I Want to Be a VTuber

Seoyeon had gotten fairly used to airplanes by now.

After all, she’d flown to Japan more than once while filming Kyungsung Lady.

But this is my first time on a long-haul flight like this.

Thirteen hours.

She could see why the school trip was set at five days and four nights.

Apparently, they’d originally planned seven days, but that felt too long — so they settled on five.

We even get two in-flight meals.

Munching happily on her tray meal, Seoyeon glanced around.

Most students weren’t eating much and looked unimpressed.

Clearly, the food didn’t suit their taste.

“E-excuse me... Are you Ju Seoyeon?”

“Yes.”

“Whoa, it really is you! I’m such a fan! Mine was incredible!”

The stewardess collecting trash beamed at her as she spoke.

Even though Seoyeon had flown plenty for Kyungsung Lady, this was a first.

She’d never been recognized like this before.

I guess my recognition has really gone up.

The number of people recognizing her had definitely increased.

She was starting to feel like a “real” celebrity.

Even going to the convenience store feels completely different now.

Jiyeon had begged her to stop out of embarrassment, but Seoyeon couldn’t help it.

Convenience store trips were practically sacred.

Still...

After giving the stewardess an autograph, she looked around.

Why does it feel like everyone’s watching me?

The moment she turned her gaze, the eyes that had been on her quickly darted away.

And of course, she’d ended up sitting far from Dahyeon, the class president!

Ugh.

Though really, that was just an excuse.

If she wanted to, she could just talk to whoever was sitting next to her.

But whenever Seoyeon glanced over to speak—

“!!”

—she saw their pupils shake like they’d just seen a ghost.

Seoyeon wasn’t exactly the type who could casually strike up a conversation with someone obviously uncomfortable.

Am I actually going to be able to get closer to anyone on this trip?

She wasn’t sure anymore.

Was it because she was an actress?

Or did she just have that kind of intimidating aura?

As Seoyeon sighed to herself—

—the girl sitting beside her, her classmate Kang Suhye, felt like she was dying inside from nerves.

D-did I offend her?

She wasn’t upset — just... overwhelmed.

Watching Seoyeon go silent made Suhye wipe the cold sweat off her forehead.

Not because she found her scary.

Quite the opposite.

Hey, Kang Suhye, didn’t you say you were a fan?! Come on, say something!

Her friends had teased her before boarding the plane — but it was easier said than done.

She was just... too pretty.

That’s what Suhye thought to herself.

Just one glance at her profile made her wonder if they were even the same species.

Flawless white skin.

Silky black hair that looked like even static electricity wouldn’t dare touch it.

She looked like she’d stepped right out of a manga.

When Suhye first realized she’d be sitting next to Seoyeon, she’d been so excited she could’ve screamed.

But she couldn’t even bring herself to speak.

Yikes.

Watching from a bit farther away, Gil Dahyeon gave a small smile and shook her head.

She understood the situation perfectly.

Seoyeon didn’t want to make the other person uncomfortable.

And Suhye, on the flip side, didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Can’t really blame either of them.

In class, Seoyeon was someone special.

Not just to Dahyeon — probably to everyone.

No, definitely to everyone at Yeonhwa High.

They probably just think they live in different worlds.

Celebrity.

Ultimate insider.

Sure, there were outgoing students in the class, but still.

How many teenagers in Korea could say they were on the same level as one of the country’s top stars?

Especially someone their own age?

And there’s the whole Instagram thing too.

Social media mattered a lot to students.

These days, introductions happened through Instagram, not by trading phone numbers.

But Seoyeon’s Instagram?

Let’s be real — would she even accept your follow request?

Pictures with Jo Sehee from Kyungsung Lady,

Selfies on set with Lee Jiyeon,

Posts at ad shoots or brand events...

To any ordinary student, it was basically a whole other dimension.

Wanna exchange Instas?

That line was a joke when it came to her.

And KakaoTalk? That just felt like pretending they were besties.

Her mom’s managing it so well, too.

Dahyeon knew the truth.

Seoyeon’s Instagram wasn’t run by Seoyeon at all.

Her mom, Kim Sua, or her manager Park Eunha, handled it.

Jiyeon provided most of the photos.

The only thing Seoyeon did was give permission to post, or help write a caption —

and even that was usually Jiyeon’s doing.

Still, once they spend the trip together, things might get better.

