Thank You!
I returned home after parting ways with the manga club trio, whose faces had been heavy with lingering regret.
Or was it pity?
It was all because I had admitted I'd never stepped foot inside a comic cafe before. The moment the words left my mouth, they insisted on dragging me along today, even offering enthusiastic recommendations from their regular haunt's food menu. As much as I would have loved to hang out with them, I had business to take care of today, so I had to settle for promising next time.
"What's all this? Wasn't it heavy?"
"No, it wasn't heavy at all. How are the preparations?"
"Almost done."
The moment I stepped inside, Yeoeun-noona came dashing out, bounding forward like an excited large dog greeting its returning master. She took the various kitchen utensils I had borrowed from the cafe out of my hands.
"Do you really think the viewers will like this, though?" I asked.
"Of course they will!"
"Not the gift itself. I mean, I'm not sure if they'll actually enjoy watching a stream like this."
"Hey, do you still not understand the Pajijik crowd? They'll love it a hundred percent. You don't have to worry about a thing."
"It's just that cooking isn't exactly thrilling entertainment."
Slipping off my shoes and stepping into the kitchen, I saw the streaming setup in full swing. It was noticeably more elaborate than the last time we did a cooking broadcast. Three cameras were mounted at distinct angles, and a tablet sat on the counter for monitoring the feed. She had even brought out equipment she used in the past.
"If I were the one doing it, sure, it'd be boring as hell. But you're the one doing it," she pointed out.
My agenda for today was to appear as a guest on Yeoeun-noona's channel. Having received the payout from the donations, I figured it was only right to properly express my gratitude to the viewers.
"Whether it's me or you, does it really make that much of a difference?"
"Yes. It does. A massive difference."
The plan was to make handmade chocolates and send them out to viewers selected through a raffle. Originally, I intended to prepare them on my own and merely pop in to say a quick hello tonight. But once Noona caught wind of the idea, she insisted on turning the entire crafting process into a broadcast.
"Your channel is dedicated to gaming, Noona. I was just wondering if it's okay to broadcast content that strays so far from its identity."
"It's not like we're doing this every day. Besides, a guy is hand-making chocolates to give away. Huh? What woman in her right mind would dislike that?"
"Is that so?"
"Yes. So stop fretting."
Yeoeun-noona chuckled, telling me I worried about the strangest things. Naturally, I knew the viewers liked me. I had seen the comments claiming they found pure happiness just staring at my face. Still, I asked to be entirely sure. Since this wasn't my personal channel, I couldn't help but tread carefully. Nor did I ever want to adopt a conceited attitude just because I possessed a decent face. Honest at times, humble at others—that was the demeanor I showed the world, and it was no different with Noona.
"Is everything set now? Anything else that needs tidying?"
"Nope. Thanks for the hard work, Noona."
"Sure... So, uh. You're going to shower, right?"
"Yeah, I worked up a bit of a sweat. The weather's been pretty warm during the day lately."
Yeoeun-noona eyed me cautiously, shifting her weight.
"Well... I need to wash up, too."
"Go ahead and wash, then."
"Together—"
"No. We don't have time. I'm going in first."
I slipped out of her grasp just as she tried to latch onto me. Playing hard to get like this always seemed to make her crave me all the more, and frankly, watching her whine in frustration was rather entertaining.
With our preparations complete, the stream went live. Noona stood in the kitchen wearing an apron.
"Wait, why are you guys like this? I haven't even done anything yet, what's with the hostility?!"
I watched the broadcast from just outside the camera's field of view. The viewers pouring into the room were already unleashing a barrage of complaints at Yeoeun-noona, furious about why on earth she was the one standing there in that apron. To put it bluntly, they called her an eyesore. Watching Noona look like she was ready to throw hands with her chat, I took a final look at my attire.
Is this really alright?
My outfit for the day was somewhat bold. With the weather warming up, I wore the summer pajamas Mother had recently bought me. While the top was an ordinary short-sleeved shirt, the shorts were the real issue: they barely covered half my thighs. Compared to my usual shorts that fell all the way to my knees, these were strikingly brief.
She didn't actually pick these up from the children's section, did she?
It was a reasonable suspicion. The pattern printed on the fabric consisted of cute little fruit illustrations. That being said, the material resting against my skin was exceptionally smooth and pleasant.
"Ugh, fine! It's not like I wanted to do this anyway! I quit!"
