Chapter 7
Chapter 7
----------------------------------------------------------------- Translator: penny Chapter: 7 Chapter Title: Second Broadcast ----------------------------------------------------------------- After indulging in the extravagant luxury of two 500ml bottles of cola, a day had passed. I knew yesterday had been a special case because of the tournament, with crowds of people, and that today's broadcast might draw fewer viewers as a result. Nevertheless, the vain hopes I harbored were surely because I had already tasted that impossibly sweet flavor. Though it required setting aside a great deal of pride, if the payoff for doing so was this sweet, then surely I could abandon my pride hundreds of times over. I harbored no foolish notions about whether the Demon Realm's sole king, its absolute monarch, could ever stoop to such a thing. Pride only gains true value when backed by the power to defend it. Pride without power is nothing but hollow. I clearly understood that this was no time to cling to my pride.
"Ahem..."
Sitting in my chair, swinging my legs that didn't quite reach the floor, I carefully read through the community posts. Half the opinions condemned me, three in ten defended me, and the remaining two in ten simply didn't care.
"I never expected to hear anything good."
I brushed past posts crammed with curses and sexual harassment without a second thought. I'm no fool; I had foreseen this would happen. Why had I suddenly asked about her parents in the first place? Why had I unleashed that torrent of abuse? It would be easy to dismiss it all as mere idiocy, but that's not what it was. The answer was exceedingly simple. My actions had prioritized the broadcast over the tournament itself, and those who noticed had come swarming. Streaming for the sake of the tournament and using the tournament for the sake of streaming are two entirely different things. I'd waved it off as envy and jealousy during the broadcast, but truthfully, it was a situation where backlash was inevitable. That said, "Three in ten defending me... that's unexpected."
This truly was. What I'd done deserved even a permanent ban, yet it had only been 14 days—like my first begging incident—which was surprising enough on its own.
"It must be my looks, after all...?"
Not just pretty, but astonishingly so. My appearance seemed to dilute my mistakes considerably. I turned my gaze to the full-length mirror hanging on the wall. A single bulb lit the dim semi-basement room, but my black hair drank in not even a sip of light. In stark contrast, skin so pale it bordered on ghostly white. My eyes were slightly hollowed, but that was merely exhaustion from pouring too much stamina into the tournament; at rest, they resembled fragments of a starry night sky embedded in place. No flowery praise would be excessive. Even clad in threadbare clothes amid rundown surroundings, it couldn't be concealed. I admitted it once more.
"I am pretty."
Not the sort of thing to say while gazing at one's own face, but it wasn't a lie. Demon Realm beings take forms suited to their essence, and among them, this body—which could stand proudly even against succubi born to embody 'beauty'—was undoubtedly rare. No, perhaps one of a kind. Yesterday's broadcast proved it. I had practiced broadcasting extensively, it was true, but some things couldn't be overcome by practice alone—especially those requiring money. For instance, lighting. I relied solely on that one bulb in the semi-basement. Even to me, my feed had looked terribly dim. And the camera itself was problematic too. It was the default attached to a monitor whose purchase date was unknown; compared to others, the quality was clearly subpar. Yet amid those harsh conditions, my looks had shone through, compelling viewers to open their wallets. No end of praise for my appearance would suffice. But there was nothing to be done about it now, so I let it go with a positive spin; still, if I planned to keep streaming, it was a flaw that absolutely needed fixing.
"I'll have to moderate the luxuries and save up for broadcast equipment."
The cola I'd failed to finish due to my sore throat still languished in the fridge, and I regretted the expense. I let out a sigh.
"It tastes good, but... it hurts too much..."
That aside. While searching the community for 'Ida Yeon' to gauge the public mood, one phrase stood out above all. It wasn't sexual harassment or curses—just something utterly simple.
💬 Community Posts
— Anonymous
"Is that girl really retarded?"
— Anonymous
"Isn't she just purely an idiot?"
— Anonymous
"Her sister posted that she has mental issues."
— Anonymous
Do I seem that strange?"
Not directed at anyone, the words dissipated into the air unheard. I scratched my cheek. Never having considered it before made it all the more baffling. Truth be told, aside from job-hunting attempts, I'd been holed up in this semi-basement, conversing only with Madness or people online. I realized I might be lacking in many ways. However, realizing my shortcomings didn't make this one acceptable.
"This body is no fool."
I puffed out my cheeks—a habit from broadcast practice when annoyed—then remembered I wasn't live and deflated with a pffft. But the annoyance lingered.
"When I go live today, I shall demonstrate this body's wisdom..." That should dispel the misconception of stupidity, at least. Abandoning pride? Possible. Using beauty over power to play cute? Possible. If enduring such humiliation let me earn enough to lift Madness's burden and reclaim it myself, then any amount was fine. But mistaking mockery for genuine worry about my dim wits? That crossed a line.
"Better you just curse me outright..."
Muttering that amid sighs while eyeing posts fretting over my brain beyond the monitor, I stretched long and hard. Crack—my body's stiffness announced itself audibly, beauty aside.
"Uhya..."
A molten sigh slipped out unbidden. A twinge of pain, but mostly relief.
"Then, it's about time."
Nearly 5 p.m.—broadcast time approaching. Established streamers had schedules bordering on random, but for someone like me, consistency was key. Going irregular now, just as I needed to build an audience, would spell disaster. The Demon Realm was no different. The strong could ignore trifles, but the weak had to honor every last one. I was undoubtedly weak right now. I knew my place well. One final mirror check to ensure nothing was amiss, then precisely at 5:00, I hit start. Unlike the first time, no immediate influx. Viewers: 0. An expected outcome, yet a stinging number. Still, it was fine. I'd only just gone live; people would trickle in soon. Not yesterday's hordes, but a few at least. How many minutes passed staring at the empty chat? The numbers began to climb, and I smiled, offering greetings.
"Hast thou passed a fine night? Lo, this body hath descended once more, so thou hast come to behold me."
-lololololololol
-Speech pattern's still impossible to get used to "Today, I have grave tidings for thee. Heed them well, for they shall greatly aid in dispelling our misunderstandings." I would correct that vile rumor of my feeble mind. "... That said, am I seeing things wrong?" The viewer count kept rising. Joyful, certainly—but surpassing 50, then 60? Something was off. "From whence have so many flocked?" I tilted my head and scratched my cheek; the chat obliged with answers.
-haha yeah
-She's really fucking pretty
-Went live
-Your pic's circulating online