My interest in Haryeong was purely coincidental.
I already knew her name to some extent. I’m the type who secretly cares a lot about my coworkers, so whenever I had a moment, I’d open Twitch and scroll down the broadcasts one by one from the top.
Haryeong was a streamer who positioned herself slightly above the middle. Around early evening, around 4 to 5 PM, you could find her diligently broadcasting.
Since we didn’t have any real connection, I would just think to myself, “She’s working hard again today, she’s pretty,” while watching her stream. Her voice was pleasant, so I occasionally left it on while working or eating.
It was only yesterday, during my usual community browsing, that I learned she had been suffering for a long time.
While searching for how people rated me, certain posts naturally caught my eye.
There were an unusual number of posts with Haryeong tagged alongside the keyword ‘Kayak.’
The content was downright malicious, enough to make anyone frown. Posts that intentionally belittled and mocked the streamer named Haryeong.
It seemed like the name Kayak had become a weapon for them to attack Haryeong. They were continually comparing me to Haryeong and attacking her.
Seeing people who didn’t even seem to like me or watch my broadcasts tossing my name around to bully someone else was… quite unpleasant from the perspective of the person involved.
What kind of nonsense is that directed at someone who works hard on their broadcasts? It’s pure malice. They seem to find joy in engaging in utterly unproductive actions that benefit them in no way.
When I see things like this, it might not be entirely wrong to say human nature is evil. At least, that’s how it seemed just from reading these posts. Even Mencius would facepalm and go, “Oh dear, I was wrong!”
So I kept reading the endless posts. They bragged about sending emails, terrorizing her during live broadcasts, and making her cry.
I wasn’t necessarily intrigued or empathizing; I was just curious about how far these people would go.
However, as I read through the never-ending posts, I grew increasingly worried.
Is this person okay? They say she cried recently. Apparently, she abruptly ended her stream in silence. This seems like it could be serious.
Is that right? I heard you were crying not too long ago after reading this. And apparently, you even abruptly ended your broadcast in silence. Isn’t this a bit serious?
It seems their goal isn’t just to torment Haryeong. They might even be trying to force her to quit broadcasting altogether or, worse, make her check out of life.
Having seen similar cases a few times, I couldn’t just stand by.
The fact that they used me as a comparison to bully Haryeong really didn’t sit well with me.
That’s why I decided to show up and make a hefty donation while Haryeong was busy broadcasting. She looked so precarious that it felt like she would quit any moment.
I also took the opportunity to say not to bully others while dropping my name.
“So, to summarize, you’re saying you’ll help me out.”
That was Yusia, who was listening to my story through Discord.
She particularly enjoys talking to me on the phone, calling every other day like clockwork. Even now, she’s editing while listening to me.
“It just bothers me when they compare me to Kayak, saying she’s an upgrade, and that Haryeong is a downgrade.”
“Still, I could just say to not mention Kayak and call it a day, but if you’re offering to help…”
It seemed she paused for a moment from typing as if continuing with the work.
“After all, the boss is kind. Should we say you’re a bit meddlesome?”
“I’m just acting as I please; no need to sugarcoat it.”
I’m not blindly trying to help someone who looks like they’re struggling. Right now, I just happen to have the means to do so.
There’s no reason to help someone hanging off the edge of a cliff in front of me, but there’s really no reason to ignore them either, right?
Anyway, my broadcast has already reached more than the goal I set out with initially.
Not only that, but as long as I don’t create social issues, I don’t foresee a disaster ahead.
So, I can do as I wish. Haryeong isn’t a criminal, and helping her wouldn’t spark any controversy.
And most importantly.
“Your voice is exactly my style. It’s pleasant to listen to, like having the radio on.”
Nothing annoys me more than the thought of a good broadcast disappearing when there’s nothing interesting to watch on a boring day.
A show to watch while preparing dinner and eating is pretty important. Just that one thing can change the density of daily life drastically.
It changes the very density of daily life with just that one thing.
Hearing my words, Yusia let out a laugh that sounded like air escaping from a balloon.
“Of course, Boss, you’re the best!”
“Uh… that’s a compliment, right?”
“Absolutely.”
From way back then until now—
Yusia’s soft voice drifted into my ears.
*
The plan was simple.
Help Haryeong. How? By driving away the bad viewers and helping her rise again, broadcast-wise.
“Collaboration seems to be the most certain solution.”
“That seems likely, right?”
“Yes, the decrease in viewers must have been pressuring in many ways.”
I brought this up with Yusia because she understands internet broadcasting better than I do.
Even though I’ve gained some experience myself, thinking together with others is generally more effective. It’s what they call collective intelligence.
Yusia’s strategy aligned perfectly with what I had in mind.
Collaborative broadcasting—it’s simple, just a head-on charge.
It could save Haryeong’s rapidly declining broadcasts and somewhat curb the bad rumors and comparisons against me.
From my standpoint, it’s not just a loss. As we share the viewer pie, there will also be viewers coming from her side to mine.
At the same time, by creating a connection with Haryeong, I could lessen the aversion towards Kayak, who frequently pops up in her broadcasts, thereby minimizing any negative sentiment that comes with it.
Viewers who were enjoying Haryeong’s broadcasts might have unknowingly developed a negative image of me. After all, it’s that classic case where the more you mention me, the worse it gets, thanks to the malicious viewers.
Well, to be honest, like Yusia said, I could just ignore all that and stream anyway.
Now, I can’t help but feel proud that my broadcast has grown so massively; I might even cry a little.
Anyway, the big picture is set. The primary plan is to collaborate with Haryeong.
So the next step is figuring out the details.
It’s easy. To collaborate, what do you need to do? You have to reach out! You need to break the ice and get somewhat friendly.
It’s generally common for people with some kind of rapport to collaborate, unless you’re approaching it purely business-like.
It was common for people with some degree of friendship to collaborate together, so here I was, clinging to Haryeong like a lifeline.
I had also sent a message to the number I got through some inquiries from nearby streamers, saying I wanted to meet up. No reply yet—maybe she was still asleep?
Still, unless she was planning to quit streaming altogether, she couldn’t completely ignore my proposal.
After all, I was known as the next-generation Twitch emperor, you know.
‘But what am I even going to say when we meet?’
Honestly, this was my first time reaching out to someone like this. My natural personality is pretty introverted, and while I’ve gotten a bit better since I started streaming as Camilla, it still felt awkward.
As I racked my brain for ideas, I started browsing Haryeong’s Namu Wiki page and her VTuber channel.
You know, if I want to get close, I should at least know the basics about her.
If I gather enough info about Haryeong, when we finally meet, I could spark a conversation as a fan—or at least pretend to be one!
Pretending to be a fan would surely lighten the mood, so this felt like the right approach.
And thus, my studies began. The topic: streamer Haryeong.
“She started streaming in high school? Wow, talk about an early starter.”
“Abyss’s female skilled player. She was the top tier among streamers until Kayak came along. Oh…”
“Wait, she dances well too? And looking that cute? What can’t she do?”
I diligently skimmed through her Namu Wiki page and watched videos on her VTuber channel in order of popularity.
Hours must have passed like this. Completely lost in the videos, I devoured every single one that was available.
“Oh…?”
Whoa, it felt like I had genuinely fallen down the rabbit hole, fanboying like crazy.
It was all because Haryeong was such a charming streamer. Her looks, voice, gaming skills, dance moves, reactions—there was nothing lacking at all!
That evening, I received a positive reply from Haryeong.
We instantly scheduled to meet the very next day.
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