Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: You, Become My Family
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"Keeping the household ledger."
"You guys shouldn't overspend just because you're making good money right now. Save a little here and there. No one knows what life will throw at you."
I was amazed at the enormous revenue I'd earned from streaming too.
It was to the point where my sense of money had gone haywire.
In that sense, the household ledger was also a tool to keep my lazying spirit in check.
How much time passed like that?
Lost in thought with donation sounds as background music.
I chewed on my pen and glared at the end of the ledger.
A worry had arisen.
One item in this month's expenses that particularly bugged me.
Rent. 400,000 won.
Now that I was freeloading at Ye-eun's place, it was pure money draining away.
Letting it be felt like such a waste.
So I sent a text. To the landlady.
Asking if I could terminate the contract next month right away.
The reply came quickly.
I stood up from my chair and said,
"Guys, I'll step away for a quick text. That cool?"
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks for understanding, everyone."
Sorry, but what can you do?
You guys are precious, but the 400,000 won right in front of me is more precious.
A quick glance at the screen showed 1,400 viewers.
Just the other day, I was thrilled to hit 1,000, and now even more had joined.
Like killing one is trash, ten makes a murderer, but a thousand makes a hero.
Having abandoned over a thousand viewers, maybe I'd become a broadcasting hero.
With that in mind, I threw a thumbs-up at the cam.
My thumb slowly slid out of frame.
"Albuvooook."
Recreating that legendary scene that感動ed all tourists, I hinted at my return and left the seat.
Out in the living room, I checked my phone.
The landlady's text read:
[Suddenly? That's troublesome. The contract was for half a year, right?]
I fired back quickly.
I've got to study abroad for a while soon, so could you please...
[Jeong-ho, didn't you say you only graduated high school?]
"Fuck?"
Come to think of it, yeah.
I'd haggled that original 450,000 won rent down to 400,000 with a sob story.
So the landlady knew all my dirt.
[Sorry, that's tough. Finding a new tenant at this time isn't easy. If you don't have money, we'll deduct next rent from the deposit.]
Then a brilliant idea hit me.
'Then how about I find a new tenant?'
Landlady keeps getting paid, I stop the money drain. Perfect win-win.
The landlady's reply to this perfect solution:
[Well, that could work. But Jeong-ho, didn't you just say abroad?]
"Gyaaaaaah!"
To cover one lie, another lie was needed.
I'd fallen into the cycle of lies.
I'm no ungrateful beast.
The landlady had already been plenty accommodating.
Yeah. Just give up cleanly.
Even without rent, I was making more than before.
Worried about managing the empty studio, but...
For now, it feels like a secret hideout. Nice.
I pocketed my phone with a sigh.
*
Meanwhile, at that moment.
The broadcast screen with Hyo-jeong gone, chair left empty.
The viewers watching it—
As always, they started chattering among themselves.
Thinking about it, the streamer was optional anyway.
Viewers always led the conversation, and even with Hyo-jeong ditching the stream on a whim, it was no different.
If other streamers knew, they'd marvel, "What total free-for-all bullshit?!"
The viewers, fully accustomed to Hyo-jeong's style, had reached the realm where they could have fun even without her.
What the hell are these guys saying right now?
In the short time I was in the living room, they'd gone wild, beating drums and gongs, roasting each other like crazy.
The chat staying lively without the streamer was praiseworthy, but the topic being trash-talking me behind my back? Eh.
Listening in, they'd spun some ridiculous novel about me being a gangster boss conquering the nation with honey traps.
Even so, gangs and thugs in the 21st century full of law enforcement...?
Huh? Wait a sec.
'Huh? This is kinda...?'
Thinking calmly, it seemed pretty decent...?
Not the honey trap or national domination part.
The gang boss concept.
It justified being called Hyung-nim all the time, fit a macho vibe too.
Most importantly, clear hierarchy.
Lately, some punks were getting uppity, which was a worry—this would nip it in the bud.
'Hey? You trying to be boss here?! What're you gonna do about it?! Boys, prep the oil drum—punish this traitor!'
I could pull off that tough guy shit.
Best of both worlds. Eat the pheasant and the egg. Drain the ditch and catch the crawfish.
They kept yapping about concepts—might as well grab a real one.
"You, become my family."
Today was the historic founding of the Hyo-jeong Faction.
The troops joining this glorious declaration fired celebratory salvos.
I jumped up and barked,
"Is the organization a kid's game? Dump everyone who just yapped!"
I added some rules too.
"One: To quit the organization, offer your pinky finger."
I added,
"Or substitute with a 10,000 won donation."
"Two: Hyung-nim's orders are absolute."
I tapped the desk with my finger.
"Defy the chain of command, and you're straight into the oil drum and out."
The founding ceremony went lightly.
I tied an unused string to the doorknob, cut it roughly with scissors—performance over.
A low-budget ribbon-cutting.
"Oh, yeah. You use an axe as your tool, right?"
"Hyo-jeong Faction One B... Change your nickname."
After the ceremony, they suddenly got a sense of belonging and one thing they pushed hard:
"Fan name?"
That was the fan name.
The nickname idols or streamers give their fans.
For reference, that squirrel girl's fans were "Acorns."
Usually derived from name or broadcast concept.
After brief thought, a punchy word popped up.
"How about Hyo-ppak? Hyo-ppak. Sounds tough, right?"
"Damn. Why the bad reactions? Don't like it that much?"
Hyo-ppak.
How catchy and endearing.
Heartwarming. Romantic. Huh? Even got presence.
Fierce backlash rained down, so I had to back off.
"Fine, whatever. Hate it so much? You guys come up with one."
Various suggestions flooded the chat.
I despaired at their terrible naming sense.
"Why is your thinking so one-dimensional?"
So the narrowed candidates:
Hyo-ppak
Hyo-dol
Oil Drum
Hyo-righteous Squad
Hyo-fia
Shell Guy, etc.
(Hyo-ppak added by streamer authority, for the silent supporters swept by public opinion.)
"Vote lasts 5 minutes. Whatever wins, accept like men. Okay?"
"As if."
I scoffed back.
Laughing and chatting, 5 minutes flew by.
"Alright, reveal the cards?"
Ddon ddi tta. Ddon ddi tta.
Playing the famous gambling movie's intro, I opened the results.
"What the fuck. Sakura votes?"
Closer than expected.
Especially the dark horse Oil Drum.
Someone casually suggested it since we like threatening to dump viewers, and it took first.
"Did I pick it? You did. Just accept it~"
Not my name anyway, it's yours.
Like watching a fire across the river, they went nuts when I said that.
"You're not cute, why chase cuteness? Just be Oil Drums."
"No, vote's final."
I shook my head firmly, blocking the schemers.
"See the results? You're Oil Drums now."
And so, the Hyo-jeong Faction's official fan name was decided: "Oil Drums."