I Want to Be a VTuber

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“Ugh, Asher Baldwin?”

When Joo Seo-hee heard that name, she crossed her arms and looked deep in thought.

“Come to think of it, I’ve heard of him. There was talk that director Asher Baldwin was heading to Japan recently.”

“Is he going to work on something there?”

“Probably. But who knows? Ugh, maybe they slipped him some cash from the Japanese side.”

At those words from Seo-hee, Seo-yeon fell silent for a moment.

It’s well-known that the Japanese film industry doesn’t pay directors much.

Even Seo-yeon, who doesn’t know much about the industry, was aware of that.

‘More importantly, didn’t Asher Baldwin ever shoot a movie in Japan in his past life?’

If he had made a film, Seo-yeon surely would have known about it.

Even if she was clueless about international releases, Asher Baldwin’s films would have definitely made it to Korea.

If she didn’t know, the chances are high that it never got released in the first place.

While she was lost in thought, Lee Ji-yeon, who had been quiet, spoke up.

“So, Joo Seo-yeon. Does that amazing director want to cast you as the lead?”

“I’m not sure about that.”

Hearing that, she remembered it was a Japanese film from the get-go.

Having a Korean as the lead in a Japanese film is probably like… no, it’s basically unheard of.

‘Especially if the film is being funded by Japan.’

The Japanese film industry was surely making moves to revive its dwindling market lately.

It might even be a big gamble to bring in a famous international director.

‘If that’s the case, maybe something just didn’t click in a previous life, and that’s why no movie came out.’

It’s quite possible.

It was clear that Asher Baldwin’s recent film didn’t exactly break box office records, marring his reputation.

However, that didn’t erase the fact that he had won the Academy Award for Best Director twice.

He was still among the finest in the U.S., with a name that could easily overshadow any director in Japan.

No, not just Japan—he would overshadow directors in Korea as well.

Particularly, Asher Baldwin is known for balancing both artistic and commercial success.

There’s a saying about trying to catch two rabbits and ending up with none, but he’s the kind of director who can catch both.

“First, we need to hear more details.”

“Right, even if it’s not the lead role, I’d be happy to participate as an extra. Asher Baldwin’s film is worth that much.”

Even Seo-hee calmly said that, but it seemed like something was weighing on her mind.

“Since it is a Japanese film, I can’t help but wonder about the production environment. Well, if Asher Baldwin requests it, people from the U.S. would likely come over, especially…”

“Especially?”

“There’s a rumor that Asher Baldwin has an adopted daughter. I think she’s coming along to Japan this time.”

Asher Baldwin’s adopted daughter.

Seo-yeon rummaged through her mind for a moment.

Then, she recalled someone with a similar name.

“Stella Baldwin.”

“Ah, do you know her? A lot of people don’t even realize she’s his adopted daughter.”

“Well, they share the same last name.”

“Baldwin is a pretty common surname… Anyway, if Asher Baldwin is making a movie, there’s a high chance she’ll appear in it.”

Seo-yeon didn’t know much about foreign film actors.

In fact, she knew less about directors than about actors.

She recognized directors due to their films’ popularity but had hardly watched any foreign movies or dramas.

‘That doesn’t really help with emotional imitation, does it?’

From the beginning, Seo-yeon had never watched films or dramas for “fun.”

It was merely material for referencing emotions that appeared in the works.

Thus, all the films she had seen were Korean movies and dramas.

The expressions of emotions and emotion lines unique to each country.

Those things differ culturally, so if she watched a bit of everything, it could easily lead to negative influences.

‘In Stella’s case, I know of her for reasons completely unrelated to her work.’

Usually for less-than-favorable reasons.

“So, if they’re going to feature a foreign actress as the lead, wouldn’t it be her?”

“Do you think so?”

“I don’t really know. They didn’t even tell me what the roles are yet, right?”

“Seems like it’s a bit perplexing for them too. I suppose they just brought it up. My schedule is super tight as well.”

“Well, that makes sense.”

Anyway, it looked like they would need to wait to hear more details from Japan.

After all, <Gyeongseong Young Lady> is scheduled to shoot there, so wouldn’t she get to meet him then?

“But, Joo Seo-yeon.”

“Yeah?”

“Have you seen this?”

Suddenly asking if she had seen something made Seo-yeon blink in confusion.

“What?”

“This!”

As she said that, Seo-yeon glanced at the smartphone screen that Ji-yeon had showed her.

And there it was.

