Chapter 94
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Audition Begins
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Audition starts.
After their first meeting wrapped up, Jin-seong drove Ji-ming all the way to her place.
Before parting ways, Ji-ming flashed him a playful, teasing smile.
"President, want to check out my streaming room before you go?"
Jin-seong chuckled lightly and turned her down gently.
"That's enough for today. Get home safe."
Ji-ming pouted, clearly not the reaction she'd hoped for, and grumbled under her breath.
"Tch, you're no fun!"
Jin-seong burst out laughing at her antics and waved goodbye.
With a lingering sense of regret, Ji-ming turned and headed inside.
By the time Jin-seong drove back to his home in Daegu, night had already fallen, the sky growing dim.
Exhausted from the long drive, he showered the moment he got home and crashed straight into bed, falling asleep instantly.
Meanwhile, at that very hour, Young-su was streaming, hosting a "Virtual Streamer Song World Cup" with virtual streamers as the theme and chatting with his viewers.
Viewers trickled in one by one, and the chat soon buzzed with activity.
"Whoa... this one's vocals are insane, right? I'm shocked, everyone. I don't follow virtual streamers much, but I had no idea there were so many with skills like this."
At Young-su's amazed comment, the floating viewers jumped in eagerly, sharing details and trivia about each virtual streamer.
She's a former idol trainee, so her singing is top-tier.
Yeah, yeah! This one's an aspiring voice actor, so her tones are super versatile.
Virtual streamers have a surprising number of real talents lol.
Young-su showed genuine interest, keeping the reactions flowing.
"Really? That's why they're all so captivating. I get why you guys love them so much now."
His smooth, engaging hosting drew in World Cup floaters and virtual fans alike, and before long, his channel climbed to the top of the broadcast rankings.
As the stream heated up, Young-su carefully shifted the topic.
"By the way, everyone... there's this streamer Ji-ming these days, right? I heard her sing by chance recently and became a fan on the spot. Wow, her vocals are incredible."
The moment Young-su mentioned her, viewers lit up the chat.
Oh, Ji-ming's legit lol.
Coin King Jewel Box ddd.
Young-su's joining the virtual side now lol.
Existing viewers and new virtual fans blended seamlessly into the conversation, ramping up the chat's energy.
Young-su smiled inwardly to himself.
The stream was going great, and the groundwork for his upcoming "Virtual Idol Project" was falling into place nicely. He pushed on with even more enthusiasm.
Young-su had made a key decision during his meeting with Jin-seong.
Jin-seong had originally offered him a flat 100 million won to join the project.
But Young-su cleverly rethought the deal.
He figured that if the virtual idol project succeeded, taking a percentage of the profits would net him far more than a fixed sum.
"President, I'd rather take a cut of the total revenue from this project instead of a flat fee. In return, I'll take full responsibility as producer and give it my all."
Jin-seong hesitated at first but accepted readily after hearing Young-su's passionate conviction.
In the end, they agreed Young-su would get 5% of all revenue from the virtual idol group.
From that day on, Young-su ramped up his efforts.
Before the project kicked off in earnest, he needed to familiarize viewers with the "virtual" category, so he ran virtual-themed streams for days.
He even dropped into broadcasts by lesser-known virtual streamers to build connections.
"Whoa! Young-su's here?!"
The low-tier virtual streamers were thrilled and stunned when the mid-tier star Young-su showed up out of nowhere.
Young-su laughed heartily at their reactions, chatting actively, while the virtual streamers seized the chance to charm his audience.
Thanks to this, Young-su's name spread even among low-tier virtual fans, boosting the idol project's odds of success.
Around the same time, Ji-ming was shaking things up too.
She started doing full-tracking streams—something rare on the America Virtual side—showing them off in earnest to her fans.
Typically, only the face, eyes, and mouth moved, but with Jin-seong's support, Ji-ming upgraded to full-body tracking gear.
"Alright, everyone ready? Full track time~!"
Her cheerful announcement had the on-screen virtual character moving her whole body naturally, like a real person, busting out an energetic dance.
Fans erupted in awe at the fresh spectacle.
Ji-ming unleashed the dance skills she'd honed as a trainee.
Her fluid moves and cute reactions hooked viewers fast, and her fandom exploded overnight.
