Chapter 9

Master Oh's Game Stream Episode 9

Hae-sung looked at Hahyun with a guilty expression after emptying Hahyun's bank account to buy a computer.

"…Did you really spend almost a thousand? Are you sure it's okay?"

"It's… okay… Think of it as a gift for my brother who's come back after ten years…"

Ten million won.

Two computer units, two monitors.

Plus a keyboard, mouse, camera, microphone, and other broadcasting equipment.

Hae-sung couldn't help but whistle, considering that Hahyun had managed to get a slightly better deal from a place he often visited and even received some freebies.

"What were you thinking when you bought all this? If my stream doesn't do well, most of it will go to waste."

"Anyway, I had to buy a computer eventually. Except for the camera, the rest can be used in daily life, so I thought it would be fine."

"…Tsk, whether the stream does well or not, I'll pay you back as soon as possible."

No matter how well the stream might do, she was still a freelancer.

There was no telling when her income might plummet, yet she had immediately handed over ten million won for her older brother.

What made it even more touching was that she had made this decision after Elbow, a major corporate streamer, mentioned wanting to compete with her.

"Hey, even if you make a lot of money, it won't work for me. Don't think about paying me back; just think of it as a gift from your cute younger sister. When I get married, just make sure my dowry is well-stocked~"

"I can't accept that."

"Eh? Why?"

"Because if you want to get married, you'll need my approval."

Of course, this didn't mean he would approve of whoever Hahyun might marry in the future.

Hahyun, who was standing with her arms crossed, looked at Hae-sung with a disapproving expression.

"…You're such a conservative old man…"

"What?"

"It's nothing, hehe."

"…There's nothing you can't say to your brother."

"Ouch! You heard everything and are pretending you didn't?!"

"It's my decision."

After hearing the word "conservative" with his superhuman hearing, Hae-sung playfully flicked Hahyun's forehead.

"Should we tell our parents first?"

"Yeah, it shouldn't be too difficult."

"Why?"

"Because there's already a precedent with me, so they'll understand more easily."

"…That's true."

Hahyun's streaming had started before he turned 18.

Since his parents had allowed him to stream directly, they likely wouldn't strongly oppose Hae-sung's decision to stream as well.

"If they know you're trying to do something, they might even be happy about it."

"Right, then I'll tell them tonight."

"What about the equipment?"

"…Let's keep that a secret for now."

"Okay, then I'll go take a shower. Think about what you want to do with the equipment once it arrives~"

With that, Hahyun disappeared into the bathroom, waving her hand. Hae-sung, looking at her back, took a step forward with a worried expression.

"Streaming… Now that I've decided to do it, I can't just half-ass it."

Internet streaming.

He hadn't really planned to do it, nor had he been particularly interested, but once he made a decision, Hae-sung's determination kicked in.

His determination had never been thwarted, and that was why he was in this position.

While thinking about the upcoming stream, Hae-sung returned to his room.

* * *

That night.

After his parents returned from work, Hae-sung told them most of what had happened that morning, excluding the part about Hahyun buying the equipment and Elbow mentioning him.

In short, he told them he wanted to try streaming, and his father, Park Jin-woon, and mother, Im Mi-sun, nodded in agreement.

"Doing something is important."

"Actually, you could take a break, but people need to do something to feel satisfied. Give it a try."

"Right! My son, what can't he do?"

"Dear, you're being too lenient. He takes more after me, so he's my son."

"…I'm going to bed first."

Seeing Jin-woon's dejected face as he disappeared into the bedroom, Mi-sun smiled wryly.

"Isn't your father's behavior so cute?"

"Um… Yeah, he's cute."

"I fell in love with him because of his behavior. I'll go calm your pouting father, so you do your best, okay?"

"Okay."

Mi-sun, who had chased after Jin-woon with a wink, disappeared into the bedroom. Hae-sung, confirming this, got up from his seat.

"What did they say?"

Hahyun, who had been waiting for the conversation to end, opened the door and poked her head in.

"What's there to say? Of course, they approved. But they still act like newlyweds."

"…Sometimes I'm surprised too. But it's nice to see, right?"

"Right."

It was true that seeing them get along so well was better than seeing them argue.

Nodding in agreement, Hae-sung shared his thoughts with Hahyun.

"I've been thinking… Do you know Elbow?"

"I do, but so do you."

"I've known him for over ten years. We have each other's emails and contact information."

"Right."

"Then let's get his permission first. We're using his name to gain popularity, so we should at least have his blessing."

"Ah, that's true. I'll contact him then."