[Scary, Ramiel… a ghost is coming…]

“…….”

Seo-yeon’s poker face began to crack.

Who was that even?

Is it me?

She never spoke like that and definitely wasn’t the clingy type either.

W-well, it’s not like Ji-yeon is a guy, but…

What the heck is going on?!

“H-Hold on, is this fake?”

“Who would fake it? I thought I was going to die yesterday when you were clinging to me all day long.”

Actually, it wasn’t all day.

At most, just during the time after waking up.

But Seo-yeon couldn’t bring herself to deny it.

It seemed like that was what she looked like after the film cut out.

Okay, then, the drunken state.

Seeing her own mumbling self while intoxicated made her head throb.

‘Am I really sensitive to alcohol?’

Seo-yeon was confident in her invincible TS body.

Not just in terms of appearance but also internally.

In reality, she felt fine even after eating spoiled food, and she hadn’t gotten sick yet.

But why alcohol?

“Who filmed this?”

“Huh?”

“Since you’re stuck to me, the person who filmed it must be someone else.”

Seo-yeon’s vision darted around.

Well, truthfully, in the position they were in, there was only one person who could have filmed it.

It was Jo Seo-hee, who was slyly avoiding eye contact now.

“Seems like my cat filmed it.”

“You don’t have any pets at home.”

“…….”

If only she had known, she would’ve gotten a cat or something.

Seo-hee, under Seo-yeon’s intense gaze, was sweating bullets.

But today, she wasn’t feeling guilty.

After all, if she got another chance to film it, she would surely do it again.

‘……Anyway.’

For the time being, Seo-yeon thought about erasing the video on Seo-hee’s phone.

Asher Baldwin.

And Stella.

That’s what really mattered.

In more ways than one, too many thoughts were weighing on her mind.

***

“Did you find a good actor? You seem in a good mood.”

In a posh hotel set up in Japan.

Asher just entered the front door and sighed at the murmurs of people around him.

He was contemplating whether he should be giving a warning to his daughter, who suddenly appeared in front of people.

Did she think that fewer people in Japan would recognize her?

“Weren’t you saying there weren’t any actors you liked in Japan?”

“If I say that, it almost sounds like I’m disrespecting Japanese actors.”

“Huh? Isn’t that the same thing? Come on, Dad, you hate Japanese-style acting.”

Hearing that, Asher involuntarily glanced around.

While those words weren’t all that different from the truth, they definitely weren’t the kind of thing one would say in Japan.

Fortunately, aside from his interpreter and a few security personnel, there wasn’t much of a chance that any nearby would understand the girl’s English.

“She’s not Japanese. She’s Korean.”

“Isn’t that basically the same?”

“Oh, wow, casually throwing out racism, are we?”

“Huh? I didn’t mean it like that!”

With a chuckle, she resembled a fairy.

Just eighteen now.

Considering that it’s a time when Western actors usually start to mature, she looked surprisingly youthful.

“Well, I’m at least half Asian, right?”

Chinese, Japanese.

Or perhaps Korean.

He didn’t know, but.

Hearing her say that made Asher sigh again.

To be truthful, Stella didn’t really have a liking for Asians.

So when he mentioned going to Japan, she reacted strongly.

“Honestly, I initially wanted to cast Stella in the next movie as the lead.”

But since it’s a Japanese film, that could be stretching it.

Plus, he had become a bit cautious after a recent misfire and wanted to take his time.

Making a film in Japan was, in fact, a challenge for him too.

Trying to create something colored by others in a culture that’s not his own.

‘With this girl, scoring the youngest Academy Award for Best Actress would totally be possible.’

Asher hadn’t changed a bit since the first moment he’d met Stella on that street.

But honestly, it might be tough right now.

Stella was such a prodigy that he had never encountered anyone like her until now.

‘But, that Korean actress might just be the spark of inspiration.’

‘Her looks, her presence. And that incredible immersion.’

He felt the same shock that had hit him when he first saw Stella.

He felt a mix of disappointment and joy that such an actress existed in Japan.

But of all things, she’s also Korean.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing at all.”

“By the way, you said you found a good actor, didn’t you? Aren’t you going to tell me?”

As Asher packed his belongings and walked through the hotel lobby, Stella followed closely behind him, chattering away.

Seeing her reaction made him chuckle.

“Yeah, I found one.”

Of course, Stella’s face scrunched up at that.

***

“Is that the director Baldwin?”

