Acting brazenly, to be honest.
That would be the stance I would take for the time being.
This is the result of serious reflection while monitoring yesterday’s broadcast.
The broadcast itself was only about 53 minutes long, a short duration, but I replayed it several times to check.
First, from how I appear on screen to what kind of chats come up, and when people react strongly to my actions, etc.
There are things that can only be seen when observed from a third-party perspective rather than being the party involved.
Just looking at the Abyss, for instance. It’s not for nothing that high-skilled players are told to watch replays and reflect instead of just playing the game.
This wasn’t the Abyss, but a broadcast; still, the principle was similar. When viewed from a different perspective, there are enough details to be captured.
One thing I noted was that the more I showed any signs of discomfort regarding the overwhelming chat or donations, the worse it got. It must be a result of the viewers’ innate rebellious spirit.
In that sense, yesterday’s broadcast was a complete mess from the initial response. In any situation, the initial response is crucial, and yesterday went awry because of that.
But what’s past is past; what matters is now. It wasn’t too late; since I had only turned on the cam for the first time yesterday, it still counted as the beginning.
Thus, I decided to act as brazenly as possible starting today.
Raising my voice at the compliments of being pretty was also part of the “acting brazenly” strategy.
[? Is this person insane?]
[Uh, um, yes…]
[Did you drink?]
[Can’t help being pretty.]
[Older sister, you’re so funny, lol.]
[??? : I’m pretty, right?]
[‘Not Guilty’]
I could feel my face heating up in real time. For some reason, my skin felt tingly, as if someone were poking me with their fingers. Of course, that couldn’t possibly be happening.
Staring at the black lens of the cam, I swallowed hard. I was physically experiencing a sensation I needed to grow accustomed to and opened my mouth again.
“Uh, hm. No matter how pretty you say I am, it doesn’t really impress me, you know? I was born pretty and have heard how pretty I am since I was a child…”
Oh, wait, did I go too far? Did I step on the gas a little too hard there…?
This isn’t acting brazenly. No, it is brazen and maybe a bit annoying, but it feels slightly off compared to what I intended.
Maybe due to my impatience, I only realized how strange it was after I said it. I was assured by the viewers’ responses that my ominous premonition was correct.
Jin was convinced by the viewers’ reactions.
[Ah, lol, she looks just like Camilla, what even]
[Older Sister ㅠㅠ so cute]
[Thank youthankyouthankyouthankyou]
[What kind of concept is this?]
[Looks good…]
[Kaya mastering the tsundere style… this can’t be stopped]
[Wow, she’s really committed]
[Crazy Fox… insane Fox… ]
[Umm… could you please get up, put both hands on your waist, and do it right again?]
[Your face and your words don’t match, lol]
[Where did you watch something weird again?]
[Methods of herding the viewers]
[Targeting the otaku preferences, lol]
[Female streamers on Twitch, step it up! If you don’t want to lose all your fans to Kaya]
[Wow… I think I need to move my main channel here]
[Ah, my mom called, so I couldn’t hear it, can you do it one more time? What did you say?]
[I just got here, what’s going on right now?]
“Oh, no… that’s not it. I mean, I am pretty, but I’m not bragging…”
She hurriedly tried to explain, but it was completely useless.
[Parco donated 30,000 won!]
– Please react to that 30,000 won like you just did.
[Of course, that’s not even worth a reaction, lol]
[If anything, that’s more reason to not do it, -_-]
[She clearly knows she’s pretty, lol]
Like pouring oil on a fire, the viewers’ chat became even more lively as she thought.
‘Did I set the strategy wrong…?’
Instead of being shameless, it would have been much better to go with no reaction, just apathetic.
It was a late regret.
*
There was someone watching Kaya’s stream from early morning.
“…Does this even make sense?”
His name was Yoo Seong-min. His job was a game developer currently working as a character designer at Eonix.
Seong-min was watching Kaya’s stream, staring with his mouth agape, blinking rapidly and slapping his own cheeks in a frenzy.
