Late Night (3)

,”Then, shouldn’t people gradually watch if I upload normal videos from now on?”

,”Running the job hunt gauntlet is hard enough, and you want me to upload videos too?”

,”I’m saying let’s do it in advance since we don’t know when you’ll get a job.”

,”Running around everywhere and then coming back to play games and make videos? No, before that, how is Shield going to film videos alone?”

Sae-ah put on a very confident expression at my words.

Does she think being confident makes it right?

Seeing her talk to me without changing her expression, she must think this is right.

Even if it’s a good idea in its own way… in the end, using connections won’t make things better.

I washed my face and took a moment to catch my breath.

Realistically, Sae-ah’s words are the most plausible option right now.

Gaming, specifically uploading videos of a popular game with the least popular class.

In the AOS genre, it’s like playing the shittiest character in the shittiest position.

People like excitement, but they also like making trash strong.

,’There’s a reason why trash-character masters become popular.’

Professional players who only play so-called trash characters, trash-character masters, are recognized for a reason.

They climb to the highest tiers with characters that were always trash.

If you’re a gamer, you’d be so happy you’d go crazy.

I could potentially rise to that kind of level too.

It’s not a certainty, but when people watched my videos, they came to watch even if I wasn’t good at the game.

There’s potential, but considering I need to put in consistent effort, I could stabilize it as a job.

…If I can consistently play games and handle the heavy labor of editing and uploading videos.

,”I need to find a party to do that.”

,”Then isn’t that the same as relying on someone else!”

,”Just think about it for a second, even if they appear in my video, they won’t get popular if they don’t do it consistently. Don’t think of it as using connections, think of it as promotion, how about that?”

,”Promotion?”

Sae-ah nodded at my words and pressed her shoulder with her index finger.

,”Yeah, promotion. Where in the world do you think you can get popular without any promotion? Did you think I started from scratch?”

,”Weren’t you from scratch? Did you promote somewhere or something?”

,”Yeah, I promoted and stuff. I did a lot of broadcasts, and that’s how I eventually got popular. It’s good to do it alone, but you’re not an idiot, why are you trying to start from the ground up when you have connections?”

,”Because I have to do it myself…”

,”Aigoo, so stupid, so stupid. Connections are Oppa-nim’s skill too. So, if you’re thinking of coming this way, I’ll just help you get started, and then you do it on your own!”

Connections are a skill too.

I never thought I’d get this kind of advice from Sae-ah in my life.

I quietly nodded in response to her words.

,’Yeah, connections are a skill… that’s true. But is it okay for me to use them?’

Is it okay to start with connections when I’m just taking my first steps?

Wouldn’t it cause problems later because of the big help of connections?

Sae-ah poured water on me while I was pressing my temples and worrying, and then stuck out her tongue.

,”Eyy, you’re so stupid. Talk more and think about it! Eun-ha must have told you something too, go and see her first.”

,”Yeah, that’s a bit… um, is that okay?”

,”Isn’t it your younger sisters trying to help you before it’s even about connections? Just try it, try it and decide first. And it’s something you can do even if Oppa wants to go your own way.”

,”That’s true too. Yeah, thanks. You’re actually talking like an older sister.”

,”…Aish, seriously, I like a fool!”

She poured water on me one more time and then got up from her seat and walked to the table.

Anyone could see that her back view as she walked away was full of anger.

Is she a little upset that I said she was finally talking properly at the end… I should apologize for that later.

,”By the way, I think I asked them to bring me something to drink, but they’re not bringing it.”

Being in the warm water made my body hot to the point of being scorching.

Even if I put my upper body outside, the brief cold breeze wasn’t strong enough to cool me down.

I felt sweat gradually flowing from my forehead due to my hot body, and even when I wiped it with the back of my hand, it didn’t show any signs of stopping.

I came out of the hot spring pool for a moment to cool down the sweat and looked at my bright red body, then exhaled the hot breath that was contained inside.

,”Hoo- Ugh, it’s hot, why aren’t they bringing me something to drink.”

I soaked only my ankles and cooled my body with the cold breeze for a moment.

The sweat gradually seeping out of my body stuck to me, but the wind quickly cooled it down, so I could endure it.

Apart from that, my mouth was getting drier and drier, so please.

I had no choice but to beg the next person who came to bring me something to drink.

It’s a little embarrassing to call out, so if they don’t bring it this time, I’ll just have to shout.

Was my wish conveyed? A tall woman from afar.

Yeah, Hyun-ji was walking towards me with a blue drink container in one hand.

She naturally came to the opposite side, sat next to me, handed me the energy drink, and smiled.

,”Your body is bright red, were you tortured with fire or something?”

,”I was tortured with hot water instead of fire.”

,”If you messed with five women, you deserve to be tortured like that.”

As I drank the energy drink, I felt the cool drink spreading through my body.

