Genius Archer’s Streaming - Chapter 45

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Genius Archer’s Streaming Season 1 Episode 45
16. A Blessing in Disguise (3)
“How can such a young boy be so composed?”
Those were the words I heard when I first met Coach Yang In-chul.
“Really, does our boy have talent for this?”
My grandmother’s voice echoes in my memory as well.
Grandmother had always struggled to easily trust others’ words.
It wasn’t that her character was twisted or that she harbored malice. It was simply due to the hardships she had endured over the years.
“Yes.”
The Coach nodded with his characteristic stoic smile. I didn’t know it then—that he rarely smiled at all.
“His hands may be delicate and lack strength, but archery is a battle of the mind rather than the body. This boy is certainly exceptional.”
He pointed to me, straining to maintain my holding position, as if to prove his point.
Yet it made little impression on Grandmother.
“Hmm… I suppose one must believe to begin with.”
“Who asked you to believe? I’m simply telling you what I see.”
The Coach hadn’t been particularly eager to recommend me at first, or so I later learned.
“Talent doesn’t announce itself from the start—’I am talent!’ It’s more like, ‘If this is polished well, who knows what might happen.’ That’s what talent is. Even if you ignore it and let it rot, or if this mental fortitude is applied to something else entirely, it makes no difference.”
It was while he was saying such things.
Young me unconsciously released the tension in my hands.
“Wh… what…?”
It was probably just a coincidence. Most likely.
Thunk!
The practice arrow embedded itself dead center in the target. Since the tip wasn’t sharp, it fell away moments later.
‘!’
In that brief instant, the Coach saw it clearly.
Exactly what I had seen.
“Huh…”
He couldn’t hide his astonishment.
“Impressive. Even as all your strength drained away, you didn’t lose your composure. There’s no way that arrow would have hit otherwise.”
“…?”
I looked up at him with an expression of complete bewilderment.
“Live like this no matter what you do. Even when all your strength is gone and you can’t continue, you must never lose your composure. Carry yourself as if you can try again at any moment. Before you know it, an arrow will be embedded in the dead center.”
“Yes! I understand!”
My spirited response.
Coach Yang gazed down at me and murmured wistfully.
“It would be even better if you’d pursue archery…”

