chapter_0119

119 – Do You Know Me?

119 – Do You Know Me?

The opening ceremony collaboration was scheduled three months ago during the Ppajijik year-end party, so I had been preparing a lot since then.

First, I had to memorize the cheer song for the KG Dragons, which is supported by KraeMang.

Although I had never been to a game, those who had said that knowing this cheer song made a big difference in enjoying the experience.

KraeMang, who is crazy about baseball, especially the KBO (Korean League), has memorized not only the cheers for his team, the KG Dragons, but also for other teams.

When watching the games online, if the KG Dragons were losing, he would often change the opposing team’s cheers into curses like “Ah-tteugo,” “Alkkagi,” “Byeongsalta,” and “Heosseuwing.”

I was curious about the meanings of these specific terms, but I figured that KraeMang would explain the baseball rules when I went, which would help facilitate our conversation during the collaboration, so I didn’t bother to look them up.

The second thing was to ask the Boss in advance to prepare an outfit suitable for the KG Dragons.

Since I needed to buy new spring clothes anyway, I went shopping with the Boss, and we ended up picking out an outfit in the team’s key colors of red and black.

The reason was because KraeMang always gives gifts to his guests.

Every season, he gifts jumpers in the fall and short-sleeve player t-shirts and caps in the spring and summer.

Of course, they are all designed with a black base and red accents, representing the KG Dragons.

The Boss said that when I wore it, if the color balance looked good, KraeMang would be pleased.

In fact, as soon as we met, KraeMang gifted me the t-shirt and cap.

Since I was wearing a black polo shirt, I looked just like a young fan who had always supported the KG Dragons.

“Wow. No way. Did you try it on beforehand? It suits you so well! The cap and the t-shirt both look great. What do you think, my niece? How about becoming a fan of the KG Dragons from now on?”

I shook my head.

“I already have a Favorite, so I’m sorry.”

KraeMang laughed heartily.

“You’re really loyal. Sometimes I envy Momo. I would love it if my daughter followed and relied on me like you do… sigh.”

“You’re trying hard, though. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it someday.”

“Such pretty words. Come on, let’s go in. We need to fill our stomachs first before we can sing the cheer or bang the cheering stick.”

By the way, the last third point was to speak loudly about anything.

The baseball stadium videos I found online all had such loud background noise that people had to speak very loudly to communicate.

Given KraeMang’s age, it must be tiring for him to keep asking for clarification.

So today, the key was to slightly tighten my vocal cords to project a voice that could cut through the crowd’s murmurs.

For example, like this.

“Yes!”

KraeMang seemed surprised by the change in my tone and chuckled.

“Wow. I thought my daughter would be angry at me for watching baseball too much.”

However, as I followed KraeMang to our seats, I was welcomed by an environment that was quite different from what I had expected.

I had anticipated a lively atmosphere where I would bump into people and high-five them when a home run or hit was made, but it turned out that KraeMang had reserved a VIP room just for me.

I had seen seats with wide tables for grilling meat and ordering chicken and pizza in the outfield, but I never expected there would be a private room with full heating and cooling and large glass windows.

Of course, even inside, the sounds from outside still penetrated, so the sense of being at the game wasn’t too different, but it was definitely a suitable environment for the two of us to calmly conduct our broadcast, separate from the general seating.

However, for KraeMang personally, there was quite a significant sacrifice.

Normally, when he attends a game, he lets everyone know where he is, takes commemorative photos with fans, and manages his fan interactions, but today, he was wearing his baseball cap pulled down low, having rented a VIP room like this.

“I’m wearing my cap low. It would be troublesome if someone recognizes me.”

I nodded twice in appreciation of his consideration.

In reality, I didn’t need to hide since I wasn’t a Virtual Youtuber, but I felt it was a bit rude to ignore his thoughtfulness.

KraeMang is 40 this year.

Among internet broadcasters, he is quite old, but surprisingly, he has a younger audience compared to his peers.

This is because the people who come to watch him are usually there for “KraeMang getting extremely angry while watching baseball” or “KraeMang getting extremely angry while playing difficult games.”

Why?

When people get furious, they usually don’t talk much but rather curse or shout loudly, right?

This guy rarely curses, but he expresses his frustration with a dazzling combination of words that leaves listeners in awe.

For example, if a common baseball fan might say, “Oh, those idiots, I could do better than that,” KraeMang would say…

“Oh dear. Did they just get their corneas scraped while doing LASIK? Can’t they tell the difference between a baseball and a light? At this rate, they won’t even be able to tell friend from foe and will just throw it anywhere? Good thinking. Just throw it at the helmet while you’re at it.”

He elaborates, amplifying his words several times over.

He is famously known for not tiring out his mouth throughout the entire broadcast.

— Hahaha

— Has it started…

— This is really ridiculous

— Wow, the big blunder by the great H is the first to happen, haha

— It’s hopeless from the opening game, haha

— Hmm… Isn’t this just a typical KG?

