Chapter 25: Don’t misunderstand.

I fidgeted with the audio file.

To be honest, it wasn’t something I was familiar with.

I’d never worked in this field before, not even once.

The most I’d done was upload free beats on the internet.

“Um… I’m a total beginner at this.”

“That’s fine. Just tweak it however you want.”

Rage said that with a big, cheerful smile.

“All right, then,” I replied.

Naturally, I assumed Rage would help me out with this and guide me through the process.

I was flustered, but I decided to start working on the audio using the bits of knowledge I had.

‘I feel like a guitar sound would work well here.’

Recently, as I’ve been dabbling in music programs, I’ve learned that you can recreate the sound of an instrument without actually having the instrument.

And the quality can be surprisingly high.

Ziiing.

I added guitar sounds here and there to match Rage’s vocals.

The song was originally a somewhat sorrowful R&B piece, but I added some guitar and drum sounds to give it a more upbeat vibe.

Doon, doon, doon…

I even threw in some saxophone sounds.

I kept layering instrument sounds however I wanted, and then I went back and listened carefully, cutting out any parts that felt a bit off.

How much time had passed?

“I think it’s done now. Want to give it a listen?”

I called over Rage, who had been quietly watching from behind me.

“Oh, sure.”

After making sure Rage was paying attention, I played the song.

It was vastly different from the version Rage had originally sent me, but I couldn’t help it—it was the kind of music I liked.

Besides, Rage did tell me to tweak it however I wanted.

‘I hope this is okay.’

To me, it sounded pretty good, but whether it would sound good to others was an entirely different matter.

“–That’s impossible~”

Rage’s distinct and heartfelt tone filled the small workspace.

The instruments seamlessly filled the gaps in the song, making it feel more complete.

“Won’t ask for much…”

And finally, Rage’s pure, clear voice brought the song to its conclusion.

As the song ended, I turned to look at Rage.

Then, Rage spoke one word.

“…It’s perfect.”

“Even if you’re just being polite, thank you.”

Although I thought the song had turned out well, I didn’t think it was perfect.

Sure, I listen to a lot of music, but I’m far from an expert.

I was just going off of instinct.

“No, no, I really mean it. In fact… would it be okay if I released this version as the official track?”

I’d had a tiny inkling this might happen.

After all, why else would Rage invite me to the studio?

Still, I didn’t actually expect this kind of suggestion.

I wasn’t someone with deep expertise in music—just someone who fiddled around with music programs at home.

In other words, my work wasn’t professional quality.

“…Are you sure about me?”

I asked in a slightly anxious voice, but Rage nodded confidently as if it were nothing.

“What are you talking about? Jaehun, this is professional-level work. Of course it’s okay.”

“Then, feel free to do whatever you like with it. I had fun working on it, too.”

“Oh, thank you! I’ll get right on it.”

Since the person involved was fine with it, there wasn’t anything more I needed to say.
Besides, I enjoyed myself, so I didn’t mind at all.

As I was thinking that and getting ready to stand up, Rage suddenly asked,
“By the way, how should I list you in the credits?”

“…Credits?”

Credits?

Were they talking about those credits—the ones I was thinking of?

“By credits, do you mean the kind I think you’re talking about?”

“Yup, the place where they list the composer and stuff like that.”

“Oh.”

It was a sudden suggestion, but I had no intention of turning it down.

After all, I had worked on a significant portion of the song.

“I’m curious, though—how do people usually list their names?”

At my question, Rage twirled a strand of her pink hair around her finger, seemingly deep in thought.

After a moment, she spoke up as if something had just come to mind.

“This is pretty much my first time working with someone else, so I’m not entirely sure… but usually, people go by their stage name. It’s part of building your career, you know?”

“Hm…”

A career, huh.

To be honest, it wasn’t something that really mattered to me.

Sure, I had an interest in making music, but I had no intention of pursuing it professionally.

So, I answered without much thought.

“Then I’ll go with ‘Gurt.’”

“Ah, got it. But what does Gurt mean?”

“If you take ‘Yo’ out of ‘Yogurt,’ you get Gurt.”

“Oh… I see.”

After providing the name for the credits, I left the studio, seeing Rage off as she bid me goodbye.

‘…This feels kind of surreal.’

Everything had gone by so quickly.

I’d actually just worked on a song that was going to be officially released.

With that thought, I sat down at my computer.

It was time to stream.

I needed to get as much streaming done as possible now.

In just a few months, the semester would start again.

