Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 50

“That’s why you said that back then…”

“…Ugh, um, well…”

“……”

“……”

“You can just say it casually, you know…”

“…Yes, uh…”

In a quiet little café, especially in a tucked-away corner.

I briefly patted myself on the back for finding a good spot, although it was short-lived.

—Cough, look at this. Dayoung, it’s a real spectacle.

As Bbaebbae, who was hiding in the bag, mocked the situation, Dayoung slammed back an Americano to cool her frustration.

Let’s put it this way: it’s as serious as a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy because their cancer cells are having a tough time.

‘Seriously, it never ends.’

Dayoung clicked her tongue as she recalled the grand finale of the so-called “Galaxy’s Strongest Editor Contest” that happened yesterday.

What even went down back then?

* * *

Everyone flipped out over Ahjin’s one-liner about her entry.

“Donations of 5,000 won from DynamicRodong!

—Ahjin, you little trash, who do you think you are calling me a loser? Where do you live?”

[Wow, calling her a loser, haha]

[Isn’t that a bit of a stretch for Ahjin?]

[DynamicRodong, what number are you?]

[What a mess, what a mess]

[Editors should stick together…. Superb..]

Just then, another editor watching Friede’s broadcast took a shot at Ahjin with their donation, and it turned into complete chaos.

After all, they were fiercely living their lives in the video editing industry with honed editing skills.

At least the rest of them who made the finals, apart from Ahjin, hadn’t lived aimlessly enough to be called “losers” by a young girl.

Naturally, there had to be some pride in their work.

So, it was evident that crossing the line with comments among fellow competitors—even when not clients—was something they absolutely wouldn’t allow.

“Alright, everyone calm down.”

—Clap! Clap!

With the sound of applause ringing sharply, Friede drew everyone’s attention to herself.

She didn’t ban or penalize Ahjin or the unidentified editor who targeted her.

Since it was a contest, she thought a little provocation was acceptable.

It wasn’t like they outright cursed, after all.

“Now, let’s start the voting. It’s 7 minutes now; we’ll start at 10 minutes and run until 20 minutes.”

[Heart racing]

[Bullet loaded]

[Anyway, duplicate votes won’t work; the teacher will filter them out]

[Let’s go, let’s go]

[Who are you voting for?]

[Whoa, nobody’s spilling where they’re voting]

[It’s all going to be revealed anyway as a mission]

[But who’s going to take first?]

[No idea]

[Could be one of 1, 5, 6, or 7]

[I think 3 would be fine too]

Time ticked closer.

Friede quickly checked the viewer panel.

Currently, there were 18,687 viewers watching live.

Oh, it’s already way past 10,000.

There were many times during broadcasts when she got so absorbed that she missed checking the real-time viewer count.

‘Gotta make sure I manage this properly.’

If not careful, the mission voting could become a total mess…

After adjusting the upper limit for mission support and manipulating the panel to avoid duplicate missions, Friede slowly revved up for the start.

“Alright, it’s 10 minutes. I’m kicking off the voting. Everyone, go ahead and set your missions.”

As it hit 10 minutes, Friede started the timer.

The camera was fixed on the timer for everyone to see.

And then…

「 YoungSisterAndOldBrother donated 10,000 won!

—Vote for 4!」

「 SoupIngredientsPoo donated 10,000 won!

—Vote for 7!」

「 ZekeCarterBelt donated 10,000 won!

—Vote for 7!」

「 SisterWhoEatsMidir donated 10,000 won!

—Vote for 6!」

「 CustomerUntilKO donated 10,000 won!

—Vote for 1!」

…

The missions kept pouring in.

Since they had the notifications turned off, no noise complaints or disasters erupted.

Perhaps it was because the mission amounts weren’t high-stakes, but the speed at which the mission screen flipped to the next page was quite abnormal.

Watching the continuous updates of mission votes, even Friede and the viewers were left guessing who would take first place.

Thus, the curiosity of those watching only grew stronger.

「 DynamicRodong donated 10,000 won!

—Vote for 4!」

[Wait, wasn’t our Rodong the fourth option?]

[LOL]

[Well, that’s ironic]

[For real…]

[Four was well done, though]

As a fun situation unfolded, Friede couldn’t help but swallow her giggles.

Meanwhile, viewers caught sight of DynamicRodong’s vote targeting Ahjin and rushed in like playful tricksters.

To catch on to rapidly changing mission phrases in a second was impressive.

“Alright, that’s it. Voting is over. Good job, everyone. Before we compile the results, I do want to say something first.”

As the timer rang out that 10 minutes had passed, she closed the mission screen.

