“Wow~ ten thousand won! Thank you!”
After spending some time chatting and playing rhythm games, it was already evening.
It seemed like people somehow knew I would soon end the stream, as the donations, which usually came in occasionally, poured in like a flood.
I picked up the Caveira pistol I had stolen… no, received as a gift from Seol-hwa and did a reaction.
– Are you going to end the stream?
“I think… I probably will. I’ll do some reactions for those who donated before closing.”
– One more win and you’re Diamond…
“Diamond? Oh, in Lesik? I’ll play tomorrow or the next time I have time.”
– Guys, don’t let them log off!
The stream was delayed for about 30 more minutes after that.
“Phew… gahhhhh!”
I stretched, and my body, which had been sitting for a long time, let out a slight groan.
Strawberry came walking from the living room as if she knew I was about to get up from my chair.
“Come here… ugh.”
When I tried to pick her up, she felt a bit heavier, as if she’d gained some weight in the past few days.
But it was only a slight change, from light to just slightly heavier—not to the point where I couldn’t lift her.
I held Strawberry in my arms, walked to the living room, and drank some water.
“Strawberry, I’m earning a lot of money these days.”
“Meow?”
Indeed, my income has been great lately.
Over the past few days, my average viewer count has increased significantly, and with the added revenue from NewTube and the café, things were looking up.
If this continues for a few years, I might really be able to move my parents’ shop to Seoul.
It’s not just about moving to Seoul.
The current location of the shop is so old that customers and people are leaving, and wherever you look, you see one or two businesses closing down or already shut.
“I need to be filial… and there’s Seo-ha, too.”
Even though Seoul is expensive, it has more people.
Min-young and I will stay here for a few more years.
Min-young hasn’t even graduated yet, and even after graduation, the university she’s aiming for is nearby, so moving houses or increasing living expenses won’t be a problem.
But my parents and Seo-ha—I want to live closer to them, even if it’s not Seoul, especially if I stop streaming and start helping out at their restaurant.
When I put the cup down, I noticed that the sun had completely set, and it was dark outside the window.
As I was busy playing with Strawberry to put her to sleep, my phone rang.
The person calling late at night was the manager.
Since they didn’t usually call often, I quickly answered the phone while stroking Strawberry’s back.
“Hello?”
– Oh, Su-yeon~ good to hear from you.
“What’s the matter?”
– Are you busy right now?
“Yawnnn…”
I threw on a hoodie and walked toward the café while gazing at the night sky.
Walking slowly under the dark night sky with my bright red pupils reflecting the light, I could feel that the nights were gradually getting warmer.
“It’s almost May, and it’s already like this… no air conditioning, huh?”
I pushed away the annoying thoughts while looking at the dark night sky and soon arrived at the café.
The business hours had long ended, but there was a bright light shining from one corner of the café.
With a clear sound, the café door opened, and I heard the manager’s voice from inside.
“Come in! Sit down and wait for a moment.”
The manager, dressed in a simple shirt, quickly moved behind the counter.
In the farthest corner of the café, there was a single lit bulb.
Underneath it was a steaming cup of black coffee.
After sitting down on the opposite side, the manager brought me a warm cup of hot chocolate.
“Ah, thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Sorry for calling you out at this hour.”
“So, what’s this about?”
The manager told me they wanted to talk and had asked if I could come to the café.
“Hmm… it might get a bit complicated.”
The manager took a sip of coffee, thought for a moment, and then spoke.
“First of all, I’m curious.”
“About what…?”
I gulped nervously, wondering if they were going to ask about my identity again.
“Why are you working here? Honestly, I don’t think someone like you is suited to a job like this.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You work well, you’re really unique, pretty, and your streams are doing great.”
“Oh… is that so?”
The manager looked at me with a slightly envious expression.
I gave an awkward laugh at the sudden compliment and asked.
“Your resume only shows part-time jobs, all for short periods. Why only part-time jobs? Why not find easier work, and why this ordinary franchise café?”
“…I just needed a lot of experience. When I was young, I mostly played in the mountains or nature, so I didn’t know much apart from farming. That’s why as soon as I graduated, I came up here and tried everything. I just wanted to accumulate as much experience as possible, preferably with higher wages.”
“Oh my, I never imagined that… so what about here, at this café?”
“Well… a new experience. Seeing so many people visiting, having people recognize me, and earning good money—I think it’s a valuable experience.”
The manager’s eyes widened a bit, and they cleared their throat briefly.