Director Baek Min looked a bit surprised at Seo-yeon’s comment.

Today, Seo-yeon needed to relay some necessary updates before the next shoot.

“He’s quite the influential figure, isn’t he? I can see how he’d be interested in your performance, Seo-yeon.”

Director Baek Min said that and paused as though he was considering something.

“Director Baldwin merges commercial aspects with the acting style I aim for. There’s a lot we can learn from him.”

When he said that, Jo Seo-hee next to him seemed eager to say something.

It was as if her face said, ‘I actually prefer director Baek Min’s films.’ But with someone like Asher Baldwin, one wouldn’t easily voice such opinions.

There was a high chance that anything she said would be perceived as mere flattery.

“But a Japanese film… that’s somewhat disappointing. If only it were shooting in Hollywood, it would have been worth way more even as an extra.”

“That part is still uncertain.”

“Oh, I see. Then, if I were to speculate….”

Given it’s a Japanese movie, using Seo-yeon in the lead probably isn’t feasible.

So, would it be an extra role?

Of course, Director Baek Min initially thought that it would be an extra role too.

But when he heard more about it, it seemed more like it wouldn’t be that straightforward.

If he happened to see Seo-yeon’s acting, would he ponder what role to cast her in?

“Honestly, I can’t say for sure.”

“Yeah?”

“Wouldn’t it be the villain?”

“Hahaha.”

At Director Baek Min’s remark, Jo Seo-hee, who was next to her, couldn’t help but laugh.

She bit her lower lip hard but apparently couldn’t hold back.

‘She’s somewhat similar too.’

Seo-yeon shot a glaring look at Seo-hee.

More importantly, she hoped the video had been properly deleted.

She had neglected to check properly afterward, and she was unsure.

She definitely should have verified that getting it seized led to it being deleted.

Feeling some regret started to creep in.

“…… Playing the villain is a bit easy.”

No, seriously.

It’s amusing how her past life impacted that perspective.

Because when it came to perceiving others, there were many instances of discrimination or a sense of estrangement, and villains often resonate with those negative emotions in their acting.

That said, she didn’t specifically desire to only play villains.

“I’d rather be the butterfly young lady.”

Kasugayama Yuina.

Initially, it felt quite burdensome, but the more she got into it, the more she found herself growing fond of the role.

Especially after grasping the emotion lines a bit, she felt a pang of regret.

If only she had performed like this from the start, better scenes would have often emerged.

“Well, there’s still some time before the Japan shoot, so we should prioritize capturing the scenes that have Seo-yeon in them.”

“Oh, am I slowing down the shooting schedule because of me…?”

“No, not at all. But since there’s a possibility of your schedule becoming tighter, it wouldn’t hurt to film quickly.”

It’s both about the schedule, and Seo-yeon’s performance needed quick shoots for efficiency.

Director Baek Min concluded that after watching Seo-yeon act.

Given that emotional acting is her strength, capturing it in one go before it wanes would yield better scenes.

“What about you, Seo-hee? Are you okay with that?”

“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”

Director Baek Min nodded.

Ultimately, the one who’d have to endure the most in scenes featuring Yuina is undoubtedly the main actors.

Whenever Yuina appears, Michiko and Yeon Seon-ye are intrinsically connected to it, there’s no debate.

Then, it’s undoubtedly Koto Isamu.

“The American director shows interest…”

However, hearing Seo-yeon’s words, Lee Sang-soo’s expression grew worried.

Having been through a large failure in Hollywood himself, it seemed like he was concerned about Seo-yeon.

Of course, if Seo-yeon was to shoot the film, it wouldn’t be in Hollywood but within the Japanese film industry.

“Well, I’ll consider that gradually… Seo-yeon, and Seo-hee, are you ready?”

“Ah, yes.”

Seo-yeon nodded with a tense expression.

Seeing that, Director Baek Min appeared slightly puzzled.

“Oh, so Seo-yeon gets nervous when acting too.”

“Well… yes. I am human after all.”

Seo-yeon awkwardly smiled.

In reality, the reason she was nervous today had nothing to do with that.

‘The scene where I’m fighting Michiko is the problem.’

Jo Seo-hee, with no thoughts about Seo-yeon’s physical capability, just tilted her head.

But Seo-yeon, who had a history of sending two actors to the hospital during <The Chaser>, naturally wouldn’t feel at ease.

Whenever she immersed herself in a role, sometimes mistakes would happen, and that was a scary thought.