Chapter 371
What kind of profession was a streamer?
Society inevitably required people to provide value in order to make money.
And professions were classified according to what kind of value they provided.
Then what value did streamers offer their viewers that made them so loved and allowed them to earn so much money?
On the most superficial level, streamers first of all gave Tsu viewers laughter.
A boring stream could never take off.
That was an incontrovertible fact.
But defining Tsu viewers and streamers as mere entertainers and spectators was insufficient.
Because they shared a wide variety of emotions, going beyond simple enjoyment.
That was right.
Their relationship could be seen as similar to that between fans and stars.
That was why there were Tsu viewers who would enter a streamer’s broadcast just because it was that streamer’s broadcast.
The kind who left the stream on while doing their own thing even during boring, tedious content, complained, and snickered in the chat.
A streamer was someone who influenced a great many people.
Someone loved by the masses.
And Seojun didn’t think having such a profession was all that bad.
Even in the memories of his past life, he had received the support of many people.
Of course, those circumstances had made that support so meaningless that Seojun had dismissed it as insignificant.
If Seojun had at least been a political figure, it might have had some meaning, but he hadn’t been a political figure.
Besides, he had possessed the power to accomplish what he wanted even without such support.
That was why it was quite significant that Seojun, who still possessed those memories in which he had dismissed such things as worthless, realized that the cheers of the Tsu viewers felt different.
But today, Seojun became fully aware of that fact.
Perhaps that was why.
When all the autographs had run out, and after a certain amount of interaction onstage had taken place—
In other words, when a serious problem arose in the event’s proceedings, Seojun would normally have shrugged it off, gone to the waiting room, and done a low-effort stream, but this time he made a different choice.
‘I should do something more without taking a break. It’ll be fun.’
Would the next content be a chase or a treasure hunt?
Expecting how the Tsu viewers would interpret it, Seojun left them wanting more.
“Everyone, that’s all for today!”
* * *
Her real name—or rather, her real-life nickname—was Lee Sua.
And her Travel nickname was Rich.
She smacked her lips from her seat in the audience.
“Ah, what a shame.”
The chance to see more of Seojun had vanished.
Although she stayed inside her house for 350 out of 365 days, starting tomorrow, those special days when she had appointments—the mere fifteen days of the year—were going to continue one after another.
Of all days, it had to be one of the days that made up only four percent of the year!
“I’m a manager now, so I’ll have another chance, at least…… But the people who can only come today must be really disappointed. Don’t you think?”
Rich turned toward the person sitting beside her.
Toward Shut Up and Play, whose Travel nickname belonged to someone who proudly claimed to stay inside for 352 days out of 365, while her real-life nickname was of no particular importance.
“That’s true.”
“But that’s just how the host is.”
“Can’t be helped.”
“Whew, I wonder if everyone will accept it.”
Rich turned her attention to her phone, her eyes blazing.
Now that she had gained both authority and responsibility, she needed to manage the chat.
Shut Up and Play, sitting beside her, was doing the same.
Then Shut Up and Play’s eyes widened.
“They’re accepting it?”
“Huh?”
-What a shame
-But it was never a booth where you could meet him one-on-one from the start
-Be grateful for this much, Tsu viewers. I don’t even have a ticket ㅠㅠ
-Still, it must be sad not being able to buy merch or see the host for long
“Wow, there’s no riot!”
Rich cheered.
How many riots had broken out during the past few days since she had taken on the manager role?
Seojun’s personality had spread throughout the world to the point that it had become infamous.
So it was only natural that rebellion, demonstrations, riots, and conspiracies broke out in the chat every moment.
The original managers—Winter Bighead Mackerel, White Horse Rider, and Jioam—simply took it in stride.
They were veterans who snipped out only those who crossed the line with their scissors.
But the newcomers were different.
Not only were they unfamiliar with where the boundaries lay, they also couldn’t help worrying that every little incident might spiral into an even bigger issue.
So having everyone understand things like this right from the start was something to be grateful for.
Shut Up and Play also returned a gentle gaze.
Her tenacity, which had shone while she mined minerals like a madwoman in Last, was shining just as brightly in her work as a manager.
Of course, she still typed in chat an astonishing amount.
Needless to say, being a manager gave her special effects that made her even more noticeable.
In any case, since no rebellion, demonstration, riot, or conspiracy had broken out, the only thing left for the two of them was—
“What should we do, Ms. Shut Up and Play?”
“Have fun?”
“Without the host?”
“There are lots of other people.”
“But I can’t see anyone except the host.”
“I’ll teach you everything! I was a genuine Tsu viewer!”
“Really!”
They were going to have fun.
Rich was a case of someone who had discovered Travel through Seojun.
Shut Up and Play, on the other hand, had already been a ghost haunting the site before becoming attached to Seojun.
So they could simply enjoy themselves.
However.
As Rich left the audience area, the other Tsu viewers kept catching her eye.
They all wore expressions of resignation, as if they had no choice.
‘He could at least spend a little more time with them at times like this.’
It was fair to say that he had already spent more than two hours interacting with them up front, and that everyone interested had seen him.
But didn’t they all look so disappointed?
Women.
Men.
‘He probably means for them to enjoy the rest of the festival, too.’
Seojun’s intention was obvious. Since they had seen enough of him, they should go enjoy the other booths.
Of course, that would be fun as well.
Still, Rich couldn’t help thinking that simply watching Seojun interact with people, even if he had nothing else to do and was being boring, might be just as entertaining as walking around elsewhere.
A true fan.
