Jin-ho was now finalizing everything before going live.
He had already created his account in advance.
He would be streaming on AfreecaTV.
Only his profile was left to complete.
Name.
Image.
Title.
Category.
He started with the name.
Dominion.
Absolute control.
Absolute dominance.
That was the meaning behind it.
It fit what he wanted to become.
For the profile image, he just took a quick selfie.
Next was the title of the stream.
First Stream.
For the category, he selected gaming.
After finishing the setup, he began testing everything.
Camera.
Microphone.
Lighting.
All checked.
He adjusted the camera angle slightly until it looked right.
His face appeared on the screen.
Clear.
Centered.
He spoke a few words into the mic.
Audio was fine.
Everything was ready.
He let out a quiet breath.
“I should probably get a second monitor,” he muttered.
Switching tabs was going to be inconvenient.
But that could wait.
For now, it was enough.
He stared at the setup for a moment.
Then pressed in.
Start Stream.
His first stream had begun.
He felt it immediately.
A slight tension in his chest.
Not fear exactly.
Just unfamiliarity.
He wasn’t used to this yet.
He would have to adapt.
Jin-ho sent the stream link to Ji-min.
The viewer count stayed at zero.
He checked the stats on his phone while waiting.
Chat was empty.
No movement yet.
He placed his phone on a stand beside him.
A bit makeshift.
A bit rough.
But workable.
First stream.
First step.
Jin-ho picked up his arcade stick and returned to his seat.
As he sat down, he noticed something on the viewer count.
“Ah, our first viewer.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
But before he could say anything, the viewer immediately left.
0 viewers.
He let out a small sigh, still slightly amused.
“Guess that’s how it goes.”
Without overthinking it, he opened Tekken 7 and entered practice mode.
Might as well warm up.
He selected Jin as his character and Heihachi as the dummy opponent.
The stage was Infinite Azure.
Jin-ho cracked his knuckles, the sharp sound echoing in the quiet room.
He began moving immediately.
Backdashes.
Wave dashes.
Clean execution, one after another.
A few minutes passed before he noticed something.
“One viewer.”
He glanced at it briefly, then continued practicing without stopping.
His movements stayed steady, controlled, almost mechanical.
Soon, the viewer count rose to three.
At that point, he finally spoke.
“Welcome.”
A message appeared in chat almost immediately.
“Aren’t you the lucky audience member from last night?”
Jin-ho paused for a moment.
“I am.
So people remember my face, huh.”
A few thumbs-up emojis filled the chat in response.
He didn’t linger on it and returned his focus to practice.
After warming up, he exited practice mode and queued for ranked matches.
His current rank was Tekken God.
Only a few steps remained until the highest tier.
Today’s goal was simple.
Reach Tekken God Prime.
While waiting, the chat continued to grow slightly.
Still low in numbers, but active enough to talk.
They asked random questions.
Blood type.
MBTI.
Basic personal details.
“A.”
He answered his blood type without hesitation.
“MBTI?
I haven’t checked it.”
Then the match was found.
He accepted.
Opponent: King.
Chat immediately reacted.
“Good luck against him!”
Jin-ho exhaled lightly.
“I don’t need luck.”
A few viewers laughed in chat.
Still single-digit viewers.
He didn’t care.
The match started.
The sound of the arcade stick filled the room.
Rapid inputs.
Precise movement.
Wave dashes cutting through silence.
What was once a quiet stream slowly turned into something intense, driven only by execution and focus.
Jin-ho’s expression remained calm and focused as the match continued.
His face carried a cold, composed look, with a faint glint of seriousness in his eyes.
Combined with his sharp features, it created an unexpectedly striking image.
One viewer quietly took a screenshot.
Then posted it online.
A few minutes later, Jin-ho defeated the King player in two sets.
3-2.
Then 3-1.
The King player moved on, leaving Jin-ho waiting for another match.
As time passed, Jin-ho gradually started talking more while occasionally glancing at chat.
He answered ridiculous questions.
Laughed at some.
Got amused by others.
People clicked because of his face.
They stayed because of his personality.
The stream still hovered in the single digits, but the chat felt surprisingly lively.
Even with only a handful of viewers, everyone kept talking.
It gave the stream energy.
Someone asked:
“Can you do Taunt Jet Upper or Perfect Electric?”
Jin-ho shook his head.
“No.”
“But I want to.”
“So I’ll practice later.”
Soon, another ranked match appeared.
Opponent:
Jin.
Mirror match.
Jin-ho raised an eyebrow.
“Oh.”
“A Jin player…”
He leaned back slightly.
