30
# Chapter 30 – My Channel Got Hacked Overnight
Source:
"Ugh! This is torture!"
The subscribers of YouTuber creep1234 were filled with frustration.
They had subscribed after watching creep1234's godlike guitar riff videos, only for the channel owner to stop uploading.
It was like customers arriving at a restaurant carrying money, eager to buy more food, only to find the chef refusing to
cook.
"The melody is seriously amazing, though."
Whether he was aware of his subscribers' feelings or simply didn't care, creep1234 eventually uploaded a second video
featuring a refreshing and rhythmic guitar performance.
Naturally, the response was explosive.
* Wow, he's seriously good at guitar.
* Please turn this riff into a full song.
* Everything is perfect, but the video is way too short. Please make it twenty minutes instead of twenty seconds.
Being given only tiny bites of delicious food was more painful than not eating at all.
People once again marveled at the incredible guitar performance before lamenting the video's brief twenty-second length.
"If this guy actually committed to YouTube, he'd hit a million subscribers in no time..."
Unfortunately, creep1234 clearly seemed like a hobby channel.
The next upload would probably arrive ten days later and be another twenty-second clip.
A college student who had watched the channel since it had zero subscribers sighed and prepared to close her phone.
Then—
Ding.
"...Hm?"
A notification suddenly appeared.
To her shock, it came from creep1234.
"Eek! What? Another upload after only one day?"
Had creep1234 finally decided to take YouTube seriously?
Excited, she immediately entered the channel.
But—
[Jeju Healing Vlog]
"W-What is this?!"
Her excitement instantly turned into disappointment.
Instead of a guitar performance, a random Jeju travel vlog had appeared.
"A vlog all of a sudden? I subscribed because I liked your guitar playing, not because I wanted to watch your daily
life!"
Most subscribers likely felt the same.
If he'd uploaded one more guitar performance, he could've continued riding the momentum.
Instead, he suddenly posted a vlog.
"This guy really has no sense."
Sighing, she clicked play anyway.
She had been subscribed long enough to at least give it a chance.
But if the video wasn't good enough, she planned to unsubscribe immediately.
'Hmm. The editing isn't perfect.'
As YouTube became increasingly competitive, the average quality of videos had risen dramatically.
Even ordinary vlogs now featured advanced editing.
creep1234's video wasn't at that level.
However, its amateur feel carried the nostalgic charm of early YouTube vlogs.
It felt surprisingly refreshing.
"Wow... That momguk looks delicious."
More importantly, the content itself was good.
At the start, creep1234 cured his hangover with a bowl of momguk.
Even though she wasn't hungover, watching it somehow made her feel refreshed.
Since she'd tried momguk during her own trip to Jeju, her mouth immediately watered.
"Ugh... I'm drooling."
Next, creep1234 went swimming in the ocean in front of the guest house.
The sea was breathtakingly beautiful.
Watching him and his older friend happily playing in the water was strangely enjoyable.
Afterward, they ate sea squirt bibimbap for lunch.
The sea squirts, personally gathered by the guest house owner who was also a haenyeo, looked incredibly fresh.
"Wow. This guest house looks amazing. Where is it? Ah... I want to visit Jeju too."
Compared to her initial worries, the video was surprisingly good.
At this point alone, she already felt glad she had watched it.
But the true highlight came afterward.
[Royal Salute...? Isn't this expensive?]
The video moved into the evening.
After dinner, creep1234 and his companions gathered around a campfire, sharing whisky.
The crackling fire and distant waves blended with their cheerful conversation.
It was incredibly relaxing.
"...This is nice."
Why did people watch vlogs?
Travel videos?
The biggest reason was simple.
Vicarious satisfaction.
People exhausted by reality found comfort in watching others relax and enjoy life.
A truly well-made video could make viewers feel as though they were there themselves.
And that's exactly what happened.
While watching creep1234's vlog, she felt as though she too was sitting beside the Jeju night sea.
Then—
"By the way, what's that? Why do you have a guitar?"
"Oh! I almost forgot! Little brother said he'd sing for us!"
creep1234 picked up a guitar.
"Oh? A guitar? He's going to sing too?"
She had subscribed because of his guitar playing.
Naturally, her attention sharpened.
Under the applause of his companions, creep1234 smiled shyly and began to play.
♬♩ ♬♪
The first thing that reached her ears was a lyrical melody.
"Wow... What song is this? It's amazing too..."
As expected, creep1234's guitar skills were outstanding.
Closing her eyes, she listened.
Then—
I saw you crying on your bed in a dark room
"...Huh?"
The moment he began singing, her eyes snapped open.
Even if I tell you it's okay
You probably won't believe me
"...Wow."
She had expected him to sing reasonably well.
After all, anyone that skilled at guitar should have decent vocals.
But his singing far exceeded her expectations.
The emotion in his voice pierced straight into her heart.
It comforted her.
Even though it was clearly a live recording, the strength of his voice made her feel as though she were attending a
concert.
