Angelic Editing

I’m translating the chapter now and preserving the in-universe windows in styled HTML so the output stays publishable.CHAPTER_TITLE: Angel Editing

Editing of Angels

-Rank: C+

-Passive Effect: When reconstructing footage, you can adjust the flow of time and scenes to edit in a way that maximizes your intended effect.

-(This talent can be upgraded.)

“Video editing, huh...”

Truth be told, I’d never touched a video in my life, let alone messed around with Photoshop.

The only tools I could really handle were the office staples like Excel and Hangul, and even then, that was about the extent of it. If I had to name anything else, maybe Paint.

If there was any place where editing could exert the greatest influence, the first things that came to mind were film directors, drama editors, or maybe variety-show directors. But...

I honestly can’t imagine doing it, and I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠don’t even want to.

Even if I could, I had no desire to take on some new challenge while gambling with the risk of giving up a stable job I already had.

So if I wanted to think of a way to use video editing in my current situation, there was really only one answer.

YouTube.

It was the side hustle everyone, young or old, had imagined trying at least once.

In fact, a few people around me had opened channels and uploaded videos.

Was it this spring?

At work, Section Chief Kim had said he was filming a vlog, and for about two or three weeks he really did go around with a camera in hand.

Then the frequency dropped from once a day to once every two days, and before long the camera itself disappeared altogether.

When I asked about it, he’d said he quit because his subscriber count had stalled at twenty.

There were others, too. If I was chatting in the group texts with college classmates or old school friends, someone would occasionally send out a request to subscribe, but when I checked a few days later, most of those channels had vanished or stopped uploading entirely.

When you think about it that way, I honestly don’t have much confidence either.

No matter how well I edited, if the basic source footage itself wasn’t interesting, there was nothing I could do to save it.

To be blunt, I wasn’t particularly handsome, and I wasn’t the humorous type either.

I wasn’t the kind of guy who’d had natural charisma in school, either.

And since I didn’t have any especially standout trait, it was true that I was coming up short on material.

Still, I want to try it at least once.

The rank was only C+, so it was definitely low.

But since it was a growth-type talent that could be upgraded, if I nurtured it properly, it would surely help me, just like Echo of the Keyboard had expanded from blogging into fiction.

YouTube, huh... what should I even do with it?

***

On the second day of my New York trip, I headed to a flea market located in the Midwest.

A flea market, in the usual sense. A secondhand market.

Old furniture dominated the entrance, but there were also plenty of accessories and ornaments.

Jewelry is pretty, and there are a lot of cute decorative pieces I could hang in the house.

Best of all, there was more handmade work here than I’d expected.

In particular, a few pieces sold by an elderly Black woman at one of the stalls caught my eye.

Just looking over the items here made me feel like I was learning something.

If I studied them closely, I figured they’d be useful the next time I did some handicraft myself, so I decided to buy a few pieces on the spot.

“I’ll take this and that, please.”

“Oh, you picked out the pretty ones.”

The Black grandmother smiled warmly and asked, “For your girlfriend?”

“Haha, no. I’d like to have one someday, though.”

“If you give that as a gift, a woman might fall for you.”

“That would be nice.”

With a pretty little bag in hand, I moved deeper into the flea market.

Then the theme shifted, and the reason I’d come here became clear.

It wasn’t just secondhand goods or craft items here. This was where they sold antique things that had been kept in people’s homes since their grandfathers’ generation.

Right.

It had been a while since my cooldown had come around.

If I’m going to use it, I might as well make the most of it overseas.

Dongmyo, and now New York.

One of the things that had landed on my algorithm after I got interested in artifacts.

Whether I was watching TV late at night or browsing YouTube, there was always at least one video a day that I’d check.

The show where they brought antiques to a group of foreign bald guys running a pawnshop, negotiated a price, had the items appraised, and traded them.

From what I saw, about half of them brought things their families had collected at home.

But I’d heard the other half found theirs at flea markets like this one, so I’d wanted to visit one myself.

There are a lot more people here than I expected.

There were plenty of vendors, plenty of variety, and plenty of buyers.