It wasn’t a term distinguishing fake fans from real fans. It referred to a genuinely passionate fan.
And for such a passionate fan, there was no choice but to prefer seeing more of him.
Of course, it was over.
Even among the true fans who came to Trastar twice during the event, only the truest of true fans would get to see him in person again.
Rich tuned out the stream and began focusing on the other booths.
Whatever the case, it really was a festival one would regret missing—or failing to enjoy.
And there was nothing she could do for the sake of the other fans.
It was about thirty minutes later, after Rich had wandered around the booths of various entertaining streamers with little or no waiting, following the lead of Shut Up and Play, a max-level Trastar player.
“Ah! I want to see the host! I didn’t even get an autograph! Or any merch! Host, turn on the black screen right now!”
Someone shouted in the hallway, spreading their arms wide.
The black screen?
What black screen were they talking about?
Having played games with Seojun before, Rich instinctively pulled out her phone, opened Travel, and searched for Seojun’s stream.
Something strange that shouldn’t happen under normal circumstances was happening?
If it involved Seojun, there was a ninety-percent chance that was exactly what it was.
“What? It says the host will come if we do this? Why isn’t he showing up! Ah! I want to see the host!”
It seemed more like ninety-nine percent.
However, when she opened the stream, the screen was black, and no sound could be heard.
“Hello.”
Someone suddenly appeared.
Truly, out of nowhere.
Where had he come from?
“Huh? Ah! Really?”
“Yes, really. Now, tell me where you’d like me to sign.”
“Here!”
The man boldly pointed to his solar plexus, and Seojun, who at some point had acquired a pen, approached him.
“Stay still.”
He scribbled something, then vanished.
More precisely, he disappeared into the crowd, but “vanished” was the only way to describe it.
No sound could still be heard through the earphones plugged into her ears.
The screen was the same.
“What the……”
And yet.
Despite the broadcast showing nothing at all, eighty thousand viewers with nothing better to do were watching.
And among the rapidly scrolling chat messages, Rich saw several messages like this:
-Guys, if you’re really at Trastar, try acting like you’re looking for the host. He’ll appear for you!
This prompted Rich to take a specific action.
“Host!”
“Yes? Hello, Ms. Rich.”
“Oh my goodness.”
“Do you need an autograph?”
“No.”
“Understood.”
Although he was full of mischief, Seojun disappeared again, and she was able to see him.
Right.
Mm.
Mm.
Mmmmm.
“Uh, Ms. Rich? What are you doing?”
“Ms. Shut Up and Play.”
“Yes?”
“I suddenly feel a chill running through me.”
* * *
A ghost story began to spread.
The chat of the stream, which had been left on so that only the Gateses of free time could waste their hours watching absolutely nothing, was lively.
That was because there were plenty of Gateses, and for those who had arrived late at Trastar or wanted to see Seojun at least one more time, the stream was their only remaining option.
Then messages claiming that people had seen Seojun began appearing in the chat.
No, they began multiplying.
The contents were absurd.
-If you spread your arms, that guy will come find you
-If you talk about the host, he’ll come looking for you like a persimmon!
-???
-Those who really want to see the host should just turn on the stream and walk around. You’ll meet him eventually
-What is this, meeting a sage in a novel? LMAOOOOOOOO
-Do these guys have nothing to do? LOL
-They’re determined to prank the people who left Trastar. The host went home~
-For real LOL. If you want to meet the host, at least take off your underwear
-I’m really taking them off. For reference, I’m in the central hall.
-LMAO as if he’d show up
-Wow! I was really about to take them off, but the host stopped me!
-Don’t lie, LOL. I’m telling you, that guy went to rest. Don’t say ridiculous things about him staying behind to hand out autographs while using Shadowstep
Look at Seojun’s personality.
No matter how much the Tsu viewers begged, hadn’t he always gone around performing the miracle of taking a day off?
The ghost story lost its credibility.
But then.
[Posting proof]
==
The host signed the shirt I came wearing
(Photo)
==
-Wow, you forged it pretty well LOL
-Did you know? All of the host’s signatures are exactly the same, without even a hair’s breadth of difference in placement
└For real?
└That one is exactly the same, too
-I knew it! You stole the autograph machine, you Tsu-bro!
Proofs began to appear.
And not just on clothes.
Naturally, viewers who had successfully summoned Seojun asked him to sign the places they most wanted, and those signatures became items even more unique than merchandise.
[The host just signed something and ran away LOL]
==
Of course, I did type in the chat, “I’m in front of the fried-food booth right now, so try secretly signing something and disappearing.”
There really was suddenly a signature there.
Chills.
==
-This is Shadowstep!
-I’m doing it too LOL
-Wow, holy crap, I can’t resist this. Typing in chat right now
-Are you guys planning to turn the host into a serial autograph killer?!
And then a post that added even more fuel to the situation appeared.
[Guys, someone suddenly appeared in front of me and looked like the host, so I tapped him on the shoulder. He said, “Oh, you found me,” and gave me three autographs!]
-????
-Three?????
-Three is insane LOL
-This is… Is he telling us to find the host himself?
└LMAOOOO Is he actually flirting with us?
The Tsu viewers attending Trastar went wild.
When they were outside the booths, and sometimes even while standing in line at other booths, people shouted for the host from every direction.
They verified that they were viewers and watched one another with eagle eyes.
Jay happened to witness the scene in full because his booth ended early.
‘This is insane……. Still, the voting results will come out normally, right?’
When Trastar ended completely and the people began returning home, the tally for the first day’s vote appeared.
Naturally.
It was anything but normal.