Genius Archer's Streaming Season 1 Episode 10
4. Who's Dotorimuk? (2)
Dotorimuk.
Judging by viewer count alone, he couldn't be considered a particularly popular streamer. However, in terms of revenue, he was undoubtedly ranked quite high.
The reason for this bizarre cost-effective revenue model was precisely because of the games he played.
He exclusively played niche games.
"He plays a lot of other games too."
Sanghyeon muttered as he scrolled down, reading the description about Dotorimuk.
"He was a variety game streamer like Bubblegum."
Variety game streamer.
That was the type of streamer Sanghyeon wanted to become.
It was a much more advantageous form even thinking about it purely commercially. It meant being able to play various games without being shaken by any trend.
Of course, only a select few streamers could live such a life.
Either being good at all games, or having an outstanding sense for broadcasting instead of being good at games.
'I should strive for the former.'
When Sanghyeon thought about it himself, he didn't know whether he had an outstanding sense for broadcasting or not. But his innate competitive spirit and concentration seemed second to none.
"Anyway... what should I write in my reply..."
Having organized his thoughts, Sanghyeon stared back at the message in question.
==== ====
Hello, Almond. I am a streamer called Dotorimuk. These days I mainly play Kingdom Age.
I also consider myself somewhat decent at games, but after watching your play, I fell in love at first sight. Please don't misunderstand. I like women.
Anyway, the point is, how about we do a collab stream once, and you could pass on some know-how, or perhaps I could put together some content analyzing your play.
We can discuss the details in person or through a virtual meeting.
Please don't feel pressured, and feel free to contact me for any other reason as well.
==== ====
He said not to feel pressured, but it was a message that seriously pressured him.
"Ah... I'm not good at this kind of thing."
Sanghyeon agonized over it. This kind of collab stream could become poison for him.
His image could solidify as a collab streamer, or he could come across like a mosquito clinging to others.
"If I don't handle myself well, things will really get weird."
Sanghyeon was - a former large corporation assistant manager no less - but he had almost no social skills.
The type who doesn't make friends easily no matter how much social activity he does.
The type where not getting cursed at is considered lucky.
But the friend he somehow ended up making seemed like a pretty good type... probably.
Bzzzzt.
A familiar name was appearing on his phone.
[Kim Joohyuk]
Sanghyeon didn't know what business he had, but answered anyway.
"Yeah. What's up."
"Hey. I looked up your stream. You're Almond, right?"
"Yeah."
"Wooow~ you bastard. The response was good?"
"Yeah. I suppose so."
"Is streaming normally supposed to get that kind of reaction by day two? How come it seems like I'm more excited?"
"Calmness is an essential quality for archery. And I've been a genius since I was little, so I'm used to it."
"Haa..."
He thought he heard cursing from the phone for a moment.
"Hey. You know what?"
"What?"
"I had a huge fight with the department head today."
"?!"
Sanghyeon was genuinely surprised and couldn't answer. If it were someone else, maybe, but Kim Joohyuk having a conflict with the department head? Not the section chief, but the department head?
Kim Joohyuk was absolutely not the type to do that.
He was the kind of guy who always said with his own mouth that enduring was what he did best in the world. That's why he was able to build such an elite resume.
"From your voice, it doesn't sound like you just had a simple fight... it sounds like you made some kind of decision?"
Above all, it wasn't the tone of someone who simply had one fight with the department head. Sanghyeon had an ominous premonition.
No, perhaps this was a good premonition.
"Yeah. I raised absolute hell, hell. That son of a b*tch. I should've thrown the ashtray at him."
"...Did you quit by any chance?"
"Yeah, f*ck."
Hahahaha! The phone erupted with laughter so loud that Sanghyeon had to pull the phone away from his ear and grimace.
"What are you going to do?"
"What do you mean, I have to get a new job."
"Ah."
Ah... right.
Sanghyeon felt his energy deflate all at once. Joohyuk's life was completely different from Sanghyeon's.
With his resume and abilities, he could go to any company. Originally, he might have already received countless offers from somewhere.
Joohyuk wasn't simply a fool who only built up a resume. His work ability was the real deal. So he would have confidence even if he changed jobs.
That's why Sanghyeon couldn't bring himself to say the thought that had been wriggling inside him since earlier.
'Should I say this or not...'
Even if he heard it, it would be a truly absurd story.
'You, become my manager!'
Reflecting on it internally, it really sounded like something a crazy person would say. It was no different from telling someone to get employed at a company whose revenue was merely 100,000 won.
But Sanghyeon realized that all such worries were pointless.
Because of the very next words Joohyuk said.
"Hey. I'm going to rest for a bit, so if there's anything you need help with during that time, let me know. It's boring to just sit around."
"...What?"
"Don't you need a manager or something?"
What on earth was he talking about? Sanghyeon couldn't believe the words he just heard.
"It would be nice to have one but... you know I'm still a total nobody, right?"
"Yeah. I know. 'Still' a nobody."
"......"
"You crying when coming out of the capsule."
"Aaaaah! Don't say that!"
"Ah, no. It's not like that, but seeing that made me think a lot too."
"?"
"You really seemed to like it. Shooting arrows. I've never done anything I liked."
"Do you like being a manager...?"
