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Chapter 15: The Streaming Madness

It’s been 20 minutes since I moved from the uncomfortable chair to the bed.

Dayoung kept bringing the flower straw to her mouth while not taking her eyes off the screen.

As I savored the coffee being slurped up, I felt a bit of my tension easing and decided to let out my complaints that had been bottled up inside.

“Seriously. Anyone would think I’m a manager, not a streamer.”

While checking the sentiment online and watching the recently edited video, I couldn’t help but smile wryly at the melancholy of a caregiver taking care of a child.

Starting from decorating the channel yesterday, with all the questions I had, it’s safe to say I’m practically raising it at this point.

Well, after all, Sehee’s a total newbie in the streaming world with her 6,000 viewers. It can’t be helped that it requires a lot of attention.

‘It’s not like it’ll last that long anyway.’

As is often the case, practical experience and instinct are more important than theory. If I can set a good foundation at the start, she should manage fine on her own afterward.

“The reactions aren’t… bad.”

I muttered it in a nonchalant tone without any particular emotion.

It’s only natural to gain some fame.

Sure, there are a few intense reactions, but most of the content isn’t problematic.

Getting flustered over a pretty streamer ending the stream quickly is just a common trait of the viewers, isn’t it? Let alone, not all the public opinion was like that either.

“Of course, Dayoung. It’s not just me being the skinny promo, so this isn’t disappointing at all.”

Ignoring the bustling self-promotion around me, Dayoung sighed internally. Her mind felt restless.

That day, I envisioned smashing Pe-pe’s skull into a V-shape, countless times, and this guy’s cocky frog-like manner of speaking was somewhat corrected.

Removing specific words aside, nothing much changed, but….

That dude was likely still hoping for a chance to redeem himself. So, he wasn’t fully reformed yet.

Thinking too much about throwing more correction punches, I realized Pe-pe could disappear if things continued this way, so I couldn’t raise my hands anymore.

What this guy means to me, in the end, I compromised on just correcting his speech.

‘There will be a chance eventually.’

I believed there would come a time to revert Pe-pe’s innocent, angelic tone, and for now, I decided to be satisfied with this level.

Even this speech was a huge improvement, wasn’t it?

Pe-pe, sensing something was amiss with no chatter from the chat room, urged Dayoung.

“But when is Sehee going to stream? Shouldn’t I be in the chat management role? You didn’t forget about me, did you?”

“Hmm? I guess she hasn’t mentioned when she’ll start.”

Should I contact her?

Dayoung, answering sluggishly, took out her smartphone.

[Forming: So, when is Pe-pe being brought in?]

[Friede: Writing a message…]

Ah, she saw it right away.

The message being written for about a minute was soon completed and sent to Dayoung’s smartphone.

[Friede: Pe-pe later… I have something to experiment with now.]

‘Experiment?’

What kind of experiment could she possibly have?

Dayoung tilted her head at the unexpected reply.

Ding~★

Soon, an alert rang from the smartphone.

It was a new post from Sehee on the Friede channel.

Could it be related to that “experiment” she mentioned? Curiosity piqued, she accessed the community channel.

―Friede777 Channel―

Author: Friede777

“We will start broadcasting today at 7 PM.”

What is this?

Checking the time, it was 6:50 PM.

The fact that she was starting in ten minutes could be excused, but I tilted my head at the incredibly ordinary announcement.

With no clue about what “experiment” meant, I looked at Pe-pe, but of course, there was no answer.

She simply shrugged her shoulders and played dumb.

* * *

I finished all the settings and was just waiting for the broadcast time to come.

I planned to try something a bit different this time, my heart racing as I only stared at the clock.

I was filled with anticipation about how the viewers would react, how they would show their interest.

At that moment, a message panel lit up, indicating a new message had arrived.

[Forming: So, when is Pe-pe being brought in?]

Pe-pe… Oh, right.

Now that I think about it, you were one of the reasons.

