I Want to Be a VTuber

Yuito, a journalist for the Tokyo Daily, was genuinely grateful for having learned Korean.

Without it, he wouldn’t have been able to call out to Seoyeon, let alone conduct an interview with her.

Why was she walking around without a translator?

Questions swirled in his mind. Why was she alone? Why was she dressed in landmine fashion? Was it just a disguise? If so, why not choose something less conspicuous?

"So, we’ve got her attention... but what exactly are we going to ask in this interview?"

"Honestly, I didn’t think that far ahead," Ouki, his colleague, admitted sheepishly.

While the two reporters exchanged whispers, Seoyeon excused herself to make a quick call in Korean.

She said she needed to confirm something about this impromptu interview, possibly with her management.

About ten minutes later, Seoyeon returned.

Sitting quietly, she exuded an aura that left Yuito momentarily speechless.

This outfit suits her almost... unnervingly well.

He swallowed hard. Her calm, unyielding gaze, even with half her face hidden by a mask, radiated an intensity that made speaking difficult. Her presence was commanding. It even made him question how he had mustered the courage to approach her earlier.

But he was a journalist, and scoops didn’t catch themselves.

"As I mentioned earlier, we’re reporters from the Tokyo Daily," Yuito began.

Seoyeon nodded, glancing at the business card he’d given her.

I have no idea what’s written on this.

She was tempted to use Papago to translate it but decided against it. The atmosphere didn’t feel right for that. At least she could read the kanji for "Tokyo" and the logo on the card looked professional.

If they were paparazzi, they’d have just taken pictures and left.

Had that been the case, she would have chased them down to confiscate the film. But their professional demeanor and willingness to introduce themselves reassured her.

"How did you recognize me?" she asked.

It was Ouki, not Yuito, who answered. He explained how he’d seen her reflection in the café window when she’d briefly removed her mask.

So the inside was visible after all, Seoyeon thought, surprised. She’d assumed the semi-transparent glass only worked one way.

Even so, for him to identify her from that fleeting glimpse spoke volumes about his observational skills.

"Will this interview include photographs?"

"Uh, not if you don’t want it to!" Yuito responded quickly, eager to put her at ease.

That reply earned some trust, but Seoyeon shook her head.

"You can include photos."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"If it’s an interview, having pictures makes it more believable, doesn’t it?"

Seoyeon understood how many fake articles circulated in Japan. Including pictures would lend credibility.

"And since I’ve never worn anything like this in Korea, they’ll know it’s from Japan."

Yuito and Ouki exchanged glances.

Not only were they okay with this, but they were thrilled to the point of disbelief. A Korean actress in landmine fashion, a style trending in subcultures—this would capture attention for sure.

The look suited her so well it almost felt surreal.

"Then... may we take a photo?"

"Please, allow me too," Ouki added eagerly.

Seoyeon posed with a casual V-sign as they snapped a few pictures. The results were stunning. Even she thought they turned out well.

A photo like this could change my image.

She was determined not to repeat the "gorilla" incident. Instead, she would embrace the persona of a landmine-style actress with confidence.

Perfect. I look great.

Seoyeon nodded to herself, satisfied.

Incidentally, she had already obtained approval for this interview from her agency, Nova Entertainment, specifically from CEO Kang Chanyul himself.

"An interview? In Japan?"

"Yes."

"Ah, there are a lot of tabloids there..."

"They said they’re from the Tokyo Daily."

"That’s not bad. A decent paper. It’s not a tabloid."

Seoyeon maintained good communication with Chanyul. Their relationship was more like that of close family than a formal boss-employee dynamic, given he’d known her since her child actor days.

Eun-ha unnie would’ve just said no.

Her manager, Park Eun-ha, always prioritized safety and caution. But if Seoyeon had asked her, Eun-ha would have just gone back to Kang Chanyul for confirmation anyway. It was more efficient to ask him directly.

"So how will the interview proceed?"

Seoyeon’s focused question made Yuito and Ouki gulp. Facing her directly was far more intimidating than they’d anticipated.

Where should we start?

Good question.

They recalled her extended stay in Akihabara and the mention of "VTubers" on the variety show.

