I Want to Be a VTuber

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“Parachute? Huh, give it your best shot?”

He said that while looking at the doll-like girl who was staring at him.

Jet-black hair, pale skin.

With those mysteriously red-tinted eyes.

She looked like a character straight out of a fairy tale.

Her appearance was so striking that one could easily think, ‘Ah, they brought her just for her looks.’

After all, everyone around her had been babbling about it.

The staff, even his manager.

So she uttered those words.

Parachute.

That was the word little Jo Seo-hee hated the most.

It felt as if someone who wasn’t genuinely invested in this endeavor had taken the opportunity away from her.

As if she were an outsider in a world her mother had been deeply involved in.

At that moment, Jo Seo-hee surely thought she disliked her.

At least, until she saw her acting.

***

Uuung, uuuuuung!

Clack, clank, thud!

Half-asleep, Jo Seo-hee heard the sound of her phone tumbling to the ground and sleepily glanced at the wall clock.

“…It’s not easy starting in the morning.”

Who would have thought she’d recall that incident right from the start of the day?

Jo Seo-hee sighed.

She got out of bed and moved through her usual routine.

Light exercise, breakfast.

And as she was getting ready for school, the housekeeper came over to speak.

“You seem cheerful these days, Miss Seo-hee.”

Just casual banter.

Jo Seo-hee shot her an unimpressed look.

“Please talk normally, auntie.”

“Oh my, is this not normal?”

With a big smile, she replied, and Jo Seo-hee sighed again.

This was the woman who had taken care of the house ever since Jo Seo-hee was just a baby.

Hired when her mother was especially busy, she had been working in their home all along.

“Are you not struggling with filming for the movie these days?”

“No, it’s going smoothly.”

Jo Seo-hee said, adjusting her school uniform smartly.

Smoothly.

Yes, that’s exactly right.

<Gyeongseong Young Lady> was going well in many ways.

Not just in terms of filming, but also concerning publicity and distribution issues for the movie.

It felt like everything was just falling into place.

‘That chaos in the beginning seems like a distant memory.’

When the cast almost fell apart and the investors expressed their concerns back then.

To be honest, Seo-hee felt dizzy when the actor playing ‘Koto Isamu’ left.

Finding an actor of that caliber was no easy task.

Not just any extra; this was practically a main villain role.

The actor needed both skill and recognition to fit that position.

Even as Seo-hee searched tirelessly for an actor, it wasn’t easy to find someone.

After all, it was a villain role, and since it was a movie directed by Director Baek Min, most turned it down.

As they say, Director Baek Min’s films have a unique flavor, making many actors wary.

Especially among senior actors, quite a few were not just reluctant but openly hostile to taking on the role of Koto Isamu.

‘Plus, there’s the aspect of homosexuality in it.’

Those elements likely brought about various problems.

But then, that issue was resolved surprisingly quickly.

Suddenly, Seo-yeon brought over the big star, Lee Sang-soo.

How did she manage that?

‘She does those things so effortlessly.’

Seo-hee found Seo-yeon to be a fascinating presence.

It had been that way since they were young.

She delivered performances that child actors wouldn’t even dare to attempt, leaving a significant impact with just one drama.

‘And after that remarkable feat, she went missing without a trace.’

Seo-hee grumbled to herself during class at school.

The shock that Seo-yeon’s disappearance had brought to her was immense.

The performance Seo-yeon had shown at the end.

That performance was like a radiant star she had long desired.

Just like what her mother had demonstrated.

***

When Seo-yeon arrived at the filming set, she could feel a slightly chaotic atmosphere.

Curious about what was going on, she approached quietly.

“Ahh!! Mom!!”

“?”

The staff jumped back in shock as Seo-yeon stealthily approached them.

They hadn’t sensed her footsteps or even the slightest presence.

‘Did she learn something after going to Japan, like ninja skills or something?’

Seeing the staff behave that way made Seo-yeon raise an eyebrow.

No matter how quietly she approached, isn’t that too much of a scare?

Is that what it looks like to see a female lead?

“Oh, I’m so, so sorry! We had multiple things happening at once.”

“Multiple things?”

“Yes, actor Lee Sang-hyuk came to meet Director Baek Min.”

Lee Sang-hyuk.

One of the leading veteran actors in Korea.

