"Internet broadcasting...?"
"Oh, did I not mention it? I was able to become a pro gamer because I built up some fame through this. If we're looking for the root cause, it was because I was so good at games that people suspected I was using cheats."
"I think I might have heard about that. I can't quite remember if I heard it from Noel or from the prison guard."
It's just a hobby now.
Anyway, I'm still broadcasting mainly from home, so I'm sitting at my computer communicating with viewers.
My mother must have found it unfamiliar, as she knocked on my door and came in to ask what I was doing when she heard sounds coming from my room.
My mother is a sharp person, so I probably just hadn't told her about it.
Yet she's blaming her own memory.
That's why I can't bring myself to resent her.
Until now, countless people would blame me whenever anything went wrong.
But when my mother blames herself for something that isn't even her fault, I end up feeling sorry instead.
"It's just people with the same hobby chatting together. It's just that since it's the anonymous space of the internet, the nuance of communication is a bit different."
Rather than figuring out who's at fault,
I decided to just introduce the content.
I'm not a child, and my mother probably isn't interested in this stuff.
But still, I had that thought, just a little.
The lady downstairs said it, didn't she?
When she heard I was broadcasting, she initially thought I was selling laughter as a woman.
It seems adults have a certain image that comes to mind when they hear "internet broadcasting."
I guess that kind of culture was more prevalent in the past when people mentioned internet broadcasting.
It's not like that nowadays.
Though I'm not yet deeply versed in internet broadcasting, after streaming for several months,
I've come to learn that there are many different genres.
Not just broadcasts that capture viewers with pretty looks or simply playing games.
There are lawyer YouTubers, cooking streamers,
And many streamers who broadcast specialized fields like fishing, fitness, stocks, and science.
Honestly, if it weren't for that competition where they gathered streamers together, I probably wouldn't have known about so many fields either.
But since I do know, I want to tell my mother about it.
That your son, or rather, daughter now...
Anyway, I need to let her know I'm not earning money through something shameful.
To be honest, I am playing games right now.
And some viewers do appreciate that I'm pretty.
But I'm proud of what I do.
There's nothing wrong with being pretty or being good at games, is there?
"It's like this. When I play games, viewers watch and chat together."
"Not playing games together?"
"Well, there are games like that too. The game I play is a team game, but it's a 5v5 battlefield, so only 10 people can play together in one match."
"So the others just watch the broadcast? Why?"
"Uh..."
When faced with such a fundamental question, I found myself at a loss for words.
Why indeed?
Among gamers, many don't mind watching others play even if they're not playing themselves.
Some get vicarious satisfaction from watching super plays.
Others find entertainment in getting angry or laughing at funny-sad moments from players in lower tiers.
But how do I explain this to someone who doesn't play games?
"Well, people watch national competitions like soccer even if they don't play it themselves, right? Like the Olympics. I think it's similar to that."
Now as before, I couldn't think of any other reason besides comparing games to sports.
But my mother still didn't seem convinced.
"Well, soccer requires people to gather, and you sweat when you run. Plus, if the opponent is too good, it stops being fun. That's why there are more people who prefer watching than playing, they say. The same goes for figure skating and other sports. But games aren't like that. They're made for the player to enjoy. Watching a game can't be more fun than playing it yourself."
But listening to my mother, she has a point.
Honestly, I used to think the same way.
Why bother watching game tournaments?
I'd rather play one more solo ranked match in that time.
So I momentarily couldn't find an answer and quickly scanned the chat of my ongoing broadcast.
My mother wasn't visible on screen, but
The viewers would have heard our conversation, so I thought they might have some answers.
- ttihwakjjit: Noel's mother just punched me in the solar plexus
- pipizzadame: Mother... sometimes there are people who prefer watching games to playing them...
- HS2000: No mean comments about watching because you don't know how to play well
- SilverPanthea: Wow, is Noel's mother back? Welcome!!
- NongRuaPointThief: People can be bad at games, why the sudden splash damage
- clockingclock: Didn't Noel say her mother went to prison before? She's out already...?
- HungryChobungi: I'm just watching broadcasts because I don't have time to play games, Mother...
