Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: Easy Mode
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Easy Mode.
In gaming, it refers to a lower difficulty setting made for beginners.
And when you add the word ‘life’ to it, you get ‘life on easy mode.’
It’s a modern term for a life where the world is kind to you, just like a game’s easy mode.
It’s usually used to describe someone born with a gold bar in their mouth.
Or someone with exceptional, genius-level talent.
Or perhaps someone with stunning looks that could rival a celebrity.
A common trait among them is that countless people and opportunities flock to them without them even having to try.
Or that they can live well without any of that.
They were more familiar with making proposals than requests.
More familiar with gazes of goodwill than with pleading for help.
More familiar with a sense of accomplishment than with frustration.
The same was true for Jeong Yu-ra.
She wasn't from a family with overwhelming wealth like Arthur, nor did she possess the intellectual prowess of Lee Shin, but the world was at least as kind to her as she was to it.
Her beautiful appearance and good nature naturally drew people in, brightly coloring the backdrop of her life.
Thanks to this, she had rarely ever had to ask anyone for a favor.
She might have been talked about behind her back, but she had never been rejected to her face.
And yet.
“No.”
“…!?”
Lee Shin was different.
Because Lee Shin was the type who could spit right in your smiling face.
It was only natural, as he remained completely unfazed emotionally whether the other person was laughing or crying.
As a result, it was Jeong Yu-ra who was flustered.
She stammered.
“What?”
“I said no.”
“Why!?!??! No, wait. I understand you don’t want to, but…”
She understood, but she never dreamed she would be rejected so coldly.
The shock was doubled because she had brought it up thinking they had become somewhat close.
He’s rejecting it this heartlessly…?
It’s not even that difficult of a request!
All he has to do is come out for a few days and sit still!
Besides, it wasn’t like she was asking for a free favor; the models were paid separately for their time.
A moment later, Jeong Yu-ra, having barely regained her composure, grabbed Lee Shin and shouted.
It wasn't that she hadn't considered the possibility of refusal, but she hated the idea of being shot down so bluntly and just letting him go.
“…Please just do it!”
“Should I?”
“R-Really…?”
“No.”
“Hey!!!”
Jeong Yu-ra, who had answered in a moment of hope, shouted, her ears turning red.
I thought you were serious…!
“Is there really no way? This isn’t that hard.”
“No.”
“Come on, please.”
Jeong Yu-ra pleaded desperately.
But her desperation was unlikely to change Lee Shin’s mind.
Why should I?
Unless she could give him a reason to endure something he disliked.
“Huh?”
“Forget the pleading. Tell me what’s in it for me. I need to get something out of it to put up with something I don’t want to do.”
“I told you there’s a modeling fee. It’s quite a lot…”
Lee Shin shook his head firmly.
“I don’t need that.”
“?”
He wasn’t short on money at the moment.
He could get a considerable amount just by asking Lee Si-eun, and recently, donations to his YouTube channel had been flowing in quite well.
Of course, most of it came from one person, but the amount was substantial nonetheless.
Financially, it would be better to spend that time making a few more high-quality videos.
‘Ah.’
“Then what do you need?”
“Want to be in them?”
“…Huh? In what?”
“My channel. Want to be in my videos?”
Lee Shin asked, a thought suddenly striking him.
Most of the videos on his channel had Jeong Yu-ra edited out.
It wasn’t as if she was completely cut out like she didn’t exist, but he and Arthur took up most of the screen time.
This was due to the issue of revenue sharing.
He had already agreed with Arthur on a 10-0 split, but he hadn't discussed anything with her.
So, to avoid any potential disputes later, he had cut out as much of her footage as possible before uploading.
It couldn’t be helped!
But this was quite a shame when considering the channel’s various metrics (subscriber growth, views, etc.).
A female user.
Lee Shin knew very well how much a female user with a beautiful appearance could help a channel.
To put it bluntly, just sticking her face on a thumbnail could make a significant difference in traffic.
It was a given since the majority of subscribers to gaming channels were male.
“…So, you want me to be in them too?”
“That’s right.”
“……”
“You don’t have to do much. I’ll just use the parts you’re in.”
“No, I don’t mind that, but…”
“Hmm?”
“I saw your channel. It’s all just… weird stuff, isn't it?”
Jeong Yu-ra replied hesitantly.
The videos she had seen were the early ones where Lee Shin toyed with Kim Ha-seong in the arena and the ones of him stomping on players in the arena rankings.
They went beyond provocative, delivering a culture shock of epic proportions!
…And you want me to do something like that?
Naturally, she couldn’t help but be reluctant.
But at her concern, Lee Shin shook his head as if he didn't know what she was talking about.
“No, of course I wouldn’t make you do that. You probably couldn’t even if you tried.”
Did she think just anyone could stomp on noobs?
It was a pointless worry.
“…Oh, really?”
“I told you. I don’t plan on making you do anything. Just tell me if it’s okay for you to appear or not.”
“……”
Jeong Yu-ra thought for a moment, then asked something else.
“What about the revenue? How will we split it?”
“For videos you’re in, 99 to 1.”
“Don’t tell me I’m the 1?”
“Yep.”
“……Wait, is that even a normal ratio!?”
“Not normally, but this is a deal, isn’t it? For being exposed to the gazes of an unspecified number of people for a long time and having your actions restricted, I’d say this is a pretty cheap price, don't you think?”
“I’m just a model, okay!? Stop making it sound weird!”
Jeong Yu-ra sputtered.
The way he phrased it sounded strangely suggestive!
But regardless of Lee Shin’s odd phrasing, it wasn’t a bad offer for her.
