Business Trip to Japan
"…Is that allowed? Of course it's illegal."
"Right?"
"…Just think of it as flirting. Why do you have to take everything so seriously?"
"Oh, is that what it was?"
"I-I wasn't serious about the marridge proposal or anything!"
So it was a joke.
What a relief.
Wait, hold on—you can understand this kind of talk too?
In that case, it's obvious my Japanese is worse than hers, so we might as well just communicate in Korean.
"I-I wasn't s-serious about marrying you, Rose-shan—"
"Let's get back to business, shall we?"
Ah, we spoke at the same time and talked over each other.
"Sorry, Mie-san, what was that?"
"N-nothing at all…."
"I see?"
Anyway, the meeting began in earnest.
As someone who'd taught herself bootleg Japanese, I couldn't make heads or tails of the jargon flying back and forth in this meeting, so I spaced out, chiming in with my thoughts whenever the Manager asked for my opinion, throwing a scowl at whoever poked me for a reaction, and occasionally sipping the coffee set in front of me.
The funny thing was, Mie-san—Mie-san, I'll call her. It rolls off the tongue better—Mie-san, who until moments ago had been flashing me those wide, sparkly eyes to the point of discomfort, could barely meet my gaze after seeing my frowning face.
I'm no longer at a level where this kind of thing wounds me, so all I took away was a quiet observation: so this is what happens to a person who proposes marriage even as a joke….
…I really wasn't hurt. Truly.
"Yeonwoo, you'll be doing a test here, correct?"
"Sorry, what? Ah… yes, I suppose."
"Then, let's move."
The conversation apparently wrapped up, and the head of the technical department—I've forgotten his name already…
Regardless, the team lead and Mie-san headed out first, and we followed.
"Are we done?"
"For now."
"But we're testing the 3D avatar, right?"
"That's right."
"So we're using that avatar I did the final review on?"
"That's the plan."
So the avatar I'd been giving feedback on ever since our debut was finally going into use, huh?
Following along, I arrived at a place I'd only ever seen in behind-the-scenes film footage.
Ah, would "game motion capture studio" be more accurate than "film set"?
"Ooh…!"
Cameras lined the room in every direction, packed wall to wall, and there hung the skin-tight bodysuits known as mocap wear—the Jjoljjoli.
"Wow…."
This really was the bleeding edge of VTubing, huh….
Back home, all I knew how to use was a VR headset and things like trackers, upper-body tracking, full tracking…. Upper Body Tracking and whatnot.
Huh…?
W-wait just a second. I have to wear that…?
"Manager?"
"Yes, Yeonwoo?"
"I have to put on that Jjoljjoli over there, don't I?"
"Of course. Why else would we be testing here?"
…Sound logic.
…I'm not just supposed to wear it over my underwear, am I?
Please…! It had better not be…!
Thankfully, my desperate prayers were answered—there was a layer to wear underneath.
…Also a Jjoljjoli, but still.
With the garment handed over, I stepped into the changing room.
"Rose-shan! Let me help you—no, never mind… I believe you can manage by yourself…."
Having fended off Mie-san's offer of assistance, I fumbled around in the changing room, clumsily working my way into the suit.
"Ugh…! Goddammit…!"
The unfamiliar sensation wrung a curse out of me at full volume before I could stop it.
Isn't this clinging a little TOO tight?!
I've never worn anything like this in my life…!
When I hesitantly checked the mirror, the lines of my body were on shameless, unfiltered display.
Maybe I should've tried stockings at least once back in Korea… it might've prepared me for this….
…No. Who am I kidding. I wouldn't have adapted anyway.
My whole philosophy was that I'd rather get frostbite on my legs than wear stockings, so what was I even thinking?
Maybe it was my current diminished state of mind, but I caught myself entertaining absurd fantasies I'd never have otherwise, so I took one deep, steadying breath, collected myself, and opened the door.
"Ohh…."
"Sugoi…!"
…Goddammit.
Could everyone PLEASE not react?
The one silver lining, I suppose, was that only the people from the earlier room were here?
While I was busy brainwashing myself with forced positivity—it's fine, it's fine—the Manager came over.
"Yeonwoo, your body is… wow… it's really that—"
"Shut up."
No sooner had I brushed the Manager aside than Mie-san sidled up.
"Rose-shan! Mommy wonduful!"
"Mie-san."
"…Sumimasen."
…Just leave me alone.
After a brief crisis of the soul, my fear shifted from this current test to the day this technology gets adopted back at our company.
Ha… please…!
Pleeeease let our company hold off on motion capture for as long as possible!
Over in Korea, people are still amazed just seeing an avatar's whole body move with a VR headset and full trackers, so isn't that good enough for now?
Motion capture is simply too much of an over-technology for Korea at this point in time, I say!
Let it evolve gradually, like! The! march! of! technology! should!
…Wait, doesn't that just mean someday, before I retire, the day will come when I have to wear it anyway?
The moment that sad truth dawned on me, my mood plummeted into the abyss.
"…Yeonwoo, um, if you could just relax your face a little—"
"Can I?"
"I'll hold it in. You're holding back your embarrassment, so I should hold back too."
Why does the Manager feel so insufferably smug today of all days?
Even that last remark sounded like pure sarcasm.
