Chapter 128

“Wow, just looking at it makes it look really sweet. Is it good?”

“… Yum.”

“I really forgot that the shop moved! I’m sorry for making you wander around, so won’t you forgive me for being upset?”

Semaaru scratched his head awkwardly, under the fierce gaze of Namé.

As the Java chip was sucked through the straw, Maru stirred the ice in his iced Americano.

Cherry-like lips pulled away from the straw.

“I’m not upset, I was just thinking a bit about the fact that you didn’t keep the appointment.”

“The team leader didn’t let us finish early today… Still, I ran here as fast as I could.”

As Maru said, his head was drenched in sweat.

In fact, when he entered the cafe still in his dirty work clothes without changing, Namé understood Maru’s situation to some extent.

“Then, do you want to quit your current job?”

“Huh? All of a sudden? No matter how you look at it, there aren’t many places that pay as much as here. The team leader can be strict, but he’s a good person. Don’t be like that—”

“How much do you want?”

Before Maru could finish speaking, Namé flipped a piece of paper 180 degrees and pushed it toward him.

“A joint business contract for V-Tube? So this is what Yuna was talking about. Didn’t she mention that a friend is doing a broadcast?”

[Streamer ‘Unspecified’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘A’) and V-Tube editor ‘ ’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘B’) hereby enter into a joint business contract regarding revenue distribution arising from the joint operation of V-Tube as follows.]

As Maru slowly perused the paper, Namé corrected a false statement.

“No, I’m the one doing it.”

“You? Wow, that’s impressive at such a young age! I hear these days elementary school students all dream of becoming internet streamers?”

“I wouldn’t know about that.”

“Hey, I owe Namé something, so you don’t have to write up a contract like this. I can do simple editing without taking money, so just let me know if you need it. But seriously, where did you even get this contract from?”

Maru shone the paper under the cafe lights, intrigued.

Namé’s eyes narrowed for a moment. Not keeping time, lacking seriousness.

She thought he was a very mature person, but could she really trust him?

Thinking of everything being for Yuna and her family, Namé pulled out a thick envelope from her bag and handed it to Maru.

“Here, take this. I hope you quit today after receiving this.”

“Hmm? What is this? Hmmm… Aaaah!”

As soon as he opened the envelope, a stack of yellow bills greeted him, causing Maru’s chair to tip over backward.

Crash—

The cashier, who was already looking at them with annoyance, now wore an even worse expression.

Namé bowed her head and apologized instead, helping Maru back up.

“What are you doing in a cafe?”

“Mon… money… Did you come all the way here alone with this money? What if you lose it?”

The amount of money in the envelope was beyond what a child could reasonably carry.

Even just the number of thousand-won bills was enough to cover a buffet and more.

“First payment is 5 million won.”

“Uh?”

“So you can buy a computer or an extra capsule with this. You could also treat Yuna to a meal.”

“Are you seriously saying this? Do you know how much money this is?”

Maru’s expression hardened.

Even working all day and sweating, he only handled a few thousand won at most.

He couldn’t understand Namé’s intentions in casually handing that amount over.

“I know, that’s why I’m giving it to you.”

Maru slapped his forehead at Namé’s innocent expression.

“No, I can’t accept this money. I appreciate your concern.”

“I think there’s a misunderstanding.”

Namé paused her words and took a sip from her frappuccino. When she pulled the cup away, white cream was faintly smeared around her lips.

“I’m seriously trying to hire you as my editor, not just giving you money as a donation or for volunteer work.”

She wiped her mouth with a napkin, and even that seemingly minor action exuded a noble elegance akin to European aristocrats.

“For the first month, there might not be any revenue from the videos. That’s why I’m giving you 5 million won. After that, you can take all the revenue up to 5 million won per month. For anything above that, as you’ll see in the contract, it’ll be split 50-50. I’ll hold on to 50% for Yuna.”

“Wait a second…”

Hearing Namé’s very serious words, he read the contract carefully again.

This wasn’t something said in jest; the contract covered not only revenue distribution but also included detailed clauses.

As he lowered the paper, the face of an eight-year-old child peeked through.

“So, do you feel like you want to do it now?”

With a serene smile beaming from Namé, Maru hesitated before responding.

“No. It still doesn’t seem right.”

“Why?”

Namé, looking troubled, pressed her forehead with her hand as if she hadn’t expected him to refuse.

