I Want to Be a VTuber

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**Jo Seok-hwan, the chairman of Newlike Group.**

In the past, he succeeded his father, who had repeatedly made significant management mistakes, and brought the previously struggling Newlike Group into the top five in the industry.

He had a decent appearance, and didn’t really have any big scandals, so the only information Seo-yeon had about him was just that.

There was one special piece of information that stood out among what was known about him.

His wife used to be Baek Se-ran, who was once the nation’s little sister and a beloved actress.

However, Baek Se-ran passed away shortly after they got married.

Since then, he has reportedly raised their child alone without remarrying.

“But why would a chaebol chairman like him…?”

Seo-yeon felt tense.

Not just her, but Lee Ji-yeon beside her was also on edge.

Of course, who wouldn’t be?

It would be surprising if you suddenly ran into a chaebol chairman while visiting a friend’s house.

Especially if he invited you into his house but didn’t say a word.

“Hey, Joo Seo-yeon. Did you do something wrong? No, you did. Shouldn’t you have hit Jo Seo-hee a little less hard?”

“I didn’t hit her.”

“What do you mean you didn’t? Jo Seo-hee was rolling around the entire shoot.”

Well, there wasn’t much to say to that.

But Seo-yeon felt a bit wronged.

She really didn’t hit Jo Seo-hee.

She just tossed her and rolled her a bit, and repeated that a few times.

If she’d actually hit her, wouldn’t Jo Seo-hee be at home recuperating?

“Jo Seo-hee was really overacting there.”

Seo-yeon realized she might have gotten a bit too emotional during her performance without meaning to.

If Ji-yeon hadn’t stopped her then, she might have acted even more intensely.

If she had really hit her even a little…

Seo-yeon shivered.

“But why isn’t he saying anything?”

By the way, Seo-yeon and Ji-yeon had already entered the mansion’s living room.

The housekeeper, Han Seo-young, who had warmly greeted them before, was now just quietly organizing the surroundings.

Only Seo-yeon and Ji-yeon were sitting across from Chairman Jo Seok-hwan at the table in the living room.

“Could it be that he wants to say something about hitting Jo Seo-hee?”

But that was just a minor accident that happened during filming.

She thought so, yet when Seo-yeon caught the chairman’s piercing gaze, she slowly lifted her own eyes diagonally up.

It was the unique expression that Seo-yeon made when she knew she had done something wrong, as Lee Ji-yeon would say.

“…I’ve heard a lot about my daughter. Joo Seo-yeon.”

The tense silence was broken by Chairman Jo Seok-hwan’s calm voice.

At those words, Seo-yeon was flooded with thoughts.

“A lot about me?”

What on earth could he have heard?

Was it about the time she parachuted when she was a child and stopped using honorifics?

Or was it about the hyper-action star incident where she tossed Jo Seo-hee?

Or maybe it was about how she threw Jo Seo-hee during yesterday’s shoot?

“I can’t think of anything good.”

Somehow, just listing those felt like it painted Seo-yeon as a bully towards Jo Seo-hee.

“You can speak comfortably.”

“Well, then I will speak casually.”

After clearing his throat for a moment, Jo Seok-hwan continued.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on you, Seo-yeon. Not just as Seo-hee’s father, but also as the chairman of Newlike Group.”

At those words, Seo-yeon couldn’t help but flinch.

Jo Seok-hwan’s steady gaze examining her felt like a gaze she had felt before.

It was similar to when she spoke with Director Kang Tae-jin from GH Group.

Yes, it was like that gaze.

But it was only for a moment.

He relaxed his eyes and smiled.

“But it seems you have your sights set on someone else, so I couldn’t say anything.”

“…Someone else?”

“It seems you’re quite close with GH Group.”

She never expected to hear such words from Jo Seok-hwan.

Close? Honestly, she wasn’t so sure about that.

GH Group said they would support Seo-yeon to become the face of the company, but she didn’t feel it.

After all, they hadn’t even properly started shooting “Mine.”

Perhaps something would happen once the filming of “Gyeongseong Young Lady” was finished.

“That means the audition for Director Jo Bang-woo’s movie is approaching.”

For Seo-yeon, that was much more important than anything else.

Acknowledging that timing, Seo-yeon looked at Jo Seok-hwan.

