Editor Seo Maru’s day starts at 2 PM.
Compared to the days when he woke up at 4 AM, his day and night have completely flipped.
Recently, the upload frequency of ‘NoName Official’ has been cut in half. In other words, the workload has doubled.
This is because there has been a significant influx of female viewers in their 20s and 30s, increasing the demand for both the game and Na-me’s vlogs.
Seo Maru finished editing and creating thumbnails for the accumulated videos overnight and greeted the day with a refreshing start.
He crawled sluggishly into the living room and trapped himself in the lazy hell created by the V-Tube algorithm.
The one who pulled him out of that prison was Seo Yu-na.
“Oppa, dinner time!”
“Didn’t you mean to say lunch?”
“Why not just call it breakfast?”
Time flew to 7 PM.
The television, which was being barely watched, was in the midst of a UFC broadcast.
[Countless requests for handshakes are being made! NoName! Do you remember me? We saw each other at the Academy Competition!]
“Uh? NoName?”
Seo Maru immediately dropped his phone, wondering if he heard wrong.
His ears were perfectly fine.
The girl signing autographs for fans in the VIP section of the UFC was undoubtedly NoName.
“Why is she there?”
In a panic, he looked for his phone, found Na-me’s name, and quickly sent a text.
[Seo Maru: Hey, did you go to the UFC live? I mean… did you always like stuff like this?]
The reply never came.
But even without a response, he could gather enough about Na-me’s recent status through the live broadcast.
Whether due to black-hearted intentions or not, the cameraman continuously showed Na-me’s reactions every time a round ended.
[The first round has concluded! Oh man, that was really dangerous! What a fantastic fight!]
[It could have ended in one go! Did Seo Jong-chan hear his young fan’s enthusiastic support? Oh, what a thumbs up he’s giving!]
[It seems the camera has just caught the side where NoName is! Ahahaha, Na-me is cheering with a standing ovation! That’s got to give Seo Jong-chan some power!]
*
Even during the brief one-minute break, the camera was busy trying to capture as many scenes as possible.
Fan applause, the physical condition of the fighters, and so forth.
As round one ended, Na-me stood up and clapped overhead.
Fans watching nearby cast sideways glances at her.
After the technical fight between the two fighters in round two, she was on screen again.
Na-me had kicked off her shoes and climbed onto her chair.
It could have been a sight to frown at, but luckily, she was short enough not to block the view of the people behind her.
With twin-tailed hair tightly gripped in her hands, Na-me seemed completely absorbed in the match.
Suddenly, she shouted towards the fighters.
The caster, skilled in deciphering lip movements, picked up what she was saying.
“Don’t be hurt, outer! Ah, the counter for the calf kick! Be careful about the calf kick counter! I think that’s roughly what she’s saying?”
“Hahaha, seems like this kid isn’t new to combat sports! In round two, Seo Jong-chan had a lot of fun with the calf kick, but Jakhaev must have been looking for a counter opportunity by this point. It will be interesting to see how they both react.”
“Now, the third round is starting!”
In the third round, the air inside the octagon was changing in a way every spectator could sense.
Seo Jong-chan and Jakhaev were probing each other, both aiming for powerful hits.
Seo Jong-chan’s Brazilian kick was evaded by Jakhaev, but he countered with a calf kick.
‘This is it!’
Seo Jong-chan’s sharp eyes sparkled.
Without time to think, he realized that if he used the same technique, he’d get the same response.
He changed his stance and closed the distance with a low kick that didn’t bear his weight on purpose.
At that moment, Jakhaev’s right shoulder tightened sharply with fierce speed.
‘Now!’
Seo Jong-chan confirmed the punch that brushed the tip of his nose and landed a right hook on Jakhaev’s chin.
“Waaaaaah!”
As the match reached its peak, the crowd’s cheers filled the stadium.
At the same time, Na-me slumped back into her seat.
It seemed she had lost interest in the result, as her ecstatic expression turned into a calm, blank face.
