I Want to Be a VTuber

That evening, in an online community known for discussing celebrity gossip, a post appeared:

"Has anyone been to New Like's Yeouido department store? Is that really Ju Seoyeon in the Violl ad?"

The comments poured in almost immediately.

Ju Seoyeon’s typical image boiled down to two archetypes:

But the Ju Seoyeon in Violl’s pop-up ad bore no resemblance to either of these personas.

It had only been earlier this year, yet it felt like ages ago. That was how intense the public’s consumption of Ju Seoyeon’s various images had been throughout the year.

While some still associated her with Princess Yeonhwa, the majority now defined her by her chilling portrayal of Cha Seoa in The Chaser.

└ "The male lead from The Moon That Hid the Sun."

Violl wasn’t just relying on the ads plastered on the department store walls. They’d announced the release of a making-of video on their official website and YouTube channel. This sparked immediate reactions across various media platforms.

Pre-written articles and quick-moving YouTubers began flooding the internet with content.

"I was going to review a movie today, but I’ve decided to pivot to a drama review instead," announced Han Bongshik, a YouTuber who had skyrocketed to 1.4 million subscribers thanks to his "Ju Seoyeon coin."

"You know The Moon That Hid the Sun, right? The drama that aired ten years ago. I’m planning to focus my reviews on that for a while..."

"Hey now! That’s not it! How could you misunderstand my pure intentions?" Bongshik exclaimed with mock indignation before clearing his throat.

"Like I mentioned at the start of this stream, I visited New Like’s department store today to buy some clothes for my mom."

"Anyway, I saw the Violl ad there, and it featured Ju Seoyeon alongside Park Jungwoo."

Bongshik recounted how he thought, "This is gold!" as soon as he saw the ad. With the making-of video set to release that night, the timing couldn’t have been better.

"Most of you probably haven’t seen The Moon That Hid the Sun. It’s a ten-year-old drama, after all."

"Not in detail! Besides, I barely touched on the child actor performances in my previous review."

Bongshik had indeed covered The Moon That Hid the Sun in his classic drama reviews, but he had skimmed over the first three episodes, which primarily featured the child actors. Instead, he had focused on the storyline after the fourth episode, when the drama truly began unfolding.

But this time, he was determined to focus solely on the first three episodes, which featured young Princess Yeonhwa.

"Before Ju Seoyeon debuted as Cha Seoa in The Chaser, everyone who remembered her knew her as Princess Yeonhwa."

For ten years, her performance as a child actor had remained etched in the public’s memory.

"And seeing the Violl ad brought it all back for me."

The young child actor whose performances had left him awestruck—seeing her now, fully grown, on the Violl ad, solidified Bongshik’s decision to revisit his review.

"It was like seeing Princess Yeonhwa all grown up."

"Right? That’s exactly how I felt."

At 11:55 p.m., Bongshik checked the time. While his audience was smaller than usual due to the late hour, it couldn’t be helped.

Violl had heavily promoted the release of the making-of video at midnight.

"Let’s watch the video together. I usually don’t review ad footage, but The Moon That Hid the Sun nostalgia is hitting me hard today."

As the audience exchanged lighthearted banter, the clock struck midnight. Violl’s ten-minute making-of video went live.

‘Not too short, not too long,’ Bongshik thought as he hit play.

「Seoil.」

A soft, teasing voice filled the room.

「Ah, stop it.」

「Oh dear, but wasn’t that what the director wanted?」

The video opened with Ju Seoyeon covering her mouth with her sleeve, her eyes sparkling mischievously. Across from her stood Park Jungwoo, his expression deadpan yet betraying a hint of fluster.

Even the audience watching the video couldn’t help but share his bewilderment.

The chat filled with question marks, commonly called "hooks," as viewers tried to process what they were seeing. Bongshik, momentarily speechless, shared their confusion.

"Is that... Ju Seoyeon?"

He turned to his audience for confirmation. Bongshik had seen the Violl ad in person earlier and had been struck by the nostalgia. But seeing the video, the impact was on another level.

「Ju Seoyeon, please step forward like you’re standing under a tree.」

Against a green screen backdrop, Seoyeon posed as if standing beneath a tree. Beside her was Park Jungwoo—the main focus of the ad.

「If this were a real tree, it would remind me of the past.」

「There were a lot of scenes like that back then.」

「Back then, you were such a grumpy little boy. Honestly, it was a bit annoying.」

「What?」

Jungwoo turned sharply to face her, his expression a mix of surprise and indignation. He had never imagined Seoyeon thought of him that way. Sure, he’d been an arrogant kid, but still—he was her senior!

As he spun around, he came face-to-face with Seoyeon’s serene, crescent-moon smile. Her ruby eyes glimmered warmly as she leaned in slightly.

「I’m just kidding.」

Click.

The sound of the camera shutter echoed as Seoyeon took a few steps back, her lips curling into a mischievous smile. Park Jungwoo stood frozen, unable to form coherent words, his flustered expression betraying his utter confusion.

