I Want to Be a VTuber

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There were countless people.

A loud noise was heard.

My eyes were dizzy, and my ears felt muffled.

“You’re a bit late.”

That statement came through startlingly clearly.

“…I am late, but…”

As I grabbed her slender arm and pulled her back, the radiant smile that emerged from beneath the red cloth imprinted itself vividly in my memory.

“I’m back.”

Those reddish, shining eyes.

A playful smile floated on her lips.

In that moment, I…

***

-Uuung, uuung!!

“….”

I opened my eyes to the sound of my phone vibrating.

Checking the time, it was five in the morning.

If I didn’t start getting ready soon, it was going to affect today’s schedule.

“Haah.”

Raising my head to look in the mirror, I saw the face of a weary man.

A well-defined face, but with a rather shabby impression.

Who would look at this and think it was the face of a handsome actor representing South Korea?

“Of all times to have such a dream…”

It was of Joo Seo-yeon, back when she still had a pure, innocent look.

But seeing her running around so wild these days, she looked like a beast.

Where on earth had the once enchanting princess Yeonhwa gone?

‘If she was that strong, she would’ve easily crushed Jo Young-dae.’

Wasn’t it the princess’s mercy that allowed Jo Young-dae’s rebellion to succeed?

It had been one of Park Jung-woo’s serious musings recently.

Did we really have to wait a full ten years?

I should just hurry back and smash the heads of those rebel scum.

-Uuung, uuung!!!

“Ugh, what now?”

Just as Park Jung-woo was about to take a bite of his toast, he frowned at his phone, which began ringing again.

If it was an alarm, he was sure he had turned it off earlier.

Wondering about it, he looked at his phone.

-Did you wake up?

-Are you up?

-Tell me

-Talk

-I know you’re awake

-Time to get up

-Hey hey

A flurry of messages popped up.

Seeing that, Park Jung-woo narrowed his eyes.

There was only one person who would message him like this.

-What’s up with you, sending messages this early?

-No, it’s still not morning; it’s dawn. Look at the time.

Does she never sleep?

Having sent that message, Park Jung-woo pondered what else to write.

-And I’m busy today, so I can’t play games.

That was the type of message he typically received from the person who just texted him.

When Joo Seo-yeon reached out to him, it was usually for that sort of thing.

Whether to suggest going out in the biting cold.

Or ask if he wanted to play the new game that just came out.

Just those types of requests related to his hobbies.

Even if other friends asked him to join, he’d just say, “You’re better off playing with someone luckier or more skilled than me.”

This bothersome girl wanted to be the center of attention, at least when it came to games.

He could roll with most criticisms, but the comment “You can’t play games” hit home for him.

So he opted for general online RPGs with no competition.

Finally free from his burdens when he joined Joo Seo-hee and Lee Ji-yeon, Park Jung-woo felt liberated for the first time.

But then.

“Did you quit that?”

“Yep.”

“Why? There’s not really any competition there, is there?”

Casually asking that, Seo-yeon wore a genuinely aggrieved expression.

“I keep failing at upgrades.”

“….”

“Seo-hee succeeds every single time. How can a person be that lucky?”

Honestly, there was never a moment when Seo-yeon glared at Seo-hee as fiercely as she did then.

It was clear she was angrier now than when she heard the word ‘parachute.’

Park Jung-woo was well aware she had even spent money on the game.

To dump money and still not succeed, while a free player skyrocketed, filled him with an indescribable sense of helplessness.

Having a similar gaming experience to Seo-yeon, Park Jung-woo could empathize with that feeling.

‘Of course, that’s all her fault.’

Park Jung-woo hardly ever played games during school.

When friends asked him to join, he mostly told them to buzz off, claiming to be busy.

Well, back then, he actually was busy.

For whatever reason, he found himself fully engaged in a game he never thought he’d play.

Now, he had started to enjoy it to some extent.

-Uuung.

“Today’s persistent….”

Despite Seo-yeon being thorough when it came to work, she didn’t press him further when he said he was busy.

It was as if she understood how important this job was to Jung-woo.

But weirdly, today, the messages didn’t stop.

“Ugh, seriously, what now….”

With that, when Park Jung-woo checked the messages,

*Thud.*

He had no choice but to drop the toast he was holding to the floor.

-I think I got confessed to.

Well.

-By a girl.

