I Want to Be a VTuber

"Hello, this is Bongsik!"

With a smile, Han Bongsik, a YouTuber with 1.4 million subscribers, bowed to the camera at a full ninety degrees. It was the same greeting he had given since he had just 140 subscribers.

Despite the growing subscriber count, his unchanging attitude was one of the things that appealed to viewers.

"The drama trailer I was looking forward to was released today."

Bongsik wondered what kind of drama would elicit a response of "I don't know." It seemed like the focus was more on the song than the content of the drama itself, which made it feel less anticipated. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

'Could that really be the case?'

Though Bongsik mainly reviewed movies and dramas, he didn’t shy away from other shows—especially those involving Ju Seoyeon. In fact, he had become quite a fan of Seoyeon.

Initially, his motivation was simply the high viewership he gained from covering her, but recently, it had become genuine. He was sincerely a fan of hers now.

'Missing that fan signing event will forever be a regret.'

He had even enjoyed watching Dream Future, and not attending her fan signing event was a sore point. However, his admiration for Seoyeon wasn't just because she was a good actress.

Seoyeon had an uncanny sense for choosing roles. Though her acting ability sometimes compensated for shortcomings, a project’s success usually wasn't determined by just one person's performance.

Her acting was outstanding, but it shone because the projects themselves were solid. Bongsik admired her mature acting skills, which seemed beyond her years.

But beyond that, he respected her remarkable sense for choosing roles.

'But is Sky Garden really that unimpressive?'

Sky Garden was especially significant for Seoyeon. Until now, she had mostly played villains or supporting roles. Even though Dream Future could be considered a lead role, she wasn’t technically the "main character."

Sky Garden was different. This was Seoyeon’s first time as the lead in a drama.

Taking on the main role for the first time was always special for an actor. It could also influence their standing in the industry.

If her first lead role bombed, producers and directors might reconsider casting her.

'That's strange.'

Bongsik had a hard time understanding the audience’s lukewarm reaction, given his respect for Seoyeon’s knack for selecting roles. His curiosity was piqued.

What kind of trailer could have elicited such a reaction?

"Alright, let’s take a look. I’m curious to see what kind of performance our actress Ju will show us this time."

"Yeah, I don’t do those. I’m a movie and drama reviewer. Sure, I’m a fan of Actress Ju, but not the variety shows."

Of course, he had watched Seoyeon’s appearance on Golden Duckling from start to finish, even postponing his other plans to watch the live broadcast.

'The family really has strong personalities.'

That might explain why someone like Seoyeon turned out the way she did. He was a bit surprised to learn that her father, Young-bin, was a developer at Raywheel Games.

Having once been an avid player of their games, Bongsik found it somewhat amusing.

"Now, this isn’t your typical coming-of-age drama."

He hit play on the Sky Garden trailer, which was now two days old and had surpassed 300,000 views.

That wasn't bad, but it wasn’t particularly impressive either.

"Let’s see... KMB’s Monday-Tuesday drama trailer recently surpassed 800,000 views."

One of his contacts worked at KMB, where there had been some internal shuffling and restructuring in the drama department. The ratings for the Monday-Tuesday dramas seemed to be a significant indicator in this internal competition.

Judging by the numbers, Sky Garden, airing on Wednesdays and Thursdays, was lagging behind.

'The Grand Game, huh.'

It was a drama critiquing society’s obsession with wealth, featuring the hot actress Ko Mi-eun as the lead. It had been heavily promoted.

As he read the comments, Bongsik continued his review of the trailer.

"The color scheme is quite dull. They put some effort into it, though. It almost feels like a movie."

He had a point. The cast of Sky Garden was mostly made up of young actors, unfamiliar to the audience.

And unfamiliarity can be dangerous for a drama that needs to appeal to the public.

"The drama definitely feels unfamiliar. Usually, how well the first episode draws viewers in is crucial, and judging by the trailer, that’s hard to gauge."

Bongsik paused, watching the trailer closely.

The trailer began with several seasoned actors, who played pivotal roles in the story. It set up the backstory of how "Lee Yoo-joo," the main character, was aiming to get into Baekyeon University, the country’s top school. Her unique study method, her “portfolio,” required her to approach children in a specific way.

These were the kinds of reactions he was seeing. However, Bongsik kept watching.

The first minute of the two-minute trailer focused on the “motivation” aspect. The remaining minute, however, took a sharp turn.

With a refreshing song in the background, the main character, Lee Yoo-joo, made her appearance.

“I heard your brother is the top student at Baekyeon U. In medical school, no less.”

“Yes.”

“You must be so proud. That’s truly impressive.”

The atmosphere was different from what he had expected, with a hint of a thriller in the conversation between the two women. Particularly, Yoo-joo’s gaze was something Bongsik found hard to describe.

He couldn’t help but be impressed.

‘It didn’t feel like she was acting.’

“Yes, very impressive. Truly.”

She twisted her lips ever so slightly.

“Minseo, let’s be close.”

The trailer ended with Yoo-joo’s low voice, and the clear song playing over it somehow felt chilling.

Seeing these comments, Bongsik took a moment to gather his thoughts.

"This could be the dark horse of this season."

"Yes, I actually really enjoyed it. How is this only at 300,000 views?"

Bongsik had already reviewed The Grand Game, the Monday-Tuesday drama. Since his reaction wasn’t as enthusiastic for that one, viewers found this response a bit unbelievable.

Of course, he understood the reactions. The Sky Garden trailer did seem to cram in a lot.

It felt somewhat awkward, but...

"It has the feel of a cable drama."