“Let’s see who’s better.”
The chat immediately reacted.
“His rank is higher than yours.”
Jin-ho simply shrugged.
“Rank doesn’t matter.”
The chat began moving faster.
Not fast enough that he couldn’t read it.
Still…
Jin-ho really needed a second monitor.
Really needed one.
The match started.
Electric.
Electric.
Electric.
The sound effects echoed nonstop.
Neither side wanted to duck first.
Neither wanted to commit.
A deadlock.
Until Jin-ho suddenly broke it.
Hellsweep.
Combo.
His opponent got up and immediately hard-called him out.
Parried the Electric.
2,4.
Jin-ho flew backward.
“…”
That made him more cautious.
Only slightly.
He still kept pressing forward.
After several tense exchanges and crucial pokes, Jin-ho secured the first round.
The following rounds weren’t much different.
Jin-ho completely controlled the pace.
He intentionally delayed his timing.
Changed his rhythm.
Forced hesitation.
Then punished it.
The chat watched in amazement.
Aggressive.
But controlled.
Even viewers who barely understood Tekken could tell something.
Jin-ho was good.
Very good.
Meanwhile, the opponent was slowly becoming impatient.
More buttons.
More down jabs.
More attempts to interrupt momentum.
And every time the opponent became more desperate…
Jin-ho adapted.
The moment he sensed a pattern:
Hopkick.
Launch.
Punish.
Clean.
His spacing remained precise.
Electrics thrown from just outside range.
Forward 4 used for keep-out.
Then finally…
Counter hit.
Forward 4 connected.
Deep dash.
Instant While Rising 4.
Combo.
The chat exploded.
Even among Jin players, that combo wasn’t easy.
It was considered one of the harder staple routes in Tekken.
Not long after, the match ended.
3-0.
Then 3-1.
The chat immediately flooded with praise.
Jin-ho glanced at it and smiled.
“Thanks.”
Someone asked:
“Do you play other characters?”
“Yeah.”
He counted on his fingers.
“Bryan.”
“Kazuya.”
“Heihachi.”
“To name a few.”
Then another question appeared.
“Then why Jin?”
Jin-ho answered immediately.
“He’s been my main since Tekken Tag Tournament 2.”
“I used Bryan as my partner back then.”
“Bryan had great moves for Tag Assault.”
Another question followed.
“When are you playing other characters?”
Jin-ho thought for a moment.
Then replied:
“After I hit Tekken God Omega with Jin.”
“It won’t take long.”
The chat immediately spammed question marks.
“Won’t take long?”
“Tekken God Omega?!”
“Bro thinks he’s the main character.”
Jin-ho just ignored them and continued queuing.
As the stream went on, he kept interacting with chat between matches.
But during games…
Silence.
Complete silence.
No talking.
Only focus.
Only the sound of buttons and arcade stick movements.
Clack.
Clack.
Clack.
Then another viewer entered the stream.
It was Ji-min.
She was currently on break and remembered the link Jin-ho had sent earlier.
Curious, she opened the stream.
She watched quietly.
Though she barely understood what was happening.
She knew the game.
She knew it was Tekken.
But beyond that?
Nothing.
All she knew was one thing.
Jin-ho looked…
really good while playing.
And judging by the chat reaction…
He was apparently destroying people.
The chat gradually shifted away from Tekken and started asking questions unrelated to the game.
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
Jin-ho glanced at chat while practicing a combo.
“No.”
Then after a short pause:
“And I’m not planning on having one.”
Ji-min heard his answer from her phone.
Not surprising.
She already knew how focused he was whenever he set a goal.
Right now, all he cared about was becoming a pro player.
Relationships probably were not even on his mind.
Then another question immediately appeared.
“Which girl group do you like the most?”
Jin-ho kept practicing for a few seconds.
Electric.
Wave dash.
Combo.
Then answered casually:
“IVE.”
No hesitation.
No thinking.
Instant answer.
On the other side of the screen…
Ji-min narrowed her eyes.
“Tsk.”
A tiny sound escaped her lips.
She already knew he liked IVE.
Still…
Actually hearing him answer that quickly felt slightly annoying.
Even if she already expected it.
Another message instantly appeared.
“Which member?”
Jin-ho suddenly stopped moving.
Even his hands left the arcade stick.
He looked directly at the camera.
“For me…”
“There are two choices.”
The chat immediately exploded.
“OHHHHHH?”
“WHO?”
“NO WAY”
Jin-ho calmly continued:
“Won-young.”
“Or Yu-jin.”
Then after a brief pause:
“Currently…
Won-young.”
