Chapter 1: I Want to Be a VTuber (1)
Chapter 1: I Want to Be a VTuber (1)
To put it simply, it was a day when the summer cicadas were in full, noisy swing.
When I opened my eyes, I was being held in the arms of a strange woman.
"Our little Seo-yeon is just so precious."
"It’s usually hard for babies to look this pretty, but your daughter’s features are truly delicate."
I could hear a conversation between that woman and another.
I wasn't exactly sure who the woman holding me was, but the one she was talking to was a nurse.
What the hell is...
My head spun.
What on earth was going on?
I definitely collapsed, and then...
I couldn't remember clearly.
I had finally escaped unemployment and landed a job, but while working at the office, I felt a sharp pain in my chest.
The sound of an ambulance, being loaded onto a stretcher—that was my last memory.
And when I woke up, I was in this state.
Hmm.
I sucked on my thumb for a moment before reaching a conclusion.
My fingers were as tiny as my little mouth.
I’ve been reincarnated...
Having thought that far, I decided to sleep for now.
My body wasn't strong enough yet to resist the overwhelming urge to slumber.
*
Time passed.
When I looked in the mirror, a young girl of about five or six was staring back at me with her arms crossed.
Cute.
I raised a hand and poked at my long hair, which was tied in pigtails.
This, too, was quite cute, so I liked it.
As I brought my face closer to the mirror, my slightly reddish eyes came into view.
It’s not some weird disease, is it?
The doctor said there was no particular problem other than the color.
Well, it wasn't a vivid crimson; from a distance, they just looked like a light brown.
Anyway, I still can't get used to this.
I didn't realize it at first when I was reborn.
However, it didn't take very long to realize that I had been reincarnated as a girl.
In my past life, I was a man.
So, imagine how bewildered I must have been to be reincarnated as a female.
I’m still not completely adjusted, but I’ve become fairly accustomed to it.
Looking at my reflection and striking various poses, it honestly felt more like I was looking at a cute child rather than myself.
The reason I still wasn't used to it after five years was probably due to my appearance.
Honestly, wasn't I just too cute compared to my past life?
"Ah, ah."
Even my voice was cute.
Looking in the mirror, I was so adorable that I felt satisfied.
Reincarnation is definitely something everyone should try at least once.
If I had been this cute in my past life, Manager Kim wouldn't have tormented me so much.
"Oh, my. What is our daughter doing in front of the mirror? Are you trying to be a model?"
The woman speaking to me was my mother in this life.
To be honest, as someone who didn't have a great relationship with my parents in my previous life, her overwhelming affection was almost uncomfortable.
"No, I’m not going to be a model."
"Why? Our daughter is so cute, though."
"I know that, but I don't want to."
Since it was just the kind of thing mothers usually say, I didn't pay much attention to it.
I already had a truly perfect plan that I’d been thinking about ever since I realized I was a girl.
Yes, to put it simply.
I’m going to be a VTuber.
*
There were several typical career paths for a man who ended up in a TS body.
Streamer, celebrity, VTuber, and so on.
Among them, I chose to be a VTuber.
First of all, I don't have to show my face at the start.
I checked my face in a hand mirror.
I was incredibly cute now, but there was no telling how I’d turn out once I grew up.
There was always the risk of "growing up ugly," after all.
Of course, they say no one with a TS body ever grows up ugly.
The problem was that those examples were strictly fictional characters.
There was no way to know if the invincible TS cells would apply in reality.
In that sense, a VTuber was a safe asset—no need to worry even if my looks faded.
It’s still a bit early for VTubers to hit it big, though.
After being reincarnated, I realized that I had returned to a time earlier than when I died.
Specifically, a time when the concept of a VTuber didn't even exist yet.
VTubers would truly take off in eight years, and the market would explode in about thirteen.
If I entered early and established a solid foundation...
"So, I have to prepare diligently."
With the diligence of someone who barely missed getting into a top university in Seoul during the CSAT, I should be able to achieve great results if I started preparing now.
"First, vocalization practice."
If nothing else, a VTuber must have a good voice.
Of course, my current voice was plenty cute, but just being "cute" wouldn't be enough to compete in the market.
"Aaaah~."
And so, I began various vocalization exercises alone in my room.
Watching the morning exercise programs on TV, I tried to make it as natural as possible.
*
"Honey, I think Seo-yeon wants to be a celebrity."
Ju Sua, Seo-yeon’s mother, watched her daughter secretly and wore a satisfied smile.
Ever since she was a baby, her daughter had never cried or thrown tantrums.
She was even a child who used polite honorifics properly, which was unusual for her age.
She was good at finding things to do on her own and was always busy doing something without rest.
"A celebrity?"
Her husband, Ju Young-bin, who was watching the news, looked puzzled by his wife's words.
...Her?
She was his daughter, but she certainly had an eccentric side.
She was definitely a kind, adorable daughter he wouldn't trade for the world.
However, sometimes he had no idea what was going on in her head.
"Look, our Seo-yeon practices her vocalization every day while watching the children's shows."
"Hmm, well, I suppose so."
Was that vocalization practice?
She was babbling various things to herself, but he couldn't understand how that related to vocal training.
"I watched her secretly, and she was doing all sorts of acting. She was so cute I just wanted to run in and hug her!"
Hmm, is it really that impressive?
Ju Young-bin had his doubts but couldn't bring himself to say them out loud.
It was a common sight for mothers who loved their daughters too much.
"Our Seo-yeon started talking so early; wouldn't it be great if she became an actress or something?"
Seeing her practice acting every day like that, she was clearly interested.
"Well, if you feel that way, why don't we have her try a child actor audition?"
Usually, showing someone the reality of the situation is the best way to handle things.
Ju Young-bin thought his daughter was cute, but he also knew that becoming a celebrity was by no means easy.
How many talented children were out there?
His daughter was unique, but he wasn't sure if she was "talented" in that sense.
Besides, these days, acting is all about early education.
It wasn't that Seo-yeon’s family was poor, but they didn't have the kind of money to invest in the performing arts.
What could Seo-yeon, who had only "acted" while watching children's shows, do among kids who had been formally trained?
"Should we?"
On the other hand, Sua beamed with delight.
She seemed serious, which made Young-bin feel a bit guilty.
He wondered if he, as her father, was being too harsh in his assessment of his daughter.
Well, who knows? Maybe she actually has talent.
Watching his wife eagerly search for child actor auditions, Ju Young-bin scratched his head.
Sure, if she was going to do it, she might as well give it a proper shot.
"What? ...A child actor audition?"
However.
This was a future far removed from what Seo-yeon had envisioned.