The market street was busier than I expected, and I was already regretting not bringing my backup phone. I had left it at home, and now I was stuck using my main device for the stream. The signal kept cutting out, and I could see the chat getting frustrated. I sighed and looked around.
I was in Gwangju, standing outside a café called Rytensia, trying to kill time before the fish market opened. I had been craving raw fish all day, so I figured I’d wait here with a blueberry drink and maybe something sweet. But now I was just standing there, struggling with my phone. .
I had been craving raw fish all day, so I figured I’d wait here with a blueberry drink and maybe something sweet. But now I was just standing there, struggling with my phone. . I should have just brought the Flip.
But no, I left it at home like an idiot. I mumbled to myself, then glanced at the chat. Someone asked if I was going to do a giveaway. I laughed.
“If you send 140 balloons, I’ll do one. Three stacks. ” I said,, half-joking. The chat started spamming emotes.
“What are you going to use the balloons for? ” someone asked. “I’ll do a gacha. ” I replied.
“10% chance. ” The chat laughed at me. “Stop talking nonsense and just do it. ” I grinned.
“Alright, alright. ”
I took a sip of my blueberry juice and looked at the time. It was already past noon. I had stayed up too late last night, but at least I went to bed at midnight.
That was a win for me. Lately, my sleep schedule had been ruined—I’d been going to bed at six or seven in the morning. But now, little by little, I was getting back to a normal life. It felt good.
. I looked up from my phone and spotted an old woman walking past. “Excuse me, is this the way to the market? ” I asked.
She nodded and pointed down the street. “Just keep going straight. ” I thanked her. The locals were friendly here.
I appreciated that. I kept walking, phone still in hand, talking to the stream. “I’m heading to Gyeong-an Market now. It’s a five-day market, I think.
” The chat was curious. “What’s the 11 o’clock cat thing you mentioned? ” someone asked. I laughed.
“It’s a local broadcast. AFTV does regional streams. It’s called ‘My Hometown at 11. ‘” I said.
“I’m doing a segment on it. ” The chat thought it was funny. “There’s also a 6 o’clock cat. ” I joked.
“But that’s not the only one. ” Someone else in chat said, “Too much, too much. ” I laughed along with them. It was a good vibe, relaxed.
I liked this kind of stream—just walking around, talking, eating. It felt like old-school AfreecaTV. I said that to chat, and they agreed. “Yeah, this feels like watching old broadcasts.
” One viewer said. “That’s the vibe I’m going for. ” I replied. .
I finally reached the market entrance. It wasn’t too crowded, which was nice. There was a produce stand up ahead, and I spotted tomatoes. I walked over.
“How much are these tomatoes? ” I asked. The seller looked up. “Ten thousand won for a box.
” I blinked. “That’s a bit big for me. ” I said. “How long do they last?
” The seller thought. “About three to four days, maybe a week if you store them well. But most people eat them fast. ” I nodded.
“So I shouldn’t keep them longer than a week. ” I said. “Yeah, that’s when they start going bad. ” I remembered my own experience—I used to buy five thousand won worth of tomatoes and eat one a day.
By the sixth day, some of them would start rotting. That made sense now. I told the seller I’d be back, and she nodded. “Take care.
” I walked away, talking to chat. “I need to eat them within a week. Otherwise they go bad. ” The chat agreed.
“Summer fruit goes bad fast. ” Someone said. “Peaches can go bad in a day. ” I nodded.
“Yeah, if you buy peaches, eat them the same day. ” I said. “That’s the rule. ”
I kept walking through the market.
It was quieter than I expected, but it had charm. There was a stall selling fish cakes, including cheese-filled ones. I pointed at one. “How much?
” “Three thousand won. ” I hesitated for half a second, then said, “I’ll take one. ” I paid and took the fish cake. It was warm in my hand.
I looked for a napkin. “Do you have any tissues? ” I asked. The seller handed me one, and I thanked her.
I took a bite. It was salty,and chewy, with a good texture. I nodded. “That’s pretty good.
” The chat asked, “How long is it? ” I laughed. “18. 5 centimeters.
” I joked. “How do you know that? ” someone asked. I shrugged.
