Housewarming [NoName Minor Gallery]
The channel for Bark, which had been seeing low views lately, regained its vitality.
A thumbnail of an 8-year-old girl playing Caprice No. 24—a piece even professionals struggle with—on a 700-million-won violin at Korea University, improvised no less, was impossible to scroll past.
Views: 180K · 2 days ago
Even people who had built walls around math or magic studies as distant tales couldn't help but peek out of curiosity. Prejudices like "no matter how talented, it's just an elementary kid" shattered in an instant. Music was that intuitive.
This online buzz was evident even in the cringey comments.
Kariri's black history, popping up when you least expect it. This news finally reached Yun-seul's ears.
In a pitch-black room where not a sliver of sunlight entered, only the computer screen flickered.
Yun-seul, seated at the desk, clenched her fist hard. Her fingertips trembled.
"Bet you can't even imagine where I am right now, NoNami?"
She yanked her phone from her pocket and fired off a text. Her glittery thumbnail sparkled intermittently.
A mad smile bloomed on Kariri's lips as she hit send.
* * *
"Min-woo-ya, do you know who noona is?"
"Slurp. No? No idea."
"Come on, you gotta know who's buying the food before you eat."
Baek Min-woo blinked rapidly, chopsticks paused mid-jajangmyeon at Yun-seul's question. His eyes screamed why ask this outta nowhere while I'm eating?
Meanwhile, A-rin, mouth stuffed with tangsuyuk, shot her hand up.
"Me me, I know! The sis from the Miracle Wings TV ad, right? She sang there. 'Soar, Zhuque!' Like that."
"That's not me...?"
"Oh yeah, now that you mention it, kinda similar. Good eye, Baek A-rin."
"I said no! Where's the resemblance?!"
Seol Yun-seul, Baek Min-woo, and Baek A-rin bantered like a skit. Meanwhile, I gazed out the window.
Apartment 40th floor. High enough for a full view of Seoul's skyline.
"Nami, more tangsuyuk?"
Yun-seul dragged her butt over, fork extended. I shook my head slightly.
Lately, I'd been getting fed everywhere—stomach's full.
Her eyes curved mischievously, then she twirled the fork like a circus act.
"Whiiirrr! Really not eating even like this?"
The tangsuyuk hovered right at my lips.
"Nah, pass."
"Fine then."
She tossed it fork-and-all back onto the plate. Then started a tug-of-war with Min-woo and A-rin over the last piece.
I watched warmly for a moment, then scanned the living room and snapped at Yun-seul.
"What the hell is this?"
"Whyy?"
"You know exactly what I mean."
"Kariri has no idea what Nami's talking about?"
Back in full Kariri mode, the girl whistled innocently.
Just hours ago, I'd pondered gifts after her text about moving nearby—no need for gifts since it's close, she'd said. Now it clicked.
"Why'd you move right above our place?"
"Hehe."
Yun-seul flashed a V-sign with a straight face.
Parthenon Apartment, Building 102, Room 4003. A straight-line 3 meters from Cheon Professor's and my place. Twenty-one steps up the stairs.
From acquaintance to next-door neighbor in a flash—I felt the weight.
"Come on, don't stress."
"After saying that, now 'don't stress'?"
"Why not? Pop down for dinner sometimes, morning calls, VR amusement park, VR zoo, VR aquarium—how fun!"
"Why's everything VR? Neighbors or not, we could do that."
"If Nami says no, what can I do? But now I can barge right in!"
She's still salty about me digging up her black history at Korea Uni last time. See? No strong denial.
"Unfair if only I get pranked. Time to stick it to Nami."
"...Still, can't collab too often. Busy again lately."
"You were gonna say yes anyway, tsundere Nami-chan. Deal sealed? Knees for a pillow as celebration?"
"Ugh, why."
While the starving kids inhaled jajangmyeon, the TV news played.
Using Yun-seul's lap as a pillow, sleepiness hit hard. Especially with her fanning—top-tier.
Dogok-dong apartment? The mosaicked screen was definitely Kariri's old place.
I sat up and stared at Yun-seul. She gave an awkward smile.
"That's why you moved?"
"Haha... Anyway, better people here! They kept shoving some nondisclosure oath at me, got fed up and bounced. I know best—sign that crap carelessly and you're screwed."
"Jerks."
"Hey, NoNami, pretty words!"
"That's me softening it."
Yun-seul had her own struggles. Despite appearances, as a working adult earning her keep, she had mature sides. Sometimes I forgot she was still a minor.
I patted her head approvingly.
"Nami-ya, not streaming much lately? Saw you're steady on WoA though."
"Sniping haters, so duoing with Adella to climb ranks. But Mephisto drop rate's too low—wonder if it's worth it. Haven't seen one yet."
"Mephistopheles? For the title grind?"
"Kinda."
Mephisto hunts in high-tier neutral obj spawns were long-term. Yun-seul bit her lip thoughtfully, then whispered in my ear.
"If showing your real face on stream's a hassle, wanna try VTuber?"
"No."
"Eek, so firm...?"
"Who does VTuber? Oh, sis does."
"You... doing it on purpose, right?! Keep that up and Kariri's hurt...?"
"But why suddenly?"
"Hehe. Curious? That curious? Guess sis has to spill."
I shouldn't have asked. Three hours trapped, ears ringing with explanations.
"Planning a VTuber agency! 'Safari Dream'!"
Safari what?
* * *
There was a 14-year-old girl whose life was ruined.
Chewing tear-soaked bread, seeing only darkness ahead, she dove headfirst into the red ocean.
In a world of 8 billion, no blue oceans exist. Even if you pioneer one, if it's profitable, corps swarm in a month, turning it blood-red.
VTuber market was perfect survival of the fittest—winner takes riches and fame.
"VTubers aren't that honorable..."
"Shh! Listen!"
Streaming daily for 4 years without fail, Kariri had burned out long ago. Passion intact, but mental fatigue overwhelming.
I'd suggested rest days, but fans were her world. Over-immersed RP? Or Yun-seul's nature? Either way, crashing at my place gave her new purpose. A lit path in the dark.
"Struggled solo a lot. Scams, hate, collab flubs from inexperience. Some streamers still hate me."
"Hate you for what?"
"Got Twishi banned two weeks 'cause of me."
"Hmm... got it."
New games and content endless, but one body. That's when Kariri got her idea.
What if I had fellow VTubers?
"Share know-how, they collab among themselves...! Our own tank!"
No need scraping schedules with outsiders.
To her grand plan, I replied flatly.
"Just recruit then? You got name value."
"Gen 2 okay... but Gen 1 no...!"
"Why?"
"Gen 1 must succeed."
High failure rate biz. Her month's analysis: agency fate hinges on Gen 1.
"Need perfect pearls that'd succeed anywhere. That's why Nami's perfect...!"
"Pass."
"Lion mask streams—how cute..."
"Pass."
"Won't help?"
"Not many collabs outside you, short career. Don't know much."
"I see..."
Yun-seul deflated. Scrolling VTube, I spotted Bark's new upload.
"Oh, just dropped?"
"Yeah. Said two vids—sequel?"
"You picked Renai Circulation! Viewers roasted me for it."
"Oops, but..."
"Why...?"
I fast-forwarded. After Prof. Pi's piece, my turn.
"Didn't just do Renai Circulation."
"What?!"
Views: 2.4K · 30 min ago
"You... you...!"
Yun-seul raised her voice.
"Was fun though."
"Gen 1 must be you! Or I'll sulk forever!"