Chapter 95
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: I Definitely Told You, Right?
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I definitely told you, right?
Today was finally the day everyone had been waiting for—the audition.
Saturday evening at 8 PM, AmericaTV's prime time slot.
Young-su's stream went live right on schedule, and the opening screen featured a black background with gentle music flowing over it, patiently waiting for viewers to gather.
Before long, the viewer count surpassed ten thousand.
Fans from idol-related communities and galleries, who had been counting down the days, flooded into Young-su's stream in real time, and the chat window started heating up.
Holding my breath till the door opens lol
Fifteen minutes later, the black screen faded, revealing bright lights and Young-su appearing with a cheerful expression.
Young-su greeted the viewers with his familiar, comfortable smile.
"Everyone, finally! The day we've all been waiting for—the 'Virtual Idol Audition'—is here. You've waited a long time, haven't you?"
The chat exploded again at his words.
Yesss it's finally starting kekeke
I trusted you, Young-su hyung!!
After briefly explaining the rules for today's first-round audition, Young-su continued with an excited expression.
"We got so many applications from virtual streamers that we barely slept for days sorting them out. Thank you all so much, and please send us lots of cheers as we do our absolute best to judge fairly."
With that, Young-su switched the screen to a pre-made, flashy, and detailed VR map and took his seat at the central judges' table.
Flanking him were a mid-tier streamer handling the audition judging and a popular male virtual streamer from AmericaTV.
"Alright! First up, let me introduce today's judges who'll help with the auditions."
Once Young-su smoothly finished introducing the judges, the chat heated up even more.
During the opening talk, viewers' anticipation and tension peaked, and finally, Young-su looked straight at the camera with a serious expression.
"We have a whopping 200 virtual streamers auditioning today. And right here, more than half will be eliminated. It's a pretty ruthless spot. Even us judges are pretty nervous. Please keep the cheers and encouragement coming till the end."
At Young-su's final announcement, the chat filled with cheers and palpable tension.
Gasp, more than half eliminated... this is brutal ㄷㄷㄷ
Contestants must be super nervous ㅠㅠ
Cheering for you all, fighting!
Fans of each virtual streamer shouted out nicknames in support.
And so, the Virtual Idol Audition that Young-su had prepared for so long finally raised its curtain amid blazing anticipation.
Ji-ming was already pre-selected internally for the project, so during the audition, the judges lavished praise on her singing and streaming skills, naturally steering the atmosphere.
But truthfully, viewers had no choice but to agree.
It was content backed by Coin King, and Ji-ming demonstrated genuine talent, captivating audiences instantly with her stellar stage performance and vocals.
Whoa, as expected of Ji-ming. Even if it's pre-selected, I gotta acknowledge it.
Ji-ming's skills are on another level, nothing to say kekeke
If Ji-ming doesn't advance, that'd be the weird part, right?
Of course, not every contestant was this outstanding.
Among the 200, quite a few couldn't sing well, honestly.
But the judges evaluated not just singing but also streaming talent and personality in detail.
Thanks to that, many contestants showcased their unique charms, drawing viewer interest.
Some with weak singing but strong streaming flair won judges' praise; others had captivating voices and vocals; some hooked viewers from the start with bold personalities.
As these diverse virtual talents emerged en masse, a fresh vitality began surging through AmericaTV's virtual category.
Viewers who watched the audition immediately sought out their favorites' streams to cheer on their growth.
Communities quickly formed new fandoms picking favorites, with contestants cheering each other or even sparking friendly rivalries.
The first round wrapped up successfully amid intense interest.
When eliminations were announced, some virtual streamers teared up in regret, vowing to try again.
Meanwhile, passers burst with uncontainable joy, screaming in triumph as they geared up for the next round.
Idol communities soon buzzed with hot debates on the passers' stories, past careers, and futures.
Winter got in more on streaming vibe than raw skill kekeke
I've followed Ji-ya since her early days, finally shining. Tears for real.
Ji-ming's pre-selected but Bingsu is gonna blow up this time too.
With all sorts of discussions flying, the audition sparked massive buzz from episode one.
This started subtly shifting the virtual scene's landscape, filling everyone with anticipation for the next round.
Jin-seong watched the audition from start to finish without missing a second.
