[TS] Formula One Streamer - Chapter 6

In games that compete with my opponent’s skills, there is always a rank.

Rank is an absolute measure that proves one’s skill and authority.

Naturally, in For One, which is based on Formula One, there were ranks according to the ranking matches.

Starting from the lowest rank, F9, to the highest rank, F1, which is permitted to only twenty people.

F1 was composed of the world’s top players, including actual F1 drivers from Formula 1.

It is a completely different world.

For regular users, this was a rank that was beyond even dreaming, so the highest rank permitted to the general public was F2, from 20th to 1000th place.

It may seem more lenient compared to F1, but in For One, where the number of users exceeds hundreds of millions, F2 was also a battleground filled with various monsters and talented players.

Just getting into F2 could instantly bring fame and recognition.

F2 was a place where competitors were to be looked up to, even more so than F1, often referred to as the “divine realm” due to the fierce competition.

There were a few who survived in such a battleground of ranking matches and achieved F2 status in Korea as well.

“Everyone, I’m not feeling well today, so I’ll go to practice mode instead of the ranking match.”

[You said you’d break into the top 400 this month, and now you’re running away again]

[Is this guy really doing this? For real, lol]

[If you’re not feeling well, it’s right to take a break, yeah]

[What the f*ck, he says he’s always not feeling well. How can he play if he’s not feeling well?]

[Me]

[Rock]

[Me]

[Rock]

[The chat room is blurry again. Just kick out the spies, f*ck]

[Oh~ Is your brother too scared that your rank will drop to run away?]

[These bugs can’t even reach F7, let alone F8, look at them talk lol]

[Those jammin kids need to be smashed]

Kang Ho-yun, a fourth-year student from the Seoul branch of the Formula One Academy, and an F1 streamer on the world’s largest broadcasting platform, Kiwich.

He was one of the few F2 Korean rankers in For One, operating under the nickname “One Man Show.”

“I’m sorry. I really wanted to try today, but I couldn’t control it. The lap times aren’t coming out as I usually do… I’m stressed too.”

Promoting himself as a skill streamer, Kang Ho-yun had a stable audience of about 20,000 viewers, but it has already been more than a year since he started broadcasting.

Quelling a flaming chat room was always a challenging task for him.

“I just want to quit… I’m tired.”

At times like this, he had to either quit the stream and escape or dive into the ranking match head-on, whether it resulted in failure or success.

He needed to redirect the audience’s attention with other fuel.

“Then, since I’m not feeling well today, how about I do a spectator lecture instead? Since I couldn’t keep my promise, I’ll draw two volunteers to help today.”

A lecture for F2.

A spectator lecture from the mid-tier of F2 was rare enough to sufficiently attract viewers’ interest.

[Me! Me! Me! Me! Me!]

[Teacher, I’ve been waiting for today]

[Rock! Rock! Rock! Rock! Rock! Rock!]

[I’m F9. I can’t even reach F8]

[If that’s the case, you might as well quit…]

[Even if you just have limbs, you can reach F8, and you’re saying F9? Just break the capsule, lol]

[These kids are special. They’re F9]

《Come and be Shumi, you donated 1,000 won!》

-F2 500th place giving a lecture? I can’t resist it, for real, lol

[Those spies are seriously creepy. Just watch how they change their attitude as soon as a spectator lecture is mentioned;;;]

[I don’t care~ “Give me a spectator lecture”]

“Thank you, ‘Come and be Shumi’ for 1,000 won. I will only take volunteers for 1 minute from now.”

While the manager was aggregating the volunteers, Kang Ho-yun was quickly reading the rapidly rising chat to gauge public opinion.

Understanding the needs of viewers is the basic attitude of a streamer.

“Okay, time’s up. There are over 5,000 volunteers, so we’ll bring just two of them.”

As he was about to conduct the draw.

“Ho-yun. I heard a second-year student named Yooihyun broke your record?”

One Man Show: What record?

“France circuit, yours was 1 minute 26 seconds. He supposedly broke it at 1 minute 23 seconds.”

“23 seconds? Are you sure? Any driving footage?”

Kang Ho-yun tilted his head, forgetting the draw upon hearing the unbelievable news.

“It wasn’t a full lap, just 20 laps, and since it was during class, there’s no record.”

“No record?”

“That’s what I heard from his younger brother, who is in the same class as him… He wouldn’t lie about something like that, would he?”

“What’s his name? Yooihyun?”

“Yeah, Yooihyun. He’s in the second year.”

A time of 1 minute 23 seconds would put him in the top 100 in Formula One, world-class skills.

If that were true, it would be only appropriate to run to him and kneel down to seek his teachings.

It was only natural for someone filled with a hunger for ranking to decide to end the stream.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll postpone the spectator lecture to next time. I think I need to get going due to an urgent matter.”

[??????]

[Wow, he just sucks the money out and leaves]

[Get lost, you scoundrel]

[The tyranny of a mid-sized company!!!!]

