Now That I Have Become a Woman, I Am a Vtuber

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“Cough! Gag! I’m really sorry!”

Hyeon-su, who was clearly startled to see me drenched in latte, popped up from his seat as if he had no idea I would somehow spray my drink everywhere.

At the same time, the few people around us turned their gazes this way.

‘…Thank goodness I used light makeup.’

When I go out, I often borrow the memories of Kim Soo-hyun (Female) for my makeup, but today I went for a subtler look, which was truly a blessing. If I had gone full glam, cleaning it up would have been quite a hassle.

“No, it’s okay, please sit down.”

I was flustered, but seeing Hyeon-su even more panicked calmed me down instead.

I tried to get Hyeon-su to sit down and divert the attention, but given our looks, it was still hard to escape the lingering stares from around us.

I wanted to sigh, but doing so would only make the high schooler in front of me more uncomfortable, so I let out my breath quietly and pulled out a tissue to dab my face.

“Um… I’ll pay for the shirt…”

I couldn’t believe how much I had splattered, even getting brown stains on my favorite white tee.

Well, it wasn’t that expensive, so I shook my head.

“It’s just a plain shirt, so it’s fine.”

“Um… I’ll get you something to cover up…”

Saying this, Hyeon-su pulled out a thin school cardigan from his bag and handed it to me.

It would’ve been a bit awkward to just wear a stained white tee, so I quickly accepted it and put it on.

Honestly, the café’s air conditioning was a bit chilly, but with the cardigan on, it felt just right. Plus, since Hyeon-su was slim, the cardigan fit me perfectly.

“It’s less chilly with the cardigan on. Do you always carry one around? Weather’s getting warmer now.”

“Ah, the air conditioning at school is really strong, so I carry it with me.”

“Wow.”

He brings a cardigan because the air conditioning is that intense?

I live alone and use my air conditioning too, but it seems school systems are on a different level.

“Um… is it really okay if I don’t pay for the shirt?”

“Buying what? If you insist, you can have this cardigan. It fits well and the design is nice.”

The cardigan Hyeon-su handed me was stylish enough that if you removed the school logo, it wouldn’t look out of place in stores.

Of course, I didn’t actually intend to keep it, so I said it jokingly, but Hyeon-su nodded.

“Alright then, you can have the cardigan.”

“Wait? I was just joking! Aren’t school uniforms expensive these days? This white tee of mine was cheap.”

And to be honest, what would I do with a school cardigan as an adult?

The cardigan that the real Kim Soo-hyun (Female) used to wear in high school is buried in the closet of my family home now.

“No, please consider it as compensation for the spill.”

But Hyeon-su’s expression already seemed determined to give me the cardigan.

But it’s really unnecessary?

It feels a bit awkward now to take it back… I glanced down at the cardigan, noting the school logo right on the chest. On second thought, pretending to be a student might not be a bad idea, and it could come in handy for casual outings.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad?

“Then… I’ll gratefully accept it.”

It felt a little like I was scamming a student, but Hyeon-su probably had more money than I did.

Come to think of it, I just realized, from his shoes to the watch on his wrist, he’s dripping with luxury, not exactly looking like a student.

“Yes, I have extras.”

“Oh, you do?”

“Then… shall we get back to talking about the track?”

As I accepted the cardigan, Hyeon-su cautiously shifted the topic.

I was also eager to lighten the awkward atmosphere, so I nodded quickly.

“Right, let’s talk about Wonderland.”

“Yes, what do you think? The song is all in that notebook.”

“Hmm…”

I recalled the contents of the notebook from earlier, which was filled with jumbled words on the first page.

As I turned the pages, those scattered words eventually formed sentences, each accompanied by musical notes, creating an intriguing progression from chaos to harmony.

It was fascinating to see the transition from scattered words to lyrics that tell a cohesive story, but what I really loved were the lyrics themselves.

“The lyrics are beautiful, right? They sound more like a Japanese song than a Korean one.”

Immersed in youth and charging ahead, the words that might seem cringy at first glance were woven in effortlessly.

“Ahaha.. is that so?”

