I Want to Be a VTuber

“Are we filming in Hakone?”

Seoyeon looked thrilled. Her first time in Japan. Her first time overseas!

So it was no wonder her excitement was shining through.

"Well, Seoyeon... you've technically been abroad before."

Manager Park Eun-ha didn’t want to dampen Seoyeon’s spirits, but did she forget about Survival in the Wilderness? Or did she not consider Papua New Guinea as “overseas?”

Or maybe this was different because it wasn’t purely a work trip but one where she could have fun, which would make it feel like a first.

“It seems we’re staying for one night in the lodging provided by the production team.”

“Oh, yes. It seems like they plan to film there too,” murmured Narumi Sora as she looked over the schedule.

Park Eun-ha replied with a slightly awkward expression.

Seoyeon didn’t notice, but Sora did. You pick up a knack for reading situations when you work on the lower rungs of the industry.

"Something’s definitely up!"

Sora knew a lot about Japanese variety shows! After all, she was Japanese!

In the past, Korean shows would often adopt the extreme pranks and setups that were popular in Japan. Recently, however, Korean shows had stopped following Japanese formats as closely. But Japan’s variety shows hadn’t changed much—they were still a bit extreme.

Or maybe more than a bit.

“It’s not a late-night show, so it shouldn’t be that intense.”

Late-night shows could be extreme, sometimes with surprisingly high levels of intensity. There were times they even filmed in hot springs.

But seeing Manager Park Eun-ha’s reaction, it probably wouldn’t go that far.

Just as Sora guessed, Manager Park Eun-ha had confirmed that they’d be filming at a designated ryokan.

“What? A hidden camera prank?”

“Yes! What do you think?” an enthusiastic voice responded over the phone.

Park Eun-ha hesitated for a moment. Hidden cameras were a staple in Japanese variety shows and were often elaborate, even involving big-name Korean celebrities.

It wasn’t only actors like Seoyeon but also world-famous idols who’d been on these shows. And the advantage was that it didn’t require much preparation.

“Will it just be a preview segment before the main broadcast?”

“It will probably be included as a special segment,” PD Nanjo Katsuo explained.

Manager Park Eun-ha agreed. Refusing too many things on their first overseas shoot might not leave a good impression.

The only issue was that she couldn’t inform Seoyeon about the hidden camera prank.

“Judging by how she handles horror games...”

There were concerns—though not necessarily about Seoyeon herself, but rather other aspects.

“Oh, but I have one request...”

Just to be safe, Park Eun-ha made one specific request to PD Nanjo Katsuo, who ended up with a puzzled look.

“What? Were we denied permission?”

One of Nanjo’s colleagues, noticing his expression, asked. Nanjo shook his head.

“No, that wasn’t it. They actually gave permission quite readily.”

However...

“They asked us to avoid using people if possible?”

“People?”

“Yes, they didn’t explain much, but they asked us to use props or devices instead...”

It was an odd request. For a horror-themed hidden camera prank, not using people seemed almost impossible.

“They also mentioned keeping some distance if people are involved.”

Park Eun-ha’s ambiguous phrasing had a reason behind it. If she outright warned them against physical contact, it could make Seoyeon seem intimidating or even violent, which could affect her image.

So she had to be careful with her wording.

“Maybe it’s for image management,” one of Nanjo’s colleagues suggested.

“Oh... right. Didn’t she say she’d never felt fear before?”

“Oh, is that her persona?” Nanjo Katsuo thought.

Many celebrities had unique, “four-dimensional” personalities, so he assumed this was Seoyeon’s gimmick.

Initially, PD Nanjo didn’t think much of it, but after hearing the manager’s input, it did start to feel like part of Seoyeon’s image.

“Well, now I’m even more excited to see how this goes.”

“Right?”

With that, the team at the onsen ryokan in Hakone began their preparations in earnest, aiming to give their Korean guest a true surprise.

Seoyeon looked around quietly, glancing through the window as the shuttle van drove on from the airport. She had been in this state since leaving the airport.

She was truly looking forward to this trip to Japan.

“Since it’s your first Japanese variety show, aren’t you a bit nervous?”

Sora asked, noticing Seoyeon’s demeanor. Being alone with Seoyeon felt a bit overwhelming for Sora.

Honestly, she’d thought there would be other celebrities on this trip. She hadn’t expected it to just be her, Seoyeon, and the manager.

But Seoyeon didn’t mind.

“We’ll be working together on Mine, so this is a great chance to bond.”

And among her acquaintances, Narumi Sora was the one who spoke Japanese the best. Jo Seohui was also fluent, but unfortunately, she had other obligations.

Seoyeon wanted to use this opportunity to get closer to Sora.

“At this rate, maybe I’ll end up with a hundred friends!”

Seoyeon was feeling more confident than ever. She felt she was finally adapting to society in a way she hadn’t in her previous life.

Her confidence was at an all-time high.

“Don’t worry, I’ve always gotten good responses on variety shows,” Seoyeon said confidently.

But her confidence only made Sora feel more nervous.

“Have you watched Japanese variety shows before?”

“No? Hmm, not really...”

Seoyeon had watched a lot of Japanese anime, but she hadn’t seen Japanese movies or dramas. Naturally, she hadn’t watched Japanese variety shows either.

“I wonder if she even knows any Japanese.”

Sora was genuinely curious. Seoyeon seemed excited about the trip, but the reasons were unclear.