He started out just because it was his company's major project, but as time passed, he got genuinely hooked on the contestants' diverse charms and talents.
A light beer sat beside him, and Jin-seong watched comfortably, smiling contentedly the whole time.
Especially whenever pre-selected member Ji-ming took the stage in his project, he felt proud and gratified.
Viewers acknowledged her skills too, boosting the immersion.
But what made Jin-seong burst out laughing hardest was an unexpected contestant.
The streamer with the unique nickname Jotnyang stood out from her entrance, and her banter was explosive.
"Haha! This one's totally nuts. How does she spit out such genius lines on the fly?"
Jin-seong clutched his stomach laughing every time Jotnyang bantered, thoroughly enjoying it.
The virtual streamers' fresh improv skits and unpredictable quips in the VR map meshed perfectly with Young-su's hosting, ramping up the fun.
Of course, singing-focused contestants included many on Ji-ming's level, keeping his ears delighted throughout.
In a time when virtual streamers weren't hugely known on AmericaTV, this audition was like discovering a new world for many viewers.
Even those unfamiliar started getting drawn in one by one, forming fandoms.
After the grueling six-hour audition, eliminations were finalized and announced.
Jin-seong sprang into action immediately.
He visited each eliminated contestant's stream, offering consoling words of "good job" along with 3,000 balloons each.
"Huh...? Getting superheated over 3,000? The bar's low."
Some virtuals teared up at the 3,000, instantly superheated and expressing deep gratitude.
To them, Jin-seong's small gesture was immense comfort, a special memory washing away elimination's sting.
Gasp! Why is Coin King in my room...? Thank you so much!!
Jin-seong checked community reactions right away, meticulously reviewing project feedback.
As expected, amid hot interest, positives dominated, with idol galleries and communities packed with debates, stories, and cheers for passers and dropouts.
Watching it all, Jin-seong smiled contentedly.
'This is off to a real success. Haha, way more fun than I imagined?'
His chest swelled with anticipation and pride.
Excitement for the project's future unfoldings soared even higher.
Meanwhile, once the stream ended and tension released, Ji-ming slumped in her chair.
"Haa... That was exhausting..."
She'd burned out maintaining energy for six hours straight.
Shortly after the broadcast shut down, her phone rang.
The screen showed Ye-ji.
Ji-ming hid her fatigue and picked up with a cutesy voice.
"Yesss~~~ Unni~~~?"
Ye-ji replied in a bright, cheerful tone.
"My little sis~! You were amazing today? I was shocked~!"
Ji-ming's eyes sparkled at the praise as she asked happily.
"You watched too, Unni?"
"Of course! That content today—Oppa sponsored it, right?"
"Yeah! The chairman backed it. And since the company ran it, the quality was insane, right?"
Ye-ji sounded a bit puzzled.
"Huh? Company? Which company'd you join?"
Ji-ming feigned surprise and continued.
"Oh, did I not tell you? I joined an MCN. Our boss used to be Min-jun's manager~ It's awesome!"
Ye-ji's voice turned a tad sulky.
"Whoa~~ You didn't even tell your unni something like that! I'm a little hurt now~?"
Ji-ming giggled playfully, turning on the aegyo.
"Hehe, sorry Unni~! But our company is seriously the best~ A dream for virtuals! Tech is top-tier!"
Seeing Ji-ming so happy, Ye-ji finally softened and laughed.
"Good~ Glad to hear it. Contract terms okay?"
"Yup yup! Super good terms. Wanna join our company, Unni?"
At Ji-ming's sudden sales pitch, Ye-ji burst out laughing.
"Are you pitching to your unni right now? I'm camgirl, no real need to join a company."
Ji-ming amped up the cuteness deliberately.
"Aww... Okay, Unni. Don't complain later if you hear how great the company is? I definitely told you?"
Ye-ji played along with a laugh.
"What're you on about~? Got it! If unni ever needs a company, you'll be first I call. Happy?"
"Yup! I definitely told you, Unni~?"
"Got it!"
Ji-ming hung up and grinned mischievously like a little devil.
It was insurance.
Later, if Ye-ji heard about the company late and got sulky, she'd recall this convo for justification.
'Yup~ I definitely told you. You turned it down yourself? Hehe.'
Ji-ming chuckled inwardly, amused imagining Ye-ji's face when she learned everything later.