“The fish cake is long. ” The chat laughed. Someone said, “You like them long and thick, huh? ” I laughed.
“I can’t compete with that. I’d disappoint you. ” I said. The chat went wild with emotes.
Even the viewers who were usually quiet were laughing. I smiled. This was fun. This was what I missed—just talking nonsense, eating street food, and having a good time with chat.
I finished the fish cake and kept walking. I saw another stall selling produce, and a sign said tomatoes. I walked over. The seller was an older woman.
“How much for these? ” I asked. She pointed at a big box. “Ten thousand won.
” I shook my head. “That’s too big for me. ” I said. “I’ll be back later.
” She nodded. “Okay, take care. ” I walked away. A viewer in chat asked about the balloon giveaway.
“You still doing the 140 balloons thing? ” I laughed. “If you send three stacks, I’ll do it. ” I said.
“But we need to get the stream working first. ” I looked down at my phone. The connection was still unstable. I sighed.
“I might need to reboot the stream. ” I told chat. “The screen might freeze for a bit. Audio will stay on.
” They said okay. I switched to the backup camera mode. It was a pain, but it worked. The stream was back up,though the screen was frozen for a bit.
The chat said, “This looks like an old broadcast. ” I laughed. “That’s what I’m going for. ” I said.
“Old-school vibe. ”
I saw a stall selling savory pancakes and other snacks. There was a woman there, and I pointed at one. “How much is this one?
” I asked. She said, “Ten thousand won for one box. ” I looked at it. It was big.
“That’s too big. ” I said. “Too big? ” she asked.
I nodded. “For one person, yeah. ” She smiled. “They go fast.
” I shrugged. “Maybe I’ll get it next time. ” I said. “Thanks.
” I walked away. The chat asked, “So you’re not doing the balloon giveaway? ” I laughed. “We’ll see.
” I said. “Maybe after I get some food in me. ” The chat kept joking around. It was light, easy, fun.
I felt relaxed. This was the kind of stream I liked—no pressure, just walking around and talking. . I kept walking, passing stalls with fried food, fruit, and household goods.
It reminded me of the market in my hometown. The same smell, the same sounds. I felt a little nostalgic. A chat viewer said, “This is making me hungry.
” I laughed. “You should go eat. ” I said. “Don’t starve because of me.
” The chat laughed. “We’re watching you eat. ” Someone said. “That’s the point.
” I nodded. “Fair enough. ” I said. “I’ll keep eating.
” I stopped at a stall selling drinks. I was thirsty. My blueberry drink was long gone. I looked at the options.
“How much for this? ” I asked, pointing at a bottle. The seller told me the price. I bought it,and took a sip.
It was cold, and it felt good. I sighed. “That’s better. ” I said.
The chat sent heart emotes. I smiled. “Thanks for hanging out with me today. ” I said.
“I know the stream has been a bit messy with the connection issues. ” The chat said it was fine. “We’re used to it. ” Someone said.
I laughed. “Appreciate that. ” I said. “Let’s keep walking.
” I kept going, deeper into the market, ready to see what else was there. . I stopped at a stall selling savory pancakes and other snacks. There was a woman there, and I pointed at one.
“How much is this one? ” I asked. She said, “Ten thousand won for one box. ” I looked at it.
It was big. “That’s too big. ” I said. “Too big?
” she asked. I nodded. “For one person, yeah. ” She smiled.
“They go fast. ” I shrugged. “Maybe I’ll get it next time. ” I said.
“Thanks. ” I walked away. The chat asked, “So you’re not doing the balloon giveaway? ” I laughed.
“We’ll see. ” I said. “Maybe after I get some food in me. ” The chat kept joking around.
It was light, easy, fun. I felt relaxed. This was the kind of stream I liked—no pressure, just walking around and talking. .
I kept walking, passing stalls with fried food, fruit, and household goods. It reminded me of the market in my hometown. The same smell, the the same sounds. I felt a little nostalgic.
A chat viewer said, “This is making me hungry. ” I laughed. “You should go eat. ” I said.
“Don’t starve because of me. ” The chat laughed. “We’re watching you eat. ” Someone said.
