156 - The Idol I Admire
It was a winter night with snow falling all day long. The news that Kariri was collabing with Chena had everyone doubting their ears.
No matter how popular Kariri was, she was just a single V-tuber. 900,000 V-Tube subscribers? Average 500,000 views per video? Compared to Chena topping the US Billboard Hot 100 main singles chart for three straight weeks and bringing glory to the nation, it was a drop in the bucket. The other side's music video had racked up hundreds of millions of views, after all.
It was too lowbrow to call it some new kind of aggro bait. What really stuck in fans' craws was that it targeted an idol who was riding high in popularity in Korea of all places.
Just as protests demanding punishment from her agency exploded, even more shocking news broke.
Hello. This is Entis Entertainment. We would like to address the future schedule of our affiliated artist Chena Kim Saetbyeol.
Chena is currently on vacation after completing her world tour schedule, and we have confirmed via contact that she will appear on an internet broadcast due to a personal friendship.
This is not part of our agency's planned schedule, but we have received assurances that she will maintain her position as a public figure even on the internet broadcast, and we will do our utmost to ensure no incidents occur that concern our fans.
"Uh... c-come on in! Wow, Chena unnie...! It's been so long, I'm so ha— I mean, so thrilled!"
"Should I sit here? Ah, hello everyone! It's a bit novel to meet you all in a setting like this. I'm singer Chena."
Yunsl's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the genuine celebrity sitting beside her. Up until now, the only times she'd shown her real face on camera at the start of streams were her collabs with LK and Kim Wooju. And the third guest being none other than Chena? Tens of thousands—no, over a hundred thousand viewers flooded in instantly. The front-row numbers ticked up in no time. The chat lagged so bad it had to pause.
"Yunsl must be doing well these days? You've lost your baby fat and look even prettier."
"Kyaaah! Unnie, saying that with a face like yours... that's cheating, total cheating!"
"Is it?"
Kariri flushed beet red at Chena's praise, not knowing what to do with herself. Chena's beauty was the kind that could suck your soul right out just by looking. In comparison, Kariri was just "cutely average" at best, like your typical idol. But Chena's words were the highest honor to Yunsl.
"And you can't call me by that name here."
"Then what should I call you?"
"Kariri...! I'm Kariri, king of the savanna! Gr... grrrawr...!"
The chat was a raging torrent faster than ever; reading and reacting was impossible. But Kariri knew exactly what they wanted and swiftly pivoted the topic.
"S-so... shall we jump into VR right away?"
Streaming in real life was just too much. Kariri suggested it with earnest plea.
"You came all this way, and we're going straight to VR?"
"But Saetbyeol unnie's so pretty... ah... we could just model the avatar right off the real thing...!"
Knowing Chena was coming, she'd rented top-tier capsules in advance. Their performance was no joke—they could perfectly replicate Chena's looks in VR.
Kariri's signature broadcast segment: YesYesYes Q&A. If you get caught in YesYesYes, you answer the other person's question or do a random penalty. Kariri beamed inwardly, having prepared a ton of borderline-racy questions again today.
"YesYesYes! Aja, nice! Heads together!"
"Wait, you're suddenly way too aggressive... kyaa! What, why hit me right away?"
"Oh right! I got too hyped and forgot!"
As the segment progressed, juicy info piled up. The biggest draw: how Chena ended up on Kariri's stream. Turns out, Kariri had been a trainee in the same practice room as her back in the day. The public could only gawk in amazement. Plenty didn't even know Kariri had once been an idol trainee.
Twitch and V-Tube simulcast drew about 10x the usual crowd. Especially meaningful for Yunsl herself. Chena was the idol she'd once aspired to be at her peak. No effort needed—her energy was sky-high, smile glued to her face.
"Ah, sing a song! Kariri, do Rose of Sharon!"
"Rose of Sharon again? You still only sing that one?"
"Don't diss the artisan spirit honed over tens of thousands reps, hehe!"
