It’s not that kind of malicious broadcast

Lee Yeri was still considered young, but she wasn’t an inexperienced lawyer by any means. It was thanks to the high intensity of days grinding away for over ten hours each day. Although it wasn’t something she ever wished for.

From her experience, it was rather common for newly established heads of Korean branches to excessively generate results to show to the head office.

‘Thanks to a peculiar person with the ID “GetDevoured”, the development team at headquarters is experiencing hell. While the headquarters is busy with patches and hasn’t thought about suing yet… the local branch is bringing in a law firm’s opinion to show how they can resolve the problem. If it goes well, they can seem like they have a strong grip on the situation without needing a lawsuit.’

In short, it was all a show.

If someone questioned whether joining such a show just to make a living didn’t sound agreeable, she couldn’t deny it.

‘The entity wanting to connect with the client is the main office, not the branch. Getting involved in the branch’s reckless actions could lead to unnecessary complications… But ignoring the branch means disconnecting from the headquarters too. Ah, I just want to resign.’

“Branch Manager, I’m sorry, but we need to have a brief internal discussion. Could you please wait for a moment?”

《Oh, sure.》

Without waiting for a reply, Lee Yeri pressed the mute button on the conference room phone and took a deep breath, turning her gaze to the junior colleague sitting next to her.

The junior had been struggling to suppress his urges to speak throughout the call and had finally given in, handing her endless notes filled with messages.

“… Yes, you don’t need to give me any more notes. I understand what you mean. You’re saying that suing this… GetDevoured could be detrimental to the client, correct?”

“Yes! That’s right! For the client… I really like games and have seen quite a bit about this. If we get labeled as a game company that sues its customers nowadays, the media will have a field day covering the entire situation. So, no suing. Really.”

For a moment, wasn’t there a strange hesitation? Pushing that thought aside, Lee Yeri calmly started to form a strategy.

“… Since KoK is the core product for our clients… It makes sense to minimize related media risks. In my view, proceeding with a lawsuit now is likely to worsen the problem… But if we do nothing, the client won’t be satisfied either. Hmm… How about we handle it like this?”

.

.

.

“Yes, Branch Manager. So, our opinion is this. Right now, immediately proceeding with a lawsuit isn’t appropriate… but depending on what happens at this protest, we can take action. There might be defamation or obstruction of business during the protest, correct?”

《Yes, yes, lawyer.》

“So, this protest is scheduled for… two weeks from now?”

《Yes, it’s scheduled for the Friday after next at 12 PM.》

“We’ll be there in person. If we find something that requires intervention, we’ll collect evidence immediately and call the police. This can be handled anonymously like a regular complaint. And even if they try to end the protest quietly, we’ll reveal ourselves as representatives and attempt an under-the-table negotiation right there.”

《Ah! That would be wonderful. Actually, our CEO is scheduled to visit Korea that weekend, and we’d be in serious trouble if there’s an all-night protest in front of the branch. The first protest is one thing, but we must stop any continuous protests.》

“… Understood, Branch Manager. I will personally attend the protest for evidence collection, so you don’t need to worry. We will send you information regarding our advisory fees and the contract via email.”

《Yes, thank you! I’ll be relying on you. Thank you.》

“Yes, have a safe evening. Goodbye.”

-Click.

It had been neatly organized. In its own way.

If there was really an issue worth raising, it could be confirmed at the protest site. Even if it couldn’t, it would leave an impression that they were thorough enough to check the site.

Above all, they had secured enough time until the protest, providing an opportunity to gauge the head office’s intentions during that period.

Whether it was a protest or a fan meeting—they weren’t sure—thinking about going to the site in person was a bit tiring. But wasn’t that just how work was?

Fortunately, her younger sibling’s place wasn’t far from there, so if the timing was right, she could treat her to dinner.

* * * *

“So, what do you think?”

“Uh, what? Well… an alcohol broadcast might be a bit risky, don’t you think? We have the second part coming up, and mistakes could be made…”

“It’s better than you think. Maybe a non-alcohol broadcast could be more dangerous. If you think about it, Jinhee has never made a mistake while drinking, but earlier, when she was sober…”

“Ah! Aaaah! I’m really sorry, I said!”

It felt like just a little more pushing would make her agree. It wouldn’t be right to push too hard, though.

Interestingly, Jinhee’s reactions to being poked at were different today. Seeing this potential in her was both amusing and intriguing, making it hard to hold back.

She had always thought the pleasure of poking a vulnerable target was Arks’ thing on broadcasts. A delightful mistake in my assumption.

“Don’t you think we should do the drinking broadcast to erase the memory of earlier? It feels like it needs to be washed away with alcohol before it turns into a long-term memory. Otherwise, you might remember it forever.”

While her almost crying face wasn’t something to be happy about…

Still, agreeing quickly would benefit everyone. Why was she being so stubborn at such a weird point?

“Sigh… Fine, but… Let’s promise not to drink to the point of getting drunk. If something controversial happens during our joint broadcast, I will really cry. Seriously.”

“… I understand. I won’t make you cry.”

So, as long as there wasn’t an incident, she wouldn’t cry. I gave Ark a light pat on the shoulder, trying my best to look reliable.

