Those Who Do Not Work Shall Not Eat
Those who do not work shall not eat. Was there really no way to earn more money? Of course, I wasn’t short on cash right this moment. Fortunately, I could buy some time with my chill streams. But fundamentally, the economic problem wasn’t solved.
“Hmm…”
When I organized my thoughts, it ultimately came down to needing to make money now. In simple terms, I had to find a part-time job. Of course, even if I started one, I had no intention of giving up the chill streams. I had learned the income was pretty decent, after all. That meant splitting my time between the part-time job and streaming. On top of that, I didn’t want to completely abandon New Dimension as a hobby.
So, eight hours of sleep. Three hours for streaming. Four hours playing New Dimension. One hour for housework. That left exactly eight hours. It would be perfect if I could fill those eight hours precisely with a part-time job….
“Um, what do you think, Miss Bora?”
“I told you, just call me Bora!”
“I’ll… try my best.”
Bora, sprawled out like a starfish across my bed, giggled at my answer.
After that day, she started dropping by around two o’clock. According to her mother, Bora had taken a serious liking to me. All we had done was share some chicken, so I wondered if it had really been that delicious. Children’s minds were a mystery to me.
Well, to be honest, her mother had actually tried to stop her, saying she was being too much of a bother to me… but when I told her Bora could come over anytime she wanted, her mother thanked me and even brought over various gifts.
“I just want you to keep playing with me, sis!”
“Haha…”
I swallowed a dry laugh at her bright, beaming smile. To be completely honest, Bora was a little… no. She was very uncomfortable for me. Every time her innocent words stabbed into my chest like a dagger, I felt like I might cry. …Though that wasn’t the only reason. There was only a tiny bit of that. Really.
After all, the simple act of talking to someone was uncomfortable and exhausting for me. The sight of people’s hair and eyes stained with blood wasn’t something you could get used to just because you wanted to. Still, because I wanted to fix this personality and make these hallucinations disappear, I had no choice but to cling to the hope that continued effort would eventually make things better. That was why I told her she could visit anytime, even though it made me uneasy.
Anyway, what should I do with these remaining eight hours? Continuing to pour them into streaming was an option, but the efficiency was terrible. Even a quick calculation showed that working a part-time job at minimum wage would earn far more. …Of course, that only mattered if I could actually get hired.
“Sigh…”
There is a saying that those who do not work shall not eat. But what are you supposed to do when you want to work hard yet no one will give you the chance? Is that the fault of the person who doesn’t work? I don’t think so. Because I think so. When it becomes their situation, everyone will probably think the same. Proof complete. Q.E.D.
“But sis.”
“Yes…”
“Now that I think about it, couldn’t you just earn money with that?”
While I was silently cursing the world in my head, Bora pointed at the reverse capsule with a puzzled tilt of her head. The fact that a six-year-old child even knew about such things made me want to sigh at the reality of South Korea.
“If you do OnTube, I think it’d be really fun to watch.”
But at Bora’s next words—
“On… Tube?”
—I discovered a new path.
★
Broadcast. According to the dictionary, it refers to the act of transmitting audio or video through radio waves so that it can be widely heard and seen via some medium. To me, broadcasting had always been something “only special people could do.” Actors, celebrities, singers, comedians—people with talent for performance or song. I believed it was their exclusive domain. After all, to me broadcasting had only ever existed on TV or radio.
But in this era, that wasn’t what broadcasting meant anymore. Anyone could easily start one on the internet, and you could watch from anywhere.
“Internet broadcasting, huh…”
It wasn’t a completely unfamiliar term. But I had never taken any real interest in it. In my previous life, I hadn’t been free enough to spare attention for such things. And the other world had been a fantasy realm without concepts like “internet” or “broadcasting” to begin with.
After returning to Earth, even as a shut-in who rarely left her room, my interest had only extended to information about games and manga. I had never actually watched an internet broadcast. Well, if the videos I had watched while looking up information counted, then the story might be different.
“Hmm.”
In any case, I was a complete novice when it came to internet broadcasting culture. Even after researching, I couldn’t claim I fully understood it. Still, I felt it was worth attempting.
After all, time was the one thing I had in abundance right now. Until I found a part-time job, I might as well try something. Besides, I learned that reverse capsules were quite expensive and difficult for most people to access. Simply using one for a broadcast was apparently enough to draw interest.
In that case, maybe I could at least earn some pocket money? …Yes. One of my beliefs was that once I made a decision, I shouldn’t hesitate. Moving forward even a little was better than standing still.
After steeling my resolve, I began preparing for the broadcast using everything I had researched so far.
★
The internet broadcasting industry was a red ocean that needed no explanation. Since anyone could start a broadcast and anyone could watch from anywhere, it was only natural. To survive in such a saturated market, you obviously had to highlight what made you different from everyone else.
Some used their quick wit. Some used their gaming skill. Some used their voice. Some used their appearance, endlessly appealing their strengths. But excelling in only one area wasn’t enough to succeed. When first impressions were everything, a single strong point rarely left a deep impact. Internet broadcasting required using one standout strength as a foundation while continuously showing fans a wide variety of content.
In other words, modern internet broadcasters had to be versatile entertainers who could handle every element the medium demanded.
But Lene, who had only just started internet broadcasting today, was completely unaware of such an obvious, fundamental truth. She had simply turned on the broadcast while enjoying New Dimension as usual. No matter that it was a reverse-capsule stream. Even if it was the incredibly popular New Dimension, and no matter how skilled the player was, almost no viewers would visit an unprepared broadcast.
Even the occasional visitors—the so-called deep-sea explorers or bottom-tier enthusiasts—received no reaction from Lene. She simply continued playing in silence. No one would keep watching a broadcast with zero talking or interaction. As if to prove the point, during the entire three-plus hours of streaming, not a single viewer stayed longer than five minutes. It was a total failure that needed no explanation.
★
“Hmm…”
Is this right? That was the first thought I had after finishing a broadcast that had lasted nearly four hours. Of course I wasn’t going to complain on day one, but there was no point clinging to something completely hopeless. Or maybe New Dimension was less popular than I thought? That would be problematic….
“Hmmmm…”
But as if mocking my worries, there were already tons of streamers playing New Dimension. This proved the problem wasn’t the game itself. Then what exactly was wrong with my broadcast?
While I was pondering that, a username I felt like I had seen before caught my eye.
★
“Well then, everyone~ Tyu-ba!”
“I’m so tired~.”
After ending the broadcast, Tyuni leaned back against the reverse capsule’s cushion and let out an exhausted sigh. More than three hours of streaming on top of constant viewer advice. It would have been strange if she weren’t tired.
Even so, Tyuni was genuinely enjoying New Dimension.
“I thought I’d drop it right away when I first started…”
It had begun as a penalty game, after all. Considering her notorious motion sickness, Tyuni had expected to play for two days at most. But the moment she saw the world New Dimension offered, those thoughts vanished instantly.
Thanks to that, she had become a proper New Dimension player who enjoyed the game even when she wasn’t streaming.
“Hmm.”
With a small snort, Tyuni stretched lightly and quietly logged back into New Dimension. It was an extremely unfriendly game that gave no benefits to new or returning players. Yet that very fact gave Tyuni plenty to enjoy.
What should I do alone today? The moment she logged in with that thought—
Inquisitor
“…Huh?”
For some reason, death itself was standing right in front of her.
The Inquisitor has requested a 1-on-1 conversation.