I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 255: Is this the life of a celebrity…?

A globally renowned OTT platform, MyTube, had a feature called "Premiere."

A Premiere allowed creators to schedule their uploaded videos for release at a specific date and time instead of publishing them immediately...

In simpler terms, it was a reservation system.

When I first stumbled upon it, I thought, Why would anyone need this?

But it turned out to be slightly different from a regular scheduling feature.

When a Premiere was set up, a chatroom appeared before the video went live, allowing viewers to talk while waiting.

Not that the conversations were particularly deep—

—Open ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) the door! Open the door! Open the door! Open the door!

—Holding my breath until it airs!

—Uh, that sounds risky...

—A person has died...

—YOU killed them YOU killed them YOU killed them YOU killed them

—ARGH, NO I DIDN’T!!

...Most of it was like that.

The first time I saw it, I was honestly overwhelmed.

But after thinking about it, I realized it was just their way of expressing excitement.

Since there were no insults or offensive comments, it even seemed kind of fun.

I once considered joining in, but laziness won over curiosity.

Anyway, I believed MyTube introduced Premieres for this reason.

Anticipation.

After all, excitement made people’s hearts race.

Even for me, when I first arrived on Earth, I was filled with anticipation.

Wondering when my body would heal, when I’d be able to move again, when I’d finally see Daeun—

...Hmm.

...That last thought slipped out.

Anyway, that’s the point.

The Premiere system, which announced a video's release date and let people talk about it beforehand, was designed to fuel anticipation.

By ensuring that viewers didn’t forget the release date and keeping the hype alive, MyTube made sure excitement wouldn’t fizzle out.

For the record, this wasn’t something I heard from Daeun or found online—it was just my own theory.

So, there was a chance I was wrong.

But the fact that I was thinking about this at all meant I had successfully adapted to modern civilization, didn’t it?

“Hmm.”

Yeah, I was sure of it.

“Kana looking all proud... so cute!”

—Click!

“...If you’re going to take a picture, at least do it silently.”

“Huh? No way. That’d be taking a sneak shot.”

“Taking a picture without permission is basically the same thing.”

“Is it?”

Daeun, phone in hand, tilted her head before giggling and stepping closer.

That clueless, mischievous smile had practically become her trademark.

“But, you know, they say only photos remain in the end. Even memories that fade can come rushing back with a single picture. So, in that sense, I want to save lots of memories with Kana... Won’t you let me?”

Her eyes sparkled as she asked for permission.

I looked at her, then sighed in reluctant agreement.

“...Do as you like.”

“Really?”

“But don’t just take pictures at random times.”

“Of course! I know when to hold back. Trust me!”

“...That’s exactly why I can’t trust you.”

Knowing her usual behavior, how could I possibly believe that?

Instead of voicing that thought, I sighed and reached out my hand.

—Chop!

“Ah-ah, no way!”

Daeun’s hand lightly smacked mine before I could grab a piece of chicken.

Not hard—just enough to stop me.

“We agreed to start eating when the show begins, remember?”

“I don’t remember making that promise. And do we really have to?”

“We ordered food to eat while watching. If you eat now just because you can’t wait, then what’s the point?”

“...Wouldn’t it be better to lose the ‘point’ than to lose the flavor?”

Food doesn’t taste as good when it gets cold.

When I mumbled that, Daeun poked my cheek.

“Aw, my little foodie Kana. Do you really want that chicken so badly?”

“It’s not that I want the chicken. I just don’t want it to taste bad.”

There was no reason to ruin perfectly good food that we paid for.

“The show’s starting soon, so just hold on a little longer, okay? It won’t get that cold.”

She spoke in a soft, coaxing tone, as if trying to soothe a restless child.

...Did she really think I was struggling to contain my desire for food?

“...Wasn’t that the case?”

“No.”

“But you always accept chocolate without hesitation when I offer it.”

“That’s because you offered it.”

“So, would you be fine if I stopped offering it?”

“...Oh, it’s starting.”

The reason she suddenly brought up Premieres—

The answer was obvious as I looked at the TV screen.

The shining display showed the A Cup of Pause thumbnail and the countdown to its Premiere.

Right as I spoke, the number 60 appeared on-screen, steadily ticking down.