A small outdoor concert beside the Jeju night sea.
Though she was sitting alone in her room, she could almost feel the cool ocean breeze.
Three minutes later, the song ended.
And so did the video.
"...This is insane."
The quiet emotions lingering inside her suddenly burst into flames.
"Who exactly is creep1234...? Was he originally a professional singer?"
She immediately tried to discover what he looked like.
But no matter how many times she replayed the video, his face never appeared.
Curious whether anyone else knew his identity, she checked the comments.
"What are people talking about...? creep1234 is Tokki-Kking? What does that even mean...?"
The comment section had already descended into complete chaos.
---
Recently, there was a performance video that had become the hottest topic among music lovers.
[Haenam National Song Festival – The Slacking Band – The Story I Want to Tell You]
[Views: 7,128,782 – 1 Week Ago]
The award-winning performance from The Slacking Band at the Haenam Festival.
There were many reasons people loved the video.
The excellent performance by the middle-aged band members.
The warm and sincere lyrics.
But above all else—
The vocalist.
The rabbit-mask singer known as Tokki-Kking.
With his emotional delivery and powerful vocals, he had captivated countless viewers.
Naturally, people became obsessed with discovering who Tokki-Kking really was.
Unfortunately—
* Damn it, Tokki-Kking. At least tell us your name before disappearing.
* That guy must be a demon. How do you release a masterpiece like this and vanish without a word?
No one could uncover his identity.
Tokki-Kking had revealed absolutely nothing.
No name.
No face.
No age.
Nothing.
Self-proclaimed internet detectives searched everywhere using only his voice.
They found nothing.
* Seriously, is this even possible? Is Tokki-Kking a ghost?
* What's even crazier is that someone this talented never debuted as a singer.
* Sigh... I've given up. Somebody wake me up when Tokki-Kking appears again.
Just as everyone was giving up—
A post suddenly appeared on Korea's largest music community.
[Hot Post]
* Guys! I think I found Tokki-Kking! Check this out!
At first, people assumed it was another troll.
But the author sounded genuinely excited.
* I subscribed to this channel because the guitar playing was insanely good. Then a random vlog got uploaded. Listen
carefully to the song at 12:23. It's absolutely Tokki-Kking's voice! Holy crap, I found him!
The moment people listened to the song, their doubts vanished.
The faceless protagonist of the Jeju Healing Vlog was unmistakably Tokki-Kking.
The news spread rapidly across multiple communities.
Everyone searching for Tokki-Kking rushed to the video.
* LOL. We finally found Tokki-Kking.
* Did you really think you could hide here forever?
* Even the solo version of The Story I Want to Tell You is incredible.
* Please make more songs with The Slacking Band.
As countless people flooded in, views skyrocketed.
The creep1234 channel was pushed into the algorithm once again.
[Trending Video #4]
[Travel/Healing Category #2]
Without its owner even realizing it, the channel began growing at a terrifying pace.
---
"Snore... Huh?"
After spending the evening happily riding bicycles with Hansu hyung and Okja noona, I was enjoying a deep sleep.
Then the bright light of my phone woke me.
"Ah... What..."
Judging by the darkness outside, it was still the middle of the night.
Half-asleep, I checked my screen.
[Views: 218,274 – 11 Hours Ago]
"...Is it bugged?"
My channel was growing quickly.
But this number made no sense.
"I must still be dreaming..."
Convinced I wasn't fully awake, I put the phone down and fell asleep again.
Six hours later—
"Yaaawn."
After sleeping in longer than usual, I stretched and got out of bed.
The sun was already high.
The distant sound of waves drifted through the air.
It was one of the most refreshing mornings I'd experienced in a long time.
"Ah, I had a weird dream yesterday."
In the dream, the vlog I'd uploaded had reached over two hundred thousand views.
Ridiculous.
Even for a dream, it was absurd.
The vlog was amateurish.
Both filming and editing had been beginner-level.
Thanks to Hansu hyung's help, I'd barely managed to finish it.
How could such a video get two hundred thousand views?
Ten thousand?
Twenty thousand?
Maybe disappointed subscribers had even left because it wasn't a guitar video.
Still, it didn't matter.
The creep1234 channel was simply a place to store memories.
"Now that I think about it, I should check."
With a relaxed mindset, I opened the channel.
Then—
[Jeju Healing Vlog]
[Views: 731,056 – 17 Hours Ago]
[Channel Name: creep1234]
[Subscribers: 98,000]
"..."
I froze.
"...Hmm."
It took several moments to process the situation.
Seven hundred thirty-one thousand views.
Nearly one hundred thousand subscribers.
Eventually, I reached a conclusion.
"...I think my channel got hacked overnight."
I'd heard SIM hacking was a huge problem these days.
Maybe this was what people meant.
"Hansu hyung! Something's wrong with my YouTube channel!"
Knowing almost nothing about YouTube, I immediately went searching for Hansu hyung to help me understand the
unbelievable situation.