I Want to Be a VTuber

The reaction to the school party—officially referred to as the "Promenade"—exceeded expectations.

The most notable aspect was how different Seoyeon appeared at school compared to her image on TV or in films.

A nervous, shy high school girl.

Her small, ordinary struggles made her seem more relatable, and viewers found that incredibly charming.

"Sure, but the class rep did all the talking."

"..."

Lee Jiyeon grumbled as she scrolled through the reactions.

For some reason, she had been acting like this ever since the party ended.

Even though she herself had gained a lot from the event, her attitude remained indifferent.

"That’s because she wasn’t walking around alone with you—it was with the class rep and Seoyeon."

"Hey, Jo Sehee."

"Hm~, am I wrong? Weren’t you watching Dahyun vlogging and muttering to yourself, I could do better than that?"

"I did not say that! Quit making things up!"

Jiyeon flared up at Jo Sehee’s teasing smile.

Seoyeon, meanwhile, had no idea if Sehee was joking or telling the truth.

Not that you two could’ve walked around together anyway.

She tilted her head, watching Jiyeon pinch Sehee’s side.

For reference, the vlog was split into two parts—Seoyeon handled the first half, Jiyeon the second.

When Seoyeon left, there was a noticeable dip in viewers, but the numbers remained relatively high.

As expected, Jiyeon’s experience in interacting with an audience helped keep engagement steady.

Honestly, I was worried everyone would leave the moment Ju Seoyeon disappeared.

Jiyeon let out a sigh, recalling her thoughts during the broadcast.

She didn’t care much about the viewers themselves—it was the increased recognition that mattered.

Considering the clear difference in public perception between her and Seoyeon, she had actually retained a lot more viewers than she anticipated.

[That might change once the movie comes out.]

As she was thinking about it, a private message from Jo Sehee popped up.

Jiyeon glanced at her before replying.

[Why are you saying that over chat?]

[Because if I say it out loud, Seoyeon will hear.]

Fair point.

Their friend, currently staring blankly at them, had exceptional hearing. Even if they spoke in hushed voices, she would definitely catch on.

[Still, you did pretty well on the vlog. Maybe the VTuber streams are paying off?]

[Personally, I think getting into a fixed variety show would help. Or maybe the agency should give you a solo streaming corner.]

In the past, becoming a regular on a variety show was the most effective way to gain recognition.

However, with TV viewership declining, it wasn’t as helpful as before.

Not to mention, securing a spot as an MC on a major show was fiercely competitive—an opportunity practically inaccessible to a teenage high school girl.

A personal stream, huh...

It was a tricky decision for Jiyeon.

Being a VTuber was already one thing, but now she was considering live streaming, too?

She could do it... but she wasn’t sure.

"Anyway, Ju Seoyeon, when’s your next shoot?"

"My next shoot?"

"For Mine."

"Tomorrow."

Seoyeon answered casually, but in reality, she barely had a break.

Considering she still attended school regularly, it was almost inhuman.

At the very least, she wasn’t an idol, which meant she didn’t have to squeeze in additional promotional events.

If she were an idol, she likely wouldn’t even be able to attend school properly during her peak.

"I’m actually less busy now. No variety shows, and Kyungsung Lady has already finished filming."

Seoyeon placed her cola down after speaking.

The three girls were currently eating burgers at a fast-food restaurant near school.

They could feel the occasional glance from other patrons, but this place was relatively low-key.

For the record, this was Jo Sehee’s first time eating fast food.

Before hanging out with Seoyeon, she had never had a reason to try it. More than that, her family had outright forbidden it.

When she first stepped into the restaurant, she had looked around with an expression that said, Do they even serve food I can eat here?

Even for a chaebol’s daughter, isn’t that a bit much?

It’s not like rich people only eat gourmet meals.

Even corporate CEOs eat fried chicken and jajangmyeon.

And yet, Sehee had oddly aristocratic tendencies in the most random ways.

Most of the time, she didn’t act particularly snobbish—but moments like these?

It had to be her father’s overprotectiveness.

"Ahem, today’s the day, huh?"

Just as Seoyeon was thinking about it, Sehee cleared her throat and spoke.

There was no need to ask what she was referring to.

The release of the Kyungsung Lady PV.

The first trailer for Kyungsung Lady, set to premiere next January, was scheduled to be unveiled today.

*****

"Is today the day the Kyungsung Lady trailer drops?"

"What’s that?"

"Ugh, it’s Ju Seoyeon’s new movie!"

"And I’m supposed to care because...?"

"If you’re here, you should care."

Even within Seoyeon’s fan community, Kyungsung Lady was met with mixed reactions.

Rumors during pre-production suggested that the film would explore themes of same-sex relationships, a subject rarely tackled in Korean cinema. Additionally, the casting choices were considered weak compared to bigger-budget films.

The video revealed that Ju Seoyeon and Lee Jiyeon had been childhood friends long before working together on Kyungsung Lady.

However, a series of recent variety show appearances had put Kyungsung Lady on the radar.

"You know that actress who was on a Japanese variety show? She’s starring in this film."

"Oh, I saw memes about her! That clip was hilarious!"

"Right? That’s how I became a fan. The Bear Rider thing, remember?"

With word spreading that the film was generating interest in Japan, more people began anticipating its first trailer.

Even if the intrigue was unrelated to the actual film’s content, the fact that it had drawn attention was a victory in itself.

"Yuito-san, what’s your take on the first trailer?"

"It’ll probably turn out well."

