Chapter 29: A Secretly scary person

Park Yoo-jung had several strengths that made her a great candidate as an editor.

Verified identity.

Plenty of practical experience.

A generally proactive personality.

There were a few areas that left something to be desired—like her understanding of archers—but not to the point of being disqualifying in the interview.

I could teach her about archers myself, after all.

“Looking forward to working with you.”

“Oh, yes… I’m looking forward to it too.”

Just the fact that she didn’t dismiss my opinion that archers are a good class was enough of a qualification.

That was the reason I gave the final acceptance to Park Yoo-jung, who looked at me with eyes full of half wonder, half nervousness.

After deciding to hire Park Yoo-jung, we discussed the direction of my YouTube channel.

Maybe it was because she had already worked as an editor for a gaming channel—she seemed to know well how to run one.

For example, the best upload times for videos:

“Upload time matters on YouTube. The time between when people get off work and right before they go to sleep is best.”

Or how to adjust the pacing of a video:

“If it’s just footage of gameplay, it can feel a bit too tight. If you insert 1-2 minute segments of chatting with viewers here and there, the video feels a lot lighter.”

Or ideas for growing the channel:

“Uh, I think it’d be great to do regular collabs with Maru. Not many people have a big-sister type character like Heoyongppa. Oh, and I’d recommend joining streamer tournaments too. Nothing works better for small streamers than those.”

Her voice had a kind of passionate energy, something like youthful drive.

Maybe that’s what people mean by ‘love for the company.’

Perhaps because her hiring had just been confirmed, she was eager to prove herself.

At the moment, she seemed like a competent hire.

And that’s a good thing.

Someone stepping up like this from the start—there’s no downside for me.

It did weigh on me a little that there wouldn’t be much revenue to share with her in the early days of the channel… but no one makes a fortune from the start.

“Do you already have a channel, or do we need to create a new one?”

“Oh, I already made one. There’s nothing on it yet, but should I at least give you the ID and password for now?”

“Yes, please. It’ll be easier for me to upload if I have login access.”

After that, we discussed things like how we’d do content approvals, how to decorate the banner and profile picture, etc.

Maybe because there weren’t any arguments during the conversation, everything flowed quickly and smoothly with Park Yoo-jung.

“I see.” “Got it.” “That’s a good idea.”

Those three responses summed up most of what I said to her suggestions or questions.

And that was thanks to how much more proactive she was than I’d expected.

That said, there were still some decisions I had to make myself—like when to actually launch the YouTube channel.

Since that was entirely up to me, Park Yoo-jung asked for my opinion.

“Well, I do want to keep the duo ranked game VODs with Nabel, but when do you think would be a good time to officially start the YouTube channel?”

“Hmm…”

From what I’d seen searching other Battle of Legend-related YouTube channels, people like me were usually labeled as “XX mains.”

But there also seemed to be a tendency not to recognize users below Diamond tier as true mains.

If I was going to brand myself as an Archer main, I’d at least need to reach Diamond tier.

That was why I asked Park Yoo-jung to give me a few more days.

“I’m not saying I’ll throw away the older stream recordings, but I’d like to officially launch the channel after I’ve hit Diamond.”

“Ah, Diamond… It shouldn’t be too long, I hope.”

“It won’t take that long. Don’t worry.”

At most, a week. Maybe just four days.

I was confident I’d reach Diamond soon.

Not wishful thinking—just a logical conclusion based on Heoyongppa’s current ranking progress.

“Ah, well… fighting! I’ll be cheering for you.”

…Her face totally says she’s not convinced. Even if it’s a logical conclusion.

Anyway, that was the end of my conversation with Park Yoo-jung.

We agreed to meet again on Saturday to sign the contract, exchanged contact info, and parted ways.

Maybe because it was past quitting time, the road back to my apartment was quieter than usual.

I walked the calm streets, mulling over our conversation.

Collabs with Seoyeon. Joining streamer tournaments.

Being a streamer really is a busy job.

They didn’t get that level of popularity for nothing.

Maybe I had underestimated what it meant to be a streamer…

‘This isn’t just “helping out a little.”’

In hindsight, the idea of starting my own stream just to improve Seoyeon’s seemed like a ridiculous reason.

I guess there’s truth to the saying “If you don’t know, stay out of it.”