* * *
Gazing up at the fragmented sky between the towering building forest, I fell into old memories for a moment.
‘Composed. Calm. Excellent focus….’
I smiled bitterly, recalling the words I’d heard back then.
These very qualities that had made me an archery prodigy had now become nothing more than a pathetic credential that might barely warrant a single line on a resume.
Life truly is unpredictable.
“Ah, you’ve arrived!”
It was Department Manager Oh’s voice.
He came waddling over, cutting through the crisp wind.
His belly protruded slightly, and whether from alcohol or habit, his face was always somewhat puffy, yet he always radiated an infectious enthusiasm.
“Hello.”
“The Director will probably….”
He glanced at his wristwatch and nodded.
“arrive about ten minutes later. Shall we head in early?”
“Yes, let’s.”
I walked with him down the cold street for a bit. An awkward silence hung between us, but I didn’t mind much. I’ve always preferred quiet moments to conversation.
Listening rather than speaking often gave me the advantage in any situation.
“You don’t seem like the type to get nervous, do you?”
“…Sorry?”
“Well, usually when people hear they’re having a meal with the Director, they get anxious. Even the more successful streamers do. Ah, but that’s a compliment, of course.”
“I see….”
I recalled the past scene I’d been reflecting on just moments before.
“I’m naturally a bit… dull.”
“Is that so? You’re incredibly sharp when you’re gaming though.”
“?”
“Why the surprised look? Of course I watch too. Haha. Who do you think picked you?”
“Ah… thank you.”
“And that editor who personally selected you──”
──Irasshaimase!!!!
A loud greeting rang out the moment we stepped through the door.
“Hehe. This really has that early 2000s charm. Japan never changes, they say. Let’s go in.”
Department Manager Oh chuckled awkwardly and followed the yukata-clad staff member toward our private room.
I glanced around the room briefly and thought to myself.
‘This is incredibly upscale.’
It was a Japanese restaurant that would easily cost at least 400,000 won per person.
The total amount I’d earned from Punk so far didn’t even seem to reach 400,000 won.
I felt a bit burdened.
“Don’t feel pressured. Compared to what you’ve accomplished, this is actually inadequate treatment.”
Department Manager Oh added, as if reading my expression.
“…Accomplished?”
“That will be when the Director arrives.”
Department Manager Oh winked.
A moment later, Department Manager Oh glanced at his phone and rushed out.
He reappeared right on time with the Director.
“Hello. I’m Sang-hyun Yu.”
I instinctively stood and bowed my head.
A flicker of surprise crossed the Director’s eyes.
‘Not like your typical streamer, is he?’
Working in the gaming industry as he did, he wasn’t as conservative as directors from other companies.
Yet streamers were often remarkably lacking in common sense.
So he came prepared to some degree.
‘First impression is quite neat.’
You could tell at a glance—I wasn’t just some gaming addict of a streamer.
He withdrew his gaze from looking down for a moment and extended his hand.
“You’re quite something. Pleased to meet you.”
His handshake carried considerable weight.
This too was a trait rarely seen in other streamers. Looking closer, firm muscle was evident in his arms.
‘Hmm?’
Tremor….
My hand was shaking. Was it nervousness? Or….
“Have a seat.”
“Yes.”
All three of us were now seated at the table.
As if on cue, the chef appeared.
The first dish was served.
The chef added explanations like “This is scallop. It’s best enjoyed dipped in salt and wasabi” or “This is filefish. The liver is wrapped in soy-marinated filefish, and you eat them together,” before stepping away.
“Ah. I was so busy I didn’t introduce myself.”
The Director pulled out his business card.
‘Director, Han Tae-ho.’
It was a name that made a striking impression.
“I’m afraid I don’t have a business card.”
“Ah. I know. Don’t feel too uncomfortable about it. Despite my age, I’ve met more streamers than Department Manager Oh has.”
Hahaha.
A light laugh passed, and we each savored the appetizers.
“Mm. The filefish is delicious. The sushi here is good, but the appetizers are what I really enjoy. Especially when it’s on the corporate card.”
Hahaha.
Another laugh rippled through at Director Han’s joke.
I chuckled briefly as well, then ate the served food with practiced ease.
“Do you come to places like this often? I was really surprised the first time I came here.”
“Ah… I’ve had to come a few times, unintentionally.”
At that moment, Department Manager Oh whispered something to me from beside.
“Ah, really? From Asung?”
When I mentioned I’d worked at Asung Group, Director Han’s expression brightened twofold.
“Well, this is genuine talent. No wonder they seem so different from other streamers—genuinely on another level.”
I wasn’t so oblivious that I didn’t notice the irony of wanting to say, ‘Actually, I was a parachute hire….’
I simply continued shoving delicious food into my mouth.
‘It really is delicious.’
Whether it entered through my nose or ears, the rich umami coating my palate and the crisp texture of the raw fish were overwhelming.
Enough to make me forget this wasn’t merely a casual meal.
“The head chef here, Tōji, masters my favorite nigiri style. Speaking of which… Asung reminds me. There’s an executive from there who’s a regular here, isn’t there? Now that I think about it, he’s on the management team. That person….”
“Yes. Is that the executive you’re referring to? I’ve heard the same.”
“Ah. Right. Ichilseong. That guy was my high school classmate.”
I made an expression of surprise.
In truth, I wasn’t particularly shocked.
In the pyramid hierarchy, few people remain at the top. It’s rarer for them not to know each other.
Setting aside the chairman, the director tier forms a conservative elite group—they likely grew up in similar environments from childhood.
“Your atmospheres do seem similar.”
Such a remark could actually be quite rude. If one didn’t view the other favorably, it would be tantamount to an insult.
But from what I could tell, Han Tae-ho and Ichilseong were on good terms. More than good—he seemed proud to call Ichilseong a friend.
“Is that so?”
Hahahaha.
Han Tae-ho laughed heartily. His reaction was indeed positive.
“…Still, that guy’s better off. I’m stuck cleaning up after those bastards. Everyone knows Asung, don’t they?”
It sounded like self-deprecating humor.
But this was a signal asking for praise.
“That’s not it at all—you’re operating on the world stage. All my former colleagues at Asung thought the same way, and many of them hoped to transfer.”
“You’re quite the talker, aren’t you? I suppose that’s essential for streaming.”
Han Tae-ho accepted it calmly, but his expression betrayed him.
He was growing increasingly fond of me. Incomparably more than those other young streamer upstarts.
Around the time the fourth plate arrived.
That is, when I finally got to see Tōji’s nigiri that Han Tae-ho was so fond of.
An unavoidable question came.
“But… it’s quite an unusual path. No matter how good streaming is these days, the risks are considerable. Did you really leave Asung for this? Is there some particular reason?”
If he hadn’t taken a liking to me, he wouldn’t have asked this question. The odds of it being rude would be far too high.
But Han Tae-ho had become interested in me now. He wanted to grow closer.
So he was probing into these fundamental aspects.
He couldn’t draw near without such basic vetting. He had far too much at stake for that.
‘This is a good sign.’
I took it positively. While it might feel unpleasant that he was filtering me, from another perspective, I’d passed the first written exam and was now at the final interview stage—the kind of question you only get asked if you make it through the second and third rounds.
In other words, I’d reached the final interview.
‘I could get closer to Han Tae-ho.’
First, I needed to win Han Tae-ho’s favor, and then the Battle Rage issue could be resolved cleanly.
The production company and management had no choice but to be mindful of Punk, the powerful platform.
Beyond that, getting close to someone with such influence would bring countless other advantages.
These were people who could change your entire life with just a brief conversation.
That’s why I felt this was the moment to tell him ‘that’.
‘Now would be the time….’
This was the first time I was telling anyone who didn’t know why I started playing virtual reality games.
“I was originally an archer. A pretty good one, too.”
“An archer…?”
At that moment, Han Tae-ho’s eyes lit up with more interest than I’d ever seen before.

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