Cheat day

Small Person (4)

[Famous YouTuber Uses Violence During Live Broadcast]

On the 26th, YouTuber B, who had garnered attention for his charitable acts, sparked controversy by getting into a fistfight with fellow YouTuber U during a live broadcast.

The two were debating which of two foods was tastier when provocative remarks led to an escalation of tensions, culminating in what appeared to be an impulsive confrontation.

This was not the first time B had raised his voice in a confrontational manner.

For the past 27 weeks of the broadcast, B had been known for spreading sensationalism and fake news through wordplay and deceit.

Some parents expressed concern that B’s broadcasts could negatively influence their children.

There have been increasing criticisms about the reckless exposure of children to increasingly sensational and violent YouTube videos.

—Lee Ho-young, Reporter (Jaegan Newspaper)

“…Huh?”

It was Saturday.

As I woke up and lazily searched for my name online, I stumbled upon a strange article.

“Hmm.”

“Are you awake?”

Mugunji made his presence known.

“What are you looking at?”

He yawned and rubbed his eyes when I handed him my phone.

So cute.

Mugunji, still struggling to fully wake up, frowned as he read the article.

“This is about me, right?”

“It’s clearly about Chan-yong. Jaegan Newspaper?”

Mugunji rummaged through his phone and nodded.

“Just a typical tabloid.”

Mugunji showed me the search results for Jaegan Newspaper and reporter Lee Ho-young.

They were blowing a minor issue out of proportion as if it were a major scandal.

“It’s a bit different from the tabloid reporters I imagined.”

“There are those who target the entertainment industry, but this one is more about local news, amplifying small community issues.”

“…Isn’t that a good thing?”

“It’s just a means to extort funds from organizations or get support. Their aim is to annoy local officials by poking at trivial issues.”

“I didn’t even know such a newspaper existed.”

“All the articles are written by the same name.”

It seemed Mugunji was right; I had never heard of Jaegan Newspaper. The fact that all articles were credited to Lee Ho-young suggested it was a small one-person operation.

“Given that it’s registered on social media and community sites, it doesn’t seem to have much influence. Places like this usually can’t accept ads or generate views, so they typically survive by extorting money from organizations or specific individuals.”

As Mugunji said, it didn’t seem to have many views.

Moreover, the atmosphere of the comments on the articles seemed favorable to me.

“Extort?”

“It’s a method where they relentlessly attack until the target agrees to take down the article in exchange for compensation.”

“I don’t want to play that game.”

“You can ignore it, but…”

Mugunji seemed deep in thought.

Trusting he would handle it, I went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Since I had to go all the way to Bucheon for the broadcasts on weekdays, I was usually busy, but now that I lived in the same neighborhood, I had more time.

I leisurely prepared steamed eggs and simmered doenjang stew when Mugunji came out.

“I’ll take care of the article.”

“Thanks.”

“Is it doenjang stew?”

“Yes. I’m also making steamed eggs.”

“I’m in charge of weekends.”

“Does it matter who does it?”

“Are you dissatisfied with my cooking?”

“Of course not. I just thought it would be nice for you to rest a bit more since you’ve worked hard all week.”

Mugunji stared at me intently and then wrapped his arms around my waist.

“I feel the same way.”

“Then could you chop up some pumpkin and potato for me?”

“Got it.”

***

—As you can see, there’s nothing special about it. You know.

After exchanging messages with a few reporters, I found out that Lee Ho-young was running a one-person media outlet.

There was only one article targeting this week’s Baekban Debate posted by Jaegan Newspaper, so it could be ignored, but it still didn’t sit well with me.

It was puzzling.

Such people usually target institutions.

They inflate minor local issues to create headaches for others while extorting support funds, and are essentially parasites.

From the articles posted by Jaegan Newspaper, it seemed to be a typical case of local media using coverage and reporting as a means to solicit advertising from public officials.

It would make sense if they wrote about an influencer’s private life or something like that.

But it was odd that he suddenly attacked Chan-yong in a way that was different from what he usually did.

└Did you even watch the broadcast?

└LMAO, fake news is hilarious.

└This guy calls himself a reporter?

└Isn’t this targeting the side dish store and Ujinious?

└Haha, ridiculous!

Even though there are only a few comments, they criticize both the reporter and the article, asking if anyone even watched the Baekban Debate, so it doesn’t seem like a major issue.

However, if this discomfort is only because Chan-yong is innocent, I can go through the proper channels to have the article taken down and request a correction.

But if this situation was orchestrated by someone, then I need to take different action.

***

“Then I’ll be counting on you again today.”

As writer Song No-eul finished delivering the announcement and was about to turn away, judge Lee Chan-seok called her back.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“The purpose of Han-sik Yechan is to highlight our country’s cuisine, right?”

Writer Song No-eul couldn’t quite grasp the meaning behind judge Lee Chan-seok’s words.

He must have had some ulterior motive to confirm something everyone already knew.

