NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2
The day for internet broadcasters always starts a bit late.
And that was no different for me. When I finally woke up and checked my phone, it was already showing 1:13 PM.
“…Ah, trash.”
That was the first thing that slipped out of my mouth as I sat up in bed, yawning wide.
Now that I think about it, I really need to take out the food waste and the rest of the trash today. If Mom finds out when she barges in, I’m going to hear it for sure, ordering me to come back home right away.
I can’t let this luxurious solo living situation slip away. For sure.
Crinkle.
I popped open the lids of the trash cans in my room, living room, and kitchen, yanked on the ends of the black trash bags inside, and tied them up.
Then, I grabbed the designated trash bag from the balcony and stuffed it full. It was a bit small, but I managed to make it work with sheer force.
Phew, I’m already tired.
Thud.
Deciding to toss the trash later when I go out for a workout, I piled it up near the shoe rack and returned to my room to sit in front of my computer. I needed to check the donations I received yesterday.
“…Oh!”
My hand stopped clicking the mouse as an amount that surpassed my imagination popped up on the screen. An involuntary gasp escaped my lips.
【12/04 Total Donations: 2,164,000】
Is this real? Looking at just the donation amount, I could easily mistake myself for a major corporate streamer. Is this all thanks to the Chairman’s generous blessing?
Of course, he doesn’t send this much every day, but it’s honestly overwhelming how much support I’ve been getting. That might be why I’ve grown a bit cautious about spending money.
Just last birthday, he donated a whopping ten million won. I hesitated on what to do with such a huge sum, but I ended up sending 300 each to my parents and used the remainder after taxes to upgrade my computer.
A ten million won donation doesn’t happen even on most major corporate streams, so that clip briefly became a hot topic on YouTube. Thanks to that, my viewer count spiked for a bit.
But seriously, to be spending money like this, does he have to be the second-generation chaebol? I really hope that’s the case.
One thing’s for sure, though: He’s obviously someone I’ll probably never run into in my life, aside from the viewer-streamer relationship.
“…Hmm?”
After checking various things, I finally opened my email on the portal website to check one last time. As expected, a familiar annoying spam email was waiting at the top.
But what caught my eye was the email right below it from a sender I knew all too well: the official email of the platform I stream on.
What could they possibly want to send me? Usually, they share common news for all streamers through this official email.
Click.
I needed to check it first, so I clicked the mouse. I double-checked just in case it was another one of those rare hacking emails, but it was indeed the official email.
Once I read through the email, my eyes widened in disbelief right from the start.
【You are invited to the Twip Year-End Party!】
– Hello, Cosmo streamer! Thank you for always being with Twip.
Today, I’m here to extend an invitation to the Twip Year-End Party.
How about a warm year-end party with fellow streamers to melt away the chill of winter?
…
…
Wow, is this real?
I read every single word without missing a beat, but I still couldn’t believe it. I was invited to the year-end party?
For your reference, the year-end party they’re talking about is a gathering of streamers held by the Twip platform itself.
To even participate, you need to qualify as a partner streamer, and only the top percentage selected by the platform itself gets invited, making it a party so exclusive that even most small-time streamers can only dream of attending.
And I received an invitation to that party? Wow, Kang Woo-joo has made it!
“I need to go buy some clothes.”
I had planned on lounging around until the broadcast started today, but that plan changed.
With big corporate folks attending, I can’t show up looking like a mess; it’s time to spend some money on clothes for a change. And I plan to brag to my viewers about it in the evening.
What a nice start to the day.
*
『’Cosmo’ has started broadcasting.』
“Yay!!!!!!”
As usual, I displayed the fan art my viewers made for me prominently on the screen when I turned on the stream.
【Seafood Sauce】- Koha
【Kokkiyaho】- Koha
【Crescendo】- What’s the stream title again?
【Sashimi Catapult】- Did something good happen?
Soon after, viewers appeared in the chat window, greeting me as they usually do, and some of them expressed their curiosity about the stream title I had set, knowing that I typically don’t change it.
I guess they’re wondering just how good my day has been.
“Guys! I received an invitation to the Twip party this morning!”
Without any preamble, I blared the news about being invited to the Twip Year-End Party, causing quite a stir. Reactions were mixed.
【Catfish Mustache】- Oh yay
【Always Positive Please】- Really? I’ve been wanting to go; finally, it’s happening, yay!
【Noodle Bottom】- Yayyy
Immediately, there were some viewers congratulating me genuinely, and then there were the few who replied:
【Soju Flavored Hand Cream】- You’ll just end up awkwardly stuck in a corner, won’t you?
【The Neighboring Hani】- I can totally picture that happening, lol
Knowing better than anyone that I’m the quintessential wallflower, these viewers voiced their concerns loud and clear.
Seriously, why are they throwing facts at me? Let’s settle things through fair play and manipulation instead!
“Anyway, I bought some clothes to wear to the party, so please give me some suggestions on how to dress!”
【Good Thoughts】- ? Asking viewers for fashion advice?
