[TS] Formula One Streamer - Chapter 34

I’m really sorry to say this, but Kang Ho-yun’s feedback ended there.

There’s no way I could lose if I meet him.

That won’t change in the past, present, or future.

Thanks to an outstanding master, Kang Ho-yun’s emergence will probably not be seen in this lifetime.

He seemed momentarily despondent, but true to his stubborn personality, he returned to his original self.

“I should focus on the New Age for now.”

“Right. Concentrate on immediate goals. There’s no answer if you look too far ahead.”

I offered him a comforting instead of actual consolation and checked my bracket.

128 Participants Bracket

[KING] VS [Sexyback]

Circuit: Barcelona-Catalunya

Weather: Clear, with a few clouds.

My opponent is Sexyback.

Well, does that mean he wants to show off his sexy backside throughout the race?

The circuit and weather were no different from Kang Ho-yun.

Perhaps all matches in the round of 128 are held under the same conditions.

“Is this person famous?”

“Oh, Sexyback? That guy, he’s a U.S. national representative. His name is Chris Bauer, ranking 53rd.”

Since Han Joo-hyuk is ranked 79th, being ranked 53rd is pretty high for a national representative.

Most of the top ranks in F1 and F2 are basically battlegrounds for former and current players, so it’s the highest ranking by a standard for ordinary people.

So no matter how high it is, it’s still an ordinary person’s standard.

“There’s nothing more to see.”

I scrolled through the leaders until the round of 32 and then abruptly turned off the screen.

The circuit and weather were somewhat informative, but aside from those two, there was nothing worth considering in racing.

If this tournament had been an official F1 event with 20 people racing together, things would have gotten complicated, but in a one-on-one match, it could be seen as a pure physical fight.

I was already at the top, but as my skills kept surpassing their peak, there wasn’t really an opponent to worry about.

The Max Verstappen of this world could be considered my rival, but since we’re completely on opposite ends of the bracket, I didn’t have to concern myself with it for now.

If we meet, it will probably be in the finals.

I leaned my head back against the plush sofa, shaking off all the thoughts swirling in my mind.

“You look really tired. Are you planning to take a break from ranking matches for a while?”

Ah… there were ranking matches.

I had an overwhelming amount of accumulated homework.

“Yeah, I’m just going to focus on the tournament during the competition period. I recorded F2, so I should take a break before I race again.”

“Right. But didn’t you turn on your broadcast today?”

“Did I?”

Why is he asking something so obvious? When I looked at him, Kang Ho-yun suddenly broke into a wide smile.

“You haven’t checked how much donation you received, have you?”

“……!”

That’s right, donations!

I had forgotten the most important thing about deciding to become a streamer.

I hadn’t managed to check all the donations that came in during the race, but the amount from a person named QUEEN alone was two million won.

“Where do I check?”

“Th-three thousand?”

“I expected it once the viewer count went over a hundred thousand, but seeing it myself is just unbelievable.”

Thirty-six million four hundred eighty-eight thousand two hundred won.

The donations I received today alone surpassed thirty-six million won.

No matter how many times I refreshed the page, that number never changed.

After deducting the fees that Kiwich takes and tax processing, over three thousand remained for me.

I was already a superstar with an annual salary exceeding 80 billion won, but this was completely different.

“How many minutes of broadcasting did I even do…”

Really, how many minutes of broadcasting did I do?

When I lived as Jin Hyun-woo, an F1 driver, I lived my life without personal time except for sleeping, eating, and going to the bathroom.

I poured all my time into analyzing the circuit, simulating, and interacting with mechanics to modify the engine.

And on top of that, I even reduced my sleep, living in the circuit and laboratory.

Yet here I was, earning thirty-six million won just after competing three times and communicating with viewers.

“It’s unfair…”

It’s like a dream job where a pleasant personal life is completely guaranteed.

Overwhelmed with emotion, I gazed at the glittering number on the screen.

“…That’s not something you should say, is it?”

Kang Ho-yun glared at me, disgusted by my full-bellied words.

But if anyone had seen my life as a driver, they would have nodded in agreement that the values of those two labors were indeed unfair.

Well… I can’t argue if it’s because of my ability that I earn like this.

“I’ve finished my biggest task.”

I got up from the sofa and approached the floor-to-ceiling glass window in the living room.

The clear moon and the faintly colorful yet sharp starlight beautifully adorned the sky’s tapestry.

The night view spread out beyond the window sparkled and felt serene, making me want to bolt outside immediately.

Having solved one of the most crucial things in life, which is money, my heart felt as light as a feather.

I suddenly turned to Kang Ho-yun and said, “Shall we go for a drive?”

“A drive? What kind? Circuit? For One?”

Kang Ho-yun, who had only experienced a Spartan-style drive while being harshly scolded by a younger girl at the circuit, shuddered at the thought.

“No, not For One. Let’s go for a real drive.”

“Ah…”

“Since the weather is nice and I’m full, let’s just go somewhere close and take a walk in a place with a pretty night view.”

