They Became the Big Players Among the Hako VTubers - Chapter 30

Thursday evening.

Hongshin Park, an ordinary office worker in his 20s living in Seoul, left work with a grimace.

As he got off the subway, he hadn’t realized the walk back to his rented room would feel so long and exhausting.

Thud, thud.

His legs wobbled with every step up the villa’s staircase.

Loosening his tie, he muttered under his breath.

“Ugh, I’m so damn tired…”

Ah…

I wanna quit this job.

I wanna ditch this goddamn hellhole of a company.

“If I win the lottery, I’m quitting this job on the spot…”

No, wait—

I should just buy the company.

“Then I’d flex on Manager Kim like crazy…”

Just as his thoughts and muttering aligned—

He froze in front of his door.

“!”

A package was waiting for him.

The packaging had simple, clean fonts listing the delivery details.

– Product Name: Event Item (D)

– Recipient: Hongshin Park

– Sender: Aurora Mall

Minimalist.

A design so tasteful, leaving it by the front door wouldn’t be embarrassing.

He was impressed.

“Wow, for a shitty company, they’ve got some sense…?”

He felt consideration in the restrained presentation.

The fact that they’d gone out of their way to discreetly hide that it was otaku merch moved him.

Not to mention, the box subtly hinted at which type of “All-Star Box” it was.

‘And I only entered my shipping info last weekend. They’re sending it this fast…?’

These bastards…

Just how much money were they burning?

“Big spenders…”

Hongshin grabbed the box and headed inside.

He immediately grabbed scissors and tore it open.

The first thing that greeted him was a crisp, minimalist font.

『D』

“Oh…!”

The All-Star Box was packed.

Inside was a blue T-shirt with a winking Doda illustration, a cheering towel, a keyring, and a photo card.

The art had a refreshingly pure vibe— something you’d never see on broadcast.

Jingle jangle.

Hongshin twirled the keyring and grinned.

“Hehe, they know exactly what us Dodari want.”

He promptly put on the T-shirt.

Then, without delay, he pulled out a light stick.

Flipping the switch, it shimmered blue.

Waving it around left streaks of blue light in the air.

“Ohh…!”

Wrapping the cheering towel around my neck,

I felt like I was reborn as a passionate otaku.

I played ABCD’s music and

pretended to do an otage (otaku gesture).

“Whoa…! This! This is the taste…!”

The true joy of geeking out.

Memories from my days in the otaku club came flooding back.

I’d even worked part-time jobs just to afford VTuber merch that cost tens of thousands of won per piece.

‘Even big corporate IP merch is usually limited-run and costs tens of thousands per item. But this whole set is less than 50,000 won? Are they seriously this indie?’

And I got it for free, no less.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Ahh, this is life. While others are out clubbing, the fun of geeking out…!”

Hongshin Park chuckled to himself in anticipation.

He was even the lucky winner of Doda’s PC bang participation event— all in one go.

Since way back, his luck with game gacha and raffles had been insane.

No matter what he did, he’d always get picked on the first try.

And his number?

The rare nickname-worthy No. 69.

‘I should wear this to the PC bang and get it verified.’

Honestly,

up to this point, he hadn’t expected much from the event’s quality.

‘They’ll probably just put up a banner or two, maybe a big monitor playing a stream, and call it an event. How flashy can a last-minute event really be?’

No matter how big the company was,

they couldn’t have pulled off something grand on such short notice.

Still, he was perfectly satisfied.

And then, the next day, that satisfaction was shattered.

Hongshin Park was stunned.

“What the hell is this…?”

Arriving at the PC bang on Friday evening, he was immediately struck with awe.

From the entrance, he was greeted by dazzling lights and staff members welcoming him.

Under the four-colored lighting,

staff wearing ABCD T-shirts shouted:

-Event winners, please verify your winning DM before entering!

-General attendees, please enter slowly for safety reasons!

The front of the PC bang was spectacular.

The walls were wrapped in solid colors symbolizing the members.

And where people were lining up, ABCD’s debut song, Stage Error, was playing.

A few minutes later,

the staff began letting the attendees in.

-Numbers 1 through 25, please line up and enter slowly!

-Those who received a waiting ticket can wait comfortably at the second-floor café!

-Thank you for coming—!

