episode_0014

In addition, there were matters to discuss with the kids.

“What? You’re going to do NewTube?”

Dayoung asked in surprise, as if she hadn’t expected it at all.

“Yeah. No, Dad has a blog. Developing things like cooking recipes. Many people who used to blog have moved to NewTube. There were people providing seafood information, home appliance reviewers, travel information reviewers, and so on. So, when Dad had some free time, he thought about trying something like that. I thought since Dayoung, you do broadcasting and know quite a bit about it, I’d ask.”

“Oh, well… I do have a NewTube channel, but… it’s just… Anyway! But a cooking channel is too common, so I’m not sure if it will get views… When Dad looks up a recipe, he watches NewTube videos. If you search for a recipe, dozens, no, hundreds of channels come up, right?”

That’s true. Just cooking. It feels too common to say. But if you keep at it steadily, won’t the day come when it shines? When asked like that, Dayoung shook her head in denial.

“Dad, in the end, whether it’s NewTube or anything else, consistency is important. Whether the views come or not, you need to keep pushing forward with your own concept. That’s true. But the motivation to maintain that consistency comes directly from the views. If the views that were doing well suddenly drop, you start wondering why they dropped, and if there’s no answer, your motivation drops, and in the end, you stop doing it.”

“Is that so?”

Come to think of it, I’ve posted recipes on my blog, and I’ve felt a sense of accomplishment and motivation based on the number of likes, comments, and shares. In that sense, Dayoung’s explanation isn’t entirely wrong.

“Hmm… Should I just not do it then?”

It started to worry me because it seemed cumbersome, not being an expert, and perhaps not expanding the work too much.

“Hey, Dad. How about incorporating a concept?”

As Dayoung and I fell into contemplation and silence, this time Davin asked.

“Huh? A concept?”

As she said that, Davin handed me her phone, playing a NewTube video. It seemed to be a Japanese NewTuber video, where a kind-hearted woman appeared and cooked in front of the camera, then ate the food. The views were quite high, and although the comments were in Japanese, there were many of them.

“This… is intriguing.”

As Dayoung continued to watch the next video.

“Intriguing, it’s intriguing.”

Continuing to play the videos. Well, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to watch it. Although we don’t communicate much these days, I remember a friend who used to develop games saying that.

“If you curse at a crappy game but keep playing, that means the game is a hit. If anything leaves a strong impression on people’s minds, then it’s considered successful content.”

Wasn’t that what the current Dayoung was aiming for?

“By the way, Davin, how did you come across this channel?”

Even though there was no exposure or high-profile recommendation, there was clearly something that appealed to the human mind. Videos that couldn’t be considered good influences on adolescent kids. So, I thought it was necessary to figure out how Davin came across such videos and make efforts to at least moderately control it.

“Oh, well… My friend recommended it to me…”

As expected, our Davin wouldn’t find something like this on her own. It’s all the friend’s fault! Right!

“It’s good to watch, but in moderation. Got it?”

She nodded awkwardly.

“Yes, yes. Of course. I just remembered it because Dad mentioned NewTube. I usually don’t watch it much. Haha.”

“Hey, what’s with the red line under the thumbnail indicating your viewing history?”

“Oh, sis!”

As the two siblings chatted for a moment, when they reached a peaceful state, I asked Dayoung.

“But isn’t this more focused on showing off this person’s body rather than cooking? Dad wants to showcase his cooking.”

Having only watched pure cooking videos featuring a clean kitchen background with cutting boards and stovetops, I couldn’t quite grasp the concept even when it was explained like that.

“Whatever you do, you need to know the purpose first when starting a project. Since Dad just wants to share his recipes with people and get feedback, wouldn’t it be better not to get swayed by views or sensationalism?”

They might be a generation more familiar with media than me, but they are still young children. Hence, at their age, they are more sensitive to stimuli or superficial things, and as a parent, it is my responsibility to manage and guide them. That’s what being an adult is about.

“Well, if that’s how Dad wants it. Still, it’s a bit disappointing not to use some tricks to guarantee those views…”

As Dayoung continued to press against my chest.

