Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Outdoor Stream? Not a Lewd Broadcast?
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I've been dealing with a dilemma lately.
A growth plateau.
My steadily climbing viewer count had suddenly hit a wall, like it was blocked by something.
The sharp upward curve of viewers had flatlined, signaling cardiac arrest.
At first, I wondered if it was my problem.
Had my makeshift streams finally reached their limit?
Was this an ecosystem where you couldn't survive without doing girl cam reactions?
My little sister had explained that my rapid growth was the exception, and this stagnation was the norm.
But for someone like me who'd already tasted explosive success once, this trickle of new viewers felt suffocating—like eating sweet potatoes without any soda to wash them down.
It was like dealing with urinary incontinence at a young age.
My sister made a face like, What kind of unlucky bitch is this?
She scolded me, saying most people stream for months without breaking 100 viewers, so quit whining.
"Tsk tsk. So full of yourself."
Han Ye-eun shook her head.
Thinking about it, I realized I knew next to nothing about this industry.
To top it off, I'd quit my part-time job, so weekdays were pretty leisurely even now.
With that in mind...
How do other streamers broadcast?
Today would be market research time to find out.
But doing it alone would be boring, so with my friends.
My friends were deeply moved by my consideration.
Deeply moved, indeed.
Lemon TV platform.
As one of the big three in internet broadcasting, it was packed with streamers and content.
"Whoa, this person's got 5,000 viewers?"
A genuine gasp escaped me.
No special content, just chatting with viewers, yet this many people watching.
"Isn't this similar to what I do?"
Guess not.
Top streamers seemed to have thick fanbases.
Their viewer nicknames were uniform and cool-looking.
Each one felt like a one-man army.
While browsing various streams, one title caught my eye.
"Outdoor stream?"
What's that? A lewd broadcast?
The phrase no man could ignore made my hand pause.
Zooming in on the thumbnail, it showed some roadside scene.
'No way... outside?'
My nostrils flared.
Lemon TV, you rascal. You even allow this??
"...No?"
Outdoor broadcast.
Stream from outdoors. Shortened to outdoor stream.
Makes sense. No way something shady like that would be openly streamed.
The world was advancing fast with new attempts everywhere, but apparently not that far yet.
"Hmm... Should I try an outdoor stream?"
I was getting tired of just chattering from my room anyway.
Daily chats from the same spot had worn out my material.
And here came this fresh wind called outdoor streaming.
It could be content itself, no boredom, and best of all...
"Getting paid just to hang out outside alone?"
The corner of my mouth twitched up.
This was real free money.
Viewers always called me a freeloader—time to show them what real freeloading looks like.
"Outdoor stream, you idiots."
I immediately searched what gear I needed for outdoor streaming.
Stream cam? Phone would do. Pass.
Tripod or mount? Not needed for mobile. Pass.
"Selfie stick? This enough?"
Didn't even need to buy one.
Ye-eun's fourth-dimensional bag had everything, including a selfie stick.
I headed downtown and started the stream again.
Viewers who'd come expecting something naughty from the title.
They were greeted not by roadsides or streets, but a pitch-black screen.
"Ah, donation spam."
I force-closed the noisy spam messages.
After a brief tease, I hit the screen transmit button.
Phone cam ON.
The dark screen lit up, replaced by my awkward face.
"Quit the baseless hate."
I only tried it because other streamers do it—what, like I have ulterior motives? Ridiculous.
"Uh, sorry. This is tougher than it looks."
First time using a selfie stick.
The screen shook like a boat in a storm, and viewers complained like fussy newborns with nausea.
I tightened the mount again and walked carefully...
"Better now?"
Now the angle was the issue.
Face too close.
They nagged to pull back, so I extended my arm—posture got hunched, more shaking.
Impatient viewers hurled more curses.
"Shit, why is this so hard."
After trial and error, I found the solution.
Extend arm fully, keep wrist and elbow rigid.
Yes. I became the Statue of Liberty.
Not in New York, but smack in the middle of Myeongdong.
Selfie stick instead of torch.
Viewers seemed happy with the stability, but I was uncomfortable.
Do all outdoor streamers endure this?
I reflected on my past self who scoffed at it as easy money.
Thought they were graceful swans gliding on water, but paddling desperately underneath, huh?
Having unwittingly swallowed the red pill, I soon stopped dead in my tracks.
"Guys, emergency."
"My arm hurts."
"Short break."
Outdoor stream, huh.
Not to be underestimated.
My fault for not scouting the enemy properly.
I detached the phone from the selfie stick and sat on a nearby bench.
Held phone in one hand, swung the other arm for stretches.
Switched arms—shoulder felt refreshed.
A bit of close-up action happened, but no dizziness complaints this time. Good.
"Back to walking, puppies."
Leashed the phone like a dog and hit the streets again.
"Excuse me, are you single...?"
"I'm a lesbian."
"Hi? You're so pretty, can I get your number...?"
"Got two kids at home."
Finally squeezed through the crowds into a street.
Myeongdong was vast with plenty to see.
I paused, pondering where to go first.
Then a donation pinged.
"Missions?"
The familiar nickname jogged my memory.
The big donor who'd vanished after the refund drama.
He was back.
My eyes widened at the massive sum. Again.