On the way home, I was sitting alone in a café, staring blankly at the opposite side while two cups of coffee sat untouched in front of me.
With the broadcast starting tomorrow, today felt like my last day as a bum, and I was still struggling to adapt to this situation. The past week had made me feel pretty powerless every time the clock struck this hour.
“Ah, Uju! Sorry for being late.”
Just as I thought today would mark the end of those days, I saw Seonha waving cheerfully as she approached from afar. It was none other than my older sister Seo-ha.
“I just arrived too, so no worries. I’m the one who should be sorry for calling suddenly.”
“I thought something was up. It’s surprising for Uju to call me first…”
“Right? I hesitated a bit myself.”
I worried a lot about whether my sister was busy, but no one else came to mind who I could consult about such matters other than Seo-ha, so I bravely sent her a message.
Fortunately, she said she was home and came out quickly, and I was just grateful for that.
“So you visited Aiver today? Did you receive the apology well?”
“Yes, they bowed so low that it was embarrassing for me.”
“Well, they should. If they have any conscience at all.”
It seemed like my sister was quite satisfied with the response, as she nodded while sipping her coffee. If it had been even a little lacking, I could imagine her storming into the company immediately.
Thank goodness that disaster didn’t occur.
“So what’s the reason you wanted to meet? I can’t imagine Uju called just for nothing.”
“Caught me, huh?”
“You might not think much of it, but I pride myself on knowing you better than anyone else except your family. This was pretty easy to figure out.”
Was I really that easy to read? Or was it just that Seo-ha had a ghost-like understanding of me?
Whichever it was, I was grateful that she understood me well.
“Actually, I received an offer along with the apology. They’re planning to set up an MCN under Aiver, and they asked if I wanted to join.”
“…I see.”
Even though hearing that Aiver was directly establishing an MCN was surprising enough on its own, Seo-ha didn’t show much agitation and calmly nodded as if indicating for me to go on.
I continued speaking calmly.
“To be honest, I’m a bit torn. The contract conditions are really good, and it doesn’t seem like a bad place when you look at the prospects… But maybe because of everything that’s happened, I feel a bit hesitant.”
“I understand. No matter how much an apology is received or how remorseful they seem, it’s hard to trust right away. That’s just how people are.”
That was exactly right.
If someone were to ask me if I still resented Aiver at this point, I wouldn’t know how to answer, but it’s certainly not as if I have any good feelings toward them either.
I understand it logically. That it was an incident that occurred due to the nonsense of an employee and that they, too, are victims in this situation.
But it’s hard to accept it emotionally. After all, it’s the company of those who tried to push me into a pit of despair, and it’s true that it was their negligence that caused this situation.
So here I was, unable to make a decision easily and seeking advice from my older sister Seo-ha.
“What do you think? Should I accept it?”
“That’s entirely up to you. Forgiveness and trust are not the same thing. However, to put it bluntly, if you’re not keen on leaving Cheese behind, I think it’s a good offer.”
Seo-ha’s thoughts weren’t that different from mine. My first impression upon receiving the proposal was the same.
If I had felt animosity toward the platform Cheese due to that incident, I wouldn’t have even thought about going to receive the apology. I would have either turned to another platform or quit streaming altogether.
But in secretly wanting to see them and the way they would apologize, maybe I was hoping to give them a chance.
“Well, Aiver is not a small company, and for them to focus on caring for partnership streamers by setting up an MCN means they must have a level of confidence.”
“Confidence?”
When I tilted my head at the somewhat unexpected word, Seo-ha continued with a serious look, as if she were a company executive presenting at a business seminar.
“To be precise, it seems they’re planning to use this as an opportunity. Now that your case has spread outside, Cheese can’t help but acquire the prejudice of being an ‘indifferent platform to streamers.’ They probably want to break that through the MCN.”
“Turn a crisis into an opportunity… got it.”
“Exactly. Plus, if this MCN works out well, they could also attract streamers who are currently affiliated with other MCNs, which could serve as a pulling point for more streamers to come to Cheese.”