[He called himself One Man Show, but what a joke. He doesn’t deserve his nickname, such a fraud]

[Lie, lie, lie, lie, lie]

[Our Fraud Gallery Group supports One Man Show]

In an instant, the chat room exploded, but he didn’t care.

If his friend’s words were true, not only could public opinion be flipped, he could also feature as a guest to gain double or even triple the benefits.

Kang Ho-yun exited For One with a mix of expectation and suspicion.

***

I instinctively closed my eyes tightly.

“Ugh…?”

His fist that should have reached me hadn’t yet.

“What grade are you guys in?”

The voice that stopped Song Dan-g*n’s intimidating fists was a deep, resonant voice.

The person who emerged from between the capsules was a tall boy with a handsome appearance.

“Hyung, Kang Ho-yun?”

“That F2 rank holder in the 500s?”

“You’re the one who streams as One Man Show on Kiwich.”

“I’ve watched it too. You look even more handsome in real life…”

Classmates who confirmed the boy’s face were whispering that they knew Kang Ho-yun and One Man Show.

Kang Ho-yun, rank 500, One Man Show, Kiwich, streaming…

In short, it means he is a streamer who does personal broadcasting.

By the way, being in the 500s…

As far as I know, there are hundreds of millions of For One users, so being in the 500s implies that he would be recognized in any region, or rather, any country.

I became curious about his skills.

Are those who are ranked among the top tier in this world really at a similar level to mine, or not?

It would be great if I could race with him once…

He scanned the situation and continued speaking as if he understood.

“If you want to fight, do it on the circuit. Don’t waste your energy outside…”

Kang Ho-yun shot a cold glare at us and then frowned while looking at me.

What’s going on? I didn’t do anything wrong.

Could it be that he actually likes Yooihyun?

“Yooihyun?”

He smiled and sweetly called my name.

Did he know Yooihyun originally?

He pushed Song Dan-g*n aside and came toward me, grabbing my hand.

“So you’re Yooihyun. If it’s okay, can we talk a bit?”

“Yes? What…”

I felt uncomfortable as the guy suddenly grabbed my hand, but I had no choice but to follow him to escape this situation.

“Sure.”

***

Student lounge.

I was sitting face to face with him, holding the instant coffee Kang Ho-yun picked for me.

“So you’re saying there are no videos or records?”

“Yes. You know that only the teachers have the authority to access the academy’s practice records.”

I was a bit worried it might become exhausting, so after today’s practice race on the French circuit, I had asked the teacher to delete any records and footage.

There was no need to hide it, but I thought it would be better to understand this world a bit more before revealing myself to the world.

Well, my classmates would probably share the rumors, but what does it matter when the most crucial evidence is absent?

Hiding it completely was not possible, but it wasn’t the right time to reveal it yet.

“But why did you come to find me?”

I asked him about the reason he sought me out.

To feel him out.

In truth, I had a rough idea.

Naturally, it was about skill improvement.

To be playing at rank 500, it meant he had talent and passion for F1.

Plus, racing is a sport with the primordial goal of proving one’s worth by overtaking and getting ahead of others.

“To put it bluntly, I want to learn from you and see if we can race together?”

I was not surprised. It was expected.

I liked that he was being straightforward without beating around the bush.

What a true senior, willing to ask for help from a junior despite embarrassment and rudeness for skill improvement!

I liked this Kang Ho-yun.

“Hyung, you’re a Kiwich streamer, right? How long have you been streaming? And what’s your average viewer count?”

“It’s been just over a year, and my average viewer count is around 20,000.”

“Is 20,000 considered a lot? I’m not very familiar with this world.”

Well, of course.

“It’s not a large enterprise, maybe a mid-sized company? For One is so popular that the standards are a bit higher.”

“How much do you earn?”

“It’s hard to mention specific figures, but… I earn in the hundreds of millions monthly.”

Well, with the user base in the hundreds of millions and that level of recognition,

There are bound to be many people searching for streams even if they are not users of For One for vicarious satisfaction.

“But why?”

I extended my hand to him.

“It’s a fair exchange. If something comes to you, something must go away.”

If I teach Kang Ho-yun about F1, shouldn’t something come back to me as well?

“I’m thinking of trying my hand at being a streamer too. Please help me out.”

“You’re going to be a streamer?”

I smiled brightly as I replied.

“I think it’ll be fun.”

“Uh, um? Should we… do that then?”

My answer seemed to have completely caught him off guard, making him stutter.

“Then let’s go.”

“Go where?”

I pushed my chair back and looked at him.

“Where else? The circuit.”

***

Having confirmed that he was a mid-sized company level streamer, I needed to show him my skills as well.

I logged into For One and added him as a friend.

He was logged in with the ID provided by the academy.

Yooihyun: Kang Ho-yun sunbaenim, right?

Kang Ho-yun: Right.

Yooihyun: Why One Man Show? Didn’t you log in with that name?