Ji-min blinked.
Meanwhile the chat completely lost control.
“WON-YOUNG?!”
“HE ANSWERED TOO FAST”
“THIS MAN DIDN’T EVEN THINK”
Jin-ho ignored all of it.
“I’ve known them since IZ*ONE.”
“So that’s probably why.”
“Been following them longer.”
Ji-min quietly listened.
Then understood.
So that was the reason.
It was not because aespa was lacking.
Not because IVE was necessarily better.
It was simply timing.
Wonyoung and Yujin had entered his life earlier through IZ*ONE.
By the time aespa debuted…
He had already become familiar with them.
In a way…
She had lost before the competition even started.
Not because of anything she did.
Just because someone else arrived first.
Ji-min stared at the stream for a moment.
Then puffed her cheeks slightly.
“…How unfair.”
Though even she did not know whether she was joking or serious.
After some time, Jin-ho finally reached his promotion match for True Tekken God.
Winning streaks greatly reduced the climb.
And Jin-ho had been winning a lot.
The chat immediately reacted.
“LOCK IN.”
“HE’S ENTERING SERIOUS MODE.”
“BOY ABOUT TO LOCK IN.”
Jin-ho never saw any of it.
At this point, he was too focused to look anywhere except the screen.
On the other side, Ji-min quietly watched.
She remembered the expression he made whenever he became serious.
Focused eyes.
Slightly narrowed gaze.
Completely immersed.
…
She had to admit it.
It looked handsome.
Just a compliment.
Nothing more.
Absolutely nothing more.
The match loaded.
Opponent:
Akuma.
The chat instantly reacted.
“OHHHHH.”
“FINAL BOSS CHARACTER.”
“GOOD LUCK.”
Meanwhile, the viewer count had quietly entered double digits.
The people who spent too much time online had already recognized him.
The lucky audience guy from last night.
Some entered out of curiosity.
Some left.
Others stayed.
Jin-ho looked at the screen quietly.
Akuma.
Annoying.
Very annoying.
Against Akuma, mistakes became expensive.
One wrong move and half your health disappeared.
Jin-ho immediately adjusted.
No risky attacks.
No unnecessary commitments.
Just pokes.
Small pressure.
Wait for a big opening.
The match started.
Someone typed:
“He’s playing differently.”
They were right.
Jin-ho moved carefully.
Wave dash.
Backdash.
Sidestep.
Testing reactions.
But the Akuma player refused to engage.
Instead:
Gohadoken.
Another.
And another.
Chip damage slowly accumulated.
Jin-ho occasionally sidestepped through them while inching forward.
Wave dash.
Wave dash.
Then suddenly:
Hellsweep.
Hit.
Combo.
The chat exploded.
Akuma got carried toward the wall.
Jin-ho immediately applied pressure.
But then—
Akuma Jumped
Landed a hit.
Converted it to a combo.
Just like that.
Now he was in Rage.
Silence.
Jin-ho stared at the screen.
No panic.
No frustration.
At this point there was no reason to play passively anymore.
He dashed forward.
Rage Drive.
Connected.
One hit.
Two.
Then immediately into a mix-up.
The Akuma player ducked.
He expected Hellsweep.
Instead:
Zen 1+2.
Launch.
Got him.
The chat instantly moved.
“OHHHHHH”
“HE READ HIM”
Now Jin-ho had to finish this.
No mistakes.
There was still some distance before reaching the wall.
He quickly calculated.
Wall carry route.
Optimal.
The sounds of buttons rapidly echoed.
Clack.
Clack.
Clack.
Jin-ho juggled Akuma through the stage.
Mid-combo, his eyes narrowed slightly.
Calculating.
Distance.
Height.
Position.
Then:
Forward Forward 2.
Connected.
Wall splat.
Perfect.
Immediately:
Back Forward 2,1.
Down Forward 2.
Maximum damage.
Okizeme setup if he survived.
But…
Akuma never got up.
KO.
The chat exploded.
Ji-min widened her eyes slightly.
Just moments ago he had nearly lost.
Now he had completely reversed it.
The first round had already been intense.
The rest became even crazier.
Jin-ho’s wrist moved so fast the microphone picked up everything.
Rapid lever sounds.
Button presses.
Sharp.
Forceful.
Precise.
Even viewers who did not understand Tekken could feel it.
The pressure.
The intensity.
After several rounds…
Victory.
Promotion successful.
TRUE TEKKEN GOD
For the first time in a while, Jin-ho visibly smiled.
“Yes.”
A quiet voice escaped him.
