Yoon-jung fiddled with her phone, and music started playing from the speakers. It was Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa’s ‘Young, Wild & Free (Feat. Bruno Mars).’
“Hm?”
Her smile grew wider when she saw my surprise at her song choice. She was going to dance to this song? I had doubts but was quickly convinced when I saw her dance.
Surprisingly, the song was perfect for dancing. The drums were rhythmic – not choppy – and matched the flow of the rappers just right. Moreover, the singing parts were set in her comfort zone.
The squeaking of her sneakers felt upbeat and light, and it wasn’t just because of the music. Her light, weightless movements and bright smile lifted my mood.
‘Right. This is Yoon-jung’s charm.’
Being good at dancing didn’t magically get you 10 million subscribers. Yet, she managed to do it on her own. She had a way of making viewers empathize with her.
Even if you didn’t know much about dancing, watching her dance was enough to make you feel happy. Sometimes you would be amazed; other times, you’d find her cool or sexy.
It was the essence of dancing. Even as she worked on her technique, she still never forgot the essence of dancing. Yoon-jung didn’t just aim to dance well. She made sure the viewers enjoyed it too.
She was born to dance.
During the part with clapping, she was lip-syncing and clapping along. She looked so happy while doing this simple part. This wasn’t skill. She was just having fun.
“Ha!”
I shook my head in disbelief. I saw all I needed to see. I had forgotten about my intention to evaluate her objectively and found myself grooving to the beat instead. I was bobbing my head and even tapping my feet.
“Haa. How was it? Haa,” she asked, panting, as the song ended.
“Can’t you tell by my expression?”
“Like I said, how was it? Haa.”
“It was the best. There’s nothing to improve,” I said and gave her a thumbs up.
Seeing my thumbs up, she jumped up and down excitedly.
“Woooh! So can I upload dance videos now?!”
“Of course! Let’s start with this song.”
“Okay, I will! What should I wear? Should I put on makeup? Oh, what about sound? Should I dub it? Record it?”
I knew the answers to her questions from her past experiences.
“Wear whatever you’re comfortable in. It could be a dress, cosplay, pajamas, sweats, or suit – it’s up to you. Just basic makeup is fine. And dub the sound.”
“Ohhh! Cosplay? A dress? Those sound fun!”
“But for now… let’s just record it as is.”
“What?! But I’m not wearing makeup, and my outfit is just… this.”
“I did say it doesn’t matter what clothes you wear. Sweats are fine. And you look pretty without makeup.”
Right now, I wanted her passion to shine through her dance. I had a feeling it might turn out even better than before, and I didn’t want to miss this opportunity. I had to capture it on camera.
“Ahh! I feel so nervous now that we’re actually uploading a video! What do I do? It’s my first video. Isn’t it bad manners to show my bare face?”
She said that, but her expression told me she was really happy and excited. It was perfect. I set up the camera right away, and she played the music and started dancing.
My prediction was spot-on. This time, during the clapping part, she clapped along and even laughed. People wouldn’t be able to hear her laughter in the video, but just seeing it was enough.
I had a gut feeling. This video would be her iconic first dance video, and it would be loved for a long time.
***
After a bit of editing, we uploaded the video. Reactions to the video were within expectations. Her channel – which was previously dominated by gaming videos – now had a new category: [Dance].
We made this video the channel’s featured video. Her subscribers, along with those who found the video through recommendations, couldn’t resist clicking on it.
Even though they knew Yoon-jung was an idol, she hadn’t shown her artistic side since starting her streams. Most clicked out of casual curiosity. They wondered, ‘How good is she?’
But the video quickly changed their casual curiosity into admiration, and they were captivated by the end.
– Wow, is this really Yoon-jung? She’s a legend.
– why am I just now seeing that she can do this?! She’s amazing!
– I don’t get it… how did Blue Sherbet fail when they had Hee-yeon and Yoon-jung?
– lolol I can’t hear her laugh but I feel like I can hear it at the same time? She’s so cute XD
– I feel hyped when I watch her lolol she’s on fire!
– LOL
Yoon-jung was overjoyed reading these reactions. Even though the view count wasn’t huge yet, seeing people enjoy her original dance gave her a thrill.
No matter how fast her streaming grew or how much money she made, she was a dancer at heart. So, she finally felt like she was getting a proper start.
“President Kang, look! Even hip-hop fans are joining in! You’re amazing, President Kang!”
“That’s not me. You should be thanking your song choice and YouTube’s algorithm.”
“Wow! This is so cool!”
“If you’re amazed by one video, what’ll you do when we start group concerts?”
“OMG, President Kang! Should I upload another cover dance?”
