Reincarnator’s Stream

Thump, thump.

Her heart pounded wildly, as if someone were hitting her chest with a hammer. Un Hyang looked into Suhyuk’s eyes, sitting across from her.

‘He looks exactly the same.’

She had been a huge fan of the original Lee Suhyuk. The legendary Blue Eyes. All-time number one among players.

Lee Suhyuk, celebrated as the greatest player, had always been her idol and celebrity.

Because of that, she remembered every detail about Lee Suhyuk’s mask and even the small parts of his face visible through it.

The eyes behind the mask were different. But the dark pupils and the gaze reflected in them were just like the Lee Suhyuk she knew.

‘It’s as if the real Lee Suhyuk has entered another person’s body.’

Un Hyang’s eyes sparkled. She had been observing for a moment. Then a voice seeped out from behind the mask.

“Is there more to the introduction?”

Startled from her thoughts, Un Hyang reflexively answered.

“N-No! It’s done.”

“Done?”

“No, I mean, it’s not really done. I’m just…”

Un Hyang fumbled, not knowing what to do or say. A question mark seemed to hover above Suhyuk’s head. Although his face was hidden by the mask, it felt like the expression behind it was saying,

‘Did you ask for this meeting just to mess around?’

‘Oh no, this is bad…’

The advice from John Dale flashed through her blank mind.

—

“In a first meeting, what you need to give the client is trust. Understand? Never, ever, show any signs of uncertainty. Got it?”

—

The company’s role primarily revolved around two things. Providing convenience for streamers and expanding their revenue. There were other tasks, but these were the main ones.

And to achieve this, the company had to instill trust in their streamer clients.

But, ‘I blew it…’

She had messed up from the very first meeting. Too nervous, she fumbled her words, making herself seem untrustworthy and even suspicious.

But then, “Were you a fan of Lee Suhyuk?”

Suhyuk’s question instantly cleared the chaos from her mind.

Lee Suhyuk.

His name always brought her a sense of calm. Un Hyang, who had been flustered, smiled. She nodded vigorously, answering more clearly than anything else.

“Yes!”

“You can relax with me. I’m not the real Lee Suhyuk. I’m probably even younger than you.”

“I’m a fan of yours too! I watched your stream from when you had zero viewers!”

“From zero viewers?”

“Yes!”

Moments ago, Un Hyang had been a mess, but now she was enthusiastically recounting Suhyuk’s previous day’s stream.

From the first one-eyed bat hunt, thought to be a coincidence by many, to clearing the starting dungeon and defeating the Wolf Warrior.

She went on to recount even his trial to capture the Lightning, without a single stumble in her words.

‘Is she really my first viewer?’

The first one-eyed bat hunt. That wasn’t even on the community. The event where he had skewered a flying one-eyed bat with his sword.

There had only been four viewers at the time, so she must have been one of them. In that case, she really was his first viewer.

“That’s fascinating.”

It truly was. To think that the person in front of him was his first viewer. It looked like her claim of being a fan wasn’t just talk.

‘Luckily, she’s one of the people who likes me.’

On his first stream, Suhyuk realized that there were more people who liked him than he had expected. And just this morning, he learned that the coin has two sides.

Isaac.

He was the complete opposite of the person sitting in front of him now, Un Hyang.

‘For every person who likes me, there might be someone who dislikes me just as much. It’s just that those who dislike me don’t tune into my streams.’

As annoying as Isaac was, he had driven that point home. Suhyuk was thankful for that. Though his mood had been soured momentarily, Isaac had taught him an essential lesson in the most definitive way.

“Right? So fascinating, right? I thought it was fate!”

“Is that why you came here?”

“Yes. I begged the team leader to let me come.”

With bright, eager eyes, Un Hyang’s passion was evident. If that was an act, she should be an actress, not a manager.

“Alright, let’s get to the point. Tell me about the terms.”

“Of course. First, our basic conditions for new talents at Balhae…”

Un Hyang started to explain but then shook her head and opened the bag she brought.

“Let’s go through the contract itself.”

Rustle—

She handed over a crisp, fresh contract to Suhyuk. Instead of the detailed content, he focused on the revenue splits.

“You can choose between an 80/20 split on streaming donations or to keep all donations yourself.”

“What’s the difference?”

“If you choose to keep all donations, your share of additional revenue from advertisements and other sources will decrease. Normally, it’s a 70/30 split, but it would become 60/40.”

The choice was between giving up 20% of his donations to potentially increase ad revenue, or keeping all donations and reducing his share of the ad revenue.

Since he wasn’t sure how much the ad revenue would be, opting to keep all the donations might result in no loss for Suhyuk.

“How is the ad work managed?”

“That’s entirely our responsibility.”

Un Hyang confidently patted her chest.

“Ads, events, stream highlights—anything that creates value from the brand that is Suhyuk, we handle it all.”

“So, my job is…”

“Just keep streaming. For someone like you who focuses on skill-based content, continue taking the trials.”

As Suhyuk’s value increased and viewership grew, that would translate into more opportunities for ads. The company’s role was to manage these tasks and maximize his revenue.

“We’ll also handle promoting your streams to increase viewership, which in turn raises ad rates.”

“Is this a usual deal?”

“You obtained Lightning, remember? Plus, the team leader thinks highly of you.”

In other words, these were exceptional terms. Whatever conversation had taken place, after meeting with Falcon Eye, John Dale had increased the conditions he was willing to offer Suhyuk.

