Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm Goes Viral
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The first single "Heavenly Realm" from The Six's Heavenly Realm Project 1st Generation had the communities buzzing right from its initial reveal.
[Heavenly Realm <— Total upvote if it's actually good lol]
I thought it'd be some weird otaku anime OP, but it's surprisingly good → total upvote lol
- No big deal
- Just mass-produced K-pop tho?
[Honest take: Isn't Roa carrying this track solo?]
(Roa's highlight part)
She's eating main vocalists from average girl groups alive?
- Aren't those main vocalists from average girl groups the ones who can't even hit that?
- Dude's clueless lol Anna carried it all, what'd Roa do lol
- Isn't it just harmony backing? lol (genuinely don't know)
- This guy's a Roa stan lol
[Honest take: Miro's parts are fire → total upvote lol]
(Intro: Miro's part)
(Ending: Miro's part)
Opening the start and closing the end like a boss → total upvote lol
- Honest take: It slaps
- But aren't the hard parts all Anna, Maho, and Roa?
ㄴ This dude's a total high-note freak lol conveying emotion is the real challenge
ㄴ Sigh, otaku dude talking about emotion lol
- Her tone alone makes her the top dog
Reactions to the song poured in like bamboo shoots right after release, and soon enough, real-time recaps of what happened after the song ended started flooding in.
[Miro, is this chick braindead?]
(Miro closing her eyes to listen to the song at first reveal)
(Miro rewatching the Heavenly Realm MV)
Everyone else is crying sharing their thoughts
But this chick was too busy listening to the song to watch the MV, so now she's watching it
- FML lolololol
- Even Roa was tearing up, but she's stone-faced;
[Miro, is she a psychopath?]
(Miro finishing the MV and hearing about the others)
Miro: The others were crying? For real? lol
Miro: Roa unnie was crying? Oh, just tearing up? lololololol
Miro: You guys are so sensitive? This is perfect
Is this chick really the maknae? She laughs hearing others cried, now she's going around checking them out
- Honestly feels like she's lying about being 21
ㄴ Miro's 21?
ㄴ Yeah, said it during auditions
ㄴ 21 lol so damn young
- After watching No-goe and her ilk, hearing this 21-year-old virgin laugh makes my mood skyrocket
ㄴ Fr lol
ㄴ Virgin laugh my ass lol
- Her going around peeking is hilarious lol
[Heavenly Realm MV production company this time]
(Production company logo)
Biggest domestic anime studio ㅇㅇ
No wonder it looks pro, how much did they drop on this?
- Still just a super low-budget anime company lol
ㄴ They collab with Japan a lot and make anime
- But the MV felt kinda otaku-ish
ㄴ It's a VTuber song MV, what'd you expect if not otaku?
The gallery burned once over song quality, twice over who carried, and now a third time over MV production rumors, while the Heavenly Realm Fan Cafe was swept up in a streaming frenzy.
[Everyone keep looping the song~]
[3 accounts streaming proof]
Unlike community users who watched once and bolted back to post, Fan Cafe was flooded nonstop with streaming proof posts.
However, strictly speaking, Heavenly Realm Project 1st Gen was just a rookie streamer group, so their fandom wasn't massive yet. Regrettably, it didn't crack the major music chart rankings.
Instead, the MV uploaded to NerTube claimed a spot in real-time trending videos, with views climbing steeply in success.
***
Three days had passed since the debut track dropped.
Reactions to the debut were a hit, and MV views were still surging.
It didn't hit music site charts—bummer—but since our main audience prefers NerTube MVs over streaming sites anyway, unavoidable, said the manager.
The biggest difference post-release? Turning on a stream.
Viewers had spiked dramatically.
Probably folks who heard VTubers dropped a song, checked it out, and wandered into my stream... My already toxic chat exploded with newbies pouring in.
Other members blended in fine, but my stream—supposedly newbie-friendly—was a warzone between vets and new blood.
No wonder the manager's been stressed... Anyway, shoving that aside for now.
Something else needed doing right now.
"Here?"
A cafe in central Seoul.
Today, I came as Kim Suhyun, not Miro, for business.
Arrived a bit early before our set time, so scanning for a seat.
One student caught my eye.
A uniform-clad kid plopped down in the early weekday afternoon naturally draws stares.
Blond hair perfectly bleached, slim build—handsome guy.
Wonder what school life's like for a dude like that... Daydreaming idly, I ordered a drink, sat at an empty table, checked my phone.
Slim Gold (Hyunsu) had messaged minutes ago.
Slim Gold (Hyunsu): Arrived early, will be inside the cafe.
Arrived early? So he's here?
Shot up, scanned around.
Weekday midday, not crowded... Vocal teacher said blond, skinny, handsome...
That description clicked, eyes locked on the guy I spotted.