Given that they were using Elbow's name to gain recognition, this was a necessary step to avoid unnecessary backlash or angering his fanbase.

"And you mentioned something about fighting him later."

"Right, I did."

"I've thought about it in detail… Let's say I'll fight him once I reach the True: Purple rank."

"…True: Purple? That's the highest rank… Even professional players find it hard to achieve and maintain."

The ranks in Iron Fist were diverse, but the top four could be summarized as Blue, Purple, Gold, and True: Purple.

Blue was mostly occupied by skilled players, Purple by aspiring professionals, Gold by a mix of semi-pros and pros, and True: Purple by the elite, almost a honorary rank.

It was notoriously difficult to achieve and maintain, even for professionals.

"I know. But Elbow is True: Purple, right? If I want to fight him one-on-one, I need to be True: Purple too, don't I?"

"But…"

Elbow, the absolute top player in Iron Fist, always maintained this rank.

It was a difficult task, but for some, it was achievable.

Hahyun, looking uncertain, was about to object when Hae-sung continued.

"If I win 10 consecutive matches in the placement matches, I'll be placed in the Blue rank with the highest MMR."

"10 consecutive wins in placement matches? Are you serious?"

"Right, and if I win all three matches in the 2-out-of-3 series without losing a single one, I can aim for an even higher rank. And that—"

"…Even Elbow couldn't do that. You've done your research, haven't you, brother?"

"If I'm going to do it, I'll do it properly. That's my motto."

Hae-sung had a plan.

10 consecutive wins in placement matches.

If he could achieve 10 consecutive wins in the 2-out-of-3 series, he would be doing something even the renowned Elbow couldn't.

If that happened, no one would question Hae-sung's right to challenge Elbow one-on-one.

"Pretty good strategy, huh?"

"…We can attract Elbow's fanbase and provide a reason to show those who might criticize you."

"Plus, the title '10 Consecutive Wins in Placement Matches' is catchy enough to draw attention."

"…'Comet's 10 Consecutive Wins in Placement Matches—' sounds good."

"Or we could just say 'Comet's 10 Consecutive Wins.' Those who know will know, and they'll spread the word."

"Hmm, not bad. If we follow your plan, we won't give haters a reason to criticize, since we're not mentioning Elbow…"

"But it might slightly reduce our recognition."

Hahyun, nodding in agreement, soon gave her answer.

"I'll handle the recognition part. Let's go with your plan."

"You?"

"Right, handling the recognition part will complement my other plans. This way, we can fill in the gaps in recognition."

"…If that's the case, I'll leave it to you."

"Then that's settled! I hope the equipment arrives soon~"

Seeing Hahyun, who seemed genuinely excited, Hae-sung thought she looked cute but—

"You're so sly."

"…What?!"

While saying the opposite, he burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.

Seeing Hahyun pout and run to her room was the most entertaining thing.

With all preparations complete, the equipment arrived, and they began setting up.

* * *

"The delivery was fast. An order of this size in just two days?"

"They used a quick delivery service."

"…Ah."

Hae-sung, surprised by the quick delivery of the ten million won worth of streaming equipment, quickly understood the term "quick."

'Of course, this is Korea. Money can do anything.'

Feeling the truth behind the saying that money can buy time, Hae-sung immediately started setting up the computer.

Since it was already assembled, he only needed to connect the internet cables, USB cables for the mouse and keyboard, and a few other connections.

Finishing the cable connections quickly and tidying them up, Hae-sung watched Hahyun, who was setting up the stream, with a slight surprise.

"Wow… You're fast."

"Even though I look like this, I've been streaming for a few years. This is basic stuff."

Hahyun's skills, proving she hadn't wasted her years, were impressive.

She finished the stream setup in no time and pointed to the camera with a satisfied look.

"How does it look? Good, right?"

"…Is that my face? It looks different…"

"That's just the camera's effect. Looking good isn't a bad thing, right?"

"Hmm, I guess so."

Though he didn't know what she had done, seeing his already pale face turn even whiter, Hae-sung nodded in agreement.

It was strange to look less handsome when there was a way to look more handsome.

"Once you start, keep the screen black until some viewers gather, then turn on the camera and greet them."

"…Like you?"

"No, that's my signature. You can do it normally, or create your own signature if you want."

"I'll do it normally."

"Do as you like. I'll leave now, so start the stream."

"Okay."

With all preparations complete, Hahyun waved goodbye and left the room. Hae-sung, left alone, placed the mouse cursor over the "Start Stream" button with a determined look.

And—

Click!

Hae-sung's first stream began.