Streaming Life After Paying Off Debt - Chapter 73

The commotion that occurred in the middle of the night finally settled down only after I increased the number of raffle participants to ten. Accordingly, with the probability of winning increasing tenfold, the viewers started to praise me.

– This is it, this is it~

– Dae-Miju

– The ‘god’ of normalization

The sudden change in public opinion, along with the fact that even the negotiations, despite being trivial, had a positive outcome. However, while receiving their praises, I couldn’t shake off a sense of discomfort.

‘I mean, just moments ago they were pouncing on me as if they would devour me, and now they are giggling over something so simple?’

It was fortunate that the negotiations were concluded, but the numerous hardships I endured while finding common ground flashed through my mind. From the familiar expletives to the creative criticisms I had never heard before.

Thinking of the viewers who treated me as a traitor who sold out my country made me chuckle in disbelief.

‘And now, they are satisfied with just Pepero?’

The fact that the viewers who had ruthlessly hurled insults were content with Pepero hit me differently.

‘So my emotional labor is only worth that much?’

Ten pieces of Pepero, not even worth a bowl of gukbap, was the value of my emotions.

As I looked at the viewers who had cheapened my feelings, I unintentionally spat out my true thoughts.

“Fucking pig bastards…”

After those words slipped out, I realized I had made a mistake. Just moments ago the chat room was ablaze, and here I was making the same verbal mistake again!

I cursed my mouth for not listening and anxiously scanned the chat room. However, contrary to my worries, the viewers were graciously accepting my blunder.

– Yeah, we are pigs~

– Oink oink~ Miju’s Pepero is delicious!

– Oink oink hehehehe!

– There are really pig bastards here;;;

No, to be precise, they weren’t just accepting it; they were actively embracing being pigs.

– Oink oink

– Oink? Oink ooink?

– Oink oink

Amidst the increasing chorus of pigs, I was enveloped in an auditory hallucination, as if I could actually hear the oinking. The sight of them, who could lose interest in their ten-year-old love, made me lose touch with the initial gratitude I felt and led me to a single resolution.

‘You pig bastards, you’re all special material types.’

If you want to be pigs so badly, I’ll slaughter you myself.

Capsaicin was calling me from deep within my shopping basket.

“Now, I’m going to really start cooking.”

I concealed the wicked plan I had just made in my heart and took out chocolate from the bag.

– Cooking while making Pepero, lol

– But can you actually do it?

– You might burn it, and the black part is chocolate~ lol

– Decorative Pepero, hahahaha

– Watch out so infants don’t eat it, lol

At that moment, the viewers expressed strong distrust towards me. Realizing that building trust should be prioritized in this creaky plan before it even began, I hurriedly went into self-promotion mode.

“What do you think of me! Even though I look like this, I’m a specialist in cooking for myself!”

Of course, most of my experience was in boiling ramen…

But isn’t cooking all about boiling and grilling?

‘Boiling ramen is enough cooking experience!’

With this justified confidence, I placed the chocolate into the pot. As I started to melt the chocolate over the pre-boiled water, the viewers’ admiration echoed in my ears.

– Phew, at least you’re not directly grilling it.

– For real, lol, you were so scared~

– Wedding score +1 point!

Ignoring the viewers who were making a fuss over something so trivial, I began to stir the chocolate with a spatula.

As I watched the melting chocolate, a strange emotion began to blossom within me.

“Doesn’t it feel strange to be melting chocolate like this?”

The chocolate, which originally held its own form, was gradually losing its shape under my gesture. Yet, the knowledge that only chocolate that goes through this process can become Pepero made me feel a peculiar emotion.

– Oh… that’s profound…?

– Is it about enduring now for future happiness?

– Conversely, it could mean that without pain there is no happiness?

– Why aren’t you talking like the usual madman?

– The broadcast host can’t do stocks, but he’s quite wise, you know?

The viewers couldn’t contain their amazement at my insights.

– Quit your job! donated 50,000 won.

[That’s quite philosophical. Just like how the chocolate will harden again, a hopeful day will come for me too, right? I’ll endure while waiting for that time.]

Impressively, a hefty donation came in from a viewer I had never seen before, seemingly moved by my words.

“Oh! Thank you, Quit your job! for the 50,000 won donation! Of course, there will be a hopeful day!”

While expressing my gratitude, I glanced down at the chat room.

– But Miju is a good person…

– Every time they say it can’t be done, they always do it.

– For real, that’s why I keep watching this broadcast even when I’m angry?

There was an overwhelming affection directed towards me.

‘I can never say it out loud.’

Looking at the viewers full of compliments, I thought to myself.

‘I can never admit that I simply enjoyed omnipotence!’

In reality, my intent moments ago was as follows.

‘Isn’t it kind of like I’m a god, able to change things as I wish?’

