Signing on the Dotted Line

Jihun was on his way to meet Usik. He locked the door to his rooftop room and headed down the stairs. As he turned into the alley, a banner hanging from a telephone pole caught his eye.

It was a slogan he had seen a few times before. Today, however, it felt different. People wearing hard hats were bustling deep inside the alley, and some were even setting up surveying equipment.

They've been talking about redevelopment forever, but I guess it's actually happening this time.

Jihun stared up at the banner for a moment before moving on.

When he opened the door to the local gukbap joint, Usik, who had arrived first, raised his hand high.

"Hey, over here!"

Jihun sat across from him and said, "You're early."

"After what you told me, you think I'd drag my feet?" Usik smirked and leaned forward. "Cut the crap. Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"That both Ocean and Cloud are after you."

Jihun shrugged as if it were no big deal. "Yeah."

"Holy crap," Kim Usik let out a dry laugh. "So what did Ocean say?"

"Man, let's order first." Jihun raised his hand to call the server, but Usik blocked him.

"I already ordered two bowls of soondae gukbap."

"Aw, come on, I wanted to eat something else today."

"Who cares about that? Spill it, quick!"

Jihun replied calmly, "They offered immediate partner status, continuous banner promotion, a dedicated PD, and a signing bonus."

Usik froze. "...What?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Why? Is there a problem?"

"No, it's just... damn." Usik gulped down some water before continuing. "I busted my ass for five years to finally get partner status, and you get partner, banners, and a dedicated PD after just one month of streaming?"

Jihun shrugged. "That's what they offered."

"Ocean is really gritting their teeth on this one." Usik clicked his tongue. "Man, I'm happy for you, but I'm starting to feel a little jealous."

"Did you eat something bad yesterday?"

Usik grumbled, "It really is insanely fast."

"So, what should I do?"

Usik's expression turned serious. "Don't rush into a decision. You need to hear what Cloud has to say first. Let them lay their cards on the table. Honestly, switching platforms isn't always a good thing. You could lose your existing viewers."

"Ah, that's a good point. I thought you'd take Ocean's side since you're an Ocean partner. I'm surprised."

"That's business, this is friendship. But since they're in a bidding war, milk them for all they're worth. When are you meeting them?"

"Meeting Cloud at a cafe in a bit, and Ocean this evening."

"Perfect." Usik lowered his voice. "But if it comes to this, basic perks like banners and partner status will be similar. What really matters is how much support they'll give you behind the scenes."

"Support?"

"Taxes, legal issues, civil complaints, stuff like that."

Jihun's eyes narrowed. Usik quickly continued.

"Your stream is going to get way bigger. But if things go sideways, it's a massive headache. You might need to sue people for malicious comments or rumors, and when you start making serious bank, taxes can eat up half of it." Usik clicked his tongue. "It might not seem like a big deal now, but once your channel grows, it'll become a nightmare."

"And they'll help with that?"

"To some extent if you're a partner. That's why you need to ask them about it today."

Jihun silently ate a spoonful of gukbap. The hot broth slid down his throat. Usik picked up a piece of soondae with his chopsticks and added, "Cloud might offer better terms. Like a bigger signing bonus or a better revenue split."

"Better than Ocean?"

"Yeah, they're in a different weight class. Plus, they're the ones trying to scout you."

"But the real question is whether they'll handle the nitty-gritty care."

"Exactly." Usik nodded. "So hear them out. See how much they'll pay and how far they'll go to protect you."

"Got it."

"And don't look too excited."

"Me?"

Usik smirked. "You're already planning how to spend that signing bonus, aren't you?"

"...Damn. Is it that obvious?"

"Extremely. Keep a straight face, like you do during your shamanic readings."

"Alright, thanks." Jihun laughed, nodding his head.

Jihun was on his way to his evening appointment. Holding onto the subway handrail, he stared at the lights flashing past the window.

Cloud's offer from earlier that afternoon kept running through his head. The signing bonus was high, and the revenue split was excellent. Strictly looking at the numbers, it was tempting.

The problem came afterward. When he brought up taxes, they were fine with it. They immediately answered that it was a given.

But when he brought up legal support, the atmosphere shifted. They said they could connect him with external counsel if needed, but direct support would have to be reviewed internally. Unlike their response to taxes, it was lukewarm.

Jihun fell into thought. The signing bonus and split weren't everything. Usik's warning about the headaches of a growing stream weighed on his mind.

Arriving at the station, he blended into the crowd and passed through the turnstiles. The meeting place was a traditional Korean restaurant located a short walk from the station.

Led by a staff member to a private room inside, Team Leader Jeong Woohyeon stood up from his seat.

"Thank you for making the trip."