“Do you really want to promote Dad’s chest on the internet like that?”

I asked, but instead of a response, she seemed to have something in mind and said with a gleam in her eyes.

“Let’s appear on my show later. We can also promote NewTube there.”

“Hmm? What’s the age group of viewers watching your show?”

“Um… diverse? Mostly teenagers and people in their twenties, with some in their thirties too.”

Being a 17-year-old high school student, it seems like her peers make up a significant portion of her audience. But do kids these days cook well? I wondered.

“There are a lot of single-person households these days. Dad doesn’t have to stick to traditional or complicated stuff. You could teach solo cooking or something like that.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea! Yeah, that’s what I want too. It would be nice to help various people cook according to their situations.”

And so, I ended up making a promise to appear on Dayoung’s show.

“But even if we’ve decided on the content, how will we handle filming and editing?”

Looking at Dayoung upon Davin’s question, Dayoung said,

“I’m like MacGyver, you know!”

She mentioned that she would contact a friend who helps edit her NewTube videos.

Realizing that Dayoung also had a NewTube channel, I didn’t even know its name. So, I asked.

“You don’t need to know, Dad! You’d have to find out…”

“If you search for Davi Studio, you’ll find me.”

Before Dayoung finished speaking, Davin quickly exclaimed.

“Hey!”

Searching on the phone, they had 70,000 subscribers.

“Wow, that’s a lot of subscribers. Impressive, right?”

“Nah, it’s nothing special. It just happened as I did things…”

Despite saying that, her face turned red, and she seemed a bit flustered…

“But how do you make money from this?”

I heard that NewTube completely blocks minors from generating income. So, to earn money through such NewTube activities, parental consent is required.

“Oh, that’s… Mom…”

“Huh? Is Mom taking it?”

Flustered, she shook her head.

“No, Mom agreed. For now, it’s linked to Mom’s account, and the earnings go there…”

Hmm, not good. She’s a woman who abandoned her child and ran off with the money. How can she decide what to do with that money? I solemnly told Dayoung,

“You can change that, right? I’ll open a new account for you to transfer it to. And… the money in the old account… No, I’ll handle that separately. Let’s go make a new account tomorrow.”

“…Yes.”

Although it felt really unpleasant to remind the children of the reality that their family had broken up for no reason, I still had to do what needed to be done.

“Yeah, anyway, about the editing… But are you properly compensating your friend who is helping with the editing?”

“Oh, yes. It’s under my mom’s name, but I handle the transactions directly, so I pay per piece like this.”

It’s like a form of outsourcing. Hm…

Come to think of it, that method wasn’t bad. Nowadays, there are separate sites where freelancers can showcase their skills. There are ways to find such places.

“Anyway, this isn’t a decision to be made today, just keep that in mind. Let’s discuss it further and make a decision later.”

“Yes. If Dad has any thoughts, feel free to ask right away.”

“Sure. Will Davin help too?”

“Of course. Anytime.”

I felt a bit uneasy from the moment they mentioned that YouTube video earlier, but having an extra helping hand couldn’t hurt.

“Alright, if you’re done eating, quickly rinse your plates in the sink and head to your rooms!”

Then, Davin suddenly raised his hand and spoke out.

“Let’s go watch a movie!”

Huh? Why the sudden suggestion?

“Why are you suddenly saying that?”

“Well, it’s been quite a while since we all went to see a movie together. I want to watch a movie together after a long time.”

“Do you have a movie you want to watch, Davin?”

In response to my question, Davin nodded.

“Yes, because a movie by my favorite director has been released.”

I chuckled at that statement.

“Don’t you want to go with your friends?”

“Well… my friends mostly like action or thriller movies, so they’re not really into it.”

Well, Davin has always liked movies, much like how I’ve liked dramas since forever. Even at a young age, he often watched art films or independent films, so it wasn’t surprising that his taste in movies didn’t align with his friends’.

“Hmm… That’s fine. Besides, I have a lot of free time now that I don’t have to work. What about Dayoung?”

“Ugh, too lazy. I’ll just tag along to cool off my head.”

And just like that, our family suddenly headed to the movie theater.