Chapter 31 of Season 1 of The Genius Archer's Streaming

12. Choice (1)

I had a feeling her voice was thin.

The identity of the golden helmet was Rosalita, the second heroine of this game.

- She appears like this in this route.

- Rosalita, not Emily. Of course.

- Get rid of Emily~~

- Whoa... I like Emily.

Even Sanghyun, who knew nothing about this game, could immediately tell that Rosalita was an incredible character.

'Amazing.'

Her modeling was exceptional. It seemed like much more effort had been put into her compared to Emily.

Her neat facial features, perfectly proportioned, the feminine charm that exuded even in her armor, her deep, sparkling eyes that looked like they could suck you into an abyss, even appearing dangerous.

Combined with her old-fashioned manner of speaking and movements, no man could resist her charm at first sight.

Indeed, even Emily's knights were busy gazing at Rosalita's beauty, their jaws hanging open.

Rosalita had done nothing but take off her helmet, yet the knights were already lost in their own trials.

Loyalty to Emily or immediate desire.

Of course, the one directly facing this trial was none other than Almond.

[1. It is an honor to be recognized by you.]

[2. Though I am a mercenary, I have already sworn my loyalty.]

The choices appeared.

If he chose 1, he would eventually end up with Rosalita.

'But didn't I spend seven days with Emily...?'

Sanghyun was flustered.

It had been quite a while since he had spent time with Emily, and it would be hard to betray her now.

Of course, they were just game characters, and the seven days were just a part of the game's setting. Sanghyun hadn't experienced it firsthand.

'Even so... I've grown attached to her.'

The times he escorted her in the carriage and fought off bandits, the times she asked him to eliminate the goblins that were ruining the villagers' crops.

Emily's blushing cheeks, her obvious and cute lies...

Her bold, just, and innocent eyes.

'Ugh...'

All of these were experiences that Almond, and Sanghyun, had gone through. Even though it was just a game, they were things he had touched, heard, and even smelled.

- Go Emily!

- Vote now!

- What, you're going to betray Emily?!

- Go Rosalita, you idiots!

- Go Rosalita!

- Ah, cool guys lol

- Go1111111111

- Press 2222222222!

Pressing 2 would choose Emily, while pressing 1 would choose Rosalita.

The chat window was flooded with 1s and 2s, at a speed that was hard to imagine for a broadcast with 1,200 viewers.

"Will you leave me in such an awkward position?"

Rosalita frowned and tilted her head. It was just a line that would automatically come out if the time was delayed.

Sanghyun flinched at this simple action. The character Rosalita was that alive.

- Oh wow!

- Sister Rosalita, I'm dying!

- I'll go with 1. Sorry, Emily!

- No, still Emily :(

- I can't abandon Emily!

Thanks to this action, the tide of opinion slightly shifted towards Rosalita, but the situation remained tense.

Almond pondered for a moment.

And he made his decision.

"I'll end today's broadcast here. We've gone too far."

He decided to end the stream.

* * *

Almond really ended the broadcast without mercy.

- What, are you human?!

- Ah, nuts...

- Haha, look at the timing

- He's been waiting for this

- Damn... hahaha

The chat window, now dark, still had viewers lingering like lingering spirits, mulling over his ruthless decision to end the stream.

But it wasn't sincere, and even if it were, the departed Almond wouldn't return.

In the end, they gradually returned to their respective communities to spread the word about what had happened today.

These dedicated fans were always the first to arrive when Almond's stream started and the last to leave, often cursing.

Though their language was a bit rough, from Sanghyun's perspective, they were grateful people who advertised for him for free.

"His fan base... is quite solid."

Kim Joo-hyuk muttered to himself while typing notes on his keyboard.

"Primarily men in their 20s and 30s, but the loyal fans are evenly split between men and women."

He was analyzing the data on viewers leaving the stream to determine the direction it should take in the future.

He roughly categorized viewers who joined before the game started as loyal fans and those who joined after the game started as light fans.

A notable feature of Sanghyun's stream was the high ratio of female loyal fans, even though it was a game stream.

Though it was about 50-50, it was not a common occurrence compared to other game streams.

"Even in terms of donation rates, women are dominant..."

Due to a few heavy donations, the female donation rate was currently dominant, accounting for 79% of the total amount.

However, in terms of the number of donations, male members were higher at 64%.

