Chapter 157
[Mi-ro’s Room]
“Go check it out right now, lol.”
– Kim?
“Yeah.”
– Haven’t seen you around much lately.
“That’s how I usually am.”
– Ugh, I was watching the second generation.
[Mi-ro: You can act like you know me in real life.]
“Really?”
“Yep, now you gotta act like friends, haha.”
– Stop teasing, lol.
– Honestly, with Mi-ro’s looks, it feels weird to talk.
“That’s true, haha.”
[Mi-ro, are you really just taking advantage of me again?]
“They debuted too, but you’re clueless.”
– That’s just Mi-ro for you, yeah.
– Just be grateful they’re even broadcasting.
“Thanks for that, but seriously…”
– Just a personal opinion, but it’s better to get recommendations than to bang on about it.
– Isn’t there gonna be another stream like Mi-ro24?
“Honestly, if she plans it out, she’s good at it.”
[Is Mi-ro avoiding horror games entirely?]
“Everyone else has done it, but I’ve never seen Mi-ro.”
– Yeah, she just doesn’t do them.
– If she doesn’t want to, she won’t even try.
“Haha, for real.”
– I do want to see her try it once, though.
“Don’t get your hopes up, haha.”
“Honestly, there’s no way she’ll do it.”
-Come on, whether it’s horror or whatever, I just wish she’d play a major game.
[Mi-ro’s gatekeeping, lol.]
“Unlike the other first-generation ones who don’t go in because they fear interrupting juniors,”
“Mi-ro just walks in.”
– Is it uncomfortable? Who cares, lol.
“Haha, I’m a first-gen, and I’m saying I’m coming in.”
– Mi-ro seems to like the second-generation members a lot.
“She liked the first-gen too.”
[Seol-ha’s troubles.]
“Mi-ro is about to be in trouble with her.”
– Since she’s seniors, I can’t even ban her, haha.
“Fact: If Mi-ro had been a second-gen, things would be different.”
“Man, she’s a total know-it-all, haha.”
– Seol-ha is in deep trouble.
[Aren’t you bothering the second-gen?]
“When the first-gen is making broadcasts and comes in like this;”
“Feels kinda off for Mi-ro, haha.”
– Get lost, haha.
– Didn’t Mi-ro raise the first-gen just to drain them?
“That’s true.”
“Mi-ro’s just a selfish one, isn’t she?”
“Mi-ro growing to 1.5 times her original size is a fact, haha.”
“That’s a bit much, isn’t it?”
– Fact: Seol-ha’s viewer count increased by 1.5 times.
“Really?”
“Yup, thanks to word of mouth, she’s blowing up.”
“Once she had no steady viewers, it’s like she’s getting ahead now.”
“She’s getting a boost.”
[Mi-ro’s chat is hilarious, lol.]
(Collected chats from Mi-ro.)
“This girl acts like they’re in her broadcast, haha.”
– For real, haha.
“Hmm… Is it really that way? Hilarious, lol.”
– If the manager hadn’t gotten involved, she’d have been banned long ago, lol.
“True.”
[Seol-ha looks so pitiful, haha.]
“As a senior, she can’t say anything and just looks cute while struggling.”
“True.”
“A bit different, haha.”
“She has a different vibe from the first generation.”
[Mi-ro’s second-time gatekeeping, lol.]
“I was wondering why Seol-ha left the room, then she headed to Haeil’s room.”
– Didn’t Mi-ro run from a game she was playing?
“True.”
“She’s commenting on things she can’t even do.”
“Exactly, it makes me want to smack her.”
[But it’s definitely new with the second generation coming in, yeah.]
“I’ll trash another indie game and then probably cut the stream.”
“At least she’s doing something now that the second gen is here.”
“True, lol.”
“She’s really good at broadcasting, for real.”
“Still five left, haha.”
[Mi-ro’s commentating update.]
(Mi-ro’s broadcast clip.)
“Because of her commentating, people are dying, so she just acts clueless, lol.”
“She’s just a chaotic presence, haha.”
“It’s hard to wake up the band, for real.”
[Mi-ro runs away, lol.]
“She’s got more playtime than ever.”
“How long did the instruction last?”
“About 30 minutes.”
