Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 62

“……?”

“……?”

Dayoung and Ahjin both tilted their heads.

“Collecting? My sister? Why? For what reason? Why the word ‘collecting’?”

Countless questions unraveled one after another, each new thought dragging up more uncertainty.

“Wait, I don’t get it…. What does that mean?”

Dayoung, after running countless calculations in her mind but still coming up empty, was the first to ask. Everyone’s gaze turned to Sehee.

“Um, I can’t explain it in detail yet since I’m still in the planning phase….”

—Uh-oh

She mumbled the rest of her words and popped a snack into her mouth.

Watching her, Dayoung briefly thought that her sister seemed pretty flustered.

Had she ever avoided answering so plainly before?

After three minutes of stalling, with the tension in the room building higher, Sehee finally broke the silence.

“Um, before I explain, I want to ask first. You all aren’t affiliated with any agencies, right?”

“Well, I stream as an independent freelancer.”

“I don’t rely on any specific organization either.”

“I see. Then this should be easy to discuss.”

Taking a sip of her tea, Sehee gathered her thoughts and stated her intentions calmly.

“I want to set up a streamer agency.”

“An agency… like an MCN?”

Confirming for clarification, Dayoung was met with a nod from Sehee.

“Um, it seems similar? Not exactly that, but I want to recruit all of you. To put it simply… a scout?”

“I’m totally in! With my skills, I can edit for a hundred streamers, so please feel free to work me to the bone!”

At Ahjin’s declaration, Dayoung fell silent.

Ahjin can say that because she’s an editor anyway, so she’ll just take editing jobs from streamers or companies.

For Dayoung, who is already active as a streamer, Sehee’s proposal needed serious consideration.

‘I didn’t want to think about this…’

If she joined this agency, what benefits would it bring her?

As these materialistic thoughts crossed her mind, a frown formed on her face.

She should probably check the state of her own streams first.

She had regained her former glory, and with a bit more effort, she could rise to even greater fame.

The problem was Sehee’s agency, Friede, was already outpacing Dayoung’s channel, Forming.

If she were to get recruited under those circumstances, what would happen?

Surely there would be overlapping broadcast times; would her streams get buried under her sister’s…?

‘On the flip side, it could lead to more viewers, but… Ah, this is complicated.’

On top of that, another question lingered, and finally unable to hold back, Dayoung asked again.

“Sis, you really don’t need to set up an agency. You could continue as a personal streamer without an affiliation, and it would probably work out just fine. Is there a specific reason for doing this?”

If someone asked why she was bothering with this at all, the answer was simple.

Jisehee, the master of Friede broadcasting, had no reason to initiate such an endeavor.

Her streams, the Friede channel, were thriving day by day.

Even though her main content was just the one trick of Soul Warfare, she was akin to a cheat-level streamer, starting from tutorials all the way up to max level.

Barring any accidents, the Friede streams would just keep flourishing.

Among professional gamers and streamers, those known as legends were practically treated like net talents.

‘With such a rosy future awaiting her…’

Why would she go through the hassle of establishing and managing an agency?

At Dayoung’s insightful question, Sehee scratched her cheek and avoided eye contact.

“I don’t intend to make it too big. It’s just something I’m working on among acquaintances. But if I really have to explain… it’s about this.”

Sehee pointed at Dayoung and Ahjin with her finger.

“An insurance plan for heroes.”

“Eh?”

“…!?”

“Heh heh, is this some hilarious hidden camera prank, Jisehee?”

Whoa, wait, calm down and listen.

Sehee settled everyone’s nerves before continuing her story calmly.

“Looking at the work you both do, I thought it over. Our heroes have struggled until now, right? If I were summoned to another world, I might have struggled to the point of dying too.”

“Well…”

“So, this thought crossed my mind. What if a hero who couldn’t endure reality decides to rampage, fully prepared to meet their end…? What would happen?”

At Sehee’s words, both Dayoung and Ahjin fell silent.

Surely, the laws of Earth suppressing a hero’s powers also meant to deter them from causing chaos.

Otherwise, it couldn’t be so thoroughly ruined.

But even a worm will wriggle when stepped on; it’s not entirely impossible for a hero to unleash their true power for a short time.

“I’ll ask this: if Dayoung and Ahjin decided to use such power, how far could you go in causing trouble?”

“Well…”

Dayoung didn’t want to verbalize that.

As a hero, committing such an act would be no different from a demon king’s behavior.

Of course, a rampage, marked by a willingness to self-destruct, wasn’t a convenient option either.

