I Want to Be a VTuber

[Today, Seoyeon-chan from Korea appears in Dokkiri, lol]

This was a post that suddenly popped up on the Japanese forum Futaba Channel. Tagged with "variety show" and "Dokkiri," the post discussed a Korean celebrity's appearance on a show airing today on YHJ TV. Dokkiri is a Japanese term for a hidden camera prank format, similar to candid camera shows.

002: "Eh? A Korean actor today?"

005: "It's been a while since there was a Korean on the show."

013: "YHJ really loves Korea, lol."

019: "I preferred it when there were fewer after Nanjo-kun took over."

020: "But wouldn’t an idol be better? Honestly, we don’t know Korean actors, lol."

Since the teaser was already released that morning, various comments were circulating in the thread. The responses were mixed, neither too negative nor overly enthusiastic. Recently, Korean celebrities appearing on Japanese shows had become somewhat common.

However, actors from Korea were still rare enough to create some buzz. Most users didn’t know who this actress, Seoyeon, even was.

When the thread slowed down a bit...

129: "Picture incoming!!! [Image]"

Someone uploaded a photo of Seoyeon, taken in Korea, wearing a school uniform, which quickly picked up the pace in the thread.

131: "Whoa~ is she a real JK (high schooler)??? For real???"

132: "She’s just wearing a uniform for filming, right? Isn’t she probably older?"

"Nope, Seoyeon-chan is actually a JK. She’s famous in Korea as a genius actress."

134: "For real, lol? Genius actress, lmao. They must hype her up a lot in Korea, huh?"

135: "Wait, isn’t she Harin-chan from Dream Future? Seoyeon plays Harin?"

With her long black hair, reddish eyes, and fair skin, the comments on whether the image was edited quickly began circulating in the thread.

After realizing she was the actress in the currently airing Dream Future, scenes from the show began appearing in the thread.

Dream Future had initially gained attention in Japan thanks to the idol Cha Nahui from Summer Girl, but once it aired, the main topic of conversation quickly became Jo Harin. Harin's overwhelming visual presence captivated viewers, leading to her popularity in meme form as well.

222: "Wait, wait, Harin-chan is Seoyeon?"

223: "A current JK? Nice."

234: "Nanjo-kun wouldn’t prank a Korean actor without good reason."

236: "She’s a cool-type actress; is it okay for her to be on a prank show?"

"Probably because of that cool vibe, lol."

Even those uninterested were drawn in by Seoyeon’s appearance. The teaser revealed that it was a horror-themed hidden camera prank.

382: "A genius actress with a cool vibe on a Dokkiri? Kinda excited for this."

As the show neared its start time, posts picked up in frequency, with some viewers already setting their channels.

However, they weren’t expecting much in terms of entertainment. Japanese celebrities often display more expressive reactions than Korean ones, which tend to be milder.

Still, there’s a certain appeal to seeing foreign celebrities react differently, which creates its own demand.

003: "It’s starting."

004: "Heart pounding."

When the show finally started, the thread, now with over 1,000 comments, was replaced with a new one. They posted the variety show’s title in large letters and began watching in earnest.

The first shot captured Seoyeon arriving at the airport, waving a small “V” at the camera, vlog-style.

Her excitement was palpable, even through the screen.

023: "Eh? Isn’t she supposed to be the cool type? lol, she’s so excited."

025: "She’s a bit different from what I expected."

030: "I think I just fell for this girl."

031: "I’m a traveler from France... who’s this actress on right now?"

"She’s Seoyeon-chan, the actress who plays Jo Harin in Dream Future."

It seemed like Seoyeon had no idea filming had started. Unaware, she casually chatted with another woman about her plans.

"I’m definitely going to Akihabara."

"Anywhere besides Akihabara?"

"I don’t have any other plans."

That she mentioned Akihabara first was no surprise; everyone in Japan knows how foreigners view the area.