…Well, too late now that I’ve stepped into it.

[Heoyongppa’s stream has started.]

(LIVE) Archers are awesome

#BattleOfLegend

As soon as I got home, I started the stream.

I had posted a notice earlier saying today’s stream would be a bit late due to the editor hiring stuff, but still, earlier was better.

So, 5 minutes… 10 minutes…

The viewer count, slowly increasing over time, had passed 1,000 before I knew it.

Heyyo (short for Hi, Heoyongppa)

Hello

Came from Ppaggallery, what’s your relationship with Nabel?

Hurry up and queue, lol. My neck’s getting stiff from waiting.

Did you hear Maru almost caused a fire at school today?

I saw the stream title and had to join.

The speed of the chat, fast for a new streamer, showed just how much interest Heoyongppa was getting these days.

Maybe this was also thanks to that “Ppazzijik Gallery” community Seoyeon told me about.

“Ah, ah, can you hear me?”

Yes

Yup

[XX donated 1,000 won!]

『Hello』

—Wow, that voice…

Nuna, I love you!!!!!! (Temporarily banned user)

I can hear you well ᄋᄋ

I only asked if they could hear my voice, but all sorts of responses came flooding in.

Still, the chat is moving at a pace where I can read each message one by one.

The feeling that people whose names and faces I don’t even know are waiting for me to speak… it was unfamiliar.

That’s not to say communicating with viewers is boring.

It’s not quite that either.

“Yes, um… thank you for coming again today. Let’s get started with the archer right away.”

Crazy archer-loving b*tch…

Can’t you please play the completely broken rogue from Days just once?

She seriously never plays any other character.

— It’s the fourth day I’m asking why she’s so obsessed with the archer.

ᅳ Hmph lol

Is there any merit to solo-maining archer?

Ding.

[User 00 has donated 1,000 won!]

『Why do you only ever stream archer content, ma’am?』

“Because everyone came to see my archer play. I think a streamer like me shouldn’t betray the viewers’ expectations.”

??

・You’re the only nutjob who keeps playing archer even though there’s no punishment or anything.

・This is such a stretch; seriously BS;;

???

Viewers’ expec…ta…tions??

The chat went wild again.

That’s strange.

Why is everyone acting like this?

They must’ve clicked into this stream titled “I Love Archer” because they wanted to see archer content.

Coming into my stream and asking me to play a warrior or mage or rogue is ridiculous.

That’s like walking into a sushi restaurant and asking for jjajangmyeon.

Archer is basically just food waste

Sushi ᄋᄌᄅ lolololol

Can’t you just give us jjajangmyeon????

I mean, it’s not wrong… but why does it piss me off so much?

Boss, just give us jjajangmyeon

You’re ignoring jjajangmyeon even though it slaps “Alright, then today I’ll focus on countering the priest.

Since priests tend to have low HP, I’ll take the heavy-hit specialization.”

And again, a wave of question marks comes flooding in.

I worked hard to build this setup in my own way.

Couldn’t they at least show a little anticipation at first?

There’s still… a long way to go.

You’re the one going in circles right now

・Wow, you’re seriously screwed lolololol

You say your goal is Grandmaster, so why are you playing archer 😭😭😭😭

・Crazy archer-loving b*tch

There’s a shortcut but you’re stubbornly walking in circles ᄋᄋ..

Bet you didn’t listen to your parents when you were little either

“……I actually did listen to my parents. My relatives even said I was the most filial daughter around.”

— Bullsh*t lolololololol

Aaaaargh

You’re really talented at pissing people off;;

— Ahhh.. she’s on fire again today..

•Why is this stream always in flames

Serial arsonist ᄃᄃ

***

[Victory!]

“…Ugh.”

Ending the final match with a win, I found myself stretching instinctively.

Seems I’ve developed a habit of stretching every time a game ends, without even realizing it.

Is this what they call a conditioned reflex?

I feel like Pavlov’s dog.

—Oh yeah

—Wow

Please stretch one more time

That sound was insane

Ooooh

Pya lololol

“…I’m not sure why you all like that sound so much, but please don’t overdo it. Maru will probably say something again.”

Okay

^^7
ᄋᄏ

· Yes

Let’s read the room~

ᅳ^^7

Okay lol

Without exception, everyone in chat agrees with what I say at times like this.

