Ch.128123 – Editor

“Wow, that looks super sweet just looking at it. Is it tasty?”

“…Just a bite.”

“I totally forgot they moved locations! Sorry for making you wander around. Won’t you forgive me for being upset?”

NoName glared sharply at So Ma-ru, who scratched his head with an awkward smile.

While the whole java chip was sucked through the straw, Maru stirred the ice in his iced Americano.

Her cherry-like lips, now separated from the straw, mumbled.

“I’m not upset, just thinking about someone who doesn’t keep their time commitments.”

“The supervisor wouldn’t let us finish early today… But I ran here as fast as I could.”

True to his word, Maru’s hair was completely soaked with sweat.

In fact, when he entered the cafe without changing clothes, still in his dirt-covered work clothes, NoName had somewhat understood his situation.

“So, would you like to quit your current job?”

“Huh, suddenly? There aren’t many places that pay as well as this one. The supervisor is strict but he’s a good person. You shouldn’t—”

“How much do you want?”

Before Maru could finish speaking, NoName rotated a piece of paper 180 degrees and pushed it toward him.

“VTube business partnership contract? So this is what Yuna was talking about. She mentioned her acquaintance does streaming, right?”

[Twissy Streamer ‘NoName’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘Party A’) enters into this joint business contract with VTube editor ‘ ‘ (hereinafter referred to as ‘Party B’) for the purpose of profit distribution generated during the joint operation of VTube.]

While Maru was carefully examining the paper, NoName corrected his misunderstanding.

“No, I’m the one who streams.”

“You? Wow, impressive at such a young age! I hear kids these days all dream of becoming internet broadcasters.”

“I wouldn’t know about that.”

“Come on, I already owe you. You don’t need to be so formal with contracts. I can do simple editing for free whenever you need it. But where did you get this contract from anyway?”

Maru held the paper up to the cafe light, examining it with curiosity.

NoName’s eyes narrowed for a moment. He doesn’t keep time, and he’s not taking this seriously.

She thought he was such a mature person, but could she really trust him with this?

Thinking that this was all for Yuna and her family, NoName pulled out a thick envelope from her bag and handed it to Maru.

“Here, take this. I’d like you to quit your job starting today.”

“Huh? What’s this? Hmm… AAAAAAHHH!”

As soon as he opened the envelope and was greeted by a stack of yellow bills, Maru’s chair toppled backward.

CRASH!

The already displeased barista’s expression worsened.

NoName bowed apologetically on his behalf and helped Maru back up.

“What are you doing in a cafe?”

“M-money… Did you come all the way here alone with this money? What if you lost it?!”

The envelope contained an amount no child should be carrying around.

Even with just 1,000 won bills, it was enough to go to a buffet and have money left over.

“It’s just an initial payment of 5 million won.”

“What?”

“Use it to buy a computer or another capsule. Or take Yuna out for a nice meal.”

“Are you serious? Do you even know how much money this is?”

Maru’s expression stiffened.

Even after sweating all day at work, he would only handle three or four bills.

He couldn’t understand why NoName was casually handing him this much money.

“I know. That’s why I’m giving it to you.”

At NoName’s innocent expression, Maru pressed his forehead with his palm.

“No, I can’t accept this money. I appreciate your thoughtfulness though.”

“I think there’s some misunderstanding.”

NoName paused mid-sentence and took a sip of her frappuccino. When she pulled the cup away, a small amount of white cream remained around her lips.

“I’m seriously trying to hire you as my editor, Maru oppa. I’m not just giving you money as charity or volunteer work.”

She wiped her mouth with a napkin. Even in this small action, she exuded the elegance of a European aristocrat.

“Since it’s the first month, we might not make any profit from uploaded videos. That’s why I’m giving you 5 million won. After that, you can take all the profits up to 5 million won per month. Anything beyond that will be split 50-50 as stated in the contract. I’ll set aside my half for Yuna’s future.”

“Wait a minute…”

Maru carefully read through the contract again after hearing NoName’s serious explanation.

It wasn’t child’s play—the contract covered not only profit distribution but also detailed all the specific terms.

As he lowered the paper, the eight-year-old child’s face peeked out.

“So, are you interested now?”

To NoName’s subtle smile, Maru hesitated before giving his answer.