Why was he here?

“It seems the filming location for the movie featuring Actor Lee Sang-hyuk is nearby. They ended up overlapping schedules.”

“Ah-ha.”

The place Seo-yeon was at was a filming site in Chungnam Nonsan.

It’s a typical location for dramas set in the colonial era, almost a rite of passage for many.

So it wasn’t unusual for filming schedules to overlap.

‘But with Director Baek Min, he probably wouldn’t schedule things to overlap like this.’

As Seo-yeon pondered that and entered the set, she caught sight of Director Baek Min and Actor Lee Sang-hyuk engaged in a conversation. However, there were so many staff around that getting close was difficult.

Seo-yeon focused her ears and eavesdropped on their conversation from a distance.

“I came to greet you after hearing you were filming nearby.”

“It seems your new project also has a backdrop of the Japanese colonial period.”

“Hehe, it just turned out that way. Quite the coincidence.”

Their dialogue wasn’t particularly tense.

But considering their positions, it was quite a peculiar scene.

Actor Lee Sang-hyuk, who had abruptly departed from a project, meeting with Director Baek Min.

Of course, Lee Sang-hyuk hadn’t left because of any drama.

He simply bailed right before filming along with some other actors.

That too is an issue, but it’s not completely unheard of, so it wasn’t something to scold severely over.

‘Most importantly, I feel like Lee Sang-hyuk came today to apologize for that incident.’

It seemed he had already made that apology several times before.

After all, it wouldn’t do any good to have bad rumors circulating in the industry.

However, Lee Sang-hyuk probably didn’t expect Director Baek Min to accept that apology so readily.

In reality.

‘Are we really meeting so nonchalantly?’

Lee Sang-hyuk was a seasoned actor.

He thought Director Baek Min wouldn’t give him the time of day easily.

Director Baek Min was known for his meticulous nature, and that’s what had drawn him to participate in the film in the first place.

However, he had simply jumped ship for a much better offer from another side.

‘But there was nothing he could do. The money being offered was more than double.’

The investor was from a much larger company, and the scale of the movie was incomparable to <Gyeongseong Young Lady>.

In <Gyeongseong Young Lady>, the setting revolved around a couple of young ladies’ mansions and such.

That was pretty much the extent of the backdrop used in the film.

To be honest, it edged close to being a low-budget film.

There was no need for graphics; the focus was solely on the actors.

‘Since you took away such an important cast member… Director Baek Min must be quite upset.’

So the reason he dropped by today was ostensibly to extend a formal apology.

Even to all the actors gathered for the shoot.

If the filming location hadn’t overlapped, Lee Sang-hyuk would have probably visited the set anyway.

He had reasons to manage his reputation in the industry.

It’s natural to feel a certain curiosity about a film he left, especially one that seemed to be running smoothly like <Gyeongseong Young Lady>.

‘Who on earth is playing my role, Koto Isamu?’

Even as he scanned the set, he couldn’t spot an adequate actor.

In fact, Lee Sang-hyuk was famous for having connections in the entertainment industry.

None of the veteran actors he knew were mentioned as taking on the role of Koto Isamu.

‘It seems they had no choice but to settle for someone less remarkable for that spot.’

If a prominent actor had taken the role, the investors would have undoubtedly made a big deal out of it.

But the silence meant there wasn’t a standout actor in the mix.

As he ruminated over that.

“You don’t need to apologize too much. All in all, it’s worked out well in the end.”

“…That’s a relief to hear.”

“Then, since we also have filming to do…”

“Ah, sorry about that.”

After sharing that bit of conversation, Lee Sang-hyuk greeted Director Baek Min and exited the set.

In that process, he crossed paths with Seo-yeon.

‘Joo Seo-yeon?’

She was one of the main cast members of this <Gyeongseong Young Lady>.

‘A rising star.’

Seo-yeon was quite well known even among actors.

Naturally, it was with good reason.

There was even a joke going around that a piece of floundering work would be revived as long as Seo-yeon joined.

In reality, she had left quite an impression.

So much so, exaggerated claims and rumors of manipulation began to circulate about her incredible achievements.

Many who felt envy towards her were prevalent.

Of course, anyone wise enough would do their best to win Seo-yeon over to their side.

