I'll Just Wait Outside
- Hey, you bastard, do we look like a joke to you?
- Turn on a game! A game!
“Everyone, please calm down. Tetris is very much a game. Please stop the Tetris slander.”
As he stacked the falling Tetris blocks with both hands while chatting with his viewers, Sung Jinwoo glanced at the computer clock.
Why aren't these people here yet?
Bangbang was the type to arrive exactly on time anyway. She was occasionally late, but she was so cute, had such a massive presence, a massive channel size, and was just so damn big that no one could say anything even if she did.
But Kang Ha-neul was different.
She's not the type to cut it this close.
As the CEO of Star Live, Kang Ha-neul was famous for her punctuality. Unless a major accident occurred, she always arrived early to settle in. She wasn't just a streamer; she was the head of a company. Even if things were different now, there was a time when Star Live had to operate that way just to survive.
And...
This crazy bastard hasn't even read my messages.
He was the final member of the collab. A close older brother figure to Jinwoo, "that bastard" hadn't even opened the chat. Which meant he wasn't even awake yet.
What a lunatic...
“Sigh... Life is so rough.”
- Why is this guy acting like this all of a sudden? lol
- Did something go wrong with the collab?
- It's definitely not because of Tetris, that's for sure. fr
- Look at him clearing all the blocks while sighing.
“Ah, I'm in a bad mood. I should go stomp some newbies on the island.”
Rage-quitting Tetris, he booted up another game. It was a game that once had—well, actually, still had—a pretty bad reputation among viewers, but it maintained a dedicated core fanbase and was currently trending among streamers.
It was Eternal Survival, commonly known as ES.
- Stomp newbies my ass lmao
- You're the one getting stomped there T_T
“Shut up! I'm actually pretty decent on the island!”
It was just that there were suspiciously many people around him who were insanely good at ES. For his tier, he was actually a very decent player.
For the record, his tier was Iron 4.
They should be arriving soon...
As he played solo queue on the island, messages arrived from the two of them. Meanwhile, the other guy still hadn't read his messages.
“Whatever. If worst comes to worst, the three of us can just play on the island.”
- ?
- All of a sudden?
- lol looks like one of them didn't wake up.
- Ah, so that was it, lmao.
“Seriously, if I get the chance, I'm going to beat this guy up.”
Originally, today's collab was supposed to be a four-player co-op game. They had prepared Recycle Company, a mega-hit horror game developed by a solo creator that inevitably turned into a comedy game whenever streamers played it together.
However, since they weren't veterans, there was no way the three of them could play Recycle Company properly. If that guy really didn't show up, should they just play ES, which supported three-player squads? He seriously considered it.
Honestly, it was impossible for three non-veterans to run a proper stream of Recycle Company.
[Guests have arrived.]
[Kang Ha-neul plus one other, and Bangbang.]
[I will guide them to Meeting Room 1.]
A custom message from an employee popped up in the corner of his monitor.
“Ah, the collab members are here. I'll go talk business for a bit.”
- Hurry back.
- Don't be late, yep.
Since his character had just been eliminated from the game anyway, he immediately stood up, left the streaming booth, and headed toward Meeting Room 1.
“Wow... What in the world?”
“Insane... I can't believe someone like that actually exists.”
“?”
But the atmosphere in the office was strange. The employees were buzzing with excitement, as if they had just spotted a celebrity or an idol in person.
What's going on? Did they come with full makeup today?
Both Kang Ha-neul and Bangbang were quite good-looking for ordinary people. Ha-neul had a great figure and height, making her a certified beauty when she dressed up. Bangbang had also invested in minor cosmetic touch-ups over a long period, so she looked like a very cute girl when fully styled.
Even so, this level of reaction made no sense.
Kang Ha-neul and Bangbang were both excellent clients of his. They frequently visited the company in full makeup, so the staff had long since grown accustomed to their looks. In fact, even the very first time they visited fully styled, the reaction hadn't been this extreme.
“Did they get plastic surgery since I last saw them?”
If that was the case, he was going to tease them mercilessly. Chuckling at the thought, he arrived in front of Meeting Room 1 and opened the door without thinking.
Screeech!
Passing through the door that cried out for oil despite having been greased recently, he stepped inside.
“Oh, you guys are here.”
He lightly waved to the older women, who used to be his employees.
“Hey Bangbang, hey Ha-neul.”
And then...
“...Uh?”
A girl peeked out from behind Kang Ha-neul.
“...”
His mouth fell shut instantly. Her beauty shone through despite being obscured by a wide-brimmed hat and a large mask. She had beautiful silver-white hair, the kind he had only ever seen in anime and fiction. Above the large mask, he caught a glimpse of her golden eyes.
“Wow... Holy shit...”
After a long silence, he finally managed to squeeze out his thoughts. A single name flashed in his mind.
It was the virtual character from Star Live who had occupied the very top spot on Pajijik when he had opened the app out of boredom a few days ago.
“Is this... Woo Yeonha?”
“Hawawa?!”
Yep. Her confession confirmed it.
“So, about the revenue split...”
“Can't we just keep it the same as before?”