"I don’t mean it in a negative way. There’s something refreshingly unique about it. Familiarity and freshness are often just a hair’s breadth apart. This trailer emphasizes the former, but... if it leans into the latter when it airs, it could be compelling."

Bongsik paused. Predicting viewership had become almost a tradition for him.

But this time, he found it hard to make a call.

"I’m betting Sky Garden will have the highest ratings among the dramas this year."

"I’ll do a live performance in Hongdae with a guitar."

Bongsik laughed, reacting exaggeratedly to the comments. But he wasn’t joking.

He sincerely believed it.

‘Sky Garden might just bring something new to network TV.’

In an age when attention was shifting to OTT platforms, he felt this drama might bring some attention back to traditional television.

And perhaps it was due to Bongsik’s confidence or the trailer’s belated buzz, but soon articles started popping up:

[Sky Garden Trailer Achieves 1 Million Views in One Week!] [Who’s the Singer in Sky Garden’s OST? Interest Growing!]

The articles began to surface around that time.

"Did you watch the Sky Garden trailer?"

"The song was good. Do you think they’ll release it when the drama airs?"

"Judging by the vibe, it doesn’t seem like it’s by an idol. Is it a rookie singer?"

At school, Sky Garden was a frequent topic among the girls. It seemed to resonate more with them than The Grand Game, which targeted a slightly older demographic.

And considering that the drama’s lead was in their class, it made sense.

'Someone should just ask her.'

'Why not ask who the singer is?'

'But...'

Seoyeon sat quietly at her desk. She couldn’t help but purse her lips as she overheard the girls’ conversation.

'It’s me.'

It’s me!!!

She wanted to blurt it out.

She imagined standing up, banging on the podium, and saying:

"I’m actually the one who sang the OST for Sky Garden." "Wow, amazing!" "We believed in you!"

...Of course, Seoyeon wasn’t quite that dramatic.

But that’s how she felt inside. Unfortunately, she couldn’t say it because she had made a promise to Producer Lee Min-hwa of Sky Garden.

"The OST you sang has been receiving a lot of praise. We’re planning a more dramatic reveal."

"Dramatic? How?"

Simply shouting "I sang it!" didn’t seem like it would have much impact.

"We’re thinking of linking it with a variety show. Oh, right. I should also check your schedule. You’ve been quite busy lately, haven’t you?"

"Yes, a bit. It depends on the nature of the show."

Though she’d taken a break from variety shows, this was different, given its connection to the drama.

"We’re still brainstorming. Your singing has improved a lot, and we’ve been debating how to present it to the public... Also, you know PD Sim Kyung-hoon, right? He’s been really insistent about bringing you on."

Sim Kyung-hoon was a popular variety show producer at KMB, and he’d been pestering Lee Min-hwa for a while now.

"Ju Seoyeon on a KMB variety show, please!!"

"Of course, it’s not just because of him. We want Sky Garden and Seoyeon to stand out."

"But isn’t Nahyi—sorry, Summer Girls—also a great singer?"

"Well, they’re idols, so it’s expected. The standards for idols have been rising."

She had to agree. Idols were, after all, singers. And it felt a bit odd to label an idol as "talented," almost like saying "talented actor."

‘Like calling someone a “skilled actor.”’

Isn’t it strange to refer to an actor’s acting skills as particularly strong?

"So, what’s the variety show?"

"You’ve probably heard of it. It’s not as popular as it once was, but it’s still decent for promotion."

With that hint, Seoyeon had an idea.

It was a show that had seen a drop in ratings but still had a loyal following and occasional news coverage.

"Masked Singer."

"Yehee."

The disheveled woman raised her head at the call of her long-time manager, who sighed at the sight.

She’d be turning forty next year, but she hadn’t changed a bit since her twenties. The thought of her ever getting married was a distant dream.

Maybe forty was too late? But she was a celebrity, and she could easily pass for someone in their early thirties, so it wasn’t impossible.

Despite her lazy lifestyle, she was meticulous about her appearance. Recently, she’d been motivated by a particular show and was working on her skin, even booking an appointment at a clinic.

‘Suah-suah, was it?’

Who was that, anyway? Another celebrity? It was unusual for someone like Yehee, who normally had no interest in other celebrities, to be interested.

"Singers should sing, you know."

"I just released an album."

"Solo artists need to stay visible, or they get forgotten quickly. You know that with idols around, there’s not much room left."

Of course, Yehee was well aware. She yawned and stood up.

When her manager made comments like this, it usually meant there was work to do.

‘I was thinking of retiring.’

She’d been mulling over the idea of living off her savings and traveling. If it hadn’t been for that show, she might have.

"For the first time in forever, there’s a variety show offering for you."

"Oh, really? Seems I’ve lost my touch."

"Exactly, which is why you must go."

"Well, aren’t you charming."

Her manager had such a cheeky way of speaking. Yehee squinted at her with sleepy eyes.

"So, what is it?"

"Masked Singer."

Hmm, would that be alright for a singer?

Thinking it over, she realized that most of the truly talented singers had already been on it.

These days, it felt more like a comeback platform for scandal-ridden celebrities. It had lost some of its edge, but she still decided.

"Sure, why not."

"Really? I thought you’d say no!"

Just then, her manager noticed a song playing on repeat in the background. It seemed like Yehee had it on loop.

"Is that a rookie? Their voice is great."

"Oh, um... Are they? I guess they are?"

"Wait, I feel like I’ve heard this song somewhere..."

Of course, she couldn’t remember where. After all, it had only been a brief part of a drama trailer.