“You were the one who wanted to watch this, Daeun. Focus.”

“Hehe, alright.”

She sounded as if she was being gracious enough to let it go.

Still, Daeun finally turned her attention to the screen and sat down.

The countdown eventually reached single digits.

And when it hit zero—

~♪

A peaceful tune flowed from the speakers as the screen transitioned.

In the OTT industry, many factors determined a show’s popularity and success.

But the most obvious indicator was view count.

By that standard, A Cup of Pause was undeniably a hit.

Every episode consistently surpassed a million views, with some episodes even reaching several million.

Who could possibly call that a failure?

Of course, the internet had all sorts of people, and some still claimed it was a flop.

But most of them were dismissed as trolls.

That’s why, when the first season of A Cup of Pause ended and season two was announced, people reacted with a mix of sadness, concern, and excitement.

—That was the last episode... 😭

—What do I even watch now...

—They’re taking a break and then filming season 2, so just hold your breath till then.

—Wait, season 2 is confirmed??

—Yeah, they announced it at the end of the last episode. Apparently, it’s coming in the second half of the year.

—If I hold my breath that long, I’ll die...

—Not gonna lie, I’m worried. So many OTT shows fail after the first season.

—Plenty of shows get better in season 2, though.

—Either way, it’ll be tough to surpass season 1.

Most agreed that the new season wouldn’t be as successful as the first.

The reasons varied—

The show’s slow-paced nature, audience fatigue, and heightened expectations after its unexpected popularity.

Some weren’t expressing concerns but hopes that season two wouldn’t succeed.

This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.

And honestly, their concerns weren’t entirely baseless.

Plenty of hit shows had fallen apart for similar reasons.

Amidst all the discussions, A Cup of Pause dropped its trailer.

Enough time had passed that interest hadn’t completely faded, so many people tuned in.

But their curiosity wasn’t only about the show itself.

Wait... a monster appeared in the middle of Seoul?

And the one who killed it was a little girl?

And she’s actually an NPC from a game who crossed over to save Earth?

And now she’s living with the MC of A Cup of Pause??

“Oh, I have to watch this.”

People swarmed to the trailer.

Despite earlier doubts, its view count skyrocketed upon release.

Many were drawn in by the hope that it might reveal something about the recent incident.

But their expectations were quickly subverted.

[“There’s someone joining the filming this time, isn’t there?”]

Just as the screen faded to black and people thought That’s it?—

The PD’s voice suddenly cut in, and the screen lit up again.

Then, a small figure appeared.

A petite girl with long, flowing pink hair.

Unless someone had been completely disconnected from society, they had to recognize her.

People had gathered hoping for mere breadcrumbs... but instead, a whole loaf had dropped into their laps.

It wasn’t entirely unexpected, but—

The sudden, massive reveal made people rush to share the news.

The reveal wasn’t something they had anticipated, but it was enough to cause a stir.

Even if it wasn’t exactly a surprise, the unexpectedness of it had everyone scrambling to share the news with their families, friends, acquaintances, and communities.

—Why is she there...?

—Why is Kana the one who’s the sister?

—Anyone stronger than me is basically my older sibling, right?

—Koichi’s lost it www

—Kana’s not your typical sister... she’s not someone you could buy with money...

—Well, I now know that Kana has an older sister.

—An older sister smaller than me...? Hmm... I can’t say I’m not intrigued.

—This is gourmet content

—Oh no ;

Though her identity had been revealed, Kana hadn’t shown up much after that.

Just once at the gym with Yuki, and once at Daeun’s house.

It was only two appearances in total.

With so little exposure, the audience's curiosity wasn’t fully satisfied, which is why Kana’s participation in A Cup of Pause drew explosive reactions.

And such reactions quickly translated into measurable results.

The first A Cup of Pause Premiere was an overwhelming success.

The number of people in the chat was massive.

Though everyone expected it to be a hit, the PD, who had secretly been pessimistic, was overjoyed by the response.

The majority of the chat was in Korean, but there were plenty of messages in other languages as well.

Even while the countdown continued, the chatroom buzzed with excitement.

And then, when the countdown finally reached zero, the peaceful music played, and the screen transitioned to the first episode.

The anticipation had paid off, and the wait had been worth it.