She didn’t have to do anything special, just let him use the parts she appeared in…
That wasn't particularly difficult.
After some thought, Jeong Yu-ra nodded.
“Okay. Let’s do that.”
“Alright.”
“You can start tomorrow. Do you happen to know where our department’s main building is?”
“Building 34. Is that right?”
“That’s it. Come on time tomorrow. Just call for me when you get there.”
* * *
Borderline Psychopath.
That was the diagnosis Lee Shin received the first time he underwent a psychiatric evaluation.
It meant he was slightly more impulsive and had a lower capacity for emotional empathy than others.
But outside the confines of his home and anonymity, Lee Shin was the perfect human being.
A kind, smart, and warm person.
These were not traits befitting a borderline psychopath, but at least that’s what everyone who didn’t know the real Lee Shin thought.
It wasn't because they were bad judges of character.
Nor was it because they were overly optimistic about the world.
It was simply because Lee Shin actually acted like such a person.
It was the same now.
In the distance, someone was staggering along, their arms full of publications.
It was one of Lee Shin’s classmates.
As soon as Lee Shin saw them, he approached and asked.
“Need a hand?”
“Huh? Who is it?”
“It’s me, Lee Shin. Give me half. Where are you headed?”
“Our department office. Thanks. It was hard carrying this alone…”
“It’s fine. I was heading that way anyway.”
It was always like this.
Lee Shin managed his reputation with an almost obsessive cleanliness, preemptively shutting down any questions that might arise about him.
This was why, despite his rather vicious playstyle in the last esports tournament, not a single person had suspected anything about his personality.
Thanks to this, on the rare occasion.
On the very rare occasion that Lee Shin revealed his true nature or acted in a way that felt off.
The reputation and good deeds he had built up served to protect him from various suspicions.
You could call it a form of insurance.
A safety net.
But this habit of his wasn't always helpful.
If he ever slipped up in his conduct, not only would the reputation he had built crumble, but it could also backfire on him.
Of course, something like that was unlikely to happen easily…
But there were occasional situations that were difficult even for Lee Shin to handle.
* * *
“……”
[15:00]
3 PM. On the dot.
Arriving right on time, Lee Shin knocked on the door of the Western Painting department’s communal studio.
*Knock, knock.*
“Excuse me.”
Opening the door cautiously, Lee Shin looked around.
‘Hmm.’
Jeong Yu-ra wasn’t there, but in her place were three people in aprons, splattered with paint.
Easels and plaster busts were scattered around the small studio.
Seeing the unmistakable look of a Western Painting studio, Lee Shin gave a small nod.
‘I’m in the right place.’
Lee Shin bowed his head slightly in greeting.
“Uh, hello. I’m…”
“Who is it? Huh!”
“…It’s a guy!”
“What? A guy? Really?”
“……?”
But their reaction was strange!
A chill ran down Lee Shin’s spine.
It was like being a captured priestess surrounded by a horde of orcs.
The way everyone’s eyes lit up as they looked his way at someone’s cry of ‘It’s a guy!’ was exactly like that.
“……”
Lee Shin’s eyes grew slightly cold.
He wondered if they were a bit strange.
“Ah, sorry. Our department is almost all women… Who are you? A freshman? You don’t look like you’re from our department.”
“No. I’m Lee Shin.”
“Lee Shin?”
“Who’s that?”
“……Oh, you’re that guy! Yu-ra’s friend. Right!”
“……Uh, something like that.”
“You look a little different in person than in the videos. Come in, come in. Yu-ra will be here soon.”
It seemed Jeong Yu-ra wasn't lying when she said her seniors enjoyed the clips, as their welcome was warmer than expected.
“Want something to eat?”
“No, thank you.”
“Then something to drink?”
“……Water, please.”
So much so that even Lee Shin found it a little overwhelming, no, burdensome.
Gulping down the cold water, Lee Shin thought to himself.
‘…When is she going to get here?’
Fortunately, Jeong Yu-ra arrived shortly after.
“Want to play Halli Galli until Yu-ra gets here?”
“No, thank you.”
“Then how about Rummikub…”
“…Sunbae!”
“Oh, you’re here?”
* * *
“…What are you guys doing!”
The first thing she did was pull Lee Shin away from her seniors.
“What’s wrong?”
“You were late, so we were just trying to have some fun with him.”
“…So why are you doing that! I told you to just leave him be. I said he doesn’t like this kind of thing.”
Having become somewhat able to read Lee Shin’s expressions, she had immediately noticed that he was extremely uncomfortable.
But she was the only one there who could tell.
To everyone else, Lee Shin just looked expressionless.
As a result, her desperate attempts to separate Lee Shin from the others couldn’t help but seem rather peculiar to them.
“What do you mean he doesn’t like it? He’s smiling.”
“That *is* his ‘I don’t like it’ face. That’s just how his face is.”
“……Oh my? Look at her.”
“……?”
* * *
“Alright, alright. We won’t talk to him anymore.”
“Okay.”
“And if we have something to say, we can just go through you from now on, right?”
“What? No, it’s not that serious…?”
“No, no! We’ll do that!”
“…Why!?”
*Giggle, giggle!*
The fossils were having a blast among themselves.
And there was Jeong Yu-ra, flustered, completely unaware they were teasing her.
As a result, the one who ended up most exhausted was Lee Shin, who was caught in the middle.
His energy completely drained in an instant, Lee Shin let out a small sigh and said.
“……Excuse me, can’t we just get this over with quickly.”
“Huh? Oh, sorry!”
“Sit over there.”