driven by sexual desire, she could turn him down cleanly and without hesitation.
“I did the right thing.”
After greeting her oppa and leaving, she kept repeating it under her breath.
This decision was not wrong. She had made the correct choice.
If she didn’t force herself to think that way, she felt like she’d regret it someday.
“I did well.”
If she were going to get involved with big spenders, she would have done it long ago.
But she didn’t want to. It felt like selling her soul.
Besides, the moment she let herself get involved, a leash would be fastened around her neck.
If the big spender ever got angry enough to expose her, it wouldn’t just ruin her broadcasting career.
It would ruin her life.
So yes, she had done the right thing.
She told herself that again and again.
When she got home, she sat there and stared into space.
“...What am I supposed to do now?”
What kind of broadcast should she even do?
She thought her strength was communication, but that had its limits.
She didn’t even know how long she could keep it up.
So she started trying to join every crew she could find, groups of internet broadcasters who worked together.
If there was an audition, she went.
And in the span of a short time, she failed three times.
Even her confidence that she could somehow make it began to crumble a little at a time.
The reasons varied.
The atmosphere was too heavy. Her sense of humor was weak. Her chemistry with others was off. She was too burdensome. She couldn’t create good runoff for others.
It wasn’t just one thing, which meant she had no idea where to start fixing herself.
Of course, she could understand it.
Until now, she had been part of a world where cam girls survived on looks alone, and she had no experience in crew work, where entertainment was what mattered.
“Pull yourself together.”
She forced herself to keep going. And then an audition opened for a large BJ’s live variety crew.
She applied again, now with the mindset that all she could do was keep trying.
At this point, she thought, action was the only thing that could change anything.
Her application passed the paper screening. She waited for her turn to appear on the broadcast.
...This isn’t going to be easy.
Looking at the BJs waiting with her, she could already feel defeat settling in.
She was only a BJ who could barely maintain a hundred viewers, while the people waiting around her were all handling hundreds.
Some even had a thousand watching them.
And their variety-broadcast experience was, needless to say, on another level entirely.
So I’m going to be wallpaper.
Just as she was sinking into despair, her turn came.
At least she went in with energy.
“Hello! I’m BJ Seola!”
“Wow.”
“What a lovely young lady.”
“She’s in!”
Most auditions started well. To be honest, she thought she was pretty among cam girls too.
But then—
“Why did you apply?”
“Because I love challenges!”
“Hmm... anyone can say that. What’s your actual strength?”
“...Well.”
The moment the real interview began, whatever strength she had started shining less and less.
For a pretty face with no real entertainment spark, her looks suddenly became a burden.
It made it harder for other people to relax around her.
That was a fatal weakness in a variety crew, where the whole point was to create fun through conversation and making fools of one another.
She had to sell herself somehow.
***
I watched the broadcast.
It was a huge BJ, with more than thirty thousand viewers.
It was definitely fun. So much so that even I could have become a fan.
Several attractive BJs went through the interview.
Watching it like this, I had to admit America TV was full of attractive people.
Then again, they had to show off enough charm to open viewers’ wallets. Ordinary people probably couldn’t survive in that world.
A few people went in, then came back out.
Then it was Seola’s turn.
She walked in with confidence. Her greeting was lively too.
The problem was—
“Hmm.”
When they asked what her strength was, she started looking a little intimidated from that point on.
Compared to the BJs before her, her looks might have been slightly better, but she didn’t seem to have much of an advantage when it came to actually running a broadcast.
Strange. I remembered her being more than this.
Even the viewers who’d cheered her beauty at the start began to change their tune.
The viewers seemed certain she was about to fail.
I didn’t disagree.
I could see the interest leaving the faces of the BJs conducting the interview.
-Let me ask one question.
-Ah, go ahead.
-If we end up doing punishment content later, would bikini broadcasts be possible?
-Huh? B-Bikini broadcasts...?
As if that were possible. If she could do that, she would’ve worn something bolder from the very beginning of the Excel Broadcast.
She wore cam girl clothes, sure, but compared to most of them, she preferred relatively conservative outfits.
What I liked about Seola, what I had found attractive, was her ability to communicate.
But talking with viewers on her own and working in a crew were completely different beasts.
It meant she didn’t really have anything to sell.
-Elimination! The fact that you’re hesitating is already the problem. If it’s possible, say it confidently. If it isn’t, then at least come up with a fun broadcast answer. You did neither.
-...
-And at this point, even if you did it, it would just cause trouble. There’d be controversy no matter what.
-I’m sorry.
-No, there’s no need to apologize. But why exactly do you want into this grueling variety crew in the first place? If you’re a cam girl, I’d imagine you’re already making good money. Aren’t you making a lot now?
-I’m not going to say I don’t make money. But... I’m not good at dance cam girl stuff, and I’m not good at wearing revealing clothes either. I can at least communicate, but... even that has its limits. My chat doesn’t get that active either.
-Hmm. Then let me give you some advice. You need to decide clearly. Either commit to being a cam girl, or if you’re going to put it down, put it down completely. Right now you’re stuck in the middle.
It was a surprisingly sincere piece of advice. It wasn’t exactly good news for Seola, of course.
He was only saying it because he was already thinking of her as a failed candidate.
-Then for my last question, is there anything you can bring to this crew that would help us? Something you can sell yourself on?
Seola’s head had dropped almost completely. She was totally intimidated.
There was no way she could give a proper answer here.
Everyone watching seemed to know it too.
“Hmm...”
Honestly, watching that didn’t feel all that good.
After all, Seola had been someone I liked. Sure, I’d wanted her to come back to me later, but I hadn’t wanted her to return after being crushed and humiliated like this.
I had only wanted her to taste a little bitterness and realize the value of money.
I could still picture her from our dinner date, standing in front of the penthouse with a bright smile, reaching out her hand.
I remember feeling smugly satisfied that buying the penthouse had been the right call.
Even though she’d turned down my offer...
that was part of what made her even more attractive.
I didn’t want her to become a loser.
-If there’s nothing, then I’ll move on to the next person.
Cold words, sure. But they were necessary in a broadcast.
I threw out the Star Balloons.
In an instant, the awkward atmosphere ignited.
-Wooooah! Hyung! Which room are you from? Is this a real 30,000-balloon fan membership?!
-Holy crap. Thank you so much, hyung! Hey, everybody, get up and show your loyalty!
-Once this content’s over, I’ll give you a proper reaction segment!
-Whose room is this hyung from?
That was the power of money. It could change even an uncomfortable atmosphere.
Seola was so shocked she couldn’t even speak.
Instead, the viewers remembered me and started chatting.
-What? Seola has a chairman? Why didn’t you tell us you had a strength like that?
-Yeeeees?! You’re in! Get the hell out here if you’re against it!
-I-I’m in too!
-Bluntly speaking, the whole point of broadcasting is to make money, and watching the balloons explode is the fun part!
-Now that I look at him, he’s actually hilarious!
They were all saying the same thing.
The judges’ eyes had completely changed.
***
Seola had already given up on the audition when Lee Doyun showed up.
Pull yourself together.
She decided to grab this chance first and worry about the rest later.
If not now, she felt like she’d never have the courage to try again.
“So what do you want to do? Should I leave?”
“S-Stop! Talk to me!”
“Y-you could have just said something. I never expected to be talked to with a Star Balloon bombardment...”
“Hahaha. This is hilarious. Now this is broadcasting!”
“Every single thing you say is funny!”
The reaction turned completely around.