There’s always a chance they could overload themselves and die rather than cause havoc like a stacked bonfire.

However, the possibility of innocent lives being lost wasn’t entirely negligible, leaving no one able to voice it.

“So, it makes sense to have a sanctuary to support these heroes, right?”

“…Sister!”

Seeing Ahjin tear up with emotion, Dayoung thought it was quite over the top but somehow…

‘I do understand.’

Recalling the hardships brought on by the remains of the Demon King…

With three heroes already around, there could be more hidden elsewhere. It’d be hard to definitively conclude they’re all in comfortable circumstances.

Setting aside how to move forward, Dayoung deeply resonated with Sehee’s intentions.

“So, where will the funds come from? Most MCNs operate at a loss. There’s only so long you can pour water into a bottomless pit.”

Well, considering she owned a large building in Gangnam, she might have a lot of money, but whether that would suffice for her plans was another concern altogether.

‘If we were going to do this, then…’

She didn’t want to dive headfirst into a project with an uncertain future simply because there was no budget.

Dayoung’s concern elicited a light shake of Sehee’s head, as if to say those worries were unfounded.

“I’ve made quite a bit from my hero life in this world. The funds are more than adequate.”

“How much?”

“The initial investment… is about this much?”

At the sight of the staggering number displayed on Sehee’s smartphone, Dayoung, Ahjin, and even Bpae-Bpae’s eyes widened in shock.

Wait, why is she even working as a streamer?

* * *

“Alright, I’m heading out.”

“I’ll see you later, Jisehee.”

“I’ll go too, sis.”

The timing seemed right, and since they were merely discussing plans, there wasn’t much more depth to be had.

But at the very least, understanding her sister’s intentions was a significant gain for Dayoung.

“Uh, um, as soon as I leave your house… this happens.”

Ah, Ahjin was back to being Ahjin.

“That house is a place your sister has placed a blessing upon, so once you step away, it’s natural that the effects fade. So, what will you do now?”

“W-what will I…?”

“The thing your sister mentioned, are you really going to do it?”

“Of-course I will, of course!”

“…Right.”

Well, it’s nice for you since you can just be an editor.

They weren’t even that close; it had hardly been days since they got acquainted.

In fact, it’s much stranger that she trusts Sehee that much.

In conclusion…

“Let’s split up. I’m heading that way…”

“F-fine, I guess…”

Without Sehee as a pivot, they simply parted ways.

Dayoung and Ahjin separated without any regrets.

At that moment, Bpae-Bpae, who had been wriggling in the bag, asked in a low voice.

“What about you, Dayoung?”

“Honestly, I’m just as clueless. I’ll have to think it over.”

It was all so sudden, and with the plan still vague, it was tough to articulate anything.

“But then why is Jisehee reaching out to the streaming side of things?”

At Bpae-Bpae’s question, Dayoung let out a small laugh.

Well, who knows what heroes have done on Earth? Perhaps she believed that streaming jobs would allow them to embrace each person’s talent to the fullest.

After all, she herself was a streamer.

“So, what about you, Bpae-Bpae? Do you think you’ll be fine?”

“Why would I not be fine, Dayoung? As Bpae-Bpae, I fully support our impressive CEO.”

What a load of nonsense.

* * *

In the now empty, quiet space.

My heart was still racing with nerves, and my expression twisted strangely.

It was more that I felt… euphoria rather than pain or distress.

This was probably the thrill that comes from overcoming a crisis in an exhilarating ride.

“I think those two will definitely come around.”

I was sure they both resonated deeply in their hearts. Though I didn’t get the answer I sought, that stage wasn’t even in reach yet.

Just shaping their minds this much was already an achievement.

Now, it was time to ensure I tackled the most pressing task at hand.

The STK Brawl Tournament. Commonly known as the Brawl.

It’s currently a leading title in global e-sports games, a mainstream hit.

With that much attention, it would surely stand out far more than typical amateur competitions.

To seize victory in this tournament with overwhelming force was essential.

‘Including that legendary professional gamer…’

Then, the stream would surely soar like a ship catching a fair wind.

After that, I would gradually build up the broadcasts, and my plan to gather heroes would fully commence.

Buried deep within the sofa, I reflected once more on what transpired earlier with Dayoung and Ahjin.

“To save the heroes…”

Even now, it felt crazy to say, but how could I even think of such words?

I couldn’t help but hit my forehead in disbelief that I had managed to convince Dayoung and Ahjin with this grand reasoning.

Raising a toast towards my own brilliant brain, even if it was daytime…

“Cheers~!”