I was so engrossed in the Hanchang Camilla figure that I snapped back to reality at Riri’s shout.
“Th-that can’t be! The design is super well done, and it’s a limited edition that’s no longer in stock!”
“Uh-huh…”
I must have been staring blankly. It was that captivating of a figure—so much so that I really wanted to own one. This is exactly when the phrase “a pie in the sky” comes into play.
Sadly, there was nothing I could do. I couldn’t just outright ask for such a precious item.
I’d have to search the second-hand market or even the black market, and if I didn’t find it, I’d just have to give up.
“Have you eaten? Should we grab something before the broadcast?”
“I’m fine, I just had dinner.”
“Hmm, then let’s just order some chicken if we get hungry during the stream. Since the teacher is here today, it’s my treat!”
“There’s really no need for that…”
Even if I clenched my fists and protested, it would just add pressure.
Looking at Riri, she didn’t seem very old or wealthy. She was just a recent graduate stepping out from the shadow of her parents.
When buying something, she’d probably compare prices even to save a few thousand won. If she suddenly had to spend ten or twenty thousand won, she’d have to live more frugally that month.
I couldn’t let a struggling youth like Riri treat me to a late-night snack. If anyone was going to treat, it should be me. Her regular living expenses must be tight. For example, the rent on this two-room place…
“Wait, no, I don’t pay rent.”
“Uh… did you sign a lease?”
Did she manage to save enough money at such a young age? Maybe she even used her savings to secure a lease.
If someone really liked a place and believed they’d stay long-term, many would argue that renting is better than paying rent every month.
But Riri’s response surpassed all my expectations.
“This place belongs to my uncle. Since I wanted to live alone and not with my parents, he let me have one room.”
She scratched her head sheepishly, “Hehe.”
“One room… So does your uncle own the whole building?”
“Yep!”
“Oh…”
There was a train station right in front, and a decent commercial area was thriving nearby. That meant rent prices were probably pretty steep.
If Riri was really broke, she wouldn’t be living alone in a house like this.
The organizing is almost done. In my mind, Riri transformed from a struggling rookie to a wealthy young adult raised in a privileged family.
“Then I guess I’ll just munch on some food. Not a guarantee, but if I get hungry while streaming, I’ll eat.”
“Sure!”
*
Dinner time is the prime time for the real ones.
It’s not just internet streaming. The same goes for broadcast networks and TV programs.
Main content that gets good ratings is usually slotted during dinner hours. That’s what they call prime time in the broadcasting world.
Dinner broadcasts are watched by office workers coming home after a long day, and those who have wrapped up their day’s work.
From 7 PM to 1-2 AM, it’s the main time when streamers go live and viewers tune in the most.
Especially on weekends, this trend becomes more pronounced. Most large content events led by streamers often happen on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday evenings.
Streamers who aren’t confident in their ratings sometimes avoid these times, opting to stream in the morning or afternoon, then wrapping it up by the evening. If they feel their broadcast has gained enough traction, they gradually move their streaming hours to the evening.
Because of this, if you sort the evening broadcasts on weekdays and weekends by viewer count, you’ll often see familiar faces at the top. It’s almost like there’s an established list that doesn’t change much—a stable ecosystem.
But today was different. A broadcast sitting at the top of the Twitch platform held a name unfamiliar to most viewers.
-Cutie Camilla
7 PM) Learning Support with Kayak
It was an absurdly simple broadcast title. However, perhaps due to the name within, viewers began streaming in rapidly.
She easily surpassed her previous record of 127 viewers. From 3,000 to 5,000, from 5,000 to 7,000, and from 7,000 to 10,000.
In just 10 minutes after going live, 10,000 viewers entered her stream. All of them came through Kayak.
They entered the broadcast. All the viewers had gathered through Kayak.
[Did I hear we should just watch the broadcast here today?]
[Hello, Cutie Camilla ^^]
[Show us Kayak, Kayak!]
[Hurry up and open the door, I’m getting dizzy!]
[What song is playing right now?]
[It’s the exclusive OST for the Snowflower Queen Camilla, ‘Song of Winter Flowers’.]
