If You Don't Have a House, Just Buy One

For several weeks, I streamed consistently from Emily-ssi's house.

Since I couldn't just wander around anywhere, there was really nothing else to do.

[ Rue ] : Brainstorming a new avatar (Planning to spend 100 million won on avatar costs alone)

As a result of twisting my whole body to prevent the new viewers from fleeing, I managed to reach an average viewer count of 10,000 this month.

This is a number that leaves nothing lacking to be called a giant streamer.

Even in my dreams, I never knew this would be possible.

Had about three weeks passed like that?

"Like I mentioned before, I'm planning to take a hiatus of about a week. I have a lot to do after returning to Korea and all."

Finally, the Powerball payout date was right around the corner.

"See you all in Korea!"

I finished the final procedures with Emily-ssi.

"Then within today, 1 trillion 18.52 billion won will be deposited into Rue-nim's account."

"Thank you. I'll pay the retainer fee right away."

"We are the ones who should be thankful. Successfully completing a high-profile request like this is a profit in itself."

In just a few hours, I will become a chaebol.

Of course, there was a minor problem.

"By the way, Rinha-ssi, as I explained before, your real name will be disclosed. Are you okay with that?"

In the state of Los Angeles, disclosure of the winner's identity is the general principle.

Even if my face could be reasonably covered with a mask and sunglasses, the whole world would come to know my name.

For a VTuber, this was an extremely dangerous thing.

Because in today's internet age, knowing just a name allows people to dig up who you are and where you live.

However, I had no past history whatsoever under the name 'Seo Rinha'.

I didn't use social media, nor had I ever attended a school.

Even if it became known, it wouldn't cause any trouble at all.

"I'm fine with it."

Because I was someone who suddenly appeared out of thin air one day, ta-da.

Seo Rinha has no past history.

No matter how much they dig, nothing will come up.

"Have you scheduled your return flight?"

"Yes, I plan to return home tomorrow."

"Please deceive your stream viewers about your return date. Reporters might be waiting for you."

"That's why I told them I'm returning in two days."

"Well done."

I shook hands with Emily-ssi, whose hospitality I had enjoyed all this time.

"By any chance, how do you plan to live once you go back to Korea?"

A sudden question.

When I had just won the Powerball, I couldn't think straight.

Because in my whole life, I had never once contemplated what I wanted to do.

People live to earn money.

To be exact, without money, you cannot live.

Without money, you cannot dress.

Without money, you cannot eat.

Without money, you cannot even sleep.

You do things you hate just to make a living.

Choosing a monthly salary over the person you like.

Choosing stability over dreams.

Because you have no money, you live a life of choosing money.

If an act that suppresses another's freedom is called a crime, then poverty is also a crime.

But the current me is different.

Personal assets of 1 trillion.

This is a figure that can already be called a chaebol.

An amount that could buy a car that is someone's dream, a house that someone wants to live in, and maybe even a person.

Then what is it that I want to do?

After pondering steadily for three weeks, the derived answer was surprisingly simple.

'Streaming.'

The days spent chatting until dawn with ten viewers.

The days spent grinding a single game for six hours straight.

The days when ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the chat window flooded over a trivial joke.

The income was terrible, and life remained ruined as ever.

However, for those few hours at least, I could forget the past.

The streams I did over the past six months were the most fun in the combined lives of Kim Hocheol and Seo Rinha.

So I decided to just pour the entire 1 trillion won into streaming.

"I'm going to start a company."

"...Pardon?"

"A company solely for my stream alone."

Auditions, music production, music videos, animation.

Games, live concerts, merchandise....

Rinha continued her explanation.

Every time she spoke, the scale grew larger and larger.

'...IP content.'

There are few contents that a single streamer—and a VTuber at that—could invest a massive amount of money to do.

Because of that, Rue focused her attention on the phrase 'IP'.

The best means to secure recognition and a loyal viewer base, while being great for flexing money.

"...Are you planning to run a business?"

Emily looked at Rinha with a puzzled expression.

She already made enough money, so why on earth?

"No."

Rinha shook her head.

"A business is meant for making money, right? I'm creating a company to spend money, so it's a bit of a different story."

Spending money?

"...By any chance, how much are you planning to spend?"

"Mmm, my entire fortune?"

Emily gulped down her saliva.

"...You're joking, right?"

If it were an ordinary person, she would have laughed it off, but.

Rinha looked out the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠window without answering.

"...In my life, I've never owned a single thing."

A story quietly beginning.

"I never even thought about wanting things, and I lived thinking that being greedy was a luxury."

"I started streaming without expecting anything either. But as many as ten people came. People who visited every day, chatted with me until dawn, and laughed at trivial jokes."

"Those ten people were the first. The first time since I was born that I thought of something as mine."

Emily had learned through the stream that Rinha had no parents.

That she hadn't been very wealthy could also be inferred from the numerous VODs remaining on her channel.

The Rinha that Emily grasped was a terribly lonely person.

"When I had never owned anything, I didn't think much of it. But once I actually had something, I didn't want to give it up to anyone."