“Oh… haha, that’s surprising. Uh… thanks for saying that, but… there’s something I need to tell you.”
The manager tapped the cup with their finger before continuing.
“This place… might change a lot soon.”
“What?”
“You know… I’m part of the Starbux franchise, right?”
“Right?”
“But, how should I say this… I want to open my own café.”
“…Wow.”
I put down my hot chocolate, startled by the manager’s unexpected statement.
“Honestly, my shop isn’t your ordinary franchise café, is it? We serve directly, and the atmosphere is so different from other places, don’t you think?”
“That’s true. It’s definitely different from other cafés I’ve worked at.”
“So, I’ve been thinking about creating something of my own… my own café.”
“Is that so…”
“Yeah, so I’ve been looking into it, but things like construction periods and contracts are really complicated.”
“Construction, you say…”
“Sorry, but… I think I’ll have to let everyone go soon. But! Don’t take it the wrong way. Once the renovations are done, I’ll reopen, and you’re all welcome back. I’m going to overhaul the place completely over the next couple of months.”
The manager lowered their head, seemingly feeling genuine regret for potentially taking away my and the other part-timers’ jobs due to their own goals.
“Congratulations.”
“What…?”
“That’s amazing. You’re still young, yet you’re creating something of your own… That’s way more admirable than me.”
“Are you really okay with this? Of course, I know someone like you would be welcomed anywhere, but… doesn’t it feel bad? I mean, I’m basically giving you a sudden notice of dismissal…”
“I’ll be fine. But could you… let Joo-hyuk work here again after the renovations?”
“Ah… hahaha… of course, he works so hard. He might not be as good as you, but he does his best.”
“Ugh…”
After laughing and chatting with the manager for a long time, the hour had shifted from night to early dawn.
When I got home, everything was quiet.
Strawberry was fast asleep on the bed, letting out small breaths.
I sat on the bed and changed into more comfortable clothes, but I still couldn’t fall asleep.
“Hmm hmm…”
Even as I closed my eyes and counted sheep, sleep didn’t come.
After rolling around on the bed for a while, trying not to disturb Strawberry, I gave up on sleeping.
“…Should I stream?”
‘Baraa has started a live broadcast.’
-I can’t sleep.
Even in the deep hours of the night when most people were asleep, many others were awake.
There were office workers catching up on missed streams, students enjoying a Friday night, and countless jobless folks on Twitch.
When a notification popped up saying that Baraa’s stream had started, chatter about Baraa’s looks, the café, and the cooking shown on NewTube quickly filled the chat.
“Hello.”
-??????
-What the heck did I just see?
-A surprise stream at dawn, followed by a surprise reward… This is rare.
“Reward? What are you talking about?”
-Baraa, what are you doing suddenly… Dolphin shorts, really?
“What about them?”
To be fair, it was still a bit chilly to wear them this early in the morning, especially around the thighs.
Baraa, wearing a slightly oversized cardigan, ran her small hands, barely visible at the sleeves, over her thighs.
Despite it being dawn, viewers flooded into the stream as if it were daytime.
The moderators, likely asleep, weren’t around to control the chat, which became increasingly inappropriate.
Baraa, with genuine disdain, started banning people left and right.
“Why did I start streaming suddenly, you ask?”
Once the inappropriate messages settled down after her swift bans, Baraa sighed in relief and began reading the normal comments.
“The title says it all. I just got back from the café and couldn’t sleep… Strawberry? She’s sleeping over there.”
As Baraa shifted slightly, a perfectly camouflaged Strawberry could be seen nestled on the white bed.
But viewers quickly spotted her thanks to the faint pink of her small nose.
“The café… I’ll explain later. I’m not exactly sure when, so I’ll hold off for now.”
Though Baraa’s expression showed a hint of regret, her choice to go to the café late at night and stream in such attire only fueled viewers’ curiosity.
“Why am I dressed like this, you ask? I tried these on once before, and they’re super comfortable. I’ll probably wear them a lot unless it’s too cold.”
-Everyone, hands on your keyboards.
-Noona, you’re so pretty, haha.
-Those thighs are no joke…
“Enough.”
With a simple touch, Baraa turned off the camera, switching the stream to her computer screen.
The mouse cursor spun in circles, revealing an impeccably organized desktop.
While viewers protested intensely, Baraa hesitated briefly before responding.
“Having the camera on while gaming is too uncomfortable. I’ll turn it back on later.”
-? By gaming, do you mean… hoxy…?
“Yes, I’m hitting Diamond in Lesik today.”