Because those words were written there.

***

To start with, Seo-yeon hadn’t slept all night.

No, how could she not?

It was the first time in her life someone had said such things to her.

She had only seen it in dramas or movies, and she’d never imagined it would happen to her.

-I want to understand the emotion called love someday.

She had that curiosity.

And she genuinely intended to try it someday.

But she never expected the unexpected turn of events would occur like this.

“Joo, joo, joo, joo Seo-yeon. What, what happened to you?”

“I feel dizzy.”

The moment Stella boarded the plane and left, Lee Ji-yeon shook Seo-yeon’s shoulders violently.

Her eyes were bloodshot, and her voice trembled, making Seo-yeon feel a bit scared.

Is she also getting all red? Or is it just me?

“Should I fly the plane?”

Seo-hee asked seriously while clutching her phone.

What? Can you land a plane that’s already taken off?

Why are you suddenly being so scary?

“It’s nothing serious.”

Seo-yeon replied a bit flustered but quite calmly.

Then, she told them exactly what had happened with Stella.

I swear, there wasn’t anything particularly special between Stella and me.

After hearing everything, Ji-yeon and Seo-hee exchanged glances.

“…I’ve known for a while that Stella had a keen interest in you.”

“This is… uhm. No way? So?”

The two nodded their heads, whispering something to each other.

Sure, Seo-yeon could hear all of it if she wanted to, but she held back due to her conscience.

“Seo-yeon.”

“Yeah?”

“You really… must’ve taken after your uncle.”

“?”

Ji-yeon referring to her uncle must certainly mean Seo-yeon’s father, Joo Young-bin.

But Seo-yeon had no idea why her father’s name was brought up.

“Is that… really a problem? From the looks of it, it doesn’t seem like she’ll be coming to Korea again anytime soon.”

“Right. We’re only working in Korea anyway.”

Seo-hee agreed with Ji-yeon’s remark.

Hollywood.

Honestly, it’s not a place you can enter just because you want to.

Even if you put in all your effort, it could still be a place you’ll never set foot in.

Only a few actors have made it to Hollywood from Korea.

And among those, virtually none have succeeded.

A big star in Korea might just be one of many background actors overseas.

That was the common sentiment.

At least, Korea is that way right now.

‘In a little while, it might not be like that anymore.’

As the OTT platforms surged to life.

At that point, the show <Child’s Game> made an unprecedented mark globally, including international dramas.

It changed the perception of Korean dramas.

Dramatically elevating the recognition of Korean actors, effectively paving the way for Korea’s cultural content to expand into the world.

‘From that point onward, it became more common for Korean actors to venture into Hollywood.’

Considering that, Stella’s words weren’t baseless.

In fact, <Gyeongseong Young Lady> was highly praised overseas afterward… if you’re lucky.

“Stella, it feels like this is goodbye.”

“Right, don’t you think, Seo-yeon?”

Hearing their conversation, Seo-yeon paused and blinked.

“Is that so? I have a feeling we will meet again.”

“….”

Even if Seo-yeon said she wouldn’t go to Hollywood, there’s no guarantee Stella wouldn’t come.

She never once said she wouldn’t come back when they parted.

‘Though she did imply she’d wait.’

Of course, the next time they met would be in Hollywood.

Seo-yeon honestly found it amusing how Stella seemed to expect that.

She was amazed at how she confidently spoke of a future they couldn’t foresee.

Had she praised <Gyeongseong Young Lady>?

Or was it…

“Joo Seo-yeon, you’re so cheeky.”

“??”

After getting out of the airport, Seo-yeon had to endure Ji-yeon and Seo-hee’s playful teasing until they returned.

To be precise, she had to deal with them all day long after that.

But the very next day, Ji-yeon and Seo-hee had to leave for Japan again due to filming, which meant Seo-yeon was left all alone in Korea.

Having wrapped most of her filming in advance and not much left to shoot in Korea.

Once she finished one shoot, that was it.

Thanks to her busy schedule, Director Baek Min was considerate and had arranged it this way.

But now, she found herself with too much free time.

She did have some work in Korea, but that mostly consisted of advertisements related to Éclat Étoile or Aids.

So, having no one to hang out with, Seo-yeon found herself sinking into deep thought.

‘Hmm.’

And then it dawned on her; she had realized something she had initially taken lightly.

