Starting Point (2)
After wrapping up the short shoot in no time, I hop on the subway heading home. On my way out of the academy, I catch a pretty sharp glare from the staffer at the counter. I'd only been there for like ten minutes before bailing, so she shoots me this look that screams, 'What the hell is this girl's deal...' I ignore it as best I can and slip out. At least she didn't say anything—that's a relief. Imagine if I'd had to blurt out, 'I'm here shooting a video to sell my body on YouTube.' ...Yeah, that sounds kinda off, but it's not wrong, so whatever.
Anyway, I board the subway during off-peak hours—barely any people—and that's when I remember something I'd totally forgotten. My YouTube channel name. I haven't decided on a name for my future activities. Even with two weeks to prepare, I hadn't even created the channel, let alone named it. A wave of self-loathing hits me for being such a monumental idiot.
But eh, that's just me. I've never been the type to plan ahead or be diligent like that, so I shrug it off. What matters isn't the wasted two weeks—it's deciding on a name right now. ...So, what should it be? Nothing's coming to mind. Seriously, zilch. Okay, fine, there were ideas, but they'd never fit my channel. They were weird, bizarre, total otaku-bait names. Times like this, I curse my hopelessly trash naming sense. How could I even think of something like 'Scarlet' for a channel name? It's not like I'm a VTuber or some concept channel. Still, knowing that's a bad idea means I'm not that hopeless. Positivity it is.
...So, what the hell should it be?? My pathetic brain can't even brainstorm anything decent. Something celebrity-like, sophisticated, elegant, cool, sexy—but not otaku-ish, not over-the-top, just right, attention-grabbing without trying too hard. Anything? Come on, sky—drop a lightning bolt of inspiration??
After racking my brain the whole subway ride home, right as I step through my door, a super obvious yet fresh idea flashes in my head. I adopt it on the spot.
The 21st century— the age of hyper-information and dopamine rushes. The advanced internet spreads any info across the globe in seconds, and more people are jumping into the content game every day. Right now, someone's stepping into this red-ocean industry to claim their spot. And today, that's me.
"Never imagined I'd end up doing this."
Before, I was purely a one-way consumer of YouTube content. Just a viewer. But now, I'm taking my first step toward becoming one of those attention-devouring creators. ...Okay, putting the grandiosity aside and summing it up short and sweet.
"Done...!"
I've just created my YouTube channel. In this era of easy access for creators, even I could set one up without much hassle. Monetization and payouts? Not my concern yet. Gotta make money first before worrying about that. Primary goal: hit the thresholds for monetization. Need a certain number of subs, watch hours, etc., to qualify.
So, step by step. No revenue right away, but steadily working toward those conditions comes first. Living off the attention of random strangers, not some boss's paycheck. I know it's not an easy path. But I'm diving in anyway because I've got confidence—well-founded confidence. Yeah, the physical, tangible kind. The massive 'confidence lumps' hanging right here on my upper body. That's what I'm banking on.
...Selling my chest online to make money sounds super tacky, but hey, what won't you do for cash? It's not like I'm posting sex tapes or masturbation vids. Think positive—I'm just using what I've got to shine a spotlight on myself.
I check out my newly minted profile. At the top, the channel name I agonized over.
Yeah. Instead of scraping my empty idea bank, I went with my real name, clean and simple. It's not some cutesy 'Chun-ja' that screams grandma— just a plain, ordinary girl's name. Perfectly average and unassuming. That works, right? Next to it, a blank banner and the basic profile pic on a purple background with 'Se' written on it.
...Gonna need to spruce it up a bit. For the profile pic, what else do I have besides my face and body? I head straight to the mirror to snap a photo for it. Thankful I was too lazy to change out of my shoot outfit right when I got home, I casually take a shot in the same clothes. It won't show up big anyway—the video's what matters.
Quick sync to my computer-linked account, update the profile pic... done. The bland profile gets a spark of life. It's obviously self-shot, super natural. That's what makes it clickable—curiosity bait in everyday form.
Now, just upload the video. I shot and trimmed the intro/outro on my phone, but thanks to my recently upgraded device, the audio and video quality turned out decent. Next time, think about proper recording gear. And editing software too.
One click left. ...Done.
What, no grand vows for my first video? No hype or reflections? Nah. Content's about throwing it out there and seeing what sticks. No fame or virality to start, so zero expectations. Sure, a miracle algorithm boost into the stratosphere would be nice—but my rational side knows that's a long shot. If it hits 1K views, I'll take it as a win. That thumbnail's intense; could pull it off. ...I'd probably click it myself. Comment section already terrifying me—is it premature or inevitable? Who knows.
For now, I set the tossed video aside. It'll grow on its own—or so I vaguely believe. Nothing more I can do. Close the browser, fire up a game. Whatever, I did my part—time to chill.
Three hours later, I'm glued to my phone. 'Just check later,' I thought. But human anticipation isn't that easy to tame. No lie—for real, every five minutes for three hours straight, I checked views and subs. Starting right after that first comment dropped.
My historic first comment? Short, intense.
Not specifying what, but any modern person gets it instantly. No cap—my face turns beet red, hotter than my first masturbation sesh. I splash water on it in the bathroom who-knows-how-many times trying to cool down.
Tried ignoring it to game, but that comment hijacked my brain. Checking after every round, watching views climb—excitement builds, heart racing out of control. After that chaotic three hours, total views: 674.
...Huh? That's solid? Way better than expected, and in just three hours. At this rate, 1K today easy, plus a ton of subs. Pumped, I shut down the unfinishable game and reopen the browser.
Now, seeing those rising numbers makes me wanna polish things up more. I'm digging into editing software, assets, ways to boost video quality—stuff I haven't sought out voluntarily in ages. Feels good, like I'm actually grinding at something, pride swelling bit by bit. Afternoon vibes on point.
Last check before bed: 1,300 views. Killer first-day numbers— I crash feeling smug and happy.
Next day,
"...?"
What the—?