Seoyeon waved her hand playfully in front of Jungwoo's face before turning to the director and giving him a thumbs-up.

"How was it, Director? Did it turn out well?"

"Absolutely! It’s perfect! Let’s keep this energy going!"

The director’s enthusiastic voice rang out, and Seoyeon, noticing Jungwoo still standing stiffly, lightly elbowed him in the side.

"Come on, sunbae, stop joking around."

"Ah, no, I wasn’t... I mean... Yeah, okay."

As more moments like this appeared in the behind-the-scenes footage, viewers began to snap out of their daze, though questions started flooding in.

"Who is this?"

"No, seriously, who?"

"Ju Seoyeon?"

"Really?"

"That smile—since when does our Ju Seoyeon smile like that?"

"Our Ju Seoyeon doesn’t cover her mouth with her sleeve when she laughs. Does she even laugh?"

"Wait, this is Ju Seoyeon, right?"

"Yeah, it’s her. Definitely her."

The chat was filled with messages as the making-of footage played. While ostensibly just a behind-the-scenes look, it felt more like a scene from a drama.

Jungwoo’s reactions were especially notable. As a consummate professional, it was rare to see him visibly flustered during filming.

The making-of footage was cleverly edited. While it captured Jungwoo’s reactions, there were no overtly scandalous moments—just enough chemistry to intrigue viewers.

The real shock, however, came from Seoyeon herself.

"Ju Seoyeon, could you smile for this shot?"

"Like this?"

Her soft, deliberate tone and gentle smile were mesmerizing. Anyone who had watched The Moon That Hid the Sun ten years ago would instantly recognize that smile—it was the same one Princess Yeonhwa had given Seoil before parting.

"It really does look the same," Bongshik muttered.

He quickly pulled up footage from The Moon That Hid the Sun, specifically the final moments of Episode 3, and compared it side by side with the making-of video.

"She’s exactly like Princess Yeonhwa."

The young Princess Yeonhwa’s smile and Seoyeon’s current smile were identical, the only difference being the maturity ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) she had gained over the years.

Bongshik edited the images together and uploaded the comparison online:

[Violl’s Making-of Video: Nostalgia Revisited.]

[Ju Seoyeon as Princess Yeonhwa—A Journey Back to the Past.]

[The Dual Faces of Ju Seoyeon: A New Transformation!]

The articles went viral in less than 12 hours.

"..."

The making-of video had a massive impact. For the first time in ages, fans who had been circulating memes of Seoyeon riding a bear were now sharing clips of her elegant, refined demeanor from the Violl ad.

Seoyeon felt a mix of pride and frustration.

"I am Princess Yeonhwa, and Princess Yeonhwa is me," she muttered indignantly.

Yet somehow, the internet had decided they were two separate entities.

Looking into the mirror, Seoyeon tried to recreate her "Princess Yeonhwa smile," but it didn’t come naturally.

‘It’s not like I’m acting, though,’ she thought, crossing her arms in contemplation.

After the making-of video was released, even Seoyeon’s house was abuzz. Her younger sister, Suyeon, had been spotted struggling to fit her into the Violl outfit she’d worn during the shoot.

"What are you doing?" Seoyeon had asked.

"I’m testing whether wearing hanbok changes your personality."

Hanbok wasn’t some kind of symbiotic alien suit—it didn’t have magical properties.

Their father, Youngbin, had also reacted dramatically when she appeared in the hanbok.

"Is this really my daughter?"

"..."

Even her chair-flipping energy seemed drained after that.

The video’s reach extended to Japan, prompting a call from her co-star, Cho Sehee.

[Seoyeon, I saw the Violl making-of video. That was really you, right?]

"It was me."

[Well, um... I just wanted to check. Things seemed kind of... intense with Jungwoo sunbae. Nothing happened, right?]

"We played Cold Wind together last night."

[What? Cold Wind?]

As a fellow Vtuber, Sehee was familiar with the game. But the fact that Seoyeon and Jungwoo were gaming together raised her suspicions.

‘Something’s fishy. I’ll have to interrogate her later. The way Jungwoo looked at her in the video wasn’t normal!’

Poor Jungwoo, unaware of the brewing misunderstandings, found himself suddenly receiving a call from Sehee.

"Hey, Ju Seoyeon and Princess Yeonhwa are two completely different people, right?"

[What? They’re the same person.]

"..."

Technically, yes. But the vibe was completely different.

The conversation soon shifted as Jungwoo brought up another matter.

"By the way, New Like contacted me. They asked how I felt about doing a modern fusion sageuk based on a web novel..."

[Excuse me?!]

Sehee’s voice was sharp with irritation. She disliked seeing her connections entangled with corporate dealings, especially given her mother’s history.

‘I’m sorry, uncle,’ Jungwoo thought silently. He had no choice but to navigate this mess for his own survival.