“That’s the point. ” I nodded. “Fair enough. ” I said.
“I’ll keep eating. ” I stopped at a stall selling drinks. I was thirsty. My blueberry drink was long gone.
I looked at the options. “How much for this? ” I asked, pointing at a bottle. The seller told me the price.
I bought it,and took a sip. It was cold,and it felt good. I sighed. “That’s better.
” I said. The chat sent heart emotes. I smiled. “Thanks for hanging out with me today.
” I said. “I know the stream has been a bit messy with the connection issues. ” The chat said it was fine. “We’re used to it.
” Someone said. I laughed. “Appreciate that. ” I said.
“Let’s keep walking. ” I kept going, deeper into the market, ready to see what else was there. I felt my phone buzz. I looked down.
The stream was still running, but the connection was getting worse. I sighed. “I might need to restart the stream. ” I said.
The chat said, “Do what you need to do. ” I stopped for a moment, switched cameras, and restarted. It took a minute, but it worked. The stream was back, though the screen was frozen for a bit.
The chat said, “This looks like an old broadcast. ” I laughed. “That’s what I’m going for. ” I said.
“Old-school vibe. ” I kept walking. The market was starting to thin out, but I still had time. I looked around.
I wanted to find some raw fish. That was my plan for lunch. But the fish stalls weren’t open yet. I checked the time.
It was still a bit early. I figured I’d grab a snack first. I saw a stall selling fried dumplings and decided to get some. I walked over.
“How much? ” I asked. “Three thousand for a few. ” I nodded and paid.
I bit into one. It was hot,and crispy,and delicious. I nodded. “That’s good.
” I said. The chat asked, “Are you going to eat raw fish after? ” I nodded. “That’s the plan.
” I said. “The raw fish stalls open later. I’ll wait. ” I finished the dumplings,and kept walking.
I felt good. The sun was warm,but I had a drink,and the market was quiet. This was a good day. .
I passed another produce stand. There were tomatoes again. I looked at them. The seller said, “Ten thousand won for a box.
” I shook my head. “Too big. ” I said. “Maybe next time.
” The seller nodded. “Okay. ” I walked away. A chat viewer asked, “Are you going to do the balloon giveaway?
” I laughed. “We’ll see. ” I said. “Maybe after I get food.
” I kept walking. I stopped at another snack stall. There were savory pancakes. I bought one,and took a bite.
It was good. I nodded. “Not bad. ” I said.
I ate it while walking. The chat was relaxed, chatting among themselves. I felt comfortable. This was the kind of stream I liked—no pressure, just walking around and talking.
I said that to chat. “This feels like old-school Afreeca. ” I said. “I like this.
” The chat agreed. “Yeah, this is nice. ” Someone said. I smiled.
“Glad you guys are here. ” I said. “Let’s keep going. ”
I walked further into the market.
I saw a stall selling fish. I walked over, hoping they had raw fish. But the stall wasn’t set up yet. The seller said, “Come back in an hour.
” I nodded. “Okay. I’ll be back. ” I said.
I walked away. The chat asked, “What are you going to do now? ” I shrugged. “Maybe get a drink and wait.
” I said. “The raw fish stall opens later. ” I found a nearby stall selling drinks. I bought a cold drink,and took a sip.
It was refreshing. I sighed. “That’s better. ” I said.
I looked around. The market was still quiet, but I could see more stalls starting to open. I felt good. This was a nice day.
I smiled. “Thanks for watching. ” I said to chat. “I’ll keep going.
” I kept walking, ready to see what else I could find. The sun was warm,and the market was calm. This was a good day to be out here. .
I heard my phone buzz. I looked down. The stream was still running. The chat was active.
Someone asked, “Are you doing the balloon giveaway? ” I laughed. “Maybe after lunch. ” I said.
“Let’s get food first. ” I kept walking. I passed a stall selling fruit. There were peaches.
I remembered what the seller said earlier—peaches go bad in a day. I decided to skip them. I’d get tomatoes instead, maybe next time. I kept walking.
I saw another snack stall. There were fried squid. I bought a small portion. It was hot, and crispy.
