NOVEL WEB Chapter 4
I still remember that person who suddenly came to me and asked for a cryptic consultation, sharing kind words that really struck a chord with me.
Now that I think about it, those weren’t difficult words. No, anyone could have said them.
After all, that man wasn’t some sort of psychological counselor or an incredible person who posed complicated solutions. I might be being a bit rude saying that, though.
But perhaps the reason his words touched my heart so much was precisely because they were simple.
Simple words that no one had ever said to me. Not even my parents, my older brother, or my closest confidant, Secretary Kim.
To summarize, he just said it was okay.
I’m not an empty person; I merely deluded myself into thinking I was empty by comparing myself to others. Everything I’ve achieved until now would prove that.
So he told me to keep doing what I thought was joyful, to keep pursuing what I wanted.
It was then I finally realized that until now, no one had ever told me, “It’s okay.”
In that sense, he was quite an extraordinary person.
Not tossing around irresponsible, cliché phrases, but genuinely empathizing with my feelings, and perhaps saying what I had been unconsciously waiting to hear was truly amazing.
“Koha!”
“Thank you for joining us again today!”
Since that day, I found myself searching for that person’s broadcast every night.
In front of that person, I didn’t have to be Ryu Seo-ha.
—
Wearing a name tag that said ‘STAFF’ on my chest, I entered the party venue with a racing heart.
I really ought to give Secretary Kim a bonus later for accommodating my request to find a spot where my identity wouldn’t be revealed. He certainly handles things efficiently.
Thump. Thump.
Isn’t it amazing? I, who didn’t feel anxious at all in front of numerous executives and employees, now felt this giddy anticipation just at the thought of meeting someone.
As I felt the steady heartbeat echoing in my chest, a woman approached me quite urgently.
“Are you the staff member who came to provide emergency help for today’s party? Please come this way!”
“Yes.”
And just like that, I am on my way to meet you.
To let you know just how grateful I am for you.
—
December 24th.
Having received an invitation to the Twip Christmas and year-end streamer party, I finally arrived at the party venue, a club in Seoul.
“…Phew.”
Looking back and forth between the invitation that arrived yesterday and the building only makes my already racing heart race even more.
For someone else, it might just be an ordinary invitation, but for me, it holds quite a bit of significance.
To clarify, my primary goal since starting my broadcasts has been none other than receiving an invitation to a Twip party.
Being invited means the platform recognizes me as someone ‘worthy of treatment’, which feels like receiving a medal, so I definitely wanted to experience it at least once.
Although I’m not yet at the same level, just being in the same space as streamers I’ve only seen through broadcasts is an exhilarating thought.
“Welcome.”
Reassuring myself, I stepped through the entrance of the club, where a female employee greeted me with a smile.
As I entered, I noticed many streamers I felt like I’d seen at least once somewhere in the queue behind me.
Ugh, talk about feeling small.
Still, I did my best to avoid looking out of place and handed the physical invitation to the employee.
After all, being my first formal invitation, the employee, who looked a bit unsure when she saw me, verified my identity using the QR code at the bottom of the invitation and finally smiled.
“Confirmed. Mr. Cosmo.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Was I supposed to return the invitation? The employee handed it back to me and rummaged through a small basket to pull out something that looked like an amusement park entrance wristband and strapped it to my wrist.
With that, I had successfully earned my entrance credentials and stepped inside the building. As it was a club, the atmosphere was dark yet the lights were dazzling.
“Wow! Hannyang, it’s been a while!”
“Ooh, isn’t that Nudang?”
As I reached the first-floor hall filled with streamers, many different faces caught my eye.
Since a lot of folks had probably met through collaboration or introduced themselves in passing, there were groups happily embracing and shaking hands.
And here I am, just a loner. I should’ve built up my connections beforehand.
But I suppose it couldn’t be helped; I wasn’t even doing full-fledged game broadcasts, mainly interacting with viewers, so I hardly had opportunities to connect with other streamers.
Even when I did play a game at the viewers’ request, it usually revolved around solo gameplay of major console games or content for participation.
No, honestly, that’s just an excuse, and the truth is it’s tough for me to meet people.
I’ve had collaboration requests before, but I turned them all down.
“Guys! The food here is amazing! The quality is insane!”
“Hey, I get it, but could you eat without getting it all over yourself? How old are you?!”
After making my way to the second floor, I was welcomed into a space decorated like a restaurant.
On one side, a man was aggressively eating with his phone propped up, and upon hearing his familiar voice, I realized it was Bandal Bear, known as a big deal on Twip.
Wow, I used to watch his broadcasts all the time. His wit, reactions, and down-to-earth charm all blend perfectly; his streams are just pure joy.
I’d love to get an autograph, but since he’s in the middle of a meal, I can’t just approach him. Besides, someone like me wouldn’t dare to.
“Everyone’s doing live broadcasts…”
As I scanned the surroundings for a while, I involuntarily spoke out loud.
As expected for a party only for streamers, most were busily filming themselves with their phones or selfie sticks.
Some were even stopping passing streamers to get them on camera, and in those moments, I felt fortunate that I didn’t know anyone.
So that’s what it means to be part of the in-crowd.
“Hey, hey, who’s that guy? He looks pretty good-looking.”
“Where? Where?”
“That guy over there. I’ve never seen that face before… Is he a no-cam streamer?”
Passing by a table, I overheard two women whispering, and I glanced around to try to see the handsome face they mentioned, but didn’t spot anyone in particular.
“Look, he’s looking over here. Duck down!”
“……?”
Just then, I made eye contact with the two women, but as if they had made a promise, they promptly looked away and focused back on their meal.
Surely they weren’t talking about me, right? Though, unless there’s something seriously wrong with their aesthetic sense, surely not.
“He looks really sweet, doesn’t he?”
“For sure, he has a nerdy vibe.”
Even as I walked away from the two of them, their chatter about someone continued.
I don’t know who they were talking about, but it’s kind of annoying.
Meh, better eat something.
“Oh….”
Grabbing my growling stomach, I headed toward the buffet-style setup near the terrace, and true to the name of a year-end party, quite an array of impressive-looking food awaited.
Wow, the quality is definitely top-notch. I could just fill up here and feel like I’ve gotten my taxi fare worth back.
I’d have an interesting story to share with the viewers tomorrow. That alone is something to be glad about.
“If you need any wine or steak, just let us know. We’ll bring it right away.”
“Yes, thank you.”
With my mouth watering, I scanned the food, and a male staff member, who was also wearing a ‘STAFF’ name tag, approached me.
Steak and wine, huh? Honestly, I wouldn’t know what wine tastes like, so I’ll pass on that for now. But I might crave steak.
But if I eat now, who knows how it’ll go down, so I’ll put it off. I’m sure I won’t have any complaints with just the food laid out.
Just as I was about to pick the first food item with my tongs and heap it onto the large bowl…
“Um, um, excuse me… Mr. Cosmo?”
“…Yes?”
I reflexively turned to the source of a woman’s voice that unexpectedly reached my ears.
There stood a stunning beauty, clearly a stranger, also wearing a ‘STAFF’ name tag, with a somewhat bashful expression.
Her appearance could make any celebrity on TV look dull, and I found myself momentarily mesmerized, staring blankly at her, until a sudden realization hit me like a slap to the head.
How did she know I was Cosmo? I’m not even wearing a name tag right now!