76. FreshSteamedRice, If You're Salty, Refute Me with Donations
76. FreshSteamedRice, If You're Salty, Refute Me with Donations
***
Crunch.
As I bit into the fried shrimp, the crisp batter came through just as it should.
Crunch, crunch.
After the crisp batter came the springy shrimp meat, and chewing it brought a different kind of satisfaction.
It seemed perfect as a drinking snack.
Whenever I felt thirsty, I reached for the beer glass beside me, and at the end, I set down the glass with only a little foam left clinging to the bottom and frowned.
Drinking for the first time in a while, I had the feeling I ought to go looking for something to worry about, that I ought to feel gloomy.
But right now, I had no thoughts at all.
It was genuinely strange how empty my head was.
A woman with her pure-white silver hair tied up high, sitting with her legs crossed, sipping beer as she watched a broadcast on the screen.
Serin stared blankly at the screen.
'...She's just drinking straight soju.'
Then, before long, a baffled laugh escaped me.
On the screen was a woman whose face had already gone completely red from however many shots of soju she'd downed.
Editor Kim Hayoon.
She was grinning goofily, apparently in a great mood about something.
Then she picked up her soju glass again and brought it right up to the cam as if for a close-up.
—Cheers!
Shoving the soju glass at the cam and shouting a big "cheers"—something about it...
It genuinely looked pitiful to me.
Just straight soju.
Watching a 27-year-old woman drinking without a single snack, I felt really strange.
The impression was completely different from the one I'd gotten when I first saw her just a little while ago.
Should I say she seemed oddly scatterbrained, or that she had a bit of an airhead streak? That was the impression I got.
And the sight of her drinking straight soju with no snacks while chatting with the handful of regular viewers and laughing to herself felt oddly poignant too.
"Is this what they call 'small but certain happiness'?"
From what I could see, the editor just seemed happy for no particular reason.
Maybe something good had happened recently, because she was grinning goofily at the most trivial chat messages, raising her soju glass with a "cheers," and enjoying herself all alone. Watching it, I wondered if maybe that, too, was happiness.
And since I'm a streamer now too, I found myself checking the chat window out of habit.
The chat messages trickling in sporadically—watching them made my heart ache for no good reason.
Seeing only three or four chat messages a minute, I felt strange even if the editor didn't.
It didn't look like streaming could be much fun, yet she answered every single one of those few messages.
The editor, who was older than me, looked cute in a way that didn't match her age, but at the same time a wistful feeling welled up.
'So this is the life of a small-time streamer.'
I'd heard there were broadcasts with even fewer viewers—zero or one—but still, the editor streaming for barely twenty viewers looked just as poignant.
Should I send a chat message myself? The thought crossed my mind, but I stopped, worried I might end up typing something weird.
[Jambl: Editing... Hayoon, I was really enjoying your NewTube videos.]
[Staric: Right. The video quality is really high, so I end up watching without even realizing it.]
More chat messages came up like that.
By now, even the nicknames of the viewers chatting were naturally catching my eye.
Since only a few people were chatting, there was no way for them not to catch my eye.
I guess that's why she called out each viewer's nickname one by one.
Because losing even one viewer who chats would be a huge blow.
[FreshSteamedRice: Where in Yeoksam-dong do you live?]
Then I spotted one chat message that grated on me.
'Why ask where she lives?'
The few chat messages had all seemed warm, with viewers chatting back and forth with the editor, so I'd just let it be.
But this time, something felt off.
And then, as if she'd spotted the message, I saw the editor freeze for a moment, her face flushed bright red.
—I'm always grateful to everyone who watches my NewTube videos. And... I'm sorry, but I can't answer questions about my personal information.
As she answered, her eyes wandered as if she didn't know where to look, and compared to before, when she'd been swaying drunkenly, her movements were now stiff and unnatural.
She probably didn't know how to handle it, flustered by one of her few regular viewers suddenly asking a question like that.
[Jambl: Why are you suddenly asking where she lives?]
[Staric: That person's a bit weird.]
And I wasn't the only one who found it strange—the other viewers asked the same thing.
[FreshSteamedRice: No, I could just be curious, right? Since she said it's her last stream, I feel a bit sad. Couldn't we run into each other by chance?]
But instead, they typed back as if they'd done nothing wrong, acting like everyone else was being unreasonable.
"...Seriously."
Watching it, I let out a baffled laugh.
Looking at the broadcast, I could see the editor's hand trembling slightly as she held her soju glass.
"Kim Hayoon, you're... 27 years old."
The message made their intentions obvious at a glance, yet she still didn't know what to do.
Then, looking at the chat, I noticed again that only four people were chatting. If one of those four was someone like that... In the end, I supposed it was hard for a small-time streamer to deal with.
"...Hah."
I sighed for no reason, set down the chopsticks I'd been fiddling with over the fried shrimp, and grabbed the mouse instead.
Being a small-time streamer looked a lot more dangerous than I'd thought.
For streamers with small audiences, even one viewer like that is too precious, so they can't think clearly or make a judgment.
I understood the situation, but I also felt sorry for her.
If even one of her viewers turned out to be a toxic viewer, she'd get hurt even more.
There are so many pieces of trash in this world.
The idea that everyone is a good, kind person is the kind of thinking only a sheltered flower could afford.
Get stabbed in the back a few times and you'll start distrusting people too.
Whether I wanted to or not, I knew because I'd been through all kinds of bullshit in the world of Black Ark.
Seeing the editor hesitate like that in front of a toxic viewer made me frustrated.
Tap tap tap.