— You’re already quite angry

This ability is something rarely seen in younger broadcasters, which has drawn viewers of all ages who expect such comfortable yet stimulating commentary.

The uncle, who simply enjoyed watching baseball with his viewers, has now become the 3 million KraeMang by pouring out his frustrations while traversing through all sorts of bad games and failures.

He is a disgruntled baseball uncle who, despite his complaints, has a good enough sense of humor that listeners keep tuning in.

Usually, as people age, they tend to become more protective of what they have and moderate their speech, but KraeMang proudly explained that he has evolved this way because he still has so much to say.

One of the reasons is that the KG Dragons, who used to be contenders for the championship just ten years ago, have been struggling to even make the playoffs in recent years.

In a way, that’s just luck.

KraeMang is aware of this and says that half of his success is due to the KG Dragons, and he has even donated a portion of his broadcast earnings to the team.

He started broadcasting out of a desire to do something after his business failed, so his nickname, KraeMang, comes from “Krae” meaning “greatly” and “Mang” meaning “failure,” but it also plays on the first letters of “KBO, the ridiculous league, may it fail,” which he cannot escape from.

Now he is a comprehensive broadcaster, but it all started with baseball.

Anyway, while following along and singing the cheer songs with the fundamental baseball fan KraeMang, and chewing on the baseball knowledge he was explaining…

By the bottom of the fifth inning, about halfway through the game, I began to cheer for the baseball flying in a parabolic arc.

Surprisingly, this feeling was similar to the thrill I experienced when I participated in the Combative Tournament.

It was like the exhilarating feeling of finally flying around after wearing the desired outfit and holding a shotgun after being stuck in mismatched clothes, and the joy of hitting a clean single after only seeing ground balls, double plays, and strikeouts.

Now I understood why people cheered just by watching the ball fly through the air with that crisp sound.

KraeMang seemed to notice this too, as he said during the cleaning time after the fifth inning, when they were checking the state of the stadium, “Finally, my niece can enjoy baseball properly.”

Of course, I still couldn’t reveal that I was a guest, so I explained my feelings a bit indirectly.

“I’m not sure if I understood it correctly, but it feels like the game my mom always told me I couldn’t play, and when I finally got to play it on the weekend, that’s the feeling.”

“Haha! I totally get it!”

Fortunately, the viewers also empathized with me.

— For real, haha

— It’s a bit different, but haha

— I can kind of understand what the uncle is saying, haha

The number of viewers was truly legendary.

Usually, it’s said to be about half of this.

But whenever a guest appears, it surpasses 30,000, which really makes you feel the power of 3 million.

In fact, when the most popular female idol appeared, it recorded an astonishing figure of 90,000, making it a dream opportunity for those hoping to rise through collaborations.

Especially for Virtual Youtubers, it was an area that was hard to reach.

KraeMang tries to understand Virtual Youtubers in his own way and has shown considerable consideration for them during today’s broadcast.

However, he is fundamentally a person who turns on the camera and broadcasts, and his main clientele and guests are not Virtual Youtubers but regular broadcasters.

I even wonder if I could have watched baseball like this if I were just a Virtual Youtuber.

To put this into perspective, it’s like Batchu Batchu.

The first and second generation lines, which debuted three and two years ago, all have subscriber counts in the hundreds of thousands to millions.

Among them, only Taro has succeeded in collaborating with KraeMang.

In other words, even though I was caught off guard during the year-end party, it was extraordinary that KraeMang called me out first.

When I hung up my black history on the fourth floor of the Demon King’s Castle, I had no thoughts at all.

But now that I think about it, it’s fascinating how that snowball has rolled all the way here.

Will there come a day when my members will take my place in this spot?

Of course, the first generation has to solve the immediate problems first.

Thanks to KraeMang’s guidance, I enjoyed the baseball game, but for Majiya, the real collaboration begins now that the game is over and KraeMang’s broadcast switches to communication mode.

Even after getting into KraeMang’s SUV side by side, the baseball talk continued, but the moment that ended, Majiya had to share the stories she had prepared.

“Ugh. These guys really make me feel like the money I donate every year is wasted. How can they keep getting worse? At this rate, wouldn’t it be better to have drones controlled by AI handle the defense?”

— For real, today’s performance was at a ridiculous level. Did these guys even train properly?

— Still, thanks to KraeMang for creating a broadcast moment, haha

— The smile on the uncle’s face can’t be hidden

— The team lost, but the uncle is laughing, right? haha

“I’m sorry, my niece. It’s been a long time since I’ve watched a game with a guest like this… Our team has been like this for the past few years. I kept worrying that your bright eyes would turn into fish eyes because of their terrible performance.”

“It’s okay. I still had a lot of fun watching it.”

“Yeah, if my niece had fun, that’s what matters… Sigh. I feel bad, so I should do a Parallel World Cup later. You came all the way here to hang out with me.”

