I Want to Be a VTuber

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First of all, it was just a few photos.

Photos from a movie filming set.

Up to that point, it was the usual kind of leak.

– “Is this a new movie featuring Joo Seo-yeon?”

– “What’s the title?”

– “I heard it’s called Gyeongseong Young Lady.”

– “Oh, is it yet another story set in the Japanese occupation era? That’s so clichéd.”

– “Joo Seo-yeon is said to be quite popular in Japan lately. That’s touching on a sensitive topic.”

There was a bit of chatter in the community about the actors featured in the photo.

And I mean a bit.

Well, after all, the movie hasn’t even been officially released yet.

Compared to idol fan communities, actor fan communities tend to have less firepower.

Actually, Joo Seo-yeon had a surprisingly strong fanbase for an actress.

Of course, the reason Seo-yeon was getting attention wasn’t just because of the genre or theme of the movie.

“That’s intense.”

Jang Tae-hee, CEO of Cocklico Korea, was nodding while looking at the photos presented in the meeting.

Recently, the headquarters had asked if there was anyone in Korea to recommend as a luxury ambassador.

Yes, it was about the ambassador role.

Luxury ambassadors usually can’t just be anyone famous.

After all, they need to be a face to sell not only in Korea but around the globe.

‘This small country, per capita, holds the number one position in the global luxury goods market.’

There’s a reason Cocklico is keen on having a Korean celebrity as an ambassador.

Currently, Cocklico’s market share in Asia is relatively low compared to Europe.

The request that came to the Korean branch was likely an attempt to grab market share held by other luxury brands.

So, Jang Tae-hee cautiously considered several candidates.

“Who did the headquarters suggest?”

“Just X’s Lee Hyun.”

“That’s decent.”

If we’re talking about Just X, they’re a globally recognized K-pop idol.

Given that recent Korean idols have been landing ambassadorships with various luxury brands, it’s a pretty solid choice.

At least when looking at the numbers.

“They’re also open to considering additional candidates.”

Hwang So-young, the PR team leader at Cocklico Korea, calmly glanced over the photos of various candidates.

As expected of celebrities, they all had stunning appearances.

But the one that stood out the most was, amusingly enough, the recently leaked image.

“Isn’t it rare for leaked photos to come into play?”

“That just means it made a strong impression. Plus…”

The photo also captured the Japanese filming crew.

Of course, it wasn’t clear just from the picture alone, but the leaker had specifically mentioned “Japanese filming crew.”

“Joo Seo-yeon is said to be the most watched Korean actress at the moment in Japan.”

“That’s surprising, considering she hasn’t really done much.”

“It’s definitely unusual for someone to gain this level of recognition just based on looks.”

Well, it’s not just looks.

It was a one-minute acting clip.

That one-minute video, which is currently a meme and keeps getting played on YouTube in Japan, is what started this whole buzz.

“But focusing solely on the Japanese market for selection seems a bit…”

“It’s not just about the Japanese market. You know about the recent success of Sky Garden, right?”

“That…”

At Jang Tae-hee’s words, Hwang So-young found herself at a loss for words.

The recently concluded Sky Garden.

The final episode had a staggering rating of 33 percent.

Achieving ratings deemed ‘impossible’ on public channels recently.

Looking back ten years, it would have been like hitting over 40 percent.

The impact of Sky Garden was astonishing enough to be considered explosive.

The biggest beneficiary was the chair brand Aids.

Next up was Éclat Étoile.

Especially, Aids’ student chairs have reportedly been out of stock.

“Currently, Joo Seo-yeon’s recognition level is… practically incomparable among her peers.”

“In terms of impact over one year, she could easily overshadow Jo Seo-hee or Park Jung-woo.”

It’s not that those two didn’t have hit works this year.

It’s just that Joo Seo-yeon had an unbelievable string of blockbusters.

Even the entertainment industry, which initially dismissed it with a laugh, is now starting to reel in shock.

Variety shows or dramas.

Even movies.

One has to wonder how many hit works she’s churned out in a single year.

Despite not shooting a lot of commercials compared to her acting roles, it’s understandable that she might not have time for ad work given the sheer number of projects.

“Sky Garden and Dream Future are currently being exported overseas. Clearly, Seo-yeon’s recognition will only continue to rise.”

“That’s true. The problem is…”

“Her career is still too short.”

No matter how phenomenal her achievements, it’s still just been a year.

What happens next is anyone’s guess.

If she can maintain this momentum through next year, who knows what might happen?

‘At least, based on the image in this photo, no actress fits Cocklico as well as she does.’

