Chapter 254 : After Passing, the Interview (2)

After ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Passing, the Interview (2)

The next day, early afternoon.

Park Juho and Jo Daehan were the first to arrive at the meeting room, preparing ahead. But what they were preparing for today wasn't just Team Perfect's meeting.

"It feels strange. Not long ago, I was also one of the interviewees."

Before the meeting, madman's interview was scheduled.

When Jo Daehan set down drinks and snacks, smiling, Park Juho offered a faint smile in return.

"You can just take it as a sign of how quickly the company is growing."

Jo Daehan nodded at this but showed some confusion.

"But doesn't Madman not need to go through an interview? Back then, there were many applicants so it was necessary, but this time, it's just Madman."

The translator had gone through the usual process from document screening to the interview because it was an open recruitment.

But Madman's case was different.

"Indeed, madman's recruitment is a sort of special hire. It's like Choi Byeonghun scouted her directly."

Park Juho agreed with that question, but only up to that point.

'I can't explain why Gyeongbok is special.'

Only Choi Byeonghun and he himself knew about Lee Gyeongbok's divine energy.

Jo Daehan was a dependable person, but not so close that he could be told confidential things like that.

"That's just how the CEO is. He always wants to see the people he'll be working with at least once in person."

Park Juho lightly brushed his hands as he wrapped up.

"In fact, it's not really an interview. Rather, you should see it as an opportunity to introduce yourselves to each other."

"Ah, right, since we're going to be working together, we should at least know what we look like."

Jo Daehan accepted it easily.

He too remembered how shocked he was when he first saw Lee Gyeongbok's face. He had no doubt Madman would feel the same.

"Team-ha! As in 'Hi team!'"

The door opened and a bright voice rang out. Looking back, Lee Gyeongbok was waving a hand at the two with a smile.

"You're here."

"Welcome!"

"Where's Byeonghun?"

As Lee Gyeongbok casually looked around and asked, Park Juho discreetly checked the time.

"He said he's coming together so Madman doesn't get lost."

"Ah, well, it's her first time here, after all."

While the three chatted, the door opened again.

"Oh, everything's ready."

Choi Byeonghun walked in, looking satisfied. Behind him came a well-dressed person in a sharp suit.

"Hello. I'm Madman."

Everyone greeted Madman's appearance with smiles, except for Jo Daehan, who couldn't.

"Huh...? Huh? Madman...?"

He stared at Madman with a very confused expression.

"You're a woman?"

At that, the other three made faces as though they suddenly realized something.

"Ah, daehan, you didn't know."

"We heard about it from Byeonghun, but come to think of it, we never mentioned it to you."

"No, daehan, it's nothing like you were being left out. We just never had a reason to bring up that she was a woman, so we forgot."

Choi Byeonghun explained as if making an excuse. Jo Daehan laughed it off, waving his hand.

"No, I'm not that petty. I was just surprised, that's all."

"Only a petty person sees others as petty."

"Hey! I'm the editing manager now, are you gonna start off like this from the get-go?"

At Park Juho's comment, Choi Byeonghun exaggerated his reaction.

'The atmosphere really is as relaxed as I heard.'

Madman couldn't help but smile at the mood. She had listened to many stories from Choi Byeonghun on her way here.

'He said I'd get it as soon as I saw them.'

Some of those stories were about Lee Gyeongbok. Choi Byeonghun told her that if anyone, she'd be able to tell who Purple was.

'It's exactly as he said.'

She was first surprised at seeing Purple's face, but what drew her attention more was something else—the man's arms and hands she had seen countless times editing footage.

'Perfect for shooting.'

She was just replaying Lee Gyeongbok's shots in her mind.

"All right, there's no need to keep standing—let's all take a seat first."

Lee Gyeongbok moved things along quickly and spoke to her.

"Thanks for coming. The interview is just a formality, so relax."

"Ah, yes. Thank you."

"Wow, it's been ages since I saw you nervous."

When Choi Byeonghun chuckled, madman glared at him, then settled in her seat.

And so, the interview began as a light round of introductions. Yet, since it was an interview, her resume lay on the desk before her.

"I have something I'd like to ask, but if you feel uncomfortable, you don't have to answer."

Looking at her resume, Park Juho posed a question.

"Your last academic background says you dropped out of university. SKY University is a prestigious school—was there any particular reason you left?"

