[TS] Formula One Streamer - Chapter 68

That’s really a crazy person, or rather a crazy girl.

I knew it from the moment she fell flat on the floor and didn’t move after checking my sponsorship, but the thought that Haerari might be crazier than I initially thought surged up in me.

– Kyaaaa!!! KING! I’m your fan!!!

She was shedding tears of emotion, screaming, and running around in all directions.

Clearly, what I sent was a sponsorship of 100,000 won, yet I couldn’t understand why there would be such a reaction.

Even if I sponsored a million won, I don’t think this level of response would come out…

Anyway, it’s better to be welcomed like this than to be rejected.

Usually, if both parties have a mutual liking, communication goes smoothly.

However, I wasn’t so sure about my side.

Up until I made the sponsorship, I definitely had a good impression of her, but seeing her act like a lunatic made me doubt my judgment.

“Well, you know… if someone likes something too much, that can happen…?”

Even when I lived as Jin Hyun-woo, there were plenty of stalker fans as a three-time consecutive F1 champion world star, so I decided to think positively, saying that what’s good is good.

From her situation, it makes sense that having someone like KING, a figure like an idol, come up with an invitation makes her flutter with excitement.

I had a similar experience myself.

“Michael Schumacher…”

There may be many words and controversies, but no one can deny that he is a legendary figure in F1.

I still can’t forget what Schumacher told me when I secured my first championship in F1.

“You are the new era of F1. I entrust Ferrari to you.”

On the glorious podium, celebrating my first championship, holding the trophy high.

Could I ever forget the words about the new era from a legend of the past?

The two hands clasped with Schumacher, that line, the air at that moment, the feeling at that time.

So, that moment when time stopped and everything fell silent will

always be an unforgettable memory, a recollection.

I waited for her excitement to settle down before firing another sponsorship.

I was scared to hit the sponsorship button again, fearing she might have another fit, but I had to continue the communication nonetheless.

《KING has sponsored 10,000 won!》

– If it’s okay, can we add each other as friends and chat in For One?

– Huuh!!!

With a cry that sounded like a last breath, Haerari once again fell over with a thud.

“Ah, why are you falling again…?”

She was nothing but a crazy girl, idol or not.

KING: Please don’t collapse. I’m begging you.

Haerari: But… I’ll try my best.

After much ups and downs of screaming and collapsing repeatedly, we finally managed to meet after getting her promise to not collapse.

[Haerari has entered the Pit.]

I welcomed her from a distance as she entered the room.

“Hello, Haerari.”

“It’s really KING… I always wanted to meet you.”

She approached me, spinning around like she couldn’t believe it and gazing at me.

“Please sit here.”

I felt a strange feeling, like a monkey in a zoo, as I got her to sit down.

Fortunately, she listened well.

Having turned off the broadcast, I was about to start the official conversation when Lee Haeri on the sidelines asked a question with an anxious expression.

“Um, why would someone like you, KING, want to team up with someone like me… a girl?”

“Hmm…”

Yeah, why did I say I wanted to team up with you?

Swallowing words I couldn’t say out loud, I pondered how to respond.

I could say something nice here.

That I saw an invisible potential in you that others couldn’t see, or that with just a little polishing, you are a diamond that shines bright.

But I didn’t want to say empty words to a streamer I would be with for a month, and I hadn’t specifically offered her a partnership based on her skills.

In fact, if we were to talk about skills, Haerari was below par.

She knew that a pit stop was when the tires are changed, but she was completely unaware of things like timing and tire types.

Her driving was embarrassingly lacking in technique compared to other F5 users.

From handling to pedal operation, the timing of turning DRS on and off was a complete mess.

While she imitated trail braking, it was merely an imitation.

She often found herself pushed off the track beyond the curbs.

The reason I chose her as my partner boiled down to one thing.

“I have no particular reason… it’s just nice to see you working hard, and I like you, Haerari.”

Her skills may be lacking, but she poured her passion into racing to a point that could be called obsession.

On top of that, her character was clear and entertaining.

These two things were why I chose her as a partner.

But how did this girl interpret what I said?

“Y-you like me? I never thought KING would be into that… I like men, but if it’s KING, perhaps once……”

Her face was flushed with embarrassment, her gaze lost as it wandered into the void.

“What do you mean ‘perhaps once’? If you keep saying strange things, I will consider this a non-issue.”

I initially thought it was a concept, but the more I looked, the more it seemed like she was genuinely a bit off.

“I’m sorry, I was too rude. I shouldn’t have acted like this. So, you want to participate with me in the event?”

Only then was I able to have a conversation with Lee Haeri like a regular person.

*

*

*

At the moment Yooihyun was discussing event participation with Lee Haeri.

Vroom! Vroom-!

Her phone showed no signs of stopping its vibrations from the numerous incoming calls and messages.

[Missed Calls +99 / Unread Messages +99]

It was hard to even count how many calls and messages there were, as it indicated that it had surpassed the maximum notification limit.