I typed on the keyboard and set the donation amount.
Donation amount: 100,000 won.
Then, after entering an additional donation message, I pressed the donate button without hesitation.
—Ding-ding-ding-ding!!!!
『Anonymous donated 100,000 won!!』
《How much would it cost to ban FreshSteamedRice? You said earlier to tell you what I wanted. I just don't want to see that person at all anymore.》
With a flashy sound effect, my donation once again decorated the broadcast screen in a big way.
—Another 100,000 won from an anonymous viewer...!!
The editor, who should have been getting used to it by now, startled at the donation and stared at it again.
—And I've read the donation message... but I still think banning someone is something I should think about carefully...
She stammered and hesitated.
She'd set down her soju glass entirely now and seemed to have sobered up, but even with me pushing her from behind, she couldn't seem to make a decision easily.
[Jambl: Hmm... it's a gray area.]
[Larile: But didn't FreshSteamedRice cross the line?]
[FreshSteamedRice: No, so just because someone with money donates, you ban a loyal viewer??]
[Staric: I think banning is right. People like that are really dangerous]
Even the chat's public opinion was already on my side.
One neutral viewer, two viewers agreeing with my opinion.
And the viewer in question kept typing rapidly afterward, ranting as if my donation had made them angry.
[FreshSteamedRice: No, did I really say something that bad?]
[FreshSteamedRice: Hayoon, you know I've watched your streams every day.]
[FreshSteamedRice: I wasn't trying to ask about your personal info. It's just because it's the last one and I'm sad. I think we live nearby, so if I ran into you, I'd want to say hi and be friendly.]
They were in such a hurry that they were practically spamming the slow-moving chat window all by themselves, and it was so ridiculous that I donated again.
Tap tap tap.
—Ding-ding-ding-ding!!!!
『Anonymous donated 100,000 won!!』
《I checked the rules written on the channel, and it says anyone who asks about the streamer's personal information gets banned. I think I said what needed to be said. And FreshSteamedRice, if you're salty, try refuting me with a donation. Don't you have any money? Spamming the chat window all by yourself is a bit much.》
I was using the stream's own rules against them.
Questions about personal information were, in fact, valid grounds for a ban for any streamer, and the channel precautions of the editor—Kim Hayoon—that I'd just glanced at clearly stated that questions about personal information were grounds for a ban.
So I had legitimacy on my side, and even public opinion was on my side.
On top of that, I even had the capital to crush them.
'Isn't internet broadcasting just a place where whoever has the most money is the boss?'
People who donate a lot get called big spenders or "chairmen."
Since I stream too, I couldn't help but pay attention to people who donated large amounts.
For example, Jeanne d'Arc—the rich saintess. Even though I tried not to pay special attention, she donated a million won at a time, so in the end I naturally noticed. I made a conscious effort not to give her special treatment on stream, but on other streamers' broadcasts, there was generally an atmosphere of fawning over big spenders and "chairmen."
So this time, I was going to become that big spender myself and throw my weight around.
Who do you think you are, messing with my editor? If you're salty, refute me with a donation.
—Um, I think everyone's getting a bit too heated. And to the anonymous viewer who donated... I'm really, really grateful. So for FreshSteamedRice, I'll just... give a 30-minute chat ban. By the rules it should be a ban, but since you've watched my streams all this time, I feel some affection. Could you... let it go with just this?
Seeing the editor on the verge of tears, saying such soft-hearted things, I just picked up another beer and drank.
Gulp.
"Ugh."
I could throw my weight around if I wanted to, but I figured if she just gave a 30-minute chat ban and moved on, the situation would resolve itself.
Since today was the editor's last stream anyway, I figured if they got chat-banned, they'd just leave on their own.
But then a flashy donation sound suddenly burst out.
—Ding-ding-ding-ding!!!!
『FreshSteamedRice donated 100,000 won!!』
《Wow, how long have you even been watching her stream to throw money around like that? You think I don't have money? Hayoon, I've watched your streams for over three months. I come in every day and chat, and we've talked a lot, right? I'm a real loyal viewer. Are you suddenly going to listen to that anonymous donor? Say something, Hayoon. I said it out of pure goodwill. It's not like I was making some kind of move.》
'Pure goodwill?'
They're spilling their true intentions with their own words while claiming they weren't making a move.
"They're... full of shit."
A sharp edge crept into my voice naturally, and seeing that donation alert filling the screen made disgust surge up.
They'd crammed the donation message box full for their hundred thousand won.
—A 100,000 won donation... FreshSteamedRice, thank you so, so much. I know you're a loyal viewer of my streams too. But still, breaking the rules is breaking the rules... Ah, I don't know anymore, I'm sorry. I think giving a chat ban is the right thing...
But I could see the editor hesitating even over the chat ban, flustered by the sudden donation.
The editor blankly ran her hands through her hair, showing her confusion openly on the broadcast.
I didn't even like the idea of giving that piece of trash just a chat ban, but seeing the editor hesitate over their 100,000 won donation made me angry for no reason.
Then I let the thought settle. What was the point of getting angry at the editor?
"...Right, she's the kind of person who reacts and gives thanks even for a 5,000 won donation."
Just today, the editor had thanked and reacted even to a 5,000 won donation.
But still, I really didn't want to let that piece of trash, calling themselves a loyal viewer, watch the editor's last stream to the end.
Tap tap tap.
—Payment completed.
— Donation account balance: 1,700,000 won.
"Let's see how far you can keep up, FreshSteamedRice."
Serin's red lips moved, and an amount never seen before began to be entered into the donation field.