“LOL.”
“Haeil, though, is pretty good.”
“Definitely, she knows how to do stuff.”
“Mi-ro’s just different from her, haha.”
“Mi-ro’s good too.”
[Seo Eun-ha enters the gallery, lol.]
“This girl’s quality is insane, for real.”
“True.”
“Doesn’t she have just one trick?”
“She can do more than it seems.”
“Watching her broadcast is fun.”
[??, hahaha.]
(Mi-ro’s broadcast screen.)
“Mi-ro got kicked out, lol.”
“???”
“What’s going on?”
“She got kicked out for commenting too much.”
“Haha!”
[What Mi-ro said after being banned.]
(Mi-ro’s broadcast clip.)
“Mi-ro: This is fun.”
“Oh, that’s brutal, haha.”
“Her voice sounds like a voice actor.”
“I can’t believe I’m seeing Mi-ro get banned, lol.”
[If the mirror treatment feels satisfying, thumbs up, haha.]
“Seo Eun-ha, this girl is crazy.”
“True, satisfying.”
“I wanted to give her a honey punch, but she slaps back, haha.”
“Info: Among the first-generation, Seo Eun-ha said Mi-ro is her favorite.”
“Really?”
“Yup, she came to the second gen after seeing Mi-ro.”
“Here we go again, haha.”
“Seriously, it’s like the same with that VTuber and her fans.”
[Why Seo Eun-ha kicked Mi-ro.]
(Mi-ro returned from a trip to Japan and was kicking viewers from the stream.)
“It’s just normal for her, haha.”
“She nurtured a cub, haha.”
[New Gallery Master.]
(Seo Eun-ha’s profile picture.)
“I hereby declare that our Dwitch Gallery has appointed Seo Eun-ha from the Celestial Realm’s second generation as master.”
“True.”
“Thumbs down, lol.”
“Get lost, Battaclowns, please.”
“Still haven’t boarded, haha.”
“Isn’t that Anna?”
“Uh?”
“Just some ^piece of trash Mi-ro^”
Late at night, while the Seo Eun-ha gossip was rolling around,
A notice went up in the Celestial Realm fans’ café.
[Has the notice for the Celestial Realm collaboration come out?]
“First and second generation Minecraft collaboration, oh my god.”
“Finally happening now?”
“Eun-ha is about to get wrecked by Mi-ro, lol.”
“Isn’t this the first time they’ve ever had a collab?”
“Yeah, they didn’t because of a lack of members.”
“Wow, how long has it been since the last collab?”
“Correct, the second generation joins, so it feels like they’re finally doing something.”
**
“I’ll be back.”
I left the house early in the morning.
As expected, I pulled my scarf up higher against the cold air blowing in from the dawn.
Man, it’s freezing, what is it now, below zero?
Despite all this talk about global warming, winter just keeps getting colder.
Thinking about how I wouldn’t have even thought to come out without my long padding, I hurried my steps.
After all, there’s a collaboration tonight, so I can’t be late.
With a collaboration, there’s more to prepare than just tuning into the broadcast beforehand.
When something goes wrong in my broadcast, my viewers wait.
But if something goes wrong in this collaboration, all viewers, including first and second generations, will have to wait.
Just imagining it sends a chill down my spine.
So I think to myself, let’s not be too late, and head toward Composer Kang Woo-hyeon’s workshop.
Arriving at the workshop building, I quickly went inside.
“Ah.”
As soon as I stepped inside, I felt the warmth melt the coldness off my cheeks.
My body, frozen stiff from the cold, began to thaw as I moved further inside, spotting the lobby.
Normally, someone would be here, but… no one is around today.
Well, I wasn’t surprised since I’d already heard from the composer ahead of time, and I walked into the workshop without worry.
Approaching the recording studio at the end of the hallway, I opened the thick soundproof wall, and immediately felt the presence of people.
“Ah, you’re here?”
The composer was sitting at the work PC inside the recording studio, and I spotted a guy through the soundproof glass.
“Are you recording?”
“Yeah, I should finish up soon.”
That guy is Lee Kang-jun, the ballad artist I’m supposed to be working with early this year.