Hadn’t she just received a confession?

***

“So.”

Park Jung-woo met Seo-yeon at a cafe after a long time.

Before discussing anything about the female or male actors, he wanted to hear this in person.

“…You got confessed to by Stella Baldwin?”

“Yeah.”

“What on earth…?”

Jung-woo felt his mind fogging over.

Is America really that open?

At first, he was going to say it was just a misunderstanding.

But hearing Stella’s line, he couldn’t chalk it up to a mistake.

‘The way she directly said things like it’s trending in the U.S. or study it…’

When looking back at what she had said, even if his knowledge about romance was weak, he couldn’t ignore it.

To be frank, Jung-woo had heard many indirect confessions in his lifetime, so he had no choice but to recognize it.

Stella was serious.

Not to mention it wasn’t your average type of seriousness.

‘Stella Baldwin, the very Stella Baldwin I know, right?’

Joo Seo-yeon spoke as if it were trivial.

Like discussing a grumpy Chihuahua encountered on the street.

But from an actor’s standpoint, Jung-woo couldn’t treat Stella as lightly as that.

She was literally a legendary actress.

Winning the youngest Best Actress award at the Berlin Film Festival was an achievement no one else had come close to.

Honestly, it was incredible enough that she was walking around Korea.

Moreover, being a mixed-race person, Stella had grown up without the usual dramatic transformations you might expect from a Westerner.

Because of that, she received a somewhat peculiar treatment overseas, but she also enjoyed a level of fame and admiration that was exceptionally rare.

Thus, Jung-woo couldn’t afford to treat Stella like a Chihuahua.

‘Seo-hee is simply extraordinary.’

Jung-woo knew he couldn’t confront Stella like Seo-hee would.

‘But she’s from a chaebol family.’

As much as Stella was viewed as an actress, that’s probably how he would consider her.

Saying that would definitely enrage Seo-hee, so he wouldn’t dare say it.

“…But I have one question.”

“Yeah?”

“Why did you tell me this?”

“Well.”

Seo-yeon looked at Jung-woo and said earnestly.

“You look like you have a lot of dating experience.”

“….”

“I’m not particularly thinking anything right now, but I just wanted to ask how to handle things when they come up.”

In that moment, she was being very sincere.

Since someone had confessed to her, shouldn’t she give him a proper response? That was the vibe.

Although she seemed a bit flustered and shy, she was also dignified about it.

“I’m sorry to say this.”

Park Jung-woo sighed.

“I’ve never actually dated.”

“You don’t need to manage your image with me.”

“No, seriously, I haven’t. When would I even have time to date in my career?”

But hadn’t he said this before?

Jung-woo thought seriously about it.

“Anyway, I can’t really give you any advice on that.”

“You’re being a little evasive.”

“No, it’s not that I’m avoiding it; it’s actually true!”

Park Jung-woo was frustrated.

He genuinely had no dating experience!

With plenty of girls who made moves on him, it became more of a mental block than a recent thought.

It might be a pampered statement, but what could he do?

Besides, thinking of his co-stars and the scandals that ensued, he couldn’t even begin to imagine.

Park Jung-woo was the son of top actor Park Sun-woong.

If he made a mistake, it would invariably end up in the press, tagged with his father’s name.

So he had to be careful and then careful again.

“More than that.”

Park Jung-woo made an effort to steer the conversation elsewhere.

“About that audition you mentioned earlier; there’s been some news.”

“Yeah?”

“The movie by Director Jo Bang-woo.”

“!!”

At those words, Seo-yeon’s expression turned serious.

Upon seeing her eyes change, Jung-woo realized he had successfully redirected the conversation.

He had only meant to casually ask but felt he might end up spilling all his dating drama.

“…What do you mean?”

“It’s likely that the audition will begin in about a week.”

“A week… from now?”

At that statement, Seo-yeon couldn’t help but go blank.

That was only natural.

The auditions for Jo Bang-woo’s movie typically took place at the end of the year.

Although they were nearing the end of the year now, there’s a significant difference between approaching year-end and having it right at year-end.

‘At least a two-month advance.’

Such a change was unthinkable.

There had been various changes along the way, but nothing that drastic had happened thus far.

‘What could be the reason?’

<Seoul Escape>.

Jo Bang-woo’s last work.

That project had always been fraught with issues; even now, it was already feeling suspect.