Furihata Yuito, an entertainment journalist from Japan, had encountered Seoyeon before—back when she wore a Jirai-kei outfit during a variety show.

Now, he was waiting for the highly anticipated Kyungsung Lady trailer.

"This is a rare case of a Korean film trailer being released simultaneously in Japan, right?"

"Yeah, I can’t recall this happening before."

Yuito cracked open a can of coffee while chatting with his colleague, Muroga Ouki.

"By the way, is she really appearing in Asher Baldwin’s movie too?"

"Not sure. Baldwin seems determined to cast her, at least as a supporting role. The negotiations are ongoing."

Naturally, the buzz surrounding Seoyeon in Japan wasn’t unwarranted.

Her shocking impression on Japanese variety shows was one thing, but she had also caught the interest of world-renowned directors.

In fact, Asher Baldwin was relatively restrained compared to another major name—Stella Baldwin.

Stella had already mentioned Seoyeon multiple times in interviews: 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"A young actress I hope makes it to Hollywood."

"I must work with her one day."

Given Stella’s overwhelming popularity in Japan, these statements had sent waves through the industry.

With the resurgence of the Korean drama wave in Japan, Seoyeon’s name had begun appearing more frequently in discussions about K-actors.

Black hair. Red eyes.

A genius high school actress.

Seoyeon embodied every trope Japan adored.

And so, Kyungsung Lady—a film initially met with lukewarm reception—found itself attracting bizarre levels of interest in both Korea and Japan.

Back in his office late at night, Yuito sat in front of his computer alongside Ouki, waiting for the trailer’s release.

He had already drafted most of his article. All that was left was to flesh it out with details from the PV.

"Think it’ll turn out well?"

"Probably."

Hoping his overtime wouldn’t be in vain, Yuito checked the clock.

10:00 PM.

The official release time for Kyungsung Lady’s first trailer.

BZZZZ!

The alarm on his phone vibrated—right on schedule.

The Kyungsung Lady trailer had just dropped.

And—

"This is..."

Yuito, after watching the entire video, found himself at a loss for words.

"Who’s the male actor at the end?"

"Isn’t he a famous Korean actor?"

"He only had one line at the very end, and yet..."

Yuito exhaled sharply.

He had no choice.

"I need to rewrite my entire article..."

That was the only thought in his mind.

*****

Filming Set of Mine

Seoyeon took her time jogging to the set, treating it as both her commute and warm-up.

Since she had action scene practice today, it was important to loosen up in advance.

Unlike her stint on Hyper Action Star, this time, her action sequences were fully choreographed and rehearsed.

Will I be able to pull this off?

Despite her usual confidence, a hint of nervousness lingered. Thankfully, some of the actors she had briefly sparred with during Hyper Action Star were also part of this film, which was reassuring.

However, stunt performances involving fighting against an opponent were still relatively new to her—aside from the action actors from Cheonghong Action School.

It was only natural to feel some tension.

Conveying real emotion while making action look genuine was unexpectedly challenging for Seoyeon.

"Good morning."

She lightly patted her cheeks and entered the set, only to be met with sudden silence.

What’s going on?

Tilting her head in confusion, she soon noticed several staff members approaching her.

"Seoyeon, did you see the PV yesterday?"

"Huh?"

"The first trailer for Kyungsung Lady."

"Oh, that."

Of course, she had seen it.

Her thoughts? It had turned out far better than she had expected.

"The cinematography was insane."

"And your acting—no words needed."

Though they were praising her, their expressions suggested they had something else they really wanted to ask.

Seoyeon simply stared at them in silence, waiting.

"The guy at the end—was that Lee Sangsoo?"

"Did he actually star in Kyungsung Lady? Not just a cameo?"

At those words, even more crew members perked up their ears, including Arthur Diaz, who had arrived early to warm up.

"Lee Sangsoo? Who is that?"

"A Korean actor. He attempted a Hollywood career but failed."

"Hah, then he’s not worth talking about, is he?"

"He was the actor who appeared at the very end of the trailer. Overseas, he’s known for Red Man."

"...Red Man?"

Arthur frowned at the mention.

He had seen Red Man.

A disaster of a film by a well-known director.

Arthur had watched it out of sheer curiosity, wondering just how bad it could be.

If they’re talking about the East Asian guy in that film...

Arthur stroked his chin.

The one watchable performance in Red Man had come from an older Asian actor.

"...I don’t see why this is a big deal."

"Sir?"

"Hey, bring me a phone. I need to check this out."

Glancing at Seoyeon, still surrounded by staff, Arthur took the phone handed to him by his manager.

If this many people were bringing it up, he might as well see what the fuss was about.

The title of Seoyeon’s latest film was Kyungsung Lady.

Wait—

Arthur’s eyes narrowed.

That name sounded familiar.

Wasn’t that the film Stella had been working on during her shoot in Japan?

Back then, Stella had offhandedly mentioned something to him:

"I had a cameo role, but I got completely outclassed."

There was no need to ask who had outclassed her.

It was the actress currently standing at the center of attention on set.

"So this is that film."

After filming Kyungsung Lady, Stella had told him outright:

"You don’t stand a chance."

That single remark had been enough for Arthur to fly to Korea and join Mine.

Clicking on the video, Arthur frowned the moment he saw the view count.

Higher than expected.

"This trailer only dropped yesterday, didn’t it?"

Despite being out for only a day, Kyungsung Lady’s first trailer had already hit 1.8 million views.

The second-highest for a Korean film trailer this year—only behind The Chaser.