Looks like he’s really getting into it; if he’s wrapping up work, isn’t my song supposed to come out around the same time?
Oh wait…
“Did you hear Hyeon-su’s going to release his album soon?”
“I heard about that too.”
Hyeon-su’s album, which is already complete, is coming out to the world soon.
It looks like the composer knows about it as well.
Well, it’d be weirder if he didn’t.
“When are we coming out?”
So I asked what’s ahead for us.
That’s why I came here.
I’ve sent everything regarding the new song, but there’s been no news, so isn’t it natural to be curious?
“I have some thoughts lined up, but let’s finish Kang-jun’s recording first.”
“Kang-jun?”
“I’ve kind of gotten close with him.”
You got close in that little span of time?
Well, I guess Lee Kang-jun’s personality is quite amiable.
“Then I’ll just call you Soo-hyun.”
“Um.”
“Excuse me?”
“Aren’t we a bit too much for that?”
“Seriously.”
I couldn’t believe the composer would say something like that.
Haven’t we known each other longer?
“It’s just a joke; this is more comfortable for me.”
“And Kang-jun?”
“I see him like a younger brother.”
“Well then, do whatever you want.”
“Are you upset or something?”
“Me? No way.”
The Celestial Realm’s coolest girl, Mi-ro, is right here.
There’s no way I’d harbor any grudges.
I sat on a nearby sofa for a moment to wait, and soon after, Kang-jun finished recording and came out.
“Ah, you’re here?”
“Yeah, I came to talk about something.”
“Oh, should I leave?”
“Well… you don’t have to.”
Since I was there, I had questions for Kang-jun too.
“Then what’s up?”
Once I gave permission, Kang-jun sat down nearby, and the composer soon dragged a chair closer.
“You were curious about when the song comes out, right?”
“Yeah, I came all the way here on this cold day.”
Honestly, I could’ve called, but isn’t meeting face-to-face better?
“We’re planning something soon. Honestly, Kang-jun’s song might come out first.”
“Oh, really?”
“…Is it too late?”
“I’m actually fine with it. I didn’t come here to rush, but I was just really curious.”
Wasn’t it a song the composer wanted to put out?
If he wants to take his time, he can take his time.
I’m not in a hurry.
“If you say that, then I feel a bit more relaxed.”
“I didn’t say that to ease your mind, so don’t worry.”
It’s totally meant as a message that it’s really okay if it’s late, and after a moment of silence, the composer nodded.
“Thank you.”
“I’m more grateful.”
That’s no joke.
Just how much has the composer helped me?
Well, I did come here to discuss something, but if the composer already has everything figured out, I really don’t need to say much.
So that’s that for this issue, and I redirected the topic a bit.
“By the way, what about Kang-jun’s new song?”
“Oh, me? I’m totally in love with it.”
Hearing him say that with a delighted expression shows he genuinely likes the new song.
I wonder how good it really is—then again, he’s someone who takes charts seriously, so he must be riding a high.
The song I heard a snippet of during recording was definitely good.
Does he know Hyeon-su is releasing an album?
Deciding not to bring it up out of the blue.
Just as I was chatting with Kang-jun about the new song for a while,
the composer suddenly chimed in.
“Oh, Soo-hyun.”
“Yeah?”
“There’s something I’ve been thinking about while working with Kang-jun this time.”
His hesitation was unusual for the composer, making me curious.
“What is it? Just say it.”
Wondering if he has a favor to ask, I urged him to speak up.
If it’s something the composer wants, I’d be willing to help.
Aren’t we partners? Shouldn’t the composer get to do work too?
“So….”
As I pressed him, the composer seemed to have made up his mind and opened his mouth.
“How about shooting a music video?”
“Huh?”
A music video? As in the one I see on YouTube when a song plays?
“It’s not that complicated. We’re just planning to shoot scenes of recording in the studio. It’s something they often do for ballads nowadays, so we thought it’d be nice if we did it too. It wouldn’t even show all our faces, just having a video would be good, so I’m asking.”
The composer added extra details, possibly feeling it might be an unreasonable request, but I was equally taken aback by this unexpected ask.
“Uh….
But I haven’t even participated in Mi-ro’s original song music video!
Isn’t this jumping the gun?”
