Bratty Breakthrough and Black Cat Encounter
I had no idea how to describe the current situation between the mesugaki and the big streamer. A guy I'd just met today was suddenly going all out on her stream, raking in cash left and right, while she just sat there doing nothing and money poured in. If I had to pick the closest saying, it'd probably be... the bear performs the tricks, but the trainer pockets the cash, right? She said she'd split the earnings with just one word, and he was busting his ass like crazy... I'd thought I'd picked a total dud, but that opinion flipped in an instant.
"Ah~ Another 10,000 won donation~ Thank you so much, thank youuu~! Sis, you're the best!"
"Oh, sell it too? Ah, you perv... Can't you just kneel and off yourself or something?"
"Whoaaa, donation incoming! I get tons of these usually~ So squishy and mooo~."
This little brat I'd wanted to knuckle-sandwich just minutes ago was pulling out every trick in the book, unleashing his inner diva like nobody's business. Hayun could feel it. This guy was a raw gem. Give him a little polish and build some rapport, and he'd shine like a diamond on his own. Her streamer instincts were screaming to sink her teeth in and lay the foundation for sucking him dry.
"Sis... sa, sa.... You know what comes next if you wanna hear it, right?"
He slyly made a circle with his fingers, hinting for cash. If this were my stream, it'd be a barrage of insults, but since it was a female streamer's channel, the audience was hyping up a guy like me instead. It was sickeningly sweet.
Jaejun wasn't used to this and froze for a sec, but the nonstop donation pings filled him with bliss. He screamed internally with joy. Yes! Money is always right—it makes people happy!
SoccerLovingMongrel donated 10,000 won.
I'll drop 50k on your stream later, so practice now.
"Ah~ SoccerLovingMongrel with 10,000 won~!!! Jaeyeon sis, I love you~!"
He flashed a heart with his fingers at the camera. The kind of punk who'd normally flip out and rage was now money-drunk, pulling every cutesy move in the book. Pride? Gone. Overwhelming cash rules people. There's that old quote about money: People spend most of their lives chasing it. So isn't life basically money? Thus, money weighs more than life itself. It hit me right in the chest.
SoccerLovingMongrel donated 50,000 won.
Good job^^
"50,000 won donation—thank you!"
Jaejun bowed his head to the ground repeatedly, thanking nonstop. To an outsider, he'd look like a lunatic headbutting the floor, but in Hayun's streaming eyes, he was just a money-printing machine.
The crowd went wild for my flashy reactions—stuff I never get on my own stream. And here I was, reacting on someone else's... no, a mega-corp streamer's channel. The phone's owner stared at me blankly, doing zilch but watching.
"Um, hello?"
"Y-yes?!"
Hayun snapped out of her daze at the sudden call. She'd been lost in thought, just staring.
"Sh-should we keep streaming?"
"Ah, hand it over now."
After streaming forever, Jaejun looked either bored, ashamed, or embarrassed as he passed the phone back sheepishly.
She raised it slowly, framing herself.
"Did everyone have fun? That's it for today~."
Viewers were rejecting the end more than usual, but pushing further would've exhausted both her and the guy upfront. No way. She ignored the chat and hit end stream.
[Stream has ended.]
"Um, hey...?"
Post-stream, she looked where Jaejun had been—empty. She scanned around.
In a dark, dingy corner, he crouched with a flushed face.
"Hey? What're you doing there?"
"Y-yeah...!? Just... self-loathing hit hard..."
And it should—cutesy acts and begging for cash in front of thousands? Not being embarrassed would be weirder.
This side's kinda cute.
The guy who'd toyed with her earlier was now hiding in shame. Gap moe? Or like a cousin playing hide-and-seek? Whatever—time to get to know each other.
"I'm streamer Song Hayun." She offered her hand first, introducing herself.
Jaejun stared at it intensely, then stood slowly, extending his.
"Still a total hack streamer, Shin Jaejun."
They shook slowly.
M-man's hand...! First time since kindergarten...!
For a girl who'd gone all-girls middle/high, then co-ed engineering college and army track, a young guy's hand was intense. Smaller than hers, soft, squishy to the touch. All so novel.
"You okay?"
"N-nothing."
She kept shaking, reluctant to let go—or maybe just building rapport...
"So, today's earnings?"
"Earnings...?"
The word jogged her memory. She'd promised to split them. Her usual hauls made it no biggie anyway. More importantly...
"Wanna collab sometime?"
"Huh?"
"Collab...?"
Proposing a collab to a guy she'd just met? Who'd say yes—especially opposite gender? She braced for rejection, but he tapped his chin, tilting his head.
"Pay well?"
"W-well, we split that day's earnings..."
"I'm in!"
Money desperation, huh. He snatched her phone, tapped something, handed it back.
"There, my number. Call for the collab."
"Th-thank you."
"Send the cash!"
With that, he vanished from view. She stared at the phone in her hand.
Heading home, the setting sun glowed far off in the distance. Orange light that hurt the eyes if stared at too long, but a beautiful pastel hue I always watched. "Whoa..."
Gazing at the sunset, I trudged home—and spotted something ahead. The usual black dolphin pants and short white tee, black bra peeking through: Choi Jaehee... playing with a cat.
"Look at you. Yap meow~"
She dangled catnip in both hands, shaking it cat-style to grab its attention. The black cat in front of her loved the swaying stuff, rearing up on hind legs, pawing wildly.
"Miyow~ Oooong~."
"Hehe, check this? Yap!"
"Huh..."
Watching her antics, I had no clue what she was doing but tried slipping past quietly to my room.
"Yaowong..."
But the cat ditched Jaehee first, padding over lightly and rubbing its face on my leg. Soft fur tickled my bare skin, making me shiver.
"J-Jaejun?"
"Eek!?"
This tiny thing—way smaller than me—rubbed against my leg all cutesy. Tickles more than I thought...
Every step I took, it followed, nuzzling nonstop—hard to move. I crouched slowly, petting its head.
"Aeoong~!"
"So cute..."
"Yeah, super cute."
Hm? I was so focused petting the cat I missed someone approaching. Jaehee knelt beside me, stroking its back.
"Cute, right?"
"Your cat, sis?"
"Nah? Just found it in the yard today?"
I wanted rest ASAP, so I left the cat and headed inside slowly.
"Jaejun!"
"Hm?"
She scooped up the cat.
"What should we name it?"
Cat name... name...
"Black cat, so Neiro."
Thus began my first meeting with cat Neiro.