Why do they only listen so well then?

It’s a fascinating behavior pattern.

It seems random, but there’s a consistent rhythm to it.

Someone could write a whole thesis on it.

‘I’ll have to give Seoyeon a tip about this when she goes to college later.’

I turned my head slightly to check the time, then spoke into the broadcast mic with the usual stream-ending message.

Though I saw many viewers asking for more, unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.

“I have work tomorrow. But I should be able to stream a bit longer on the weekend, so please look forward to that.”

After comforting a few disappointed viewers, I ended the stream completely.

That bit about the weekend being freer — that was actually true.

I should be able to stream long enough to satisfy them then.

“A family gathering with the Executive Director on Saturday afternoon?”

“The foreign branch managers who stayed with us recently praised our hotel’s food to the skies. It looks like the conversation drifted in that direction.”

…Never mind. Somehow, I found myself busy on the weekend too.

“Well, let’s just deal with the urgent stuff first, Ms. Yoo Seoa.”

“Understood.”

Preparing for a gathering of the Yeoryeo Group’s royal family.

It was an unexpected burden for the staff — and even for Executive Director Jeong Hwayoon.

Well, “unexpected” isn’t quite right.

It was more like a butterfly effect gradually triggered by the overseas branch managers’ stay.

From that perspective, this gathering wasn’t such a bad thing.

After all, it meant word was spreading that Yeoryeo Hotel’s quality was top-notch.

If this Royal Family gathering ends well, Jung Hwayoon’s reputation will probably improve.

Then first… the banquet planning.

As part of the Planning Team, she needed to plan a banquet that would satisfy the Royal Family.

‘…I should start by organizing their food preferences.’

One way or another, the Royal Family members were people who had already been investigated thoroughly a long time ago.

Information about them was always stored as a top priority in her mind, and she hadn’t forgotten even small details like allergies.

From there, she refined the banquet plan piece by piece as memories gradually resurfaced—Preferred wine brands, favorite types of flowers, background music.

This wasn’t just a simple family gathering, so there were countless details to be mindful of.

“Pairing it with the 1982 Château Margaux vintage might be best—”

“For tea after the meal, we’ll prepare pu-erh and sancha, and for teaware, we should use Yixing clay teapots—”

And so, she dedicated her time to preparing for the Royal Family’s gathering until Friday evening.

Adjusting the table settings, seat arrangements, lighting, and sound cues—fiddling with all the small parts made time fly by.

However, she couldn’t shake off her concerns about the relationship between Jung Dohyun, Jung Hwayoon, and the other relatives.

She especially remembered that Hwayoon had quite a few real fights with her cousin—Not just petty bickering, but heated exchanges filled with genuine emotion.

***

…She hoped nothing would happen this time.

“Dongwoo Pharmaceuticals this time—”

“Director Kwon, who was assigned to Jeju Island last month—”

“That company Enir has such a picky executive—”

‘…I’m going to get indigestion.’

With about an hour left until the Royal Family’s banquet, Hwayoon had to suppress her mounting stress upon seeing familiar faces exchanging overly friendly greetings in the lobby.

Since when were they on such good terms that one compliment about the food led to setting up meetings?

Or was this possibly an attempt to keep Hwayoon in check at Yeryeo Hotel, to stop overseas branch directors from backing her?

‘Just watching is exhausting…’

Whatever the reason, it felt like this gathering had been forced on her without her consent.

Or maybe these weren’t people she’d ever been fond of to begin with.

Every time she saw those familiar faces, her fists clenched involuntarily.

The only support she had was Jung Dohyun quietly standing by her side—and that fact was both sad and oddly comforting.

Or maybe she should just be thankful he was there at all…

Step.

“Oh ho, you’re looking well. Hotel management must be going alright, huh?”

“…Why are you picking a fight again?”

“What do you mean picking a fight? I’m just concerned.”

Jung Junhyuk.

Her cousin—and someone obsessed with meddling in everything Jung Dohyun and Jung Hwayoon did.

He probably didn’t even realize how ridiculous he looked in his formal suit.

She swallowed the urge to tell him to just eat and leave countless times.

But with about 30 minutes left until the banquet began, a familiar voice called out to Hwayoon.