Kariri tweaked settings to enable viewer visualization. Suddenly, hundreds of thousands outside the private room waved glow sticks—a spectacle. Maybe the future Seol Yunsl would've had if she hadn't quit idols. But Kariri shook her head and focused on the song. She was a V-tuber, not an idol. Time to show Korea's top idol what Korea's top V-tuber could do.
"Fond memories, wistful heart."
Chena listened silently till the end. As cheers erupted, Kariri bowed her head, tears welling.
"Sniff. Thank you all so much! Wanna hear Chena unnie next? Your new single—"
"Nah... not feeling it today."
"Got it? Vocal rest is key...! Pillow talk time then?"
The infamous "lie-down stream." A smash hit when idols did it. Many of Kariri's segments were inspired by outside trends like this. Two beauties lying on one bed, gazing and spilling heartfelt truths? Not an everyday sight.
"Yunsl... er, Kariri. Name's still not sticking, haha. Why'd you quit idols mid-way? I thought you'd debut with me. Pretty, great singer, dancer, and hands-down the hardest worker among us."
"Kariri realized! She doesn't need to be an idol."
"Huh?"
"I didn't wanna be an idol itself. Just sing and dance in front of tons of people. Doesn't have to be the idol mold."
"I see..."
"But I'm a lil jealous of you, unnie! Singing in VR's this moving—what's real crowd cheers like? Heart pounding outta my chest?"
Never had so many gathered. Did Chena feel this thrill at every concert? Eyes closed, absorbing Kariri's confession, Chena spoke softly.
"Kariri. I'm the jealous one."
"Eh? Of what?"
Chena gently stroked her cheek. Kariri squeaked at the tickle but soon stared wide-eyed.
"Pioneering uncharted territory, living so free and fun. Maybe 'idol' wasn't the word that suited you best... or whatever, hehe!"
"Unnie, truth only here! This is truth or dare!"
"Haha, busted? Yeah, you're second-best fit after me!"
"You bet! That's Chena unnie!"
Kariri had a gift for drawing out guests' charms. Amplify the usual, unearth the twists. To the jealous masses thinking Chena just lucked into hits and a great agency, Kariri spread her thoughtfulness and appeal far and wide. Mission accomplished.
"Wanna collab like this again sometime."
Inner greed slipped out, but...
"Probably not."
"Schedules too packed?"
"Yeah... so live your one life regret-free and fun."
"Got it! Kariri won't forget! Till I reclaim the savanna throne!"
The day after the collab.
News coverage of the shocking incident that rocked Korea poured from morning on. For whatever reason, the bereaved family insisted they couldn't release her suicide note just yet. They just repeated like parrots: trust and wait a bit, as it's Chena's wish.
Condolences flooded worldwide at the sudden suicide of one singer. Her note went public a month later, but speculation ran wild before then. Netizens dug up signs she'd suffered severe depression for years, arrows turning to her agency. But the flow doesn't always stay one way. Like a river splitting around a boulder, next up: Kariri.
BAM BAM BAM—
"Seol Yunsl? You home? From XXX! Mind a quick interview?"
"XXX reporter! Seol Yunsl, spare a moment!"
Reporters swarmed Yunsl's door. The girl knelt before it, clawing at her hair.
"No... I didn't do it..."
"I said no... haah... haah..."
Yunsl's gaze jittered anxiously. Hot air clawed her throat, but breath wouldn't come. Trembling heart might burst, vague fear of paralysis and suffocation, choking pressure—all crushed her.
Her face plastered TV, sites as Seol Yunsl. Not like this, not this fame. Yunsl crawled limply. Cool floor soothed heat briefly, but chills returned—useless.
Recovery doesn't mean no panic attacks—it means not fearing them.
The monster that once shattered Seol Yunsl's long-held dream. Now reaching for Kariri too. Half-collapsed, Yunsl sobbed throat-raw. Doc was right—she wasn't cured. But how can humans not fear death?
The world was cruel to the girl. Massive flood hit the drought-stricken savanna—no matter invincible Kariri emperor, powerless against nature's wrath. Before society's malicious glares and venom, the individual was infinitely helpless.