The Divine Genius’s Game Broadcasting Chapter 378

Episode 378 – Overseas Business Trip Plan (3)

Early afternoon, a cafe in a busy area.

The original artist, Pugmalion, blinked blankly in front of him.

‘… Is this the right place?’

She surveyed the cafe's interior with wide eyes. It was spacious, with an interior that seemed underdeveloped, a menu written in English, and prices higher than the franchise average.

'No matter how I look at it, it's a cafe for Stellagram?'

This place was clearly a so-called 'emotional cafe' that was frequently posted on social media.

It was quite a popular place, so the inside was bustling with people, and the customers were engrossed in conversation and taking pictures.

'Meeting here?'

It was an appointment for a contract meeting regarding the release of a figure. She assumed they'd meet at a quiet cafe.

But when I checked again, this was the correct meeting place.

'Let me contact you first.'

She informed Park Joo-ho of her arrival. Soon after, he came out to greet her at the entrance.

“Are you Pugmalion?”

“Oh, yes! Manager…?”

“Yes, my name is Park Joo-ho. I gave you my business card before, right?”

“Yes! I have it!”

“Thank you. Let’s order a drink first.”

Park Joo-ho lowered his gaze as he walked to his seat after finishing ordering his drink.

"that…?"

“Oh, I finished the second figure! I think I can send it to you through my manager.”

Park Joo-ho smiled at her answer.

“I bet he’ll be very happy.”

“Yes, I would appreciate it if you could do that…”

She laughed along, but couldn't finish her sentence. The seat Park Joo-ho was heading to was not empty.

Although she was wearing a hat and sunglasses, she had a keen eye and noticed who was sitting there.

“Uh, uh uh…?”

“I would be happier if you told me in person.”

She was convinced by Park Joo-ho's words.

'Pur, Purple…!?'

Her hair turned white at the unexpected encounter. She hadn't heard that Lee Kyung-bok was coming.

It was only after Lee Kyung-bok stood up and smiled that she was able to move.

“Oh, welcome! Thank you for coming, even though it was a sudden request.”

"Oh, no! Of course, you have to come! If you don't come, you'll lose your life. No, that's not it…!"

My body was moving, but my head was still in shock.

She started talking nonsense, then lowered her head and suddenly handed over the gift she had brought.

“What is this?”

"P-It's a figure. The second one…"

It would be best to keep quiet until she calmed down. That was her judgment.

“Oh, really!? Wow, thank you so much!”

But, at the sincere admiration and pure gratitude that followed from Lee Kyung-bok, her face softened without her knowing it.

“Oh, I see your drinks are here. I’ll go get them.”

“Bring it carefully. Please sit down first.”

“Oh, yes yes…”

While Park Joo-ho was away for a moment, she turned her attention. Focusing on her surroundings instead of Lee Kyung-bok allowed her to calm down a little more quickly.

“Hey, isn’t it a bit dangerous to be in a place with so many people?”

There were too many people.

For her, even the name Purple was too frightening to utter. But Lee Kyung-bok responded calmly.

“I brought you here on purpose.”

"…yes?"

"Well, first of all, let me thank you. I really felt in your email that you respected and protected my privacy."

Lee Kyung-bok smiled as he looked at her with wide eyes.

"But people aren't as interested in others as you might think. Just look around and you'll see. Almost no one is looking at us."

Pugmalion quickly turned his gaze to him. It was as Lee Gyeong-bok had said, but her worries remained.

"Still… wouldn't the fans be different? Maybe some of you might recognize me. I recognized you right away."

"Oh, is that how it feels? Sometimes on my shows, I ask people to be more considerate of the general public, don't I?"

Lee Kyung-bok laughed at this and said.

“There aren’t many people with as good an eye as Mr. Pugmalion.”

“Huh? No, not like that…”

“Would you please take a look over there?”

As she blushed at the compliment, Lee Kyung-bok nodded to her with his chin. As he turned his gaze in that direction, Pugmarion felt his heart pounding.

Wasn't there a customer wearing a black Perfect Hoodie? And I even made eye contact with him.

'…uh?'

But it was only for a very short time.

The guests were soon busy laughing, chatting, and taking pictures with the people they came with.

“If you just cover it up to this extent, no one will recognize you.”

“No, why…?”

She felt mixed emotions.

I felt a mixture of pity for the customer who didn't recognize Lee Gyeong-bok even though he was right in front of me, and pride for myself for recognizing him right away.

“Here, eat.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Meanwhile, Park Joo-ho returned with a drink. While she quenched her thirst, Lee Kyung-bok continued speaking.