What should I do, bring you in right away from today?

After a moment of thought, I shook my head. Now is not the time.

There’s still a need to observe more.

Right. This is essentially an experiment.

[Friede: Pe-pe later… I have something to experiment with now.]

As I sent the message, my fingers paused for a moment, a strange smile creeping onto my face.

The idea to try something different came from the reactions to the edited video I posted yesterday.

Since the previous broadcast went well, I figured I could just show Soul Warfare ranked games again.

However, while editing, I revisited the chat, which threw a new conundrum my way.

First, there were those who continuously pressured me to keep doing certain actions in the chat.

Ah, among them were quite a few lewd comments. Even if it wasn’t Pe-pe, it was an issue that could pop up at any moment.

I had already dropped hints during the first broadcast, yet the thought that it would only get worse lingered in my mind.

A typical game. A renowned talent known to the masses. A female gamer with outstanding skill and beautiful voice.

I could easily picture how the viewers would respond.

A dazzling player would dominate enemies with her gorgeous gameplay. That would definitely be appealing.

Well, considering this body, compliments on beauty wouldn’t be too problematic. They’re favorable indeed.

But the pressure of revealing oneself in the chat as well as sponsors or missions that create a tense atmosphere is a troublesome situation I can’t accept.

As long as they keep it within limits, it might be alright, but who knows when something like Pe-pe would happen again?

Second, the adjustment of interest.

I felt a twinge of doubt wondering if things would be fine just flowing along this way.

Well, it’s not necessarily bad, but I sensed that sticking exclusively to this would lead to monotony.

That’s true for forming a pattern, matched with responses.

Establishing a flow as a mainstream venture is reasonable, yet if I continue on the same route, things would soon become dull.

If someone asked what kind of mannerism comes with just the first broadcast, I wouldn’t have anything to say, but yeah, I’m preparing for the future.

Sometimes, a strong seasoning is needed. There’s no need to eat the same plain food all the time.

Just as side dishes change, I deemed it necessary to slightly rearrange the attentions as well.

In the editing process, I stumbled upon a chat from a certain viewer that sparked a great idea in me.

A way to draw interest while counterbalancing issues by training the viewers steadily.

―Friede777 Channel―

Author: Friede777

“I will start broadcasting today at 7 PM.”

I posted a new notice on the YouTube channel community.

Alright, the die is cast now.

Putting out a notice 10 minutes before the broadcast isn’t a big deal, so we can move past that.

‘This took some effort to prepare.’

I only hope the results meet my expectations. Of course, they are my expectations.

The remaining 10 minutes flew by quickly. Time’s up.

Just before kicking off the broadcast, I looked down at my outfit.

Dressed in what Dayoung referred to as “normal” Hero’s Equipment, it was elegantly enveloping me.

Ah, if I wear that as well… it’ll be quite a sight.

Well, ideally, situations like that wouldn’t come up, but still.

* * *

Rechecking to ensure the signal was broadcasting properly, Friede cleared her throat and got her voice ready before she greeted.

“Broadcast starting now.”

No need for extravagant remarks, starting simply and cleanly.

As if in response to Friede’s voice, the chat began pouring in with intense enthusiasm to ignite the soul.

[Haha!]

[Open the door quickly! I’m cold!]

[Friede, your voice is hnnng!]

[The starting time is just perfect, Sensei.]

[Let’s do an 8-hour full stream.]

[Did you see the community reactions?]

[What the hell, you’re streaming on Switch, how’s the announcement on YouTube?]

Like a horde of zombies rushing in, viewers flocked in as soon as the broadcast began.

The constantly fluctuating number of viewers and the excessive collective interest bombarded the chat with unfiltered reactions.

Friede shrugged her shoulders. It wasn’t an unexpected reaction.

“Yes, it’s a nice night. Have you all eaten yet?”

[I already inhaled something.]

[I ordered chicken.]

