Genius Archer’s Streaming - Chapter 102

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Genius Archer’s Streaming Season 1 Episode 102
36. Sanghyeon’s Reward (1)
The next morning.
Juhyeok casually passed along some information to me.
“Balloon Gum’s putting out an announcement today. We’re doing a collaboration stream.”
“Oh. Got it. Understood.”
Since this was something scheduled to happen once I reached Diamond rank, I didn’t react with any particular excitement.
“But….”
The more intense reaction actually came from Juhyeok’s fury over my breakfast choice.
“Almond flakes? Seriously?”
“What?”
Crunch. Crackle.
I frowned while enjoying the delightful texture paired with savory milk.
That guy was fine with everything else, but he was way too picky about food.
“What’s wrong with almond flakes?”
“I had a bad feeling about this from the moment you volunteered to make breakfast.”
“Look. It’s filling when you eat it for breakfast.”
I presented my counterargument, holding up the evidence.
The almond flakes package really did say that.
A filling meal when eaten for breakfast.
“What?”
Juhyeok pushed his glasses up and scowled.
“Have you ever seen a kimchi stew restaurant advertise itself as a filling lunch meal?”
“….”
I had no answer. I hadn’t.
“What about those illegal gambling sites advertising their playgrounds as safe?”
“Yeah, I’ve seen that.”
Why was he suddenly bringing this up?
“Kimchi stew is obviously filling when you eat it, so they don’t advertise that. But illegal gambling? That’s the default way to ruin your life!? That’s why they advertise that it’s NOT like that!”
Juhyeok practically seized the almond flakes package by the collar and shouted.
“This is NOT ‘obviously’ a full meal! It’s advertising that it ‘could possibly’ be a meal! You almond!”
“Huh….”
I simply acknowledged him and went back to focusing on eating my almond flakes.
I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it. It had a sweet sugar coating, and the nuttiness of almonds combined with milk created a doubly rich flavor.
Besides, when you actually eat it, it expands in your stomach enough to substitute for a decent meal.
“Ugh!”
Juhyeok got irritated watching me brazenly eat cereal like nothing happened.
“From tomorrow on, I’m making breakfast.”
“Oh. Really? That works for me.”
Juhyeok felt like he was losing somehow, but the one who regrets it always loses in the end.
Juhyeok was planning to corrupt Almond into the world of “hearty home cooking” with his improved culinary skills.
Once that happened, he’d be pestered every morning to cook something. Then you’d be finished. Kekeke.
Juhyeok, entertaining villainous thoughts, suddenly remembered something and spoke up.
“Oh. Right, that’s right.”
“?”
“Our advertising fees came in. And today is when our Tribee earnings settle.”
“!”
Sanghyeon’s eyes went wide.
“Wow!”
His expression screamed ‘It’s payday!’