…I know it's because I'm currently in a foul mood that it comes across that way!
Once that whole commotion died down, a silence settled over the room, and it was the team lead who broke it.
"Mie-san?"
"Hai!"
He called Mie-san over, gave her some explanation, and then she approached me.
"Rose-shan! Please move around a rittle!"
"Sure."
Realizing the real test was about to begin, I started moving my body every which way.
"Whoa… damn…."
This feels SO weird…?
Still, I gritted my teeth and bore it, wanting to wrap the whole test up in one go.
Then Mie-san came over and handed me something that looked like a fishing rod crossed with some kind of torture device.
"…What is this?"
"It's for facial capture!"
"Ah."
At the end of the long, fishing-pole-like shaft, I found a smartphone mounted in place of a hook.
Facial capture—that is, the method chosen for syncing my expressions with the avatar's was strapping a phone to this contraption and letting its camera read my face, huh?
…Well, at least they don't stick little dots all over my face like in film shoots. That's a mercy.
Even if it looks heavy, this is probably the better option.
I choose to believe this was a method settled on after plenty of trial and error.
Anyway, after some fumbling, I got the contraption attached.
"Oh…."
Lighter than I expected, actually?
Or is it just that I've got the TS buff going for me?
…Now that I think about it, I've never actually tested this body's physical abilities.
I'd only checked my reflexes and dynamic vision for gaming—I never really looked into things like strength or stamina, huh?
Come to think of it, I get mentally exhausted all the time, but I can't recall my body ever wearing out….
Well, even if I have a physical buff, it's not like I'm suddenly going to start exercising, so what's the point?
The only real perk is that I can go through life pain-free and sturdy.
Ah, actually, that alone is pretty significant.
Anyway, I'd think about that later—right now, it was back to the test.
"Try making some expressions."
"Okay."
Hmm… what expression should I make?
My face is usually a blank slate, and trying to force it only makes my facial muscles feel stiffer.
"Yeonwoo, let's start with a smile?"
"Hmm…."
Like this, maybe?
Deliberately, I forced the corners of my mouth upward.
"Whoa, sh—please stop."
"What? Why?"
"What you just did was a dead ringer for a villainess sneering in a romance fantasy."
"Hmm…."
"And to be clear, I'm talking about your real face, not the avatar's."
"…I got it."
This is harder than it looks….
"Try an 'ah.'"
"Ah."
"Now stick out your tongue."
"Eh."
"Would you puff out your cheeks for us?"
"I'd rather not?"
"…We need to check the avatar's facial muscles, so you have to, whether you like it or not."
…Damn it.
And so, running through expression after expression and movement after movement at the Manager's instruction, the test finally came to an end.
"How was the test?"
"…Do I really need to say it out loud for you to know?"
"…I'm sorry."
"…I'm going sightseeing now, so don't try to stop me."
"Yes, of course. Thank you for your hard work…."
Truthfully, all I wanted was to crawl back to the lodging and sleep, but since I had no idea when I'd be back in Japan, I swallowed the urge.
"Um! Rose-shan!"
"Yes, Mie-san?"
"I-I'll be your guide!"
"Really?"
"Hai! Absolutely!"
A local guide who speaks Korean? Works for me.
I'd already confirmed I could subdue her even if she redlined into overdrive like she did when we first met, so no problems there.
"Let's go."
"Hai!"
Stepping outside the company building, I checked the time—it was lunchtime, so we decided to eat first.
"Um! I know a place that does sukiyaki really well!"
"Oh, sukiyaki."
That was something like shabu-shabu, right?
We chatted as we followed Mie-san's lead.
"By the way, is it okay to call you Mie-san out in public?"
"Eh! Ah… it's fine! My red yakuz—my identity was already blown anyway!"
The moment I heard that answer, I widened the gap between us from about one step to a good five.
"A joke! It was a joke!"
"…Right?"
"Even if people hear 'Mie,' nobody will think it's me! Just Mie— no! Cocoa-chan—"
"Mie-san, isn't it this way?"
Ah, talked over each other again.
I caught the part where "Mie" was fine, but whatever she said after that was lost.
"Eh… you're right…."
Well, if it were important, she'd say it again.
Brushing it off as nothing, I stepped into the restaurant.
"Ooh…."
It looked seriously upscale….
Once seated, I opened the menu only to find it written entirely in Japanese, so I ordered based on Mie-san's recommendation.
Before long, the sukiyaki arrived.
"Whoa…!"
The gorgeous presentation wrung an involuntary gasp of admiration out of me.
Then I waited for the broth to come to a boil, and once it started bubbling, I picked up my chopsticks.
I lifted a slice of beef, swished it through the simmering broth shabu-shabu style until it was cooked, dipped it thoroughly into the raw egg yolk, and took a bite.
"Mmm…!"
The first bite was, even by my standards, genuinely delicious.
It exceeded my expectations, so I immediately set about inhaling the vegetables and the rest of the meat.
But as I kept eating… my palate started to give out….
…So sweet. Too sweet, and heavy.
"Mmm! Umai!"
…Looks like it's doing just fine for Mie-san, though.
Ugh… is there no kimchi in this place?
It was the moment I finally understood why people say you start desperately craving kimchi the second you set foot in Japan.