“Then, my part is right here? When the tension drops.”

“Oh, you know it right away.”

“Can we listen to it right now?”

“Oh, yes, of course. Shall I send it?”

“Yes.”

The melody was written in the notebook, but seeing it in person made me want to hear it.

So, Hyeon-su sent me the song, and I listened.

It started with a lively rhythm and a high-energy opening.

Where had that calm, mature demeanor gone? In my earphones, it was Slim Gold bursting with energy instead of Hyeon-su.

Ignoring the stares around, I got immersed in the determination and confidence of the lyrics, promising to show my own Wonderland as the song shifted into a calmer section revealing its inner self.

Instead of a rapid-fire delivery within an upbeat rhythm, the intimate piano notes laid bare feelings of fear, anxiety, and hesitation.

After that, the beat picked up again, the song soared, and ended with lively instrumentation.

In those under four minutes, it poured out aspirations and anxieties, and I found myself smiling.

“Then I’m the one handling the emotional bits?”

“Exactly.”

The song overall had a high tone, with a male voice keeping the pitch elevated and dipping to a lower female tone for added weight before bursting back into the high energy.

“Sounds great.”

It’s not bad! Plus, with the lyrics all ready, I can just focus on singing!

“It might be a bit challenging.”

“I know. You need to get the emotions in, right?”

People sometimes mistake that just because a melody isn’t high and the tempo isn’t fast, that part must be easy.

No, I believe it requires a higher difficulty to capture the emotion and maintain control in lower sections of the song rather than just progressively raising tempo and pitch.

You have to hold the weight of the song without high speeds or high tones.

Only emotions and vocal color have to carry the essence.

I might take time to incorporate the feelings…

But the vocal color is already there, isn’t it?

It may take a while to infuse those emotions, but that can be addressed with practice.

Most importantly, I genuinely liked the song, so that day I finalized my decision and left the café.

***

[So, did you officially sign a contract?]

“Yes, I really liked the song.”

[Oh… is it that good?]

“I can’t speak for the rest, but the tracks I’ll be involved in should be worth the wait.”

[Sounds good. I’ll look forward to it.]

“Of course, but first I need to deal with this problem.”

[…]

I found myself at a sudden loss for words in the silence from my manager.

What I tossed out as a joke seemed like a real stone to them.

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll manage it well.”

[Isn’t that more concerning?]

“Wait, what?”

[Miro is super reliable during collabs and group schedules, but during personal streams, I just feel anxious.]

“Haha… is it because of my sunglasses?”

[I wish it were so…]

I get where my manager is coming from. I do tend to ramble during personal streams, but honestly, I’ve never crossed the line that warrants serious backlash.

“Still, haven’t I managed to pull through somehow?”

[That’s true…]

“Let’s trust me this time.”

[Alright… at least try to mediate first, and if it doesn’t work out, we might have to discuss this in meetings a few more times.]

“Got it… understood.”

[Best of luck.]

Finishing the call with my manager, I sank back into my chair and sighed.

Sigh… today’s jam-packed with meetings regarding track participation in the afternoon and a one-on-one consultation with the manager.

Am I living too hectic these days?

As I pondered this, I started preparing for the broadcast.

Just in time, none of the other members were streaming.

It was the perfect moment to attract more viewers.

[Miro’s Major Announcement]

With that attention-grabbing title, I pressed the broadcast start button.

-???
-What is this?
-Hi hi
-Miro, this is my first live!
-Graduation! OMG
-Already the second song?!
-Who do you think you are to call it a major announcement, lol
-Miro, I loved your song!
-Are you doing karaoke today?
-Miro, what karaoke are you talking about? Newcomers, please chill out!

The chat was already spiraling into chaos, and my head felt dizzy.

Disregarding the chaos, I got straight to the point.

“Alright, everyone, I have a major announcement!”

-Major announcement? OMG…
-What is it??
“It’s high time we think about a fan name, don’t you think?”

Idols inevitably exist with numerous fans.

And to connect those fans, they need a name to call themselves, right?

-Yes, we need one!
-Others have done it ages ago.
-Let’s vote!