“After all, we are supposed to be filming a movie together. Seo-hee will also be in it.”

“Hmm.”

“Why so?”

“Seo-hee has complained before that you keep talking formally to her.”

“….”

Was she really telling her father that?

From the nuance, it seemed their relationship was lukewarm, honestly not something to rave about, but were they really okay?

“Anyhow, I understand. Regarding the OTT movie scheduled with GH Group… I wonder why it hasn’t been released yet, but there must be various reasons.”

It was likely to showcase it faster in the overseas market.

After all, releasing it on OTT is much quicker than in theatres.

“Is the connection with GH Group uncomfortable?”

She felt maybe that was the case.

Both GH Group and Newlike Group are two pillars leading the Korean cultural industry.

GH was originally in the lead, but Jo Seok-hwan had surpassed that through management now.

Of course, GH Group would have to pay attention to Newlike.

She didn’t know the details.

Most of what she had heard was from Manager Park Eun-ha, who fluctuated in emotions based on stocks.

“If there’s an opportunity in the future, I hope you can also take on advertising for our group.”

“Yes, of course.”

Nervously smiling as she replied, he slowly nodded.

Seo-yeon’s expression was neutral, but it was hard to read his emotions due to his minimal changes in expression.

Even though Seo-yeon was sensitive to the other person’s feelings.

“And now, as a father, let me say a little.”

But that expression soon shifted to that of a regular man.

A slightly awkward smile.

If previously he had the demeanor of a corporate chairman, now he wore the face of an ordinary father.

“Honestly, I was a bit resentful towards you.”

“W-resentful?”

The one who answered was Lee Ji-yeon, not Seo-yeon.

Ji-yeon looked startled and turned to Seo-yeon.

What on earth had she done wrong to earn that look?

To hear resentment from the chairman of a large corporation was surprising.

Seo-yeon was just as shocked… well, maybe not actually.

“Was Jo Seo-hee’s condition… serious?”

Did I hit her too hard yesterday?

Seo-yeon started to genuinely worry.

“So that was ten years ago.”

To be exact, it was during the filming of “The Moon That Hid the Sun.”

Back then, Jo Seo-hee was very eager to audition for that role.

Of course, with her career at that time, she would have had no problem getting in.

At that time, Jo Seo-hee was known as the ‘princess of daily dramas.’

So the audition would be a piece of cake.

“Back then, Seo-hee really wanted to be an actress like her mother. After all, to succeed even a bit faster, there’s nothing better than a drama airing in prime time. ‘The Moon That Hid the Sun’ was perfect for that.”

He said this as he looked at Seo-yeon.

“I realized from looking at the cast and the director’s temperament. Ah, if Seo-hee goes for this, she’ll surely be crushed.”

“Why?”

“Because Park Jung-woo was the male lead in that audition.”

I can’t believe Park Jung-woo’s name just came up.

Seo-yeon looked at him, surprised.

“Unfortunately, Seo-hee was not at a level where she could be compared to Park Jung-woo at that time. She might get the role in the audition, but during filming, she would definitely be outdone by Park Jung-woo.”

He said that with a somewhat regretful or relieved expression.

“My daughter hasn’t inherited much of her mother’s talent.”

It almost felt like he was saying she was on the same locker level as him.

Managing connections around, being authoritative and standing above others was more natural for someone like him.

But seeing his child walk the same path as her mother, he wasn’t against it but wasn’t entirely willing either.

“So, if she received harsh criticism in a drama, I thought she might step back…”

“….”

“But then, Seo-yeon, you won handily.”

“That’s….”

Seo-yeon knew about Jo Seo-hee’s career following that.

At that time, Jo Seo-hee had reportedly been furious.

Why did she lose to someone like that?

Thinking like that, Jo Seo-hee had said she was extremely pissed.

“However, later, when she saw you in the drama, she was greatly stimulated.”

The final scene of Princess Yeonhwa.

The acting of Princess Yeonhwa bidding farewell to Se-il against the backdrop of the sunset.

At that moment, Seo-hee was completely mesmerized by that performance.

That’s understandable.

What Seo-yeon had shown at that time was a fragment of the magic that her mother displayed.

Seeing that star-like performance, she unconsciously chased after it.

