The SBC Offer
The broadcasting station. I had arrived.
"Hello. I'm Kim Yoo-jin, a writer with the variety department at SBC for Exorcism War 13."
The woman sitting at the table greeted us politely and offered her business card. Writer Kim Yoo-jin. I accepted it carefully.
"……Whoa. The actual writer of Exorcism War 13."
Seojun's eyes sparkled. As a core fan of the show, he could barely contain himself.
"Oh my, oh my my my. Goodness gracious."
Mother, every bit as devoted a fan as Seojun, looked like she might faint from sheer joy at the news that the station had come looking for her daughter.
"Hmm……"
Father's expression, however, had hardened. Unlike the two fans in the room, he had only heard of Exorcism War 13 and never actually watched it. That distance let him stay cool-headed. Especially since he knew about the recent controversy—his dislike for the writer sitting across from us was obvious.
"I understand who you are. But I still don't see why someone from such a prestigious program would come looking for our daughter."
Even faced with Father's wary question, Kim Yoo-jin kept her smile steady and answered calmly.
"Haha. Because Miss Baek Seorin is an extraordinary person. We came on purpose."
"There must be plenty of celebrities begging to appear on Exorcism War 13. So why choose my ordinary daughter instead? I'd like to know the reason."
"You're being modest."
Father's eyes sharpened. Watching him, I felt surprised. He had never been a talkative man—usually gruff, only speaking when necessary. Since I possessed this body, this was the first time I'd seen him speak so much.
"Yes, I completely understand your suspicion. Any parent would feel the same."
Kim Yoo-jin nodded at Father's words, then pressed on with her pitch.
"Sir, the line between celebrities and ordinary people has blurred a lot these days. Being a celebrity isn't actually that special. It's just someone who receives a lot of public attention and affection. You understand that much, right?"
"……Well, I suppose."
"Many celebrities are trying their hand at NewTube lately. On the flip side, plenty of NewTubers are appearing on broadcast shows too."
"Please be direct. What does any of that have to do with Seorin?"
"Because Miss Baek Seorin is the rising star of this industry."
In an instant, every family member's gaze turned to me.
"Did you not know?"
"Well…… I heard she started streaming because of a friend. But she hasn't been at it very long, has she?"
"No, but popularity and time aren't always connected. There are trainees who grind for ten years and stay unknown, and others who blow up the moment they debut. Especially Miss Baek Seorin—she's gained huge popularity online as an exorcist. That's why we'd like to cast her as one of the exorcists on Exorcism War 13."
"Hmm……"
"We'll offer generous compensation, and we'll do our best to accommodate any requests you have!"
Seeing how aggressively Kim Yoo-jin was pushing, I glanced around at my family. Seojun just looked envious. Mother seemed purely delighted that her daughter would be on television. Only Father wore a worried expression.
"Do whatever you want."
Still, he didn't seem inclined to stop me. I turned back to Kim Yoo-jin.
"Should I call you Writer Kim?"
"Ah, yes!"
"Then, Writer Kim. I have two conditions."
I held up my index and middle fingers.
"First, my friend…… Mirinae has to appear on the show too."
Ha-eun had said it often enough. If the chance ever came, she wanted to be on broadcast too. As her friend, I couldn't ignore that wish.
"Ah, that person? Hmm, I think we can make that work. And the second condition?"
"Second…… I want permission to run my own personal stream during filming."
"Eh?"
Kim Yoo-jin looked genuinely shocked, her face twisting into an awkward grimace.
"The first one is possible. But the second one…… that might be difficult."
"Why?"
"Well, there are copyright issues, and if something goes wrong, we'd have to take full responsibility……"
"Then I'm not doing it."
I stated it flatly. Appearing on the show might gain me subscribers, but the chance was uncertain. I'd rather spend that time streaming on my own channel. If I couldn't film my personal stream, I wouldn't be able to absorb any power from it.
"How about we increase your appearance fee instead? Could we just forget the second condition?"
"No. I'd even take less money if it means you approve the second condition."
"Haa…… Please give me a moment. I'll go discuss this with my superiors."
Startled by my firm refusal, Kim Yoo-jin quickly pulled out her phone and hurried outside. A long while later, she returned with a sigh and sat back down.
"We'll allow it under certain conditions."
First, if broadcasting live, there must be a ten-second delay. Second, any scenes agreed upon with the production team must be filmed for the show. Third, the moment the production team deems it dangerous, the stream must be cut immediately. Fourth, all editing rights belong to the production team.
Those were the conditions Kim Yoo-jin laid out for allowing my personal stream during Exorcism War 13 filming.
"Understood. That seems acceptable."
"Phew, thank goodness. I was worried about what we'd do if you refused even that. Please take care of us from now on."
"Yes, likewise."
While shaking hands with Kim Yoo-jin, I casually asked,
"By the way, you must be having a hard time."