Like sharing a room.

Or participating in a special school-organized event.

The Biol show, right?

As class president, Dahyeon had already been informed.

Seoyeon would be appearing as Biol’s ambassador at Ready-to-Wear.

Hearing that, Dahyeon herself had felt the gap.

Seoyeon really was different from regular students.

But—

Still, the way she’s sneaking glances like she wants help...

Seeing Seoyeon sending little SOS signals in her direction, Dahyeon smiled.

Honestly, it was kind of funny to watch.

****

Paris!

The city no European tour can skip.

Seoyeon didn’t have any fantasies about traveling in Europe,

But the other girls? Their energy skyrocketed the moment they landed.

We’re splitting into homeroom groups, so I probably won’t see Jiyeon till later.

Which meant Seoyeon had only one option:

Stick close to Dahyeon.

But—

“Did you know, Seoyeon? Originally, Versailles was just a villa.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Back in Louis XIII’s day, it was just a hunting lodge. Then Louis XIV expanded it into the current Versailles! With over a thousand rooms! The most famous one is definitely the Hall of Mirrors! Do you know it?”

Dahyeon was practically vibrating with excitement.

Day one of the Paris trip.

Thanks to the flight time, the only thing on the itinerary was visiting the Palace of Versailles.

But even that alone felt like more than enough — the sheer scale of the place was overwhelming.

Even someone like Seoyeon, who wasn’t that moved by traveling, was secretly impressed.

Though...

My ears hurt.

She had good hearing, and Dahyeon’s nonstop chatter was getting to her.

With no other friends around, Seoyeon stayed close — but she was kind of suffering.

And she wasn’t the only one.

The two girls walking with Dahyeon looked just as exhausted.

“Dahyeon’s been looking forward to Versailles forever.”

“Yeah, I can tell.”

The bob-haired girl said it casually.

Seoyeon flinched slightly at her voice — then realized, Oh. Wait.

“This might be a good chance to talk...”

“Hey, Seoyeon, it’s Yeongmi! Remember? We watched that Japanese variety show together, remember?”

“...Ah.”

So that’s where she remembered her from.

Seoyeon broke into a cold sweat.

Just to be clear — she hadn’t forgotten because she was careless or rude!

It’s just—

You’ve... put on quite a bit of weight since then, haven’t you?

Yeongmi, as Seoyeon remembered her, had been practically skin and bones.

But the current Yeongmi had... let’s just say she’d grown a bit — sideways.

“Ah~, sorry. I’ve put on a little weight, huh?”

“What are you talking about? You’re cuter than before.”

“...Dahyeon, you’re probably the only one who’d say that. My mom literally kicks me every morning.”

Naturally, Seoyeon could only nod silently.

She had enough social awareness to know this wasn’t the time to say anything stupid.

But still, trying to keep the conversation going feels awkward.

She was close to Dahyeon, but not particularly with her friends.

Just thinking about how awkward it had been when they’d watched that Japanese variety show last time made her stomach twist.

Hmm... but maybe it’s better to start getting close to this group first.

Dahyeon and Yeongmi.

And some of the second-year classmates who seemed friendly with them.

A good place to start for a “tutorial,” so to speak.

Alright. Let’s give this a— huh?

Just as Seoyeon was [N O V E L I G H T] psyching herself up—

The students were split into groups, wandering freely around the Palace of Versailles.

Right now, Seoyeon, Dahyeon, and about three other girls were strolling together through the palace gardens.

Since it was peak tourist season, the palace was packed.

Naturally, bumping into people was unavoidable.

Especially in places like the line to enter the main building.

So it wasn’t surprising that they didn’t notice when someone with... less-than-innocent intentions got close.

Tap.

『Huh?』

The pickpocket — a seasoned pro who typically targeted tourists in France — was momentarily thrown off by the lack of movement in the girl’s hand.

He tilted his gaze down ever so slightly.

And saw it.

A pale hand gripping the small knife he’d extended to slice open her bag.

What the hell?

She caught the blade?

His moment of confusion barely lasted a few seconds.

Crack.

The little knife snapped in half between those white fingers.

And in that instant—

“What do you think you’re doing?”

A beautiful girl’s face appeared right next to his.

She’d been a few steps away just a second ago, and now she was right beside him.

When had she moved?

Was she speaking Chinese? Japanese?

The pickpocket froze, confused.