I bit into it. It was good. I nodded. “That’s solid.
” I said. The chat asked, “Are you going to eat raw fish after? ” I nodded. “That’s the plan.
” I said. “The raw fish stalls open later. I’ll wait. ” I finished the squid,and kept walking.
The market was starting to fill up a little more. I felt good. This was a nice day. I smiled.
“Thanks for coming along with me. ” I said to chat. “I’ll keep going. ” I kept walking, ready to see what else I could find.
. The sun was warm,and the market was calm. This was a good day to be out here. .
I saw a stall selling cold drinks. I was thirsty again. I bought one,and took a sip. It was cold,and it felt good.
I sighed. “That’s better. ” I said. The chat sent heart emotes.
I smiled. “Thanks for hanging out. ” I said. “Let’s keep going.
” I kept walking. The market was starting to wind down a bit, but I still had time. I looked around. I wanted to find some raw fish.
That was my plan for lunch. I saw a fish stall starting to set up. I walked over. “Are you open yet?
” I asked. The seller said, “Not yet. Come back in about 30 minutes. ” I nodded.
“Okay. I’ll be back. ” I said. I walked away.
The chat asked, “What are you going to do now? ” I shrugged. “Maybe get a snack and wait. ” I said.
I found another snack stall. There were dumplings. I bought a few,and ate them. It was good.
I nodded. “Not bad. ” I said. I kept walking.
The market was quiet, but I could see more stalls opening. I felt good. This was a nice day. I smiled.
“Thanks for watching. ” I said to chat. “I’ll keep going. ” I kept walking, ready to see what else I could find.
The sun was warm,and the market was calm. This was a good day to be out here. . I heard my phone buzz.
I looked down. The stream was still running. The chat was active. Someone asked, “Are you doing the balloon giveaway?
” I laughed. “Maybe after lunch. ” I said. “Let’s get food first.
” I kept walking. I passed a stall selling fruit. There were peaches. I remembered what the seller said earlier—peaches go bad in a day.
I decided to skip them. I’d get tomatoes instead, maybe next time. I kept walking. I saw another snack stall.
There were fried squid. I bought a small portion. It was hot,and crispy. I bit into it.
It was good. I nodded. “That’s solid. ” I said.
The chat asked, “Are you going to eat raw fish after? ” I nodded. “That’s the plan. ” I said.
“The raw fish stalls open later. I’ll wait. ” I finished the squid,and kept walking. The market was starting to fill up a little more.
I felt good. This was a nice day. I smiled. “Thanks for coming along with me.
” I said to chat. “I’ll keep going. ” I kept walking, ready to see what else I could find. The sun was warm,and the market was calm.
This was a good day to be out here. . I saw a stall selling cold drinks. I was thirsty again.
I bought one,and took a sip. It was cold,and it felt good. I sighed. “That’s better.
” I said. The chat sent heart emotes. I smiled. “Thanks for hanging out.
” I said. “Let’s keep going. ” I kept walking. The market was starting to wind down a bit, but I still had time.
I looked around. I wanted to find some raw fish. That was my plan for lunch. I saw a fish stall starting to set up.
I walked over. “Are you open yet? ” I asked. The seller said, “Not yet.
Come back in about 30 minutes. ” I nodded. “Okay. I’ll be back.
” I said. I walked away. The chat asked, “What are you going to do now? ” I shrugged.
“Maybe get a snack and wait. ” I said. I found another snack stall. There were dumplings.
I bought a few,and ate them. It was good. I nodded. “Not bad.
” I said. I kept walking. The market was quiet, but I could see more stalls opening. I felt good.
This was a nice day. I smiled. “Thanks for watching. ” I said to chat.
“I’ll keep going. ” I kept walking, ready to see what else I could find. The sun was warm,and the market was calm. This was a good day to be out here.
. I felt my phone buzz. I looked down. The stream was still running.
The chat was active. Someone asked, “Are you doing the balloon giveaway? ” I laughed. “Maybe after lunch.
” I said. “Let’s get food first. ” I kept walking. I passed a stall selling fruit.
