I Want to Be a VTuber

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Yuito, a journalist from Tokyo Daily, genuinely thought it was a great decision to learn Korean.

If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to call Seo-yeon over, nor would he have been able to conduct the interview seamlessly.

‘Where did the interpreter go, wandering off on their own?’

There were plenty of questions swirling in his mind.

Why was she all alone, and what kind of outfit was that, resembling a minefield?

A simple disguise?

If that were the case, there should have been many other options.

“But I’ve got her, but what do I ask in the interview?”

“Oh, it was so sudden that I didn’t think of any questions to ask.”

Yuito and his colleague journalist Ouki exchanged such banter.

By the way, Seo-yeon had stepped away for a moment, claiming she needed to make a call to Korea.

She probably intended to ask about things similar to this interview.

“Sorry for making you wait.”

After about ten minutes, Seo-yeon returned, and Yuito found himself momentarily mesmerized by her presence as she quietly sat down.

‘She fits in way too well.’

Yuito swallowed hard unintentionally.

Seo-yeon’s gaze bore into him with a calmness that rendered him speechless.

Even though her face was covered by a mask, you could sense an aura.

There was a pressure in the air that made him reconsider how to start the conversation.

Yet, they were journalists after all.

They had to land that scoop somehow.

“First off, as I mentioned earlier, we are journalists from Tokyo Daily.”

Upon hearing Yuito’s words, Seo-yeon nodded, looking at the business card he had given her earlier.

‘I can’t read what’s written on it.’

He wanted to check it with Papago, but the atmosphere didn’t seem right for that.

Still, she could at least recognize the symbol on the card and the kanji that meant ‘Tokyo.’

‘Well, if it were just a simple paparazzi, they would’ve probably taken a photo and left.’

Of course, if that were the case, Seo-yeon would have chased after them to confiscate the film.

Regardless, given their composed demeanor and the way they freely presented their business cards, it seemed highly likely they were indeed journalists.

“How did you know who I was?”

“Ah, that was.”

It was Ouki who answered, explaining that he had seen her reflection in the café glass as she took off her mask.

‘So they could see me from inside.’

The glass was translucent, so it hadn’t been obvious.

However, she had only taken off her mask for a brief moment, and Yuito thought the journalist must have impressive observation skills to recognize her from just that glimpse.

“Does the interview also include pictures?”

“Huh? No, we won’t include any unless you want us to!”

Yuito felt a little more reassured with that response.

However, Seo-yeon shook her head.

“It’s fine to include a photo.”

“Excuse me? But….”

“If it’s an interview, it’d be hard for people to believe it without a photo, right?”

In Japan, it was common to come across a variety of articles.

With that, there were many fake news stories as well.

“The reason I’m dressed this way is that you won’t see this in Korea, so they’ll think the photos were taken in Japan.”

At her words, Yuito and Ouki exchanged glances.

Well, that was fine for them.

In fact, it was too good to the point they felt flustered.

Especially since it was an outfit she had never even worn in Korea.

The appearance? They had gathered all the things Japanese people might like.

And it was indeed the minefield-themed outfit that was currently trending in subculture.

While the real minefield vibe left a negative impression, an actor wearing it felt totally different.

“Then, uh, could I take one picture, please?”

“Me too….”

Seo-yeon posed with a V sign for the photo.

It felt quite fitting, and she thought it turned out rather well.

‘With a picture, my image can change.’

This time, she vowed not to make a mistake like a gorilla.

This was a photo that contained her strong intent to become a minefield-themed actress.

‘Great, it turned out beautifully.’

Seo-yeon nodded.

By the way, she had already obtained consent from Nova Entertainment for this interview.

None other than the CEO, Kang Chan-yul.

“Interview? In Japan?”

“Yes.”

“That gossip column has too much going on.”

“It’s called Tokyo Daily.”

“Oh, that’s not bad. It’s a pretty decent newspaper in Tokyo. It’s not just a gossip column, after all.”

Seo-yeon kept in touch with Chan-yul from time to time.

Their relationship was naturally good.

After all, Chan-yul regarded Seo-yeon as a goose that lays golden eggs.

And he had known her since her child acting days, so she felt more like a close uncle than a CEO.

So, Seo-yeon decided to call Kang Chan-yul.

‘Eun-ha is probably going to say no.’

Eun-ha prioritized safety above all else.

Plus, even if she mentioned it, she would have to ask Kang Chan-yul anyway, so it was simpler to call him directly.

‘I don’t want to disturb her sleep either.’

After receiving permission from Kang Chan-yul, Seo-yeon pondered whether to inform Eun-ha, but then shook her head.

It was still early afternoon, so the chance of her still being asleep was high.

Wake her from her sleep? Seo-yeon didn’t really want that.

She could always tell her about it when she got back.

“So how will the interview proceed?”

After organizing her thoughts, Seo-yeon posed the question, and Yuito and Ouki swallowed hard.

Now that they were face-to-face, they weren’t sure where to start.

‘What question should we start with?’

‘Good question.’

