Chapter 2: I Want to Be a VTuber (2)
Chapter 2: I Want to Be a VTuber (2)
My life after being reborn was surprisingly productive.
As soon as I woke up in the morning, I’d jump straight into a full-body stretching routine, followed immediately by vocal exercises.
On top of that, I made sure to practice various types of acting while watching TV.
Why was I studying acting, you ask?
It was all for the sake of proper RP.
What is RP? It’s the mask, the concept one uses while active as a VTuber. In other words, it’s the character’s lore and personality.
Among VTubers, there were those who stuck strictly to their RP and many who didn't. Personally, I tended to lose interest immediately whenever I saw a VTuber break character.
If you're going to do that, how are you any different from a regular streamer?
‘Though I say that, I didn't actually watch that many VTubers.’
As a salaryman constantly pressed for time, I couldn't watch them often. Even when I did, it was usually just shorts or clips uploaded by clippers.
‘I should have watched more back then.’
Since the industry hadn't even properly formed yet, I felt a bit lost on what exactly I should be doing.
For now, the priorities were vocalization and acting. To be a streamer, I’d also need natural talent and charisma...
‘It’s hard to get a feel for broadcasting skills without actually trying it.’
It was a struggle in many ways.
As they say, whether you're a streamer or a VTuber, coming up with content is the most important part. If I started brainstorming now, I wouldn't be struggling so much in the future.
‘I’ll probably be good at games, right?’
It’s only natural for a reincarnated body to have god-tier reflexes, isn't it? So, I didn't worry much about the gaming side of things.
‘But if I’m going to do RP, what concept would be good?’
Thinking about VTuber concepts like that was quite fun. Once I started kindergarten next year, I’d have less free time, so it was better to get a head start.
‘Hmm, come to think of it, as a VTuber, I could even use a male avatar.’
Since my male identity was still stronger, that thought crossed my mind, but I quickly shook my head. It would be foolish to waste the beautiful voice I was born with like that.
And so, my productive daily routine continued.
By the time the routine—which the old me wouldn't have lasted a month with—had become a habit...
“Sweetie, would you like to try auditioning to be a child actor?”
My mother suddenly brought it up.
*
“Even if it is an open audition, honestly...”
Casting director Kim Hyung-seok scratched his head and let out a sigh.
He had organized this audition to find a child actor for a CF, but he couldn't help feeling he’d made a mistake.
“Wouldn't it have been easier to just use a child actor with some name recognition?”
At the staff member's question, Kim Hyung-seok shook his head.
“You think that’s easy? The budget isn't there. It’s just not.”
“The client is so stingy...”
The staff grumbled, but there was nothing they could do. It wasn't a commercial for a major corporation to begin with; it was a job from a small-to-medium enterprise.
Kim Hyung-seok had been a casting director for a long time, but this situation was rare. Usually, companies like this would just run internet ads; they rarely squeezed out a budget to film a proper CF.
Even the guy sitting in the director's chair was clearly a rookie with no experience.
A parachute hire if I ever saw one.
You didn't even have to guess; unless you had serious connections, no one would entrust a CF director role to someone that young. The whole production was built on doing everything as cheaply as possible.
Did it even make sense that the highest-paid person on set was him, the casting director? It was a stroke of luck that they at least had a proper studio prepared.
The rookie CF director, seemingly aware of the situation, approached Kim Hyung-seok first to introduce himself.
“Haha, well, I look forward to working with you. I only recently transitioned over from the ad design side.”
“Ah, yes. Well, the word I got from the client was to just try our best together.”
“Ah, haha.”
Kim Hyung-seok clicked his tongue at the man’s awkward laughter. What was his name again? Jo Min-tae?
Of course, Jo Min-tae had no idea what Kim Hyung-seok was thinking and struck up a friendly conversation.
“Ah, Director. Have you had a chance to check the profiles of the children participating in today’s audition?”
“The profiles? Ah, yes. I took a look, but...”
In child actor auditions, profile pictures only provide limited information. This was especially true for an open audition like this one.
“I can't see their teeth, so that’s a problem. I’ll have to check them one by one.”
This was a critical issue, especially for a 'food' commercial. In child auditions, it was common for kids to be missing teeth, and since that made it hard to get a pretty shot, they tended to avoid those candidates.
“Ah, you filtered them for ages between five and seven, right?”
“Yes. That’s the age range the client wants, and...”
Children under five are difficult to communicate with, and those over eight don't fit the image.
Among the profiles, Kim Hyung-seok pulled out one child who stood out and held it out.
“Has this child arrived at the audition hall yet?”
“Let’s see... I don't think they’ve arrived yet.”
“Ah, really? I really hope they show up.”
Seeing Jo Min-tae’s disappointed reaction, Kim Hyung-seok glanced at the profile again.
