032. Taming (2)

…Am I an idiot.

Waking up, I chew my breakfast that he made, pondering why I acted that way yesterday.

But no matter how much I think about it, I can’t explain my actions as anything other than idiotic.

I definitely shouldn’t believe anything Kang Joo-hyuk says, even if he claimed soybeans turn into fermented bean paste.

What was I thinking nodding my head, you idiot.

“Haeun-ah, finish up and come to the soundproof booth room. I’ll properly explain what I mentioned yesterday.”

“….”

As he continued the conversation bluntly, I watched Kang Joo-hyuk’s back as he took the dishes to the sink.

Should I be thankful that, unlike yesterday, he’s at least wearing a t-shirt and shorts? Is this it?

I knew it too, but when he offered the option I was reluctant to take, I strangely felt like grabbing it.

I know, I know.

That showing my face and body would get even a little more views.

…I knew that, but I didn’t do it.

Because I was afraid it wouldn’t increase even a little.

---

After feeding Haeun-ah, who looked quite distressed, I went into the soundproof booth first and waited for her.

I expected a very professional environment, but the inside was surprisingly desolate.

Aside from a guitar, a music stand, and a chair, there was really nothing else.

Nothing more, nothing less, just a place to play the guitar.

As I pondered what to cram into this ambiguous space to make it suitable as a background, she eventually entered the booth hesitantly.

“Ah, sit down. Haeun-ah.”

“….”

I got up from the chair I was sitting on and had her take my place.

Looking down at Seo Haeun, who sat politely with her legs crossed, I imagined how it would feel to hold a guitar here.

…With breasts this size, I don’t think I need to shoot from above.

Maybe shooting straight from the front would be better.

“Um, Haeun-ah. You know what I asked you yesterday? About whether you’ve considered properly starting YouTube.”

“…Yeah.”

“If you’re serious about doing it properly, I’ll give you some advice from a regular viewer’s perspective, want to hear it? As you know, with your figure, you absolutely cannot fail, no matter how hard you try. Seriously.”

Seo Haeun was already so damn hot even when filmed casually on a phone; just putting on a few rags wouldn’t make that sexiness disappear.

In fact, depending on the clothes, she might be even hotter than naked.

Forget everything else, just wearing a tank top and dolphin shorts would guarantee at least ten thousand subscribers.

If you did cosplay, it’d be around a hundred thousand.

A woman’s breasts are a universally appealing charm, regardless of nationality, so the views would likely surpass the subscriber count.

“…Hey, Kang Joo-hyuk.”

“Yeah.”

“What’s in it for you, making me do that?”

Seo Haeun’s question, cutting straight to the chase with her blunt tone, actually has a simple answer.

Why am I bothering with this woman’s YouTube and trying to help her?

Well, obviously…

“It’s not about thinking about benefits, I’m just saying something because it’s damn frustrating. You’re wasting time with that body, and I can’t help but care.”

“…Ha. Now, of all times.”

If you succeed, won’t you be even hotter?

Wouldn’t a celebrity with a million subscribers be way hotter than a shut-in bum?

“What do you mean ‘now’? I’ve cared about you from the start. Even when I picked a fight years ago, I was just saying that for your own good, you know?”

“Seriously…. I don’t believe you. Not anymore. I won’t believe anything you say now.”

“Believe it or not, that’s up to you, but just listen for now. I’ll tell you how to make money without showing your face right away.”

If I could get financially involved with Seo Haeun in the process, that would be a jackpot.

Or, if our relationship deepened, even just mixing bodies along with a strong bond would honestly put me way past breaking even.

No matter how little I have to spend money on, I’m not throwing away 2 million won a month just to spend half a year eating meals with a woman.

I invested because I have ways to recoup it all.

“Haeun-ah, I’m going to be pretty honest when I explain, okay? Is that alright?”

“…Do whatever you want.”

“Ah, right. So, your channel is this one. ID Sophia. Channel name Sophia. All the videos uploaded are just guitar recordings.”

Reviving a small YouTube channel with less than 100 subscribers isn’t difficult.

Casually featuring a cat,

“For now, keep these videos up, buy a phone tripod, film casually like you’ve been doing, and just upload them. Wear whatever you want.”

If you randomly shove a woman’s breasts in their face, something usually happens.

I was even considering becoming a baseball YouTuber around the time my rehabilitation failure became a reality, so I know this all too well.

Content featuring men’s sweaty bodies for men to watch is hopeless, but

Content featuring women’s sweaty bodies for men to watch sells well.