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Lee Sang-hyuk. I’ve heard a lot from actress Jeong Eun-seon.”

He greeted Seo-yeon with a smile.

His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not.

Considering the rumors surrounding Seo-yeon, she was not exactly the most welcome face for Lee Sang-hyuk.

‘The release date of our movie overlaps with that of Gyeongseong Young Lady.’

Meaning, they would inevitably be fighting for the same audience.

Of course, Lee Sang-hyuk never thought he would lose.

That was natural.

First off, the genre was unique.

Lee Sang-hyuk’s film was an anti-Japanese drama, easily expected to rake in at least five million viewers in Korea, with a scale unmatched by <Gyeongseong Young Lady>.

On the other hand, <Gyeongseong Young Lady> was merely set against the backdrop of the colonial era, without showcasing any such elements.

Besides, it was a film with homosexual themes.

There was no way it would gather an audience.

Yet.

‘But her being in it complicates things.’

Only a year had passed.

In the life of an actor, that’s but a mere moment, yet the impact she had left over that year was significant.

Moreover, this movie wasn’t solely about Joo Seo-yeon.

“Hello there, Mr. Lee Sang-hyuk.”

The female voice that slipped in between Seo-yeon and Lee Sang-hyuk belonged to Jo Seo-hee.

She had just arrived on set, sporting a bright smile as she looked at him.

Her demeanor seemed to shield Seo-yeon from him.

“Good day, Miss Seo-hee. It’s been a while.”

Her youthful presence flickered in his eyes.

Had it really been nearly ten years since their last meeting at her mother’s funeral?

Despite her having been active for almost a decade, it was their first time crossing paths on set.

“I’m relieved to see you’re well.”

“…Thank you.”

“I’m sure your mother would be happy too. She has you, her daughter, carrying on her legacy.”

Upon hearing that, Jo Seo-hee’s eyes narrowed for a moment before she broke out into a smile.

“Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”

“Well then, I have filming to attend to.”

Lee Sang-hyuk said that before slowly turning to leave the set.

Seo-yeon and Jo Seo-hee.

Essentially, the future of the actresses.

‘Feeling a bit uneasy about this.’

Lee Sang-hyuk thought that as he exited the set.

And as he left, he noticed a large van parked nearby.

‘Is that the van Jo Seo-hee arrived in?’

That struck him as a question.

But for some reason, it caught his attention.

“Hmph.”

Jo Seo-hee scoffed, watching where Lee Sang-hyuk had vanished.

“An apology, you say.”

She vaguely guessed the reason why Lee Sang-hyuk had come.

It was surprisingly due to the rapid commencement of filming for <Gyeongseong Young Lady>, causing him some concern.

With a frown on her face, Joo Seo-hee observed Lee Sang-hyuk and her words struck Seo-yeon oddly.

‘Her daughter who carries on her legacy?’

Seo-yeon had never inquired about Jo Seo-hee’s family relations.

And Jo Seo-hee herself hadn’t brought it up either.

Yet, that remark from Lee Sang-hyuk held significant implications.

“Lee Sang-hyuk’s personality has always been like that.”

As Seo-yeon was mulling over it, a familiar voice chimed in.

Turning her head, she saw.

“Oh, hi, Actor Lee Sang-soo.”

Seo-yeon greeted with a slight bow.

There stood Lee Sang-soo, casually dressed.

“I was preparing for the shoot, but had to dodge when I saw that kid. Phew, what’s she trying to hide?”

Although some internal matters couldn’t be helped, it wouldn’t be good if an outsider like Lee Sang-hyuk got wind of them.

“By the way.”

Actor Lee Sang-soo smiled at Seo-yeon.

“Today’s our first shoot together, Seo-yeon.”

His expression held genuine anticipation, and Seo-yeon nodded.

Today was the day they’d be filming the parts for Seo-yeon and Seo-hee.

Since Seo-yeon’s schedule was tight, they aimed to shoot her parts as soon as possible whenever the opportunity arose.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

With serious eyes, Lee Sang-soo looked at Seo-yeon.

After all, the main reason he returned to the film industry was to work with Seo-yeon directly.

“Of course.”

In response to his words, Seo-yeon flashed a smile.

As if inviting a good expectation.

And soon.

As the previously tumultuous filming set settled down,

The official filming began.