[The stream has started!]

After confirming the notification that the stream had started, I spent a little time waiting for viewers to trickle in.

Once I felt enough time had passed, I greeted the audience lightly.

“Ahem, hello, everyone.”

I’d realized something since I started streaming more often—it felt much more natural now.

I no longer had to think, What should I say next? Words just came to me naturally, as if the flow was automatic.

[+HurryAndLeave: ㅋㅋㅋ hi hi!]

[Oh, you’re starting right on time today.]

[New viewer here, hello!]

[Newbie spotted. Lame.]

ᄂ The user has been temporarily removed from chat!

[+HurryAndLeave: Why are you gatekeeping newbies, lol.]

The current number of viewers was.

[Viewers: 152]

“…Huh?”

152 people.

That was how many viewers I had just seven minutes after starting the stream.

I was taken aback by the sudden growth.

This didn’t seem like the result of being “flagged” or linked anywhere.

After all, my follower count had increased just as much.

[Followers: 1,421]

“My follower count shot up all of a sudden. What’s going on?”

Had I gone viral somewhere?

Back when I used to be active in online communities, I might have been able to figure it out.

But ever since I quit those platforms after getting hit with some brutal insults, it was impossible for me to track where this buzz might have started.

[+HurryAndLeave: You’re getting big now, lololol.]

[It’s because you’re entertaining. That’s why the viewership is growing.]

[True, it’s fun!]

[Pepe: Yo!]

[Pepe: Whoa, look at those skyrocketing viewer numbers.]

[Pepe: If only my stocks would skyrocket like this…]

[Why are you taking up three lines in the chat by yourself? You’re like someone who demolishes an all-you-can-eat buffet single-handedly.]

I glanced at the chat, hoping someone might mention what was happening.
But no one brought it up.

It seemed like the viewers had silently agreed not to discuss it.

It made sense not to mention community sites during a broadcast—it felt a bit inappropriate.

“By the way, is Glim feeling okay? She didn’t seem to be in great shape yesterday.”

This was a genuine concern.

Glim was the type to take gaming very seriously.

[+HurryAndLeave: Glim just had some ribs earlier and snapped out of it, lol.]

[Ribs? Yeah, that’s legit.]

[When you’re feeling down, eating something delicious always helps.]

[Pepe: Now I’m jealous of the ribs.]

“Well, I’m glad to hear she’s doing better. I was a bit worried since she didn’t look too well.”

[Reason for feeling bad: Just straight-up sucking at the game, lol.]

[Glim is such a classic over-competitive player, lolol.]

[Don’t call her a kid—just say her brain is pure. Calling her a kid makes it sound like she’s helpless.]

[+HurryAndLeave: Glim is an exception, though—TAS gang excluded, lol.]

[Pepe: Yeah, it’s fine to bring up Glim—she’s fair game.]

I usually tried to steer the conversation away from talking about Glim, but considering how much she had been involved from the start of the stream, avoiding the topic altogether seemed impossible.

“If Glim doesn’t mind, I think it’s fine to talk about her. I like Glim, personally.”

I genuinely did. She was a kind person—you could feel the lack of malice in her actions and words.

[+HurryAndLeave: Huge win for Glim incoming! ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[Can we clip this and share it elsewhere?]

[These people are gonna latch onto this one sentence, lol.]

[But honestly, the reactions would be hilarious.]

[This could end up being so entertaining.]

“Well… go ahead and clip it if you want. I doubt Glim would misunderstand.”

From the conversations I’d had with her, I knew Glim might be innocent and pure, but she wasn’t dumb.

She was well aware of what was going on around her and wouldn’t misinterpret something like this.

[+HurryAndLeave: Legendary moment. Cheers!]

[+Going to stir the pot, lololol.]

[Glim’s too pure; she might actually believe this kind of stuff.]

[Glim <<< dumber than you think, smarter than you think.]

[Pepe: What do you guys even think of Glim at this point…?]

And so, today’s stream officially began.

“Ah, my mental state wavered a bit yesterday, but I’m glad I managed to bounce back.”

[20 viewers]

[You looked seriously exhausted yesterday, lolol.]

[Cheer up, lol.]

[Is it that serious just because you lost a game? Chill out, lmao.]

[Hurry up and queue for Reore, lol.]

“Hold on, let me eat first. It’s not game time yet.”

As I was eating, something unexpected happened.

[User ᄋᄋ has donated 10,000 won.]

– (CLIP)

A mysterious video donation arrived.