Old music boxes, cutlery sets, portrait frames, pocket watches, and more.

Unlike Dongmyo, the Western-style goods here felt fresh.

I pulled up the information window on anything that looked remotely convincing.

Nothing useful on this side.

Unfortunately, everything from the modern era was either a replica or only Retro Level.

I’d heard that even among Retro items, the good ones could fetch a decent price from collectors, but...

I’m not doing this as a business, and if I start chasing profit margins, it’ll never end.

I needed at least Rare Level or higher for it to be worth anything.

Oriental

So this is where they handle Eastern items.

Maybe I should take a look over there.

“Oh...”

This was pretty good.

The rank was high too, Rare Level, and the description was solid.

“How much is this?”

“That inkstone’s quite a precious piece, you know?”

The stubborn-looking old white man said seriously, “I’d have to get six thousand dollars for it.”

“...Six thousand?”

At today’s exchange rate, that was well over eight million won.

That’s too expensive.

The last time I used Artifact Appraisal, I’d found a Rare Level norigae in Dongmyo.

I put it up for auction online three separate times, but it never reached five million won.

What was the highest offer again? 4.3 million?

So I’d settled for a reasonable price after fees.

If I buy this inkstone, can I really sell it for more than twice that?

I shook my head.

In terms of an inkstone, it would probably have more niche appeal than a norigae, but it was still only Rare Level.

No matter how expensive it was, there had to be a limit.

I wasn’t buying it to keep for myself, and if I spent six thousand dollars on it, there wouldn’t be much profit left.

“Sorry.”

I bowed politely and started to step back.

“Five thousand!”

“...Pardon?”

“I can do five thousand.”

“That’s still a bit...”

“Four thousand eight hundred. Not a cent less.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Tsk... tch. Fine then.”

It didn’t seem worth squeezing her any further, so I turned away.

After wandering around and pulling up information windows on this and that, I spotted a single old book that caught my eye.

“...Wait a second.”

My eyes froze before I even realized it.

Treasure Level?

That was the second-highest rank in the six-tier artifact system.

Right below National Treasure Level, it was the sort of thing that wouldn’t look out of place on display in a museum.

No, even some items in the lower Rare Level could be seen in museums, so Treasure Level needed no further explanation.

Though it is quite damaged...

Even taking that into account, a Treasure Level item had to be valuable.

“How much is this one?”

“Oh, that isn’t for sale.”

“...Pardon?”

“I couldn’t even figure out the text, and the translation app gave me nothing, so... I just put it out here.”

A white woman in her early thirties.

Looking at the things she’d brought, it didn’t seem like this was even part of her personal collection.

If I use the info window, everything else here is either Retro Level or Replica.

In other words, this one item alone was the real deal.

“May I ask where you got this?”

She widened her eyes as if she had a lot to say.

“My husband got caught cheating on me behind my back and ran out of the house. So I hauled everything out of the house and I’m selling it to use as alimony.”

The story was spectacular, all right.

“Ah... then you’re not selling the other items?”

“The rest are for sale. This one’s a hundred dollars. That one’s one-fifty.”

Honestly, I wasn’t interested in the rest.

“Would you sell this book, too?”

A Qing Dynasty rare book.

Its value certainly wouldn’t be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠small.

“I actually brought it because I wanted to ask whoever knew what it was.”

She swept her eyes over me from head to toe, then said, “Seeing you take an interest in it as an Asian, I guess it must be a pretty valuable item.”

“...Pardon?”

“Three thousand dollars.”

The white woman smiled thinly and pointed at the book.

“Take it for three thousand dollars.”

“Hah...”

This was a serious dilemma.

Three thousand dollars. About four million won.

Honestly, if I bought it, I don’t think I’d lose money.

This was a book whose original version had even been lost in the Cultural Revolution.

No matter how bad the condition was, if it was a Treasure Level relic from the Qing Dynasty, the Chinese would go crazy over it.

Considering that the Joseon white porcelain moon jar at Masterpiece Level had gone for 15 million won, this could surely fetch several million as well.

It’s a chance to make foreign currency hand over fist.

Logically, the right move was to pay cash and buy it.

