Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Checkmate
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The reactions weren't bad.
...Haon Park thought this was pretty decent.
"What, why are you all bailing when I even turned on the cam you guys begged for?"
The viewers were brimming with spite. Who could say if it really was inferiority complex.
"Hold back on the inferiority complex, guys! Almost said that~"
Haon Park grinned as he watched the chat window get plastered with hellish spam.
He had a secret weapon prepared just for situations like this.
"Calm down, everyone. Didn't our YouTube 100k subscriber promise just go down the drain?"
"Ha... No helping it. Major announcement! New promise incoming. When we hit 100k YouTube subs..."
Haon Park paused for a moment. Right as the chat started filling with "Grill it whole," "Plentiful scallion pancakes," and the like, he continued.
The first of today's secret weapons, prepared in anticipation of this exact reaction!
"I'll reveal my photo!"
"...Of course, a photo from when I was a girl!"
As expected, public opinion flipped in an instant.
With years of streaming under his belt, Haon Park had a real knack for taming his audience.
But he wasn't done yet.
"And even though I didn't preview it today, I've prepared the Artisan Invitation Corner. By pure coincidence, I've connected with someone you all know well, and we're doing a collab stream!"
Today's second secret weapon!
"Today's honored artisan is none other than... the one we've dubbed 'Tasty Dori' on stream, 'Tasty Apple'!"
The reaction was explosive.
A figure who'd skyrocketed to fame through relentless malicious antics ever since flooding in from Eden. How could the response not be feverish?
"Alright, Tasty Apple! Come on out!"
At Haon Park's gesture, Noeul Lee, who had been crouched in the corner, slowly stood up.
She cautiously peeked her face out, flashing an awkward smile as she waved.
"Ah, hello. I'm 'Tasty Apple'..."
This was today's third secret weapon!
Haon Park flashed a victorious smile as he watched the chat go dead silent the instant Noeul Lee's face appeared.
Checkmate.
I was utterly dumbfounded in that instant. In other words, total brain freeze.
Donations kept exploding one after another, and the chat scrolled rapidly, plastered with exclamations like "wa," "kya," "pfft," "gasp," as viewers cheered and chanted my username.
"Since you're a civilian, I'll crack down hard on any sexual harassment or over-the-line chats... So, did you two already hook up? Hey, I wasn't even done talking! You punk!"
While I was busy trying to get my bearings, Haon Park dove into chat moderation. There were twice as many viewers as usual, but twice as many bans too.
...I didn't bother reading the offending messages or even trying to.
Only after several measures were taken did the chat speed slow down to something I could actually read.
As I blankly stared at the chat window displayed on one side of the screen, Haon Park's gaze turned to me.
"Mind giving us a quick self-introduction?"
"Pardon? ...Oh!"
The chat comments shifted in real-time based on my reactions.
It felt awkward, but since there was no need to show my face or use voice, the burden wasn't too bad. A relief.
Switching from being the one reacting to the one being reacted to felt refreshingly novel.
"Um, I'm Noeul Lee, playing as 'Tasty Apple' on the 'Freya' server. I was the first to clear 'Blazing Iron Mountain' and..."
"Uh... You don't have to give your real name...!"
"...Oops!"
I belatedly clamped my hand over my mouth at Haon Park's words. It felt too late, though...
Still, I tried to scoop up the spilled water. Maybe if I wiped it and wrung it out, I could salvage a little.
"A-actually, that's not my real name..."
Thankfully, the viewers played along and pretended not to know. Whether they were really rolling with it, I couldn't tell.
"Thanks for the donation. It's a s-secret..."
...Whatever. A name's just a name.
"Anyway!"
Even as Haon Park put in the effort, the chat scrolled at breakneck speed.
"Puhuh..."
There was plenty of nonsense, but amid it all were jaw-dropping compliments like "pretty" and "pure," and before I knew it, laughter bubbled out of me. Cue another uproar.
The overwhelmingly positive vibes and attention lifted my spirits. Was this why streamers did it? I was starting to get it, just a little.
"Hey, um... Apple-nim. Mind answering some of the people's questions?"
The nickname "Apple" had somehow stuck to my tongue more than my actual username by now.
The chats hurled questions left and right, desperately craving attention.
Having once been one of them, no one knew that feeling better than I did.
I just couldn't fathom why they were directing it at me instead of the guy right next to me, Haon Park.
"Sure, go ahead."
Haon Park nodded readily. That said, he pulled up Notepad on a monitor not broadcasting to the stream and typed away.
The viewers' protests continued, but Haon Park didn't bat an eye, clearly used to it.
With the host's permission secured, I picked out a standout chat.
"Uh, my age? I'm twenty-two."
"Someone's asking which school—do you mean my raid group?"
No matter what I answered, the viewers ate it up as witty.
Of course, Haon Park's guidance played a huge role.
"Three sizes? Uh, that's... umm..."
"S-says to ignore it! Uh... residence...?"
"...No dice! Uh, how about this one?"
"No no from him...!"
Every time I read a question aloud, instructions like "okay," "skip," and more came flying from beside me.
There were tons that even I thought, "Not this one too?" But it felt incredibly reassuring all the same. Like I'd gained a thousand-man army.
That's when it happened.
"Uh... dating experience?"
The abrupt question came bundled with a donation. I snuck a sidelong glance for approval, but the guy who'd been vetoing everything left and right stayed quiet this time.
Was this one okay to answer?
"Back in school, I had no friends and wasn't popular at all. I'd love to date someone, but I've got zero experience and zero opportunities."
The chat lit up.
I'd come on for the artisan spot, but for some reason, no one seemed interested in strategies or DPS rotations.
'...Am I actually good at streaming?'
I hadn't realized it until now, but maybe I was secretly great with words—an ultimate social butterfly?
What do I do? Looks like I've got a knack for broadcasting...!
It felt like I'd just discovered some unexpected talent, fashionably late.
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