“Anyway, you don’t have to worry. Even if Pugmalion-nim knew my real face, I don’t think he would reflect it in the figure.”

“Me?”

She was bewildered by Lee Kyung-bok's confidence. How could he be more confident than she was?

"Yes. Mr. Pugmalion, you're also a creator. Although our fields are different, our aspirations are similar."

He explained the reason in a calm voice.

“Just as I enjoy the viewers’ reactions, Pugmalion, you also enjoy the reactions to the works you create, right?”

“That would be a lie if I said no.”

"I think that's why I value detail. The more detailed and precise my expressions are, the better the response and recognition I'll get, so I can't give up. If I compromise when I'm already good at something, I'll regret it, right?"

“Wow, awesome. You guessed exactly right. No, how…?”

She looked at Lee Kyung-bok with wide eyes.

"I'm similar. There's a more fun way, so why give up? Viewers say I always go for the difficult path, but that's actually more fun."

His own face was reflected in the black sunglasses, and beyond them, Lee Kyung-bok's eyes could be faintly seen.

And in an instant, the black curtain disappeared.

'It's crazy.'

Lee Kyung-bok took off his sunglasses unexpectedly. The exclamation, along with the fact, sunk into her mind a beat later.

Pugmalion closed his eyes tightly, forgetting even to breathe.

'No, how could I forget this!?'

She didn't even wonder why he did that. Streamer Purple's true face was beyond her imagination.

It was a fleeting moment, but it was vividly etched in her mind. The face, transformed by the privacy feature, was handsome enough, but the real him was nothing compared to it.

'Does this make sense?'

Usually, privacy features enhance a user's appearance, but Lee Kyung-bok was different. In fact, they seemed to suppress his appearance.

“Ha, I really messed up.”

“I told you it was okay? Mr. Pugmalion, I rewrote it, so you can open your eyes.”

She opened her eyes cautiously. Then, with a slightly tearful expression, she asked.

"Why, why are you like that? Oh, what should I do…"

"how is it?"

“Huh? Oh, that’s the most handsome face I’ve ever seen.”

At her answer, Lee Kyung-bok blinked, and Park Joo-ho covered his mouth and shook his shoulders.

"No, um, thank you for your kind words. But I wasn't asking about that. I was asking about the obsessive-compulsive disorder you mentioned."

"yes?"

“Do you want to reflect the face you just saw on your figure?”

Pugmalion blinked blankly at him. Then he realized something was off.

'Why don't you mind?'

Contrary to her fears, she didn't feel that urge. She couldn't figure out why.

"As expected, it's just as I expected. What matters to you, Pugmalion, isn't whether it's real or fake."

On the other hand, Lee Gyeong-bok nodded as if he had known this would happen.

"What Pugmalion wants to create, what he wants to show people, is the image of me on TV. Because that's the face viewers know."

"ah…!"

When she sighed as if she had realized something, Lee Gyeong-bok smiled.

"To put it simply, it's like this. Between the figure of a person named 'Lee Kyung-bok' and the figure of streamer 'Purple,' the latter is more recognized."

He immediately pointed to the box he had received as a gift.

"If you wanted to reflect my true self, you would have asked for this figure back. But there's no need for that. And there's no impulse."

“Yes. Not at all.”

Pugmalion understood too.

Strangely enough, Lee Kyung-bok saw herself better than she did.

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

“Do you feel a little better now?”

Only then did Park Joo-ho feel relieved. Lee Kyung-bok smiled at his friend, then finished his story.

"You don't have to worry anymore. Maybe things will change when I reveal my face, but then it won't be a problem anymore."

“That’s right. You’re saying you’re not hiding it.”

As if nothing had happened, she shook off her worries and her eyes sparkled.

‘I hope I can make a Purple-sama figure back then…!’

I'm already excited for the moment when viewers will get to know Lee Kyung-bok's true self.

And if I could carve that image into something like this, how much would people enjoy it? They would experience a satisfaction several times greater than what they experience now.

“Then, can I sign the contract?”

“That’s something we should be asking for.”

“Oh, that’s right!”

The three burst into laughter at her declaration of intent.

* * *

Late afternoon, Shop Fandom building.

The representative laughed heartily at the MD team leader's report.

"As expected of Purple-nim. You're so neat."

“Yes, the survey schedule has been finalized, and the contract with the original artist has been finalized, so a premium figure line is now possible.”

"More than anything, I'm amazed at how quickly you've made a decision. Since you've made a decision so quickly, both we and Japan can make our schedule decisions right away."

