Her voice was calm — the kind of calm specific to people who've been pushing their emotions way down.
At the same time, a new scene unfolded — an apartment living room.
Forty pyeong? Fifty?
It was spacious and neatly kept, but something was off.
A mark left in the center of the living room wall.
Where a family photo had been hung?
'Recently taken down.'
Looking closer at the living room, I spotted a trash can in the corner — and inside it, torn-up divorce papers.
"Are you thinking about divorce?"
"How did you......"
"How long have you been married?"
"Eighteen years."
Eighteen years.
Then the kid would be in middle school? Or high school?
"What about children?"
"I have one daughter. She started middle school this year."
I examined the living room more closely. One sofa cushion was slightly more compressed than the others.
Only one person had been using it regularly.
"Does your husband travel often for work?"
"H-how did you even......"
Her flustered voice was followed by a brief silence, but soon her words came.
"Yes...... He has a lot of business trips. He's away from home more than half the month."
"It's not just the business trips, is it?"
"......No."
No one agonizes over divorce just because their husband travels a lot for work.
That left only one thing — infidelity.
"How long?"
"Three years. I found out one year ago."
He'd been at it a long time.
― What are they talking about right now?
― Sounds like the husband cheated?
― Wait, three years?
― Wow, way to embarrass all men
― Tie him up in the middle of Seoul Grand Park so people can throw rocks
― What? What did the park ever do?
Let me take a look, then.
I peered into her future, and the scene split into multiple paths.
A future where she divorces.
A future where she doesn't.
Both were visible. In the divorce future, the woman struggled badly at first.
She and her daughter moved to a smaller place, and for a while her face was expressionless.
Not dark or upset — just blank, which was more alarming. But as time passed, things changed.
Color returned to her face and her expression brightened. It took a long time, but eventually I could see the woman and her daughter traveling together, talking and laughing.
"Mom, just trust me from now on. I got a job now."
"My daughter, I'm so proud...... I raised you all by myself......"
"Oh stop, you're the person I love most in the world, Mom."
The heartwarming scene faded, and the future where she stays married appeared — but I looked at that one briefly and pulled my gaze away.
"You want to divorce, but you're hesitating because of your daughter."
"That's right...... She just started middle school this year, and I want to raise my child without her lacking for anything...... I grew up pretty poor myself......"
At her words, I paused to think, then spoke.
"Do it."
― Oh, that's direct
― Is it okay to say it like that?
― But he's right
― He saw something again, didn't he?
"But my daughter...? If I get divorced......"
"Your daughter will be fine."
I recalled the scene from moments ago.
Sitting alone on the sofa in a large apartment, staring blankly at the TV — that was far less happy than living together in a small place with her mother, chatting warmly.
"Your daughter will live her life watching her mother's face."
"......What?"
"What does your face look like right now? Go take a look in the mirror."
"......"
She looked at the mirror on her desk, and reflected there was a woman with a pallid complexion.
An expression anyone would say looked unwell.
"That's the face your daughter sees every day."
"......"
At my words, her eyes began to waver.
"One more thing. Does Eunhye's mother want Eunhye to be happy?"
"Yes. ......Wait, how do you know my daughter's name?!"
"Then do it."
At my firm voice, she seemed to think for a moment, then nodded with the look of someone who'd made a decision.
"Thank you."
"I'm glad I could help. Then let me give you one last gift."
The husband's study, the desk drawer inside.
Something was definitely there.
"Your husband has a study, right?"
"Yes."
"Check the very bottom drawer of his desk. The one with the lock."
"......What's in there?"
"There should be a bankbook in there. In his name only, not joint. When you do the asset division, make sure you claim that. Check it before you hire a lawyer."
Oh, right.
"And one more thing — your husband should have a stock trading app on his phone. It'll be an account you don't know about."
"An account I don't know about?"
"Yes. Confirm just those two things, and you'll be able to get a much better deal in the asset division."
With this, she wouldn't lack for anything raising her child.
"Thank you."
With her answer, a new future appeared — and in it, the mother and daughter were living happily in an even larger apartment than before.
That should be worth the consultation fee, right?
"I'll be rooting for you."
"Thank you."
The suppressed emotions had drained from her voice, replaced by something solid. That was enough.
Click.
She left, and I checked the chat — something was scrolling up fast.
It was chat messages!
......Good lord, in my entire streaming career this had never scrolled this fast.
― Whoa, what was that?
― A hidden bankbook in the drawer AND a stock account?
― The divorce counseling turned into asset detective work
― A nobody streamer becomes an SSS-rank broadcast genius?
― What? Is that a web novel title?
― Anonymous donated 1,000 won! ―
[You could be a divorce-specialist streamer]
"What?"
Would that make money...... wait, it would make money?!
"Not bad, actually."
― Anonymous donated 1,000 won! ―
[Take all kinds of counseling, that makes more money]
Now that I heard it, that was a good point.
"So should I be an all-purpose counseling streamer?"
― Does this bastard have flappy ears or what?
― Flapping in the wind like a sheet of paper
― Having no spine is what disqualifies you as our streamer
― You can leave
"If I leave, who's going to counsel you?"
