Chapter 47: Online Star (6)
[LIVE ON AIR]
[Competition which could be Sukan’s last]
The day the survival FPS game, ‘Battleland’s’ event competition opened.
As Kim Suhan’s channel turned on and viewers flocked at once, the platform’s server caused a connection failure.
「Is it true that 50,000 viewers are waiting?」
「Hyuuung! Why aren’t you appearing in the screen?」
「Do your job, whoever you are! What are you doing!」
It wasn’t until a few minutes later that Kim Suhan’s voice was properly transmitted.
“……is it working now? Everyone, don’t get so angry and calm down.”
A face that became completely emaciated in a few days. Kim Suhan, sitting with a long tube near his left collarbone, showed his face on the camera screen.
“Hello, everyone. Saturday, November 24. Starting the broadcast. Thank you for coming to see me. Welcome.”
As soon as he finished his greeting, the chat window was covered with crying emoticons like‘ㅜㅜ’.
「Hyung……. Are you really dying? Is this the last broadcast?」
Kim Suhan, who caught one of the hundreds of chats, smiled lightly and said.
“I don’t know if it’s really the last one. The doctor said that I won’t die right away if I get surgery. Isn’t that right?”
At Kim Suhan’s gaze, the doctor sitting behind his chair nodded lightly.
「It’s that doctor from last time, right? Sleep over tonight?」
「What sleep over? Sukan-hyung is like that, he’s probably there to provide artificial respiration if he faints in the middle of the show.」
「artificial respiration hahaha is that person some kind of paramedic?」
Kim Suhan, who read the chat atmosphere, asked the doctor.
“They’re asking if you will perform artificial respiration if I faint while broadcasting?”
“What?”
“If needed, I’d prefer if the ward nurse did it.”
“If you faint one more time you won’t be able to wake up again so rather than artificial respiration, I would have to announce the time of death.”
“Really?”
Kim Suhan, whose eyes became as wide as they would go. The doctor laughed slightly.
“No. If you can’t breathe on your own, at the hospital. We attach an Ambu bag to your mouth and squeeze. You don’t need to distinguish between men and women.”
In response to Kim Suhan’s frustrated reaction at the doctor’s joke, the chat window was filled with ‘lol.’
「Sukan-hyung is so confused.」
「That doctor’s streaming sense has improved a lot in a few days.」
The atmosphere, which used to be a sea of tears, had returned to its usual streaming atmosphere.
“The competition has started. Let’s look at the broadcast screen together.”
Kim Suhan changed the configuration of the transmitted screen by clicking the mouse.
On the main screen, the video of the Battleland Destruction Competition was shown, and the camera screen went down to the right.
The broadcast team on the screen started to speak.
-A big event involving 50 streamers! Battle of Battles! The heat is amazing from the start. Currently, more than 100,000 people are watching this competition, including all the channels related to this competition.
-I think it’s because there are more topics than ever prior to this event. From Sukan, who experienced something unfortunate recently and dramatically expressed his intention to participate, to Captain Shot, who has emerged as the strongest Twitch player in the top 100 server rankings this season.
While the announcer and commentator continued the conversation, the doctor checked Kim Suhan’s physical condition through the camera.
The chat window was in a frenzy with the very friendly appearance of the doctor pressing the patient’s muscles here and there, staring into his eyes and talking.
-Ddiirrring.
[‘Jo-mot-sa’ Has donated ₩10,000.]
-You are showing beautiful love.
“Whoa. ₩10,000 donated by Liking so much it becomes Love! Nice!”
[T/N: Jo-mot-sa is Korean slang meaning ‘Liking so much it becomes Love’ created by taking the first characters of the three words in the Korean sentence with that meaning.]
Kim Suhan, who made a chin down reaction and looked at the doctor. The doctor was not embarrassed and continued the examination with a penlight in his face.
「That doctor’s expression isn’t changing anymore.」
「He’s become a master of live-streaming hahahah」
In the meantime, the opening remarks of the tournament broadcasters were also nearing to an end.
-This event will be held in a total of 10 rounds, with 50 points for the first place and 1 point for the last place for each round.
-regardless of the ranking, those selected for the MVP by viewer vote will be given a special reward separately by the sponsor. Before the end of the competition, make sure to vote for your streamer.
「The first place and MVP will both be Captain Shot’s. He’s a ranker.」
「I’m still going to pick Sukan-hyung.」
After the examination, the doctor nodded. Kim Suhan sat down in his seat. When the transmission screen was converted into a game, the image of the waiting room created by the organizers appeared on the screen.
“Ok ok. Fighting!”
“Dont’ throw your mouse. The central vein tube might fall out.”
“I won’t throw it.”
Kim Suhan, who was grumbling with his doctor, lowered his voice while looking at the camera.
