The First Vlog (1)
“Alright, Mr. Actor. Get ready~ Ready, cue!”
At Chae-ryeong’s signal, I press the record button on the camera. She had come prepared with a plan, so she starts her opening remarks while facing the lens at the beginning of our campus walking path.
“Hello, everyone…? Ahem. We don’t have a fan name yet, so I’m not sure what to call you.”
She glances toward the camera with an awkward smile. It’s only natural she’d feel stiff—after all, she hasn’t stood in front of a camera much. If anything, I’m the one surprised by how natural I feel. Talking to viewers and subscribers who don’t even exist yet… I don’t think I could sound that friendly if it were me.
“Anyway, I’ll just call you ‘everyone’ for now. You’re probably wondering who I am, right? Hey, cameraman? Who am I?”
“…Huh?”
“Cut, cut. That won’t work. How could you look so flustered there?”
Chae-ryeong waves her hands, signaling that it’s ruined. I had watched a few vlogs to prepare, but having the camera suddenly pointed at me and being asked a question out of nowhere left me unsure how to react.
She steps closer and gives me directions like a director instructing an actor.
“Yoon Taeo, what did I say the key to a vlog is?”
“Naturalness?”
“Exactly. Even if we’re acting and being filmed, it has to feel natural.”
“Got it.”
“No matter how many people stare at us going, ‘Oh, they’re YouTubers,’ what do we do?”
“Act natural.”
“Okay. Just ignore the camera and talk to me like you normally would. Relaxed. If our usual selves come through, viewers will feel comfortable watching too.”
“Alright. I’ll try.”
“So, we’re not stopping again, right? We’re filming the rest in one go?”
“Yeah.”
She gives my shoulder a light pat before returning to her starting position. Right. I got paid for this, so I can’t mess around. If you’re getting paid for a part-time job, you have to approach it with a professional mindset. Think of it as an actor hired with a down payment. From now on, I’m an actor.
With that resolve, I try to treat Chae-ryeong as naturally as possible.
“Hello, everyone. Nice to meet you. Ah, you’re probably wondering who I am. Hey, cameraman, who am I?”
“Yoo Chae-ryeong.”
“And who exactly is Yoo Chae-ryeong? How are people supposed to know with just that?”
“A first-year at Jeongun University? The goddess of the Department of Media and Video? Heh.”
“Ooh, that intro’s good. That’s right. I’m Yoo Chae-ryeong, the goddess of the Media and Video department at Jeongun University. Hi, hi, everyone. But why’d you laugh at the ‘goddess’ part?”
“I wasn’t laughing at you. It’s just… the wording feels a bit childish. ‘Goddess,’ really?”
“Oh, is that so? Sounds like you just made that excuse up, but I’ll forgive you this time.”
Our usual back-and-forth banter flows naturally. Seeing our relaxed expressions and the tension easing, Chae-ryeong looks satisfied, as if to say that’s exactly how it should be. Bolstered by her gaze, I feel much more at ease talking with her than before.
“Since this is our first vlog, please understand if it’s a little rough. Ah, you’re wondering what kind of vlog this is, right? Cameraman, what kind of vlog is it?”
“A couple vlog, obviously.”
Well, technically a couple vlog without an actual couple, but whatever.
“A pitiful vlog where the girlfriend bosses her boyfriend around as the cameraman. Ladies who like vlogs, stay away from guys. You don’t want to end up like me someday.”
“Ugh, what? I can’t hear you. Was that bird too loud just now?”
“There wasn’t even a bird chirping. How’d you hear one?”
“No idea. Anyway, let’s go! Move, move!”
“She’s pretending not to hear because it’s inconvenient for her. Tsk.”
Chae-ryeong walks ahead excitedly. I film her back while capturing the surrounding scenery. Filming is something I’m fairly confident in. I like taking photos and videos enough to major in this, and even though I never posted them anywhere, I’ve taken and organized plenty of pretty scenes and landscapes on my own. Maybe that’s mostly thanks to my uncle, the photographer. Working as his assistant taught me how fun it is to handle a camera.
“This is the walking path at Jeongun University. Wow, isn’t it pretty, everyone? It’s spring, so there are lots of flowers in bloom.”
“Yeah.”
“That’s an azalea, and this one’s a rhododendron? Does the cameraman like flowers?”
“Not really. I’m not interested in things that only bloom for a season.”
“Aww, you just killed the romance.”
“Does romance put food on the table?”