Kang Ho-yun: If I log in with that, I’m dead. Anyway, I’ll create the room.

Waiting in the bustling grid, an invitation soon arrived.

[Kang Ho-yun has invited you to ‘The last spot on the grid is open.’ Room. YES / NO]

“Yes.”

With my answer, my character disappeared, and I was transported to the room in an instant.

Of course, the map was the Paul Ricard Circuit in France.

The weather and temperature were normal, and the tires ranged from C3 to C5.

The conditions were the same as during today’s practice driving.

“Hyung, please change the lap count to 5 laps and remove the AI. And do you want to run first? I’ll watch.”

“Got it.”

Since it wasn’t a race against anyone, and just to check his skills and correct issues, 5 laps would be sufficient.

He quickly changed the settings and entered the pits.

Yooihyun: Don’t mind me and just drive comfortably like you usually do.

Kang Ho-yun: Understood.

After completing the formation lap, he stood on the lonely grid with only his vehicle present.

When the lights went off and extinguished.

Vrooooom!!!

His vehicle took off.

There’s usually a significant change in rankings due to reaction time at the race start, and Kang Ho-yun’s response was quite fast.

I watched from a third-person perspective as he navigated the circuit for 2 laps.

As expected from someone ranked 500th in the world, his racing line was ideal, and he competently employed trail braking to some extent.

Kang Ho-yun

First Lap Time 1:28:198

Second Lap Time 1:28:177

“What’s going on? Is he too nervous?”

He was floating around 28 seconds without even getting close to his best record of 26 seconds.

Just before entering the third lap,

“Switch to first-person view.”

I shifted to first-person view, observing his acceleration, braking, handling, and physical responses.

The program made it easy to understand exactly when and where to exert force, mimicking the timing as if I were Kang Ho-yun himself.

Vrooooom!!!

Vroom! Vroooom!

He was executing perfect driving, responding at just the right time, without any deviations, through every corner and straight.

“Indeed, both the start and reactions are fine.”

So what’s the problem?

The problem is that perfection itself is the issue.

Even if he was unaware of me watching, my very existence would still be in his subconscious, pushing him to race more safely and cautiously than usual.

Thus, he would be attempting to achieve a flawless, nearly perfect race.

However, racing is not about being perfect. In fact, perfection itself is unattainable.

Contradictory as it may be, racing requires letting go of perfection while still striving for it.

Every driver works towards getting close to perfection, but perfection is eternally elusive like a rainbow.

Perfect Lap

That is an illusion.

Thus, what Kang Ho-yun is pursuing right now is an illusion.

Yooihyun: What are you doing? Is racing about running nervously, fearing mistakes? Is that what it means to be good?

Kang Ho-yun: ……

Yooihyun: Did you ask me for help just to show me this? Then I’m really disappointed.

Kang Ho-yun: Understood.

With that voice, his driving changed.

More daring and challenging driving.

Spurring himself closer to the realm he wants to reach, trusting both himself and the race car.

Navigating along the boundary between overflowing and restrained, fluctuating dangerously.

“Yeah, this is it.”

That is a true driver.

Kang Ho-yun

Third Lap Time 1:27:607

Fourth Lap Time 1:27:203

Fifth Lap Time 1:26:901

He showed a progressive performance through the repeated laps.

In terms of results, he didn’t surpass his shortest record of 1:26:503, but one cannot always achieve the best result.

I entered the pit where he was.

“You did great. As expected, being a ranker means you’re skilled.”

“Don’t give me empty compliments…”

As Kang Ho-yun was about to exit the cockpit, I helped him out.

“I’ll give you feedback later, after we race.”

I immediately went into the pit.

Wearing the signature color of Jin Hyun-woo, the three-time consecutive champion and the embodiment of Ferrari, which symbolizes the team.

RED.

A fiery red race car, so passionate it felt as if it would burst into flames.

Flame decals adorned the dozens of sponsors on my red flame-retardant suit.

In an outfit completely red from head to toe, I climbed into the red race car.

A car with a Ferrari logo that looks similar, but isn’t quite the same.

“To the grid.”

[Race Waiting Room, heading to the grid. Yooihyun’s grid is number 1.]

As I summoned onto the grid, I immediately started the engine.

Vrooooom!!!

The growl of the engine, the smell of burning fuel, the heating cockpit.

I love this moment when a driver finally feels alive.

Yooihyun: Watch closely. See how I drive.

After the formation lap ended and as I positioned myself on the grid, I awaited the signal to drop.

Four.

🔴 🔴 🔴 🔴 ⚫

Five.

🔴 🔴 🔴 🔴 🔴

ZERO.

⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫

Vrooooom!!!!

My race car surged forward, reaching 350 km/h in an instant as it charged through the grid like a wild horse.

My thundering engine and heart.

The vibrations of the road felt directly through the chassis and shaky hands.

The scenery rapidly whizzing by alongside me at 350 km/h.

This is racing, this is being a driver.

This is ecstasy.