Beyond the safety fences, the ABCD fandom reveled in the impressive atmosphere, proudly showing off their member T-shirts or getting their merch verified.

“Wow, why’s it so huge?”

“Big Man for real…”

“Damn… So the boomerangs were real.”

“There are this many people who like them besides me?”

“Is Big Man really some kind of chaebol or something?”

“This is fucking amazing.”

The usual gloomy atmosphere of a shitty small PC bang was nowhere to be found.

It felt like stepping into a mobile game company’s corporate hall— so polished and legit that there wasn’t even a hint of embarrassment.

‘The vibe here is so damn in.’

Hongshin Park hesitantly approached the staff and showed them the DM he’d received on his phone.

“Uh, I’m one of the winners.”

“!”

The female staff member beamed at him.

“Please take this number ticket and wait at seat number 69!”

“Oh, okay…”

Dazed, Hongshin Park took the ticket and stepped inside the PC bang— only to be stunned once more by the alternate universe unfolding before him.

“What the hell…?!”

Near the entrance, neatly stacked member-specific “All-Star” boxes were lined up.

In one section, a makeshift booth made of perforated panels had been set up, displaying official merchandise of the members.

A, B, C, D.

Yellow, pink, scarlet, blue.

Thanks to the simple yet sleek theme, even though the place was filled with moe girl illustrations, it didn’t feel tacky at all.

If anything, it was fun just to look around.

So many people were taking commemorative photos in front of the booth.

‘It’s like some kind of IT company expo…’

As Hongshin Park marveled at the sight, he turned his head— and let out a weak, breathy gasp.

“Huuuh….”

Next to the PC seats, numbers from 1 to 100 were assigned.

And for every 20 seats, a stand monitor was set up in each partitioned section.

On those screens, Dodaga was bouncing up and down, enthusiastically explaining something.

-Dodari! Thanks for coming! Before you take your seats, make sure to check your numbers first and—

A few people were gathered around the monitors, murmuring in awe.

Surprisingly clean-cut people.

Shockingly, there were even three girls among them.

All of them were wearing blue T-shirts.

Every single one was a Dodari (Dodaga fan).

“Wow, it’s Dodada.”

“It’s really her.”

“This is pre-recorded, right?”

“Yeah, probably…”

“She’s cute.”

“She’s seriously adorable.”

“Her voice is so different from when she’s streaming.”

“Is she putting on an act?”

As if entranced, Hongshin Park joined the crowd.

Somehow, it felt like he was supposed to be here.

‘It’s like… I’m halfway into a dream, so I don’t even feel embarrassed anymore.’

Uncharacteristically for his usually introverted self, he spoke up first in a shy voice.

“…Um.”

“Oh, yes?”

“Did… everyone here win the event too?”

“Ah, yes! That’s right.”

Among them, a man wearing glasses spoke up.

“I’m just… so overwhelmed. I’ve been cheering for him since the Live Future days. It’s just so… emotional.”

“Wow, really?”

At those words, the Dodari began sharing how they first became fans.

“I came in through the showcase!”

“The showcase performance was so cute.”

“I got into him through the quiz show— I binged all the Live Future archives in just two weeks.”

“Oh, the quiz show! Actually, I got this merch from the quiz show.”

“The shipping was super fast, right?”

“I’m a Big Man influx…”

“Ah! Big Man is legit.”

“Big Men…”

“I only saw the 10 billion won incident on the news—never thought it’d turn out like this.”

“Ahh…”

Amidst them, Hongshin Park muttered under his breath without thinking.

“…This is really amazing.”

At that moment, all the stand monitors inside abruptly turned off.

Click—

The lively chatter of Doda cut off, replaced by an awkward silence.

The Dodari quickly turned their heads, staring at the now-black monitor screens.

“Huh?”

“?”

“What’s going on?”

Then, the monitors flickered back on simultaneously.

There, Doda sat like an emperor, exuding arrogance.

[Hey, Dodari gathered there— shouldn’t you all be seated and waiting by now?]

“Pfft…”

“He’s really got that attention-seeking charm, huh?”

“That’s what makes him cute.”

[Doda already knows he’s cute, so sit down already.]

The immediate reply made the woman who had called him “cute” tilt her head in confusion.