...Anyone can tell it's him?
Just to be sure, texted back, eyed him—he checked his phone.
Convinced, approached.
“...?”
I closed in quick; he floated a question mark over his head.
“Excuse me.”
“Oh, yeah? What's up?”
“By any chance...”
Saying "Are you Slim Gold IRL?" feels awkward, like name-dropping a nick...
Brief hesitation—I'd call him by real name as the teacher said.
“Hyunsu, right?”
“Hyunsu? Yeah, that's me.”
“Ah, perfect. I'm the one you were meeting today.”
Confirmed, sat opposite him.
Internally, a word for the vocal teacher.
‘Didn't you say you'd introduce her?’
Trying to hook me up with a high schooler now?
Even if I'm young, pairing me with a uniformed student for an adult? Revising my opinion of the vocal teacher mid-thought, Slim Gold—Hyunsu—took the convo lead.
“Ah, you're Suhyun, right?”
“Yup. You're a student?”
“Yeah, senior year. But... how'd you know my name?”
“Vocal teacher told me. And your KakaoTalk name's Hyunsu?”
“Oh right... Have you heard my songs?”
“Of course. They're great.”
Not mega-hits, but Slim Gold's stuff was totally my taste. Some were even in my NerTube playlist.
“Ah, thanks.”
“What about mine?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, I heard that cover.”
“Not that one—new stuff just dropped.”
“Huh? You released a song?”
“Technically Miro did... Wanna hear it?”
I held my debut 'Heavenly Realm' in high regard, so proudly shared with Hyunsu.
“Can I listen now?”
“Yeah, take your time.”
My okay given, he pulled wireless headphones from his bag, popped them on, and hit play right there.
Sipping my drink watching him close his eyes like me, it hit me: Hyunsu seemed more mature than expected.
‘No way... right?’
I'm mature for my age too, but that's a stretch. Dismissed it, scrolled phone through the sub-4-minute wait. He opened his eyes.
“What'd you think?”
“Hmm...”
But unlike expected, Hyunsu frowned slightly post-listen.
“What? It sucks?”
No way it's bad? Genius ears hear the trash?
Forced my furrowed brow smooth, eyed him—he gauged me, then spoke softer.
“Ah, no, it's good... but... isn't it kinda mass-produced?”
“Huh?”
“The members all have distinct tones, so free-spirited, but it feels too geared toward mainstream...”
Too mainstream? Sure, a bit, but mass-produced? It has band elements too...
About to defend, but a thought shut me up.
Hyunsu's a legit singer who writes, composes, drops solo singles. I'm just a group member singing a company-fed track.
TL;DR: I get schooled musically.
So I clamped my mouth.
Can't win with words? Glare.
Female Kim Suhyun's a stunning beauty, but sharp-edged.
Meaning, a stare alone crushes.
Not bragging, but sensing my gaze—that felled my old handler and current manager—he scratched his neck, voice shrinking in defense.
“...Not saying mainstream's bad. Song's solid for sure. But... isn't it off comparing a custom track for uniform-curriculum trainees to dance to, versus unique voices singing pure a cappella-style, no dance needed?”
“Uh... yeah... makes sense...?”
His quieter tone still convinced me.
Dunno about other musicians, but to a newbie like me? Sounded reasonable.
“Right?”
Me nodding easy, he perked back up.
“Yeah, totally... But do you know much about VTubers?”
One question nagged.
Heard he knew zilch about this world—does he know the ecosystem?
“Nah, looked it up before coming.”
“Ah... But you know I'm here as Kim Suhyun, not Miro, right?”
“Yeah, contract lists Kim Suhyun, not Miro.”
“Yup. So what song am I featuring on?”
Most curious part.
Said details in meeting, so held off asking—been waiting for this.
Agreed blindly, but what track? Featuring how?
No contract yet—if weird, I'm out.
“Ah, Miro's track is this.”
Unlike my faint suspicion, Hyunsu confidently pulled a slim notebook from his bag, handed it over.
“I use notebooks for overall concepts. Read the cover? That's the title.”
His handed notebook looked well-worn.
Flipped open countless times.
Not the title track, but... this much passion per song?
Musing, read the cover.
“Wonderland?”
“Yeah, that's it.”
Glanced at nodding Hyunsu, opened the childish-titled notebook, read cover to cover.
Thin to start, breezed through quick.
Done, closed it, sipped drink eyeing patient Hyunsu.
Blond, skinny, uniformed—looks like a hot delinquent at a glance, but post-notebook? Different vibe.
Stared, blurted my thought.
“Damn... you a poet or what?”
“Pfft!”
My bluntness hit; he sprayed his drink mid-sip.
“Ah...”
Me opposite? Paid for loose lips with vanilla latte to the face.