I Became a Malicious Streamer

The awards ceremony went off without a hitch.

Inside the well-decorated auditorium, streamers gathered for the event, kicked off by a game company employee bursting with high energy.

Considering how excited everyone was about the game’s success, the event was so smooth and polished that I couldn’t help but wonder if they had hired a professional. But it turned out that this employee was seasoned from running wedding receptions and birthday parties.

The atmosphere was pretty good too. After all, everyone in attendance was used to broadcasting in front of an audience, making their reactions fantastic and perfectly timed.

The ceremony was straightforward but not boring.

It started with a customary greeting, thanking all the streamers participating in the challenge, followed by some time to watch clips that had garnered high view counts.

Many of the faces were new to me, making me realize just how many streamers there actually are. They seemed satisfied just to show their faces among their fellow streamers.

After that time passed, a voice called for me.

“The third place winner, having found two Easter Eggs and one Hidden Route, is… Mollru! Please give her a warm round of applause!”

I stood up and walked to the stage. The applause was so loud it seemed to make my ears ring, with cheers from both men and women blending together.

“Pretty, cool. The best, I’m dying,” were words that made my ears burn just to hear.

It felt like there wasn’t much difference between this and the fans I encountered at the entrance earlier. As if to prove that, most of the gazes directed at me were friendly.

“Wow, I never imagined announcing third place would feel like such a letdown. From the atmosphere, you’re practically the main character! Mollru, you’ve discovered the developer’s favor, the secretive contacts of the Information Guild, and the creative and innovative Easter Eggs set by the development team. Thanks to that, you’ve secured a no-mean feat: third place in the World 23 Challenge! Now, would you like to say a few words?”

I received the microphone from the eloquent employee, who had painted my face with compliments.

“Well… to be honest, I’m not sure I deserve this award. I ended up in third place just by playing the game, and I got lucky finding those Easter Eggs. I think it’s all thanks to A.T.X for making such a great game.”

The employee, who had been listening quietly, added a line.

“So, in other words, you were just lucky?”

“Yeah, exactly.”

As I spoke without hesitation, a flicker of bewilderment crossed the employee’s face for just a brief moment before disappearing.

Was my answer too bland? Should I have shown off a bit?

“Such humility! Now I see why you’re so popular. A true multitasker with no shortcomings, that’s Mollru! Lastly, let’s give Mollru one more round of applause.”

I bowed my head slightly and walked down from the stage. When I returned to my seat, Ryuah greeted me with an amused expression.

“You’re still the same, Ji-eun.”

“Hmm?”

“Nothing much.”

What a letdown. I flopped down in my seat.

-Next up, the second place winner…-

Once again focusing on the ceremony, Ryuah squeezed my hand tight.

*

“Ugh…”

I stretched in my seat. This ceremony was more exhausting than I expected.

To be precise, it wasn’t the ceremony itself but the additional events it brought on that drained my energy.

“Please smile a bit… Your expression is so awkward. Just lift the corners of your mouth a bit more. Relax your eyes. Okay, I’ll take the picture.”

I received the trophy, took a picture during the handover, and chatted briefly with someone who claimed to be a fan.

“Congratulations on third place! I always enjoy your streams. I’m streamer Hye-yeon.”

“I’m a fan. Could I get an autograph? No? Then can I at least get a picture…?”

“Teacher, aren’t you being too humble? You’re one of the best gamers, why would you deny that?”

After the ceremony, I even had to endure small talk with streamers wanting to get closer, most of which were just light greetings mingled with congratulatory words, but it quickly became overwhelming.

After all that, I found myself sitting blankly like a drained robot.

No matter how bright my personality is or how often I go out, with how energy-draining this was, it seems I’m just not that extroverted after all.

“Ji-eun, can you go for the after-party?”

“If you’re tired, I can drive you home.”

Ryuah looked at me with concern, while Si-young, who had accepted my trophy, spoke up.

Even so, there was no way I could skip out on this day all by myself. I wasn’t in that serious of a state.

“Wahaha, I’ll treat everyone to drinks and meat today!”

Tex, who achieved first place and won 8 million won along with some World 23 merchandise, said that.

He seemed happier about the World merchandise than the money, but now that he suddenly had some free cash, his excitement naturally turned into plans for the after-party.

As a third place winner, I also had a decent sum of 2 million won to spend, so if we went to a second or third venue, I considered treating everyone at least once.

It was the same group as in the EOW streamer battle, informally called the Mollru squad, with my editor Si-young added to the mix.

“It’s fine, I can go.”

Going to an after-party is an easy task. There were no strangers, and everyone knew my personality to some extent, so I wouldn’t have to expend too much energy. If I were to skip out on a day like this, that would be truly sad. Thankfully, my regular exercise had helped boost my stamina.

Rubbing my tired eyelids, I stood up and headed outside.

Splitting into groups, Ryuah decided to accompany me. We all hopped into Si-young’s mid-sized car, so there wouldn’t be any shortage of space.

On the way as the three of us moved in Si-young’s car, I had the chance to face my fans for the first time.

“Please look over here!”

“Mollru, I love you!”

“Congratulations on third place!”

I hadn’t encountered someone who claimed to be my fan before. My PT teacher often said they were my fan, and countless streamers I met earlier inside had said the same.

But seeing a group gathered, waiting just for me, was a first. It felt like witnessing something raw and unfiltered.

Seeing them hold their ground even after quite some time made me feel…

Not too bad.

Yet considering this wasn’t my fan meeting but an awards ceremony full of other streamers, I knew I couldn’t fulfill most of their requests.

Catching my breath, I waved softly to the eager group looking at me.

“Waaaah!”

Just a light wave and this kind of reaction! It felt like something only a celebrity could experience when returning from an airport.

Still, I was grateful there weren’t any overly pushy fans. If anyone had charged through, creating chaos, it would have been quite the scene.

Perhaps that was why I felt strangely pleased. I approached the nearest student in the crowd.

“How old are you?”

“Um, well? Seventeen…”

They clearly didn’t expect me to talk to them, their eyes widening as they blushed.

A petite girl who seemed to be in Ji-yeon’s age group. Holding paper and a pen, she seemed to want an autograph, so I simply wrote “Mollru” in English.

“Should we take a picture too?”

“Y-yes, please!”

Stunned, she suddenly shouted. Then, pulling my wrist, she presented a phone that appeared from God-knows-where.

She looked like a quiet type, but I guess that’s just how girls are in high school. Caught up in her bright energy, I merely gave a peace sign with my hand.

“Uh, can I also… get a hug?”

Her excitement cooled suddenly, and she glanced at me cautiously.

A squirrel emoji popped into my head at that moment. I couldn’t help but laugh.

After considering for a moment, since she wasn’t a guy and was also a girl, and she wasn’t asking for a kiss or anything, I figured a hug wouldn’t be too difficult.

Nodding, I stepped closer and briefly hugged her, just a quick greeting.

After the hug, her face lit up with joy as she kept repeating thank you, holding onto my hand tightly.

“Thank you so much!”

“Uh, I get it, but can you let go of my hand?”

“Ah, yes!”

As she backed away at my request, her hands fidgeted as if worrying there was sweat on my hand.

“Teacher, me too! – Please shake my hand, please give me your autograph!”

Since I had set a precedent, more people began to swarm behind the first student.

… I might have made a mistake. I shouldn’t have given them any excuses.

With Si-young and Ryuah waiting, I decided to play nice with just a few more fans before cutting it off.

It shouldn’t take long. This was simply fan service.

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