GTAT 13

Chapter 13

Without any marketing, it typically takes an average of 1–2 years to grow a YouTube channel from zero subscribers to 10,000.
The next step—reaching 10,000 subscribers—usually takes around 40 to 83 videos.

But Creative Studio managed to reach 10,000 in just a little over a month, with only four or five videos uploaded.

“This is your record. It’s absurd, isn’t it?”
“Ha… the absurd part would be my gaming skills, I guess.”
“Ah… I really want to argue, but since it’s a fact, there’s nothing I can say.”

Unlike his words, Songjun himself found this reality almost unbelievable.
Of course, he had confidence he would succeed.

‘Who could’ve known it would be this fast? The talent-sharing network is insane.’

Jooyoungseok shook his head at Songjun, who still seemed unable to fully grasp reality.

“Even companies are going crazy trying to contact you. It’s not just ours. Anywhere with an MCN mark is probably scrambling to set up meetings with you.”
“I’ve been getting a lot of messages on Stargram DMs anyway.”

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that countless places had contacted Songjun after seeing the growth of his channel and its future potential.

“I’ve refused most of them. I don’t particularly want to join anywhere.”
“Good. For now, it’s better for you to go solo. It’s not essential anyway.”
“Exactly. Dr. Kim said the same. Be careful with joining an MCN. If you decide to, make sure to ask him first. He can check out the company for you.”

Dr. Kim was also running his channel without an MCN.
That didn’t mean he lacked broadcasting quality, collaborations, or connections.

“Anyway, congratulations on surpassing 10,000.”
“This is just the beginning. I won’t be satisfied with 10,000.”
“Ha. Of course not. Hit 100k, 1M, and then hire me.”

Jooyoungseok glanced at his phone and smiled with satisfaction.

“Even though Dr. Kim’s video was uploaded a while ago, it’s insane. It reached the top 10 in Ingeupdong. The highlight video goes up today too, right?”
“Yeah. Probably in about an hour?”
“The views might not be that high at first. Dr. Kim’s channel is still the main one. This is more for the new subscribers that come later.”
“It doesn’t matter if it hits zero views. Look at how many subscribers we’ve gained.”

He turned his gaze back to the screen. The countdown had dropped to single digits.

“Oh. Here we go.”

As the count hit zero, Popcorn Picture’s new intro video appeared.

[Popcorn Picture with Creative Studio J]

“Wow. The intro looks amazing.”

After the intro, Songjun’s voice flowed through the video.
Jooyoungseok put down his phone and focused on the monitor.

A low, calm voice that perfectly matched the atmosphere of the video.
The following low-toned narration heightened the tension, drawing viewers in.

‘Is that really Jun’s voice? Wow, his voice is this good? The video quality feels way higher now.’

Though he didn’t say it out loud, Jooyoungseok was impressed by how perfectly the voice synced with the video.

Swallowing hard—

As the visuals and voice matched perfectly, tension rose, and Jooyoungseok swallowed nervously.

<It was the movie Concrete Ocean.>

Even though the video was relatively long at around 15 minutes,
Jooyoungseok exhaled as the outro appeared.

“Wow. What a video. The immersion is insane.”
“Honestly, if you just listened to the voice, it’d be decent. The editing brought it to life.”
“No way. I’ve seen Popcorn Picture’s videos. This is definitely better than before. The editing didn’t suddenly improve, so it must be the voice. Not just good or bad, but it fits the video perfectly.”

It was clear. Since he had watched a couple of Popcorn Picture’s previous videos just in case,
the difference in immersion between those videos and this one was obvious.

“Look at the online reactions. I told you.”

• Wow, what’s with that voice? So rich.

• The tension is insane. Tone is perfect.

• Creative Studio? What’s that? He’s a game YouTuber?

• A game YouTuber doing narration now?

• lol, but he’s good lol. Who is this?

• So much nicer to listen to. Didn’t skip a second.

“See? The reaction’s better than expected. I thought it’d be average.”
“Of course. The point is that it’s better than the previous video.”

• The voice alone is decent, but the synergy with the video is insane.

• The delivery and tone are excellent.

• Totally agree. Even if you just listen to the audio, the voice is good.

Watching the finished video and reading the comments, he realized the response was better than expected.
But he also felt his voice was still more suitable as “supporting” rather than the main focus.

“Maybe it’s because it’s more about vocal technique than acting.”
“Huh? What?”
“Never mind, just talking to myself.”