【Whirlwind Flower】- If we knew, we wouldn’t be here…
【The Neighboring Hani】- The host is slyly fishing for compliments, huh?
【18-Year-Old Female College Student】- How about injuring the legs so he can’t go to the party instead?
If they suddenly come at me like this, what’s left of my dignity? Come on, crazy people. I genuinely want to get advice since I actually bought a few outfits today!
【Cosmo Will Definitely Follow】- Despite appearances, I can dress fairly well; would you like some guidance?
“Wow!”
Just when I was considering dropping this whole idea entirely, a familiar name popped up in the chat.
Wow, the Chairman must also have good fashion sense! It’s usually tough to find someone who can confidently say they dress well, so it warms my heart to hear this.
【K-HipHopTopCosmo】- I’m also a fashion expert, happy to help.
【Hahyanghahanghae】- I buy clothes for my boyfriend, so I can share what I know.
With that support, a few more viewers began to offer their assistance.
Among them was one who sounded like a female viewer, so they must be a couple. Should I ban them?
【Kokkiyaho】- Honestly, no matter how well you dress, your looks will still matter more.
【Seafood Sauce】- LOL, even if you wear designer clothes, I think you might get banned at the entrance anyway.
【Whirlwind Flower】- Like how viewers get cut off at club entrances?
【BINGO】- Tenryan!!!
Meanwhile, my viewers were desperate to roast me. But I can’t even argue back since it’s true; being stylish alone won’t guarantee success.
“I dressed according to the recommendations given by the staff, but I’ll just share some photos of the outfits.”
【Octopus Sukhwa】- Okay.
【BOOMBOOM】- Let’s see your fashion sense, lol.
【Lucid Dream 7】- I bet you bought something ridiculous at Dongdaemun, haha.
As I glanced at the chat, my anxiety began to rise, but I believed my viewers couldn’t be that malicious. I took a few pictures of the outfits, transferred them to my PC, and displayed them on the screen.
For your reference, I was currently wearing beige cotton pants, a black half-polo knit, and a gray cashmere jacket—all items I didn’t even know the names of. I tried to memorize the detailed descriptions the staff gave me.
The image of the female employee who smiled brightly as she assisted me lingered in my mind. It had been quite overwhelming.
【Do You Actually Know Sand?】- Oh, seems acceptable?
【Locket with Glasses】- Can’t tell without seeing you wear them, but the clothes look fine.
【White Forest】- It’s not bad since it’s pretty neutral.
Viewers scrutinizing the outfits on the screen seemed to give decent feedback for the most part. But ultimately, the main takeaway was, “The clothes look decent, but the overall look depends on the wearer.”
They don’t let up, these little devils.
“Okay, so this means wearing this is fine? Regardless of how I might look?”
【Kokkiyaho】- Yeah, the outfits aren’t bad.
【Always Positive Please】- Just wear those, that’ll do.
【Hahyanghahanghae】- My boyfriend would totally rock those outfits too.
Once I got the stamp of approval from the viewers, I felt relieved and could finally wrap up the fashion advice segment.
And they’ve been trying to be a couple since earlier, too. I’m about ready to block them.
【’Cosmo Will Definitely Follow’ has donated 10,000 won.】
– So, will you wear that on party day, Cosmo?
As I started closing the image tabs and returning to chat as usual, the familiar name of the Chairman appeared with a sweet donation and a question.
“Oh, thank you for the 10,000 won donation! Yes, that’s my plan for now.”
Given my lackluster aesthetic judgment, I figured it might be better to stick with the outfits suggested by several big data inputs, thus I settled on wearing them and confirmed my thoughts.
However, no response followed. Did he suddenly step away?
*
10:28 PM.
Most people are winding down their day, going to bed or resting up in their own places, preparing for tomorrow.
“Ah, it’s me, Secretary Kim. Are you available for a call right now?”
However, this woman suddenly called someone late at night, showing no sense of decorum, and spoke in a flat tone. The reply she received was quite polite.
– Yes, of course, Director. Is there something urgent you need?
To this, the woman turned away from the computer screen she had been staring at and stood up. It was a much more serious demeanor than when she was alone, watching the broadcast and chatting.
“Do you know Twip? I’ve heard it’s an internet broadcasting platform.”
– Yes, of course, I know it.
It’s such a famous platform that it would be odd not to know. Even if they didn’t know the details, they would have heard of it. Secretary Kim, the man, was in that category as well.
He worked for someone young, so maybe he had developed an interest in such broadcasts. However, just as he mentally prepared to offer answers despite his lack of knowledge, the woman delivered an unexpected line.
“Then that makes things easier. I’d like to attend the year-end party being held there, so could you arrange a spot for me?”
– …Excuse me?
Who’s looking to attend?
In that moment, Secretary Kim had to suspect his ears weren’t working right. If he had known who was speaking on the other end of the phone, everyone would naturally have had this reaction.
“I just want to meet someone for a bit. It should be possible, right?”
– …….
But after realizing this wasn’t an auditory error, he fell silent.
For a servant receiving such a high-difficulty quest at such an hour, it truly felt glum.