But hearing it from Seoyeon, with her cold aura, made it seem strangely mismatched.

158: "Obviously just for show, lol."

160: "Seoyeon-chan even cosplayed as a magical girl in Korea."

"Really?"

"She really did. [Video link]"

"No way, that’s super cute, lol. Seoyeon-chan, be my bride!"

Various clips and photos of Seoyeon quickly flooded the thread. The most popular was undoubtedly her appearance as the magical girl Harara. The anime wasn’t even broadcast in Japan, yet the clip was enjoyable without any context.

194: "If she’s in something like that, doesn’t it mean she’s not popular in Korea?"

195: "Actually, she’s one of the most talked-about actresses this year. Even the villain actress is at the top of the young actress scene."

196: "Sohi-chan, right? I like her, too. She’s in a lot of movies."

199: "Wait, who’s Sohi-chan? She looks scary, like Tomie."

"Take that back right now."

As they discussed, the camera caught a woman beside Seoyeon, Narumi Sora, who naturally engaged in a back-and-forth, creating a comedic duo feel. Her healthy, attractive appearance also caught viewers’ eyes.

With her long ponytail and round eyes, Sora had a gentle look that contrasted with her sharp features, making her a subject of intrigue.

301: "Her name’s Narumi Sora, she’s Japanese. She first met Seoyeon-chan at the Mine audition."

302: "Eh? She’s Japanese? I thought she was Korean."

303: "She’s probably super good at Korean, lol."

304: "But Seoyeon-chan seems to understand some Japanese too, right?"

"She’s watched a lot of anime."

"Oh, so that’s her backstory?"

305: "Knowing her, she’s probably watched tons, lol."

The show mostly centered on Seoyeon’s impressions of Japan. Eventually, they reached their accommodation.

Or rather, the filming set!

As the words “filming set” flashed dramatically on screen, Seoyeon stepped out of the van, unaware that actors in costume and Nanjo PD were lurking, ready to scare her.

Because of their late arrival, the inn had an ominous vibe, making the other women, who knew it was a prank, shiver slightly.

Interestingly, Seoyeon’s manager, Park Eun-ha, had known all along, while Sora had roughly guessed based on the setup.

Only Seoyeon was entirely clueless, leading to the giant caption under her face: “Completely Unaware.”

801: "lol, isn’t it obvious?"

802: "Notice already, lol."

803: "Is the innkeeper an actor too?"

804: "The innkeeper doesn’t seem like one."

805: "Then is it a ghost?"

"?"

As filming began, the thread’s activity accelerated. Japanese threads typically start a new one after reaching 1,000 posts.

But it was already on its third thread due to the overwhelming popularity. Many viewers, initially unfamiliar with Dream Future, were drawn by Seoyeon’s looks.

The innkeeper’s eerie warning to Seoyeon, who seemed unfazed, hinted that she might start picking up on things. But she remained focused on what she’d do after filming, jotting notes into her phone.

Sora asked about it.

"I need to buy some goods."

"What kind of goods?"

"...Um, there’s this thing called VTubers."

Thinking no one else was listening, Seoyeon quietly shared this with Sora—a secret she hadn’t even told her manager.

She casually confided in Sora, assuming that, as a Japanese person, she’d understand.

Seoyeon had always wanted a friend to discuss VTubers with. With Jiyeon being a VTuber, the topic often led to mentioning Ramiel, so she avoided it.

Sora seemed like the perfect companion to discuss it with—at least in Seoyeon’s mind.

Of course, Sora nodded along without understanding a thing.

822: "Japan apologizes, lol."

832: "Suddenly bringing up VTubers is a bit too niche, lol."

834: "Which VTuber does Seoyeon-chan like?"

845: "First time hearing this info on Japanese TV."

Even viewers didn’t expect Seoyeon to bring up VTubers. In Japan, while VTubers are mainstream, they’re not a typical hobby.

