“Yep.” He showed Raul the tool kit he’d been using. “Do you mind if I stream some of the build? I can make sure the camera only shows you below the neck.”
“You’re not broadcasting your location or anything like that are you?” Raul asked.
“No. I never share my location. You never know when an overzealous fan will track you down and show up in your driveway demanding you play them in a round of Delta Combat Force to prove they’re the best.”
“Then it’s fine if you stream. And you don’t need to hide my face.”
Ji-Su clipped his phone into the holder on the tripod and started to stream online. He turned on his laptop so he could follow along with the chat as they got started. Once he was live, it didn’t take long for viewers to join the stream and the chat window to fill up with comments.
Woah, who’s the hottie ranch daddy helping you?a follower asked.
Ji-Su laughed at the comment.
“What’s funny?” Raul asked.
“Someone wants to know who you are. Is it okay if I tell them?”
“As long as you’re comfortable with it.”
“I am,” Ji-Su said with a confident nod. He turned to face the camera. “This is Raul my blood patron. Say hello everyone.”
A flurry ofHellos! He’s hot. Does he have a brother or a sister?started flooding the chat window.
“I think they like you,” Ji-Su teased. “Raul say hello to my thirsty followers.”
Raul looked at the phone’s camera. “Hello everybody.”
That wonderful slow smile curled his lips and his dark eyes sparkled with humor. Then he winked. That set off a rapid-fire stream of keyboard smashes and heart emojis in the chat window.
Ji-Su let it go for a little while before he got them on track and let them know why he was streaming.
“Tonight, we are going to build my desk and computer. Raul is here to be my second pair of hands.” He turned to Raul. “Ready?”
Raul nodded. “Let’s do it.” He grabbed the knife and opened the box for the desk. Everything inside was wrapped protectively in Styrofoam or plastic. And there was a fairly thick instruction manual on top.
Ji-Su was an expert at building computers—not so much at office furniture. He seemed to lose his patience too quickly and the directions were nearly incomprehensible to him. Luckily for him Raul had no problem building furniture. Ji-Su gladly let him take over, handing him a tool or holding a piece when needed. That left him free to engage with his viewers.
They were happy to see him again, welcoming him back with enthusiastic messages. A few people asked him where he’d been, but he neatly sidestepped those questions or simply responded that he’d moved. They didn’t need to know all the details of his experience with Cedric.
While Raul worked on a section that didn’t require his assistance, Ji-Su moved the camera around to show the stream the rest of the room. They liked it, teasing him about his love for the color yellow.
“Where’d my helper go?” Raul suddenly asked.
“Oops!” Ji-Su scooted back over to Raul. “Wait. I thoughtyouwere helpingme?”
Raul raised an eyebrow. “Remind me who did most of the work building this desk?”
Ji-Su laughed. “Okay, you’re right. I’m the helper.”
With a soft smile on his handsome face, Raul reached out and gently chucked him under the chin.
“Cutest helper.”
At the compliment, Ji-Su ducked his head to hide the blush warming the apples of his cheeks. He set his phone down on a shelf, angled to keep him and Raul in view as they worked. Ji-Su plugged in the desk. Together, they installed the interior LED lights and tested them to make sure they all worked. Then, Ji-Su pushed the buttons at the front of the desk, raising and lowering it in order to find the best levels for when he was standing and sitting.
“Do they have negative levels?” Raul asked. “That’d be best since you’re so small.”
“Hey!” Ji-Su protested with a playful pout. “We can’t all be burly, lumberjack giant vampires.”