“No. I still don’t think this is right.”

“Why?”

Not expecting rejection, NoName pressed her forehead in frustration.

Crossing her arms and showing a stubborn expression, she asked for his reason.

So Ma-ru’s point was ultimately simple and clear.

His position was that he might take on a second job, but he couldn’t give up his current livelihood.

He didn’t know how much editors earned, but his current job was enough to live on, and he couldn’t afford to invest in something uncertain.

This perhaps clearly demonstrated his responsibility as the head of a household.

But NoName picked up the envelope again.

“Do you know something? I earned this in just one day.”

“Huh?”

“Actually, not even a day. The daily withdrawal limit is 500,000, so I earned even more than this.”

“Really? What kind of broadcasts are you doing? Do kids’ channels make that much money?”

Had he underestimated the internet broadcasting market? Maru was dumbfounded by this unexpected truth.

“If I’d known this, I should have fed Yuna some jjajang…” So Ma-ru muttered incomprehensibly.

“It’s not a kids’ channel.”

NoName tilted her head briefly, then laid out a recording memory on the table.

The hologram, which had been emitting a blue light, gradually changed to a white background, and game screens from yesterday’s play session flashed by rapidly.

“Have you played World of Arsheria?”

“Oh? I used to play it a lot back in the day. It’s been a while though.”

She didn’t watch the entire 12-hour video, but paused it after about 5 minutes of viewing.

“Isn’t 20,000 live viewers a lot? Right?”

“It certainly can’t be considered small.”

“I already knew you were an amazing kid, but the more I learn, the more mysterious you become.”

“So are you in or out?”

NoName snapped irritably as the conversation started to become frustrating.

“I’ll do it. Actually, I should be thanking you for creating this opportunity. But are you sure I’m good enough? You could find much more skilled editors.”

“Yuna told me. She said her brother is the best artist in the world. As for videos, we just need to cut them properly, and editing skills will naturally improve over time. What I’m mainly asking for is thumbnails.”

“Thumbnails?”

NoName opened the VTube app and scrolled through the list of trending videos.

All the videos simply used in-game screenshots as thumbnails.

“Don’t do it like this. I want you to draw custom thumbnails for each video. I don’t want editing work to become mindless repetitive labor for you. That way, you can proudly show Yuna what you do and explain it to her with your artwork, right?”

“So that’s why you called me…”

Maru looked back and forth between the hologram and the contract with trembling eyes.

It was a dream he had abandoned so long ago that he had almost completely forgotten it.

“Yuna still wants her brother to become a great illustrator. Do you still hold onto that dream?”

“I do… yes…”

So Ma-ru bit his lip hard, momentarily overcome with emotion.

A future he had to sacrifice for his family’s sake.

He deeply felt that opportunities truly come from the most unexpected places.

“I believe true art doesn’t stop at imitating perceptible phenomena. It reveals its value when one grasps the essence of phenomena or existence, thoroughly contemplates it, and reinterprets it in their own way. I believe you’re someone who can accomplish that.”

“When you speak so well… who would believe you’re just a child?”

Maru chuckled and looked at the girl before him with admiration.

“Thank you so much… I’ll never forget this kindness.”

NoName shyly avoided his gaze and handed him a pen.

“Great. So you’ll take the job? I’ll send you the detailed requirements via text later. For now, just sign here. This is what I wanted to ask you today.”

“So I start working today?”

“What are you talking about? You’ve already finished today’s work. Go home quickly and buy Yuna something delicious.”

“But I’ve received so much money…”

“I didn’t give you money.”

What NoName meant wasn’t simply about money.

As she packed her file folder and video device into her bag one by one, she said:

“Even if I gave you billions, it could never replace the time I’ve given you. I hope you have a good time with your family. Please give my regards to your mother.”

Not money, but time.

And with it comes friendship, love, memories, and happiness.

Hoping he would fully understand the meaning before regretting it, NoName packed her things and left the cafe.

Just then, the large hologram in the blue sky was broadcasting news about World of Arsheria users holding protests.

‘She said she was going to complain about food being served incorrectly.’

NoName, who had vowed to show what a real difficult customer looked like, took out her phone from her pocket and called someone.

[Cheon Se-min]