"Pardon? Ahaha, well, broadcasting work is always tough."
"No, not that."
I smiled and voiced my confident guess.
"Casting participants must be quite difficult, isn't it?"
Kim Yoo-jin's face stiffened.
"……Why do you think that?"
"Otherwise, you wouldn't have bent over backward to allow my personal stream."
From the production team's perspective, my request should have been annoying. Yet they accepted it. They had attached strict conditions, but even so, it was a significant concession. Plus, they had agreed without issue to let Mirinae appear as well—that was another reason I felt certain.
"Is it because of that controversy after all?"
When I spoke as if I already knew everything, Kim Yoo-jin gave a bitter smile.
"No, it's not that…… Well, the controversy is part of it, but……"
"Then what is it?"
"……I'll explain the details after you sign the contract."
She pressed her lips shut, signaling she couldn't say more.
※ Meanwhile, at Incheon International Airport.
A man who looked perfectly ordinary stepped out through the arrivals gate, pulling a large suitcase behind him.
"Welcome, sir."
The person greeting him was a young woman.
"Yes. Secretary Lee. Anything happen while I was gone?"
"I'll brief you on the way to headquarters."
The woman called Secretary Lee politely opened the rear door of the car. The man climbed in without hesitation, and once he was seated, she closed the door and took the driver's seat.
Vroom!
As the car pulled away, Secretary Lee spoke.
"'That matter' has failed."
"I see."
Even hearing of the failure, the man's expression didn't change. Secretary Lee asked, puzzled,
"……Did you anticipate this?"
"I thought it was possible. If it succeeded, great. If it failed…… we still gained valuable information, so it's a win either way."
"What valuable information do you mean?"
"That the child called Baek Seorin possesses power far beyond what I imagined."
"Then what will you do now? Should I step in personally?"
Secretary Lee clearly hoped he would nod. After all, how much damage had the Soul Salvation Society suffered because of that girl? They had lost the evil spirits they had carefully nurtured, and even one of their thriving branches had collapsed. The fallout had even reached the media—portrayed as a mass suicide by a cult. Just thinking about the effort it took to suppress that story……!
"No. Leave her be."
"What!?"
Secretary Lee stared at him in disbelief, so shocked she nearly turned her head while driving.
"Even the evil spirit created with the spell that That Person taught us has failed. I still don't know the limits of that girl's power. So for now, we'll watch. At least until we see those limits."
"Then…… if, after watching, she turns out to be weaker than we thought……"
"That's obvious."
The man smiled.
"Either recruit her…… or kill her."
"Understood. What about Lee Ha-eun?"
"Ah, that child."
The man clicked his tongue, then answered.
"We'll leave her alone for now as well."
"Understood."
Secretary Lee nodded as if accepting his words. However—
I'm sorry, Bishop.
The secretary had no intention of simply obeying the man—the bishop of the Soul Salvation Society.
I have to take my revenge.
Baek Seorin was her enemy. Until now, she had followed the bishop's orders and left Seorin alone so she could use the society's full power for revenge…… but now that he had decided to watch and wait, she had no choice. She would have to act on her own.
Hatred burned in her eyes.
※ Time passed, and finally the day arrived.
The filming day for Exorcism War 13.
"S-S-S-Seorin……"
"Why are you shaking so much?"
"How could I not shake?! This isn't just any network—it's SBC! One of Korea's three major broadcasters! And Exorcism War 13 is a variety show they're pushing hard. How could someone as insignificant as me possibly set foot in such a sacred place……?"
"What do you mean, insignificant? If anything, this shabby place should be honored that someone as precious as you came."
"Just how big is your nerve……?"
Ha-eun looked horrified. I only chuckled. Of course Ha-eun was the precious one. If the Necromancer King's friend wasn't precious, then who was?
"Still, you have to be careful. Really careful. Even with the controversy, if a show as popular as Exorcism War 13 is filming a second season, tons of people will watch. If your public image gets damaged even once…… you'll have to carry that for the rest of your life!"
"I know."
It wasn't a problem. No matter how other people saw me, I didn't care. Not even a little.
Besides—
"The production team will handle the image stuff anyway."
"No, you can't just brush it off like that. I heard the people at the station aren't normal. If it helps their ratings, they'd bury someone without a second thought!"
"Maybe. But the Exorcism War 13 team is different, right?"
The show already had controversy. And according to Writer Kim Yoo-jin, casting had been difficult. Otherwise, why would they even reach out to a mere streamer like me?
"The production team has no choice but to make us look good."
They wouldn't want another scandal that sank the program.
"Haa, sure. Them, maybe."
But—
"The streamer who demanded to do her own personal stream on my show?"
Looking at the PD staring at me sideways, I couldn't help but rethink my earlier confidence.
Tsk. Something felt off.