* * *
Where there is hardship, there must be commensurate reward.
Office workers have paydays and bonuses; streamers have settlement days.
Today was that day.
All the advertising fees from Punk and sponsorships from Tribee would settle today.
“The advertising fees and filming costs from Fantasia, plus what we got from the Ogang-u Kimchi Stew advertisement contract….”
Juhyeok was calculating the advertising and filming fees first.
‘Wow, damn.’
He stopped scrolling and let out an exclamation.
He already knew roughly how much he was earning. After all, he was also the manager. He had revenue figures calculated in advance.
But he couldn’t record the viewer-proportional advertising revenue from Tribee or sponsorships one by one.
Seeing the numbers laid out like this made him gasp.
“…Hey. Combined with Tribee and Fantasia filming fees, I made ten million won this month…? Exactly 11.56 million won.”
At those words, Sanghyeon’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
‘H-ten million won in a month?!’
Making ten million in a month. It sounded like a dream.
“Is that after taxes and the four major insurances, welfare points, all that?”
“No, you crazy bastard, are we a major corporation? We don’t even have the four major insurances, let alone welfare points! Taxes are source-withheld!”
Juhyeok shouted excitedly.
In other words, all ten million won belonged entirely to us.
Of course, we’d lose some to comprehensive income tax later, but that wasn’t something to worry about now.
“You know what? This doesn’t include Ollytube revenue. That hasn’t settled yet. And the kimchi stew restaurant ad hasn’t either.”
“Ah, no, just how much did we make!?”
“Who knows! Anyway, we made a shit ton, that’s the point! Ahahaha!”
Juhyeok let out a roar of ‘Kraaaaaaa!’ in joy. Lately, Juhyeok’s emotional expressions had become quite intense. Of course, in a good way.
Sanghyeon screamed ‘Kraaaaaaa!’ right alongside him. He felt it was a bit stupid, but looking at the numbers in front of him, none of that seemed to matter.
“Wow, damn…. If we just manage the comprehensive income tax right, I’d take home about 700 a month for my share.”
Seven hundred a month?
Seven hundred after taxes was almost equivalent to an annual salary in the hundred-million-won range at a corporation.
My head was spinning.
In the midst of my dizziness, a thought crossed my mind.
‘But how much is Juhyeok taking? If I’m taking 700, is he only getting 300?’
He was someone who supported me almost 24 hours a day—if he was getting significantly less than me, that would weigh on my conscience.
Of course, it was natural that the manager’s settlement ratio was much lower.
But Juhyeok should be seen as a business partner rather than just a manager.
“Hey, let’s split this month’s earnings fifty-fifty.”
I said it without a moment’s hesitation.
Split the profits right down the middle.
“…What?”
“Just think of it as a first-month bonus.”
“Wh-what!?”
Juhyeok’s eyes went wide.
“You’re technically a manager, but you’re really a business partner. Plus, you’ve been working without pay all this time….”
Juhyeok had been forced to spend his own money while working this whole time.
He’d even declared he wouldn’t accept anything if the profits fell below 300.
Now that the advertising fees and production costs were finally being deposited properly, his actual earnings had been zero until now.
Yet he’d held on this long on faith in me alone.
He deserved a bonus.
“Are you… really serious?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow….”
“But Ollytube is non-negotiable. You’re basically splitting that fifty-fifty with Jia anyway.”
“R-right. Of course. Yeah.”
You’re really something else, Juhyeok muttered under his breath. He looked a bit moved, but he was trying hard to hide it, so I didn’t press the issue.
“Th-thank you.”
Seeing that proud bastard unable to refuse told me everything—he really did need the money.
No matter how much of a silver spoon he came from or how big his former company was, there was no way either of us could be flush with cash in our current situation where we’d thrown it all away.
“Thanks. But from next time, let’s just settle according to the contract. We can’t keep doing this.”
Juhyeok said it gratefully but with a firm expression.
I agreed with him on that.
“Yeah.”
“Don’t worry about me taking less. I actually do less work than you do. Where else can you find a job where you can watch streams and drink beer while working? And I can sign multiple contracts with other streamers anyway, so don’t worry. I’ve got my own plans.”
Pat, pat.
Juhyeok tapped my shoulder and added another “thank you.”
“What are you going to do with the money that came in?”
“Hmm. I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll take a break from streaming today?”
“A break from streaming?”
“Yeah. Actually, I had a reservation somewhere timed with the settlement date, but I forgot about it.”
“…?”
At that moment, Juhyeok thought Sanghyeon might be heading to some upscale restaurant.