“…?”

The surroundings buzzed with murmurs.

“What was that? Did he just respond?”

“Huh?”

“Wait, seriously…?”

On the screen, Doda giggled and shook his head playfully.

[There are broadcast cameras everywhere. So if you try any tricks during the competition, I’ll be watching.]

“?!”

People looked around.

Massive PC cafes had relay cameras installed everywhere.

“Wow, insane…”

“What kind of insane spending is this…?”

[Later, other members will come out from the marked area and invite you to hang out together, so anyone interested can just line up there.]

“!”

Sure enough.

One section of the PC cafe had a large display installed.

People passing by checked the schedule showing when the members would appear.

[And for those who survive late in today’s three-game tournament, we’ll give out hotel vouchers, gaming PCs, and smartphones as prizes. Participation gifts are also prepared, so don’t forget to take yours.]

“We just have to play today’s games, right?”

Doda grinned as she spoke.

[Yep~ Well, no. We’ve also prepared some events, so look forward to it. If anyone wants to rest, the ‘Leaf Café’ on the second floor is handing out free drinks— just show your number tag and take a break.]

“!”

Dodaris cheered.

Honestly, more than the prizes, they were happy about the fact that such a thoughtfully prepared event existed.

Just being in this space felt amazing.

“My heart’s been pounding since earlier…”

“No way, this is insane!”

“This is so fun!”

Tyu- tya- tya—

It felt like their brains were melting from dopamine.

Filled with excitement,

They each took their seats.

Hongshin Park also sat down, his heart racing.

Then, a staff member approached and handed him a drink and a small snack.

“These are complimentary for all participants. If you’d like more drinks, just let us know!”

“Ah, uh… thank you.”

What is this?

It’s so comfortable.

‘What is this place…?’

The inside of the PC cafe felt like an amusement park.

Doda popped in and out of the stand monitors nearby, and at the booth displaying merchandise, people took photos.

In the interactive zone set up in one corner, other members were scheduled to appear later.

His heart tingled.

It felt like this space loved him back.

‘Other places would never do something like this, even for anniversary events… You’d have to spend tons of money just for them to maybe open something up.’

But here,

none of that mattered.

Whether you bought one T-shirt or didn’t buy a single song,

you could just come here and enjoy yourself.

“…”

Hongshin Park put on his gaming headphones and made a resolution.

‘…I’m going to stay a Dodari forever.’

Big Man—

*

The ABCD community was buzzing with excitement.

The real-time updates from those who had arrived at the PC bang were generating a rush of dopamine.

「[General] Title: Uwyattattatta, Uwyaaah!」

「Abubut, kyaa! Uwya! Uwya? Uwyattattatta」

– LMAOO what the hell is happening? 😂😂

– Why is everyone who went to the PC bang acting brain-dead?

– What’s going on over there?

– What kind of event is this? LMAOO 😂😂😂

– I just went in as a spectator and holy shit…

– Wtf, seriously, if you’re an ABCD fan, just come.

– This place is legendary.

└ Is it that good?

└ It’s like a major company’s anniversary event.

└ Alright, I’m going as a spectator on Saturday lol 😂

└ Damn, it’s gonna be packed.

└ Nah, they manage the crowd really well.

└ For real?

└ There are literally dozens of staff managing things LMAO it’s insane. 😂😂😂

「[General] Title: Uuuu, boomerang doko?」

「I’m inside the PC bang, and I’m the only one in a pink T-shirt… So lonely… Someone come join me… Everyone else is in blue…」

– Lol is Berry’s fanbase full of mental patients? 😂😂

– Ugh, stupid gay pink

– A real man… walks alone…!

– Pink is literally a manly color, what are you talking about?

– Are there a lot of people inside?

└ The 100 participant slots filled up fast, and spectators are coming and going to check it out. The staff steps in like clockwork if things get too crowded.

└ Everyone’s just hovering around the interaction zones lol 😂

└ Interaction zones?

└ Yeah, they occasionally open spaces where you can talk with other members.

└ Fk, I gotta go now— Clara noona, wait for me!

└ They’re broadcasting everything anyway lol 😂😂

And then.

The event began.

“Shh, quiet. The tournament is starting.”

└ LMAOO why is this meme actually real? 😂😂😂