Contrary to the wariness in his tone, madman answered readily.

"To be honest, I had no thoughts at all about university. I just went because everyone around me kept pressing that I needed to get into a good school. I picked the major based on what my grades allowed."

She rolled her eyes as if recalling the past.

"It felt good when I was accepted. All that hard work paid off. I'd finally done it. That's how I felt, but when I actually went, I was left strangely empty."

"Yeah, Korea's entrance exam system is like that."

Jo Daehan nodded in agreement. Madman paused, realizing she'd need some time to adjust to someone who looked foreign.

She cleared her throat briefly and continued speaking.

"Yes, I noticed my peers felt the same. Just scrape by with credits, graduate, get a good job, and that's life. I heard people say that over and over. But for me, doubts started creeping in. Is that really happiness?"

Madman frowned slightly as she recalled the emotions she had back then.

"I started feeling something wasn't right. The stress built up over time. In the middle of all that, I visited a live fire shooting range with some classmates."

"A live fire range? The kind with real guns?"

"Yeah, apparently there are a few in Korea. I heard about it from her,"

Choi Byeonghun answered for Madman before she nodded and continued.

Her expression changed drastically from before.

"At first, I was skeptical. The only guns at the range were little handguns. I wondered, does shooting these really relieve stress? Plus, it was pretty expensive. But since I was already there, I gave it a try."

In that moment, her eyes sparkled and her voice grew animated. Even her hands gestured energetically.

"The moment I gripped it, everything felt different. It was heavier than I expected, and the way it fit in my hand, the metallic click as I chambered a round—wow, everything felt different. When I looked at the target and squeezed the trigger—"

Madman shook her head with pride, as if words couldn't express it.

"Wow, I really had no idea. That kind of recoil from a small handgun? I'm not even exaggerating—my heart pounded. And it wasn't scary; it felt like my cells were waking up, like whatever was blocked just opened up. Suddenly, this thought hit me."

She rattled off her story like a machine gun, pausing with an emotional smile.

"I'm alive."

"No matter how many times I hear that, you always bring it to life,"

Choi Byeonghun said with a quiet laugh. Park Juho gave him a look to stop interrupting and went back to the topic.

"So is that when you started the MadGunner channel?"

"Oh, no, not exactly. That's when I got obsessed with guns and started researching. Since I was studying anyway, I made the Q-tube channel to share the appeal of guns. But as I kept going, school became secondary. Everything else just felt boring to me."

Madman grinned sheepishly.

"So, I made my decision. Rather than living life passively, I'd be happier dying while doing what I want. No point wasting tuition money, so I dropped out."

"Wow... That's a bold decision."

"My friends all tried to talk me out of it. 'Are you out of your mind? Are you crazy?' I heard that all the time. That's why I chose Madman as my nickname."

"Ah, because you really are mad?"

"Yes."

Everyone laughed at the answer, especially Choi Byeonghun.

"She quit school and started studying video editing, and that's when I happened to meet her."

"So is that when you started the MadGunner channel?"

"Hm, not exactly. Actually, as you know, while anyone can start Q-tube, it's not easy to actually succeed at it."

At her question, Lee Gyeongbok darted his gaze aside, and Madman immediately understood.

"Ah, except for Purple, of course. Anyway, dropping out felt great, but after that, I struggled a lot. The stress built up, and even if I wanted to go shooting at a live fire range, it was too expensive. So instead, I started playing GunnerGround."

"Oh, you did?"

"Yeah, but I was really terrible at it and just got frustrated. Seriously, how could I never win a single Korean beef meal?"

She looked helpless, recalling how she still found it unbelievable.

"But I liked guns. I wanted to shoot better, so I watched a ton of GunnerGround streamer videos. Eventually, I thought—if they're so good at shooting, why aren't they showing it off better?"

"Ah, so you jumped in because you were frustrated?"

"Yes. And at the time, there were a lot of job postings for editors, so I tried it a few times. Turned out it paid well and was fun. So I started the MadGunner channel, and now here I am. As you know, I got a pretty good response."

"Of course. That's why we asked you to collaborate in the first place."

When Lee Gyeongbok nodded, madman broke out in a wide smile.

"After hearing your story, I get it. It's very relatable."

Her eyes grew round with surprise. Did Lee Gyeongbok really have something in common with her?