Suddenly, Seo-yeon recalled that she had spent a while in Akihabara and had mentioned ‘Vtubers’ on a broadcast.

If so…

“Do you have a favorite manga in Japan?”

“Manga?”

At the question, Ouki looked at Yuito with a confused expression.

In truth, it was common to ask about one’s own culture in any country.

In other words, asking ‘Do you know Japan?’ wasn’t weird, but of all things, it was about manga?!

Seo-yeon certainly didn’t give off the impression of someone who loved manga.

Even though she had mentioned Vtubers yesterday, not many believed it was sincere.

Ouki felt similarly.

“I like martial arts manga.”

“Huh?”

“Stuff like ‘Baki’ or ‘Kengan Ashura.'”

“?”

Why martial arts manga of all things?

The two journalists couldn’t help but be flabbergasted.

“Is it okay if I ask why?”

“You can gain a lot of inspiration from it.”

What in the world could one draw inspiration from martial arts manga?

O-Of course, Yuito knew those manga were amazing works.

He was even quite a fan.

But why??? The question lingered in his mind.

Usually, those types of manga are more liked by males than females, right??

“I like strong things.”

Seo-yeon huffed, shrugging her shoulders as she blew air through her nose.

It seemed she quite liked Yuito’s question.

“Would you like to see it later?”

“Excuse me?”

What would they see?

Yuito also wondered what she could possibly show regarding that manga.

‘No, it must be a joke, right?’

Japanese journalists had no clue what Seo-yeon had done in [Hyper Action Star].

Of course, even if they had seen it, they would probably think it was just an exaggerated variety show.

Nevertheless, the impression they had of Seo-yeon from Japan was primarily from films like the trailer for [The Chaser] or the currently airing [Dream Future].

It wouldn’t be strange to view her as having a frail impression.

“Ah.”

Realizing something late, Seo-yeon hurriedly added to her statement.

“Th-this is definitely a joke. I’m quite weak, so I have a bit of admiration for that kind of thing.”

“Aha.”

Yuito nodded, and Seo-yeon quickly said again.

“Please make sure to include that remark in the interview.”

“Huh? What remark are you talking about?”

“The part about liking manga and the reason why.”

“Aha, got it.”

Yuito finally nodded as if he understood.

At that reaction, Seo-yeon silently sighed in relief.

‘Such unintentional remarks.’

After all, she was trying so hard to shed a rough image, and doing an interview like this would just turn everything upside down.

Still, it was a relief that a Japanese journalist managed to handle it well enough.

‘But am I really weak?’

Of course, Yuito felt a little uneasy about it.

After all, the image of Seo-yeon crawling across the floor in a variety show felt worlds away from being frail…

“Ahem, then I’ll continue with the questions.”

In any case, Yuito began to ask one by one.

“What brought you to Japan?”

“Do you have a favorite Japanese actor?”

“What Japanese food do you like the most?”

The answers were pretty ordinary.

Compared to manga, most were straightforward.

Seo-yeon answered those questions somewhat disappointedly.

There were a few unique responses, but most were quite conventional compared to the first question.

‘So why…’

She answered in detail about games and manga, yet seemed to show little interest in the other topics.

Isn’t it common for actors to have deeper interests in other matters?

‘Could it be a concept?’

There are many entertainers in Japan with a variety of concepts.

Among them are those with very distinctive or overly complex concepts.

However, actors from abroad didn’t necessarily need to adhere to a specific concept.

They already had some recognition in their home countries.

A minefield girl, who also happens to like games.

She even had extensive knowledge about animation.

‘It clearly seemed like it was aimed at a specific demographic…’

A specific demographic, meaning it seemed targeted at the otaku crowd.

The responses seemed too well-prepared to be spontaneous, which left Yuito quite confused.

“Then finally…”

What question should he ask last?

In that moment of reflection, he suddenly remembered the comments that had gone viral on Twitter after the broadcast.

In particular, one concerning a certain director.

“Do you happen to know Director Kakeba Hiro?”

“Huh?”

Seo-yeon contemplated briefly.

Despite having considerable knowledge of the entertainment industry, she regrettably didn’t know much about overseas matters.

“I’m sorry, I haven’t heard of him.”

“That’s alright. He might still be a stranger to Korea. He’s an emerging genius director currently gaining attention in Japan.”

He was a director known for filming in styles not frequently used in Japan, but more suited for international audiences.

For reference, he was currently filming a drama.

His popularity was decent, but it was largely due to it deviating from the traditional emotional tone of Japanese dramas.

It was rather surprising that even so, they were achieving decent ratings.

“I heard that Director Kakeba mentioned you, Seo-yeon, after seeing your variety show on his personal Twitter. It wasn’t just one post but several.”

“Oh, really?”

In retrospect, Twitter could be described as the national SNS of Japan.

It was widely used among people of all ages.

Yuito showed Seo-yeon Kakeba Hiro’s recent tweets on his smartphone.

Of course, translated.