The idea of deciding on a fan name pumped up the chat even more.

-Miro? How about Mino-taurus?
-Let’s go with Miro-ryuksu for short!
-Aw, look at these naming geniuses!

-Let’s just keep it simple!
-Should we vote at the café?

Usually, fan names are decided together with fans.

But in a chaotic situation like this, can a fragmented group really come to a consensus?

In times like this, a strong leader’s decision-making and drive are necessary.

“Okay, everyone from now on, you’re part of Miro-dan.”

-???
-What?
-Did you just decide that?
-Why’d you ask if you’ve already made your decision, you jerk?

As soon as I opened my mouth, the chat began to buzz again.

“Check the title again. Where’s the room for consultation or discussion in that title?”

[Grandmaster Miro, thank you for the 10,000 won donation!]

Am I hinting at a dictatorship now?

-Whoa
-Wait, what?
*(Taking notes)*

“Thank you for the donation! Lately, I’ve noticed new viewers and old ones bickering a lot, haven’t you?”

-Yes yeah
-Newcomers please stop bothering us!
Even mentioning it, my viewers still weren’t catching on.
Actually, the big donor from my stream had joined the chatting fray too, bashing newcomers.

To bind up the chaotic atmosphere, a strong performance from the leader was needed.

“Alright, someone wrote ‘Newcomer please stop bothering us!’ in the chat.”

I tapped on that comment to display the user’s log.

[Grandmaster Miro]
-Whoa
-Haha
-Hello fellow streamer caught!
“Isn’t this someone who donates a lot? If I recall, they’ve been with us since the early days of the broadcast. Let’s see… you’ve been temporarily banned 67 times and forcibly removed three times? I believe I handled one of those myself; the other two were from managers.”

Naturally, my stream had managers monitoring the chat as well.

In the early days, a few of those watching my stream would be dealt with a simple five-minute temporary ban for mild offenses, but this guy was banned twice?

“Taking a look at your chat history… wow, you’ve got all kinds of insults here, like ‘that b****, that a**hole…’?”

-Haha
-Is the chat normally like this?
-That seems too harsh;
-Looked like a public execution!
-Ban him already?
-If you hadn’t donated so much, you would’ve deserved a permanent ban already, lol.

“Alright, I think we’ve seen enough of this. Next, let’s check a newbie in the chat. I’m going to pick one random name.”

I displayed the chat on the broadcast and clicked a random comment to reveal its log.

“You followed today! You’ve made 15 comments, no temporary bans, and no forced removals. You’re a very clean user.”

-Wow lol
-Moving big, huh?
-So we’re banning the Grandmaster?

“Not at all, what I want to say is…”

I pulled up the Grandmaster’s chat alongside that of the newbie on the broadcast, creating a visual for comparison.

“See? They’re strikingly similar, right?”

And the two comments were strikingly identical.

-Wow, what’s this?
-Haha
-Aren’t they the same person?
-Watch how the newbie is testing the waters, lol.

“The conclusion is, whether you’re a newcomer or a Grandmaster, you’re both just viewers of my stream, part of Miro-dan, so there’s no need to choose sides! Now, let’s have a handshake already.”

-Wow
-The great Miro!
-Why do they get a handshake?
-So Miro-dan is how it is now?

“Come on, extend your hands.”

Ignoring the chat’s response, I focused solely on the performance.

The reason I picked the big donor among all the nasty comments is precisely for this moment.

[Grandmaster Miro]: Hand!

This person is clearly someone who treasures my broadcast, so I was sure they would naturally extend their hand.

And if this many people gathered, wouldn’t it also be normal for the random newcomer I picked to reach out too?

With that in mind, I quietly reached under the desk and tapped out a text on my phone.

[rlatn5542]: Hand!

“Alright, everyone, we just shared a handshake. From now on, let’s not fight, okay?”

-Wow haha
-This will go down in history!
-I’m getting misty-eyed…
-Hey newcomer, remember, this is a one-time deal.

With that, I successfully quelled the first issue peacefully.

It appears I might have a talent for leadership after all.