Chicken Out and Die

Ching ching! [Anonymous Donor has donated 100,000 coins!] - +10 minutes. [00:09:56]

The 100,000-won donation popping up on screen. The timer extending by 10 minutes. And from Latte unnie's words, the connection between the two was crystal clear.

Does the donation amount proportionally extend the time...?

Probably exactly 1 minute per 10,000 won. Easy math since the 100,000-won donation added exactly 10 minutes.

Just as I'd pieced together what had happened, ching ching! Another coin sound rang out, and a donation message appeared on screen.

So 10,000 won adds 1 minute...? [00:10:43]

The viewers seemed to have the exact same thought as me, confirming the time extension via donations. Seeing that, Latte unnie calmly added more explanation.

"Time is 1 minute per 10,000 won. Just FYI, today's donations aren't going to Yume's pouch—they're all donated to the children's rehab hospital."

"It's fine, right?"

"Uh... yeah, it's fine but..."

Honestly, the donation money itself didn't matter much to me. If anything, I preferred it going to charity.

But...

"Huh? Why the reaction. Not doing the donation? Not saving kids?"

"No no, it's not that I hate donating—"

Donation aside, the problem was these people.

Koreans were already pros at cancel culture and witch hunts. And Latte unnie's statement had just tossed them prime bait: 'donation'—perfect for sinking their teeth into.

Show even a lukewarm reaction, and I'd be branded a scum who hates the socially vulnerable. Facts be damned. The public loved watching celebrities crash and burn—pure sadists.

Latte unnie continued.

"Even so, enjoying kids suffering... that's a bit much for a human being..."

"Th-that's defamation...!"

"Got it. Kinda disappointed, streamer Yume-nim."

"No!! I like kids!!"

"...she says?"

"Nooooo!!!"

And just like that, my social image rollercoastered from child abuser to pedo.

Having milked all the NewTube-worthy material, Latte unnie finally stopped the defamation. Instead, she started provoking me.

"If you're not confident, you can quit."

"...What?"

"If you can't handle it, say so now. Better than forcing it and wrecking your health. Smarter to stop at what you can manage."

"......"

Sounded like concern at first glance. But sitting right next to her, I heard it as:

'Chicken?'

As a former guy, I couldn't back down from that provocation.

Something snapped in my head, and with a hollow laugh, I shot back at her.

"Ha. Making a fuss over this? Doesn't seem that hard."

"I mean... just saying. Might be tough for a day-4 streamer like you."

Translation: Know your place, day-4 rookie.

I scoffed and fired back.

"Dunno about else, but stamina? Mine's better than yours, unnie."

"...What?"

"Age and all... yeah."

"......"

"Hey. Kill the stream for a sec."

Her voice dripped with murder. Still, I calmly replied.

"Kill what? You said it yourself, unnie—no ending till the timer runs out."

"Ha! Gonna go for it, huh?"

"Chickening out means you perish."

Pip pip pip pip!

- Huh?? So now we UFC real punches too?? 20hrs 30hrs stream???

Her viewers followed up with a 1-million-won donation. The timer shot past 1 hour in seconds.

Stunned by the bigger-than-expected amount, I broke into a cold sweat and channeled a mecha anime protag.

"Fuck it, let's do this."

And...

Ching! Ching! Ching! Ching...

They had money.

Ten hours later, my mental state was completely fried.

"Guys, the unnie who looks like Marz People... seeing her again might just be like how your sister-in-law stops looking like her after a while...?"

"......"

"Auntie too...?"

[00:07:38] [3:07 AM] 10 hours since stream start. 20 hours no sleep since waking. Post-retirement, I'd kept a strict 7am routine.

Right around now, my brain should be melting, IQ dropping.

"Kuh..."

Latte unnie had long ago succumbed to her aging curve and passed out. We'd played her prepared games to hold out as long as possible, but now even that was tapped—down to chit-chat.

Meaning, in my hazy state, I had to fill the audio solo...

Not as easy as it sounded.

Ching!

"Uh...? Marz People chichiparty...?"

"...No no, fuck. What kinda bullshit was that."

I needed to snap out of it. Couldn't stay brain-dead.

Lucky it ended at chichiparty...'

Any worse slip-up, and my VTuber career was toast.

So, no more mistakes—hold onto sanity by any means.

[00:08:15]

At least time was almost up. Viewers' firepower waning, donations slowing. Viewer count halved from 16k peak.

[● 7,240 viewers]

Expected. Numbers looked big, but my audience was mostly casuals chasing hype. Few core fans dropping big bucks.

Most big donations this stream? Her viewers. Hit 10 hours on headcount, not cash.

"Sergeant Ra, rise and shine. Sergeant Ra."

"Uh...? Ah... wasn't asleep..."

Poking her awake, she mumbled sleep-talk in a daze. Soon, wiping drool, she asked me.

"Slurp... Wh-what? Did I fall asleep?"

"Yes."

"Wh-when...?"

"An hour ago."

"......"

"Whatever, prep to end stream. Under 5 min left."

[00:03:15]

No more donations incoming—stream ending soon. Latte unnie rubbed her neck like some ajusshi, groaning.

"Wha... already over...?"

"Seems so."

"Weird... shouldn't end here..."

- ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Revived?

"Revive spell useless. +6 sec for what?"

"Guess money's out..."

Bravado doesn't guarantee sleep. Especially with Latte unnie folding so pathetically.

I hammed it up for viewers.

"I wanna stream more too. Donations to charity, win-win right?"

"But can't blame me if y'all broke and can't donate."

Chat turned into a mass sleep room. But no way I'd indulge their tantrums.

[3:14]

Stream ending soon anyway. Even soul-draining donations would add minutes at best. No miracle 1M drop, end was inevitable.

[2:25]

[1:39]

[0:47]

Three minutes, two, one. Time ticked down.

[0:16]

Finally into seconds. Hope rising for end—

Pip pip pip pip!

Not the coin chime. The trumpet blast for 1M+ donations.

I spun to the monitor, cursing.

"Fuck, insane—"

"......?"

But question-spam chat shut me up quick. Bad vibe. Like scissors nightmare.

Forced myself to check monitor.

- Hello ^^

Nickname hit like ice water.

Familiar. 1M donation.

Double-checked: no doubt. Only one with that name here.

[Angel33]

VTuber Angel. Korea's sole 2M VTuber. Jamsil solo concert queen.

An angel had descended on my stream.