Why? Because Camilla was alive and breathing on the screen.
It wasn’t just that she was alive; she was spouting comments so vividly that no programmed AI could possibly imitate her, actively broadcasting at that moment.
Yes, it was a broadcast. Camilla was on air.
What can I say? Sungmin had joined Eonix in the past few years, designing and launching various heroes, and one of the heroes he created was none other than Camilla.
Although the character’s performance was lacking in many ways, her design and skill set were praised as unique and flawless.
Camilla held a great significance for Sungmin, as he had invested several times the effort into designing her compared to other heroes.
Recently, seeing Camilla get buffed and even participating in tournaments filled him with immense joy. It was especially delightful because his beloved character, who had never participated in a tournament, was finally making a mark in the league.
Lately, it seemed like there was nothing but surprises regarding Camilla. Eonix announced they would create an all-time-great skin for her, the balance team kept buffing her, and yet she hadn’t made it to the tournaments…
He thought there couldn’t be anything more shocking.
Then, his teammate told him to check out Kayak’s stream, claiming she looked just like Camilla. Skeptically, he tuned in.
“Wow, they really do look identical…”
Sungmin was taken aback, yet he continued watching the scene unfold on the screen, where the streamer animatedly gestured and interacted with the viewers.
In fact, he had known of Kayak’s existence for quite some time.
She was a top-tier user who had been consistently communicating with Eonix long before anyone could tell if she was a man or a woman.
It was rare for any of Eonix’s employees not to know her. She had been there through the tough times of the game, always giving feedback.
Back when Abyss was labeled a bad game, she consistently reached out to Eonix, suggesting how to improve it, saying things like “fixing this could attract more interest in Abyss.”
Not only did she represent the user’s perspective, but her genuine love for the game was evident. It had become a joke that Kayak was an undercover employee of Eonix.
Even within the company, there were many who claimed to be her fans, and Sungmin was among those who would occasionally watch her streams, if not every day. Seeing Camilla played in ways he could never have imagined filled him with admiration.
There was an underlying sense of familiarity with her.
But that’s why it was even more shocking. It was like discovering that a neighbor you thought you knew was actually a CIA secret agent.
It’s like discovering that the neighbor you’ve known for ages is actually a CIA secret agent.
‘…but it feels even worse than that.’
While I’ve never experienced it myself, it seems like this could only be more intense, not less.
Right now, Seongmin felt like a character he created had suddenly jumped out into the real world.
He couldn’t even find the words to explain how he felt.
“Ah, so that’s why everyone has been sending messages like this….”
The messages and missed calls piling up since yesterday. All those contacts he couldn’t answer because he was feeling under the weather were mostly about the kayak. Some were even asking if he designed Camilla based on the kayak.
In the past, he could have confidently said no. After all, Camilla was an original character that came entirely from his ego.
But now, after watching the kayak’s broadcast, he was left wondering.
Did I really create Camilla?
Maybe while walking around, he unconsciously absorbed the kayak’s appearance and projected it onto his hero, Camilla.
In fact, that seemed even more plausible. Otherwise, it wouldn’t explain why the kayak looked so much like Camilla.
“Well, the kayak probably loves Camilla because they look alike and kept playing the game, right?”
Otherwise, there’d be no reason to play a game that was such a flop back then.
Seongmin muttered to himself, convincing himself.
On the flip side, thank goodness the kayak hadn’t raised any issues about copyright infringement. He could’ve been misunderstood for modeling a real person without permission.
“I should at least reach out.”
And then, he should apologize. Mention that somehow he unconsciously created Camilla based on her, not intentionally, but he was truly sorry.
That’s why Seongmin, who had never sponsored an internet broadcast in his life, generously donated a whopping 500,000 won to the kayak’s stream.
*
[Yusungmin donated 500,000 won!]
“Whoa, a 500,000 won donation? A cool dono too?”
Meanwhile, the kayak, confused by Seongmin’s donation, could only roll her eyes.
She was being urged by viewers to react dramatically in return for the 500,000 won.
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