Chapter 39: The Price of Comfort

1.

“Wh-What’s… financial therapy?”

Yura tilted her head, puzzled.

Over a year of streaming in Korea, and she’d never heard the term?

She really must avoid communities.

“Exactly what it sounds like. Healing your wounds with money.”

“How does that… relate to interacting with viewers? Wait, you don’t mean…!”

Her eyes widened, and she started trembling.

“People said harsh things, but I don’t want to sue anyone…!”

“Huh?”

Her sudden talk of lawsuits threw me off.

Did I misspeak? Noona, beside me, tilted her head too.

“Sue? That’s not the plan at all. I mean, if you wanted to, we’d help, but…”

“No way! You can’t! The community would come after me! It’d make collabs with other streamers awkward, and I’d end up isolated!”

She shook her head vehemently, rejecting the idea.

‘Reality’s harsh…’

Yura wasn’t wrong.

Suing a community would make you their enemy.

A big-name streamer might overpower them with fandom clout, but Yura wasn’t there yet.

Her problems all boiled down to her “weight class.”

In this industry, viewership was the most direct—and brutal—measure of power.

“Got it. Let’s drop the lawsuit talk. The financial therapy I meant is something else.”

“What kind?”

“If we disable chat, there’s only one way for viewers to interact: donations.”

“So, communicate through donations?”

“Exactly.”

“Is that… okay?”

Yura looked nervous. It was a bold move—risky, even.

One misstep, and you’re labeled a money-grubber.

“It’s my stream, so who cares? Even if there’s backlash, I’ll take the hit. You’re just a guest.”

“Oh…”

“No need to worry. I’ve thought this through.”

Cooking streams weren’t built for real-time interaction.

Noona and Yura could handle chat, but…

‘That’s easier said than done.’

The situation was different. With the expected viewer surge, even that would be tough. Interaction required skill.

More importantly, both of them had been hurt by people.

Facing a live chat could be terrifying.

“Thank you so much!”

Yura shot up, bowing deeply.

As I blinked in surprise, she sat back down, speaking earnestly.

“But I’m okay without financial therapy! I’m not rich, but I’m not starving either!”

“Then you should take it even more. Making donations the only interaction channel could bring in more money than you imagine.”

I shared our estimated earnings. Her bunny ears twitched, and her eyes grew huge.

“Th-That’s tempting… With that money, I could pay overdue rent… and focus on streaming without working part-time…”

Even now, she brought up streaming. She was serious about it.

“So, you’ll take it?”

“Ugh…”

Yura buried her face in her hands, rocking back and forth.

“What do I do…!”

Bang—!

“Eek!”

She slammed her head on the table, then fell off her chair, rolling on the floor.

Left, right—her bunny ears flopped along. It was pitiful but kinda cute.

“Pfft…”

Her unexpected slapstick made us both burst out laughing. She felt so harmless.

“S-Sorry… The pain cleared my head! I’ve decided!”

Clutching her forehead, Yura stood up.

“No financial therapy!”

“Can I ask why?”

“The money’s tempting, but I don’t want my benefactors to get hate. Some things are worth more than money!”

“So, you’re worried about us getting flak.”

“Exactly!”

Her own situation’s a mess, yet she’s worried about us. That’s not an easy choice.

“You’re really kind, Yura-nim.”

“No, just a sense of decency.”

“Thank you for thinking of us. But honestly, even if you decline, we’re taking donations.”

“…Really? You’re not lying?”

She squinted, tilting her head, eyebrows twitching.

“Nope. For the stream to run smoothly, donations as the communication method make the most sense.”

“…I believe you.”

“And my stream’s rep isn’t exactly pristine, so I don’t care about outside opinions. Not interested either.”

“No way. How could someone this kind have a bad rep? I don’t believe it.”

I shrugged.

Explaining that felt a bit embarrassing.

Besides, I didn’t think of myself as kind.

“Alright, since you’re refusing donations, we’ll take all the earnings from this cooking stream.”

“Okay! I’m fine with that!”

She nodded with a bright smile. Guilt crept in.

‘…I was joking.’

I didn’t expect her to take it seriously. Her reaction caught me off guard.

“Boo~ Greedy~ She’s behind on rent, and you’re taking it all~ When you already have a Han River view apartment~”

“H-Han River view…! I’m jealous! I’ve walked Han River Park! Maybe you’ve seen me!”

Noona teased me, and Yura’s pure response deepened my guilt.

“…Kidding. We’ll split the donations. This stream’s for you, after all.”

I cleared my throat, speaking quickly.

“R-Really? But my sense of decency…”

“When someone offers, just take it. Sometimes you gotta be shameless.”

“Got it! I’ll shamelessly accept! Thank you!”

“No problem.”

I sighed inwardly.

We hadn’t even gotten to the main topic, and I was already exhausted.

“Okay, we’ve covered the basics. Let’s discuss the collab proper.”

“Alright. This is my first time, so I’m not sure what to do. I’m kinda excited.”

“It’s our first time too, so no worries. Let’s figure it out together.”

“Okay!”

Yura’s face lit up with excitement, her bunny ears quivering slightly.

“Let’s start with the stream’s concept. What format do you want, Yura-nim?”

“Format…?”

“Even for a cooking stream, there are tons of ways to go.”

I counted on my fingers, explaining.

“Like a cooking battle, or using donations to add or remove ingredients. Or maybe obstacles pop up every few minutes.”

“S-So many options.”

“We could go intense or keep it calm and cozy. What do you prefer?”

She crossed her arms, thinking. Her bunny ears drooped slightly.

“Maybe… replicating tastes?”

“Replicating tastes?”

“Since coming to Korea, I’ve missed my mom’s cooking… I can’t eat it, so it’s been sad…”

Seeing her downcast face, I asked cautiously.

“…Did something happen to your mother?”

“No! She’s healthy! Doing great!”

She smiled brightly, shaking her head.

But there was a hint of loneliness.

“She’s in Japan, so I can’t see her often… Lately, we barely talk… I know she’s busy, but I still feel lonely…”

Yura’s gaze dropped to the floor, her fingers brushing together.

She continued hesitantly.

“And… my grandma passed away while I was in Korea…”

She took a small breath. Her voice trembled, but she pressed on.

“I held the funeral with Mom. It was okay when we were together in Japan for a few days. But after I returned to Korea, Mom changed…”

“Changed how?”

“She acts cheerful on calls, but I know she’s struggling… Her voice keeps dropping…”

“Maybe she’s avoiding calls to hide her sadness.”

Yura nodded silently at my suggestion.

“I thought maybe it’s because I’m not there, so I streamed harder. Mom watches sometimes and says it’s fun. That makes me happiest!”

Her voice trailed off with a small, bittersweet smile.

“So, you miss your mom’s and grandma’s cooking. Right?”

“Yes. I know it’s shameless and heavy… but sometimes you gotta be bold!”

Yura stood, bowing.

“Please! I know it’s near impossible, but I want to recreate Mom and Grandma’s food! I want to see Mom smile again!”

Her body trembled, likely fearing I’d be upset.

“Yura-nim.”

I stood, stepping in front of her.

I bent slightly, cupping her cheeks.

Her eyes met mine.

“I accept your request.”

“Th-That means…!?”

Her eyes widened like they’d pop. I grinned.

“Alright. I’ll find a way to recreate those flavors.”