The opposite also has its own audience.

“…So in the end, you’re telling me to film and upload my body, aren’t you?”

“Hey, it’s just the beginning. The beginning. Just washing rice doesn’t mean the rice is cooked, does it?”

However, that only works when you’re crawling up from rock bottom; to climb higher, you need more sophisticated techniques.

“Listen, you play the guitar pretty well, right? So just play the guitar diligently and upload videos of it, not just recordings. No need for sex appeal.”

“Sex….”

Men generally prefer women who tease like they won’t take it off at first, then gradually undress, rather than those who come out naked from the start.

That’s called ‘push and pull’ in dating, and ‘image management’ in this field.

Idols also try all sorts of concepts like innocent, girl crush, cute, etc., and then switch to sexy if all else fails.

It’s the same principle.

“With someone like you, there’s no need to rush into exposure. Just film normally and upload normally. Even then, your views will increase tenfold.”

“What if they don’t?”

However, if an actor turns down even a role with little resistance like this, the director has nothing more they can ask of them.

I don’t know what makes her so great that she hesitates like this, but I have to make Seo Haeun show off her chest, even if it means rubbing her pride the wrong way.

If that doesn’t happen, she’ll be stuck in this corner forever, eating my food.

That wouldn’t be so bad in itself, but…

I prefer dogs over cats.

And I’d like to take them for walks if possible.

“I’m telling you, it will. Wanna bet? If you film yourself wearing that suit you used to wear at the club back in the day, will it get ten thousand views or not?”

“…Ten thousand?”

“I’m telling you, it will! It’ll definitely get around ten thousand.”

“Wait, do you even know how many views I get right now…?”

“Around 100, right? The highest was maybe 800. If it increases tenfold from the best performance, it should reach ten thousand.”

“Can you guarantee that…?”

“Why wouldn’t I be able to guarantee it? It’s obviously going to happen.”

Seo Haeun looked at me with suspicion, but this was something that was bound to happen.

Honestly, if Seo Haeun filmed herself in that sloppy gym outfit she wore yesterday, maybe not, but wearing the suit from her club days? It’s guaranteed to blow up.

No need to even get into algorithms or anything like that.

“…Hey, Kang Joo-hyuk. You’re really serious about that, right?”

“I told you, I am. Why don’t you believe me? I guarantee it.”

“…Fine, let’s bet. It will never reach ten thousand views with that.”

Even so, I pondered how I could reel in Seo Haeun, who was willingly jumping into the fire,

“What are you betting?”

“Anything. …Except touching me, you have to do whatever I ask.”

“…Hey, you’re crazy. This is…”

“Hurry up and agree. Ah, recording. We’re recording, so promise.”

There wasn’t even a need to actively reel her in.

She basically came pre-smoked to a perfect crisp, delivered right to my mouth.

“Okay, I promise. If it doesn’t reach ten thousand views, I’ll do whatever you ask, just one thing.”

“If you break this, I’ll kick you out of the house.”

“If that’s the case, shouldn’t we make getting kicked out the bet?”

“….”

“…Well, whatever. Then, if I win, you have to do one thing I ask too, right?”

“…As long as I don’t touch you, I’ll do it.”

“Alright, within the bounds of not touching.”

I wondered what guts she had to propose such an impossible bet, and peered intently into Seo Haeun’s eyes.

…Anxiety.

The look of a novice, fidgeting nervously, afraid their bluff might be called.

I briefly wondered if I’d missed something, then realized we hadn’t decided the most crucial part and spoke first.

“Ah, by when?”

“…Until the end of March.”

“Okay, that’s plenty of time. And you’ll upload it to your channel, right?”

“……Yeah.”

“And you won’t delete it or set it to private, obviously?”

“…….”

…I suspected it, but

I didn’t think her plan would be this flimsy.

Of course, she won’t delete it immediately after uploading, but it means she’ll close the channel and escape if things look dangerous.

It was so absurd it was almost cute, so I didn’t press further and cleanly continued the bet.

“Uh… and I’ll buy you a tripod for the video itself, so just stick your phone in and film reasonably. Wear the suit you used to wear when you worked at the company. Okay?”

“….”

“Answer me. You’re the one who suggested recording.”

“Ah, okay…”

Whether she lacked confidence because she lacked confidence in herself,

Or lacked confidence despite having confidence in herself,

Seo Haeun’s attitude was impossible to decipher,

But one thing was certain: I would win the bet either way.

…There aren’t many sites that refuse photos of hot women.

Whether it’s viral marketing or anything else.