*
For some, this might seem like an exhilarating KO comeback victory.
But witnessing Seo Jong-chan withstand Jakhaev’s spinning kick in round one, I already saw his chance of victory.
Still, the harsh world of UFC never guarantees a 100% win, and the thrill felt when my judgment turned out to be right was indescribable.
Even now, I should manage my expressions.
I watched the warm interviews of the athletes respecting each other.
There was no time like this to warm my heart.
While the fighters shared passionate hugs with their families, I slowly began to pack my things.
Just before leaving, Jakhaev passed in front of me after making a half-turn and shot me a flirtatious wink.
“?”
What was I supposed to make of that?
My thoughts didn’t linger long.
Seo Jong-chan approached me, leading the camera crew.
The staff were gesturing for me to come over.
“Me?”
Curious feelings filled me as I leaned over the railing.
My long hair fell forward.
“Hey Na-me! How did you know I was a fan of NoName and came here to cheer for you?”
“Really? I’m a fan of Seo Jong-chan too…! I thought today’s match was really good.”
“Really? This is even more exciting than my wife complimenting me! Hahaha! Ugh!”
Seo Jong-chan, laughing loudly, suddenly groaned in pain where he had taken a body shot in round one.
“Is this live?”
“Of course, it’s live!”
“Ah…”
Is he really okay?
Though the ad contract has a decorum clause, I wondered if attending a UFC live event would be an acceptable exception. A fleeting internal conflict arose; it’s not illegal, so what’s the big deal?
“The coaches told me you were shouting about being careful with the calf kick counters.”
“Well, that’s obvious.”
“Did I manage the match too obviously? Hahaha, I was joking, but thanks for coming to cheer. I seriously considered retiring if I lost this match, but with a young fan like you here, I thought, I have to keep going. Please visit our gym if you ever get a chance!”
“Is it because of the V-Tube collab?”
“Hey, how did you know?”
“Why are you thinking about retirement already? You’re still in your prime, give it another shot.”
It was just odd that the athlete I was rooting for was, in turn, a fan of mine.
He was a player who had garnered so much love from the public that rumors of ‘every Korean should support Seo Jong-chan’ circulated widely.
“So you aren’t retiring, so can I say everything I want?”
“Sure! What did this cute young lady want to say?”
“You’ve wasted too much stamina trying to assert dominance since round one. What if you had lost just because you were too eager being at home ground? Also, while it was good that you figured out Jakhaev’s counter habit… you know you could’ve lost by being reckless if you had just charged in without making sure the groggy fake was checked? Instead, it would have been safer to gauge the response with your jab and throw punches at the gaps in the guard. And if you could take it, going for a takedown and pounding would have been the most secure move.”
“Th-That’s enough! You’re making it sound like I lost!”
“Anyway, I’ll support you until you become the champion. I sincerely wish for all your efforts to bear fruit.”
“Whoa, that’s some tough love! Is this really the winner of the competition? So scary, so scary…”
That was where the conversation with Seo Jong-chan ended.
It was a shame I couldn’t talk more due to the staff urging me on.
Anyone at the pinnacle of their field operates on a different level.
As much effort goes into a short 15-minute fight,
Ironically, because humans can use an aura, training that excludes its use is infinitely more painful.
Having to lift a weight that you can comfortably lift with two hands using just one hand.
Yet only those who endure such pain and continue to challenge themselves are truly worthy of happiness in life.
“So where am I supposed to find happiness?”
That day was filled with such hollow and bitter thoughts swirling in my head.
*
A day will come when I’ll ride in a limousine.
I lounged comfortably on the sofa-like seat and watched a highlight reel of last week’s match.
[V-Tube Clip]
[NoName giving pointers to Seo Jong-chan] [View Count: 1,605,049]
[Best Comment]
-(Seo Jong-chan TV): You fight that well, NoName? Come to Baekho Gym for a match! (Likes: 3.5K)
└ Dude… that’s so pathetic against a child…
└ Did you really have to get so embarrassing after beating Jakhaev?
