The First Payout
Today was a day off from streaming. Park Jihun woke up a little later than usual. His phone, resting by his pillow, was piled high with notifications. New posts on his fan cafe. Comments on his Ocean broadcast board. YouTube notifications. They were familiar sights by now. Jihun reached out from under his blanket and grabbed the phone. He was about to swipe through the notifications out of habit when his fingers froze.
[Deposit Notification]
Jihun’s eyes widened. "......A deposit?" he muttered in a groggy voice, tapping the notification. The banking app opened immediately, and the transaction history appeared on the screen.
[Deposit: 43,680,000 KRW]
It was his settlement from Ocean for the past month. Jihun sat frozen for a long time. He looked at the numbers again. And once more. [43,680,000 KRW]. The depositor was Ocean Co., Ltd. It was the correct amount after fees. "Wait a minute." He threw off the blanket and sat up. His sleepiness vanished in an instant. This wasn't his first settlement, but the previous one had been when he had just started broadcasting. Even though it was only for half a month, the amount had been significant.
'It was around fifteen million won back then......' And that was mostly because of Nathan’s massive donations. But this time, it was much higher. The Bokchae received throughout the month, the thank-you donations following various incidents, the donations after entrance exam consultations, and even the water droplets poured in by The First. When added all up, it was nearly triple the amount.
Jihun sat back in his chair, phone in hand. "Forty-three million......" Even saying the number out loud, it didn't feel real. It was essentially a year's salary for an office worker, earned in just one month. Just as he was still chewing on the numbers, his phone rang. It was Usik. Jihun answered.
"What's up?"
Kim Usik’s voice came through the receiver. "Did your settlement come in?"
"......Yeah, it did."
"How much did you get?"
"A decent amount."
"Hey, don't play coy. It's over forty million, right?"
Jihun was momentarily speechless. "How do you know that?"
"It's all over the streamer revenue estimation sites. It might not be exact, but it's close. There are even posts on the community boards asking if your settlement is over forty million."
"They really track everything."
"It's not that they track everything; it's that you've become the kind of person people talk about." Kim Usik laughed. "Anyway, congratulations. That's a huge hit."
"I know, but it doesn't feel real yet."
"When that happens, just spend it."
"The money?"
"Yeah. Go eat something delicious with your mom."
Jihun paused for a moment. His mother was the first person he had thought of when he saw the amount. "I was actually planning on doing that."
"Good for you. Don't go somewhere mediocre; treat her right."
"I know."
"And take care of Mr. Minhyeok later, too. The speed at which he cuts clips these days, it's like he's not even human."
"I'm thinking about that, too."
Usik added softly, "Buy me some pork belly later. Pork belly is enough."
"Really?"
"......No, I'm just saying."
"Request received."
"Ah, don't be so dense."
Jihun chuckled. "I'm hanging up."
"Yeah. Go have a great meal with your mom today."
After ending the call, Jihun immediately dialed his mother. After a few rings, her familiar voice answered. "Jihun, what's up at this hour?"
"Mom, are you free this evening?"
"Today? Why?"
"Let's go on a date."
There was a brief silence on the other end. "A date?"
"Yes. I'll buy you something delicious."
"What's gotten into my son?" His mother’s voice was laced with laughter. "Let's go eat Korean beef."
"Beef?"
"Yes. I'll treat you properly today."
"Well, I guess I'll take advantage of my son today?"
Jihun smiled faintly. "Yes. I'll book a place that's easy for you to get to."
After hanging up, he searched for a nearby Korean beef restaurant. He deliberately didn't look at the prices. He had no intention of saving money today. Especially when it came to spending it on his mother.
By evening, Jihun was waiting for his mother at the meeting spot. Before long, a familiar figure appeared across the street. His mother was walking slowly, wearing a thick padded jacket. It was an old jacket. The cuffs were frayed, and the area around the collar showed signs of having been washed many times. Jihun’s gaze lingered on it for a moment.
"Jihun." His mother waved first. Jihun approached her.
"It's cold, why did you come out so early?"
"Why did you come out so early? And aren't you dressed too thinly?"
"I'm fine."
"Do you know how cold it is these days? You should at least wear a scarf."
His mother was always like that. She didn't care that her own clothes were worn out, but she was the first to worry about her son’s attire. Jihun looked at her jacket one more time before turning his gaze away.
"Let's go."
"Where?"
"To eat Korean beef."
"Are we really going for beef?"
"Yes. It's my treat today."
His mother smiled and gently took Jihun's arm. "Then I suppose I'll take advantage of my son today."
At those words, the corners of Jihun’s mouth lifted slightly. A short while later, they entered a Korean beef specialty restaurant in the downtown area. The entrance was quiet, and the interior was divided into private rooms. Even from the outside, it was clear it was an expensive place. His mother hesitated for a moment but walked inside without a word. As soon as they sat down, a staff member brought the menu. Jihun didn't look at it for long.
"Give us the recommended set. The good one."
His mother’s eyes went wide. "Can you just order like that?"
"Yes. It's that kind of day."