[Viewer count has surpassed 10,000 ㄷㄷㄷ]
[Among big corporations, boldly standing is the broadcast, Cutie Camilla.]
[Taker, King Bear, Han Kang, Riri, let’s go!]
[The new Four Emperors ㄷㄷㄷㄷ]
[Twilight Emperor Riri ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Riri, you’ve hit the peak of your broadcasting life, you punk ㅋㅋ]
[What were you two doing that it got this late?]
[So today we get to see Kayak slap Riri, right?]
Jian took a deep breath, feeling the flood of viewers gathering around.
Just looking at the speed of the chat, it was at least 2 times? No, maybe 3 times faster than usual.
The sheer number of viewers was extraordinary. The scale was just different.
When Kayak arrived home, she hadn’t really felt it, but now she had to broadcast in front of 10,000 people.
“Whew…”
The overwhelming tension made her fingertips tingle. Suddenly, she found it impressive that Kayak managed to broadcast in this kind of environment every time. She endured this pressure day after day and handled the broadcasts with such composure.
With a sudden surge of respect, Jian turned to Kayak sitting beside her. Seeing Kayak act the same in front of such a large audience seemed to ease Jian’s tension a bit.
“…?”
However, contrary to Jian’s expectations, Kayak was not focused on the broadcast.
She had turned on the broadcast and was momentarily waiting, once again staring at the Camila figurine. Looking at her bright blue eyes shimmering, Jian earnestly wondered.
Can I trust this person?
*
“Alright, everyone, quiet down. If you’ve all arrived, take your seats quietly. We, as cultured citizens, don’t just spam in public places like this. Just type ㄹㅇㅋㅋ. Good, that’s right. Since this isn’t my room, let’s keep the chat pretty. Understand?”
[^^7]
[ㄹㅇㅋㅋ]
[Wow]
[Ugh… The Kabu gang knows nothing… They only listen to Kayak….]
[What is this, training the chat ㅋㅋ]
[Geez, ㅋㅋ the Kabu kids don’t listen to their moms, but they listen to Kayak.]
[Hee… That’s right, that’s right, please do more.]
[That voice is overflowing with maternal love.]
[Kayak mom….]
[With those charming eyes and that tone, it’s no wonder the broth is being simmered.]
[It’s kind of cringe seeing fully grown men going “hee hee.”]
The chaotic chat quickly settled down.
Before long, the number of viewers swelled to 15,000. It was a rare spectacle to see them calming down instantly at Kayak’s words.
It was a moment that transformed Kayak’s previously slightly blank expression into one of charisma as she guided and soothed the viewers.
Is this what a big corporation does? It was executed so naturally that Jian’s earlier tension felt unnecessary.
“Jjamilla.”
“Yes, four?”
“Jjamilla, just focus on the game today. Understood?”
“Yes, understood.”
[Jjamilla seems really nervous, lol.]
[She usually seems so playful during broadcasts, haha.]
[How much are they training her to be told to not worry about the stream?]
[Can we see Kayak throwing some serious shade?]
[Maybe it’s just the camera setup, but she looks even prettier than usual, haha.]
[Riri said Kayak’s cam is the truth cam and hasn’t had any setups done at all.]
[The moment Haryeong came out on cam was legendary, for sure… ]
It was indeed an excellent choice to bring Kayak home.
Not only was she getting hands-on guidance right next to her, leading to decent graphics, but it also allowed her to focus solely on the game without worrying about the broadcast.
Just as she said, she could truly immerse herself in the game.
To be honest, Jian’s tier dropping was largely due to her being unable to concentrate on the game because of the broadcast.
This was the opportunity to showcase her true skills to the viewers, and to Kayak.
Quietly, Jian steeled herself.
*
“Does our Jjamilla not understand Korean?”
“I’m, I’m sorry….”
“I told you to pull back and then go in when your skill is off cooldown. Can you not tell the difference between normal attacks and skills?”
“No, that’s not it. I can do it. Just give me one more chance.”
Reality was as cold as ever, contrary to expectations.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