└ 32 years old vs. 8 years old, my heart is shrinking, lol.
-I am who? A UFC viewer like NoName. (Likes: 4.8K)
└ Wow, how is an 8-year-old girl into UFC, lol.
└ It’s hilarious how she seems to know combat sports.
-Na-me’s Santa outfit is red to hide the blood of reindeer. (Likes: 2.6K)
└ Sparring with Rudolph, huh?
└ Sparring, lol.
└ What are you turning this girl into, a psychopath?
└ But Na-me’s chattering is just too cute, it’s off the charts…
[Jakhaev purchased Na-me’s collab skincare set] [View Count: 639,226]
“I also want to apologize to Na-me for saying things that shouldn’t have been said, even if it was part of trash talk. I’m genuinely worried she might have gotten hurt during that process. And I also like Na-me. So I bought a bunch of Na-me collaboration cosmetics at Modern Outlet.”
[Best Comment]
-Is he out of his mind? (Likes: 2.3K)
└ Still groggy, huh, lol? (Likes: 1.8K)
└ Please come to your senses, brother from bear country! 😭
“Ha, that’s cute.”
“Na-me, are you busy? I got a call from some advertisers yesterday, and I wanted to run something by you.”
The absurdly wealthy manager Lee Bo-reum had been managing my schedule since the early days of the broadcast.
Next year, she’ll be a high school senior yet she’s chosen to play the role of my attendant instead of studying.
Is this what it means to be ‘robbed of agency’?
It seems the rich enjoy this too.
“What is it?”
It hadn’t even been a week and already I was getting feedback.
Though I had expected this, I still wasn’t emotionally prepared.
“Modern Outlet said it was alright to go to the UFC live show, but please refrain from doing anything too flashy. They’re not questioning Na-me’s behavior itself, but they’re concerned about the peculiar edits the netizens are making.”
“Well, it’s not my fault. They’re not talking to me, so I don’t really need to care.”
“Um… can it be interpreted that way?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, and there’s good news too! Nike has seen a significant increase in sportswear sales, and they’re considering giving bonuses!”
Even doing the same thing, the reactions are polar opposites.
If I can’t satisfy everyone, then in the end, I should just do what I think is right.
I pulled back the curtain to see the scenery of Seoul outside.
The destination was Seo Jong-chan’s Baekho Gym.
Seo Jong-chan proposed a collaboration with me as soon as he was discharged from the hospital.
Having also been somewhat scammed under the guise of promoting the gym, I felt a greater sense of responsibility for this broadcast.
Initially, I had rejected due to the fact that I was his fervent fan…
But it made sense that I had to pay a fair price to avoid later rumors.
“Why do you need to take me with you? Are you bored going alone?”
“So, the reason I’m bringing Bo-reum? This newly established gym has no female sparring partners, so I’d be taking her as a punching bag instead. Can I say that?”
“What… what?”
I also had a dream.
The reason I had to give up the dream of being a wizard in my past life and focus on swordsmanship and magic.
It was not just because the world was in chaos, needing all the bodies it could get, but also because I lacked a teacher to instruct me in martial arts.
Fighting for my life with people, there would be times I couldn’t use magic or might drop my sword.
If I had known even a little about modern MMA techniques, there would have definitely been moments when it would have helped.
Boxing footwork is somewhat similar to swordsmanship, and at least using arms is okay, but I had no idea about jiu-jitsu or wrestling.
So let’s take this chance to truly learn.
“Then I’ll turn on the broadcast.”
“Hey NoName, what do you mean by that! I’m just an ordinary person! An ordinary person! Director Park, bring the car around!”
[NoName]
[Travel & Outdoors – I don’t want to get hurt, so I’m going to go all-in on attack power. (Seo Jong-chan Baekho Gym)]
[Includes Paid Promotion]
[Broadcasting Time – 0:00:01]