KraeMang naturally unraveled the deal that was between us.

Majiya had come as a guest to entertain the bored KraeMang.

And he was speaking as if he would repay her for that.

At that moment, a few viewers caught on.

— Why Parallel all of a sudden?

— Huh?

— No way

This is the power of 30,000 viewers.

If there were no viewers, fewer people would notice, but since there are many watching, there are fans of Parallel among them, and a very small number of people urging Majiya to broadcast.

:: An anonymous sponsor has donated 1,000 Clouds! ::

:: Wait, was today’s guest Majiya? ::

Even after I switched back to my usual gentle tone to be heard clearly in the noisy environment, people who hadn’t noticed began to react one by one.

— Oh, wait a minute

— Huh, now that I think about it, your voice sounds like Majiya

— ???

KraeMang, who was looking at the chat, nodded once.

It was a signal that I could introduce myself now.

It seems that he is quite experienced in hosting guests, as the flow of conversation felt very smooth.

With that, Majiya had no reason to hesitate.

“I’m just here to hang out. I only suggested it because I was happy to see you at the year-end party, and I’m grateful to KraeMang for accepting.”

“Oh, that’s quite generous. Honestly, it must have taken a lot of courage for you to suggest that to me.”

“Well, I’m always desperate for my members.”

Continuing the conversation naturally, it was time for introductions.

“Hello, I’m Majiya, a representative of the Virtual Youtuber group Parallel, here today as a guest invited by KraeMang to watch the professional baseball opening game.”

Of course, many people here might not be familiar with the Virtual Youtuber culture, so Majiya decided to add some additional explanation.

Usually, she would introduce herself with Maru’s “Finally,” the only original song from the first generation that surpassed 5 million views, and nowadays, she would also mention the first generation’s anniversary song, “One Other,” which surpassed 3 million views in just four months…

But even though she had only said a simple sentence, the atmosphere in the chat suddenly changed dramatically.

— Welcome, haha

— I was wondering when you’d come, but you really did

— I was waiting for a girl like you

:: An anonymous sponsor has donated 1,000 Clouds! ::

:: No wonder she wasn’t showing her face, haha ::

— Wait, was it really Majiya?

— Wow, I never expected a live collaboration, haha

— I saw her earlier, and she was really small, haha

— ???

— Huh?

That’s right.

Busy with her work and dull to the attention directed at her, Majiya hadn’t realized at all.

She was the smokescreen tank of Young-gun’s team, which had nearly flopped in the tournament but led them from last place to victory.

And out of the total viewership of 250,000 in the tournament finals, 20,000 were KraeMang’s viewers.

They all clearly remembered Majiya’s performance.

:: An anonymous sponsor has donated 10,000 Clouds! ::

:: The god of shotguns, the GOAT ::

— The savior of Young-gun’s team

— Great Jia

— I still rewatch the finals video; it’s really amazing

:: An anonymous sponsor has donated 10,000 Clouds! ::

:: Thanks to her, my brother, who has never won in the Combative Tournament, is being completely ignored by the viewers… ::

— Welcome, HumanSignalFlareKimFirecracker

— Majiya! Majiya! Majiya!

— Mom, I want to be Majiya’s shotgun when I grow up!!

— I want Majiya’s smokescreen!!!!!!!

— Damn, Majiya, are you cute even in real life?

— Wasn’t this person a Virtual Youtuber? Is it okay to reveal this much on camera?

— She’s not a Virtual Youtuber

— She is a Virtual Youtuber~

I planned to spend more time talking about the Parallel with KraeMang, and when the Parallel viewers started to flood in, I was going to gauge the atmosphere and tell them to look forward to next week.

Majiya never dreamed that everyone would focus on her like this.

But even in the midst of her bewilderment, Majiya saw her angle.

Many people who know Majiya don’t necessarily know Parallel.

After all, the fandoms of these mega-streamers don’t tend to move easily, but people who participate as guests and show a good image, or those who have been active as teammates, are remembered for a long, long time.

And among them, those who reside in the community are more likely to know about Majiya’s 2nd generation debut rumors than others.

They wouldn’t care about news of other streamers they don’t know.

But if it’s news of a streamer they know, they’ll click on it at least once, and the more vaguely they know, the stronger the tendency to believe rumors are true.

Majiya casually dropped a word that would cause a huge stir.

“Ah, yes. Welcome… Thank you so much. We’re going to make a surprising announcement on the official channel next week, so please give it a lot of attention here as well.”

The viewers’ reactions were as she expected.

— Oh?

— Surprise announcement?

— ?

— Is she really debuting?

— What

— A surprise announcement here?

— Suddenly?

— Heh?

— What is she going to do?

— Majiya, you little rascal, don’t tell me you’re going to bring that up…!

— D-D-D-D

Author’s Note

…

You know, right? ㅠㅠㅠ