[Sis, let’s get to the ranked games.]

[I’ll be munching while watching, yep.]

As the pace started advancing faster than the first broadcast, the speed of the chat’s flow compared to that of a steam train capturing coal was undeniable.

Glancing at the viewer count beside me, it surpassed 4,000 in under ten minutes.

At this rate, it didn’t seem to matter what was causing the hype. Chats would get pushed aside within a second.

[Hey, it’s so fast I can’t keep up!]

[It’s dizzying @@!]

[How long has it been since we started and it’s already chaotic lol!]

[Sensei, let’s set a limit on followers and a 1-minute delay chance.]

[Hey, why are you the only one chatting?]

[You too, follow!]

[Look how wild the chat is… Following won’t matter now, haha!]

But what is broadcasting? Isn’t it about communication?

Expecting viewers to communicate through this chat seemed like demanding an impossible physical feat from them.

It definitely….

‘Maybe there’s a need to manage it.’

As I habitually manipulated the panel, a thought suddenly crossed my mind, halting my delicate fingers in mid-air.

Ah, playing around with them could be fun, and as an eerie light flickered across my thoughts, it didn’t last long, and viewers seemed to have missed it.

Gathering my thoughts, Friede awkwardly opened her mouth slightly, flailing her hands amid the holographic panels.

“How do I… do this?”

If another streamer had seen this, they’d likely think:

“Oh no, she wouldn’t be told how.”

Watching Friede fumble as she clicked random settings, the chat erupted in a flurry of reactions.

[??]

[???]

[Wait, does this sister really not know the settings?]

[Clueless?]

[Is our sister here… entirely clueless?]

[At this point, she’s being bold about it.]

[Did you really go in blindly without studying the essential skills of managing the chat?]

[Did the streaming guru not fill you in?]

“Guys, calm down. Just a moment… hold on. And don’t diss Forming, alright?”

Let’s ban this guy.

And thus, the first ban of the day took birth, and the chat’s reactions ignited rapidly.

What had been calm turned chaotic, presenting a refreshing experience for the viewers.

At first, they genuinely wondered if she truly didn’t know anything, but watching her fiddle with different screens led them to consider new thoughts.

It was an emerging urge driven by a silly whim to see her squirm and fumble, quite a mischievous vibe was wafting in the air.

The novelty that came with the current changes was enough to spark a flame of excitement in those watching.

[?? Who got mad?]

[Exactly, what’s there to calm down about?]

[Seriously, lol!]

“Stop, stop burning things!”

[Our host keeps whining to stop.]

[Honestly, it’s refreshing hehee!]

“Hey Fri, let’s just go with Marx’s laissez-faire for the chat.”

[What does Marxism have to do with laissez-faire economics?]

[Did the Great Depression turn up in the chat? Haha!]

As the time dragged on and things ripened, a creepy grin was drawn beneath the exposed part of my helmet.

With fingers tracing the familiar settings seamlessly, I declared with delight.

“Ta-da~! It wasn’t that I didn’t know.”

Switching to follower-limited mode with a 1-minute turn, Friede shrugged her shoulders, declaring.

Then came the other kind of delight, with hooks being collected.

[Gathering?]

[????? What’s going on here?]

[Are you playing us for fools with this?]

[You should have just adjusted the settings from the start, Sensei!]

[I was tricked by some lame trickster, huh?]

[?????]

Friede let out a small gasp.

An unvoiced uproar filled with typed rebellions.

Is this the kind of explosion that can occur in a chat limited to followers and 1 message per minute?

What do you know, it’s still an exciting reaction at this point, but the tempo seemed to be simmering down.

Hesitating to respond, Friede stuck her tongue out playfully at the camera and made a V sign with her fingers.

It was a silly sentiment, but it felt like a victory, giving me a cheerful boost.

Savoring the viewers’ intense interest, an uncontrollable laugh burst forth from Friede’s closed lips.

* * *