But this feels off.

The moment she’d first been asked, she’d flatly said it wasn’t for sale, and now she was suddenly asking three thousand dollars. Something about it felt wrong.

If I say I want to buy it, I get the feeling she’ll refuse to sell it.

Especially from the way this woman talked, the more greedy I seemed, the more certain it was she’d raise the price.

Looks like she’s been watching one of those YouTube videos about how to sell things.

Sorry, but I’d watched those videos too. That wasn’t going to work on me.

Should I try bluffing?

I deliberately looked startled and stepped back.

“Three thousand? That’s an absurd price.”

Just as I expected, the white woman hurried to stop me.

“T-two thousand?”

“...That’s still too much.”

“How about one thousand?”

“You said the other things you’re selling are a hundred dollars.”

“Still, this one seems more precious... My husband definitely bragged that he’d gotten it for a high price.”

“...Hmm.”

I pretended to study the old book with even greater seriousness.

“One thousand?”

“Yes. And if you buy that, I’ll throw in the jar over there, too.”

She pointed to a sturdy-looking jar.

I wasn’t interested in replicas at all, but...

“Really?”

I widened my eyes, pretending to be tempted.

“Then let’s do it.”

“Deal?”

“Okay. Deal.”

***

Qing Dynasty Rare Book, Seongdochanyo (Star Chart Compendium)

Rank: Treasure Level

“Yes!”

I’d gotten my hands on a Treasure Level rare book.

It had even nearly been lost in the Cultural Revolution.

It was well known that Chinese buyers would spend a lot of money on items like this.

If I put this up for auction, it should get a lot of attention.

Whoever her husband was, if he’d run off with this in tow after cheating, I could at least call that true love.

The jar was a pity, but I didn’t need it, so I tossed it into a trash can that was close at hand.

After carefully putting the rare book into my bag, I started walking down the street.

Part of me wants to put it up for auction right now and cash out, but...

I’d done some digging, and apparently antique auction prices generally fell around the year-end and New Year period.

There were probably more things people had to spend money on then, so they were less willing to throw it at collectibles.

I should take it back to Korea, let it sit for a while, and sell it once the weather warms up.

That way I’d get the proper price.

As I kept walking, before I knew it I’d reached Central Park.

“This is wide open and nice too.”

Even in winter, squirrels were darting nimbly through the trees.

Seeing them fattened up for the harsh season made me smile. They were adorable.

How long had I walked after that?

♩-♬♪

All at once, a familiar melody reached my ears.

As if enchanted, I followed it and found a man who looked to be in his fifties busking alone by one of the benches.

Well, look at that. It’s that song.

The film OST I’d first learned on the violin.

But this is different from the usual busking setup.

Normally they’d just put out a hat or a basket for tips, but here there were other instruments lined up beside the tip basket.

Is he planning to play all kinds of instruments?

Unexpectedly, though, there was a bold sign attached to the panel above them.

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

So this is busking made with the public?

As expected from the land of freedom, it really was different.

Of all things, the violin caught my eye too.

I considered giving it a try.

But there are quite a lot of people here.

Some people just glanced and walked past, but plenty others had stopped to watch.

There were even a few tourists filming with their phones.

And then, just then...

“僕がやってみる.”

The Japanese man standing nearby spoke to his companion, then suddenly picked up the guitar lying on the ground and stepped forward.

The man busking smiled and encouraged the crowd to respond.

The Japanese man grinned, grabbed the guitar, and started to play.

I should have done it.

I felt a pang of regret.

Chwang- chwang- ziii- jaaang- chwang-!

That Japanese participant’s guitar skills were honestly pretty lacking.

He’s ruining a song I actually like...

Still, maybe because they appreciated his courage in busking, everyone was clapping for him.

I think I could do better than that guy.

My regret only deepened.

Before long, the song was heading into its climax.

How should I put it?

It felt like I’d been robbed while I was still deciding whether to step in.

I can put up with a lot, but losing to Japan in a Japan-Korea showdown? I can’t swallow that.

I was in America after flying for fourteen hours.

