I'll Work Like a Dog!!!
I'll really work my ass off. Like a dog!!! Lately, I've picked up a new habit right before bed.
"I wonder how much NewTube's grown today?" Every day, I check the skyrocketing subscriber count. Falling asleep to that steep upward graph guarantees sweet dreams. But if I get addicted, I'm screwed. Growth like this won't last forever. What if it plateaus and I can't sleep from the stress?
Thinking like that, I played the most recent upload.
"...Yeah, the NewTube vibe's really coming through in the recent streams."
Eunha's editing couldn't quite keep up with the flood of NewTube moments I was producing. The freak-out mukbang only went up just now, after all. Not that Eunha was slacking, though. She'd edit NewTube clips, then drop everything to watch my live stream. After it ended, a bit more editing before crashing—that's probably her routine these days. With video approvals now weekly instead of every two, her workload had nearly doubled. Totally expected.
Telling someone living like a total NewTube ghost to take it easy? That'd be an insult.
So.
"We've supported them enough by now. Time to hire someone. A new editor."
#
"Is that why you called me?"
I handed Eunha a glass of mango juice as she said that. Basic courtesy for a guest in my home.
"Editors see things from a different angle, right?"
"Fair point, but... this is your NewTube, unnie. I want you to pick the new editor based on your own judgment."
"Got it. I'll just use it as reference. Reference only."
I showed her the pile of applications and editing samples that had poured in. Her eyes went wide.
"That's... a lot."
"Right? I wasn't sure I'd get many since my stream's not that huge."
Do I have a knack for attracting talent among my viewers? Eunha, Aunt, Uncle... maybe I'm luckier with people than I thought.
"First applicant..."
Two hours and forty-five minutes later, we'd reviewed every single one.
I closed my eyes for a moment, pondering. Replayed each sample in my head.
Hmm...
"...This is trickier than I thought."
"Really? I liked this one best."
Her finger pointed to a video file. It matched Eunha's style closest, and the applicant had solid experience editing for other streamers. Top-tier candidate. One I'd already shortlisted.
Shortlisted, but...
"What about this one?"
I replayed my other favorite.
"She's good too, but... her style's way too different from mine, isn't it? It's totally——"
"TTS playthrough vibes."
Those videos using TTS voices instead of real narration—huge for a hot minute back in the day. Classic trait: overloading with otaku references and memes. This applicant's sample restrained itself somewhat, but still slathered on plenty.
"Definitely not my usual style. Subscribers might feel the disconnect if we uploaded it. ...But damn, the editing's fire. Blending those memes seamlessly without awkwardness? Skill guaranteed."
"...Honestly, it was fun to watch."
"Right?! If it was just about fun, I'd hire her in a heartbeat. But her style's so set in stone. We gave bonus points for matching your vibe, and she still went full throttle..."
"I'll respect your choice, unnie. Neither one's a bad pick."
Low risk, low return? Or high risk, high return?
Something like that.
...Feels a bit off, but whatever.
"High risk, high return it is."
"Huh?"
"Sweet. She's our girl!"
"...Feels like you arrived at that via some weird logic. Am I imagining it?"
"Nah. Totally rational reasoning."
Yeah. The kind every otaku would nod along to. Like gaining a power that could self-destruct but also topple giants...
...Isn't that romantic? As an otaku, it'd be weirder not to pick it.
"Still feels like a bizarre conclusion..."
Of course, I didn't tell Eunha the real reason, so she eyed me suspiciously until we parted.
...Not because I couldn't convince her. For real.
#
Hobbies are for people with disposable income. At least, that's what Yeoreong thought.
She loved video editing. More precisely, TTS playthrough edits.
Even more precisely: seeing people enjoy her creations.
But editing TTS playthroughs in college? Not easy for her. Her parents could barely cover tuition. Living expenses were all on her. Part-time jobs. Classes. No time left for editing.
She quit naturally.
"...Huh?"
Opportunity knocked for her. A chance to get paid for what she loved.
She toned down her style while keeping the fun, revising endlessly. Analyzed tons of NewTube vids. Tweaked until satisfied.
Even after sending it, worries lingered. More time = better vid? Regret gnawed.
She desperately wanted to be Merhen's editor. Editing had shown her how fun the streams were—perfectly her taste. Why hadn't she watched when her friend pushed? She'd have edited better.
Days of regret.
And then.
"Is this Yeoreong?"
A voice she'd heard thousands of times while editing poured from her phone speaker.
"Y-yes! Yeoreong speaking! You're Merhen, right?! Did I... get it? Am I the editor?! Thank you! Thank you so much!! I'll really work hard. Like a dog!!!"
She finally knew what a melting brain felt like.
#
"...Hey, Eunha."
"Yeah?"
"Is being my editor that big a deal?"
Reacting like she aced a mega-corp final interview.
#
We set a meetup with the new editor on my regular off-stream day to hash details. And since I was heading out anyway, promised shopping with Eunha too.
...Off-days busier than stream days? Whatever. Fired up the broadcast and announced the hire first thing. To prevent late applicants.
Posted "Editor hiring closed" on NewTube community too, but better safe.
No harm repeating.
"Before we dive in today, something you all gotta see first, right? I held off watching on purpose to share with you. You held off too, out of loyalty?"
"If you'd watched ahead, I'd call you out for ditching the shared vibe, question your streamer creds, throw a fit."
...Never mind.
"Anyway! Raider's PV is out! CBT ends, and they hit the gas. That's how you do it. Advertise hard for the hype! Oh yeah, with the PV dropping, my Raider CBT vids on NewTube exploded in views—you all saw?"
"Yup. Spotting foreign comments here and there. Thought about English subs, but nah—overkill. Not that many foreigners."
"Nope? My English sucks."
Essential otaku language is Japanese, not English. If learning foreign, Japanese first.
But saying that live? Instant "Muchi-ryeon" spam. Kept it zipped.
"Alright, let's watch the PV! See how much effort they put in!!"
I hit play on the PV video.