Seo-yeon, dressed in a butterfly kimono and holding an antique pipe, looked like someone stepping right out of a film.

The title ‘Butterfly Young Lady’ fits her appearance perfectly.

Butterfly, which means ‘red poppy’ in French, complements Cocklico nicely.

“It seems a bit challenging for now… let’s observe for a while.”

“What about Lee Hyun?”

“We’ll take a look at that side. I’m slightly concerned about Just X.”

Specifically, it was about Just X’s leader, Ro, who has recently been generating quite a buzz.

Of course, it wasn’t bad news as of yet.

Yeah, it’s still ‘not yet.’

“But wouldn’t someone else from Just X swoop in to take that spot? Lee Hyun is particularly keen on promoting himself for luxury brand ambassadorships.”

“In that case, just tell them to go for it.”

With that comment, Jang Tae-hee smiled subtly.

Yeah, Lee Hyun is currently much more recognized and would yield more benefits when used as a model.

‘But who knows what the future holds?’

Having watched this industry for a long time, she instinctively sensed it.

Just one year into her career.

Comparing Joo Seo-yeon, who can still be considered a rookie, to a seasoned pro like Lee Hyun is, frankly, amusing.

The recognition levels differ as vastly as heaven and earth.

But the future is a mystery.

Currently gaining attention in Japan.

The Japanese market has undeniably shrunk compared to the past.

But its strength and national prestige have not faded away.

Good or bad.

Japan once led trends across Asia.

Its impact is still far from negligible.

‘Gyeongseong Young Lady…’

I had a gut feeling that once the film hit theaters, a lot of things would change.

For some reason.

***

“Wow…”

In the darkness, a woman was deeply engrossed in watching a drama displayed on a large TV.

On the screen, a beautiful girl with long black hair was delivering a powerful performance.

Her pale skin made her strikingly dark hair stand out even more.

Adding to that were her mysterious crimson eyes.

The scene was building towards its climax.

In the latter half of Sky Garden.

Lee Yoo-joo, who had merely followed the path laid out by her father, was now influenced by her friend Song Ga-yeon to seek a new dream.

“I’m scared.”

Lee Yoo-joo said, gripping Song Ga-yeon’s arm.

On that day she fell off a cliff, that girl helped her without expecting anything in return.

“It’s all on me to make decisions now.”

If it were the old Yoo-joo, she wouldn’t have even looked at it.

Compared to others, her background was lacking.

Her overly kind personality didn’t help either.

Plus, her academic prowess was nothing spectacular.

But Yoo-joo began to trail after Song Ga-yeon as if possessed.

She rejected it and pushed her away many times.

Reiterating that her path shouldn’t be as shabby as that, she tried to mock Ga-yeon vigorously.

But perhaps, that’s precisely why.

The adults from Sky Garden reaching out towards her.

And children being swayed by those adults felt grotesque to her.

As if they were marionettes connected by strings.

If she thought she was just like them, a shiver would run down her spine.

“I’ve already made one big mistake.”

Lee Min-seo.

The second child of the Lee Min-hyeok family.

The stepping stone she used to rise.

However, she refused to be a stepping stone.

Just as Yoo-joo was about to reach for her brother, she shoved her off the cliff.

Then, seeing Yoo-joo return alive, she attempted suicide.

Looking at Yoo-joo with accusing eyes.

“You don’t understand.”

Min-seo spoke in a low voice.

“For the first time since birth, my parents’ focus was on me. It was a hard-earned attention—love I fought to regain. But if you do to my brother what you did to me… I’d just return to how I was before.”

With that sorrowful voice, Min-seo jumped from the school building.

“But you’re alive.”

Recalling that incident, Song Ga-yeon said with a smile.

“That wasn’t your fault. The one at fault first was Min-seo. She was just rationalizing her mistakes.”

Min-seo did fall from the school, but thankfully did not die.

However, she was in a coma and had yet to awaken.

Ga-yeon sympathized a bit with Min-seo’s plight, but she knew it wasn’t Yoo-joo’s fault.

“Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes, they aren’t even intentional.”

Min-seo’s incident became the turning point for Yoo-joo’s thought process.

She began to harbor ‘doubt’ toward what she had to do, making it impossible to walk the same path as before.

In other words, she found herself lost.

“Yoo-joo, you have talent, right? I think it’s too wasteful to throw it all away just because of one mistake.”

A small word of encouragement.

It was the first time Yoo-joo had ever heard such comforting words in Sky Garden.

No, it might have been the first time in her life.

No one had ever said such words to her.

Can I do it?

Yoo-joo took a deep breath.

She still hadn’t decided what she wanted to do.

But before that.