Not loud.
But genuine.
The chat instantly flooded.
“CONGRATS”
“YOU EARNED IT”
“MONSTER”
Jin-ho leaned back and exhaled.
“…That was intense.”
He smiled toward the camera.
Then took a screenshot of his promotion before queuing up again.
Meanwhile, Ji-min stared at the stream silently.
Then after a moment…
She donated.
A notification appeared on screen.
“Hope for the best.
From your first fan.”
Jin-ho looked at the message.
“…Oh?”
Then smiled.
“Thanks for the donation.”
The chat immediately reacted.
“FIRST FAN???”
“WHO IS THAT”
Jin-ho ignored them.
Because unlike everyone else…
He already knew exactly who sent it.
It was Ji-min.
He stretched his back and spoke to the chat.
“I need to eat something first.
I’ll be back in a while.”
He switched the stream to a BRB screen.
Then he placed the arcade stick aside and stood up.
Without hesitation, he walked to the kitchen.
It was instant noodles again today.
Not much choice left.
While eating, he made a mental note to buy more variety of food instead of relying on instant noodles.
He had cooked them countless times during his service days, so it was quick and effortless.
When the noodles were ready, he placed them on the table and began eating.
He blew on the surface to cool it down before taking the first bite.
Hot, but manageable.
As he ate, he picked up his phone and turned it on.
He sent a message to Ji-min.
“Thanks for coming to my stream and for the donation.”
Then he continued eating.
He glanced at the time.
11 AM.
In his mind, he started calculating how long it might take to reach Tekken God Prime.
He wasn’t arrogant enough to assume it would happen quickly.
At this level, everyone he faced was top tier.
After finishing his meal, he washed the dishes and returned to his setup.
When he came back to the stream, the viewer count was still low.
“Oh, he’s back.”
“We’ve been waiting.”
“Finally.”
The chat greeted him.
Jin-ho felt a slight warmth at that.
He gave them a small, sincere smile.
“Thanks for waiting.”
The chat immediately asked what he ate.
“Just instant noodles.”
He placed his arcade stick back on his lap and queued again.
While waiting, he continued talking.
Some viewers were Tekken players themselves, though not at his level—mostly beginners or casual players.
He gave them advice when asked, sharing things he had learned over years of experience.
“What’s your goal?” someone asked.
Without hesitation, Jin-ho replied:
“To be the best.”
His expression remained calm, but firm.
Either stay in the background, or stand at the top.
There was no middle ground.
Another viewer asked if he would play other games.
“I don’t really know yet.
I’m mainly focusing on fighting games.”
“Maybe Street Fighter or something else later.”
Then he paused slightly.
“I’m planning to go pro anyway.
So… best of luck to me, I guess.”
The chat immediately filled with encouragement.
Hours passed.
The climb was harder than expected.
Every match taught him something new.
But retaining everything was difficult.
There were too many characters.
Too many moves.
Too many frame data interactions.
In theory, memorizing everything was almost impossible unless someone had played since Tekken 5 DR.
But for Jin-ho, things were different.
His passive trait, Fast Learner, allowed him to absorb information quickly and apply it in real time.
He adapted.
He improved.
He learned mid-match.
Eventually, after hours of grinding, he reached his promotion match for Tekken God Prime.
At this point, his playstyle became almost robotic.
No wasted movement.
No unnecessary risks.
Only execution.
His opponent played Geese Howard.
A boss-level character.
“Why do they even add 2D characters into a 3D game…”
Jin-ho thought as he got launched into the air and juggled.
Still, he didn’t panic.
He adjusted.
Waited.
And slowly turned the match around.
In the final round, final moments—
He clutched it.
Promotion achieved.
TEKKEN GOD PRIME
“That last hit almost killed me… thank god for Rage Art.”
He exhaled deeply, relief washing over him.
The chat exploded with celebration.
Messages flooded in.
Congratulatory spam filled the screen.
Jin-ho looked at it and smiled.
“Thanks, everyone.
For staying with me through all of this.”
His expression softened slightly.
“I think that’s it for today.
I’ll end the stream soon.”
The chat reacted immediately.
“When are you streaming again?”
“Tomorrow, maybe around 10 AM.”
He paused, thinking.
“I’ll probably push Jin to Tekken God Omega next.”
“Then try other characters after that.”
He spoke casually, as if it were just another plan.
After a bit more talking, he ended the stream.
The room fell quiet.
He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temple.
Slowly, he packed away his arcade stick.
Then he lay down on his bed.
“That went well… my first stream.”
He closed his eyes.
And drifted into sleep.