To think there was such a perspective! I’d only seen it as a coincidence that the event and timing matched up well.
“They probably wanted to recruit you first for that very reason. If someone who was hurt by Aiver achieves success in their new MCN, they’ll be a representative example of their positive change.”
After hearing Seo-ha, it started making sense to me in many ways.
In a way, it put my mind at ease. Knowing they have the will to overcome and change this situation was enough of a reason for me to trust them.
“…I think I’d like to believe in them a bit longer.”
“I’ll support your decision. Everything will turn out fine.”
Having made my decision after the explanation, Seo-ha didn’t hold back her encouraging words and soft smile. For the first time, I realized that a person’s voice could carry warmth.
“Well, if I really join the MCN, make sure to set aside a spot for me. Got it?”
“A spot for you?”
As I took a sip of coffee, my eyes widened at the casually thrown comment from Seo-ha.
Didn’t she already have a job somewhere else?
“It was just a joke. Actually, I quit my previous job a few days ago, and that’s what reminded me of it.”
Hearing the retirement news for the first time from someone who always seemed busy, I was a bit surprised. What could have caused her to suddenly quit her stable job?
“What? How did that happen?”
“No particular reason. It’s not like I was urged to resign, so you don’t have to worry.”
“But still…”
Of course, I knew it was presumptuous to worry about Seo-ha when I hadn’t even sorted out my own issues, but knowing that she abruptly left a perfectly fine job gave me cause for concern.
With the job market being as tough as it is…
…Oh.
As I continued to ponder, a comment from Assistant Kim suddenly flashed through my mind.
– It seems that one can hardly find decent employees these days, and it appears there are many concerns above. If you know anyone good around Mr. Cosmo, please recommend them later. Haha.
At the time, I dismissed it as casual banter, but seeing the talented individual in front of me made me reconsider.
I didn’t know exactly what company Seo-ha worked for, but just from what I’d heard her say before, she appeared capable and dedicated enough to be worth recommending… right?
Sure, considering everything Seo-ha has done for me, putting in a good word for her seems reasonable. If she feels it’s unsuitable, she can refuse on her own, so I don’t need to worry about that.
Besides, to be honest, if I had the chance to work at the same company as her, I think I would enjoy it quite a bit.
Actually, more honestly, I feel I would enjoy just being around her.
Though I couldn’t directly express that hidden feeling.
“Um, sister. By any chance…”
So I cautiously opened my mouth, hiding my true inner thoughts behind my words.
As I spoke, Seo-ha’s expression changed little by little, finally landing on a smile.
*
After parting with Uju and returning home, my phone rang. It was none other than Secretary Kim.
After casually relaying the day’s events, I received a rather heavy response.
– …Director, are you really considering working there?
“Only on the assumption that Uju recommends me. A position like Assistant should be fine, right?”
– No way. Even just the current workload is massive; why take on more work like that…
“What do you think I am? If I thought I couldn’t handle it, I wouldn’t even consider it in the first place.”
I tried to sound confident to reassure him, but Secretary Kim still seemed indifferent.
– …You’re not just hoping to stay close to Mr. Cosmo, right?
“Ah, you caught me? Well, that’s partly true.”
Unable to lie, I answered honestly.
However, as I said, a shallow reason of wanting to be with Uju alone wouldn’t suffice; I have to give my all in whatever role I take on.
– What if you get found out later…
“Well, they mentioned they’d hire a new employee externally, so it should be fine, right? Besides, if things go south, you can protect me, Secretary Kim.”
– Excuse me? Protect? What do you mean?
Oh, I hadn’t mentioned this.
Realizing I forgot to share that crucial detail, I nonchalantly made a one-sided announcement.
“Well, if I join, I was thinking of putting Secretary Kim’s name down as the representative. If that happens, I’ll be counting on you, Mr. Representative.”
– ………
Thanks to that, today I experienced the rare occurrence where Secretary Kim was the first to hang up the call.
I thought he’d be happy about a representative position, but this was totally unexpected.
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