Even if it was embarrassing, nobody knew me here, and nobody would remember me.

Since I’m here, why not make a memory...

With that thought, courage welled up, and my hand was already reaching for the violin and bow.

♩♪-♬♪-♬♩♩-♪♩♬-♪♩♬-♪

Luckily, it had been tuned, and the song flowed out smoothly.

“Whoa, who’s that Asian guy?!”

“Sounds good!”

“That song works on violin too?”

“He’s really good!”

People cheered in surprise and admiration one after another.

Their attention, which had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠been on the Japanese man and the busking player, shifted to me in an instant.

And then a minute passed.

Since I’d joined in halfway through the song, the performance ended after exactly one minute.

“Wow!”

The busking man cheered and walked up to me.

“You’re seriously cool!”

He held out his fist, and I lightly bumped it with mine for a fist bump.

But only for a moment.

Whiiiist-!

A whistle rang out along with applause.

Whoosh.

My face turned red in an instant.

How many more people gathered in that short time?

Looking toward the corner, I could even see a few Korean tourists.

“Hey, you know this song too?”

He played a familiar melody for me again.

I knew it, since it was a famous pop song even among Koreans.

“S-sorry.”

My face was so red it felt like it might burst.

“I’m a bit busy, so... sorry, I’ve gotta go!”

I put down the violin and fled the park.

***

“Hah!”

I’d run so far that before I knew it, I’d reached the hotel.

My face is still burning.

When I looked in the mirror, my ears were as red as my face.

So I actually busked.

Normally I would’ve held it in and powered through, but for some reason I’d been possessed by that Japan-Korea showdown and just played.

Still, it’s a relief nobody knew me.

Now that I was back in the hotel room and alone, I was finally starting to calm down.

First, I should wash up.

Even in the middle of winter, I’d run so hard that my whole body was drenched in sweat.

Swishhhhh!

After a refreshing shower, I came back out into the room.

I packed the rare book carefully so it wouldn’t get scratched, put it into my carry-on, and secured it firmly.

It’d be a hassle to go back out now...

After resting a bit, I took my laptop out in the hotel room.

Since I’ve got the talent now, should I test it out?

After getting the video editing talent, I’d deliberately shot a few clips.

I’d recorded myself buying antiques and all the little details of the places I was sightseeing, using my phone camera.

The editing tool itself isn’t hard.

Once my basic talent kicked in, the edit came together almost instantly after I understood the functions.

After two hours of work, I’d knocked out a ten-minute video in no time at all.

But...

“It’s boring...”

The video itself was smooth enough, and there were no problems with the editing, but the source footage itself was so dull that watching it didn’t spark any interest at all.

The rank was low at C+, sure, but I could tell this wasn’t an editing issue.

Still, it’d be a waste to throw away the editing talent. Should I be editing other people’s videos instead of my own YouTube channel?

The thought crossed my mind, but I shook my head.

No. That’s just outsourced editing, like commission work.

It’s the kind of job you do once and finish, like translation.

There wasn’t much left over from it, and it was just a way to make money, nothing more.

Rather than that, I’d like to make videos of my own if I can.

How could I make decent videos? How could I capture something interesting?

I mulled it over for a long while, and then...

...Wait a second.

My mind suddenly arrived at a simple, clear answer.

Rather than trying something new, why not just do what I’ve been doing all along?

Couldn’t I just pick from these and make something?

There were quite a few talents I could use in video without even showing my face.

Of all of them, the one people would probably be most interested in was...

Handicraft.

There was nothing better than handicraft.

From what I saw at the flea market, jewelry crafting would be great too.

Even if not that, leatherwork, custom tailoring, or costume-making would all probably have a fair amount of demand.

Then maybe I should start by steering in that direction?

Still, it felt a little plain.

Using my existing talents was good, but just as I was thinking it would be nice to add something that could set the channel apart from the others, a notification rang out unexpectedly.

Beep-!

“Auxiliary talent...”

“They’re all tempting.”

Just looking at the keywords made me feel better.

“Wait. If I featured an auxiliary talent together with an existing talent on YouTube...”

Wouldn’t that be pretty good?