With arms crossed, she displayed a stubborn expression and asked what the reason was.

Semaaru’s stance was ultimately simple and clear.

He was in a position where he couldn’t give up his current livelihood, even if he might take on a side job.

He didn’t know how much editors made, but what he was doing now was enough to live on, and he couldn’t afford to invest in something uncertain.

Perhaps it was a clear reflection of his responsibility as the head of the family.

But Namé picked up the envelope again.

“Do you know, brother? I earned this in one day.”

“Huh?”

“No, not even a day. I has a withdrawal limit of 500 a day, so I’ve probably earned even more than this.”

“Really? What kind of broadcast do you do that makes so much money? Do kid channels really earn that much?”

Had he underestimated the internet broadcasting market too much? The unimaginable truth left Maru feeling bewildered.

If that were the case, he should have fed Yuna Jjajangmyeon… muttered Semaaru, uttering incomprehensible words.

“It’s not a kid channel.”

Namé tilted her head for a moment but then laid out the recording memory next to the table.

The hologram, once glowing blue, shifted to a white background, and the gameplay footage from just yesterday zipped past frantically.

“Have you played ‘WoW’?”

“Uh? I used to play it a lot back in the day. It’s been a while since I stopped.”

He hadn’t watched the full 12-hour video, so he paused it after watching around 5 minutes.

“If there are 20,000 viewers during a live broadcast, isn’t that a huge number?”

“It’s definitely not something you could call small.”

He knew Namé was an impressive person, but as he continued to learn more about her, it felt like he was falling deeper into a maze.

“So, are you saying you want to do it?”

As the irritation began to rise, Namé suddenly snapped back.

“Fine. No, I should actually be grateful to you for creating this opportunity. But are you sure it’s okay for me? You could easily find a much more skilled editor.”

“Yuna told me. She said you draw the best pictures in the world. The videos can just be edited well enough, and your editing skills will improve naturally. What I’m specifically asking for is the thumbnail.”

“Thumbnail?”

Namé opened the V-Tube app and scrolled through the list of trending videos in real-time.

All of the videos had simply pasted the in-game screen as they were.

“Instead of doing that, please draw a thumbnail that suits each video. I don’t want the editing work to become just a repetitive task for you, Maru Hyung. That way, you can proudly show Yuna what you’re working on later by presenting her with the drawings, right?”

“Wait, are you saying you called me for…”

Maru looked back and forth between the hologram and the contract with trembling eyes.

It was a dream he had long since forgotten after releasing it from his heart.

“Yuna still hopes that you will become a wonderful illustrator. Do you still hold on to that dream?”

“I do… Yeah…”

Semaaru bit his lip tightly as emotions surged up in him.

A future he had to sacrifice against his will for his family.

And he could only feel keenly that opportunities often come from the most unexpected places.

“I believe true art doesn’t just stop at the imitation of perceivable phenomena. It reveals its value when you grasp the essence of phenomena or existence and reinterpret it in your own way through sufficient contemplation. I believe you’re a person who can achieve that.”

“If you say such well-articulated words… Who would believe you’re just a kid?”

Maru smiled and looked at the girl in front of him with admiration.

“Thank you so much… I won’t forget this favor for the rest of my life.”

Namé awkwardly averted her gaze as if bashful and handed him a pen.

“Alright. So, you’ll take the job then? I’ll let you know the detailed requirements through a message, so you just need to sign here. I called you today to ask you for this.”

“Does that mean I can start working today?”

“What are you talking about? You’ve already finished work for today, right? Hurry home and treat Yuna to something delicious.”

“But I just received this much money.”

“I didn’t give you money.”

What Namé meant to convey was not simply money.

She said while putting her file and video device back in her bag, “Even if you were given billions, you can’t trade back the time you have. So I hope you have a good time with your family. Please send my regards to your mom.”

Not money, but time.

Accompanied by the ensuing friendship, love, memories, and happiness.

Wishing that he would fully understand the meaning of this before regretting it, Namé packed her things and left the cafe.

At that moment, a large hologram hanging in the blue sky reported news about protests from WoW users.

“Didn’t they say they were going to claim something went wrong with the food delivery?”

Namé, who was determined to show what a truly troublesome customer was, took her phone out of her pocket and dialed a number.

[Cheon Semin]