NOVEL NEXT Chapter 0
Prologue
On a day when summer cicadas were buzzing wildly, I opened my eyes to find myself cradled in the arms of a strange woman.
“Isn’t our Seoyeon just beautiful?”
“She’s really got a lovely face, which is quite rare for babies.”
I overheard a conversation between the woman holding me and another woman, who was a nurse. I couldn’t quite place the woman cradling me, but the nurse was definitely familiar with the hospital setting.
‘What the heck is going on…?’
I felt dizzy.
What kind of nonsense is this?
‘I distinctly remember collapsing…’
The details were hazy. I had just escaped the clutches of unemployment and was working at a company when a pain struck my chest. The last thing I could recall was the sound of an ambulance and being wheeled away on a stretcher.
And then I woke up to this mess.
‘Huh.’
After sucking my thumb thoughtfully, I came to a conclusion.
Even my small fingers were tiny, just like my little mouth.
‘So, I’ve been reincarnated…’
With that thought, I decided to just roll with it. My body wasn’t quite strong enough to withstand any more heavy blows.
*
Time passed.
When I looked into the mirror, I saw a little girl, about five or six years old, crossing her arms and giving herself a fierce look.
‘Cute.’
I raised my hand to play with my long hair tied in pigtails. It looked quite lovely, and I couldn’t help but like it.
As I leaned closer to the mirror, I noticed my slightly reddish eyes.
‘Hope it’s not some weird illness…’
The doctor had assured me it was nothing to worry about, just a difference in color. Though, from a distance, they merely looked like a light brown.
‘Still not used to this, though.’
I didn’t realize it at first.
But it didn’t take long for me to grasp that I had reincarnated as a girl.
In my previous life, I was a boy.
So you can imagine how baffling it was to come to terms with being a girl now.
I’m still not completely adjusted, but I’m pretty accustomed at this point.
Sometimes when I look in the mirror and strike different poses, I feel more like I’m looking at a cute kid rather than myself.
Five years have rolled by, and the reason I haven’t fully adapted is likely due to my ridiculously cute appearance.
Honestly, am I not way too cute compared to my past self?
“Ahh.”
Even my voice is cute.
Looking into the mirror, I was genuinely satisfied with how adorably charming I appeared.
Reincarnation? Worth a shot!
If I had been this cute in my past life, Kim Hyung-seok wouldn’t have bullied me so much.
“Oh my, our daughter! What are you doing in front of the mirror? Trying to be a model?”
The woman speaking to me was my reincarnated parent, as it were.
Honestly, given the not-so-great relationship I had with my parents in my previous life, it was a bit suffocating how affectionate my mother was.
“Uh, I’m not going to be a model,” I replied.
“Why not? Our Seoyeon is just too cute!”
“I know that, but I don’t want to.”
It was just something moms routinely say, so I didn’t pay much attention to it.
Ever since I figured out I was a girl, I had a foolproof plan all laid out.
In short, I was going to become a VTuber.
*
There are several paths for a man who has transitioned (TS) to walk; becoming a streamer, celebrity, or VTuber.
I chose to become a VTuber.
‘For starters, I don’t even have to show my face at first.’
I took a hand mirror and inspected my face.
Right now, I am incredibly cute, but who knows what I’ll look like when I grow up?
After all, there’s something called “reverse transformation” out there.
‘Of course, there haven’t been any cases of reverse transformation among those who transitioned…’
But the problem is that those examples are just fictional characters.
Whether the invincible TS cells will apply in reality is still an open question.
In that sense, becoming a VTuber was a worry-free, safe investment.
‘Even if VTubers aren’t hugely popular yet…’
What I realized after reincarnation is that I’ve gone back in time to before my death.
And I am now in a period where VTubers don’t even exist yet.
The VTuber boom will properly kick off in about eight years, and the market will grow even larger in about thirteen years.
If I get in early and secure a solid base…
“So, I have to prepare diligently.”
With the level of determination I had after narrowly failing the college entrance exam in Seoul, I knew I could achieve good results if I start preparing now.
“First off, some vocal exercises.”
VTubers need to have good voices, even if the rest is average.
Sure, my voice is adorably cute at the moment, but that level of cuteness ain’t gonna cut it in the competitive market.
“Ahhh~.”
And so, I began my vocal exercises, trying to appear as natural as possible, all while watching the stretching exercises on TV.
*
“Honey, I think Seoyeon wants to become a celebrity.”
Seoyeon’s mother, Min Sua, who had been secretly watching her, smiled proudly.
Seonyeon had never been a crybaby or overly demanding, not even as a child.
She was even unusually polite for her age.
Always finding things to do by herself without pausing.
“A celebrity?”
Her husband, Youngbin Joo, who was watching the news, raised an eyebrow at her words.
‘…her?’
Though he loved his daughter dearly, she was a bit absurd in her own way.
There was no doubt she was sweet and certainly a child who wouldn’t hurt a fly.
But sometimes, it was hard to fathom what was actually going on inside her mind.
“Look, our Seoyeon practices her vocal exercises every day while watching the Children’s Song Garden!”
“Uh-huh, I mean, that’s true…”
Is that really vocal practice?
She seemed to be mumbling her random thoughts, but exactly how that could connect with actual vocal exercises was beyond him.
“I saw her practicing all sorts of acting! She was so cute I couldn’t help but want to hug her!”
‘Hmm, is that all it takes?’
Youngbin thought, unable to voice his doubts.
It was just typical behavior for a mom who cherished her daughter so much.
“I think our Seoyeon should definitely try her hand at acting!”
Seeing how seriously she seemed to be practicing acting every day, it was clear she had some interest in it.
“Well, if that’s the case, how about an audition for a child actor?”
Typically, it’s best to show reality firsthand.
Youngbin thought his daughter was indeed cute, but he also knew how difficult it was to become a celebrity.
How many kids out there are overflowing with talent?
His daughter might be special, but that didn’t mean she was particularly gifted.
‘And these days, acting is all about early education anyway.’
Their family wasn’t exactly poor, but they also didn’t have the funds to invest in such arts and sports.
What could Seoyeon accomplish when surrounded by children who had proper acting education while she just watched the Children’s Song Garden?
“Should we do that?”
On the flip side, Sua beamed widely.
Her enthusiasm seemed genuine, and Youngbin felt a twinge of guilt for his skepticism.
‘Well, who knows? Maybe she actually has a hidden talent.’
Watching his wife excitedly search for auditions for child actors, Youngbin scratched his head.
Sure, since she’s interested, trying it out might not be a bad idea.
“Wait, you mean… a child actor audition?”
But…
This was far from the future Seoyeon envisioned.