“Yes.”

“I’m not implying anything else, but as a cast member, I’m feeling a bit anxious.”

When Song No-eul’s face stiffened, judge Lee Chan-seok awkwardly smiled.

“It’s about Banchan Yong. I’m a fan of Chan-yong, so it’s funny for me to say this, but there’s this article.”

Lee Chan-seok showed writer Song No-eul the article titled “Famous YouTuber Uses Violence During Live Broadcast” from Jaegan Newspaper.

“This program could be shaken by small issues like this. Moreover, if something happens to a judge, it could affect their authority and lead to dissatisfaction among the participants.”

After scanning the article, Song No-eul chuckled softly.

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

“Wait a moment.”

Lee Chan-seok appeared somewhat flustered.

“Did you really read it properly? Isn’t the production team supposed to be careful about this kind of gossip?”

Writer Song No-eul exhaled slowly.

“It says there are reactions from parents, but where’s the evidence?”

“Excuse me?”

Writer Song No-eul just looked at Lee Chan-seok as if to say, “Didn’t you hear that?”

“Well, the person who wrote the article knows. I’m speaking as a concerned cast member, and it’s just annoying.”

“Lee Chan-seok.”

Writer Song No-eul’s expression turned serious.

“When you become as famous as Chan-yong, articles will come out attacking you with baseless claims. And people become cautious about what’s fact and what’s fiction as they get used to articles like this.”

“…”

“Especially with articles that lack clear evidence. Speculations like ‘I heard someone said this’ and writings that are just the reporter’s personal opinions are the ones to be even more careful with. The level of the person delivering the information can reflect on how the article is perceived.”

Lee Chan-seok frowned.

“Are you saying I’m lying?”

“Logically, if you care about the program, you wouldn’t show fake news while insulting the cast. You wouldn’t say, ‘There’s this article, isn’t that too much?’ in that manner, would you?”

“I’m not just basing this on that. It turns out that participant number 12, Joo Ji-seung, is someone I know. How can the judging be fair?”

“It is fair.”

“Excuse me?”

“Has there been any issue with Chan-yong’s judging of Joo Ji-seung since last week?”

Writer Song No-eul continued quickly.

“Joo Ji-seung received low scores from other judges but got a high score only from Chan-yong. Has Chan-yong ever been harsh on other participants while giving Joo Ji-seung a favorable evaluation?”

Lee Chan-seok was at a loss for words.

Writer Song No-eul gave him a warning.

“Chan-yong has been waiting outside since last week, not in the waiting room. I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but trying to influence the production team’s decisions in this manner is inappropriate. It’s unpleasant.”

As writer Song No-eul left, Lee Chan-seok clenched his jaw.

***

“Chan-yong!”

I was looking at the list of participants for Han-sik Yechan in front of the vending machine when writer Song No-eul approached me.

“Writer.”

“Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be in the waiting room?”

“Oh. …I was feeling a bit frustrated. Haha.”

Writer Song No-eul slowly nodded. Although she didn’t seem convinced, it felt like she was willing to let it go for now.

“But when are you going to stop using ‘-nim’? It feels burdensome.”

“Uh, then.”

“Just ‘-ssi’?”

Writer Song No-eul smiled faintly.

“By the way, there’s an additional rule for today. I sent you a message about it; did you see it?”

“Of course. It’s two people per team, right?”

“Yes. I wanted to explain so there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings.”

The fourth round of Han-sik Yechan is a team competition.

Two participants form a team to create a dish together, and with six teams, the scoring will vary based on performance.

The first place team will get 10 points, with each member receiving 10 points.

Second place will get 6 points, third place 4 points, fourth place 2 points, fifth place 0 points, and sixth place will receive -4 points, leading to significant changes in overall scores.

“Looks like it won’t be a joke today.”

“Yes. The participants seem really nervous.”

I nodded and greeted her after receiving all the necessary information, but writer Song No-eul remained still.

It seemed she wanted to say something, and after blinking a few times, she finally spoke.

“Chan-yong, are you uncomfortable with anything?”

“Me? No?”

“Really?”

“Yes. Oh.”

I exclaimed as an uncomfortable thought crossed my mind, and writer Song No-eul’s eyes lit up as if she had been waiting for that.

“Once recording starts, it takes about 90 minutes for the cooking process to proceed to judging.”

“Excuse me?”

“I get so hungry! Plus, it’s all about eating a little and talking a lot. Eating a little and talking. It makes me feel like I’m just teasing my appetite.”

Song No-eul stared at me blankly before breaking into a smile.

“I hope you can understand that point. It’s unavoidable.”

“Oh, right. I’m sorry for bringing up something unreasonable.”

“It’s fine. Actually, I’m hungry too, so I carry snacks with me.”

Writer Song No-eul pulled a protein bar out of her pocket.

“Do you want this?”

“No, if I eat that, I won’t be able to judge properly. I don’t think that would be enough to fill me up anyway.”