The news of Cannon King’s visit to Korea, which created a buzz in Korea.
“Thank you, everyone! I will never forget this moment! I love Korea! If you’re lucky, you might see me out on the street for the next few days!”
As the fan meeting came to an end, around 300 fans let out sighs of disappointment.
Every now and then, some yelled for an encore.
Cannon King turned on the microphone and returned to the stage to add a line.
“Is there anyone among you going to NoName’s fan meeting later?”
It was a question asked with a glimmer of hope.
A fan sitting in the back row shot up his hand and shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Me!”
“Really? No way! Come up and show me your ticket.”
“Here’s the ticket!”
“Oh my God. You were a spy all along?”
It was truly astonishing.
It meant he had won tickets to both Cannon King’s and NoName’s fan meetings.
The audience gasped, “Ooooh!”
“Lucky friend, do you happen to have a car?”
“Yes, I drove here.”
“Then would it be too much trouble to hitch a ride to the fan meeting venue?”
“Really?”
The fan covered his mouth in disbelief.
Cannon King led the stunned fan to the back gate and waved.
“Haha, goodbye everyone! I’m shedding all the chains and bindings of this world and heading out to find my star! You all be happy!”
*
“Wow, there are so many people…”
“Really a lot.”
Manager Lee Bo-reum and editor Seo Maru said one after the other.
We had exited the Gangnam Circular City Expressway and were passing by Gwangmyeong Station.
“Na-me, we have to be careful going out from now on, right?”
Professor Cheon, gripping the steering wheel, added.
“I’m sure they’re fans waiting for Cannon King.”
Unlike personal broadcasts targeting at most tens of thousands, the ripple effect of a talk show aired nationwide in the U.S. was in a different league.
He had made it clear that his purpose for visiting Korea was to attend my fan meeting, which eventually made it onto the 9 o’clock news.
I couldn’t help but think he was a smart guy who really understood what going viral meant.
“I’m glad it’s being held on a small scale.”
“Why?”
Seo Maru, munching on snacks from the passenger seat, asked.
“Cannon King only meets 300 fans at his fan meeting; it would seem weird if I was meeting thousands.”
“Come on. Na-me will definitely become more famous than Cannon Uncle, so it’s okay!”
Lee Bo-reum patted my head from the side.
While we chatted, we soon arrived at the Twish Convention Center.
As soon as we got there, a Twish official welcomed us at the elevator going up from the underground parking.
“Hello, NoName! Hello, Abeonim! I’m Delete Yong-jae-jun, in charge of today’s fan meeting planning. Nice to meet you!”
It wasn’t just any official but actually the CEO of Letterbox himself.
“Why is Delete here? You’re not planning to force a contract with our Na-me after the fan meeting, right?”
Lee Bo-reum stood in front of me, wary.
Delete burst out laughing.
“We help all fan meeting events, even if they’re not part of our MCN. It’s like we’ve subcontracted it out to Twish Korea. They’re short on staff, with less than 20 employees.”
“But why are you here in person?”
“Well, you all know who’s coming to this fan meeting, right?”
It was certainly because of Cannon King’s attendance.
“I figured I would need to approve numerous things, like how to set up cameras for the Cannon King Live shoot, and where staff is allowed to go. I want to make sure that everything runs smoothly and doesn’t interfere with Na-me!”
I stepped into the elevator.
He kindly pressed the button for the second floor.
“Oh, by the way, if it’s not too much trouble for you, I’d like to make a request.”
“What is it?”
“How about having Cannon King host the fan meeting? That was proposed by him, and I think it’s a really good idea.”
“Whaat? Cannon King as a host?”
“I have no issue with it.”
“Okay, understood! Then I wish you all good luck for your eardrums from this point on!”
[Second floor.]
The elevator doors opened wide, and bright light spilled through the gap.
At the same time, a huge cheer pierced through the eardrums.
“Waaaaah!”
“NoName!”
“Kyaaa, so cute!”
“I came to see Na-me! Please hold a bigger fan meeting next time!”
“So tiny! That makes it twice as cute!”
Had non-attendees really come all the way here?
Some even brought massive cameras worth thousands of dollars.
As I stepped through the belt barricade, they waved their hands like a horde of zombies.
One fan, swept up by the crowd, even dropped their cheering sign.
Calmly, I walked over and picked it up.
“Here you go.”
“Ahh, thank you! Kyaaa, did you see? So cute!”
My head felt hot from the raucous cheers and passionate energy.
What could possibly make them so enthusiastic?
Did I even deserve this kind of treatment?
Pushing aside such complicated thoughts, I opened my arms wide.
From the entrance of the elevator to the auditorium where the fan meeting was being held, the path wound on and on.
I tried my best to shake hands with every outstretched hand as I walked along that narrow path.