Vocal technique is the most basic way to produce sound.
With a solid foundation and some added skill, this result was natural.

‘Improving my vocal technique is slower than I thought. I need to find something useful to practice.’

Even if he consistently uploaded video introductions, more varied experience was necessary.

“So, what are you doing tomorrow?”
“Me? A mural volunteer activity.”
“Suddenly?”
“Yeah, and I’ll take photos for Stargram while doing it.”
“You’re busy. Somehow, after starting YouTube, you’re busier than me, a regular office worker.”

Songjun nodded as if agreeing.

“Exactly. I didn’t expect this either.”

Now approaching summer,
the weather was fine with just a T-shirt and windbreaker.

Since today wasn’t for YouTube but to improve his painting skills, he felt relaxed.

“Clouds floating just right…”

Watching sunlight scatter across leaves, it was perfect weather for drawing outdoors.

He had turned to murals as a way to use his talent.
Drawing on paper or a tablet was easy, but a large mural was something not everyone could try.

Of course, the downside was that Songjun’s experience was limited, so he couldn’t take full responsibility for the mural.

“First, you’ll paint within the outlines with the specified paint. Can you do that?”
“That’s easy.”

Since it was a small mural, he was assigned immediately after confirming his name.
It was so easy that he almost felt it was a waste.

“Just paint in the areas where the students are working.”
“Got it~”

Painting within the given boundaries felt like coloring in a book.
Songjun’s artistic instincts stirred as he noticed small imperfections.

“Something… feels off.”

Since his role was clearly supportive, he focused on enhancing details rather than changing things—minimally.

‘A little more shading here would really bring out the atmosphere.’

Talent shines anywhere, even if his painting skills were barely over a 10.

“Oh, have you done mural work before?”
“No, it’s my first time.”

Jung Yunseo, in charge of this volunteer activity, nodded in satisfaction at how Songjun handled tasks after a single instruction.

“Adding the details makes it pop. Amazing.”

It wasn’t just following colors; he added appropriate detail.
Among others doing only assigned tasks for the volunteer hours, it was noticeable.

“See? I knew you’d be good. I recognized it from Stargram.”
“Thanks, it’s nothing really.”

Yunseo scanned the building where the mural work was being done.

Halfway through, students painted the outlined sections, while staff handled the detail-heavy areas.
There were always more hands needed.
Finishing a mural wasn’t just coloring; detailing and coating had to be done to complete it.

“Do you have a drawing you’re confident in? People, objects, or landscapes?”

Songjun had mostly drawn landscapes to improve his skill.

“I’ve drawn a lot of landscapes.”
“Then, come help me. I’m drawing a park scene over there on the wall.”

Yunseo pointed to the wall section with only tree roots drawn.

“Do you think you can finish this on your own?”
“Hmm…”

Songjun analyzed the partially drawn tree.
Not all trees are the same.

“Should I just do normal oval or elliptical leaves?”
“Oh! I didn’t expect that question. Yes. This is a cultural space for children. Match the tone with the other drawings.”

Even if he was very skilled, he couldn’t stand out.
This wasn’t a single mural; three walls needed to flow together.

‘A slightly fairytale vibe, for elementary children. Match the surroundings and colors.’

He carefully brushed paint on the wall.
The familiar sensation of the brush flowed through him.
Instead of painting the tree as a block, he focused on each leaf individually.

Drawing taught him that murals require extreme skill.
It wasn’t about painting better—it was about blending with the surroundings.

“But there’s no need to hide it either.”

So, while drawing the tree, he also tried to capture sunlight scattering through leaves in the park.

“A warmer feel…”

Sunlight through the trees was emphasized by shadows.

“Wow… the atmosphere is incredible.”
“Right? This is what talent looks like.”
“Wow… I need to take a picture and post it. He’s really good.”

People around began glancing at Songjun’s work and talking.

Even though it was just a volunteer activity, the mural looked amazing.
The tree he painted blended naturally with surrounding walls.

Since it was a one-day volunteer project, everyone else had already left.

“Wow… this is amazing. It doesn’t clash with the other murals, but I just keep looking.”

Yunseo admired Songjun’s finished work.

“This kid’s amazing, right?”
“Definitely. Drawing and murals are different things.”

After cleaning up, Yunseo remembered next week’s event.

“Maybe we could suggest him for next week’s event?”
“Sounds good.”

Yunseo stared at the tree on the wall, imprinting the name Songjun in her mind.