With only the tallying of the results left to do, Friede smiled gently at everyone and said,

“First of all, I’d like to thank all the editors who participated in this contest again. I wish I could award every editor, but sadly, that’s not the case. If there’s another opportunity in the future, I’ll reach out again.”

That’s how it goes with everything.

The feeling of emptiness when a passionate effort falls flat is beyond imagination.

If the aftereffects are severe, it could linger for months—the terrifying reality of creative endeavors.

Having preemptively told them she’d pay higher than the typical rates for regular editors only added to the disappointment.

But they showed up to participate anyway. Shouldn’t even this level of encouragement be given if they didn’t make it?

Inside her head, she silently wished for their futures to thrive.

As she sipped her cold leftover coffee, Friede continued with her thanks.

“And thanks to all the viewers who participated in the voting, too. This contest could take off thanks to you guys. I realized how loved our broadcast is through this… and I’ll do my best to keep it up.”

[Sister… as long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters]

[It’s not ‘as long as’, it should be ‘it must be’]

[Yeah… that’s all that matters…]

[Why’s the vibe suddenly like this]

[Why are my eyes watery..]

[I just witnessed the tears of the times]

Riding the brief wave of touching emotion, Friede began tallying the voting results.

‘Still, hundreds participated.’

A huge turnout. Honestly, she was quite thankful for it.

After manipulating the panel, the results displayed immediately.

The viewers saw the results as they unfolded.

The coveted first place is…

“Ahjin, it seems.”

The controversial female editor who dissed all the participating editors as “losers.”

She snagged first place with nearly double the votes of the second place.

[Ahjin-Kun did it!]

[Mom believed in you]

[So she won just because she’s a girl? That’s disgusting, right?]

[LOL it’s so cringe hearing these uncles imitate mom.]

[If it’s double, it’s kinda valid to call them losers.]

Right? That’s a pretty significant difference.

Friede hadn’t thought there would be this much of a gap.

That just showed how well Ahjin’s video resonated with the viewers.

Or perhaps it was that cute yet infuriating voice buff she showcased earlier.

Anyway, it was an unexpected gap, a surprising result.

It was almost time to settle the scores.

“For everyone who participated in the voting, I’ll be gifting a pizza gift card. Originally, I thought I’d only gift those who voted for first place, but since everyone participated so well, I’ll give it to everyone. And for the editors who, unfortunately, didn’t make it, I’ll be giving separate gifts. Thank you for bringing light to this contest amidst your busy schedules.”

[Yay~ pizza sounds sweet]

[Friede’s so generous ㄷㄷ]

[Does she have money? Our teacher?]

[With a teacher like her, money woes shouldn’t be a concern… let’s not worry about that]

[Given how this character is created, she must be capable of raking in dough.]

In the unexpected ruckus of free pizza, it was time to wrap up the contest.

“Ahjin, are you watching right now… oh, you are.”

Having spotted her on the guest list, Friede casually said,

“Congratulations, Ahjin, would you like to say a few words if you’re okay with it?”

—Ahjin: Yes…..

A message packed with needless periods.

As soon as Ahjin entered using the Bird Code she had prepared, everyone erupted in cheers.

They were all enchanted by her timid yet cute voice.

Moreover, it was amusing to see her teasing other editors about being losers, which didn’t quite fit her voice.

Everyone was curious about what story she would share through the Bird Code.

At that moment.

「DynamicRodong donated 5,000 won!

—Congrats on first, Ahjin, but still, calling someone a loser was crossing the line. Apologize for that. Seriously.」

DynamicRodong, who earlier targeted Ahjin via donations, blasted through with his comment in a robotic voice.

Ah, so that guy was an editor after all.

[LOL, our Rodong is getting gloomy]

[Friede’s giving out gifts, so cheer up, friend]

[Which streamer would even shell out that much?]

[Exactly, that’s what makes it even more infuriating. The girl who called you a loser is now basking in glory.]

[For real, haha.]

When DynamicRodong made his reappearance, everyone couldn’t help but chuckle…

“M… m…”

A new voice echoed in their ears, a fresh intruder cutting through.

It was the voice of the editor, Ahjin.

[What?]

[You apologizing?]

[Technically, calling someone a loser was crossing the line.]

[Our Ahjin better not cry when she apologizes.]

Everyone who had been subtly teasing and waiting for more now caught wind of her unsure yet shaky voice rippling through Friede’s broadcast.

“Crazy ed… editor! You all are just losers, right?!”

—Ahjin has left the room.

What remained was the silence of all, including the viewers, with mouths agape.

「DynamicRodong donated 5,000 won!

—I can’t believe I lost to such a pest.」

DynamicRodong’s soundless scream echoed as awkward silence enveloped Friede’s broadcast.

That day, a new entry was added to the controversy section of Friede’s broadcast on the Wiki.