“… I have things I need to wrap up first.”

The matters regarding the Lee Hyuk-soo family.

And, concerning her father.

Yoo-joo made a firm decision.

This time she wouldn’t run away, but would confront those issues head-on.

Then, as the screen faded to gray, the drama came to an end.

The woman, breathless after watching the entire sequence, finally exhaled the breath she had been holding.

“Wow, what would I have done if I had followed this live?”

At the same time, she felt a twinge of sadness that only three episodes remained.

Yoo-joo, who had been floundering because of Min-seo’s situation, settled her heart, and once she resolved her delayed final tasks, it would all be over.

“The writing is great.”

The woman nodded as she mulled over the script of the drama she had just watched.

Indeed, good works provide inspiration before creating.

Having completed her previous work and effectively taken a year off, it’s about time to move on to a new creation!

“…Why rush, though?”

Of course, inspiration doesn’t mean jumping straight into working right away.

We’re talking about needing a bit of relaxation.

Writing a novel requires a great deal of delicacy and is highly sensitive to one’s mental state and condition.

In other words, it means she needs a little more rest.

“Joo Seo-yeon…”

The woman rolled her tongue over the name of the actress she had just seen on screen.

In reality, she doesn’t watch dramas often.

To be precise, she rarely engages with visual media like TV or movies.

Only occasionally dabbling in YouTube?

That’s why she watched Sky Garden only after it had finished airing.

She didn’t intend to watch it at all until one actress drew her in.

“I’m so envious. I’m jealous of Suah… If only I had been a little more diligent… just a tad quicker…”

The woman furiously pounded on her bed with her fist.

Late with her serialization, late with dating.

Honestly, nothing is moving fast for her.

What’s the point in writing a new piece? Wouldn’t it be better to just wither away like this?

If she’s going to live alone for the rest of her life, that might as well be it.

Just then, her phone buzzed.

Most likely just another telemarketer, she thought, looking at the screen with a dull look.

“Hello, editor! How are you? I have the new manuscript up to chapter 5 ready, and I was just going to send you the proposal~.”

[We know you haven’t written a single chapter yet.]

Wait, how did they know?

Feeling even more downcast upon hearing her editor’s voice was like a double whammy.

But ignoring it wasn’t an option.

The editor responsible for her wasn’t your run-of-the-mill publisher’s editor; they were part of a massive web novel serialization platform.

In other words, someone directly under the platform.

Naturally, not playing nice could have a direct backlash on her work’s promotion.

Of course, she’d just laugh it off and say that wasn’t true, but there’s a certain vibe, you know?

‘The contract says I’m the subordinate here.’

What’s subordinate about this?

She felt a fresh wave of sadness.

‘I’ll never work under them again.’

No matter how well her novel might sell.

What’s the use of that when she can’t even voice her displeasure?

If it were a regular publishing house, she’d have been chummy with some high-up folks by now.

She’d switch her pen name and publish elsewhere.

She’s genuinely feeling hard-done by, wondering if she should even consider this place anymore.

[Good news, writer!]

“Wow, really? I’m so excited.”

In reality, the news was likely nothing special.

Most probably just about promotions, right?

The webtoon adaptation had been sorted a while back, and there weren’t any other works lined up for adaptation.

And they weren’t even considering giving it to a smaller platform; they wanted to produce it themselves.

The profits would have to be significant for that.

[The piece is being adapted into a drama.]

“?”

The woman pulled her smartphone away from her ear for a moment.

Then, after a moment of staring at the screen, she pressed record on the call.

“Wait, I didn’t catch that. Could you repeat it for me?”

[The work is being adapted into a drama by a cable network.]

“Are you kidding me!!”

She shouted without realizing it.

Whoa, this is why working directly with a platform is great; this is unreal.

A drama adaptation?

Not a web drama, but a cable network show?

Indeed, the universe’s best platform!

I’ve believed this all along.

This is definitely where I’ll spend my life.

‘Suah, are you happy? I hope you and Seo-yeon continue to be happy. I think I might finally be happy too.’

Her previously heavy heart felt like it lifted away.

New work? Why would she need to prepare for that?

From now on, she should be referred to as a drama writer.

Thinking that, the woman flopped onto her bed.

Overcome with excitement, she completely drained her energy and collapsed.

And.

Unbeknownst to her, Seo-yeon, who had been blessed in her own way, stood by and said,

“Okay, I’m going in.”

“Uh, okay. Come on in.”

She faced Yeo-hee, who greeted her with an awkward look.

‘Next shoot, I’m going to get both of you back for that humiliation from the last one.’

She was about to embark on intense training to repay that earlier debacle.