Is This What Streaming Is Supposed to Be Like?

You can't expect to be full after your first bite,

as the saying goes.

Right, that's true.

Who gets good right from the start?

For a stream to take off right away, a few conditions have to be met.

You already have a name on YouTube or another platform, say, as a writer.

Or you've been a regular on other streamers' channels, or gotten your start through their connections.

In the VTuber scene, there are even agencies that recruit streamers.

But me? I hadn't promoted myself at all. I was just some guy—no, girl—who started streaming with Just Chatting.

"Of course. But, but I'm screwed.“

Failing when you first start is only natural, but experiencing that failure firsthand is on another level.

"Fuuuck!“

What's the problem?

For years, I'd been a simp in the livestreaming scene, and I'd applied all the know-how I'd picked up straight to my stream. Whenever I watched some streamer, I'd think, 'Ugh, you stupid bitch, if you did this and this, your stream would take off. Why are you doing something weird instead?‘

All those tips I'd thought to myself,

I'd applied everything to my stream, but it still wasn't working...

'Did streaming trends change while I was away? Well, I barely watched streams for the last couple of weeks before quitting my job...‘

I slowly played back the recording of my stream and started analyzing it.

Click—

The video started playing, but there was no voice.

I could clearly hear the background music, but not my voice.

"Wait, wait. Don't tell me...“

I checked the streaming software, and my mic volume had been set to zero on the broadcast.

"Ah. Ah. Ah—ah!!!!“

I hugged my pillow and screamed.

"Fuuuuuck!!“

I'd definitely spent five hours talking nonstop.

I even played a World Cup game, forced myself to laugh, and checked the chat from time to time.

I thought I was replying to chat and talking with people, but no wonder no one sent another message.

"My... my five hours. I wasted five whole hours of this national-treasure-level beautiful voice.“

The emptiness that washed over me made it impossible to even want to sit in my chair.

I just lay on my bed, scrolling through my phone and looking for any mention of me.

I checked small-streamer communities and streamer communities, searching my name.

"Ha... fuck.“

Just as expected, there was no mention of me.

I searched Jia, Lee Jia, even the comments, and my Twitch link too, but nothing!!!

"Ha... should I just bite the bullet and promote myself?“

But the moment the thought occurred to me, I erased it from my mind.

'No promotions...!‘

It was fine if people mentioned me on streamer forums. But if I deliberately brought in a flood of viewers, my stream would get ruined.

I absolutely couldn't let weird, stupid mashup songs and videos play on my stream.

Even if I was a nasty troll who'd been banned from other streamers' channels eight times for donations like that, and temporarily blocked at least eight hundred times.

I had all kinds of equipment—computer, headset, lighting—and now I had a 10-million-won security deposit.

'A simple SD illustration for a stream waiting screen costs 40,000 won per image, and a bust-up LD character is 70,000, right?‘

My stream character would be more pure and big-sister-like, not a cute little-sister type.

'Should I make the profile picture different?‘

There was no reason to make the profile match. Come to think of it, the landlord's daughter had said drawing was her hobby.

'If I ask her to draw me a simple smiling profile character, maybe she'd do it?‘

That would take care of the profile and waiting screen. What should I do about YouTube?

I searched YouTube for the usernames of a few small Twitch streamers and easily found their channels.

'They mostly post full streams or short clips as Shorts, huh?‘

My stream was supposed to focus on mellow chatting, though...

"Fuck, who knows.“

First, I'll just turn on the computer and start streaming. Whatever happens, I'll get some kind of result.

"Mic's on. Ah, ah.“

I pressed the Go Live button once again.

#

The streaming ecosystem is extreme.

At the very top, there are lots of men and few women.

From the upper ranks—not quite the top—down to the lower ranks of people you could call streamers, there are lots of women.

And the very bottom is an abyss, full of losers and men.

"Kyaaaah!! Heavens above!! God!! Why?!“

An hour into the stream, I still couldn't get past an average of three viewers.

I wondered if the tags were the problem, so I added various tags, including 'New streamer,' the tag newbies use.

I even put [Day 2 as a Newbie/Welcome, Newbies/Just Chatting] at the start of my stream title, but still, not a single new viewer showed up.

'Do I really have to pay for a stealth promo?‘

All kinds of thoughts I shouldn't have were running through my head, but there was no sign my stream was going to improve.

Only one person was chatting, and the other accounts in the chat had foreign usernames I'd never seen before.