"I used to think big life changes would always be triggered by dramatic events. But after going through them, I realized that small things can change you, too."

Lee Gyeongbok turned to Choi Byeonghun.

"It was the same for me. If Byeonghun hadn't suggested becoming a streamer, I'd have never even dreamed about it."

"Well, you're not the only one. Because you started streaming and did so well, my career completely changed too."

Everyone nodded in agreement at Choi Byeonghun's comment.

"If it weren't for Gyeongbok, I'd have never even considered quitting my old job. Becoming a streamer manager was unimaginable."

"Me too! If it wasn't for the CEO, I'd have just lived some average life. But now, everything's changed for the better."

It was a story everyone in the room could relate to. None of their lives had changed because of some dramatic incident.

'Maybe...'

Looking at the group's reaction, madman watched Lee Gyeongbok.

'Maybe it wasn't an event, but a person who became the trigger.'

Lee Gyeongbok smiled awkwardly at that and cleared his throat to switch everyone's attention.

"Ahem, I think that's enough of an introduction."

He reached out a hand to Madman.

"I hope joining Team Perfect becomes a turning point toward happiness for you, just like the first time you fired a gun."

Lee Gyeongbok finished with a bright smile.

"Welcome to the team."

She took his hand, brimming with energy.

"There's no time happier than right now."

* * *

Once the formalities ended, everyone took turns giving Madman their brief introductions.

"Let's get right to the meeting, then."

Park Juho signaled the start, drawing everyone's focus.

"The topic is our next content. The Roderi ad ended with a story conclusion. Yesterday, there were requests for free play on the channel, but that's always up to us."

"First, we should decide whether we'll do free play or not."

At Jo Daehan's comment, Choi Byeonghun shook his head.

"I'm not really into free play."

"Why not?"

"For general players, free play is great. It lets you enjoy the game even after finishing the story. But for a streamer, it's tricky. There isn't a clear endpoint, so it's hard to know when to stop."

Park Juho agreed.

"That's true. For me, the bigger problem is viewer engagement."

"Engagement?"

"With the story, the goal is clear, so viewers' expectations are united. But with free play, everyone wants something different."

Park Juho operated his smart link and pulled up the notice from the epilogue.

"It's especially true for games like Roderi, where there's so much to do. Some want to run ranches, others want treasure hunting, and others want to see hunting or fishing lifestyle content."

"Ah... That does make sense."

Lee Gyeongbok nodded in agreement.

"To be honest, I'd like to play Roderi some more, but to satisfy everyone would take a lot more time. At that point, I'd be playing more out of obligation than for fun."

"See? That's exactly what happens. After you do one thing, the chat fills with, 'Hyung, aren't you going to do this? Please try that too!'

That's why stopping yesterday was a good idea."

Choi Byeonghun added, and Jo Daehan nodded along. Madman watched the mood, trying to read the room.

'Ah, looks like Roderi is about to end for good...'

She personally wanted to see more of Gyeongbok shooting, but couldn't speak up since the logic made sense.

"So, do we stop Roderi here?"

As she pondered, an idea sparked in Madman's mind, and she raised her hand.

All eyes turned to her.

"If it's the viewers you're worried about, how about we do it together?"

"Together?"

"Ah, you mean online?"

Everyone's interest was piqued, and Madman eagerly elaborated.

"Yes, I watched a lot of overseas Q-tubers while editing this time. And since Roderi can be played online like GAT, there are a lot of those videos out there."

"Online... Not a bad idea."

Park Juho slowly nodded.

"Unlike free play, online sessions can be done in one go."

"Right. And once the channel ends, it wraps up naturally."

"Viewers who join can do whatever they want, and when it's time for co-op content, they can participate."

The mood was positive.

But soon, all eyes focused on one person. As the Decider, Lee Gyeongbok's opinion was most important.

'Does he not like it...?'

Madman unwittingly swallowed hard. Unlike the others, Lee Gyeongbok was silently crossing his arms, looking pensive.

"Sounds good to me."

His answer finally came.

Madman was finally able to smile. But Lee Gyeongbok's thoughts didn't stop there.

"Isn't it right around the three-month mark for the channel?"

He always wanted his channel to be fun.

"Why not make Roderi the third round of OTP events?"

Instead of just viewer participation, wouldn't it be more fun to turn it into an event?

***

**New Names, locations, skills and Techniques:**