Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: 18 Years Old, I Became a Vtuber [01]
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Takumi Director's capabilities must have played a big part.
The ad video released in Japan was getting positive reactions. Its cumulative views had already surpassed fifty million.
Not just in Japan, but it quickly spread across Korea, China, the US, and countries around the world.
The comments on the original video were filled with languages from all sorts of places.
The situation didn't end there.
Korean media outlets started pumping out articles one after another. Every time I turned on the TV, my name popped up without fail.
As breaking news.
As entertainment show fodder.
As a special segment on morning programs.
They called me the Peach Princess who captured Japan...
Or the rookie model discovered by Takumi Director...
The impact was far bigger than I'd imagined.
I wanted to crawl into a rat hole.
It was so embarrassing.
I was starting to regret casually agreeing just because I wanted that kimono.
The department store promo video was set to drop soon too. I was already worrying about what kind of chaos that would stir up.
But it wasn't all bad.
It meant that lots of people liked me that much.
Sure, there were hate comments sometimes, but I just laughed them off.
They stung at first, but now I was numb to them. You can't please everyone anyway.
No point stressing over it—it just wears you out.
Lately, browsing video platforms for reactions about me had become a little hobby.
It's amazing. Is this real? Not some hidden camera prank?
The fact that so many people liked me was still hard to believe.
Because of that, I found myself checking the comments more often, for longer stretches. Before I knew it, hours had flown by while reading them.
There were other big changes too.
I'd signed on as an exclusive model for Luminous Group. The ad's influence in Japan must have been huge.
Media outlets had raved about it as the ad of the year, a prime example of emotional marketing.
It was a hot topic in the industry, and SNS was flooded with parody videos.
In that atmosphere, Luminous reached out first.
To be honest, Han Seo-rin's connection as the granddaughter of Luminous Group's chairman probably helped.
No matter how talented you are, connections make all the difference in reality.
Plus, Seo-rin and I were legally married.
Which meant I was now inextricably tied to Luminous Group too.
Sure enough, once their legal team got involved, the hate comments dropped off noticeably.
The people who got sued were probably paying the price now—shuttling to the police station for questioning, agonizing over settlements, fretting about criminal records...
It felt kinda satisfying. Serves them right.
I wouldn't accept their apologies even if they begged.
A few days passed in that refreshing mood.
I thought I was getting used to life as a celebrity.
Nope. Not at all. Impossible.
No way a normal person like me could adjust overnight.
More people recognized me on the street now. Photo requests, autograph demands, even pleas for just a word.
Responding to every one was starting to take a physical toll.
"Haa. Going out is such a hassle now."
I let out a deep sigh and flopped onto the bed.
Exhausted.
Home was still the most comfortable place.
Might as well check my updates while resting.
I grabbed my phone out of habit.
Then sprawled face-down on the bed, staring at the screen.
As usual, I pulled up the ad video to scan the comments.
-Pilgrimage to the holy site achieved
-The ad quality is insane. Rooting for you!
-Show us more great stuff from here on out
-Booked an onsen trip because of this ad
-Looking forward to your next ventures
Reading the supportive comments eased my fatigue a bit. I rolled around for a good while, watching videos and scrolling comments.
*Ding-*
The phone vibrated and lit up.
A text message.
Seeing the sender's name made my lips curl up automatically. "My Love"... yeah, solid choice.
[Texting for work reasons. Sent a car, so come whenever. I'll be waiting.]
What could it be?
My first gig as an exclusive model?
Or contract details?
Whatever it was, since Seo-rin called me, I wasn't too stressed.
If anything, the thought of seeing her lifted my spirits.
I sprang up and flung open the closet door.
What to wear today?
I pulled out outfits one by one.
Does this suit me?
Held them up in front of the mirror.
I'd been dead tired just moments ago, but that fatigue had vanished long ago. Now my heart fluttered a little.
She said it was work, but honestly, I hoped it was just an excuse.
I just wanted to see her.
This excitement wasn't weird, right?
We were still newlyweds, after all.
♡♥♡
The address in the text led to...
A massive building that was basically one giant studio.
"Whoa, what's all this?"
I followed the staff member's guidance inside. It was huge. Insanely so.
State-of-the-art cameras dotted the vast space, filling the ceiling and walls.
Tiny infrared sensors and motion capture gear were packed in tightly too.
Stuff I'd seen in movie or game production documentaries.
But the most striking thing was something else.
A human-sized capsule parked in the center.
Silver metallic surface blinking with tiny LED lights.
What the heck was that?
I approached for a closer look.
Through the transparent glass section, I glimpsed the inside—a seat-like thing and a helmet device over the head area.
Wait... virtual reality gear?
*Click-*
A door at the back of the studio opened, and someone entered.
Seo-rin, in a sharp black suit.
Her hair neatly swept back, giving her a crisp impression and colder gaze than usual.
Full business mode.
My heart pounded.
Fallen for her again—and again.
She looked so cool like this.
I had to snap a ton of pics.
