I Want to Be a VTuber

The shocking episode of Star Angler featuring the catch of a sailfish stirred up a lot of attention, especially when part of the expensive fish was cooked into a spicy stew.

Post: Was the sailfish catch staged?

"Wasn't there a fishing show before where they had divers underwater hooking the fish for the contestants? Could this be something like that?"

Such comments started to circulate, but they were quickly rebutted.

The fact that the fish was alive made it impossible to be staged. Anyone who watched the broadcast couldn't even imagine staging something as large as a sailfish. The sheer size of the fish, which looked like it could swallow a person whole, made it clear that it couldn’t have been staged.

While discussions like these were happening in various online communities, the fan community for Ju Seoyeon was engaged in a more humorous debate:

Post: Ju Seoyeon with a fishing rod vs. Cha Seo-ah

And with her appearance on Star Angler, she managed to attract a broader demographic of fans. The number of registered users in her fan community had now reached 5,000.

But Ju Seoyeon’s influence wasn’t just limited to her fan community; it also had unexpected effects elsewhere.

“Director, our fishing rod sales have doubled recently!”

“...What?”

Yuseong Enterprises, a well-known domestic fishing rod manufacturer, was experiencing an unexpected boom. In a market dominated by Japanese brands, such an increase in sales was quite unusual.

“Why?”

“Recently, on Star Angler, an actress caught a sailfish...”

“An actress caught a sailfish? Isn’t that staged?”

“People are saying that, but the catch was so spectacular that it’s hard to believe it was fake.”

The executive showed a video that was already circulating on YouTube Shorts. The sailfish didn’t just get caught; it flew out of the water.

“Is this CGI?”

“...There are rumors, but either way, the fishing rod she used was ours.”

Yuseong Enterprises had been sponsoring fishing rods for Star Angler for some time. The fishing rod used in this episode was quite expensive, designed to withstand a lot of strain.

“It managed to reel in a sailfish without breaking. If you search on YouTube, there’s a video showing the catch at around the 7-minute mark where the rod almost snapped in half.”

“Hmm. But our rod broke at the end...”

“Yes, but honestly, even an American or Japanese rod would have broken long before that. So, it seems our rod has gained quite a bit of attention.”

Who would have thought that sponsoring a fishing show would pay off like this?

“...Do we have a brand ambassador?”

“Of course.”

“What do you think about using this actress, Ju Seoyeon?”

The executive hesitated for a moment. Ju Seoyeon, a recently rising star, was currently generating a lot of buzz. If they were to use her as a model, now would be the time.

“...Shall we reach out to her?”

Yuseong Enterprises’ CEO, Kang Daesik, nodded, though he also felt a twinge of regret.

‘If I had known, I would have contacted her a little sooner.’

Until recently, Ju Seoyeon’s fee would have been comparable to that of a rookie. But now? Her rate had probably doubled or tripled. Regardless of whether it was hype or not, there was no denying that she was a hot topic.

As Ju Seoyeon was becoming a hot commodity in the advertising world...

“Our sales went up again.”

There was one brand that had secured Ju Seoyeon at her lowest rate.

“I’m amazed by your foresight, sir.”

“This truly is the legend of a luxury brand! It’s no wonder they say you’re a genius.”

“They say heroes appear in troubled times...”

Éclat Étoile, a luxury cosmetics brand, had secured Ju Seoyeon as their model when her value was at its lowest.

“Ahem, I knew it from the start. This all began when I first saw her in Looking Back on the Past ten years ago.”

Lately, every day at work was a joy for Director Baek Minchan, as everyone praised him for his insight. The company’s sales, which had previously hit rock bottom, were now rebounding sharply.

At this rate, they might even surpass their peak sales figures.

“Ah, but there is something a bit concerning.”

But, of course, there’s always someone to throw a wrench in the works. This time, it was the head of the business strategy department, Jung Taesu.

“Ahem, what do you mean, ‘concerning’?”

“Director, we’re a luxury cosmetics brand, aren’t we?”

“Yes.”

“While our cosmetics are selling well, the top-selling product is...”

“And that is?”

“Sunscreen.”

“...”

Sunscreen. While it is a cosmetic product...

“Our actress Ju Seoyeon gets a lot of attention every time she appears on a variety show, especially when she’s running around all excited.”

Survivor Island and Star Angler—both are shows that female actresses generally avoid.

And the reason for this? They’re shows where it’s easy to damage your image, not to mention the fact that you have to spend a lot of time under the scorching sun.

Your skin can get sunburned and roughened. With such grueling shoots ahead, most actresses avoid these shows.

But despite appearing on both shows, Seoyeon’s skin remained flawless—no blemishes, no signs of tanning.

At this point, rumors were spreading online that “Éclat Étoile’s sunscreen is amazing.”

“At this rate, we might become a sunscreen brand.”

“...Ahem.”

Of course, selling well is never a bad thing. The company’s current atmosphere was great, and everyone was busy praising Director Baek Minchan.