Chae-ryeong lets out a long sigh and gives me a look that says we’re not on the same wavelength. What? What are you gonna do about it? What can you even do?
“Listen up. This Yoo Chae-ryeong will restore your girlish sensibilities. Azaleas and rhododendrons share the same flower meaning.”
“What is it?”
“The joy of love. Kya~ Isn’t that romantic? The joy of love! What do I do? My heart’s fluttering so much!”
“Wow, so romantic.”
“Your voice just now sounded like a machine. Even a cyborg would react better than that.”
“H-how m-may I assist you, Miss Chae-ryeong? I am an android robot, the cameraman.”
So my name is officially “cameraman” now. That’s why first impressions matter—I feel like my image is already ruined.
We continue walking along the campus path, chatting like usual while showing off the scenery. About halfway down the path, a meowing sound drifts over from somewhere.
“Meow.”
A little creature hops out from the bushes onto the sidewalk. I instinctively point the camera toward it, and Chae-ryeong’s eyes light up as she greets it.
“Kkong-chi~ Hi~! Aww… so cute…”
When the cat approaches her, Chae-ryeong crouches down and points at the silver-furred feline, introducing Kkong-chi to the camera.
“Our school mascot, Kkong-chi. The special thing about him is that his fur is all silver except for a bit of black on his back? Someone named him that because he looks like mackerel. Isn’t he adorable?”
“He’s a much senior to us. I heard he’s already been living here for four years.”
“Really? Then he’s a senior about to graduate? Where do you think our Kkong-chi sunbae is planning to get a job?”
“A fish market?”
“Wouldn’t he get fired in a day if he worked there? Hehe.”
But Kkong-chi doesn’t stay with Chae-ryeong for long. After brushing past her legs, he heads straight toward me holding the camera. I don’t know why, but he’s been like this since I first enrolled. Kkong-chi is incredibly attached to me.
“…Oh. Abandoning me for another guy? How could you?”
“Isn’t your jealousy aimed at the wrong target, Chae-ryeong?”
“Why does Kkong-chi only like you? I’m jealous. He’s been your stalker since forever. He even tries to follow you into the lecture hall.”
“I don’t know either. Maybe he likes my scent?”
“Are you secretly spraying catnip at home before coming out?”
“I don’t even bother with perfume because it’s a hassle. Why would I spray catnip? I don’t even like cats that much.”
I lower myself while filming Kkong-chi and pet his head.
“Good boy. Such a good kitty.”
The cat rubs his cheek against my hand with a pleased expression, and I can’t help but smile at how adorable he is. Chae-ryeong, who had been watching me quietly, suddenly grins as if she’s had a great idea.
“……I’m jealous.”
“Stop being jealous. You’ll wear Kkong-chi out.”
“Not Kkong-chi.”
“Then who?”
“You. I’m jealous because my boyfriend got stolen by a cat.”
She looks at me with a pouty expression. Even though I can tell she’s aware of the camera and that this is all acting, I can’t stop my heart from skipping a beat at her words.
“Aww~ My boyfriend’s so smitten with a cat that he’s giving it lovey-dovey eyes and petting it…”
“……”
“But he doesn’t do anything for me… I’m hurt… I’m jealous…”
“First time I’ve seen a girl jealous of a cat.”
“Aww~ Maybe we should just skip the date and go home? This suddenly got boring.”
Unlike everyone else, I know her. Despite her sulky face, her lips are slightly upturned in a way that’s hard to notice. She’s deliberately acting like this because she thinks it makes for a fun scene. But even knowing it’s acting, a part of me feels something stir. Is this just how guys are? Or is falling in love really this easy? My chest fills with a thrill at the fact that she’s showing jealousy toward me.
……She really does look like a girlfriend jealous of her boyfriend. But we’re still filming, so I calm my pounding heart and pull my hand away from Kkong-chi. Then I crouch down and approach Chae-ryeong, who’s sitting on the ground watching me.
“There, there. Good girl, our Chae-ryeong.”
When I place my hand on her head, she looks slightly surprised. I send her a telepathic message with my eyes. Isn’t this the kind of scene you wanted?
“Hehe. Nice. You can pet me a little more.”
Chae-ryeong quickly regains her smile at my action. She rubs her head against my hand like a cat, acting cute and demanding more pets. Seeing her cat-like expression as she looks up at me with half-lidded eyes…
……She’s really cute. This girl might be dangerous.
I find myself thinking that out of nowhere.