His voice was exactly as it had sounded over the phone earlier. Jihun offered a polite greeting and sat across from him.

Before the food was even served, Team Leader Jeong Woohyeon spoke up. "The terms we discussed earlier remain the same. If there's anything else you need, we'll do our best to accommodate you."

Jihun silently toyed with his water glass. Maintaining his smile, Jeong Woohyeon added, "Honestly, growth like yours is extremely rare. We've been keeping a close eye on you, and we believe the Perpetual Job Seeker channel will grow several times larger than it is now."

Jihun looked at Team Leader Jeong Woohyeon and asked calmly, "In that case, will you help with tax processing?"

"Yes, of course. That's a given." The response was immediate.

Jihun continued, "You never know what might happen. I'm curious about legal support. If there are complaints or disputes, how far can you go to support me?"

A brief silence fell. Team Leader Jeong Woohyeon quickly composed his expression. He spoke in a measured tone.

"We will assign a dedicated accountant for your taxes. The same goes for legal matters. If any complaints or disputes arise, our team will handle and resolve them directly."

Jihun nodded silently. Team Leader Jeong Woohyeon quickly added, "We will also assign a dedicated PD for operations to ensure you don't get fatigued by non-broadcast matters. Oh, and if you want, we can even provide a foreign language translator."

Just as Jihun was comparing this with Cloud's offer in his head, Team Leader Jeong Woohyeon asked cautiously, "Is there anything else you'd like, or any other questions?"

Jihun replied briefly, "How much can you offer for the signing bonus?"

Team Leader Jeong Woohyeon named a figure. It was lower than what Cloud had offered. Usik was right.

Jihun casually let slip, "That's not as much as Cloud offered."

Team Leader Jeong Woohyeon's face stiffened for a moment. Hesitating, he spoke carefully. "Then... how about this much?"

The newly proposed signing bonus. It was still slightly less than Cloud's, but not by much.

"Sounds good. Let's sign."

While Cloud offered slightly more money, Jihun needed more than just cash right now.

Team Leader Jeong Woohyeon's face lit up instantly. "Really? You'll sign right now?"

"Yes." Jihun took a sip of water and added, "No reason to drag it out."

After finishing their meal, they reviewed the contract and finalized the signatures. "Thank you. The signing bonus will be deposited tomorrow."

"Understood."

As they were wrapping up, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Team Leader Jeong Woohyeon cleared his throat. "Ah, also..."

Jihun looked at him. Jeong's face turned red as he continued, "Our CEO had a message he wanted me to deliver if I met you today."

"What is it?"

"He was wondering if... you could give him a private shamanic reading." He paused briefly before adding, "I-I'm sorry."

Jihun chuckled. "No, it's fine. Tell him this."

"What should I tell him?"

Jihun replied briefly, "Tell him the CEO has to get in line like everyone else."

Jihun was on his way home. Buzz. His phone vibrated. It was a text message from Cloud.

Turning into the alley, he thought, Good thing I signed with Ocean.

In the distance, his rooftop room building came into view. The faded walls and cracked plaster clearly showed its age.

Just as he reached ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the building, a voice called out. "Hey there."

Jihun looked up at the familiar voice. The landlord was standing in front of the first-floor stairs. His expression was a bit heavier than usual.

"Hello."

"Do you have a minute to talk?"

Jihun nodded immediately. "Sure, go ahead."

Looking apologetic, the landlord spoke. "It's not set in stone yet, but the talk about redevelopment is getting serious."

"Ah." The scene from earlier that afternoon flashed through Jihun's mind.

"I wanted to let you know in advance because you might have to move out eventually." The landlord quickly added, "I'm not telling you to pack up right now. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Once we have a date, I'll let you know as soon as possible. I'll help with the moving expenses, too."

"Thank you. If it's redevelopment, there's not much we can do."

"I appreciate you understanding."

Jihun looked at the landlord's face. He was a kind man. He had readily lowered the deposit when Jihun said he was a job seeker, and he and his wife often brought Jihun side dishes.

"Thank you for letting me know early."

"Don't mention it. I'm the one who's sorry." The landlord scratched the back of his head and asked, "How's the job hunt going?"

"Actually, I just signed a contract with a great place, so I was thinking of moving out soon anyway."

Only then did the landlord look relieved. "Oh, that's wonderful news! You're a hardworking kid, so I knew you'd do well wherever you went."

"Thank you."

"Let me know if you ever need anything."

Watching the landlord go inside his first-floor apartment, Jihun climbed the stairs. There weren't many days left for him to climb these stairs.

The next morning. Waking up, Jihun habitually grabbed his phone from the bedside table. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he turned on the screen. An unread message was waiting for him.

"...Damn, they work fast." He had signed the contract just last night, and the money was already in.