There were peaches. I remembered what the seller said earlier—peaches go bad in a day. I decided to skip them. I’d get tomatoes instead, maybe next time.
I kept walking. I saw another snack stall. There were fried squid. I bought a small portion.
It was hot,and crispy. I bit into it. It was good. I nodded.
“That’s solid. ” I said. The chat asked, “Are you going to eat raw fish after? ” I nodded.
“That’s the plan. ” I said. “The raw fish stalls open later. I’ll wait.
” I finished the squid,and kept walking. The market was starting to fill up a little more. I felt good. This was a nice day.
I smiled. “Thanks for coming along with me. ” I said to chat. “I’ll keep going.
” I kept walking, ready to see what else I could find. The sun was warm,and the market was calm. This was a good day to be out here. .
I saw a stall selling cold drinks. I was thirsty again. I bought one,and took a sip. It was cold,and it felt good.
I sighed. “That’s better. ” I said. The chat sent heart emotes.
I smiled. “Thanks for hanging out. ” I said. “Let’s keep going.
” I kept walking. The market was starting to wind down a bit, but I still had time. I looked around. I wanted to find some raw fish.
That was my plan for lunch. I saw a fish stall starting to set up. I walked over. “Are you open yet?
” I asked. The seller said, “Not yet. Come back in about 30 minutes. ” I nodded.
“Okay. I’ll be back. ” I said. I walked away.
The chat asked, “What are you going to do now? ” I shrugged. “Maybe get a snack and wait. ” I said.
I found another snack stall. There were dumplings. I bought a few,and ate them. It was good.
I nodded. “Not bad. ” I said. I kept walking.
The market was quiet, but I could see more stalls opening. I felt good. This was a nice day. I smiled.
“Thanks for watching. ” I said to chat. “I’ll keep going. ” I kept walking, ready to see what else I could find.
The sun was warm,and the market was calm. This was a good day to be out here. I heard my phone buzz. I looked down.
The stream was still running. The chat was active. Someone asked, “Are you doing the balloon giveaway? ” I laughed.
“Maybe after lunch. ” I said. “Let’s get food first. ” I kept walking.
I passed a stall selling fruit. There were peaches. I remembered what the seller said earlier—peaches go bad in a day. I decided to skip them.
I’d get tomatoes instead, maybe next time. I kept walking. I saw another snack stall. There were fried squid.
I bought a small portion. It was hot,and crispy. I bit into it. It was good.
I nodded. “That’s solid. ” I said. The chat asked, “Are you going to eat raw fish after?
” I nodded. “That’s the plan. ” I said. “The raw fish stalls open later.
I’ll wait. ” I finished the squid,and kept walking. The market was starting to fill up a little more. I felt good.
This was a nice day. I smiled. “Thanks for coming along with me. ” I said to chat.
“I’ll keep going. ” I kept walking, ready to see what else I could find. The sun was warm,and the market was calm. This was a good day to be out here.
. I saw a stall selling cold drinks. I was thirsty again. I bought one,and took a sip.
It was cold,and it felt good. I sighed. “That’s better. ” I said.
The chat sent heart emotes. I smiled. “Thanks for hanging out. ” I said.
“Let’s keep going. ” I kept walking. The market was starting to wind down a bit, but I still had time. I looked around.
I wanted to find some raw fish. That was my plan for lunch. I saw a fish stall starting to set up. I walked over.
“Are you open yet? ” I asked. The seller said, “Not yet. Come back in about 30 minutes.
” I nodded. “Okay. I’ll be back. ” I said.
I walked away. The chat asked, “What are you going to do now? ” I shrugged. “Maybe get a snack and wait.
” I said. I found another snack stall. There were dumplings. I bought a few,and ate them.
It was good. I nodded. “Not bad. ” I said.
I kept walking. The market was quiet, but I could see more stalls opening. I felt good. This was a nice day.
I smiled. “Thanks for watching. ” I said to chat. “I’ll keep going.
” I kept walking, ready to see what else I could find. The sun was warm,and the market was calm. This was a good day to be out here. .
I checked my phone again. The stream was still running. The chat was still active. Someone asked, “Are you going to do the balloon giveaway?