She didn’t seem interested in Japanese movies or dramas, nor did she seem to know any Japanese celebrities.

“Should I ask if she knows any Japanese?”

Then again, if she were fluent, she wouldn’t have needed Sora to come along.

“Um... do you know how to address others in Japanese?”

Sora asked her a basic question about common Japanese phrases. Seoyeon responded smoothly but used terms that made her sound like a high school gyaru.

“Kisama.”

“No, no! Never say that! It’s totally rude!”

“Really?”

But that’s how they say it in anime...

Seoyeon shrugged and nodded.

After that conversation, Seoyeon turned back to the window, taking in the Japanese landscape.

“It’s like something out of an anime.”

With that thought, they arrived at the onsen ryokan in Hakone where filming was scheduled. As it was winter and the sun set early, the sky was already dark.

“Welcome.”

An elderly woman greeted them upon arrival at the inn. She looked pale and gaunt, with a somewhat haunting expression. A chill ran down Sora’s spine as she looked at the woman.

“This is definitely...”

A hidden camera prank, no doubt.

Since they were told the shoot would happen here, it was practically a confirmation.

And the fact that there were no other Japanese staff around only reinforced her suspicion.

Should I tell her? Sora glanced at Seoyeon, debating whether to warn her.

“Are we staying here tonight?”

“Yes, please follow me inside.”

“Yes.”

Seoyeon replied politely, showing no reaction to the eerie old woman’s appearance.

In fact, Manager Park Eun-ha and Sora seemed more affected by her appearance than Seoyeon.

“...Doesn’t she look a bit scary?”

“Don’t say that. Imagine how hard it must be to live with a face like that.”

Isn’t that even more offensive? Sora thought, but Seoyeon’s expression remained unfazed.

In fact, Seoyeon seemed to realize something and added,

“Now that I think about it, her Korean is quite good. I guess a lot of Korean tourists visit here.”

Seoyeon looked up at the inn. It was a three-story wooden building, somewhat large, old, and slightly eerie.

“Maybe they chose this place for the ambiance?”

She didn’t think much of the elderly woman. The woman just seemed a bit unwell, nothing more.

But with everyone else reacting that way, Seoyeon couldn’t help but feel a little more cautious.

Her empathy for others’ emotions worked both ways.

“Still, it’s reality, so it’s different.”

In games, she couldn’t do much but scream. But here in real life, it would be different! Seoyeon entered the ryokan confidently.

"Here's your meal."

Despite the old, worn exterior, the inside of the inn was quite pleasant, and the food was exceptional. Kaiseki cuisine, if she remembered correctly? It was like a full course meal, and Seoyeon was more than satisfied.

"There are a few things to be mindful of," said the elderly innkeeper as they were enjoying their meal.

"After 10 p.m., if there's a sudden power outage, please don’t be alarmed." "Also, if you hear any noise from the room at the end of the hall, please do not leave your room." "If you wish to use the onsen, please do so in the morning. We strongly advise against using it after 10 p.m." "And if you must leave your room at night, please head to the room at the opposite end of the hallway."

As Seoyeon munched on her food, she tilted her head slightly in confusion. She could understand the innkeeper’s Korean, but her slightly stilted manner of speaking made some parts unclear and confusing.

But the innkeeper’s awkward and ominous tone made Eun-ha and Sora look uneasy.

“Must be an old inn with lots of issues,” Seoyeon thought.

Since she hadn’t played many horror games or watched horror movies, she didn’t pick up on the chilling undertones of the innkeeper’s warnings.

“But when are we filming? Tomorrow, maybe?”

She was more curious about the filming schedule. And with no production staff in sight, she figured it was just part of the experience.

"Maybe we should be careful about moving around at night. Seems like we’re the only guests here," Sora said, a bit nervously.

"What? There are a lot of people here, though."

Seoyeon looked around, sensing the presence of several people.

“Are they ninjas?”

The way she couldn’t quite pinpoint their exact locations was a bit strange, but—

“What the... that’s even scarier.”

What on earth was Seoyeon seeing? Sora couldn’t help but feel more terrified.

After they finished their meal and had cleaned up in the bath area, Eun-ha called out to Seoyeon.

“Seoyeon.”

Seoyeon, who had been lounging around playing a game on her console, looked up at the sound of her manager’s voice.

“Do you want to go to the onsen?”

“The onsen?”

Seoyeon tilted her head at Eun-ha’s suggestion.

“Didn’t they say we shouldn’t go there?”

“It’s still before 10 p.m.”

“Oh, right. Let’s go.”

Seoyeon got up without hesitation. Just like that? So easily?

Eun-ha let out a sigh of relief, even though her smile was a bit awkward. This was all for the show.

"Sora, you should join us."

Eun-ha gave her a nudge. Sora, who had been about to put on a face mask, looked visibly reluctant.

“Here it comes.”

But she couldn’t show her nerves, so Sora nodded and followed along quietly.

"Where’s the onsen, anyway?"

"I heard it’s in the middle of the third floor."

"An onsen on the third floor?"

"Maybe it's an artificial onsen."

Seoyeon didn’t think too deeply about it. As she stepped into the hallway with that thought, she noticed that, at least for now, the hallway lights were still on, brightly illuminating her path.

"Nothing much here," she said casually, walking down the middle of the hallway.

And that’s when the lights in the entire hallway suddenly went out.