Stare at them secretly every night.
"You could've at least texted before coming."
"Seo-rin...! What's this?! Virtual reality?"
I pointed at the capsule.
My voice was brimming with excitement.
"Calm down, no running. It's exactly the virtual reality gear you imagined."
"F-For real? I thought commercialization was still far off."
"It's complete, but mass production's the holdup. Only one prototype exists, but we made it specially for you, Yu-na."
Seo-rin walked over to the capsule as she continued.
"Remember the exclusive contract? You'll experience it firsthand and gradually introduce it to the public. Live internet streams, video uploads—whatever you want."
Wait. Hold on. So...
I'd be the first to try this cutting-edge gear? What could I even do with it? Curiosity and excitement bubbled up.
I wanted to dive in right now. I do! I wanna!
...But I had to hold back.
priorities first.
Work had an order to it.
I barely suppressed my urges.
"Haven't even properly greeted you yet."
I smoothed my collar a bit and approached her. Our height difference was about a hand's width—perfect distance.
Her gaze made my face heat up. No backing out now. I rose slightly on my tiptoes and slowly leaned in for her lips.
Seo-rin's eyes widened a touch.
But she seemed pleased too.
She didn't pull away.
Soft lips met.
Warm, cozy sensation spread through me.
My heart raced.
Seo-rin's arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer.
Caught off guard by the sudden move, but I didn't mind. I liked it.
I closed my eyes and lost myself in the moment. This feeling never got old, no matter how many times.
Time seemed to stop.
A short but sweet kiss.
"Never expected you to go first, Yu-na. You've been so bold lately."
Her voice was steady, but her reddened ears gave away her fluster.
"And you don't like it?"
"No. Want to go again?"
Seo-rin hesitated a moment before answering honestly.
Her unexpected reply drew a chuckle from me.
What? You gotta know how to turn it down sometimes.
I grinned playfully.
Then tugged lightly at her collar.
"Oh? Want me to?"
"I'll take the lead this time."
Seo-rin's voice was low and gentle.
Her fingers lifted my chin slightly, our eyes locking.
A faint fragrance wafted from her near face.
Was I too light?
Was she just that strong?
No time to think.
One arm encircled my waist.
The other scooped under my legs, hoisting me up effortlessly.
A dizzying weightlessness hit me.
I reflexively grabbed her shoulders for balance.
"W-Wait! This is scary! Mmph!"
Before I could finish, our lips crashed in a long, deep kiss.
Nothing like before.
Deeper, more passionate, rougher.
I forgot to breathe.
It's too much. Consciousness fading.
Air... I can't breathe...
I pushed at her shoulders, but no give.
She held on so tight I couldn't budge.
Frustrating. I was a guy in my past life, you know.
Lips clashed with a sharp sting.
But that pain was soon overtaken by something fiercer.
A metallic taste flooded my mouth.
The tip of Seo-rin's tongue carried it too.
That bizarre mix of salty and sweet...
Slid down my throat.
Seo-rin too.
I felt her throat bob faintly.
Heartbeat thundering in my ears.
When I came to, quite some time had passed.
Gasping for breath.
Lips numb and burning.
I licked them lightly.
That sweet-bitter tang still lingered.
"Huh? This..."
Wiping my lips with my hand left a red bloodstain on my fingers.
Seo-rin's lips were split too.
Her tongue slowly licked them.
Her gaze held a suspiciously deep glint.
We stared at each other and burst into small laughs simultaneously.
No idea why. Maybe the situation was just absurd.
"Think I went too hard."
Seo-rin said apologetically, inspecting my lips. She looked like a scolded puppy, peeking guiltily.
Yeah, dummy. Gotta be gentler.
Still...
"It's fine. I... got carried away too."
My face burned, but oddly, I didn't feel bad.
If anything, this moment felt more vivid.
*Thud-*
Something dropped.
I turned, and our eyes met.
Familiar blonde hair, blue eyes.
Our best friend, Seo Ye-rin.
Oh.
Oh nooooo.
Screwed up big time.
Ye-rin flushed and stammered hurriedly.
"Y-You two are intense... Did I interrupt? Should I give you space?"
We're done for.
I didn't want her seeing this... My face burned to my ears.
I tried scrambling out of Seo-rin's arms, but my legs were jelly, and I stumbled.
Mortified. Wanted to hide in a hole. How did my life get this embarrassing...
"N-No, it's, um..."
Words failed me.
Brain went blank on excuses. Toast. Total disaster.
"Forgot you were coming."
But Seo-rin said it casually.
What? Did I hear wrong?
"Called you for broadcast support. You said you'd prep an original song too."
I gawked at her.
This the same woman who'd just swept me up for a kiss?
Not a hint of blush, straight to business talk. Impressive and ridiculous.
Ye-rin smirked.
"Yu-na, you might wanna wipe your lips."
I frantically dabbed with the back of my hand.
Seeing the bloodstain pushed me over the edge.
"Gonna hit the bathroom!"
I bolted from the studio like my life depended on it.