Genius’s Godlike Game Broadcast

Chapter 127 : Generosity Comes from a Full Storehouse (2)

Generosity Comes from a Full Storehouse (2)

After a plentiful meal, dessert and coffee were served.

They finished dessert while exchanging light chatter, and now it was time to get up from the table.

"Aigo, thanks to our Gyeongbok, we've been pampered, truly pampered."

"I'm glad. If you ever want Western food, just call me."

Yang Gyuri said with a satisfied expression. Lee Gyeongbok responded with a smile.

But in truth, he had no intention of coming here often.

'I'll just stop by once in a while on cheat days.'

The food was truly top-notch, but it wasn't great for maintaining his health. Thus, after finishing the meal, the two got on the elevator going down.

"Gyeongbok."

"Yes, auntie."

"We can see right through people, but you can never know for sure what's in someone's heart."

Lee Gyeongbok looked at her curiously.

"Let alone ordinary people—how would they know? You won't ever know someone's heart unless they express it."

Why was she suddenly saying this? For now, Lee Gyeongbok quietly listened.

"And sometimes, you lose the chance to convey those feelings."

"Auntie...?"

"That's what weighs on my mind. I never told my late mother-in-law, your grandmother, how thankful I was."

Yang Gyuri turned to him with a faint smile.

"Watching today, I felt certain. I'm glad I said this to you, Gyeongbok. Don't be like me."

You have to convey your heart while you still can.

"Yes."

Lee Gyeongbok already knew this well.

"Don't worry."

Goodbyes rarely come when you're ready. He, too, hadn't managed to tell his parents how much he loved and appreciated them.

"Aigoya, I must be getting old. How sentimental I've gotten, right? Gyeongbok, where are you off to now?"

With a self-deprecating chuckle, Yang Gyuri tried to shift the mood.

Lee Gyeongbok answered with a smile.

"I want to buy some gifts."

He was thinking of preparing presents for those he was grateful to.

* * *

Late afternoon.

Lee Gyeongbok visited his favorite café with his friends for the first time in a while.

"Hey, you said you were taking a break from broadcasting, so why are we having a meeting again?"

With an exasperated look, he glanced between his two friends. Choi Byeonghun frowned and gave Park Juho a knowing look.

"I was going to rest after reading the notice, but this bastard called me out."

"Since we're on break anyway, we have plenty of time to rest."

Park Juho quickly rebutted the complaint. Lee Gyeongbok let out a hollow laugh and fiddled with his Smart Link.

"Well, it worked out. Since I saw you guys' faces, here, fill this out."

With a small vibration, holographic documents popped up in front of each friend.

"Eh?"

"What's this?"

With his friends looking puzzled, Lee Gyeongbok cleared his throat.

"What else, idiots? It's a gift from your generous boss."

The document Lee Gyeongbok handed over was a delivery order for robot vacuums.

"I bought them together with mine."

"A gift, all of a sudden?"

"And robot vacuums, at that?"

The two had complicated expressions.

Bewildered but, above all, grateful.

"Hey, last time I checked, your house was nothing short of a pigsty."

Worried that his friends might feel uncomfortable, Lee Gyeongbok kept it playful.

"That's gotta be about this guy. I'm different."

"No, what! Does it matter? Even so, why did you buy two for each of us?"

The delivery order wasn't just for one. Each got two forms.

"Since I was buying, I got ones for your parents, too."

"For our parents?"

"They weren't expensive either."

Choi Byeonghun's eyes twinkled, but Park Juho's reaction was different.

"I appreciate it, but return them."

"Huh?"

"It's a bit much to include our parents."

Despite the refusal, Lee Gyeongbok kept smiling.

"I expected that, so I paid in cash. I tore up the receipts right then and there."

Both friends' eyes widened.

Why go that far?

Sensing the question on their faces, Lee Gyeongbok explained, a little embarrassed.

"To be honest, giving to your parents is a bit of vicarious satisfaction for me."

"Vicarious satisfaction..."

Though it made him uncomfortable, he recalled Aunt Yang Gyuri's words.

It's best to be honest with one's feelings.

"You guys are truly good friends, and though it might burden you, I think of you as family. Your parents are just like mine to me."

With his heartfelt words, both friends quickly sobered.

They both knew all too well that Lee Gyeongbok lost his parents early.

"... Thank you, really. My father will love it."

Choi Byeonghun was the first to answer.

How could he refuse such a gift? He was truly grateful for the thoughtfulness.

"Just to make one thing clear."

But Park Juho's gaze was still sharp.