"Fuuuck!! How does this make any sense! Why doesn't the world recognize me!!“

I was devastated.

I really thought my stream was fun. Was I the only one?

Why the fuck wouldn't they just drop by for five minutes, chat with me, and get hooked on my stream!!

"Why? Why the fuck is that guy who left my stream watching some dick streamer instead!!“

I suddenly came to my senses and looked at my chat.

My viewer count had gone up by one.

It was that guy who'd gone to watch the dick streamer I'd just mentioned.

[I was watching that stream.]

"Ah.“

Then I turned my head, and the full-length mirror reflected me.

My hair, which I hadn't washed to save money on shampoo, was all greasy, and my pants were so loose around the waist that I was wearing my underwear as pants.

"Pfft.“

Laughter burst out of me.

I looked so pathetic.

"Ah, fuck, is this really okay?“

Then, when the viewer count went up by two, I hurriedly cleared my throat and lowered my voice.

[Hello.]

"Ooh~ Welcome, little buddy.“

And maybe ten seconds later, the viewer count dropped by one.

"...Ha, fuck, I could really use a cigarette.“

I used to drink, but I'd never smoked before. And yet I couldn't shake the urge to smoke.

"Wait a second.“

I stomped over to the fridge.

My eyes immediately landed on the five bottles of soju in there that I still hadn't opened.

I grabbed two bottles, took some Ppushu Ppushu from the cupboard, and sat in my chair.

"Fuck, there's no way I can stream sober.“

Crack—

I uncapped a bottle, gulped down the water left in my cup, then poured soju with a glug-glug-glug.

"I'll have a drink before we start. Cheers.“

I tapped my glass against the mic—tap—then downed the soju.

"Kk, kgh, kgh, kheeeh!“

Maybe even my tongue had changed along with my body, because even though I'd had soju just a few days ago, the taste hit my brain as fishy and disgusting, like the first time I'd ever drunk.

"Uegh, f-fuck, did the booze go bad?“

It was definitely unopened, and the expiration date was next September.

There was no way it had gone bad, but my body instinctively rejected the alcohol anyway.

"Ah, hold on.“

I ran to the kitchen, got some water, and gulped it down.

"Khaaah!“

I finally felt like I could breathe again.

Maybe it was because I'd suddenly drunk alcohol, but my head was spinning, and I staggered as I tried to sit in my chair.

"W-whoa, fuck! Wait—“

Crash—

The bed I'd eased myself onto immediately lost its balance and threw me onto the floor.

"Ah, fuck.“

I figured I couldn't stream anymore today.

Was heaven sending me a sign not to stream?

Nobody would watch me, I got caught talking shit about a viewer and embarrassed myself, and I'd put on all this bravado about drinking soju only to gag the moment I drank it.

And now I'd fallen over as soon as I sat down, and my head hurt too.

"My head's gonna split...“

Clutching the desk, I barely managed to stand and glanced at the viewer count.

Eight. Well, that's good. Eight. Wasn't it two yesterday? Though that included me.

"Fuck it, stream's over~ Now get lost, you bastards.“

I clicked the streaming software and ended the broadcast.

The stream was off, and all that remained was the silence of the room.

I grabbed my phone and threw myself onto the bed.

Thud—

"Ah, ah, shit.“

Maybe becoming a woman had made me stupid, because I hit the same part of my head that I'd hurt when I fell earlier.

"Fuuuck... did I get a bump?“

I got a cold egg from the fridge and pressed it against my head.

I searched my name on online forums again, but nothing came up.

"They say celebrities went through five or even ten years of obscurity. How the hell did they put up with that?“

I sighed and plugged my phone into the charger.

"Ah. I want to be famous.“

I turned off the light and lay in bed, falling asleep hoping people would mention me more.

Meanwhile, after she fell asleep, a post went up on an online forum.

[Small-Time Durahan Streamer Broadcast Accident,avi]

"Ah~ I'll just drink and stream.“

"U-ugh, ugh, blegh, keh. Khaaah, gaaah...“

"W-whoa, fuck, wait!“

Crash, thud, rumble—

"Uh... ah, ngh. Mmm... ah... fuck, why's it like this...“

"...Stream's over, get lost.“

And the video got an explosive response.

Of course, the post had gotten 30 comments from mysterious anonymous users and 611 mysterious anonymous upvotes.

And the next day, Lee Jia's stream got six skulls.