Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: To Meet You
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I still remember it.
The kind words that person gently offered me, one by one, when I showed up out of nowhere and demanded some riddle-like counseling.
Looking back now, they weren't difficult words at all. No, they were words anyone could say.
That man wasn't a psychologist or anything, nor was he some extraordinary person who could uncover a primal solution and present it to me. It might sound a bit rude, but.
The reason those words struck my heart so deeply was probably because they were so utterly ordinary.
Ordinary words that no one—not even my parents, my brother, or Kim Secretary, my closest aide—had ever said to me.
To sum it up, it was just that I was okay.
That I wasn't an empty person; I was merely fooling myself into thinking I was hollow by comparing myself to others. Everything I'd accomplished up to that point proved it.
So, from then on, just live doing the things I find enjoyable, the things I want to do.
Only then did I finally realize.
That until now, there had been no one to tell me, "It's okay."
In that sense, he was a truly mysterious person.
Not tossing out irresponsible clichés, but genuinely empathizing with my feelings, understanding them—and casually dropping words I might have desperately longed for deep in my subconscious—that felt truly remarkable.
— lsh0306 Koha! — Cosmo You came today too? Thank you. After that day, before I knew it, I was tuning into that person's broadcast every single night.
In front of that person, I didn't have to be Ryu Seoha.
.
.
.
.
.
With the "STAFF" name tag pinned to my chest, I stepped into the party venue, my heart pounding.
I'd have to give Kim Secretary a bonus later for handling my request to secure a spot where my identity wouldn't be exposed. As expected, he gets things done right.
Thump. Thump.
How strange. I, who never got anxious in front of crowds of executives, was this thrilled just at the thought of meeting someone.
As I felt my heart quietly echoing in my chest, a woman hurried over to me with a flustered look.
"You're the staff member here for emergency help at today's party, right? This way, please!"
"Yes."
And so, I head off to meet you.
To show you just how grateful I am.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ December 24th.
I finally arrived at a club in Seoul, the venue for the streamer party Tweet was hosting as a Christmas and year-end celebration.
"...Hoo."
Glancing back and forth between the invitation that had just arrived in physical form yesterday and the building itself, my already jittery heart pounded even harder.
It might be nothing special to some people, but it meant a lot to me.
After all, my very first goal when I started streaming had been to get invited to a Tweet party.
From the platform's side, issuing an invitation meant they saw me as someone worth giving special treatment to—like earning a medal. I'd always wanted to experience it at least once.
Even if I wasn't quite on their level yet, just sharing the same space as streamers I'd only ever seen on broadcasts would feel thrilling enough.
"Welcome."
Steeling myself, I stepped through the club entrance, where a female staff member greeted me with a bright smile.
The people entering ahead of me and those queued up behind were all streamers whose faces rang a bell from somewhere.
Whoa, talk about intimidating.
Still, I handed over my physical invitation to the staff member, doing my best not to look too out of place.
Unlike the famous streamers, mine was an invite-only entry, so the staff eyed me uncertainly at first. But after scanning the QR code beneath it to verify my identity, she finally smiled.
"You're confirmed. Cosmo Partner-nim."
"Yes, thank you."
She handed the invitation back to me and rummaged around in a small basket nearby, pulling out what looked like an amusement park entry wristband and fastening it around my wrist.
With official entry secured, I headed inside. True to its origins as a club, the atmosphere was dimly lit, but the lights were dazzlingly vibrant.
"Wow! Hanyang-nim, long time no see!"
"Ooh, who's this? Isn't it Neudaeng-nim!?"
Reaching the first-floor hall packed with streamers, all sorts of familiar faces came into view.
Most seemed to have crossed paths through collabs or mutual connections, exchanging warm greetings, hugs, and handshakes left and right.
Here I was, the ultimate loner, standing alone even in a place like this. Should've built some networks beforehand.
But it was unavoidable. I didn't do proper gaming streams; it was mostly chit-chat with viewers, so I rarely had chances to connect with other broadcasters.
Even when playing games on viewer request, it was usually solo big-budget console titles or co-op content at best.
No, that was all excuses. Truth was, I just sucked at dealing with people.
I'd gotten collab requests before and turned them all down.
"Nimdeul! The food here's insanely good? The quality is off the charts!"
"Ugh, got it, so don't talk with your mouth full! How old are you...!"
Heading up to the second floor, a space decked out like a restaurant welcomed me.
On one side, a guy was aggressively chowing down with his phone propped up in front of him. The voice was familiar; peering closer, it was Half Moon Bear-nim, the real powerhouse of Tweet.
Wow, I'd watched his streams tons of times. His wit, reactions, and down-to-earth vibe blended perfectly into the most addictive content ever.
Wanted to ask for an autograph, but he was deep into his meal, and anyway, a nobody like me had no business approaching.
"Everyone's going live..."
After scoping out the surroundings for a while, the words slipped out in a mutter.
As expected of a streamer-exclusive party, pretty much everyone was filming themselves with phones or selfie sticks.
A few were even grabbing passing streamers to drag into frame for greetings. Moments like that made not knowing anyone feel like a blessing.
That's what the popular crowd's like.
"Hey, hey, who's that guy? Looks pretty handsome."
"Where, where?"
"That one over there. New face... Does no-cam streams?"
Passing by a table, I overheard two women whispering. Curious about the handsome stranger, I glanced around, but no one stood out.
"Hey, he's looking. Duck down."
"......?"
That's when I accidentally made eye contact with them. Like we'd rehearsed it, they both averted their gazes and dove back into their food.
No way they were talking about me, right? Unless I had some major aesthetic defect.
"Looks so innocent. Right?"
"Yeah, kinda nerdy guy vibe?"
Their appraisal—whoever it was about—continued even as they wandered off.
Lucky guy, whoever he was.
Tsk, time to eat.
"Oh..."
Clutching my growling stomach, I made my way to the buffet stand by the terrace. True to its year-end party billing, it was lined with some seriously upscale-looking dishes.
Damn, the quality's top-notch. Even if I just stuff myself and head home, it'd more than cover the taxi fare.
Got a solid story to share with viewers tomorrow, too. Win-win.
"If you need wine or steak, just let us know. We'll bring it right over."
"Yes, thank you."
Drooling as I eyed the spread, a male staffer with a "STAFF" tag hovering nearby spoke up.
Steak and wine, huh. Didn't know booze from beans, so wine was out, but steak sounded tempting.
But if I ate now, it'd go straight to my nose instead of my mouth. Better save it; this buffet alone looked plenty filling.
As I kept browsing and reached for my first picks with the tongs, piling them onto a big plate—
"Um, ex, excuse me... Cosmo-nim?"
"...Yes?"
A woman's voice called out from somewhere, and I whipped my head around on reflex.
There stood a stunning beauty I'd never seen before, wearing a "STAFF" tag just like the guy from earlier, her expression somehow shy.
Her looks put TV celebrities to shame. For a split second, I was lost in them, staring blankly—until the shocking truth hit me like a brick.
How the hell did she know I'm Cosmo? I wasn't even wearing a name tag.