300K Subscribers and the Board Game Maniac
Board Game Maniac [Yume] [300K Subscribers]
"Wh-what the hell is this..."
I stared at my NewTube channel in bewildered shock. Subscribers had broken through 300K in just a week. Not long ago, I hadn't even hit one silver button, but in a matter of days, I'd smashed past three. It was an insane growth spurt that defied all logic. But that impossible feat? N-year otaku VTuber veteran Do Hajun had pulled it off.
"Damn it, Hajun-ham...!! I believed in you...!!"
I knew from the start that Hajun-ham could do it! Not that I ever doubted him or anything. Like, drawing those hentai pics didn't make me underestimate him...!! I never once questioned if this perv was really the 800K-sub animator Pudding...!!
"I believe you. You're definitely the animator Pudding."
Anyway, whatever. Do Hajun was the hero of my channel.
...Enough bullshit.
Unlike when I uploaded full videos, these were hitting at least a million views each. And considering most were long-form content that's tough to rack up views on, this was impossible with normal firepower.
The shorts were even crazier.
"...The firepower is insane."
The titles sucked, but they pulled aggro like crazy. Especially the animation shorts made directly by our Hajun-gay—no, Pudding—which hit 8 million views.
The comments were exactly as expected. Total chaos from Pudding's sudden appearance. It reignited the noise marketing that had been fizzling out.
The guy behind it all was acting totally normal, same as always. At this point, was the academic consensus that higher subs meant more mid...?
Anyway.
ZZZING—
[Latte Unnie]
I was smugly admiring my skyrocketing NewTube when Latte-unnie called. I hit accept without hesitation.
"Hello?"
/Se, Seong Eunha you crazy bitch...!!/
The voice pierced straight through the speaker into my eardrum the second I picked up. I replied to Latte-unnie with a deadpan expression.
"...What now."
/Wh-what's with NewTube??/
"What about it."
/You hit 300K!! In a week!!/
"Yup."
/And Pudding?? How'd you snag him??/
"Connections."
/...Your damn connections again?/
I nodded.
"What can I say? It's all I've got."
/Haa... Not even funny anymore./
"Oh, by the way, he's my editor."
/.../
Latte-unnie went silent. I drove the nail in.
"Don't even think about stealing him."
/...Not stealing him./
Her tone was annoyingly snide. She was extra bitchy today, so I pressed on.
"Anyway, why the sudden call?"
Latte-unnie was dramatic, but she wouldn't call just to celebrate 300K. Possible, but probably not. More likely some reason. And sure enough:
/Oh, nothing big. Someone wants to meet you./
"Someone wants to meet me?"
/Yeah. You've been streaming a bit now./
It had been over ten days since debut. Prime time for collab invites. Sure, some psycho 1M NewTuber snagged one in three days after debut... but that was special for me and her. Normally, collabs came way later.
/Normally ten days is super early but.../
"Well... my tier's on another level."
/...Can't even argue cuz it's true. Pisses me off./
Debut ten days in: 300K subs, 220K followers. Monster rookie. SSS-rank talent max-level regressor super-genius mid-season newbie? Honestly, I wasn't confident before. Thought I'd get outclassed.
"I am become Death, destroyer of Metaverses..."
/Ugh... weeb.../
She cringed hard. I asked calmly:
"So, who is it? The one who wants to meet me."
/You know her? Pretty famous in the scene./
"Famous...?"
/Yeah./
/Noa./
The call I'd been waiting for.
Streamers fall into two main types based on style: solo broadcasters and collab lovers. It splits by personality or content. And VTuber Noa? Pure collab type.
Noa. 500K VTuber. Board games and TRPG main content. Big name among streamers. Silver-haired loli saint design that's straight OP, soft gentle voice. But vulgar as hell behavior. Weirdly well-connected, the scene's capybara. With only Latte-unnie as my link, she was a must-add connection.
I played dumb, feigning ignorance.
"Noa? Why...?"
/What else from the board game maniac? Wants to play board games./
"Ah, makes sense."
No other reason for a board game player to call. You need people for that content anyway.
After a brief think, I said:
"I'll do it."
/Just like that? Surprising.../
"No reason to say no."
Content was starting to run dry anyway. Trends die fast. Can't play dead games, and clinging to one too long sucks. Perfect time for new stuff. Great timing.
/Thought you'd demand conditions or something./
"Huh? I'm not that kind of unnie..."
/Whaaat? Isn't that daily in entertainment? Backroom deals... blackmail.../
"As if."
It is daily, but not my style. If it was, I wouldn't have quit idol life for VTuber.
/Anyway. I'll tell Noa?/
"Yep."
/She'll contact you soon. Later.../
Super polite since first meeting. But her capybara rep wasn't hype—she jumped right in.
'Board games' and she goes full throttle meme, energy spiking. I felt my life force draining in real time as I messaged back.
I instinctively crossed my legs. Noa continued.
She paused dramatically, then dropped the name.
I swear I heard a lame fizzle somewhere.