If Jo Seo-hee had been in that drama, she would never be able to deliver such a performance.

That was an undeniable fact.

“I believe that if someone other than you had lost the audition, Jo Seo-hee would have probably quit acting. The first harsh criticism, and she would only be compared to her mother.”

Of course, at that time, very few people knew that Jo Seo-hee was the daughter of actress Baek Se-ran.

Even now, few know.

That Jo Seo-hee is actually the daughter of the chairman of Newlike Group had not been revealed.

“But there were certainly people in the industry who knew, so she must have been compared naturally.”

Jo Seok-hwan seemed to imply that Jo Seo-hee continued acting because of Seo-yeon.

It seemed he had wanted Jo Seo-hee to quit acting ten years ago.

But Seo-yeon knew.

Even after receiving immense criticism for “The Moon That Hid the Sun,” Jo Seo-hee continued to act.

Though it was much more challenging than now, in the end, she reached the same position she held today.

That was likely an outcome beyond Jo Seok-hwan’s expectations.

So Seo-yeon felt a bit angry at Jo Seok-hwan’s remark that “she didn’t inherit her mother’s talent.”

She wanted to say at least one word in rebuttal.

So she blurted out without thinking.

“It seems like you’re not too keen on Seo-hee being an actress.”

“Joo Seo-yeon.”

Lee Ji-yeon tugged at Seo-yeon’s sleeve, but Seo-yeon just kept staring at Jo Seok-hwan.

In response to her sharp gaze, Jo Seok-hwan let out a hollow laugh.

He never expected anyone to show such an attitude in front of him.

It was oddly amusing.

Just as Seo-hee reflected on her mother through Seo-yeon, Jo Seok-hwan was also reminded of Baek Se-ran when he looked at Seo-yeon.

After all, they shared many similar traits.

“Have you ever looked up any articles about my wife?”

“…No.”

Seo-yeon hadn’t really searched.

Her memory also didn’t hold much information about Baek Se-ran, Seo-hee’s mother.

By the time she was watching movies or dramas vigorously, she was already late of age and a figure of the past.

Even now, due to Seo-hee, she hadn’t felt the need to search.

It felt like digging up her past by force.

“I think you’ll understand if you get a chance to take a look later. It… includes me.”

He added that he didn’t really like that article much, but his demeanor seemed to carry a strange sadness, leaving Seo-yeon at a loss for words.

Something about Jo Seok-hwan’s attitude felt delicate.

He wasn’t actively trying to obstruct his daughter’s dreams.

But neither did he seem to be very willing.

It was a strange sentiment.

“Let’s get up first. Your daughter will be waiting. It should be time to wrap up soon.”

“It should be time to wrap up soon?”

What does that even mean?

Seo-yeon looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Lee Ji-yeon seemed to realize something, her eyes widening.

But just for a moment.

With a playfully mischievous face, she nodded.

“Yes, let’s go, Joo Seo-yeon. It’ll be lots of fun.”

“??”

What would be so fun?

With that thought, Seo-yeon and Ji-yeon followed behind Jo Seok-hwan.

‘This isn’t Jo Seo-hee’s room, is it?’

Seo-yeon had an idea of the layout of Jo Seo-hee’s mansion since she had been there before.

But the place they were heading wasn’t Jo Seo-hee’s room where they had the pajama party before.

It was an unfamiliar location.

Surrounded by soundproof walls.

It felt like a recording facility.

Knock, knock.

Standing at the door, Jo Seok-hwan knocked twice but received no response. He then signaled to Seo-yeon and Ji-yeon to be quiet by putting a finger to his lips.

And very quietly, he opened the door.

“Oh ho ho, of course! I did a bit of intense exercise yesterday, so I’m sore, but I’m perfectly fine. Then today’s broadcast ends here, and next time I’ll definitely…”

Jo Seo-hee, who had something on everywhere, turned her gaze towards them and froze.

Seo-yeon immediately understood what she was wearing.

Cameras set around everywhere, a gigantic monitor displaying the chat box.

And full tracking gear.

“Uh.”

Seo-yeon and Ji-yeon, looking at Jo Seo-hee, who was wrapped in bandages, fell backward in surprise.

The unexpected red medicine gives a huge blow to viewers’ hearts and minds.