“Everyone. That doctor. He hasn’t played a game of Battleland but his criticisms during practice were really accurate.”
“I can hear everything.”
“Really. HIs criticisms were a work of art.”
Kim Suhan gave a thumbs up to his doctor.
「Hahahahahahaha」
「The sense of presence of the doctor is insane!」
「I feel like tonight’s sleep over is the stuff of legend!」
Dowook looked at the vital monitor on one side of the room and turned to Kim Suhan’s monitor as he entered the game.
A game in which people competed for survival on an island stage called “Battleland.” Kim Suhan’s character was currently falling to a military base in a parachute.
‘100,000 people are watching? Is that really that fun?’
When he thought of Kim Suahn’s practice, watching it from behind was fun.
It was obvious he didn’t do well, but pretending he didn’t. At that time, the reactions that came and went were really good.
“I came after sharpening my knives. I won’t keep on being a player who hides in a corner and wishes for good luck. Just have head-to-head matches…….”
-Ddirring.
-There are too many skilled players, hyung. Take care of the gap from level 3. It’s all thanks to the equipment.
“Smack. I’ll prove it. I can do it when I need to.”
-Ddirring.
-So rank 50?
“Just wait and see. I’ll change those jeers into cheers.”
Just like this.
About 2 minutes after the first round, Kim Suhan encountered an enemy.
“Come on, come on!”
Click click click.
The loud keyboard sound rang in the hospital ward.
[Captain Shot’s M416 headshot killed Sukan.]
[Ranking #50. Kill 0]
“Noooo!”
As soon as he met the enemy, the character collapsed.
“Wow, my opponent was also a puppy. By a slight difference!”
-Ddirring.
-I came from Captain Shot’s channel. His vitality hasn’t decreased from 100. Good luck.
-Ddirring.
-That jeer. Became a big cheer.
Kim Suhan’s head went down after confirming the kill through a donation.
He had practiced so much but he was the last in the first round.
Dowook saw that the speed of the chat window doubled. All of it was criticism and advice.
‘There’s no mercy even for those who fight with injuries.’
Kim Suhan carefully reflected on the past play with his hands clasped to his mouth.
“You were too conceited, Suhan. You still have a long way to go. I have to get the equipment first. What are you doing holding a gun like a bugger?”
「Reflection ON!」
「Growing Kim Sukan!」
“Everyone. The first game is a warm-up concept and we’ll move on. If I’m in last place in the next round, say something.”
He exaggeratedly confessed and then communicated again.
It used to make Dowook feel very awkward, but now that he knew that there were tens of thousands of people watching, it seemed natural. Seeing people’s reaction in real-time chat was the beauty of live-streaming.
-Let’s look at the results of Round 1!
About 50 people struggled and were ranked. The first-place winner was a streamer named ‘Captain Shot’ who knocked Kim Suhan out of the running.
“As expected, Captain Shot. Look at that. He killed me and got first place. If I met someone else at the beginning, I wouldn’t be in last place. There are a lot of people worse than me.”
Ddirring.
-Captain Shot got 10 kills. He doesn’t know if you died.
“‘Payforitandgiveup’ thanks for the ₩5,000. Just wait. I’ll make you remember this round.”
And the 2nd round that followed
Kim Suhan, who met an enemy lurking on a bridge while carefully looking for equipment around the island, won after a desperate battle.
[Sukan’s AKM killed Yapsil.]
“Nice! Where is a Yapsil hiding! Did you think I wouldn’t know?”
Ddirring.
-Yapsil is angry that no other than Kim Sukan killed him..
“Angry? Yapsil normally does worse than me?”
Dowook smirked when he saw only compliments coming up in the chat this time. Saying things like seeing the light or they believed in him. It was scary how the atmosphere changed so dramatically within a short time.
Kim Suhan’s character lasted for another 5 minutes and collapsed to a top ranker in the last round.
[Ranking #42. Kill 1]
“Ok. I went up 8 places. Aja aja!”
Ddirring
-Sukan! Let’s rise through the ranks in the next round!
“‘YouGaveMeMoneyforaBath’ donated ₩10,000! Thank you. I’ll go to the sauna next time. Let’s soar through the raannks!”
In the 3rd round, which started energetically, he died at the same time as the first opponent he met.
“Arrgh!”
Kim Suhan, who was about to slam the keyboard and throw his mouse, made eye contact with Dowook, who was watching behind him.
“Try to relax.”
“Haha. I didn’t want to waste this round.”
“If getting 49th place out of 50 is a waste…….”
Dowook glanced at the screen where hundreds of messages were posted per second and said.
“……you already know so I won’t say anymore.”
“Doctor, you should still cheer for me. We spent several nights training together.”
“I work as a public health doctor, so I don’t have a good sense of camaraderie.”
-Ddirring.
-This doctor has a good understanding of what it feels like to criticize Sukan-hyung.