This cool sensation starting from my dry mouth, down my esophagus, and into my stomach.

I let out a cool sigh that I had been holding in and went back into the hot spring pool.

When I went in, Hyun-ji quietly followed me in, smiled, and poked my cheek with her finger.

,”Why are you poking my cheek as soon as you come?”

,”I wanted to try it. I’m the one who has the least interaction with Oppa, when else would I do it if not now?”

,”That’s true… but you all said you talked about it, so you’re going to say the same thing, right?”

,”…? I came to listen to Oppa’s story.”

,”Only you?”

,”Only me, honestly, I’m the most mature one besides Ji-hye Unni.”

I nodded without realizing it.

If Ji-hye is the most meticulous and directly active adult style, Hyun-ji is the adult style that looks down from a distance.

So, when I nodded in agreement, Hyun-ji smiled and continued.

,”I heard you’re worried about getting a job… but I don’t think I’m in a position to say anything since I haven’t even graduated yet, let alone gotten a job.”

,”If you gave me advice about getting a job, I’d be feeling self-loathing right now.”

,”That’s true, I can’t really talk about getting a job. But um… I heard a little bit.”

She scooped up some hot water in her hand and sprinkled it on her shoulder.

The hot water met the cold air and created a slight mist, creating a mysterious atmosphere like a goddess of the fog for a moment.

,”Use connections. I’m younger than Oppa, so I shouldn’t be saying this, but there’s no harm in using connections.”

,”Still, isn’t it a bit much to start with connections? The first step is connections.”

,”If you think like that, what about me going to game tournaments, is that purely skill? I meet officials because I’m good, and I go through them.”

,”That’s a game, and I’m taking a step into society in a way…”

,”Oppa doesn’t have the skills to worry about that.”

It was true, but I flinched slightly because I was hit right on the mark.

One of her strengths is saying things that hit you hard without mercy, so I calmed down, nodded, and opened my mouth.

,”That’s right, I don’t have the skills, I’ll be entering as a newbie.”

,”Being a newbie at Oppa’s age isn’t a bad thing. But since you’re young anyway, it’s not a bad idea to try with connections, and if it doesn’t work out, then try headbutting it directly.”

,”Isn’t it usually the opposite? You try headbutting it first and then enter through connections?”

,”Think about it the other way around. If you enter through connections when you’re older, people will criticize you for not having any skills.”

,”It’s the same even if you enter as a newbie when you’re older.”

She looked at me and hit her chest with her palm.

I know what she means, but it’s different when I go in and build the foundation myself versus when someone helps me build it.

Going in myself, doing it myself, getting criticized myself, and getting fired if I can’t do the job is purely my skill.

I can just laugh and move on, saying I’m just not good enough. I’ll be pissed, though.

But if I start with connections and fail, the self-loathing and guilt that will follow.

And the self-reproach that I can’t do it even when they spoon-feed me.

My mental strength isn’t strong enough to handle that. I know that better than anyone.

That’s why I want to use the last tool, connections, as the very last resort.

When I’ve really tried everything and can’t do it.

When I’m just drinking and complaining that I can’t live like this.

,”Still, I really want to use connections as a last resort. Really, not out of pride, but like a last resort.”

,”……”

Hyun-ji stared at my face at my words.

A sparkling gaze as if looking at a new creature that was more amazing than strange.

She looked at me with a surprised expression as if saying, is that really true?

,”Why are you looking at me like that…”

,”They said Oppa changed, but it’s a bit like this. Did you take some kind of medicine that makes your head weird somewhere?”

,”You guys are really talking nonsense as a group… I made up my mind, I didn’t take any medicine.”

,”…Is this really the indecisive Oppa? Honestly, it’s a bit cool to hear you talk so seriously.”

As I drank the remaining drink, Hyun-ji gently stroked my cheek.

She just smiled like a giggling girl and kept stroking my jawline.

,”You guys really came here with a plan to mess with me.”

,”No, it’s because the changed Oppa is cool. If I knew you had changed like this, I would have been more proactive.”

The hand that was stroking my jawline moved to my shoulder.

,”Have I changed that much in your eyes?”

,”Yeah, honestly, I want you so much that I don’t want to hand you over to Ji-hye Unni.”

,”…How did I change so much that you’re like that?”

,”It’s like entrusting the ship to a hazy man, and then suddenly waking up to find that he’s changed into a reliable man and is proudly steering the ship.”

,”The metaphor is a bit weird…”

,”I really want you now. I think I know why everyone is sitting and smiling.”

Even if I made up my mind, was it that obvious in my actions?

I’m a little shaken by my actions, wondering if I’m doing it right, but they’re confidently saying that I’ve changed.

When I looked at the table with a sulky expression, Ji-hye slightly bared her teeth and gritted them.

At that sight, I had no choice but to turn my head and resist.

It’s not my fault, and what am I supposed to do if she’s jealous about that?