“No. I need to get a bit more to take care of my kids during renewal season.”
“You already make so much money...”
“Another company offered us a much better rate, but we're sticking with you out of loyalty and affection.”
“You're really squeezing blood from a stone, sister.”
Smiling helplessly, Jinwoo picked up a ballpoint pen and positioned it over the contract.
Just then—
“Ah, wait a second.”
“Why? Is there something to modify?”
Pulling the contract toward herself, the CEO picked up a pen and added a single name under the "Contracted Merchandise" section.
Woo Yeonha.
...It was me.
“?”
Before I could even process this and question it.
“I'm planning to make Woo Yeonha merchandise too, so add her to the list. Got it?”
“Ah, n-no...”
Woo Yeonha merchandise?! Unless you're planning to make a punching bag, stop right now!!
“Oh! That works for me!”
Why are you happy about this, Jinwoo?!
“What are we making?”
“The usual stuff like acrylic stands, keyrings, and tin badges...”
“Isn't that a bit too plain?”
“A large stress-relief cushion and pillow...”
T-That really is a punching bag!
“And even a double-sided dakimakura as adult-only merchandise.”
“?”
...Excuse me?
“?”
“?”
As Jinwoo and Bangbang reacted with similar confusion, the CEO continued nonchalantly.
“Don't worry too much. We'll make it sellable.”
“Uh...”
“Well, as long as the client wants it...”
“...”
Excuse me... Aren't you going to ask for the consent of the actual person involved?
“So that wraps up the merchandise contract?”
“Yep... All done!”
“Then I'll sign.”
Jinwoo signed the contract presented by the CEO.
I-Is it really happening? Woo Yeonha merchandise? And an adult version at that?!
“Then, before the collab, do you want to have a quick meal in the booth with a partial cam?”
Jinwoo made a copy of the contract and handed it to the CEO.
“I don't mind. My face is already out there anyway.”
“My face isn't that well-known yet, so I'll just squeeze in quietly in the corner.”
“Well, you two aside...”
Jinwoo glanced in my direction.
“...Would Yeonha be okay with it?”
“Uh, w-well...”
My brain scrambled to find a way to answer this.
“No! This is a scam!”
“?”
Bangbang, who had been watching from the side, suddenly looked at me and shouted with an outraged expression.
Everyone's eyes turned to her.
“How can this girl be the same person as...”
Holding an imaginary microphone with a solemn expression, Bangbang mimicked someone's voice.
“It's me, you motherfuckers.”
“Hawawa?!”
...That was me. Dammit.
“How are they the same person?! Huh?!”
“Hing-hing...”
The CEO hid a startled me behind her back and explained to Bangbang.
“She's just like that. You know, a typical keyboard warrior.”
“This is way beyond a keyboard warrior!”
“It is a bit extreme.”
“...”
As Jinwoo nodded in agreement, the CEO gently patted my head.
...Strangely, it made me feel a bit calmer.
“But once you get close to her, she talks well and she's fun.”
“Hmm... Hearing you say that makes me not want to get close to her.”
“I think she's cute just the way she is now.”
“You guys...”
“Hing-hing...”
Laughing off my whimpering as a joke, Jinwoo stared at the CEO and spoke.
“Jokes aside, what does Yeonha want to do?”
“Hmm...”
“Do you want to come into the booth and just eat with us in the corner? Or would you rather wait outside?”
“...What do you want to do?”
Unable to decide on her own, the CEO turned to me and asked.
“W-Well...”
Waiting outside alone felt a bit nerve-wracking.
“Just so you know, we'll be eating and chatting in the booth with a partial cam. Even if you try your best to avoid it, you might get caught on camera.”
“Ugh...”
But I absolutely wanted to avoid being caught on camera. Woo Yeonha was supposed to be a virtual employee. She was a character who shouldn't exist in reality.
“...I'll just wait outside.”
“Wow...”
He couldn't believe his eyes.
A silver-haired girl came out of Meeting Room 1. The girl brought along by Star Live's CEO, Kang Ha-neul, was walking into the pantry with slumped shoulders.
No matter how anyone looked at her, she was unmistakably the Star Live employee, Woo Yeonha, who had recently started streaming.
...She was actually a real person?
Stunned by her overwhelming beauty, which seemed impossible for a real person, he unconsciously stood up and walked toward the pantry.
Peering through the glass window of the door, he saw her.
“Hawawa...”
She had gotten a coffee from the vending machine, but because of the large mask she was wearing, she couldn't drink it and was flustered.
...She was adorable.
“T-To drink this...”
Realizing she couldn't drink coffee with the mask on, she slowly pulled it down.
“Wow...”
An involuntary gasp escaped his lips at her unbelievable, non-human beauty.
“...Ah?!”
Seeing him, the girl hurriedly pulled her mask back up.
“I-I'm sorry.”
Quickly bowing in apology, he returned to his seat and accessed an online community on his phone.
And as soon as he hit the post button, the comment notifications started rolling in.
“Ah, seriously...”
His post quickly got buried, receiving only 1 upvote and 27 downvotes.
Perhaps the truth wasn't as powerful as one might think.