‘We are a luxury cosmetics brand, after all.’

While strong sales are good, they needed to pay attention to their brand image as well.

“Of course, there are benefits. Some people start with our sunscreen and then move on to our other products.”

“So, shall we use this opportunity to promote not just the sunscreen but our other products as well? How about filming another ad?”

“There is a new premium line we’re preparing to launch soon.”

The exact release date was about a month away.

“Yes. How about we invest more and shoot a high-quality ad for it?”

“Hmm...”

Internally, there was discussion about using another actor for the new premium line, someone with a more sophisticated image.

The reason was age. Seoyeon was a young actress, appealing primarily to teens and young adults. The cosmetics she had advertised were mainly targeted at that demographic.

However, the new premium line was aimed at a more mature and broader audience. Hence, the idea was to use an older actor.

“Alright, I’ll speak to the CEO about it.”

“Thank you!”

Jung Taesu bowed in response. To be honest, he hadn’t been entirely confident in Seoyeon at first.

After all, at the time, her recognition was still ambiguous, and he wasn’t sure how much impact a young actress could have. Still, he thought her beautiful face would work well.

‘But Director Baek was right.’

Though a bit unorthodox, Director Baek Minchan’s judgment had been spot on. The sales figures were proving it.

And with the success of The Chaser and Dream Future, Seoyeon’s recognition was skyrocketing.

Her vibrant image on variety shows was also a positive.

‘We can cultivate a more sophisticated image for her through our cosmetics.’

Managing an actress’s image was part of what an advertising company needed to consider. And with Seoyeon, Jung Taesu now felt confident it could be done.

While discussions about her were heating up in the advertising world, the Star Angler team gathered once more to celebrate the recent buzz around the show.

Usually, they would have had the after-party right after the shoot, but they had been too preoccupied with the sailfish to do so at the time.

“Thanks to Seoyeon, I got to try sailfish stew.”

“...I didn’t realize it was that expensive.”

Seoyeon responded in a small voice. She genuinely hadn’t known. Who would have thought that the fish she caught was one of only a few dozen caught each year?

It was only after the shoot, during her usual ego-searching routine, that she stumbled upon her profile on Namu Wiki and realized.

The controversy surrounding the sailfish stew was boldly listed under the “Controversies/Scandals” section of her profile.

‘To think my first controversy would be...!’

Seriously, was making sailfish stew really that big of a mistake? It just seemed... a little too foolish, didn’t it?

Seoyeon did care about her image, after all. Just yesterday, a convenience store clerk had asked her, “Why did you make spicy stew out of a sailfish?”

Who knew it was such a big deal?

“Well, considering how big it was, making stew out of part of it seems reasonable.”

“Right, right.”

Although Seoyeon felt a bit awkward about the conversation between Lee Sangsoo and PD Jung Seunghyun, Liam, who had appeared alongside her on the show, looked a bit down.

It was understandable since Seoyeon’s overwhelming presence had completely overshadowed him. In fact, many people didn’t even realize he had been on the show.

As Liam quietly picked at his grilled meat, he noticed Seoyeon staring at him.

“Why, why are you looking at me?”

“No reason, just...”

Seoyeon narrowed her eyes as she looked at Liam.

‘Now that I think about it, I’ve seen him somewhere before.’

She hadn’t recognized him during the shoot because he had been so done up, but now, with his makeup toned down, she remembered seeing him somewhere.

‘It wasn’t a good memory...’

It must have been some kind of incident. Not a major one, but something that had briefly made it into the news before disappearing. The incident that led to the disbanding of Thunderst.

“...Anyway.”

At that moment, Lee Sangsoo addressed Seoyeon.

“I watched your movie this past weekend.”

“Excuse me?”

“I mean The Chaser. Honestly, I’m not good with thriller movies.”

Lee Sangsoo instinctively reached for a shot of soju but hesitated, realizing they hadn’t ordered any alcohol for this gathering since Seoyeon was underage.

“Honestly, after watching the movie, it’s hard to believe you’re the same person.”

He chuckled as he spoke. The character Cha Seo-ah in The Chaser was someone who had gathered all the darkness around her.

But on the variety show, Seoyeon had been like a ray of sunshine. Even though Dream Future didn’t quite match his tastes, there was something captivating about it.

An actor.

That word, which no longer seemed to apply to him, shone brightly for Seoyeon. She was an actress to whom that word suited more than anyone else.

“If I ever get the chance, I’d love to act alongside you someday... Ah, that’s just me rambling, no need to take it seriously.”

Seoyeon suddenly thought of the actor Lee Sangsoo. An actor who had experienced a great failure in Hollywood.

More precisely, someone whose pride as an actor had been thoroughly crushed, leading him to lose his way.

‘If I remember correctly, Lee Sangsoo will completely retire in about five years.’

After Star Angler, he would no longer be seen on screen. But...

“Senior.”

Seoyeon looked at him as he fiddled with his empty shot glass. Personally, she didn’t want to see him retire.