Chapter 132: Can You Handle This?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 132: Can You Handle This?
It took quite a long time to become numb to the harsh comments and chats.
Looking back, I think I went through a lot of emotional hardship in the early days of my streaming career.
Even when I tried to ignore them, they got to me because there weren't many viewers in the first place, and the line between trolling and acceptable behavior was blurry.
Of course, things are completely different now.
A large organization, the company, was protecting me, and numerous internal filters were weeding out the malicious users.
And sadly, I myself had grown so used to the trolling that I thought I was immune to most hurtful words, but…
[Haaan~ I wanna fuck Han Taemin so bad.]
Rage boiled up from deep within my chest.
It was a different kind of feeling from when they insulted Luka.
I couldn't stop a curse from escaping my lips the moment I read the comment.
"This fucking bitch?"
Who did she say she wanted to do what to?
If this had been my chat, I would have permanently banned the bastard who wrote it. I would've made sure they could never enter my stream again.
"...What's wrong?"
When Oppa looked at me with worried eyes, I just shook my head.
"It's nothing. Just someone writing some nonsense."
Of course, there was nothing I could do about it, but I had no intention of showing it to him.
Report. Report. Report. Report. Report. Report. Report. Report.
After spamming the report button with the comment "inappropriate sexual harassment," I finally felt a little better.
"Is it because of... the school violence thing?"
I was the one surprised by my boyfriend's cautious question.
"...School violence?"
"Yeah."
"Oppa. Were you a school bully?"
"No, that's not it."
Oppa told me about the issue that came up at the company today.
He told me not to, but I managed to find the comment anyway.
[Proof of the padded jacket I was wearing when Han Taemin burned me with a cigarette.]
"Wow... this is just ridiculous..."
To paint Oppa, who despises cigarettes, as that kind of person. This wasn't just an exaggeration; it was a complete fabrication.
"So what did the company say? They're going to handle it, right?"
"Well... they said it's difficult to act right away. They're going to monitor the situation a bit more before releasing a statement."
"What are they waiting for? They should just do it now."
I'd never been caught up in a controversy like this, so I didn't know how to help even if I wanted to. I just wished they would take it down as soon as possible.
"But Doah, what was that comment you saw just now?" Oppa tilted his head curiously.
"I told you, it was just some troll going overboard."
Fuck who? Oppa is my boyfriend. I'm the only one who gets to do that with him!
Of course, I know linking arms might be unavoidable for his acting career, but still, I was the only one who could be intimate with him.
"Hmm... I'm curious..."
Thinking nothing good would come from continuing this conversation, I brought up a different topic.
"There's somewhere I want to go this weekend."
"Where?" Oppa asked, his mouth full as he placed a piece of jokbal on a lettuce wrap.
"Um... Gyeongbokgung Palace...!"
"The palace?"
"Yeah. I want to try wearing hanbok with you."
It might have seemed a bit random, but I was serious about wanting to go on a hanbok date with him. I wanted to take pictures in front of the gate, and maybe even do a little role-playing...
"But won't it be a little cold to walk around in hanbok?"
February was definitely a month where it would be very cold without a thick outer layer.
"Still, isn't it better to go while you're a little less famous?"
I subtly revealed my anxiety, worried that the more he was exposed to the media, the less we'd be able to do things together.
"...You think so?"
Oppa didn't disagree. He stroked his chin once, then nodded.
"Alright. Let's go, then."
"...Really?"
It was just a wishful thought; I didn't expect him to actually agree.
"But on one condition."
"Name it."
He was willing to go on a hanbok date in this cold weather. If it was something minor, I was more than willing to grant it.
"Could you wear the same hanbok Luka wore... no, not the exact same one, but something similar... maybe...?" His voice trailed off at the end, as if he knew he was pushing it.
Sigh... Really... what am I going to do with this Pink Army member...
"Fine. Then you have to wear the school uniform from your web drama shoot on our next date."
You need to see what it's like from the other side.
The frown on his face told me my strategy had worked.
"Look me straight in the eye."
It's... a bit much.
No matter how much this was for learning acting with my whole body, it was still overwhelming.
"Taemin-ssi. Where are you looking? You have to make eye contact to watch and learn."
Unable to bring myself to say it was too intense, I swallowed hard and stared at the teacher's face again.
"Nine billion won. A whopping nine billion. The amount you blew away with a single wrong click is a staggering nine billion!"
I flinched when the teacher slammed his palm on the desk.
"Answer me." The teacher bit his lip and stared right into my eyes. "How are you going to pay this back?"
That was the end of the demonstration. Once the acting was over, the teacher's expression returned to normal.
"Did you understand the key points I mentioned?"
"A little..."
I'd always believed that knowing and doing were two different things, but that seemed especially true for acting. Understanding the teacher's explanation with my head was one thing, but embodying it completely was another matter entirely.
I clutched the script and took a short breath.
"Okay, I'll try just the part I was assigned."
I couldn't blame my memory; the teacher had only marked five lines for me. After muttering the lines to myself several times, I stared straight ahead.
"Look me straight in the eye...! Look..."
Ah. Why can't I do this?
I was supposed to sound clear and articulate like the teacher, but also convey anger. The line that started with such force deflated like a popped balloon before I could even finish it.
"It's alright. Let's try again."
"Okay."
And so I repeated the part again. But despite my efforts, the teacher didn't seem pleased with my acting, and his expression soured.
"Sigh... It's a bit disappointing, but I think this is as far as we'll get today. We'll continue next week."
"Yes, sir."
I knew I couldn't expect to be full after the first bite, but I still felt dejected.
Maybe acting really isn't for me...
Learning acting step-by-step was a curriculum far more difficult than I had ever imagined.
As I lay with my head buried in my arms on the desk, a knock came from the door.
"Taemin-ssi."
"Ah, Manager-nim."
I started to get up, thinking it was finally time to go home, but he gestured for me to sit back down.
"I have something to give you before I take you home."
"For me?"
"Yes."
What the manager pulled out of an envelope was a small bundle of A4 pages.
"What's this?"
I took the papers, blinked, and read the title at the top.
[100 Questions Questionnaire]
Flipping through the pages, I saw it really did contain 100 trivial questions, the kind I hadn't seen since I was a kid.
"This is your next schedule, Taemin-ssi."
"This is?"
This doesn't seem like a drama or a broadcast.
"There's a famous YouTube channel where they just select a few questions like this, have a short talk, and that's it."
The manager held out his phone to show me some videos. Sure enough, celebrities I recognized were on screen, earnestly answering these silly questions.
"This will likely be your first official solo activity, Taemin-ssi. How about it? Are you okay with that?"
"Ah, yes."
I thought it was several times better than suddenly being told to appear on a variety show or to sing and dance.
"But how did this..."
"Ah. The channel reached out to us first and asked if you were available for an interview."
"Me...? Isn't this something only famous people do?"
"Ah, what you just saw was sorted by view count, so it might seem that way, but if you scroll down, you'll see a lot of rookies, too."
Ah... I see...
Sure enough, as I scrolled, I could occasionally see view counts that felt quite humble.
"When is this..."
"The shoot is scheduled for next Monday."
"I see. So, are there... like, company-approved answers I should give?"
I knew that certain broadcasts had scripts.
"No. As long as it's nothing controversial, it'll be best to show the real you."
Q. What are you most interested in these days?
A. Luka-tan
Q. What do you usually do during your breaks?
A. Rewatching Luka-tan's streams.
Q. If you made a lot of money, what would you want to do?
A. Donate to Luka-tan in one-million-won increments.
Q. What is your dream?
A. To marry Luka-tan.
...Think you can handle that?