” I laughed. “After lunch, maybe. ” I said. “Let’s get food first.
” I kept walking. I passed a stall selling fruit. There were peaches. I remembered what the seller said earlier—peaches go bad in a day.
I decided to skip them. I’d get tomatoes instead, maybe next time. I kept walking. I saw another snack stall.
There were fried squid. I bought a small portion. It was hot,and crispy. I bit into it.
It was good. I nodded. “That’s solid. ” I said.
The chat asked, “Are you going to eat raw fish after? ” I nodded. “That’s the plan. ” I said.
“The raw fish stalls open later. I’ll wait. ” I finished the squid,and kept walking. The market was starting to fill up a little more.
I felt good. This was a nice day. I smiled. “Thanks for coming along with me.
” I said to chat. “I’ll keep going. ” I kept walking, ready to see what else I could find. The sun was warm,and the market was calm.
This was a good day to be out here. . I saw a stall selling cold drinks. I was thirsty again.
I bought one,and took a sip. It was cold,and it felt good. I sighed. “That’s better.
” I said. The chat sent heart emotes. I smiled. “Thanks for hanging out.
” I said. “Let’s keep going. ” I kept walking. The market was starting to wind down a bit, but I still had time.
I looked around. I wanted to find some raw fish. That was my plan for lunch. I saw a fish stall starting to set up.
I walked over. “Are you open yet? ” I asked. The seller said, “Not yet.
Come back in about 30 minutes. ” I nodded. “Okay. I’ll be back.
” I said. I walked away. The chat asked, “What are you going to do now? ” I shrugged.
“Maybe get a snack and wait. ” I said. I found another snack stall. There were dumplings.
I bought a few,and ate them. It was good. I nodded. “Not bad.
” I said. I kept walking. The market was quiet, but I could see more stalls opening. I felt good.
This was a nice day. I smiled. “Thanks for watching. ” I said to chat.
“I’ll keep going. ” I kept walking, ready to see what else I could find. The sun was warm,and the market was calm. This was a good day to be out here.
. I heard my phone buzz. I looked down. The stream was still running.
The chat was active. Someone asked, “Are you doing the balloon giveaway? ” I laughed. “Maybe after lunch.
” I said. “Let’s get food first. ” I kept walking. I passed a stall selling fruit.
There were peaches. I remembered what the seller said earlier—peaches go bad in a day. I decided to skip them. I’d get tomatoes instead, maybe next time.
I kept walking. I saw another snack stall. There were fried squid. I bought a small portion.
It was hot,and crispy. I bit into it. It was good. I nodded.
“That’s solid. ” I said. The chat asked, “Are you going to eat raw fish after? ” I nodded.
“That’s the plan. ” I said. “The raw fish stalls open later. I’ll wait.
” I finished the squid,and kept walking. The market was starting to fill up a little more. I felt good. This was a nice day.
I smiled. “Thanks for coming along with me. ” I said to chat. “I’ll keep going.
” I kept walking, ready to see what else I could find. The sun was warm,and the market was calm. This was a good day to be out here. .
I stopped for a moment, looking at the time. I figured I had about thirty more minutes before the raw fish stalls opened. I decided to get a drink and find a place to sit. I bought a cold drink,and sat on a bench near the market entrance.
The chat was still active. Someone asked, “You tired? ” I shook my head. “Not really.
” I said. “Just waiting for the fish. ” I took a sip of my drink. It was cold,and it felt good.
I looked around. The market was calm. The sun was warm. This was a nice day.
I smiled. “Thanks for waiting with me. ” I said to chat. “I’ll keep going once the fish opens.
” The chat sent emotes. I felt good. This was a good day to be here, in the market, with my stream,and with the chat. I waited a little longer, then stood up.
“Alright, let’s go check on the fish. ” I said. “Let’s see if they’re open. ” I walked back toward the fish stall.
The seller saw me and nodded. “Just a few more minutes. ” I nodded. “Okay.
I’ll be right here. ” I said. I waited, watching the market. The sun was warm,and the smell of fresh fish started to fill the air.
I smiled. This was going to be a good lunch.