* * *
After posting the break notice, lunchtime arrived.
Both of them were finally enjoying some well-deserved rest.
Juhyeok had tossed aside his phone, which had been buzzing incessantly all morning, and was now sprawled on the couch watching TV.
Sanghyeon had just returned from his morning jog after a long time away, and was currently taking a call in the front yard.
Sanghyeon talking on the phone was quite an unusual sight.
‘Who could it be?’
Even as the morning sunlight made him drowsy, Juhyeok found himself listening intently to Sanghyeon’s voice.
“Yes, I see. So I can come by anytime today? Right. It’s already packed in a container—I just need to transfer it. Yes, understood.”
Was this the place he’d mentioned making a reservation at earlier?
But what did he mean by transfer?
Juhyeok let the incomprehensible words go in one ear and out the other, picking up his phone again.
‘Should I buy this?’
It was a shopping app he hadn’t opened in ages.
He was pondering how to spend the settlement money coming in this time.
Juhyeok browsed through several luxury brand coats but ultimately shook his head.
He hadn’t earned enough to justify spending on something like that yet.
‘Right, not yet.’
He opened the stock app instead.
He checked the stock charts for Punk Company, which he’d already bookmarked long ago, and Asung, which he’d received as an employee—both showing the ideal steady upward trend.
But from Juhyeok’s perspective, who was watching for the right moment to enter, it was awkwardly timed.
He had been keeping an eye on another stock.
[Weplug]
Weplug was a game development company that had recently been producing quite a few hot titles.
They’d even taken on co-development duties for Kingdom Age not long ago, and their game Mana Sword Origin was a massive hit.
“Hmm…”
Juhyeok deliberated.
Should he buy Weplug, or should he buy Asung Semiconductor, which people called the “national rice bowl stock”?
Asung just didn’t feel right anymore since he’d gotten in and out of it…
“Heh heh.”
While he was enjoying this pleasant dilemma, Sanghyeon finished his call in the yard and came back inside.
Seeing Juhyeok grinning to himself, Sanghyeon let out a soft chuckle.
“What’s got you so excited?”
“Oh, I’m just thinking about how to spend the money. But seriously, where’s this place you made a reservation at?”
“Oh. A columbarium.”
“A columbarium? What kind of fancy meat restaurant is named a columbarium… Huh? What?!”
Juhyeok shot up from the couch.
“Is the columbarium you’re talking about the one I’m thinking of?”
“Yeah.”
Sanghyeon nodded blankly.
His eyes asked, ‘Why?’
“What’s going on? Why is your first paid job booking a columbarium?”
“Come see.”
Sanghyeon smiled and walked toward the veranda leading to the backyard. Juhyeok got up and followed him.

* * *
The backyard was a space rarely used.
Juhyeok only smoked in the front yard, even when he craved a cigarette.
There wasn’t anything particularly wrong with the backyard. It just felt like the kind of place you shouldn’t carelessly taint.
The small, open square space—its immaculate condition and distinct presence—made him hesitant to set foot there.
And somehow, it seemed far better maintained than the front yard.
Now Juhyeok finally understood why it had been so well-kept and why it carried such a peculiar atmosphere.
“I didn’t want to shock you from the start. I brought you here now, Grandmother.”
Sanghyeon knelt down and spoke to the long wooden post planted in the center of the square yard.
Had it not been winter, a single pristine flower would likely have been blooming there.
“It was Grandmother’s dying wish.”
“A dying wish?”
“Yeah. She wanted to be buried here.”
“Ah. She must have had deep affection for this house.”
“I thought so too, but that wasn’t it.”
Not that? Then why?
“She didn’t want to burden me with expenses even after death, so she wanted a burial that wouldn’t cost money. My doctor told me this not long ago. He said I should move her somewhere better when I have the means. He must have seen my broadcast. That doctor loves games.”
“….”
Juhyeok gripped the phone in his hand tightly.
Stock charts and luxury brand coats filled the screen.
He shoved the phone into his coat and spoke to Sanghyeon.
“Let’s go. I’ll help.”
“I can go alone.”
“Take the bus? With that? Come on, man.”
“You don’t have a car either.”

* * *
“These days, this kind of thing works pretty well.”
Juhyeok, driving from the front seat, chuckled with amusement as he glanced at the rearview mirror.
It was a rental car borrowed through an app.
You could simply pay through the app and head to the nearest company branch near your home to use the car immediately.
“Wow. Yeah, it really does. Thanks.”
“That’s what a manager’s for. What else?”
“Thanks to you too, Jia.”
I thanked Jia, who sat in the passenger seat next to me.
She came because Juhyeok had called her.
Jia looked away awkwardly as she spoke.
“J-Juhyeok asked me to come….”
I let out a small laugh at her response.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
Juhyeok spoke to the rearview mirror and began driving.
I pulled my grandmother’s urn closer, hugging it tighter with both arms.
My head drooped as if I were falling asleep, but it was visible—I was biting my lower lip hard.
‘Grandmother. They’re good people, aren’t they? Don’t worry about me.’
Something threatened to burst out at any moment, but I only repeated it silently to myself and swallowed it down.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————