"Do you have a favorite Japanese manga?"

"Manga?"

Ouki turned to Yuito, bewildered. Asking a foreigner about local culture wasn’t unusual, but asking about manga specifically felt... off. Seoyeon didn’t seem like the type to enjoy manga.

"I like martial arts manga."

"Excuse me?"

"Stuff like Baki or Kengan Ashura."

"?!"

Why martial arts manga, of all things? The two reporters were utterly baffled.

"May I ask why?"

"They’re inspiring."

Inspiring? Where exactly was the inspiration in martial arts manga? Yuito, a fan of those series himself, couldn’t fathom her reasoning.

"I also like strong characters."

Seoyeon added this with a confident shrug, clearly pleased with her answer.

"Want me to show you sometime?"

"Show us?"

What could she possibly mean?

She must be joking... right?

Unbeknownst to them, Seoyeon’s stunts on Hyper Action Star would have provided plenty of context. But for Japanese audiences, their impression of her came solely from The Chaser trailer and her role in Dream Future. She seemed gentle and delicate—nothing like the ferocious energy she displayed on Korean variety shows.

"Ah!"

Realizing her earlier comment might have been taken too seriously, Seoyeon quickly clarified.

"Of course, I’m kidding. I’m not strong myself, so I admire strength."

"Ah, I see."

Yuito nodded, jotting down her response.

"Please include that line in the interview."

"Which part?"

"About the manga and why I like it."

"Understood."

Seoyeon sighed in relief. She’d almost contradicted her goal of shedding the "ferocious" image she was trying to escape.

That was close.

The rest of the interview consisted of fairly standard questions:

"Why did you come to Japan?"

"Do you have a favorite Japanese actor?"

"What’s your favorite Japanese food?"

Most of her answers were normal, though a few stood out as quirky. Compared to her enthusiasm about manga, her responses to other topics felt more lukewarm.

Is this her concept?

Japanese celebrities often had unique personas, but for foreign actors, this wasn’t usually necessary. Still, her answers seemed to cater to a specific niche: otaku fans.

"Finally, one last question..."

Yuito hesitated before recalling a trending topic from Twitter—comments from a certain Japanese director.

"Do you know Kakeba Hiro?"

"Kakeba Hiro?"

Seoyeon frowned slightly, trying to recall. While she had an extensive knowledge of entertainment, foreign directors weren’t her strong suit.

"Sorry, I haven’t heard of him."

"That’s understandable. He’s a rising talent here in Japan—considered a genius director."

Kakeba Hiro was known for his innovative approach to filming, targeting international audiences rather than sticking to conventional Japanese drama styles. His work had moderate success but was gaining traction for its unique perspective.

"He recently posted several tweets about you after watching your variety show."

"Really?"

Twitter was practically a national pastime in Japan, used by all ages. Yuito showed her Kakeba Hiro’s tweets, translated into Korean:

@kakeba_hiro:

"I watched Ju Seoyeon on a variety show and became curious about her. After seeing The Chaser’s Japanese trailer, I was impressed by her acting range."

@kakeba_hiro:

"The gap between her roles in Dream Future and The Chaser is striking. Same actress, completely different vibes."

@kakeba_hiro:

"I heard Japanese networks are in talks to air Sky Garden. Initially, I was skeptical, but now I’m interested. I’d love the chance to work with Ju Seoyeon."

Seeing the tweets, Seoyeon couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. Compliments were always nice, but reading them so directly made her blush.

Also... that wasn’t acting.

She knew better than to clarify. Letting them believe it was all intentional was much safer for her image.

Back at the hotel, Seoyeon casually mentioned the interview and potential cameo to Eun-ha and Sora, leaving them both stunned.

"Wait, what?! A cameo?"

"Well, sort of... the director wants to meet on set to discuss it."

Though surprised, Eun-ha sighed in relief. At least Seoyeon hadn’t done anything reckless.

Seoyeon, meanwhile, was already plotting.

This could open up opportunities in the Japanese market. If I handle this right, I can come here for work more often...

Satisfied with her plan, she nodded to herself.