So when Seoyeon said it with a serious face, it was hilariously incongruous.

"Be careful moving around at night. It seems like we’re the only ones here at this inn."

Sora subtly tried to change the subject.

"Huh? There are lots of people in the inn besides us."

Seoyeon nonchalantly looked around, making the actors hiding in the shadows panic and scurry away.

002: "What? Seoyeon-chan’s psychic??"

003: "I’ve never heard someone say something like that in real life."

005: "She looks like she’s thinking, ‘Is this Japan, where ninjas exist?’"

As such trivial conversations continued, it was now late at night.

At exactly 10 PM, as the innkeeper had warned...

"Want to go to the hot springs?"

Seoyeon’s manager, Park Eun-ha, asked.

"Didn’t they tell us not to go earlier?"

"It’s not 10 yet."

"True. Let’s go."

Seoyeon nodded coolly, and her demeanor stirred up the forum.

123: "lolol Trying to provoke her, lolol."

124: "Seoyeon-chan has nerves of steel."

125: "Isn’t she acting a bit too calm?"

126: "She’d probably react the same even if a ghost appeared."

127: "The other actors must be feeling really motivated."

129: "Everyone probably has a ‘don’t want to go’ face, lol."

130: "Sora-chan is adorable. Why isn’t she active in Japan?"

131: "She said in an interview she went to Korea to become an action star."

The screen shifted, showing the actors waiting at the inn, ready to scare her. The detailed makeup revealed the effort put into the setup.

As Seoyeon boldly led the way toward the hot springs, all the lights went out with a sudden "click."

Eun-ha and Sora gasped, huddling close, visibly tense.

At that moment, Seoyeon, who had remained calm, began moving oddly, her body stiffening slightly.

431: "Is she actually scared?"

432: "For real?"

444: "Honestly, I thought she wouldn’t be scared at all, lol."

While everyone was tensely holding back, there was a loud clunk as the ceiling opened and something fell.

"Kyahhhh!"

As Sora and Eun-ha screamed and backed away, Seoyeon’s hand moved reflexively. The hidden camera caught her in slow motion as her eyes followed the falling object, narrowing briefly before she reacted.

With one swift motion, her hand pierced the mannequin’s head.

A sharp crack echoed as her hand went right through the mannequin.

772: "Huh?"

773: "Huh?"

774: "Huhhhh? lol"

775: "Was that mannequin made of Styrofoam?"

776: "The subtitles say it’s plastic."

777: "How did she pierce it with her hand, lol?"

778: "Is Seoyeon-chan actually a magical girl?"

779: "Did she really just see everything in slow motion?"

780: "No way, lol."

Seoyeon inspected what she’d pierced, her eyes wavering slightly. Her mouth twisted as if saying, "Ugh."

822: "Did Seoyeon-chan think she accidentally attacked a person?"

823: "She saw it, though."

824: "It was dark, so maybe she thought it wasn’t visible."

825: "If she can stab through a mannequin, she could probably pierce a human body too."

826: "No, no, lol, that’s a bit much."

827: "Did Seoyeon-chan think she actually killed someone?"

828: "Does she have this kind of image in Korea too?"

The thread was flooded with reactions, with many sending Seoyeon sympathetic messages.

"Huh?"

Peeking at the thread, Seoyeon felt a bit flustered. She hadn’t expected such responses. Wasn’t it just a cute scene of her reacting to something creepy, like any girl would?

"It was just gross."

Sure, she reacted, but it was instinctive. Her hand moved first, after all. If it had been a person, she would have stopped in time. She wasn’t stupid; she could tell the difference.

Calling over Sora, she posted a message in the thread.

844: "It’s just that creepy things gross me out, realistically."

"Were you the type in school who couldn’t read the room?"

"Being all serious by yourself is hilarious, lol."

Seeing this response, Seoyeon’s eyes gleamed red, and Sora, standing beside her, couldn’t help but shiver.