"This is still too small a sample size. One donation from Seo Ji-a is equivalent to all male donations combined..."

Of course, it was too early to judge the donations.

Since the stream was still at the level of a small company, the percentage of viewers who donated was very low.

The absolute number of samples was insufficient.

"Given these metrics, the next game should be..."

Joo-hyuk was analyzing the metrics to decide on the game to play after Kingdom Age.

Kingdom Age was a perfect choice for a skilled streamer.

It wasn't just that Almond was good at the game or that the stream was well-produced; the game choice was very effective.

Sanghyun had done a commendable job in making that choice.

However, now that Joo-hyuk was the manager and analyst, he needed to make the game choices.

Since he would become a partner streamer for Funk, Joo-hyuk scrolled through the list of games distributed by Funk.

"Hmm..."

He needed to find a game with the most similar viewer metrics to Sanghyun's, one that he could excel at.

If it was a popular game, that would be even better.

"This is good..."

Just as he discovered something and moved his mouse,

Bang.

His door was roughly opened.

"Y-You!"

"Let go!"

The resounding voice of his father.

"!?"

Joo-hyuk jumped up in surprise.

A chill ran down his spine. It was a fear ingrained in his brain since childhood.

Like a dog that salivates at the sound of a bell, he shrank in the face of his father's angry voice.

"What are you trying to do?"

That angry voice was directed at him. His eyes seemed to be filled with welding sparks, ready to pierce through iron.

"I, I was just taking a break─"

"Does it sound like I'm asking that?"

"…!"

Joo-hyuk trembled.

He clenched his fists, but they soon relaxed.

"Why did you quit the company?"

"…"

Who could say it didn't suit him here?

To his father, it would just be an excuse. A loser's excuse becomes an excuse the moment they give a reason. A phrase he often heard at dinner.

"Why did you quit?!!!"

Bang.

The anger at his son, over thirty, quitting his job was almost manic.

He couldn't bear to see his blood fail. Even being eliminated from society? He would rather kill him with his own hands.

"I... I'm planning to change jobs."

"Since I already know how you quit, stop making excuses about changing jobs."

Joo-hyuk shut his mouth.

After all, after quitting in such a manner, it would be impossible to get a proper job in the same industry.

"Aren't you considering my reputation? As a manager... Ah, forget it. Just come to my company from tomorrow. Start as a team leader."

"Father! That─"

"What!?"

Do you still have something to say? His eyes said as much. Joo-hyuk found it hard to bear.

His shoulders trembled.

People who knew his confident and cheerful personality would be shocked to see this side of Joo-hyuk.

But this was also a part of Joo-hyuk.

Where there is light, there is shadow.

"Do you have something to say?"

"…"

He had too much to say. Or nothing to say.

In front of his father, those two sentences were the same. The result would be the same anyway.

"…No."

"Starting tomorrow morning. Don't act high and mighty and focus on learning your job. Be nice to the employees. Each one of them is the blood and flesh of our company. Always be humble."

The same words he heard every day.

"Yes..."

His father returned to his study.

"Joo-hyuk..."

"It's fine, Mother. I'll start from tomorrow."

"...Good, you made the right decision. Do you want some fruit?"

"No. I need some time alone."

Click.

Joo-hyuk, drained of energy, slumped into his chair.

"Ha."

His eyes briefly turned to his computer screen.

The list of games he had carefully selected, the viewer trend analysis charts and graphs.

The videos and channel interface design that Seo Ji-a had sent him...

Was it all just a dream?

"A dream, but a long one."

A tear rolled down Joo-hyuk's chin as he muttered to himself.

Just over a week.

He hadn't made a fortune or gained great honor, but he had been deeply immersed in this work, filled with hope.

"Huh..."

But now, it seemed, it would have to be treated as a brief, enjoyable dream.

* * *

Beep...

Sanghyun woke up early due to his phone screaming at him from the morning.

He had planned to sleep in after streaming until 4 AM the previous night.

"Ha. What is this guy up to again..."

Seeing the name on his phone, Sanghyun was surprised when he answered the call.

- Hey! Open the door!

Not only on the phone, but he could also hear his voice from outside the window.

"Are you really crazy? Why are you at someone's house in the morning─"

"I'm sorry."

Bang.

Seeing what he had put down, Sanghyun's eyes widened.

"Seriously... did you leave home?"

A suitcase used for travel and a fully packed backpack. It was clear that he had left home.