The schedule was set to coincide with Lee Kyung-bok's decision. But less than a day later, there was still no answer.

This way, there is no unnecessary waste of time.

“But there is something that needs to be confirmed by Representative Hana.”

“Confirmation?”

The CEO, who had been smiling contentedly, opened his eyes wide when he saw the team leader's expression.

“Yes, that’s right… You replied with the schedule, but Purple said you don’t need the accommodations and transportation we suggested…”

“You refused? We're covering the cost, aren't we?”

The representative's eyes shook.

As he was a key figure in the Japanese expansion, the company took special care in this trip. Providing accommodation and travel expenses was one of them.

"Yes. But you didn't specify a reason in your email. Should I suggest some changes or respect Purple's opinion?"

"Well, we've given you the best treatment we can. Do you want more?"

It would have been foolish to lower the standard of treatment to save money. I personally verified the standard and passed it, so I was confident.

But perhaps Lee Kyung-bok thought that even that was not enough.

“No, that can’t be true. Purple-nim wouldn’t be the type to do something like that.”

The representative shook his head at this.

The Lee Kyung-bok he saw wasn't that kind of person. There had to be some other reason.

“Hmm… I guess I should check this right away.”

“Are you speaking directly?”

“Yes. This is better than misunderstanding for no reason.”

The representative immediately put his words into action. He called Lee Kyung-bok directly.

Oh, sir. Hello!

Lee Kyung-bok's bright voice returned over the phone. The CEO briefly asked how he was doing and then got back to the main topic.

“Is there any problem with our proposal…?”

No, that's not a problem at all. I really appreciate your consideration.

The CEO was even more puzzled by Lee Kyung-bok's answer. Then why did he refuse?

<But I'm worried that if we're treated like this, it might set a bad precedent for the shop fandom.>

“Is this a bad precedent?”

Yes. The Japanese market is just around the corner, right? I think other influencers will follow suit in the future.

“Oh, right. I should make it that way.”

Yes, but I'm worried that it might be a burden if you had to pay for everything like this every time. And circumstances can change, so if everyone's treatment changes, people might complain.

“No, this kind of consideration again…”

When the representative tried to express his gratitude, Lee Gyeong-bok smiled and joked around.

Oh, and this business trip is also being used as an in-house workshop. We're paying for this ourselves, right? And I need to take care of the expenses, too.

But those playful words only shook the representative's heart even more.

'I don't want to burden you with this again. Wow, you really are a real person.'

He coughed lightly with a smile.

"Yes, Purple, I understand your situation. I know it's a bit much, but it doesn't seem right for us to offer you any hospitality. How about we cover the cost of the meal?"

"Oh, yes, yes. I won't refuse that. I will gratefully accept it."

The representative ended the call with a satisfied expression and expressed his admiration.

“As expected, Purple is definitely different.”

“That’s true.”

The team leader, who was listening to the call, nodded with the same expression.

"Isn't this a true partnership, a true partnership? Wow, it's really fun to work together."

“I will carefully select a good place to eat.”

"Don't set a limit, just find it. If Purple-nim's limit is reached now, there will be more left over."

"all right."

There was a reason why people were treated well.

* * *

Late evening.

Park Joo-ho dropped Lee Gyeong-bok off at home.

“I’ll look into transportation and lodging.”

Lee Kyung-bok shook his head as he watched his friend wander around looking for work.

"No, I have to do the broadcast too, so it'll be difficult to do everything. Just give me a quick overview of the moving part."

Given Park Joo-ho's personality, it was easier to persuade him to do less work rather than not to do it.

“Oh, but let’s fly business class instead.”

"Business? If you're going to Japan, economy class should be sufficient."

"Hey, how often do we all go abroad together? Since we're going, we should make it a positive experience."

Lee Gyeong-bok said that and put his index finger to his lips.

"But it's a secret from the other team members. I should give them a surprise."

"Okay, do as you wish. But then, I should find the lodging myself. Wouldn't it be better to find a place of similar standard?"

Park Joo-ho smiled and asked back. But Lee Kyung-bok leisurely waved his hand.

“There’s someone who knows better about this.”

“Do you know? Oh… maybe you were going to ask your aunt?”

"Wow, you're really quick-witted. And my aunt knows how to spend money wisely."

Lee Gyeong-bok said that and lightly knocked on the car.

“Anyway, let’s do it that way.”

No matter how good a plan is, it is meaningless if you don't stick to it now.

“See you later on the show.”

It was the viewers who created Lee Kyung-bok's 'now'.