While I finished my wardrobe check, Yeoeun-noona peeled off the apron in a huff. Now it was my turn to step into the kitchen and put it on. We had actually bickered over that very apron earlier because she tried to foist a frilly, lace-trimmed maid apron on me again. I had clearly told her no last time, and naturally, I shot it down this time as well.
"Then I'll take over, Noona. Hello, everyone!"
Timing my entrance perfectly, I stepped into the kitchen frame. Flashing a bright smile toward the main lens, I bent deeply at the waist.
The chat exploded into sheer pandemonium, instantly followed by a torrential downpour of donations.
Never mind the thousand-won alerts—ten-thousand-won donations flooded the screen back-to-back. Expressing my gratitude with polite nods, I scooped up the apron Noona had tossed aside and slipped it on.
"Bowing like this is perfectly fine. Nothing is showing," I said with a light chuckle. "And as for the headband, I think Noona ordered it a while ago."
Part of the reason I felt today's look was somewhat daring, aside from the skimpy pajamas, was this very headband. It featured round, animal-like ears, with 'Jeong' embroidered on one side and 'Seo' on the other.
"I recently received the donation settlement you all sent me, so I really wanted to thank everyone in person."
Once the apron strings were tied, I bowed low once more.
"Thank you so much! Truly, thank you for showing me so much love."
Though I was addressing a cold camera lens, I poured genuine sincerity into my words, just as I had always done with everyone around me.
"So, I spent some time thinking about how I could repay you all."
Keeping an eye on the furiously scrolling text, I explained the purpose behind today's stream. While modest, I wanted to craft handmade chocolates and send them out as a gesture of appreciation for their support. And following Yeoeun-noona's advice, I decided to show the process live on camera, hoping they would enjoy watching it.
Unlike when Noona was wearing the apron, warm and wholesome messages filled the screen.
"I recently received my very first paycheck from the cafe as well," I answered. "First things first, I'm going to buy gifts for my mother and Noona."
Before diving into the chocolate making, I engaged in casual chatter. Donations continued to ring out endlessly, as though my mere presence on screen was cause for celebration.
The viewers sang my praises to the heavens, treating me almost like an idol. While it was true I carefully managed my public image, their reaction was far more dramatic than I had anticipated. I was merely observing basic decency and filial respect. Though I couldn't entirely wrap my head around their worship, I answered their questions with a pleasant smile.
Naturally, there was one person off-camera who couldn't stomach the contrast.
"Excuse me! You guys told me to quit! You told me to go play Hearthstone! What is with this double standard?!"
Yeoeun-noona raised her voice from beyond the lens. The hilarious part was that despite her indignant tone, she was grinning from ear to ear. She wasn't genuinely jealous; she simply recognized that playing the indignant clown was the right comedic beat for the stream.
After wrapping up the casual chat, I got down to the business of making chocolate. I started by presenting the ingredients arranged on the counter.
"So, the kind of chocolate we're making today is... tada. Can you see it? Let me bring it a little closer—"
"Heeeey! Whoa, hold on! Your ass... damn it! Front and back are both a hazard! Should we just change your clothes?!"
"Huh? Why? Ah, right, there's a camera behind me. But I'm fully dressed?"
"No, the outline... these pajamas are way too thin!"
The moment I pushed up onto my tiptoes and leaned forward over the dining table, Yeoeun-noona dashed forward in utter panic. She planted herself squarely behind me, using her broad, voluptuous frame to block my backside from view.
Predictably, the chat erupted in fury.
The second she shielded me, the viewers turned on her with venomous fervor. Just moments ago, they had been singing her praises for setting up the broadcast. Of course, they likely didn't mean any genuine malice.
Or... did they?
I couldn't be entirely sure. Regardless, the overwhelming consensus in chat was that my clothing was completely fine.
"They say it's fine, see? I'm wearing proper clothes. What more do you want me to do?"
"No, it's... are you really okay with this? From a woman's perspective, this looks kind of..."
Noona lowered her voice, whispering in my ear. She argued that while it wasn't overly revealing, it looked intensely erotic to women. She wasn't worried about the channel getting banned; she was concerned that I would feel humiliated.
"As long as the stream is fine, I'm fine."
I patted her arm, soothing her worries, and she reluctantly stepped back out of the camera's frame.
"I won't be changing clothes, so don't worry," I said, addressing the camera directly.
Having reassured Noona, it was time to tend to the viewers, signaling that I wouldn't betray their expectations.
"Oh? Ah."
While I had been whispering with Noona, the chat had burst into total, blazing chaos. A soft, amused chuckle escaped my lips at their adorable frenzy.
Now, how should I handle this?