It was an ordinary day, just like any other.
Today, in the early afternoon, I was quietly preparing for my broadcast.
However, today’s broadcast held a hint of something special.
I planned to publicly select about two managers to oversee my chat room during the broadcast.
They were unpaid volunteers, which was unusual given the level of support I received.
The reward for this? The chance to officially communicate with me, I suppose. Since they wouldn’t wield absolute power in the chat room, that was basically all the reward there was.
Originally, this role was handled by Si-young. She was involved in overall editing for my YouTube channel as well as managing the chat room.
But that kind of arrangement couldn’t last forever. It had always been an unsustainable structure. If I was to focus on my broadcast while also keeping an eye on the chat, when would the editing even happen? A single person can only do so much.
It would be one thing if the broadcast were merely playing like a radio. But managing the chat while editing was nearly impossible.
No matter how excellent your multitasking abilities are, something that isn’t physically possible simply isn’t.
It was odd to try combining both roles in the first place, but that had been Si-young’s stubborn choice. She didn’t want to let go of either role. To me, it seemed more like stubbornness than anything else, but I suppose everyone has their quirks. It wasn’t something I couldn’t understand.
But why was I suddenly trying to choose chat room managers? I couldn’t ignore the dark circles forming under Si-young’s eyes as she wore herself down. The overwhelming scent of coffee that had taken over our home was a clear sign that she was currently overextending herself.
“Really, it’s fine,” she insisted.
“I’m the one who isn’t fine.”
“Anyway, I only watch Mollru’s broadcasts if I have any free time…”
“Then you should take a break and enjoy the broadcast. Relaxing while watching the show is different from stressing over it.”
Si-young kept saying that she could manage both editing and chat room management, but I firmly refused. Live broadcasts and YouTube had grown in scale, unlike before. To put it metaphorically, it was like transforming a neighborhood corner store into a department store.
Yet, I was still operating with just a single manager? That didn’t make any sense.
Moreover, that manager was a founding member. While I should provide favorable treatment, it felt wrong to overwork her, and I could feel my conscience pricking at me.
If my precious human resources were to suddenly collapse from exhaustion, not only would I be unable to focus on my broadcast, but my entire YouTube channel could also freeze altogether.
Looking at it this way, my laziness in not taking action sooner was glaring. But now that I realized it, was that sufficient?
“Then, could I also apply when you’re selecting managers?”
“Of course.”
I had intended to ask for her help anyway.
While chat room management might seem trivial, it involved controlling nearly 20,000 to 30,000 people. If things weren’t handled neatly, there would inevitably be complaints.
The transition of responsibilities from Si-young to someone else was needed now, especially to prevent situations where some were unfairly banned while others went unbanned, no matter how unruly they acted.
But Si-young seemed to have bigger ideas in mind.
“Why not proceed with it as content? Let’s call it the ‘Chat Room Manager Selection Broadcast.’”
“You mean showing the process of selecting someone during the broadcast?”
“The applicants will flood in.. and if you have a conversational interview with them, it’ll also provide editing material.”
In essence, she suggested a format reminiscent of a company job interview. Why do you want to work with our company? That kind of vibe.
Si-young nodded and continued.
“We’ll also conduct a Mollu mock exam alongside it. The interview will take place after they’ve taken it.”
“What’s the Mollu mock exam?”
“It’s a test assessing basic knowledge about Mollu. Something that has been quite trendy after being shared in the café. Just so you know, I got full marks.”
She seemed to seek some kind of praise, and I awkwardly responded.
“Um… that’s impressive.”
“The problem is, I’ll be creating the questions afresh. I think the current difficulty is too easy, so I’ll raise it to a level where applicants who score below a certain point will be eliminated from the first round.”
“That’s basically an instant rejection…”
Surviving the first test leading to an interview and then receiving a pass notification — it followed a familiar structure.
This felt more like a real company interview than just a casual process. Would anyone be willing to go through such a cumbersome process to apply?
“I’m saying there’d be a problem because there would be a lot of applicants.”
Si-young seemed to read my thoughts and chuckled softly. Well, if a professional says so, I guess that’s what it is.
*
‘Mollru is live!’
– Looking for people! Family-like atmosphere / Passionate Pay
“Nice to meet you all. You’ve read the notice, right?”
[Are you really selecting managers?]
[I saw you posted some test questions below, lol.]
[Mollu mock exam ver.2, okay.]
[Why is the mock exam so hard?]
[I found it easy, though.]
[You think that’s easy?]
[Only the truly evil fans can answer that.]
[It should be at that level to be a manager, haha.]
[Qualifications: A fan who has invested their life into Mollu.]
Yesterday, I had announced that I would be looking for managers along with the questions created by Si-young, my editor.
She had set the passing mark for the mock exam at 60 points. There were a total of 60 questions. Since there were no variations in scoring, applicants needed to answer at least 36 questions correctly to pass.
It was quite fascinating that there could even be 60 questions about me and my broadcasts, and at first glance, the conditions might seem lenient, but the questions were no joke.
From the very start of my first broadcast to my favorite foods mentioned during the stream, various trivial details that one might have to remember after watching live — I wondered if anyone would actually retain all those small details.
Only those who were truly immersed in my broadcasts could possibly be suitable candidates.
I connected with Si-young over Discord and decided to interview the individuals who scored passing marks on the mock exam right away.