“Phew… Are we going out now?”

I nodded my head and went into the room to put on some light training clothes.

The black base with three white stripes is a steady seller even here.

Late at night.

Kang Ho-yun and Mr. Yooihyun were on their way to a large lake park near their officetel.

“The weather is nice.”

Wearing training clothes that fit perfectly, Mr. Yooihyun rested her chin on the window frame, facing the blowing wind.

As the traffic light turned red and Kang Ho-yun slowed down to stop, he briefly looked at her in the passenger seat.

‘Yooihyun…’

She abruptly appeared in his life that felt boring and unattractive, except for For One, where he was born with a silver spoon.

Yooihyun completely changed the meaningless trajectory of his life.

Even the profession of being a celebrity seemed too burdensome to embody her beauty; the reason Kang Ho-yun fell for Yooihyun wasn’t just that.

First, it was her driving skills, and second, her refreshing and straightforward personality.

Kang Ho-yun, with his stubborn personality, and Yooihyun, with her cool and fiery nature.

They shared a synergistic relationship as strong as chicken and cola and rapidly became close.

Under the common interest of F1, they grew closer through teaching and learning, and now they were living together under one roof.

This could be considered the biggest turning point in Kang Ho-yun’s life.

In just two years of attending the academy together, the person who was just an existence became deeply embedded in his life.

For that reason, Yooihyun was as precious to Kang Ho-yun as family.

“Hyun-a, we’ve arrived. Wake up.”

After staring at the soundly sleeping Yooihyun for a long time, Kang Ho-yun gently shook her shoulder to wake her up.

“Sorry, sorry. We’ve already arrived. I fell asleep without realizing because I was tired.”

“It’s okay. It was nice and quiet the whole way.”

“Do you want to hit me?”

The two who had been playfully nudging each other got out of the car and headed towards the lake park.

The weather was cool, and it was just the right time for a walk, so there were plenty of people around.

The two walked along the lakeside path amidst the crowd, engaging in conversation.

“It feels like it’s been a while, even though it’s only been a few days.”

“I guess it’s because I was alone in the officetel all day.”

“That seems to be the case. Anyway, it feels good to breathe the outside air and smell the scent of people living.”

A completely ordinary and mundane conversation.

Kang Ho-yun found even that amusing, precious, and his heart was happy.

As the crowd was too dense, he inadvertently noticed the narrow gap between him and Yooihyun and suddenly had a question.

What is her goal?

What kind of life does she, Yooihyun, aspire to, and what is her ultimate goal?

Despite being so close, Kang Ho-yun didn’t even know her dream.

“Hyun-a, what is your dream?”

“Why are you suddenly asking about a dream? Do you mean something like what I want to be or something?”

“Not necessarily that, but something like how you want to live, or goals you want to reach.”

“Hmmm, a dream…”

Yooihyun thought seriously for a moment, resting her chin on one hand, and then quickly spoke up.

“People say you need to set a goal to find a reason to live, but I think I’ve always lived crushed by my goals. So, I have neither dreams nor goals. Just the thought of wanting to make myself, Yooihyun, happy? If that’s a goal, then it is.”

Yooihyun expressed her honest feelings.

Jin Hyun-woo’s previous life wasn’t entirely unfortunate.

Rather, one might say he lived a somewhat happy life, having gained victory, glory, honor, and money.

However, all those things were obtained at the cost of his life.

They were things he achieved by running towards his goal without even time to meet family, let alone friends.

One could say he sacrificed his life for his goals.

Perhaps that’s why Jin Hyun-woo wanted to live his second life, Yooihyun’s life, for himself.

He wanted to make Yooihyun, who lost her parents in a car accident at a young age and experienced bullying, happy—a person whose diary only repeated the words wanting to d*e.

Seeing her eyes shining brightly with a strong will today, Kang Ho-yun slowly nodded his head.

“Besides that… being number one in For One, winning F1 and becoming a champion. Of course, it’s not like I’m saying I will definitely do it. It’d be great if I could, but if not, then that’s fine.”

“F1 Champion…”

“Yeah, F1 Champion. But can’t I achieve that with my skills even if I take it easy? Isn’t that right?”

Yooihyun casually stated something that sounded so presumptuous as if it were a given.

While Kang Ho-yun didn’t find the statement completely absurd, he knew it wasn’t unattainable.

‘I’ll be an F1 champion.’

While he had wanted to get better as he competed in For One, he also knew how high that wall was, so he had never dared to even look at it.

She was dreaming of that place.

“I have to work harder.”

To stand beside her, to run side by side, it is impossible to just stay at the current position.

Beyond national representatives like Han Joo-hyuk, Yoo Seon-jin, and Steven.

Perhaps it might be an impossible journey to reach the other side of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, who are called the gods of F1.

Before them, Kang Ho-yun felt infinitely small, but he made a vow in this place.

No, he swore.

‘I can do it.’

Somehow, he decided he would become a driver worthy of standing by her side.

In the sky, invisible stars struggled to emit a faint light.