Solitude, poverty, anxiety.

A person who has suffered countless deficiencies cannot possibly be sane.

Working as a lawyer, Emily was an expert at seeing through human nature.

She had long suspected that Rinha definitely had something different from others.

"I was satisfied with ten people, but when I got a hundred, losing those hundred felt wasteful; when I got a thousand, losing those thousand felt wasteful."

Just as Emily expected.

Rinha's mind was slightly twisted.

"...When I got ten thousand, losing those ten thousand felt wasteful."

Burning billions of won to catch a thousand loyal viewers.

Burning tens of billions of won to maintain ten thousand viewers.

An ordinary person could never do that.

Because they have limits and common sense. Because there is a world to live ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in outside of streaming.

There is no streamer anywhere who would dump their entire lottery winnings into streaming.

However, for Rinha, streaming was everything.

She had no acquaintances, no family. She had nothing but streaming.

"I want all tens of thousands of new viewers to watch only my stream."

"...."

"Making games, making animations, making music videos, holding concerts. If I keep creating original content that can only be seen here..."

The viewers were truly everything Rinha possessed.

"Won't everyone abandon their main channels and settle down in my room?"

Emily caught a glimpse of Rinha's possessiveness.

The madness of burning an entire 1 trillion won into streaming just to maintain viewers.

"...So, about that."

Just when it seemed the story was wrapping up, Rinha hesitated nervously and got to the main point.

"The company needs legal counsel. By any chance, are you interested?"

"Uh, pardon?"

Emily is competent.

She handled all legal issues on her own, and her after-service to prepare for any unforeseen mishaps was thorough.

She possessed rich knowledge of internet streaming overall, and above all, she was a good-natured person.

I want to have her, Rinha thought.

"Does that mean... you are hiring me?"

"If you dislike it, it's fine to refuse."

Rinha's empty pupils gaze at Emily.

She felt it intuitively. This offer was one she must not refuse.

'...Her eyes are dangerous.'

Working as a lawyer for over a decade, she had met many people.

Rinha's eyes were incomparably dangerous among them.

"I'll give you double your current salary."

However, this thought also occurred to her.

'...But is there really any reason to refuse?'

Emily liked streaming.

She liked it enough to try debuting as a VTuber herself. Though it flopped.

The client before her eyes was a chaebol in the trillion-won scale.

And the VTuber Empress who reached 10,000 average viewers.

And such a person was saying she would write a new chapter in streaming history.

Holding auditions right from the start with a massive prize pool.

Building an IP with the selected members.

Creating various media mixes through the built IP.

Broadcasting that entire process live.

Drafting movie screenplays with viewers, and deciding game boss monsters with viewers.

An unprecedented stream in history will be born.

And Emily herself would be at its core.

'....'

There were a few minutes of deliberation.

The current stable life, or a challenging life together with Rinha.

Actually, it wasn't even much ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of a challenge.

With 1 trillion won in assets, there would be no late paycheck. Rather, if anything, she'd receive bonuses.

Her deliberation did not last long.

The terms were so good it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she had become a lawyer for this very moment.

"I'll do it."

Rinha's expression brightened.

"Really?"

"Should I call you Boss from now on?"

The dangerous expression from just moments ago vanished without a trace.

On Rue's face, only the image of a brightly smiling beautiful girl was visible.

'It'll be fine, right?'

Though there were slightly uneasy elements.

What's good is good, Emily thought.

Finally, the money entered the account.

[ 1,015,132,000,000 won ]

Having resolved all legal issues with the law firm's help, this money was now unambiguously my asset.

"...Ehehe."

Every time I looked at my account, a foolish grin naturally burst out.

Even when I first traveled to America, I never dreamed I would receive such a blessing.

Truly the Land of Gold.

Truly the Land of the Free.

Truly America!

Humming an anthem of praise for America on the inside, I entered the airport in Los Angeles.

"Then, Emily-ssi, I'll see you later in Korea."

"Yes, I'll contact you as soon as I return to Korea."

Emily-ssi stated that she would remain in the US for a while as she had several matters left to handle.

She said she'd be able to wrap up everything within two weeks and head to Korea.

Since I needed some preparation as well, that timing was just right.

The reserved seat was, of course, the most expensive First Class.

'It's definitely different.'

First off, it was quiet, which was nice.

The flight attendants provided flawless service as well.

Above all, the seat was comfortable.

Thanks to that, the long flight of over 10 hours felt extraordinarily pleasant.

"...Phew."

Stepping foot into my homeland, South Korea, after having made it big.

I set foot here after a month.

I didn't see any trashy reporters setting up camp waiting for me.

Still, I didn't take off the mask I was wearing.

I caught a taxi.

"Where should I take you?"

"Uh...."

Now that I thought about it, I didn't have a house right now.

Because I had sold it off for travel funds.

I had abandoned it without regrets since I didn't plan on coming back anyway, but to think I ended up returning.

"...Please take me to Gangnam."

Well, it's fine.

If you don't have a house, you can just buy one.