Our eyes met naturally then, and the intensity of her gaze… If felt even stronger than before. It was like staring at a lit bomb.

“I won’t ask what’s on your mind.”

“… Ask me.”

“What kind of alcohol do you prefer?”

“I have some wine I received as a gift at home. I bought soju just in case, too.”

Still, okay.

As expected, she was a good person.

* * * *

《Ah, ah, hello, my fans! It’s Ark. Today, as predicted, we’re doing a collaboration! The guest is none other than the Rogue Teacher, who’s well-known on both Tw*tch and KoK. Welcome, GetDevoured!》

『Wow.』

『This collab is a big deal.』

『GetDevoured only does collaborations with Ark. LOL Is this strategic buying low…?』

『They call her GetDevoured so comfortably now.』

『Is it really a drinking broadcast? Is it really a drinking broadcast? Is it really a drinking broadcast? Is it really a drinking broadcast?』

『Look at that wine! As expected of a woman who earns fifty thousand a month.』

『Bring on GetDevoured! Bring on GetDevoured! Bring on GetDevoured! Bring on GetDevoured! Bring on GetDevoured!』

Ark’s broadcasts had a reputation for consistency.

Unless she was half-dead, she turned on the broadcast at 6 PM on weekdays, and no matter how high the excitement, she ended it by 1 AM.

Even when she had a severe cold and couldn’t speak, she turned on the broadcast at the usual time, wore a mask, gave a quick update to assure viewers she was alive, and then ended the broadcast.

Even those who disliked her couldn’t help but acknowledge her dedication to her job. Initially dubbed the “public servant” for her regular KoK gameplay, the nickname had naturally evolved into a term of praise for her diligence over the years.

One of the rarest events on her broadcast was a drinking session. Even when a mission worth a million won was on the table, she had refused to do a drinking broadcast. The sudden announcement of one intrigued everyone, and they eagerly anticipated it.

When it came to situations involving ‘GetDevoured’, there had been a few times where she appeared after drinking, but getting drunk live on broadcast was a different experience altogether.

“-ㅇㅇ has donated 1,000 won!-

【Where is that enchantress?】

《Ah, don’t worry! She’s safe and sound. She arrived early. Just between us, we chatted and had coffee together. GetDevoured even brought cake, which we shared. The cake was delicious, but her beauty was so sweet that I couldn’t even taste the sweetness of the cake. Envious, right? Envious?》

-StarPork has donated 1,000 won!-

【Yeah, I’m envious 😭】

A donation from an unexpected ID. For a moment, Ark’s broadcast smile turned into genuine surprise.

《…Wait a minute, this is really StarPork. Ahri, why are you envious! We’re having a mage class today, so let’s hang out together next time! Ban anyone spreading rumors about conflicts or bullying. Ahri and I are very close. Once a teammate, always a teammate, got it?》

『Poor ForkFork…』

『Hence, girls must always come in pairs (message cutoff).』

-This message has been temporarily blocked and deleted.

–

『Use an alternate account, please.』

『Hide it a bit, StarPork…”』

『GetDevoured/Controversy/Bullying』

Temporarily blocked message deleted.

『Wow… love triangle… wow… wow…』

『I prefer a yuri with a third girl intrusion.』

Temporarily blocked message deleted.

『Wow, three people threesome.』

Temporarily blocked message deleted.

-StarDevoured supported with 1,000 won!-

【Honestly, a forbidden priest relationship is more… hahaha. If it’s time to change your nickname, thumbs up】

In proportion to the rapidly increasing number of viewers, the ratio of disruptive chats was also skyrocketing. Even though the manager, who had been on standby, was continuously dealing with them, it wasn’t enough.

Inviting Lee Yena was something Ark had somewhat prepared for, but the sheer intensity of the attention had far exceeded expectations.

-ㅇㅇ supported with 1,000 won!-

【Guntak: Wasn’t I on the same team…? Guys? Did you make a separate chat group?】

-Click.

A quick skip. Just a little distraction, and you’d get swept away in the flood of chaotic chats and donations. Ark, who prided herself on managing trolls reasonably well, found it quite challenging to deal with viewers like these.

‘Stay focused. Please, no broadcast accidents… Wait, what’s the viewer count?’

Nevertheless, Ark was inherently a broadcaster at heart. Although she had started broadcasting less than 10 minutes ago, the fact that over 20,000 viewers had gathered was enough to clear her throbbing headache and restore her composure.

《Can I grab some soju for a moment? It’s all out.》

Unfortunately, the presence next to her surpassed that healing power, making it impossible to maintain calm.

《Ah ah ah, the camera! The camera angle!》

Just before a hurried hand covered the camera, a head wearing a motorcycle helmet tilted at a 90-degree angle appeared. Then, a pale hand peeked into view.

《I’m wearing a helmet. Hello.》

A waving hand, dressed in a flesh-colored arm sleeve. The person’s skin was so white that it made the typical sleeve color appear a bit darker.

-ㅇㅇ supported with 1,000 won!-

【Where did the tattoo go?】

《I had it removed. It was quite painful. Thanks to that, it’s now just a past mistake. I can erase one item off my controversy list.》

With Lee Yena’s calm voice marking her entrance, the joint broadcast officially began.