I Want to Be a VTuber

The employees set to transfer to Drama Department 2 were honestly terrified. When the first episode scored only a 6 percent rating, they thought it was over.

"Six percent? Yeah, it’s done for." "Honestly, I couldn't even follow the premise... It felt like a drama that should've gone to cable." They laughed and joked about it after that first episode aired.

After all, six percent. It wasn’t high, but it wasn’t low either. And with a premise that felt so alien, they thought it lacked the adaptability needed to hook viewers.

But then they watched episode two.

"Why is this actually interesting?" "This feels... kind of strange."

Episode two focused on Min-seo and Yoo-joo. Min-seo, the so-called 'disappointment' to her parents, was the girl who always came up short compared to her brother.

"My parents love me, but I know. I’m just their cute daughter," Min-seo said to Yoo-joo, her tone laced with sarcasm. She didn’t fully understand why she had to get close to Yoo-joo—after all, it was only for her brother's benefit, not hers.

"I’m just playful and cute. How is this any different from being a pet?" she muttered, not really expecting a response from Yoo-joo, who simply listened without reacting.

"I’m the daughter they’ve given up on, so I don’t have to do anything anymore."

Min-hyuk, her brother, was oblivious to this. He thought their parents were just lenient because they adored her. But Min-seo knew that when parents have no expectations, they can afford to be lenient.

"I don’t even know anymore," she mumbled, biting into the bread she’d brought from the cafeteria.

Yoo-joo, despite her dramatic declaration from the first day, was quiet and ordinary. She didn’t talk much, nor did she stand out. It was almost like she was quietly observing everything.

Then, without warning, Yoo-joo spoke. "I’ve decided."

"Decided what?" Min-seo asked, turning her gaze to Yoo-joo with the bread still in her mouth.

"I’ll help you," Yoo-joo said, leaning in close. "You want to beat your twin brother, don’t you?"

"I... I mean..." Min-seo stammered.

"I can help you with that," Yoo-joo whispered in a voice that felt like an enticing promise.

Min-seo looked at Yoo-joo, feeling as though she was the only one in the room.

"But," Yoo-joo continued, pressing her index finger against Min-seo's ear, "you have to trust me completely."

The episode ended, leaving viewers caught between the perspectives of the adults and the students, each with their own tangled desires.

"It’s strange," one of the soon-to-be-transferred employees remarked after watching the episode.

"This shouldn’t work, but it kind of does... I'm drawn to it, even though it’s not really my style."

The employees were exchanging comments when the door opened, and in walked Baek Tae-soo, the man destined to be the king of Drama Department 2.

"Did you watch Sky Garden?" he asked, surveying the room.

The PDs and staff exchanged glances. "We watched it, but honestly, it’s hard to get. It’s unique, that’s for sure, but it doesn’t feel like a network drama. It's too unusual."

Baek Tae-soo remained silent, deep in thought.

"Well, you don’t need to worry too much," one staff member offered, trying to break the tension. "Even though episode two pulled a ten percent rating, we’re still ahead."

Baek Tae-soo narrowed his eyes, casting a hard gaze at the speaker, who immediately stiffened under his look.

"Explanations make viewers think. Sky Garden doesn’t explain, and the moment you try to piece it together, the episode's already over," he said finally, as if thinking out loud.

The staff were silent, considering his words.

"Even so, we’ll take back the lead with episode three. I guarantee it," Baek Tae-soo added with a grin, taking his seat. But once out of sight, his smile faded.

He knew that while The Grand Game was cruising now, the real test would come at episode six, when the romance subplot would kick in. As a network PD, he had to consider whether the formula would hold.

"One worry off your shoulders, my dear daughter."

Soo-ah watched Seoyeon play with her younger sister, Suyeon. Despite the shaky start, Seoyeon looked in good spirits.

"You must’ve inherited this from your dad," Soo-ah commented.

"From Dad?" Seoyeon’s expression soured, clearly disapproving of the comparison.

Her father, Young-bin, was different—a man who believed in staying young at heart to stay sharp as a creator.

Soo-ah remembered her younger years, filled with dreams of becoming an illustrator, game designer, or even a singer. Creativity, after all, required youthful thinking, even if your body aged.

"Your dad always used to say that we have to live young. That's why he still plays games and keeps up with trends," Soo-ah said with a wistful smile. "It’s why he hasn’t decided on that director role yet. He’s always wanted to make something of his own, but now he’s got a family."

Seoyeon thought back on her character, Lee Yoo-joo. Trapped by her father’s ambitions, Yoo-joo’s dreams weren’t her own but dictated by her father’s desires. Seoyeon played Yoo-joo as a girl with hopes and ambitions, but now, she saw how much those dreams had been shaped by her father’s influence.

"Why did you want to be an actress, Seoyeon?" Soo-ah asked.

Seoyeon hesitated, her mind full of unspoken thoughts.

But before she could answer, Suyeon chimed in, asking, "When is Dad coming home?"

"He has plans with a friend today," Soo-ah replied.

"A friend? Dad has friends?" Suyeon’s innocent question made Seoyeon laugh, the familiarity of the question catching her off guard.

"Yes, an old high school friend," Soo-ah said, thinking of the old days when Young-bin would meet his friend regularly.

"Why the suit?" Young-bin remarked as he walked into the bar.

Across from him sat a sharply dressed man with a pair of sleek glasses and a cool demeanor, who looked him over.

"Is that how you go to work?" the man replied, surveying Young-bin with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, not all of us can afford fancy suits. What’s that watch worth?"

"Two thousand."

"Wow, ridiculous. You’re paying for dinner."

Young-bin pulled up a chair, looking at the menu before he remembered something. "So, this Hyper Action Star... Seoyeon mentioned it was planned by a director at GH Group."

"Yeah, that’s me," the man replied.

Young-bin raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his face. "Since when did you make director?"

The man laughed. "It’s my father’s company."

And so, Young-bin found himself sitting across from Kang Tae-jin, a director in the Cultural Business Division at GH Group.