NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35
Cheese beta service starts and Twip Korea service ends.
With these two pieces of news stirring up last week, I finally sat at my desk feeling a bit nervous as I awaited the platform transfer.
“…I’m a bit jittery.”
I hadn’t left this spot for over two hours since the broadcast started. Normally, I would have played with my milk or taken a short nap on my bed, but today, for some reason, I was stuck here clicking aimlessly around the internet, showing no interest.
I kept encouraging myself, thinking nothing would change besides just moving platforms, but the tension seemed inevitable.
【Sister – Little Sister, are you doing the moving broadcast today?】
【Sister – (Cute character cheering emoji)】
【Sister – Hang in there! You can do it!】
Just ten minutes before the broadcast, I received a message from my sister. It was nice and a little embarrassing that even from Italy, she was worried about me. It felt oddly infantilizing, to be honest.
Thanks to her, I felt a bit relieved.
Last week it was Sister Seo-ha, this week it’s my sister. With cheers coming from both sides, it’s natural that I’d feel empowered.
“Phew….”
I let out a long sigh and clicked on the somewhat unfamiliar website UI.
The UI had shifted from a purple theme on Twip to green, the symbol of Aiver, making the dissonance feel even more pronounced. But it was time to get used to it, so I simply typed in the broadcast title and hit the start button.
Click.
『‘Cosmo’ has started broadcasting.』
‘Cheese Opening Ceremony’
The notification had changed a little from before, but I brushed it off feeling refreshed.
If I pointed out each little change, it would take forever. I decided to wait for viewers to join.
【CosmoWillAlwaysProtect】- Koha!
【Kokkiyaho】- Opening ceremony ㄷㄱㅈ~
【WhirlwindFlower2】- Ah, my nickname got stolen ㅅㅂ Koha
【Bera666】- Is this the new house…?
Just as I was anxiously waiting, wondering if no one would join, familiar nicknames started to flood in and greet me.
Among them, some had slightly changed their names, probably because they lost their originals during the transfer.
“Welcome everyone! This is finally my first broadcast on Cheese, so I’m thankful for all of you showing up!”
I felt a bit foolish worrying if only half of my regulars would join, as the chat window began to fill up with viewers.
When I was on Twip, I had an average of about 300 viewers, and on special occasions, I almost hit 500. Yet here I was with around 400 viewers already.
【KoreanGalaxyTraveler】- Since you moved to Cheese, it’s my first time here. A friend recommended this broadcast a lot.
“Oh, your friend recommended me? Really?”
While reading the chat, a new viewer caught my eye, and I found myself smiling inadvertently.
【KoreanGalaxyTraveler】- Yes, I usually only watched Safari, but this time I came here.
“I see… Thank you for coming. I hope to see you often.”
It seemed like a lot of viewers who usually enjoyed watching on other platforms had come over to see the recommended streamers on this new platform.
A completely new platform was indeed a breeding ground for opportunities.
【1st ‘CosmoWillAlwaysProtect’ has donated 1,000,000 Cheese!】
– Congratulations on the move! It’s small, but take it. Keep it going!
“Oh my, Chairman…!”
As I was feeling quite satisfied with my new start on this platform, a large donation arrived with an unfamiliar sound. I guess I have to call it Cheese now.
Even though the cam wasn’t on, I stood up, bent my waist at a 90-degree angle, and bowed deep with my character on-screen in a grand gesture.
【CatfishWithSalmon】- Wow, Chairman ㄷㄷ
【Allfreed】- Right after moving, you’re donating a hundred thousand, crazy ;
【PinkRabbit】- But what’s that icon in front of your nickname? I’ve never seen it before.
As the viewers stirred about the hefty donation, one of them pointed out something that made me tilt my head.
An icon? Did that exist? I was so focused on the big donation that I didn’t even notice.
“Uh, right? What is this icon?”
Scrolling up to check the previous donation details, there it was—a shimmering golden icon marked with “1st” before the Chairman’s nickname.
First? What does that mean? Is it for viewing time ranking?
【HwangBlaRedBlack】- That’s given to the top donor on the broadcast.
“Ah, so it’s the donation ranking? I see….”
Unable to contain my curiosity, I looked around, and a viewer kindly shared that information with me.
I had no idea it was a donation ranking. Sure, on Twip, I could check who donated the most, but it didn’t display outside.
I never thought it would transform into a ranking system. That was quite surprising.
Also, I had heard that all donation and subscription data from Twip had been transferred over.
So, that meant the viewers on Cheese with the “1st” tag were the same ones who had been top donors before.