She also used VRChat for map explorations, drawing in fresh floaters through fan interactions.
Whoa, virtual can do this? So fresh!
Ji-ming's bold move rippled through the virtual streamer community.
High-end gear like that was out of reach for most due to costs, so her initiative became huge news in itself.
With Young-su laying the groundwork and Ji-ming pioneering new challenges, anticipation for the virtual idol project soared higher than ever.
A short while later, a notice went up on Young-su's broadcast page.
『Virtual Idol Project Round 1 Audition Date』
▶ Oct 15: Round 1 Group A, Oct 16: Group B (4 PM until end)
Auditions run for 4 rounds total, details revealed sequentially.
Round 2: Oct 23, Round 3: Oct 30, Round 4: Nov 6.
Start times vary from Round 2 onward.
Round 1: Song (1 verse) / 1-min self-PR (2 items total)
(Must be able to join VRChat.)
▶ Application period: From Oct 7 notice until Oct 11 11:59 PM
Please submit with application form.
Adults only. Full-time commitment possible.
Apply only if you can commit fully, pro or aspiring.
Audition info & inquiries: AmericaTV Discord ID
※ Qualified: Full cap, high-spec PC, vocal training, tracking, etc. provided!
This detailed audition notice exploded with interest the moment it dropped.
The hype was already boiling even before launch.
The AmericaTV audition post created massive waves.
For low-tier virtual streamers, it was a golden chance to break out, so they flooded in with applications.
Even virtuals from other platforms jumped on board in droves.
Young-su secured judges: mid-tier streamers he knew and top male AmericaTV virtuals.
The solid judge lineup boosted project credibility sky-high.
Finally, the special project that Ji-ming and Young-su had poured their hearts into officially launched.
AmericaTV lit up with excitement and buzz the instant word spread.
As a rare large-scale endeavor, viewers could barely contain their hype, counting down to audition day.
Virtual audition? Idol? This possible?
Pretty fresh lol. First time seeing content like this in ages.
Ah~ the virtubugs are gonna go nuts lol. Comms offline for a while, gg.
Viewer hype surged, putting all of AmericaTV abuzz.
The main page banner kept the project pinned at the top, pulling in not just virtual floaters but general ones too.
Now, with everyone watching, the first audition date—the one loaded with tension and excitement—drew near.
Three days before auditions, another Young-su notice dropped: a Q&A for common questions.
1. How's map production going?
We're in production now: Young-su Entertainment HQ, audition venue, and some undisclosed maps. Broadcasting will run smoothly!
2. Is this really a short-term project?
No. Planned short-term at first, but MV team said it'd take longer, so first full album is now a long-term project with official release within 6 months. Carol song for Dec 25 is locked with a label—all profits donated. Vocal trainer contracted for weekly 1-hr sessions per member. High-spec PCs and full trackers provided. Once 5 members picked, avatar design/coordination contracted too.
Poster contracts are pure streamer 100% : America 0—streamers keep all personal revenue.
3. No minors at all?
We considered it positively, but liability issues make it tough, so regrettably scrapped. So many talented minors we wanted to include, but after deep thought, this is final. Please understand. We truly cheer for non-participating minor virtual streamers' happiness.
4. How do auditions work?
4 rounds as posted. Weekday content means all schedules mandatory. Weekly Saturdays. Each round revealed right after. Content varies per round.
5. What kind of members?
Focus: games, singing, streaming ability (personal broadcasts)—evaluated comprehensively, no priorities. Ongoing personal stream monitoring. Idol image protection rules drafted but flexible; post-selection, tailor via member meeting.
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What started as a small thing blew up huge...
10 years streaming, first time doing something this big.
Grabbed my small shield to protect my mental, started light-hearted. But seeing way younger folks pour real heart into wanting their streams to shine? Gotta take it seriously.
Treating it "small" felt insulting to them.
Not saying it's some grand cause for me—just hope we all grow from it.
Won't make A-list idols, but aim to nurture ones loved by many.
Prep max to show you our best.
Round 1 in VRC audition map (under construction). All participants: PC VRChat (no full tracking).
No personal streams on audition day.
Sync/audio issues? Using Syncroom program as audio replacement.
Syncroom guide to document-passed applicants separately.
Young-su's final notice dropped, and audition day one finally arrived.