― Anonymous donated 10,000 won! ―
[Jinwoo, sorry but it's my turn — do I need to wait longer?]
"Oh, right. I'll invite you now."
I'd been chatting and forgot the next person.
"Starting the next one."
Click.
"Hello."
Late twenties, maybe?
A young man's voice — slightly dark.
Instantly, a scene unfolded before my eyes. A roughly three-pyeong gosiwon room.
Just a desk and a bed in a cramped room, with certification exam textbooks piled on the desk.
Real Estate Agent, Electrical Engineer, Korean History Proficiency.
All completely different types — which meant he didn't know what to do.
"You're studying for certifications."
"How did you... no, that's right."
"You're preparing for quite a few. How many are you working on right now?"
"Three."
Three at the same time.......
"Is there a job you actually want to do?"
"No...... I just don't know what I should do."
I looked more closely into his room. Each textbook was at a different stage of progress.
Real estate was fairly far along, Electrical Engineer had stalled early on, and Korean history was still a brand-new book.
'He's never finished a single one.'
"The one you've been at longest is real estate agent."
"Yes."
"How long?"
"A year."
"You failed once. You're going to try again, right?"
"Yes......"
He trailed off as if he wanted to ask something, and I waited.
Then he spoke — he said he wasn't sure if it was the right choice.
"I don't know if real estate agent is the right choice for me. That's why I've been studying the others too."
Looking at the future should tell me.
Let me see.......
I peered into his future, and I saw a real estate agent license.
The problem was he didn't pass on the very next exam — he failed once more and passed on his third try.
In the scene after that, the man was standing in front of a small real estate office.
The sign bore his own name, and he wore the brightest smile I'd ever seen on him.
'He starts his own business.'
With a smile unimaginable from his current state.
"Keep going with the real estate agent exam."
"What?"
"Drop everything else. Focus only on that."
"But I already failed once......"
"Don't worry about it."
He seemed to realize what my words meant and asked if he'd pass on the next exam, but I shook my head as I answered.
"You'll fail one more time. But you'll pass in the end."
"One more time......"
"Don't be too discouraged. The future isn't set in stone. Mansu, if you drop Electrical Engineer and Korean History and go all in on the real estate exam......"
"A-all in, and I'll pass?!"
I confirmed the future where he goes all in on real estate, and I smiled.
"You can pass. Though you'll need to study harder than you do now."
"Is that really true?"
"Yes. And once you pass, start a business right away."
"A business?!"
"You're going to do it whether I tell you to or not. You'll open it under your own name — 'Mansu Real Estate.'"
"Under my name?!"
― Today's counseling quality is high
― From divorce to certifications
― Jinwoo's surprisingly good at this?
― What do you mean surprisingly? He IS good
― Me tooooo do me too
After a long silence, Mansu's voice came through, sounding resolute.
"Thank you. My head feels a lot clearer now."
That voice wasn't the wavering one from before. It was determined.
"You can do it. And don't just study — exercise a bit too. You've gained fifteen kilos in the past year."
"Y-you can see that too?!"
"Yes. Good luck, then. I'll be cheering you on, Mansu."
"......Thank you."
Click — the consultation ended, and my eyes felt a bit stiff.
At this condition, I could probably handle two more at most.
"Let me stretch for a sec."
I looked at the chat and stretched my back with a big yawn.
"Mmnngh......"
― Jinwoo please stop making weird noises with that voice
― Ever think about an ASMR stream? You could pull 10 million a month with that voice
― Excuse me, stop trying to lure him in weird directions
― What about 20 million?
― What about me, can I do it?
"Please don't go there."
[Viewers: 71]
At this rate, it'd be better to pick one free consultation now.
"I'm picking one person for today's free consultation."
― Ohhh
― How do you pick?
― Do we submit stories?
"No, I'll pick whoever I feel drawn to. Let's see."
Hmm, could I see something just from looking at nicknames?
I studied the nicknames of the viewers in my stream closely, and scenes flickered past one by one.
A person dumped by their boyfriend.
A young man who'd been job hunting for over five years.
A college student struggling with rising rent.
A cat owner worried because their cat wouldn't eat.
All kinds of people were visible, but among them, one stood out the most.
― BearWithMe donated 100,000 won! ―
[PLEASE HELP ME!!]
That would be the person who'd sent the big donation.
A scene flickered past — someone who looked like a zookeeper, standing with a shell-shocked expression in a completely empty zoo.
"BearWithMe, come on in."
― Thank you!!
― Thank you so much!!!
― Boo, trash — you said it was free
― Oh come on, for 100,000 won you've got to do it lol
"Ahem, I'll do the next one for free."
About a minute passed after I said that.
Click.
A viewer entered.
"Thank you! Thank you so much, sir!"
I looked into his situation — a man struggling alone at a zoo. What he needed right now was simple.
Someone to listen.
"Take your time and tell me."
"A bear escaped from the zoo!!!"
Did I just hear that wrong?
What escaped?
A bear?!
......A bear escaped, and you're watching my stream?
I wanted to ask that, but I swallowed it back down and examined his situation more closely.