- Dedica: Yeah... I don't think it's been that long since I started watching Noel, did she serve her full sentence already? Wow
But contrary to my expectations, that wasn't the case.
The viewers couldn't find an answer to satisfy my mother's curiosity either.
They were just hurt by her innocent question.
Additionally, they were wondering about my mother's early release.
It seems everyone knows about my family situation.
I was worried my mother might be upset that I'd shared personal details with others, but
Judging by her expression as she followed my gaze to the chat, she didn't seem bothered.
"Hehe, well, it's different for everyone, right? Many people enjoy giving advice during Go or chess games too. And the advantage of internet broadcasting is that you can watch it on your phone like this. When it's awkward to play games during commutes or short breaks, you can quickly watch a broadcast and pick up tips. Since Noel is a former pro gamer, there's a lot to learn from watching."
"Ah, I see."
Perhaps because she was speaking from a viewer's perspective rather than a streamer's,
Gabi managed to find and explain reasons that could convince my mother.
Thanks to her, my mother, who was encountering this not-so-new... well, just something outside her interests for the first time,
Didn't seem to develop any aversion to this internet broadcasting culture and simply waved at the monitor.
"Your mother won't be visible on camera. It's generally not good to expose ordinary people's faces on broadcasts. I show my face because I'm a pro gamer and coach."
"Ah, I see. How interesting. In the old days, everyone would make a fuss about getting their face on TV for an interview. Seems things are different now."
"Right. Many people prefer being rich without anyone knowing over being famous."
"That makes sense. In today's world, just knowing someone's face and name can lead to all their personal information being exposed."
My mother quickly grasped the general nature of internet broadcasting.
At this point, I thought she wouldn't have negative thoughts about what I do, but
That's when the real interrogation began.
"So you can make money from this?"
"Uh, I haven't calculated it yet. I've received some donations. But since my career changed from pro gamer to coach, I've been donating that money."
"Oh, so you can make a living from this?"
"Usually, most people do it as a hobby or side job. Or if not games, people who are very popular in some field, or have specialized knowledge and can convey it well to others, sometimes work as full-time streamers. Surely you're not interested in..."
"Hmm, well, I'm not bad at speaking, but I don't think I have topics people would enjoy. Anyway, if people make this their profession, it means they can earn enough to make a living."
"Um... I suppose so? I've heard that once you reach a certain scale, you can buy a house, rent a studio, and broadcast professionally. Of course, that's only if you're extremely successful, and even then, they say it's more about setting up foundations with subsidies in Hanam rather than Seoul."
"So Noel has definitely established herself. Pro gamer, coach, streamer. At this rate, you should be preparing for marriage."
"What?"
And when marriage came up at the end, I was caught off guard.
What's more, it wasn't said as a joke, but seriously directed at Gabi.
That made the awkwardness even worse.
- PolarBear: Am I... howling?
- ttihwakjjit: Isn't she just joking? People of her age often say things like that
- BewareOfDeer: Holidays... college... job... girlfriend... marriage... ARGHHHH
- SilverPanthea: Haha, the host is immune to nagging because she's been married before
- Sistato: Hahaha Mother knows broadcasting well
- LexiaQueen: Marriage is still far away for Noel, Mother
Thankfully, since neither Gabi nor my mother was visible on camera,
The viewers thought my mother was joking, which was fortunate.
Seeing Gabi grinning, I'm tense, not knowing what bomb might explode next.
"Come on, Mother. Noel hasn't even started her period yet. It's too early to talk about marriage."
"Gabi, nooooo!"
"Oh my, is that so?"
- PolarBear: Wh-what? What...?
- Lazyday: PolarBear is broken... been used for too long
- Edgewalker: ??? Is the manager joking or is there a designated marriage partner?
- r9018hw: What's a "designated marriage partner" lol, we have words like boyfriend or fiancé
- LexiaQueen: Hasn't Noel put on some weight lately? Still no period?
- ttihwakjjit: You know Noel's past and you say that... ugh trash...
- clawee: Ughhhh
- refunction: Ughhhhh
- LexiaQueen: Wait;