So this is what it feels like to walk on clouds.
I think I really worked hard to keep the corners of my mouth pulled up.
*
[NoName]
[Just Chatting – Na-me’s Fan Meeting Live]
[Broadcasting Time – 0:56:48]
[Number of Viewers – 34832]
-3 minutes left! thump thump
-I managed to high-five Na-me with my left hand, haha! If I want to succeed in retaking this year, I need to start practicing left-handed writing now!
-Where is Cannon sitting?
└ Can’t see him from this angle due to the shadows.
-This simultaneous fan meeting for NoName and Cannon is just too rare…
-Did Cannon apply for this? How absurd, haha!
-Whaat, one light just went out!
-Is it really happening now?
The fan meeting, held in a small theater similar to a movie theater, was rather modest compared to Na-me’s popularity.
The staff passed around Post-it notes to collect pre-submitted questions, bustling around the stage to arrange chairs and desks.
As the promised time drew near, the lights began to dim one by one, and the beam projector turned on.
A gentle Brahms piano piece began to play as the video started.
[2050/07/14]
[First Broadcast: Let’s Solve Problems.]
This was a broadcast that had not been recorded.
Photos captured automatically by the Twish management AI during the search for fraudulent programs flashed on the screen.
There were only three viewers, including the AI bot.
-Wow, was that NoName’s old broadcast?
-Back when it was really tough…
-ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-You could tell right from the start that they were special.
Everyone has a humble beginning.
Proving that, Na-me’s period of anonymity had lasted a full six months.
Then, one day, she started a game that she would have never attempted.
[2051/01/20]
[World of Arseria Begins.]
-So the broadcast did WoA before LoL?
-This is my first time seeing it! stunned
-The legendary tutorial.
A game that began due to a sponsor’s mischief.
It was a screenshot taken by manager Dae-sal, who had been merely a viewer at that time, but was surprised and took it.
Without learning magic, completing the tutorial quest was quite a feat.
The accented notes of the piano shifted the atmosphere.
The video picked up speed, flooding viewers with unreal results.
[2051/01/24 ~ 01/30]
[Achieved Master with 50 Wins and No Losses]
With seven years of abnormal play, she had achieved Master status on an account that had collected every curse possible, not playing for a while.
[2051/03/19]
[Nightmare 10/10/10 First Clear by Ballum Benavons]
She made a spectacular comeback, breaking the never-cleared storyline after six years.
Her long-time subscribers proudly shared how they got to witness this moment live.
-Why did she get Master with just 50 wins?!?!
└ Back then, the double ELO increase was impossible.
└ Even if you win, the points are low, and the MMR was all over the place.
-NoName… just hearing the name gives me goosebumps…
-If only I had known back then! If only…
What followed was a scene everyone had seen once on V-tube.
Ranked #1 in story mode, championships won in both Academy Challenge and Fall of Destiny.
She not only excelled in gaming but also tackled completely unrelated math puzzles, facing off against college students in mock duels.
Proving that existence itself is content, she had made it this far.
“Can I ask for a word of encouragement for the representative seniors representing each class in today’s rehearsal?”
“If I helped this much and still lose, it’s over!”
Fans chuckled at the interview conducted while she was wrapped snugly in a blanket.
Eventually, NoName caused quite a stir at the Academy Competition.
“This is absolutely unbelievable! We won! NoName from Sephiron defeated seniors with seven years’ experience!”
“Dear viewers, may I humbly tell you that you are part of this historic moment!”
The beam projector’s brightness diminished.
The hot lights radiated heat, illuminating the stage once again.
“Gah…! Look there!”
“Finally!”
-Big one’s coming!
-NoName, come out!
-Hahaha!
-The atmosphere of the scene is insane!
-Going to keep this going till the end?
[2052/01/21]
[Fan Meeting]
The large screen simply announced the current event with a black screen and white text.
It was when fans started pulling out their cameras.
click
“…!”
I felt a presence passing behind the curtain.
The footsteps were short, and the pace was quick.
The black shoes first appeared within the focused spotlight circle.
Then came the red checkered skirt and warm navy blue sailor outfit, one after another into view.
A red ribbon dangled down to her navel, and golden buttons sparkled occasionally.
“Wooooo!”
“Something’s different!”
“What’s up with the vibe!”
“Waaaaaa!”
Amidst the roaring cheers, Na-me sat down on the child-sized chair positioned at the center of the stage.
With the staff’s help, she attached the ear microphone.
She twirled her hair in the air as she fixed it.
Black threads scattered in all directions.
Na-me’s clearing her throat was picked up by the microphone.
It sounded like a refreshing voice that hadn’t inhaled a speck of dust.
She finally spoke her first words.
“Do I look different in any way?”
It was a super easy question that anyone could answer.
Her long, unbound hair fell smoothly to the floor.