Age is five... and her face is certainly impressive.
Her eye color was strangely unique. They looked brown, but the pigment was so light they almost appeared reddish at a glance. Purely in terms of looks, he was honestly startled. He could see why Jo Min-tae had singled her out.
“You know that just being pretty isn't enough, right?”
“Oh, of course I know that.”
Kim Hyung-seok nodded at Jo Min-tae’s casual reply. Then, he lowered the blinds and watched the parents and children entering the audition hall. Their faces were full of confidence, as if each believed their own child was the most beautiful.
It doesn't look like there are many experienced ones, so it’ll actually be more cutthroat.
And just as Kim Hyung-seok thought, a subtle psychological war was unfolding inside the waiting room.
“Oh my, Mi-yeon’s mother is here too.”
“I think I saw you at the last audition, good to see you again. Hello, Hyeon-su~.”
They greeted each other with smiles, but the conversation was laced with thorns.
You have no shame showing up again after failing last time.
Why don't you just give up? Your kid is just average.
There were those who had come through the open audition call, and among them were children who had received acting lessons from agencies.
“Our Ji-yeon is different from those kids. You know that, right?”
“Yes, Mommy.”
At her mother's words, Lee Ji-yeon puffed out her chest and looked around. Unlike the other children who were trembling with nerves, Ji-yeon had a fairly dignified attitude.
I’m already part of a management agency, after all.
Of course, it wasn't a very large one yet. But compared to kids who had never even tried acting properly, she had received a decent education.
My Ji-yeon is the prettiest one here.
Hong Jin-hee, Ji-yeon’s mother, scanned the room and clicked her tongue. What was with those kids' makeup? At that level, it was clear their parents didn't even understand what a child actor was supposed to be.
At this rate, she’ll be cast without any trouble.
This was her Ji-yeon’s first job. Hadn't Eunha Ent, her daughter’s agency, said so? That with Ji-yeon’s skills, she could easily pass a small audition like this. It was merely an audition they were attending for experience and to add a small line to her career.
Clack.
Just as she was thinking that, the door to the waiting room opened. Hong Jin-hee, who happened to be near the door, instinctively turned her gaze.
“...!”
It was a cute girl with long black hair neatly styled. What caught the eye were her strangely colored pupils. Combined with her clear skin and refined features, she was lovelier than any child actor Hong Jin-hee had seen at the agency.
However, if it were just her looks that stood out, Hong Jin-hee wouldn't have been this shocked.
There’s something... different about her aura.
A strangely detached feeling. It was different from the aura actors usually had, yet somehow similar.
Do you know who that is?
How would I know?
She wasn't the only one who felt it; the waiting room grew even noisier. Amidst the buzzing atmosphere, Seo-yeon’s mother, Sua, gave a bright smile.
“Oh my, look at all the friends here, Seo-yeon. But you know our Seo-yeon is the prettiest, right?”
Walking in while holding the hand of the woman assumed to be her mother, the girl didn't quite feel like a child. Normally, a child would respond to such a comment with a cute “Really??” or “Aw, stop teasing~.”
“Yes.”
But her response was incredibly firm, as if stating an obvious fact. It wasn't a 'yes' born from being pretty in her mother's eyes, but a 'yes' filled with the confidence that she was the most beautiful person in this audition hall.
Because of that, the mothers in the room couldn't help but wonder again who that child was. They whispered among themselves, asking if she had already been active as an actor somewhere or if they had seen her at other auditions, but they couldn't gather any information.
‘Hmm.’
Watching them, Seo-yeon crossed her arms and nodded to herself.
‘This, too, is experience.’
An acting audition. Honestly, it was something she had never expected, so she was flustered at first. But on second thought, it was a great opportunity.
‘This is a form of acting, too, right?’
Thinking about her future VTuber debut, she felt it would be good to have this kind of experience. It would help with her RP, and her conversational skills would only improve by talking to more people.
‘I can also use it as a story later, like how I was in a CF or was a child actor.’
So, Seo-yeon didn't really care about the result of the audition.
‘Though I am the prettiest, obviously.’
A gender-swapped appearance was invincible. An ordinary girl couldn't even hope to compete. Regardless, she knew auditions weren't won on looks alone.
So, Seo-yeon nonchalantly plopped down into an empty seat. Her actions showed not a hint of the nervousness a normal child would feel.
Is she a child who’s used to these auditions?
Or... maybe she really is from a management agency.
No manager was in sight, but for child actors, mothers often filled that role. So, it wouldn't be strange at all if Seo-yeon was a child actor belonging to a management firm or even a large agency.
Our Seo-yeon is so composed.
While the mothers and a few officials whispered among themselves, Seo-yeon’s mother, Sua, simply stroked Seo-yeon’s round head repeatedly. To her, her daughter was simply the cutest thing in the world.