Wow, thinking about it like that feels quite impressive.
【CosmoWillAlwaysProtect】- Haha, being 1st makes me happy. I’ll work hard to keep it!
“Uh, Chairman, it feels a bit odd for you to say that as it makes me kind of awkward…”
In the midst of it all, the Chairman seemed rather fond of that essentially “sucker” icon and expressed a strong resolve not to be dethroned in the donation rankings.
When he said, “I’ll work hard,” it really meant, “I’ll keep spending money.” How am I supposed to thank him for that or even say “keep it up”?
“Uh, please spend moderately, Chairman. I’m not in such dire straits.”
Trying to throw in a bit of humor while sincerely hoping he wouldn’t overspend, the chat exploded with laughter.
【K-HipHopTopCosmo】- LMAO
【LucidDream7】- If you keep giving like this, what will be left?
【DecayedFlower】- The streamer remains.
【Cro-Magnon】- Chairman’s capital has taken over wwwwwww
【1st ‘CosmoWillAlwaysProtect’ has donated 100,000 Cheese!】
– LOL, I got it, I’ll spend moderately from now on.
Seems I managed to navigate that situation decently as the Chairman sent another donation with no signs of displeasure.
But seriously, to spend that much just to type a short message makes it seem like he didn’t hear a word I said.
Well, whatever. He probably lives a life so detached from mine that it’s not worth bothering about.
“Anyway, today’s the first broadcast, and since we have new viewers, we’ll primarily focus on Song Bank and the Counseling Room as usual. Got it?”
【PassingAppDungi】- You should change your tone from the start…
【Hounyangie】- The newcomers must think the host is a super polite guy lol
【WhiteForest】- New viewers, don’t be fooled… He’s a psycho…
C’mon, calling me a psycho is too harsh. I listen to concerns with utmost sincerity during Counseling Room sessions.
Sure, something might pop out whenever I’m gaming, but that’s not my true self. I’m actually quite well-mannered and polite.
【CosmoWillAlwaysProtect】- Are you taking song requests today?
After setting up the mic with a bit of echo, I finished the sound settings and was prepping to pull out a song when the Chairman’s message caught my eye.
Song requests? Should I take them?
Honestly, the songs I usually sing aren’t particularly popular lately, so I had a few prepared that might appeal to today’s new viewers—well-known songs that frequently appear on the charts and are considered trendy nowadays.
I thought starting with those would get some positive responses and help create a sense of connection.
Let’s start with that today, and from tomorrow, I’ll go back to my usual indie band songs or less-known tracks. But I never thought someone would jump in with a request right away.
If it were my usual viewers, they might request some more niche songs. Would that be okay?
“Hmm, sure! Do you have a specific song in mind?”
After a brief thought, I figured one or two requests would be fine, so I casually inquired.
【CosmoWillAlwaysProtect】- LAGO’s ‘The Day You Come.’
“Oh….”
The response I got was somewhat unexpected.
‘The Day You Come’ had once taken over the music charts and was often praised as one of the perfect songs for spring.
【ChuuChuu】- ‘The Day You Come’ is really nice.
【AdiosDao】- You must listen to this in spring, haha.
【WhirlwindFlower2】- I never get tired of it, so it’s kind of amazing.
The response from the chat wasn’t bad at all.
Come to think of it, this song had sometimes slipped into my repertoire when I first started broadcasting last year. Not that many would remember though; back then, I barely had ten viewers.
“Great! Then I’ll start singing ‘The Day You Come.’ It seems like this song popped into your mind for the spring, huh?”
As I lightly strummed the guitar strings before starting the song, the Chairman quickly replied in chat.
【CosmoWillAlwaysProtect】- No, it’s not because it’s spring. Hehe.
“Not because it’s spring? Then…?”
I assumed it was an obvious thought, so I was a bit surprised.
What reason could there be for picking this track? I couldn’t resist digging a little deeper, so I asked again, and I received a rather lengthy response.
【CosmoWillAlwaysProtect】- I used to listen to this a lot in the early days of your broadcast. I thought it suited your voice best.
【CosmoWillAlwaysProtect】- I picked it hoping that the new viewers will notice your charm a bit more.
“Ah….”
That was a response I never expected, causing me to unconsciously let out a gasp and stare blankly.
The fact he chose a song he wanted to hear, instead of a song he liked, to help me connect with my audience as a streamer on this new platform.
Ding!
Feeling the depth of his thoughtfulness, I couldn’t help but smile as I plucked the guitar strings.
And so, the first start at my new workplace was winding up to be quite satisfactory.