After looking toward the camera at the donation alert, Dowook nodded slightly.
The chat was plastered with “Just Dr. Light.”
-As of the third round, the first place is Captain Shot with 130 points. The lowest is a tie. Sukan and Yapsil. You need to work harder, right?
The 4th round started.
As soon as Kim Suhan fell, he beat a nearby enemy with jumps and hand-to-hand combat.
Kim Suhan, who was carefully lurking on the second floor of a building with a weapon, caught another enemy who passed by him without seeing him.
-Ddirring.
-2 Kills as soon as you started? Who are you?
-Ddirring.
-Rocksam who just died was so flustered by hyung’s play!
“No no. don’t worry about this. I’m looking at a higher rank. I’m just getting results from my practice.”
As expectations for this round of reaching a high rank were high, Dowook also paid more attention to the game monitor instead of the vital monitor.
Kim Suhan caught one more enemy in the boat and won after a hard struggle at the end of the shrinking safe zone.
The people remaining now were just 5.
Suddenly soaring up after playing in the last place every time, the chat was filled with the word “Light Sukan” and everyone’s attention was more concentrated than ever.
“Focus. You have to focus, Kim Suhan.”
Kim Suhan, who was focusing on the game by lashing out at himself.
Dowook was looking at the screen while holding his breath. The sense of immersion was different when a person who was teased for not doing well suddenly woke up and did well.
Then, there was a warning sound from the vital monitor.
Dowook, who subconsciously turned his head, paused.
Rising blood pressure. It was a precursor to nerve paralysis. Dowook rushed to the medical staff who were waiting together.
“Nurse! Tenormin 2㎎!”
The nurse flinched and found a medicine bottle and handed it over.
Dowook immediately opened the syringe packaging, sucked the liquid from the medicine bottle, and approached Kim Suhan.
“Haha! How’s that!”
Clack, clack, as he was tapping on the keyboard, Kim Suhan’s left eyelid suddenly trembled.
“Huh? Why is this…….”
Kim Suhan, whose left arm became paralyzed soon after. Dowook quickly inserted the syringe into the central vein.
“Relax your shoulder.”
“Euugh…….”
Kim Suhan, who suddenly trembled with pain. None of the 50,000 viewers chatted, as if the chat had frozen.
“Sir. Look at my thumb. Is it focused?”
“I can’t see it clearly, doctor. Why is it like this?”
“This is evidence that the beta-blockers are working. First, you should go lie down.”
Kim Suhan, assisted by medical staff, laid down as if he was collapsing on the bed. His character also collapsed under someone’s attack.
[Ranking #4. Kill: 6]
It was his best performance, but none of the viewers chatted with joy.
Kim Suhan, who was lying down and staring at the chat monitor, opened his mouth.
“Doctor, I’m still in the middle of a live stream.”
“I warned you before. You have to stay there and not move for at least 2 hours.”
“For two hours?”
“This isn’t something that can be solved by enduring it.”
Dowook turned to the camera.
“The pain endured by the patient at this time is like the pain generally experienced when you are hit. He needs to relax so please understand.”
Kim Suhan turned to the camera and raised his right arm.
“I’m fine, everyone. I was already warned of what would happen. More than that. You saw, right? My rank. I’m this kind of person.”
At Kim Suhan’s efforts to lead a pleasant broadcasting atmosphere to the end, Dowook did not stop the movement of his right hand.
-Ddirring.
-Hyuuung! You participated in the competition in that kind of situation? Don’t be sick!
-Ddirring.
-I saw! I saw Sukan-hyung reach 4th place!
All kinds of cheers from 50,000 people flowed through the speaker.
“Thank you, ‘2533’. Thank you, ‘Let’sGoOnATrip’…….”
Kim Suhan, who was thanking everyone for each donation, looked up at Dowook who was checking his condition.
“Doctor, I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor? To start, beer is not allowed.”
Kim Suhan, who smiled at Dowook’s declaration, continued.
“That broadcast. Please help me finish it properly.”
“What? Are you still thinking of the broadcast right now?”
The doctor’s cold eyes looked at the patient.
“You’ve done what you could. We are steadily preparing for the surgery so that this won’t be your last broadcast, so don’t overdo things.”
“I’m not saying I’ll force myself to sit in front of the computer. Can you play for me in the next rounds? That’s what I want to know.”
For a moment, Dowook thought he had misheard.
“It’s an event competition so there aren’t any special qualifications to participate. This is my first time having this many viewers, so I don’t want to end the broadcast with a faint ending like this.”
Dowook’s gaze headed to the Battleland screen, where 50,000 people were watching.
“What would be fun about me sitting down and doing a broadcast instead?”
“It will be a lot of fun.”
Kim Suhan’s voice seemed to have gained confidence for some reason.
“I’m going to comment on your play from behind.”