But he was a pro.

Before she could say anything else, he dropped the broken blade and turned to flee.

“Wha?!”

“Wh-What’s going on?”

“Seoyeon?”

Dahyeon and the others, finally noticing something was wrong, turned to her.

“It was a pickpocket.”

“What?”

“Just a sec, I’ll go get him.”

“Wait, what are you getting?!”

Hearing the voices behind him, the pickpocket smirked to himself.

Whatever they’re saying, they can’t seriously think they’re catching me.

There was a reason he only targeted women.

Especially young girls — they wouldn’t chase him, too risky.

He didn’t want to invite unnecessary danger by sticking around.

If it weren’t for all these damn tourists, I wouldn’t even have to run.

They were just some teenage girls from Asia.

Even if they realized he was a thief, a glare or two would be enough to scare them off.

But with all these people around, you could never be too careful.

Also...

Why the hell did the knife break?

Running now, he found himself still thinking about it.

Sure, it was a small blade for slicing open bags —

But it was still a weapon.

There’s no way it should’ve snapped in someone’s hand.

Was it old? Worn out?

Or maybe—

Oh.

Up ahead, he spotted a woman — or maybe a girl —

holding a luxury bag, facing away, completely unaware.

Perfect target.

If he just sprinted up and grabbed it, it would be over in a flash.

The area wasn’t too crowded, so slipping away would be easy.

It was like she was begging to be robbed.

“Kyaa!!”

Sure enough, the girl screamed and fell over as he snatched the bag.

She let go instantly.

It was a little messy, sure — but still, a luxury bag was worth way more than some random girl’s wallet.

The pickpocket grinned, satisfied—

CRASH!!

『Guah?!』

—and slammed into the ground, rolling hard.

Or rather, he’d suddenly been lifted off his feet and slammed down.

『W-What the hell—?!』

“I don’t know what you’re saying.”

Seoyeon stood over him, having taken him down in an instant.

She pulled the stolen designer bag from his hand.

She hadn’t expected him to try and grab another bag while fleeing, but whatever.

He’s still slower than the Korean subway crowd.

She’d explained the situation to the others with such calm because she knew she could catch him.

Pickpocket or not — there’s no way he could outrun a Seoul commuter.

“Um, excuse me, this is...”

The girl who’d dropped the bag stepped forward.

Or was she a young woman?

Strawberry-blonde hair with a reddish tint. Amber eyes.

Her mouth was hidden behind a mask, making it hard to tell her age.

She was also fumbling to put on sunglasses that had flown off when she fell.

Is she famous?

Something about her felt familiar.

Maybe it was the way she was dressed —

Reminded Seoyeon of herself, back in Korea.

One nice thing about being overseas:

She didn’t have to go around dressed like that anymore.

Wait, what do I say? Uh... “Hello?”

Seoyeon held out the bag, suddenly unsure what language to use.

Was this person French? From somewhere else?

Versailles was overflowing with international tourists.

“Th-Thank you... yo.”

“Huh?”

“I speak Korean. Little.”

Oh, thank God.

Though her Korean was a bit awkward, the girl smiled and took the bag.

“Pickpocket... bad.”

“Yes, very.”

“Police... not needed.”

She said that and then turned around and—

Wham! Wham!

—kicked the pickpocket a few more times.

...She’s got a fiery personality, huh.

Her face looked sweet, but...

The girl kept smacking the guy’s cheeks with her palm.

The pickpocket squirmed, trying to resist, but Seoyeon had him firmly pinned.

There was no chance of escape.

About ten minutes later—

The police arrived and dragged him away on the spot.

The crowd murmured in surprise, but since the whole thing had ended so quickly, it didn’t cause much of a scene.

“Pickpocket very dangerous. You... don’t do like that, okay?”

“It’s fine.”

“Police... not always help. For real, yo.”

It was a pretty serious warning.

And Seoyeon knew she was right — to an extent.

But still—

She was technically here as a student.

And more importantly, she was a Biol ambassador.

So she had a bit of “protection,” so to speak, while in France.

There were also a lot of witnesses.

“Yes, thank you for the advice. Well then, I’ll...”

Seoyeon trailed off and looked around.

The crowd had shifted — she couldn’t see her group anywhere.

“....”

“What’s wrong?”

Seoyeon couldn’t answer.

Because on her very first day of the school trip—

—she had already gotten lost.