“So, what do you think? Do you like it?”

Un Hyang tentatively watched for his reaction. After carefully reading through the contract, Suhyuk glanced at Un Hyang and asked,

“Are all managers at Balhae like you?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

She asked back, clearly not understanding the question.

“Never mind.”

Suhyuk shook his head, glossing over the question. All the while, he noticed Un Hyang’s anxious expression.

‘Why is she working as a manager?’

Suhyuk was puzzled. Though he couldn’t gauge exactly how high she had climbed, Un Hyang felt like a well-honed blade even in her seemingly clumsy demeanor.

It was an aura that couldn’t be hidden. And clearly, she wasn’t trying to hide it either, making it all the more noticeable.

‘Have player standards risen this much?’

The fact that a manager from an entertainment company was of this caliber was surprising.

‘I thought I was still on par with others because they hadn’t reached the 9th floor yet…’

Without knowing the exact reasons for Un Hyang’s position, Suhyuk’s thoughts narrowed to this conclusion.

‘I need to work harder.’

With that, a small misunderstanding bloomed within Suhyuk’s mind.

“Please take care of me.”

Thus, the contract between Suhyuk and Balhae Entertainment was signed.

—

Afterwards, Suhyuk spent some more time conversing with Un Hyang.

The main topic was primarily about streaming. For Suhyuk, who was still unfamiliar with the intricacies of the streaming world and its revenue structure, there were plenty of questions he had.

“Revenue shares vary depending on the streamer’s nature.”

“Fake Suhyuk? For him, it’s mainly his edited videos that earn the most.”

“Advertisement rates also vary among streamers. They are generally calculated based on subscriber numbers, average viewer counts, public recognition, and favorability.”

“It’s crucial to give a heads-up before ending a stream. If you end abruptly after passing out like the last time, it’s only natural viewers would be disappointed.”

“If you go to the stream settings here…”

Initially, Un Hyang may have seemed a bit clumsy, but she was able to answer all of Suhyuk’s questions without hesitation.

The dynamics of the streaming industry and precautions to take during streaming were among the many small tips Suhyuk garnered from this meeting.

“Thank you. This has been helpful.”

“You’ve signed the contract, so it’s my duty as your manager to help you.”

“My manager?”

Suhyuk asked with a perplexed tone, as if the concept was foreign to him, prompting an ‘Oh, right,’ reaction from Un Hyang.

“Oh, did I forget to mention? I’m your designated manager.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. So, if you have any questions or requests related to the stream, don’t hesitate to contact me at any time. I’ll also reach out if there’s anything needed on the company’s side.”

Not needing to contact multiple people for assistance didn’t sound bad to Suhyuk. He nodded in agreement.

“Sounds good.”

He stared at the lukewarm coffee that had gone cold while they talked. Given that he couldn’t eat or drink anything with the mask on, there was no reason to linger any longer.

“Well, I’ll be counting on you moving forward, Manager.”

“Are you planning to start streaming right away?”

“Yes, I’ve rested enough.”

After meeting Un Hyang, he was itching to get back in action.

‘I can’t afford to lag behind someone who’s supposed to be my manager.’

As a streamer, Suhyuk’s aim was to focus on skill-based content. Ironically, his manager seemed more proficient than he was.

Without the added flair of Lightning, Un Hyang might be better off streaming herself. She had the skill set, and her stunning appearance would be a significant draw.

“Then, I’ll take my leave first.”

“I’ll be sure to watch! Today too!”

With that, Un Hyang sprang to her feet to bid him farewell. Nodding slightly towards her, Suhyuk left the café.

Plop—

“Cheon Ryang…”

Watching Suhyuk leave, Un Hyang slumped back into her seat.

“Nuna could pass away happily now…”

***

One hour later, a notice was posted on Suhyuk’s streaming channel.

—

※ Announcement

: Streaming will start in 2 hours.

—

Learning to post announcements was one of the many tips Un Hyang had taught him. She had explained that posting notices before starting the stream would help gather viewers more easily.

—

– What?? An announcement??

– Something big is coming

– Something big is coming22222

– This guy knows how to post announcements now LOLOLOL

— HonestlyLOL yesterday, he didn’t know anythingLOLOLOL

– I’m baby Suhyuk~ I know nothing!

– He beheaded the boss in survival, what’s next???

– Right? LOLOLOL can’t wait to find out

– I’m dizzy with anticipation, start the stream already~

—

The reaction was surprisingly enthusiastic. The focus on Lightning and the unpredictability after defeating the Giant tribe leader had piqued viewers’ curiosity.

It was sure to be a trial unlike any they had ever seen. Everyone was curious about how Suhyuk would navigate through the next challenges, or if he would even stop here.

—

“Your value could skyrocket in the next stream.”

—

Thump-thump.

Before starting the stream, Suhyuk closed his eyes momentarily to calm his nerves.

Why did this feel so nerve-wracking?

He felt more jittery than during the trials.

‘I can do better than yesterday.’

Everyone’s first attempt is bound to be awkward and clumsy. He was no exception. But this was his second time. He was more confident that he could do better than before.

Swish—

Opening his eyes again,

“…Let’s go.”

With that, Suhyuk started his second stream along with his next trial.

—

『‘Lee Suhyuk’ has started streaming.』

TL’s Corner:

I can’t remember when I read an MC misunderstanding something. I know it sometimes happen in novels, but it’s too few and far between. It’s like a breath of fresh air.