"If that's your intent, I'll gladly accept the gift. But next time, keep the receipt."

"Receipt?"

"If it's considered a staff gift, you can write it off as an expense. Remember that."

Both friends chuckled at his reply.

"You're seriously consistent, always."

"Juho's gonna be Juho, huh?"

All three burst out laughing. The gift-giving session (?) ended lightly, and the real meeting began.

"Even if it's a holiday, I called you for this."

Park Juho immediately showed them an email.

"MetaGamer sent a request for you to co-host 'V-STAR.'"

"Oh, that thing? The game show?"

Lee Gyeongbok caught on.

He faintly remembered hearing about this when MetaGamer was discussed earlier.

"Damn! As always, this is insane."

Choi Byeonghun grinned broadly.

"Hey, this is a real opportunity."

"Is it really that great?"

"Of course! It's not called a game show for nothing. All sorts of genre games gather here."

"Well, yeah, makes sense."

Lee Gyeongbok nodded.

Of course games would gather at a game show.

"Yeah, and that means gamers of every genre gather, too!"

"So, it's a chance to expand your popularity beyond mainstream to niche genres as well."

"Exactly! Any serious gamer wouldn't pass this up!"

At their words, Lee Gyeongbok let out a small exclamation.

'Come to think of it, escapers players don't know me that well, do they?'

He recalled previous experiences.

Purple's reputation as a streamer was rising, but many still didn't know him.

"I see the merit, too. And there's more merit than just that."

"There is?"

"As I said before, metaGamer is highly credible among game webzines. That's why they're sensitive to incidents. So, the co-hosts for their shows have always been long-running Influencers."

He adjusted his Anqing and brought up a new hologram—it was a chart of previous co-hosts MetaGamer had scouted.

When did he prepare this?

Before his friends could comment, Park Juho kept explaining.

"Even the famous D'Artagnan and Genome went through this. And, timing-wise, this is a good offer."

"Timing?"

"You heard from Genome. There's trouble with the Serengeti BJs. It isn't public yet, but since the streamers' breaks are getting longer, soon the viewers will notice something's up."

That was why the 'Time Warfare' event match in GunnerGround was postponed.

"Events like this always affect the market in subtle ways. Viewers start worrying—'Did something happen to the streamer I watch?' or they get anxious."

"Oh, that's so true. Every time something goes wrong, there are posts like, 'Hyung, you wouldn't do that, would you?'"

Choi Byeonghun agreed wholeheartedly.

Because of the interactive nature of personal broadcasting, any mishap quickly spread.

"Of course, I'm sure you'll never cause a scandal. But that's separate from viewer perception. So, showing up in a place like this will help reassure them."

"Oh, that's good. MetaGamer is like a seal of approval."

With the credibility MetaGamer had built, it would serve as a breakwater against bad rumors.

Lee Gyeongbok nodded, then wrinkled his nose a bit.

"Alright, I understand the merit. But aren't game shows usually offline? Wearing a mask all day would be kind of awkward."

At that, both friends silently stared at him, then exchanged glances and nodded.

"What?"

He questioned, and they stifled laughter.

"We just realized—oh right, you've only spent two months in virtual reality."

"Yeah, yeah, it's understandable, you wouldn't know."

Before he could object, Park Juho brought up a new hologram.

[V-STAR Online Admission Ticket Sales Announcement]

He pulled up the official 'V-STAR' homepage.

"Online admission?"

Lee Gyeongbok's eyes widened.

It wasn't just about buying online—it described entering via virtual reality.

"Dude, in this day and age, doing both online and offline is the default!"

"I didn't know either until I looked up MetaGamer. Virtual is usually B2C, offline is mainly B2B."

"Queuing up to try demos? That's ancient history. With a capsule, you can jump in instantly—who'd wait in line?"

Thanks to advanced virtual reality, expos and conventions all moved online as well. It went without saying that a cutting-edge game show would use this tech.

"MetaGamer knows public appearances are sensitive for you. What they want is a virtual host."

"Aha, so I don't need to go in person?"

"Right. You can log in comfortably from home."

At that, Lee Gyeongbok smiled brightly.

"Sounds fun."

With no restrictions, there was no reason to refuse.

"Let's do it."

"What are you, the Godfather now?"

At his playful answer, his friends laughed.

Just like that, his participation in the game show was settled.

* * *

Late evening.

Most of the building's lights, indicating the office workers had left for the day, were off. But below ground, it was another story.

A room surrounded by walls full of mirrors.

"Don't lose tempo! Focus!"

A sharp voice, at odds with the upbeat music. In the center, countless people were sweating as they danced.