The messages appearing on the lock screen were generally like this.

[F1 Team Mercedes Benz Scout Kim Min-hyuk here. I couldn’t find any other way to contact you, so I’m calling directly about recruiting Yooihyun. Please get in touch when you check this.]

[F1 Team His Director Gunter Steiner here. I apologize for contacting you so rudely since you have no affiliation. I would like to recruit Yooihyun as the team’s first driver, please contact me.]

[F1 McLaren Scout……]

[Renyo Director……]

[Aston Martin Scout……]

All F1 teams except Ferrari were endlessly pursuing the young girl who had just started making a name for herself.

*

*

*

“Well then, I’ll contact you at this number next time.”

[Haerari has exited the room.]

“Phew…”

The event partnership with her was secured quite easily.

Haerari had been my fan from the beginning, and I also had a good impression of her and reached out.

We just needed to introduce ourselves formally, share our goals for participating in the event, and divide the roles of who would submit the application.

After that, it was just about exchanging information about each other and mundane conversations.

How old are you, where do you live, which school do you attend, what do you like… those normal conversations.

Looking at her appearance and speech, Haerari seemed more like a troublemaker than a model student, but surprisingly, she turned out to be a highly educated individual from Seoul National University.

At the time, I found it so absurd that I nearly let a curse slip out, but upon checking, the fact was even more unbelievable.

While her image of a mental patient slightly improved due to her prestigious university background, I was still anxious about letting her fill out the application, so I decided to handle it myself.

Now that the event matter was finished, it was free time.

For me, free time in For One only meant ranking matches.

“Hello, this is KING.”

It had been several hours since I last raced, and my restless body was eager as I immediately started the broadcast.

*

*

*

-Hello, this is KING.

[Wow! KING! Yooihyun!]

[Why did you leave so suddenly yesterday???]

[Teacher Lee, explain yourself…]

[Hahaha, how shameless. After leaving like that yesterday, it’s ‘Hello, this is KING????’]

[For real, only did a one-man show to clean up the aftermath yesterday]

[With three hundred thousand viewers, you just bailed on them;;]

[And you turn the broadcast on and off like you own it, hahaha]

[Hey, soon-to-be F1 driver, for her, being a streamer is just a ‘hobby’]

[Whether it’s a hobby or not, is it polite to just leave like that?]

[d*mn, looking for etiquette in Kiwich]

[This is a classic case of fool’s errand]

《Seolmseok has sponsored 100,000 won!》

-Was KING really that KING (ancestor)? Haha

Watching the viewers go wild over yesterday’s KING ancestor escape incident, Jihyun couldn’t help but be amazed.

“The number of viewers has increased.”

Jihyun, who was studying intermediate engine design in her dormitory, reflexively opened Kiwich as soon as she heard the alert for KING’s broadcast starting.

Because Yooihyun had become a famous figure both in Korea and abroad, her Kiwich tournament bubbles burst, easily surpassing 100,000 viewers.

Considering that her broadcast time was not fixed, the number of viewers gathered now was indeed remarkable.

“I hope it will be okay…”

Having many viewers as a streamer is good news, but since Jihyun was one of the ones who experienced the moment Yooihyun escaped, she was somehow worried about her.

The atmosphere during that time was serious to the point where it couldn’t be expressed without cursing.

There were hardly any words that fit except to say it was a total mess.

Of course, with curses flying left and right, some threats that they would d*e if she didn’t appear immediately were also present, showing the seriousness of the situation.

Jihyun knew that the repercussions of that incident would not easily subside, so she was worried about the sharp comments and sponsorships that would come her way.

However, Yooihyun, despite all the s*xual harassment and threatening chat messages and sponsorships, addressed her viewers with a consistently calm demeanor.

She greeted them as warmly as any other streamer, stated what she would be doing that day, and dove into ranking matches.

Not even alluding to yesterday’s incident, her attitude seemed to ignore the viewers’ reactions, and naturally, the chat room heated up.

[Hey teacher; just say something]

[You’re a high school girl, and I’ve held back until now, but curses are just coming out.]

[Why did you bail out!!!]

[Is she too young to grasp the atmosphere? It could’ve been a simple ‘sorry’.]

[She’s about to spark a personality controversy before her debut, haha.]

[She’s gritting her teeth and ignoring the chat and sponsorships, d*mn. I’m going to get robbed here~]

[As expected once a person rises, their true nature shows.]

《QUEEN has sponsored 500,000 won!》

-My Queen, please clarify…

“Hyun-a, what are you doing…!”

Even QUEEN, the top sponsor of KING’s broadcasts, was calling for clarification, and as the displeasure of the viewers surged, the atmosphere reached a boiling point.

At that moment, as if waiting for this, KING finally opened his mouth, which had been heavily shut.

-I met Director Minoto yesterday. I decided to participate in the Ferrari test.

As she explained, the chat room suddenly began to blaze up even more vigorously than before.