The total number of people who had to be interviewed was 10. Si-young, who would also act as staff, would let them in one at a time.
“I will now let in the first applicant.”
“Okay.”
[Why is this so formal? Haha.]
[It’s practically an interview.]
[PTSD from the editor’s voice is hitting hard.]
[Unemployed fans wouldn’t understand that.]
[Managing the chat room takes effort, huh?]
Si-young’s businesslike tone made her sound like a human resources officer at a company.
As she announced the start, someone entered through Discord.
I casually glanced at the list Si-young had provided. Let’s see… this person…
“Job seeker Kim Myung-jun?”
“Yes, yes!”
His nick was Job Seeker Kim Myung-jun. I remembered seeing his name occasionally. Had he been around for a while?
[How can someone’s name be Kim Myung-jun, haha.]
[Myung-jun is gay…]
[An actual job seeker showed up;;]
[For real, an interviewee, haha.]
[What if a job seeker watches the broadcast?]
[It’s okay to watch the broadcast, but being a manager means he’s given up on employment.]
[Mom believes in our Myung-jun ^^]
“Are you that job seeker…?”
I was surprised that this person had scored above 60 on the mock exam in the first place. How much had he watched my broadcasts?
Kim Myung-jun cleared his throat and, taking a serious tone, replied.
“I got a job recently. I even donated 50,000 won as a celebration.”
“Oh, that’s right, you got a job. But is it really possible to watch broadcasts while working?”
It was a genuine question. Although my broadcasts primarily occurred in the evening until dawn, it wasn’t consistent, and I wondered if a working person could realistically stay up late to watch?
“Well, while it’s very rare for me to catch your weekday afternoon streams, I can definitely cover your main broadcast hours from evening to dawn.”
“Even on days you have to work the next morning?”
“I naturally sleep less… I sleep only about four hours.”
[Napoleon’s sleep method, whoa!]
[Four hours, haha.]
[Wow, I start dozing off past 3 AM.]
[Didn’t Edison sleep that way?]
[Aren’t you going to die if you keep sleeping four hours?]
[It varies by person; as long as it’s something he’s used to, it should be fine.]
While he claimed he could manage, I wasn’t so sure. This role required someone who would be glued to the broadcast much like a totem. I had been considering prioritizing candidates who were free during my broadcast hours.
“I can genuinely do this well. I haven’t missed a single one of Mollu’s broadcasts. And I did decently on the mock exam.”
“Kim Myung-jun answered 51 out of 60 questions correctly, earning a total of 85 points.”
“Wow…”
It seemed he was genuinely claims that he could do the job well. His understanding of my broadcasts was quite high. Whether that could be called understanding, I wasn’t so sure.
Since this was the first interview, I couldn’t make an instant decision. I would add him to the candidate list and think it over.
“Okay, got it… Lastly, let’s do a quick chat review.”
“Ah.”
“You didn’t say anything weird in the chat, right?”
“I’m not someone who messages frequently… honestly, I can barely remember what I typed. I think I used a lot of ‘lol’ or emojis.”
Most would probably be like that. Some people choose to watch without chatting at all.
But still, it’s best to take a look and see. If any alarming messages appeared, that could be ground for disqualification as well.
[13:45 Job Seeker Kim Myung-jun: lol]
[20:33 Job Seeker Kim Myung-jun: hahahaha]
[00:11 Job Seeker Kim Myung-jun: (surprised emoji)]
As he stated, there didn’t seem to be any issues in Kim Myung-jun’s chat messages. Starting from the most recent, I scrolled up slowly, finding nothing but light-hearted comments and emojis all the way through.
The fact that he didn’t chat quite often would also be a positive factor. Once he became a manager, the potential for attracting attention would increase, so it would be better not to chat much unless necessary.
As I nodded to myself and prepared to end the chat log, I suddenly noticed something.
[17:03 Job Seeker Kim Myung-jun: I’m amazed.]
[17:04 Job Seeker Kim Myung-jun: I’m blown away.]
[17:11 Job Seeker Kim Myung-jun: Whoa, I’m amazed.]
Normally, someone who barely talked in chat would go on to repeatedly use the phrase “I’m amazed” on that particular day for no clear reason.
What could have happened around last fall?
“Kim Myung-jun? Are you watching my broadcast right now?”
“Yes…”
His voice trembled slightly. Perhaps he sensed I might bring this point up.
“You suddenly increased your chat messages on September 11 last year and kept saying you’re amazed. Are you somehow a victim of incontinence? Why did you use the phrase ‘I’m amazed’?”
[Oh, Myung-jun…]
[A young person already…]
[What kind of day was that?]
“Um… well… that’s…”
Kim Myung-jun fumbled over his words. For someone who usually didn’t chat much, the fact that he used that phrase repeatedly indicated he might have been in a state of excitement.
Just as I was beginning to feel frustrated with his hesitance, Si-young spoke up.
“That day was the first time Mollru did a cam broadcast, meaning it was the day his face was revealed.”
“Oh, I see…”
[That makes sense.]
[Ah, haha, I can definitely accept that.]
[For that broadcast, that amount of excitement was normal, haha.]
[For real, lol.]
Judging by the reactions in the chat, there seemed to be an understanding response. There were even people defending him.
So, that was it. Kim Myung-jun was completely blown away by my face reveal. Was it really that impressive? I couldn’t say for certain.
Still, since he hadn’t said anything inappropriate in the chat, I might as well let this slide.