“Executive Jung. Excuse me for a moment…”

“…? Seoa?”

It was Yoo Seoa, who had completed the final banquet hall inspection with Hwayoon just hours earlier.

Now she was asking if Hwayoon had a moment to spare, and began another briefing related to the banquet.

This was to ensure Hwayoon was fully up to speed on all the banquet components.

On top of that, there had just been a small issue in the kitchen—since Yoo Seoa was personally close to Hwayoon compared to the other staff, she took it upon herself to deliver the news.

“The wild pine mushrooms aren’t in peak condition, so we’ve had to replace them with premium shiitake.”

“Ah, I see. Thanks for letting me know.”

But whether her mind had gone blank, or whether she’d just lost all sense of place and timing—Or perhaps, she just didn’t know how to behave—“Oh? And who’s this?”

Junhyuk approached again, this time taking an interest in Yoo Seoa.

Was it just a fleeting moment, or did Dohyun’s brow really furrow at Junhyuk’s behavior?

“…Hello. I’m Assistant Manager Yoo Seoa from Yeryeo Hotel’s Planning Team 1.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize such a beauty was working under Hwayoon. I’m Executive Director Jung Junhyuk from Yeryeo Department Store.”

What followed was absurd.

He asked if working at Yeryeo Hotel was hard, commented that it must be tough dealing with Hwayoon’s personality, and even suggested she come work at the department store instead.

“Hwayoon’s always been a bit high-maintenance since she was young. Yoo Seoa, you must have it rough.”

Even with Hwayoon right in front of him, he shamelessly hit on Seoa.

Hwayoon could clearly see what Junhyuk was thinking.

Slick.

“This is my business card. Be sure to contact me later. I’d love to see you working somewhere better.”

“…What do you think you’re doing—”

At last, Hwayoon’s patience reached its limit, and she moved to separate Junhyuk and Seoa—
Slip.

In that moment, something lightly nudged Junhyuk’s leg, causing him to stumble and lose his balance.

Only Hwayoon saw what it was.

Wobble!

“Whoa!!”

A shout burst from Junhyuk’s mouth as Seoa instinctively reached out and caught him.

Grab.

“Oh my, are you okay?”

Somehow, Seoa had ended up holding Junhyuk in a princess-carry-like position.

His face turned bright red.

To make matters worse, countless eyes in the distance had now turned toward him.

Unable to watch any longer, Dohyun grabbed Junhyuk by the arm and helped him up.

“…Quit the act and get going.”

“Let go—how am I supposed to walk if you’re grabbing me?!”

Eventually, Junhyuk rubbed his flushed face and headed into the banquet hall.

Soon after, Dohyun and Hwayoon followed, but Hwayoon—who had clearly seen something earlier—
turned to glance back at Yoo Seoa.

‘Just now… Seoa definitely…’

Facing Yoo Seo-ah again, there was her characteristic subtle smile.

Her small lips were also quietly closed.

But, in the fleeting moment when her eyes met with Jung Hwa-yoon’s, she raised her right index finger in front of her lips.

With only that finger straightened, she sent a discreet signal toward Jung Hwa-yoon.

The faintly lifted corner of her lips caught the eye.

Pfft—the slight smirk escaped Jung Hwa-yoon’s lips, a natural reaction to the clear evidence that Jung Jun-hyuk nearly tripping earlier had been orchestrated by Yoo Seo-ah.

“They say ‘doubt kills,’ but… Ms. Seo-ah, you’re surprisingly scary.”

How could she so perfectly pick actions that were so satisfying?

“…What’s so funny?”

“Oh, nothing…”

Maybe Jung Jun-hyuk’s antics had simply annoyed Yoo Seo-ah.

Whatever the case, it felt incredibly satisfying.

Even the stress from all the relatives had suddenly vanished without notice.

“Jun-hyuk oppa looked a bit drained earlier. Eat plenty—it’s all good for your health.”

“Jun-hyuk, especially in times like these, you need to take care of yourself. There are so many employees relying on you.”

“…Thank you for your concern.”

Clench.

The sound of Jung Jun-hyuk grinding his teeth seemed to ring very clearly in Jung Hwa-yoon’s ears.

Maybe that’s why the banquet at Yeryeo Hotel tasted especially good today.