She was a ball of energy, and it didn’t feel like she would calm down anytime soon. Even with a live stream about to start, she couldn’t stop scrolling through the comments.
“One dance video a week is enough. Or every two weeks…” I said.
“Once a week!” Yoon-jung responded.
“Okay, once a week.”
“Or… twice a week might be good, too.”
I chuckled.
Yoon-jung laughed too.
“Once a week! Original or cover dance, you decide.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Today, more viewers will probably join.”
“Yeah, I think so, too.”
“Let’s skip the game today and have some fun dance time, and chat with your viewers a bit.”
“Really? Can I do that?” Yoon-jung’s face lit up.
Jung-han gave me some advice. He said that when viewers were hyped up like this, playing games as usual could disappoint them since they had higher expectations. So today, it was better to have a special dance and chat session without any games.
Yoon-jung stretched to get ready to dance. As soon as it was time, she started the stream.
– Yoon-ha! (Hi Yoon-jung!)
– Yoon-ha!
Viewers flooded in as soon as the stream started, and Yoon-jung welcomed them in. But soon, the chat was filled with one demand.
– Explain yourself
– Explain
– Yourself
– Explain
With a puzzled expression, Yoon-jung asked, “What? Explain myself? About what?”
Then, a flood of donations came in. The AI read out the viewers’ messages.
[Huh? Explain this cuteness. I’ve never seen anyone like you.]
[Where did that person go? Huh? Explain this adorableness.]
[Bring that person here right now!]
Yoon-jung’s excitement was at its peak today. Smiling, she moved the mouse and clicked to play the song.
“Explain? Okay. I’ll bring that person right now. Hey, Yoon-jung!” She called out as she turned her head. Her smile widened. As she called out, an upbeat beat started playing.
‘Young, Wild & Free (Feat. Bruno Mars).’
She knew exactly what the viewers wanted to see. Yoon-jung stood up, moved her chair aside, and backed up until she was in full view of the camera.
– Yeahhhhh!
– what?? she’s starting right now?
– lolol why is she so excited already haha
– Let’s goooo!!
Not expecting her to start so quickly, the chat exploded with anticipation. Most of the viewers had already seen the video, so they were more excited. Luckily for them, Yoon-jung was all in.
– So what we get drunk. So what we smoke…
As the music played, she began to dance. She wore socks instead of sneakers, so the moves lacked some impact, but it didn’t matter.
– lolololol
– XD loving this so much
– Why is she so cute seriously tho lol
– This is the happiest I’ve ever seen Yoon-jung XD
The music playing through the speakers didn’t sound crisp, but it didn’t matter. Whether it was because of the thumbnail, donation messages, or community posts spreading the word, Yoon-jung’s viewer count soared like never before. Her audience grew.
The chat was a blur of messages as the music neared the end. Her idol persona, which she had never shown on stream, exploded simultaneously.
“Haa, haa,” she panted. “Everyone! I brought that person! Is this explanation enough?”
She giggled and sat back down. Donations started pouring in.
[Huh? What are you talking about. You’re gonna stop your explanation already?]
[Huh? Are you challenging us?]
[You’re giving up here, is that it? Huh? Yeah no.]
[Great dance. One more time, please.]
– lol wow everyone’s chipping in for the show
– Everyone, get your tickets! Pay the entry fee!
– Doctor, what do you mean the explanation is over already?! She’s done explaining?!
– excuse me, we need you to explain more! We have a lot to cover!
– nani?!
Donations and chat messages poured in without end. She sighed playfully.
“Well, I guess I have some more explaining to do. No other choice, right?”
– she looks happy but pretends like she has no choice lol
– Phew! I would’ve been upset if she didn’t do more.
– hey everyone! keep up the hype! Keep the energy going for Yoon-jung!
– Everyone, buy your tickets~ No unauthorized seating, or you’ll be fined~
Then came one cover dance, then two, then three, then four…
Her dance repertoire was endless, and the number of viewers showed no signs of dropping. Things were getting fired up to scalding levels of hot.
The more she danced, the more it became apparent that Yoon-jung was having fun. In the end, she surpassed many famous streamers and clinched the top spot in viewership.
– She’s number one in viewers!!
– Row, row, row! One more song, let’s goooo!!
– doesn’t it feel like she’s going big?
– She’s celebrating her top spot with a performance. Everyone, quiet please!
– Yoon-jung is a legend for real. I’m so moved :,D
I chuckled as I watched everything unfold. I had been ready to step in to cut off any potentially awkward or controversial questions during chat time, but there was no need for that.
The conversation was brief because she was too busy hosting a full-blown concert in her room, dancing nonstop. I underestimated her.
‘She’s really incredible.’
Her energy, passion, and talent were worth the applause.
—