Coming to Pick You Up (1)

I hurried into Jjangjjangwang's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stream, and as luck would have it, he was right in the middle of reviewing applications to pick the guests for the viewer-participation segment.

"Please tell me I'm not too late?!"

I wasn't. I had submitted my application right on the deadline, which meant it was sitting all the way at the back of the pile.

Of course, applying late came with its own penalty. Only seven people were scheduled to join this time, and anyone after that would be cut without mercy. Once the first seven slots were filled, everyone behind them wouldn't even get their applications read.

That part, though, I was fine with. Because I had already solved the problem with a wish!

The wish I had asked of Jjangjjangwang had been simple. Please look at the application I submitted for this collab, and if it seemed decent, add me regardless of the headcount.

I could still get rejected, of course. But at the very least, I wouldn't be passed over unread just because the roster was already full!

Honestly, if I had had my way, I would have just asked him to put me in the collab outright. But if I wished for something that greedy, he definitely wouldn't have accepted it. I had agonized over how not to cross the line, and the wish had been granted — so I could call that a half-success, at least.

"Aaalright~ So we've picked five so far... two left, yeah?"

Five people had already made it in. At this pace, the last two spots would be filled in no time. Jjangjjangwang was being as careful as he could, but so many people had applied that there was no realistic chance of him working all the way to the back of the list. When the seventh name was finally chosen, a full third of the application posts were still sitting there unread.

"That's the full roster for this collab. To everyone who didn't make it, uh... hang in there, and try again next time~ Yeah~"

Huh?

He was wrapping things up, and he showed not the slightest sign of looking at my post.

Don't tell me he forgot.

No! He might have forgotten, sure — but still, no!

"Oh right. I did say I'd look at her application, didn't I? Hmm... let's take a look, then. What was her name again?"

Thankfully, someone ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in chat had called it out, and the worst-case scenario never happened. If that message hadn't gone up, or if Jjangjjangwang had missed it...

He checked the note I had sent him yesterday, confirmed my username, and searched for my application.

"Here it is."

He opened my post and started reading it carefully. A brief introduction, my traits, the strengths I could bring to a stream — all of it. Watching a famous streamer read, in real time and in front of thousands of people, the words I had agonized over line by line sent a little flush of embarrassment through me.

And at the end, the short self-pitch I had recorded on video. On screen, I introduced myself through an avatar in a VR chat game. I had installed a VR chat title I had never touched in my life just to film that clip, and I had spent forever hunting down an avatar I actually liked.

Thankfully, the viewers' reaction wasn't bad. The commotion from yesterday had lodged my name in people's heads more effectively than I had expected. Was this why companies poured so much energy into viral marketing? Image came second. First you had to get them to know your name, or nothing else could even start.

"Please, please, please...!"

I still couldn't let myself relax. The one person whose decision actually mattered — Jjangjjangwang — wasn't reacting at all. He just sat there in silence.

He made a vague little hum in his throat. Then, at last, he opened his mouth.

"Yes!"

"The eight of you who made it today, show up on the day of the collab. I'll be taking attendance, so if you're late, you're out. You know that, right?"

I got in!

I made it!

I didn't know how to describe the shaking in my chest. Was this what a high school senior felt, checking college admissions? Either way, I was so happy I could have floated off the floor. Keeping a joy like this to myself felt like a waste. I wanted to brag to someone — anyone.

A KakaoTalk chime went off.

Our manager must have been watching the stream, because a message arrived immediately. I couldn't hold back the grin spreading across my face as I typed a reply.

That was a lie. I had been so nervous my hands were clammy with sweat. But what did that matter? The only thing that actually mattered was the fact that I had gotten in.

I kept chatting with Lucia for a while after that, then turned my attention back to Jjangjjangwang's stream. Once the collab guests had been chosen, he rolled straight into the main broadcast's game time.

That was Jjangjjangwang for you. On the surface it looked like he was just enjoying a game, but after running my own stream and watching his, I could feel it in my bones — the gap in our broadcasting level wasn't even worth comparing.

One of the habits I had picked up since starting my own stream was analyzing other streamers while I watched them. I wasn't just enjoying the broadcast as a viewer anymore. I found myself studying how they ran things, hunting for anything I could apply. It helped my stream grow, no question. But the simple fun of watching as a viewer had faded, so it was a mixed blessing. The lesson I walked away with was this: livestreams are best watched with your brain turned off.

I was still watching intently when a ringtone suddenly spilled from my phone. It had been so long since I had heard an actual incoming call that I startled, then checked who it was.

Huh? That was the last person I had expected. I had been sure it would be Sea-chan. Why on earth was Master calling?

Curious, I picked up the phone.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Hai. What is it, Master?"

At this hour, shouldn't he still be at work? If I listened closely, I could hear voices on the other end that sounded like office talk.

"A favor? What kind of favor?"

The careful request that followed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was something I had never seen coming. I thought it over for a moment, then accepted without hesitation.

"Roger that."

I walked down the street outside, humming under my breath. A fresh wind moved through the afternoon. Stepping out of the house after so long felt pleasant rather than like a chore — bright, even. Maybe I should take a short walk every day from now on.

When I thought about it, I really had been cooped up inside too much lately. I had quit all my part-time jobs when I started studying for the college entrance exam, and I solved almost every meal with delivery, so I barely even needed to go grocery shopping. Aside from the occasional trip to the convenience store out front, I had next to no reason to leave the house. Sea and streaming work had gotten me outside a few times recently, but that was about it.

In that sense, making a habit of Master's request — not just this once, but regularly — didn't seem like such a bad idea.

My legs kept moving without a rest, and with one hand I tapped at the empty air to open the quest window.

Master's request itself was nothing difficult. Little Hana always went home from kindergarten ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠alone, and he was asking if I could come pick her up, just for today. Work kept him too busy to ever meet her there himself. He had promised he would finish early today and come get her — and then unexpected mandatory overtime had landed on his desk.

It was a sad situation. Raising a child alone as a father couldn't be easy. So I had accepted his request without a second thought.

It wasn't simply because a quest had appeared. It also wasn't, at the core, about repaying him for teaching me how to cook — though that wasn't entirely untrue either.

It was more like... when I looked at her, I saw the child I used to be.

Little Hana seemed to be handling things far better than I ever had at that age. That was beside the point, though. A family situation that wasn't ordinary was still hard on a little kid. And if I could be even a little bit of help in that...

I was ready to step up for something much harder and much more inconvenient than this.

The kindergarten was quite close to home. A three-minute walk, which was probably why Little Hana could manage the trip by herself. By the time I arrived, the day was already over, and the children were leaving one by one. Every departing child held a parent's hand and bowed politely to the kindergarten teacher.

Little Hana, though, couldn't leave. Because today, Dad was supposed to come get her. Unlike every other day, she stayed behind and kept waiting.

The thought of that made my eyes sting. I sniffled and hid the tears. I had to greet her with the brightest face I could manage.

I crept closer so she wouldn't spot me — I wanted it to be a surprise — then planted myself at the kindergarten entrance, swallowed my embarrassment, and called out at the top of my lungs.

"N-Nashi-chan! Watashi is here!"

"Um... whose guardian are you?"

The kindergarten teacher looked thoroughly at a loss. I was just as lost about what I was supposed to say next. I stood there opening and closing my mouth, stalling, when Little Hana caught on to what was happening and came pattering over at a full run.

She threw herself against my knees and shouted.

"Mama!"

"...Huh?"