This was the underground practice studio at Sweeties' agency building.

Yoon Nara and her members, plus the dancers, were practicing together diligently.

As soon as a song ended, the strict choreography director began to speak.

"Keep checking your spacing with the other members! If you stand out alone, the whole dance line collapses!"

"Arms at shoulder level! You don't know where your shoulders are? Do you want me to mark them!?"

"And Sehee! If you're in the back, you need to be EXTRA careful! Just because the fans up front can't see doesn't mean fans didn't pay to be all around!"

She was talented, but equally strict. The members listened without complaint—the advice was necessary and helpful.

Finally, it was leader Yoon Nara's turn.

"I told you before!"

But instead of criticism, the director gave praise.

"If something feels off, watch Nara! If you just follow her, everything's fine!"

Yoon Nara's dancing was flawless. She had natural athleticism and was the most serious and hardworking—a true model for a leader.

The choreographer glanced at her watch, then turned.

"Keep that feedback in mind. Ten-minute break!"

"Yes!"

With a collective shout, the director left and the members slumped over, exhausted.

"Ahh... my arms hurt..."

"Ugh, I feel gross... Should've just worn a tank top."

"This is so tough..."

They all just sat down and grumbled. Still energetic, yoon Nara handed out towels.

"Unni, thank you!"

"I wish I could finish in one shot like you, unni..."

The members expressed thanks as they wiped away sweat.

"Other agencies practice with capsules, don't they? Can't we do that?"

"Capsules?"

"In virtual reality, you don't sweat. No fatigue, so you can practice longer."

"Now that you say it—why don't we do that?"

As complaints grew, yoon Nara stepped in.

"Because we shouldn't."

"We shouldn't?"

"There's a disconnect between virtual reality and the real world. If you dance without feeling fatigue, you might not be able to adjust on the real stage."

At that, the youngest member, sehee, nodded.

"Plus, you can't burn calories in a capsule. We'd need extra workouts for our figures."

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense. We'd end up wasting more time."

"Right... It's not to make us suffer."

With that, the members grudgingly stood up.

"Ugh! I need to wash my face!"

"I need the restroom, too!"

"I want some water. What about you, unni?"

"Oh, I'm fine."

Yoon Nara waved her hand and smiled. While the others stepped out, she mentally reviewed the choreography.

Suddenly, a buzzing vibration made her look away.

'Huh?'

Noticing the notification, her thoughts halted.

[You've received a message from 'P.']

It was the secret messenger, disconnector. She jumped a little and quickly checked her surroundings.

'Purple? What's going on? Why now?'

Her mind filled with question marks. Carefully, she checked again—no one was paying attention; the dancers, tired, weren't looking.

She quickly checked the message.

[〉P: Are you busy?]

[〉P: Are there any foods you don't like?]

[〉P: Reply when you see this]

The messages didn't clear her confusion.

'What's with this out-of-the-blue talk about food preferences?'

As she pondered—

[〉P: I guess you're not busy?]

Another message arrived.

Her eyes flew wide.

'He hasn't left yet?'

She was sure she'd marked previous messages as 'read.' Hastily, she typed a reply.

[〉NT: Why do you ask about food?]

[〉P: I told you, didn't I?]

[〉P: We agreed on an after-party.]

[〉P: Did you forget already?]

At his continued reply, she found her mouth hanging open before she realized it.

'After-party? He found a way?'

Was it really not just an empty gesture, after all?

She was curious what method he'd come up with.

But now wasn't a good time.

"Hey, did you drink water?"

"Doesn't drinking make it harder?"

"I'm fine, though."

Her members' voices echoed from afar. Hurriedly, she replied.

[〉NT: I'll tell you later]

She hit send and quickly restored her Smart Link to its default.

When the others returned, she wiped sweat as if nothing happened.

But that effort was in vain.

"Unni, is something up?"

The question came with a puzzled look. Yoon Nara's heart skipped, but she answered nonchalantly.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Sehee, the youngest, giggled.

"No, I just mean, compliments are always nice, aren't they?"

"Huh?"

"Look in the mirror, unni. The corners of your mouth are up."

Turning to the mirror, she saw it—her lips had curled into a small smile.

The others thought it was because of the director's compliment.

"Ahaha..."

Yoon Nara laughed awkwardly.

Was it really thanks to the praise?

'No, that's not it.'

Suddenly, her smile grew more natural.

Recalling how hastily she'd replied, she had to admit—

'Saying I'll tell him later... that's not rejection.'

Because, after all, it was not a refusal.

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