Soon, charcoal was brought in, and a plate of meat was placed on the table. It was meat with vivid marbling. The staff member grilled the first piece and placed it on his mother’s plate. "Try it with just a little bit of salt."
His mother put the meat in her mouth and her eyes widened slightly. "Son, this place is really delicious."
"Is it?"
"Yes. It's really good. You eat too."
At those words, Jihun felt inexplicably happy. It was definitely worth the high price. The meal didn't take as long as he thought. His mother had been cautious at first, but after eating a few more pieces, her expression relaxed. When they finished paying and stepped outside, the night air had settled in, cold and crisp. His mother pulled her jacket tight and said, "I ate well thanks to you, son. Thank you."
"Let's come again."
"Yes. Let me take advantage of my son again next time."
As his mother laughed, Jihun laughed along. Just then, Jihun looked across the street. It was late, but the department store was still bright. "Mom."
"Yes?"
"There's somewhere I want to stop by."
As they entered the department store, warm air rushed to meet them. His mother looked around and asked, "Why are we here?"
"I want to buy a gift."
"Whose gift?"
"Yours."
His mother stopped walking immediately. "I'm fine."
"We haven't even looked at anything yet."
"We already ate such an expensive meal, what kind of gift?"
"My settlement came in today."
At those words, his mother turned to look at him. "Settlement?"
"Yes."
"How much did you get?"
"A little over forty million."
His mother froze. "......What?"
"So, don't try to stop me today."
Jihun said it nonchalantly and stepped onto the escalator. His mother followed a beat late. When they reached the floor with women's clothing, thick padded jackets were lined up. His mother finally realized what Jihun was trying to buy. "Jihun, I really don't need a new jacket."
"Your cuffs are all frayed."
"That's nothing."
"Mom." Jihun said shortly. "Please listen to me today."
His mother couldn't say anything more. Jihun walked into the store. A staff member approached and recommended several jackets. At first, his mother only touched them and put them back. Then, she stopped for a long time in front of one. It was a beige padded jacket that looked light. His mother touched the sleeve and said softly, "This one is pretty."
She immediately checked the price tag. Her hand dropped quietly. "Why?"
"It's nothing. I was just looking."
"Do you like it?"
"It's pretty, but it's too expensive."
Jihun didn't answer and said to the staff member, "We can try this on, right?"
The staff member immediately brought the size. His mother said it was fine several times, but eventually, she tried the jacket on. Her appearance in front of the mirror was different from before. She looked much neater and warmer than when she was wearing her old jacket. Jihun said, "It suits you well."
"But this is too expensive."
"Just tell me if you like it."
"......I do like it."
That was enough. Jihun handed his card to the staff member. "I'll take this. Please make it so she can wear it out."
His mother hurriedly grabbed his arm. "Jihun."
"It's fine."
"But still......"
"It's cold outside. Just wearing it well is enough for me."
At those words, his mother couldn't say anything more. But Jihun didn't stop there. The scarf and gloves his mother had touched earlier caught his eye. They were the things she had put back immediately after seeing the price tag. Jihun said to the staff member again, "And please give me that scarf and those gloves, too."
"Jihun."
"It's winter."
He added calmly, "Should we look at shoes, too?"
"That really is enough."
"Then that's all for today."
His mother laughed as if she were dumbfounded. "That's all for today, you say. Look at you."
The staff member put her old jacket in a paper bag and packed the scarf and gloves that matched the new jacket. His mother left the store wearing the new jacket, scarf, and gloves. "It really is light and warm."
"It suits you well."
"I don't know if I should be wearing something this expensive."
"You should." Jihun answered shortly. "From now on, I'll provide you with even better things than this."
His mother was silent for a moment. Then, she smiled, carefully touching the cuffs of her new jacket. "My son must have really made a lot of money."
At those words, Jihun smiled too. It was late evening when they left the department store. But his mother looked much warmer than before. Jihun walked with his mother to the subway station. In front of the ticket gate, his mother looked back several times. "You get home safely, too."
"Yes. Send me a text when you get home."
His mother, wearing the new jacket and carrying the paper bag with her old one, went through the ticket gate. Jihun stood there until his mother disappeared down the stairs. He had spent quite a lot of money today. He had bought expensive Korean beef, a jacket, a scarf, and gloves. But he didn't feel a shred of regret. In fact, it felt like the first time he had spent money properly.
It was late at night when Jihun returned home. He turned on his monitor and entered the fan cafe out of habit. A whole new pile of posts had accumulated.
Jihun skimmed the titles. One post on the free bulletin board caught his eye.
Jihun clicked on the post without much thought. There wasn't much content. It just said that the writer was going on a trip to Cambodia tomorrow and was a bit nervous since it was their first time abroad. The comments were ordinary.
Jihun chuckled as he read the comments. "Overseas travel, huh......" Come to think of it, he had never been abroad. He hadn't had the money or the peace of mind while preparing for employment. But things were different now. If the timing worked out, there was no reason he couldn't go. "Maybe I should try going abroad sometime later, too." As he muttered that and scrolled down, he saw a comment left by the writer themselves.