"I don't know that. But it seems like it'd be fun. At least more fun than company life? Honestly, company life is f*cking boring."
"That's true."
"With my level, taking a year off wouldn't be a problem for getting a new job. And if things go well, I'll tie you down with a contract and become an evil entertainment agency boss, so don't worry."
Sanghyeon's hand trembled.
'Can this be happening.'
This was Joohyuk's pure goodwill. Even if he was a high-spec capable person, a year was still precious time to him.
It was time he could at least spend dating.
Wasn't he saying he would invest that time in Sanghyeon's potential right now?
It was an offer that would easily exceed 50 million won just based on the salary from the company he'd been working at.
"Well..."
Feeling Sanghyeon's hesitation from guilt, Joohyuk added. In an intentionally arrogant voice.
"So I'm thinking of raising you up once. How about it?"
Pfft.
Sanghyeon ended up laughing.
This was also crazy talk from another angle.
Joohyuk was an amazing guy, but he was just a lowly assistant manager with no manager experience, let alone management experience. Who was he going to raise?
But it was such an attractive proposal.
A manager with nothing and a streamer with nothing.
The two of them quitting a large corporation together and succeeding side by side... it was the kind of story that made him smile just thinking about it.
"Who are you raising? I'll have you sitting on a pile of money, so process your resignation immediately!"
Bursts of laughter exploded from the phone.
"Are you imitating the department head?"
"Manager Kim. You have work to do starting tomorrow."
"What is it."
Sanghyeon told him about the message he had received earlier.
"A collab proposal? Oh, as expected of the talent I picked. A 1-tier streamer like that already proposing a collab."
Joohyuk's reaction was quite good.
"Is it okay?"
"Is that even a question? There's nothing to lose?"
"Is that so? But I'm not good at making good impressions on people."
"That's true. But first, you naturally go in unpaid, and just confidently show your skills. If the collab itself goes well, there's no need to worry about making a good impression or not."
"Right, right."
Sanghyeon nodded without realizing it.
He was right. No matter how it turned out, it was a meeting where he had nothing to lose anyway. Because Sanghyeon had absolutely nothing to lose.
There was no need to try hard to make a good impression. Just playing earnestly would get a good reaction.
"Hey, and I have an idea too, but I'll tell you when we meet. First, send me a message about where to meet tomorrow. I'll come too."
"Okey-dokey."
Click.
Having hung up the phone like that, Sanghyeon barely managed to catch his breath that was welling up.
"...It feels like things are suddenly progressing incredibly fast."
He was about to have a top 0.1% talent as his manager, and he'd also received a collab proposal from a 1-tier streamer in this field.
Someone had said that.
When running down the path to success, the world moves faster than ever. So fast that you can't see any of the surrounding scenery.
Perhaps Sanghyeon had already ridden onto one side of that path to success.
Already nothing else was visible in his eyes. Even the worry about leaving the company was now something he couldn't even remember.
Just eating Almonds and milk gave him overflowing energy. In the morning, his eyes snapped open on their own.
Because the heart pounding with the thought of streaming tomorrow and the day after naturally woke his head.
Crunch crunch.
He poured more Almonds into his mouth and began typing on the keyboard.
[Hello, Dotorimuk. This is Almond.]
* * *
Dotorimuk touched his newly styled hair for the first time in a while and checked the time.
"Hmm."
He had come too early.
"Oppa. But is it really okay to actually meet with a nobody like that?"
A manager, who didn't seem to like the fact that he had come and sat down a whole 30 minutes before the appointment time, grumbled.
"Hey. I'm meeting him because I see potential. Was anyone a superstar from the start?"
"Come on. Last time too, you almost got screwed over getting tangled with some nobody female streamer."
"Ahem, hey! This person is a man! I'm a man too! And you're... a manager!"
Dotorimuk dismissed the previous scandal with a shout and calmed his manager down.
"Look, hey. Whether my eye for talent is right or wrong. First of all, his physical skills are top-tier in the country. Discovering such a person first and meeting them in advance means we can get much closer later, and I benefit too."
"Ha. Is this a world where you can rise just by being skilled? If you want to do things like collab talk shows, you need the looks to back it up. We don't even know what that person looks like without their game corrections and costume, right?"
"Um..."
Dotorimuk couldn't give a proper answer to this. In fact, Almond in the game was an appearance corrected by various effects. So it was closer to a game character than an actual person.
Other than that, there was no scene where his real face was shown.
"And nerds who only play games all the time can't even talk when they come to places like this, and they're all chubby and flabby... wow..."
The manager stopped talking mid-sentence and stared at somewhere.
Two men dressed in neat suits had entered through the cafe entrance.
Straight postures, suit fits, neat pompadour hairstyles. They were the appearance of refined working professionals who looked like they worked at a massive corporation no matter who saw them.
"Wow. Just my type. I wish they looked like that..."
As if hearing those words, surprisingly, the two of them looked toward Dotorimuk's side and smiled brightly.
"Why, why are they coming... this way...?"
They were even walking toward Dotorimuk's side.
Sure enough, they extended their hands.
"Are you Dotorimuk?"
"Yes... perhaps..."
"Hello. I'm Almond, Yoo Sanghyeon."