==

@kakeba_hiro

“I watched the variety show and became interested in the actress Joo Seo-yeon. I saw several scenes in the trailer for [The Chaser]. Although it’s a short clip, you can really feel her acting prowess. It shows that her ghost acts weren’t merely a coincidence.”

@kakeba_hiro

“The gap between [Dream Future] and [The Chaser] becomes increasingly apparent. Though she’s the same actress, the atmosphere is entirely different in the two pieces. Perhaps that’s why it seems difficult to properly connect Joo Ha-rin and Joo Seo-yeon in considering their roles.”

(Their images are quite different.)

@kakeba_hiro

“I heard that ‘Sky Garden,’ which concluded recently, was quickly contacted by a Japanese broadcasting company. Frankly, at that time, I thought, ‘We’ll see…’ but now, I completely disagree. She’s an actress I want to film with if the opportunity arises.”

==

She saw numerous such tweets.

Seo-yeon felt slightly embarrassed reading those tweets.

No matter what, hearing such compliments to her face was bound to make anyone blush, no matter how confident they were.

‘Moreover, it wasn’t acting at all.’

In her situation, she knew her true situation wouldn’t be believed, even if she spoke up.

And honestly, Seo-yeon preferred it this way, where others mistook it for acting.

If it got out that she had genuinely fled out of fear, it would severely tarnish her image.

‘Moreover, speaking of Japanese dramas…’

She wasn’t uninterested.

In fact, she had watched only one, which was just a show her mother was watching beside her.

The emotions she felt back then were definitely different from the typical emotional styles, as well as the acting.

“…What do you think?”

“Huh? Ah, I’d love to meet him if the opportunity arises.”

It wasn’t just empty words.

Since he was being called a genius director in Japan, it wouldn’t hurt to establish a connection.

Plus, he had definitely shown interest in Seo-yeon.

“Then.”

Upon hearing Seo-yeon’s words, Yuito hesitated for a moment before speaking up.

“Would you like to meet him?”

“Huh?”

Seo-yeon couldn’t help but be a little surprised by that unexpected suggestion.

She had never imagined that they would actually propose such a meeting right here.

*

“But really, what does that have to do with a cameo?”

Later, Seo-yeon returned to her hotel accommodations.

Although it was a brief interview, it still took up quite a bit of time, making it awkward to meet up immediately afterward.

When Seo-yeon mentioned Kakeba’s name, Eun-ha had thought, ‘Did she already meet him?’ but felt somewhat relieved.

“That came as a shock. You should be more straightforward…”

Thankfully, it seemed she hadn’t gone to meet anyone alone.

From what it seemed, they had only exchanged a brief call.

“It sounded like you and Director Kakeba knew each other. A high school classmate, perhaps? You said you were going to reach out in this opportunity?”

Of course, the relationship felt rather vague.

They weren’t in regular contact, but surely could manage a conversation?

Well, perhaps that was sufficient to get him moving.

“So, Director Kakeba said he was okay with it? And that’s the cameo?”

The one to respond to Seo-yeon’s question was Sora.

Since he was a Japanese director, she naturally found it hard not to be interested.

“It was more of a suggestion from his side to meet at the filming set. And if he gets the chance… he asked if you could do a cameo.”

Even though it was a sudden offer, Kakeba readily gave a thumbs up to Yuito’s words.

Whether it was because he was genuinely interested in Seo-yeon or if Yuito managed to persuade him well was uncertain.

“Do you know Kakeba, Sora?”

“Um, I know him… but honestly, I haven’t really done any acting in Japan.”

Though she had aimed to be an actress, Sora had at least some knowledge about him.

She had seen several dramas directed by him.

He had youthful sensibilities.

Moreover, he was a director known for his restrained emotional lines, which were quite rare in Japan.

‘Well, at least it wasn’t a minefield explosion.’

Park Eun-ha sighed in relief.

She had just assumed Seo-yeon would have already filmed a cameo part by now.

Honestly, if Seo-yeon wanted to do it, Eun-ha couldn’t have stopped her.

She wasn’t the type to be easily swayed, and there had never been a single instance where Seo-yeon had failed when she had set her mind to something.

If all of this was instinctive, it truly was remarkable.

‘Seo-yeon is like a bomb, but her explosions always seem to benefit her.’

Whether it was instinct or genuine thoughtfulness wasn’t clear, but regardless, Eun-ha did not oppose the idea of Seo-yeon doing a cameo.

There was nothing bad about taking on any opportunity.

At Eun-ha’s reaction, Seo-yeon felt relief wash over her.

‘It looks like I really need more broadcasts to change my image.’

For now, she planned to leak it through an internet article.

With that, if she made a little cameo appearance in a drama, perhaps the perceptions about ghosts would fade away.

‘Moreover.’

The reason she aggressively pursued this was not solely for her image.

The Japanese OTT market was quite significant, and having connections could prove beneficial in various ways.

‘That way, I could use filming as an excuse to visit Japan frequently… no, to work.’

Seo-yeon nodded with satisfaction at her perfectly constructed plan.