I changed the form of the chocolate; I could dominate chocolate! The absurdity of my statement was being elevated with a philosophical significance by the viewers.

– Miju has deep thoughts, right? Not once during this broadcast have they lied.

– ? That’s a bit;;; how many times has that been?

– For real. There may be interpretative controversies, but at least there’s no lying.

– The fact that a female streamer hasn’t gotten a date on her day off itself is likable, isn’t it?

– The recent fundraising for helping the less fortunate might actually be a real donation, who knows ㄷㄷ

The deeper their misunderstanding grew, the heavier the stone in my heart became.

“Uh… let’s go! The chocolate has completely melted, so shall we move on to the next step?”

Amidst the deepening chasm of misunderstanding, I marked my explanation and decided to change the topic. As I began to spread the melted chocolate onto the pre-prepared sticks, a convincing Pepero began to take shape.

– So simple, lol

– This costs… 10,000 won…?

– This seems cheap; there’s no way it’s just one per person, is it?

As I placed the finished Pepero one by one, the viewers stopped praising and began to voice their complaints. Relieved that I had successfully changed the topic, I retorted toward them.

“Don’t worry, I’m giving at least more than one; it’s not like I sold Pepero for 10,000 won, alright?”

– ? Wasn’t the Pepero 10,000 won?

– What? You’re trying to rip us off?

– Miju/controversy/rip-off

“10,000 won isn’t the price of Pepero; it’s a donation! The Pepero is like a token of appreciation given to the donors.”

In order to avoid accusations of selling Pepero for 10,000 won, I intentionally said nothing about the tokens while fundraising. Yet, even with my explanation, the viewers’ reactions were cold.

– So didn’t you ultimately sell Pepero for 10,000 won?

– For real, lol, your tongue is really long.

– I don’t like the rip-off frame~

– If a female streamer’s handmade Pepero costs 10,000 won, it’s a steal, lol

– For real, lol, it should start at at least 100,000 won, haha.

The viewers continued to press me with accusations of selling things. To counter their claims, I recalled memories from my school days.

“No… you guys remember the Fruit of Love, right? Do you honestly think that was just a thousand won?”

I recalled the badge they used to give for donations.

With a green body and three red fruits attached, the badge’s size was too small for a mere 1,000 won, and sometimes one or two fruits would fall off, but nobody condemned it as a rip-off.

“1,000 won is the donation, and the badge is just proof of donation! The Pepero I’m giving is exactly the same, you know?!”

My Pepero was the same as the badge. Although it might be a bit more expensive and have some strange ingredients mixed in, its essence was merely a proof of donation.

The viewers’ reactions to my perfect explanation were as follows.

– Yeah, yeah. You’re right.

– Why is this person angry?

– Scratch?

“Fucking losers…”

d*mn Internet memes ruined the healthy discussion.

As I watched the chat room flooded with “scratch,” I crushed the Pepero I held in my hand.

Having made all the Pepero to hand out to the viewers, only the packaging remained, and I began the final content planned for today.

“Alright! Today, we held a broadcast for helping the less fortunate!”

– Wasn’t it a Pepero-making broadcast?

– Uh… does the tone seem strange?

– End the broadcast!!!!

– Please do a 24-hour broadcast again…

“Then I suppose we have to proceed to the last content of today?!”

Ignoring the anxious chats of the viewers, I continued the broadcast. Sitting down and turning on the monitor, the pre-prepared site appeared. I shared the screen I was viewing with the viewers.

At that moment, the chat room filled with question marks.

– Huh??

– ?? What is it??

– ?????

Turning my gaze away from the chat room that displayed the same reactions, I focused on the transmitted screen. I was able to understand why the viewers were confused.

——-

Thank you. I will use the donation wisely.

Donor name: Miju and all viewers.

Donation amount: 1,000,000 won.

——-

The prepared site showed that I had made a donation before starting the broadcast.

– No way… what is this???

– Is this a hilarious prank?

– Did the site get hacked?

I offered my final thanks to the viewers, still in shock.

“Everyone, thank you for cooperating in helping the less fortunate! I’m so grateful that such kind-hearted people are my viewers!”

Even with my words, the viewers still hadn’t grasped the situation. One of them stepped up to ask me a question.

– Duntang donated 10,000 won.

[Wait… didn’t you receive the donation to use for yourself?]

“I kept mentioning ‘helping the less fortunate’; I never said it was for me!”

– No… is that really true?

– This is dizzying…

– Thinking about it, the host just talked about their experiences; the rest was all our assumptions, right?

– The host openly talked about losing their money and asking for donations. How could we not be suspicious? Hahaha.

One by one, the viewers began to realize the truth from my words. I delivered the final line of today’s broadcast to them.

“Then everyone, have a warm-hearted winter, and I will take my leave here!”

With that, my broadcast faded to black once again.