Subnitti
Subnitti thought to herself.
Today, more than usual, she was craving a drink.
She was thirty-two now. Out of nowhere, her mind drifted back to five years ago — the day she first started streaming.
She'd still been young then. Everything about her had been clumsy, and her way of thinking had been far more immature.
Of course, she hadn't started streaming on a whim.
She'd been interested in this world since she was little, joining a well-known Naver café where aspiring voice actors and people who wanted to work in broadcasting gathered. She'd even become friends with Apple-mong there. Along the way, she'd also gotten to know Park Na-na — a middle schooler who dreamed of becoming a voice actress.
They never grew particularly close, though. Their social circles were just too different.
I guess this is what they call a difference in talent?
From a distance, she'd watched Apple-mong and Park Na-na debut as streamers and soar from success to success. Her interest only grew — but so did her fear.
Her voice wasn't pretty. She couldn't sing. And she didn't have the guts or the confidence to turn on a camera and stream.
So the years slipped by, empty and wasted.
Eventually, deciding she couldn't put it off any longer, she debuted as a streamer on Rabbit TV in 2018.
But… it didn't go well. Everything about me was half-baked.
For four years on Rabbit TV, Subnitti was thoroughly a small-time streamer. She tried so many things, took on so many challenges — but nothing ever brought a return worth the effort. Far from building a loyal fanbase, even the fans she had drifted away day by day.
Subnitti grew more and more exhausted, and eventually she started letting go of a great many things in her streaming career as well.
And by letting go, I realized it. That I could never be the lead from the start.
Not everyone gets to be the protagonist. The place of the star that shines brilliantly from the highest point is granted only to a select few. All that time, she'd been forcing herself into flashy clothes that never suited her.
Soft, delicate voices were in fashion, so I forced myself to speak in a thin, high-pitched tone. I killed my own personality. I even put on weird aegyo that didn't fit me at all.
It was the result of forcibly copying the traits of the female streamers who were doing well on Rabbit TV. Wearing a dress that didn't suit her in the slightest and playing the clown.
Subnitti realized that far too late.
No. They say the moment you think it's too late is actually the earliest. Don't give up.
Starting streaming at a relatively late age had always been Subnitti's greatest regret. She didn't want to think about being late anymore.
I can't keep going with my current avatar and style. It's covered in so many forced images that changing the viewers' perception would be nearly impossible.
A pink-haired virtual avatar dressed up as femininely as possible. She'd paid a fortune for that, too, hoping somehow to draw popularity. But honestly, it wasn't her taste. She'd just commissioned it in whatever style was trending at the time, thinking only of appealing to viewers.
Let's start fresh with a new mindset. And with a more comfortable heart, let go of a lot of things…
Then, an unexpected opportunity arose.
On Pangea TV — one of the two platforms that split the domestic streaming scene — a large-scale virtual idol audition was being held, and signs of a virtual pie opening up were beginning to appear.
Subnitti decided it was an opportunity she absolutely could not miss. So she boldly announced her transfer and overhauled everything.
Her natural husky voice, freely revealed. A rough, easygoing way of speaking far removed from femininity. And her virtual avatar, too — not the cute and adorable style, but something that suited her as a woman in her thirties.
She'd steeled her resolve, but streaming on Pangea TV wasn't easy. The streaming culture was quite different from Rabbit TV, and more than anything, the perception of virtual streamers still wasn't great — so there were plenty of trolls stirring up trouble in chat for no reason at all.
But my heart feels at ease. Yeah. This is the real me. Not something I put on just to look good for the viewers…
That mindset gave her strength and the will to try harder. But the growth of her stream wasn't as easy as she'd hoped. For one, the Wooga-dol audition contestants were absorbing all the buzz related to virtual streaming, and fundamentally, Subnitti wasn't the type of streamer who sparkled as a protagonist either.
It's fine. I decided not to get impatient. Even if I'm not the protagonist, there must be a role I can play.
That patience of Subnitti's bore excellent fruit.
After the Wooga-dol audition ended and the Pangea TV virtual scene quieted down, Rena-ttang announced the opening of a Minecraft server. Subnitti didn't miss the chance — she quickly applied as a resident and had the luck of joining in the first wave.
"Mi-chan's way of talking is funny. Hello-is so. I'm Subnitti-is so. Nice to meet you-is so, nice to meet you-is so."
"Why are you copying Mi-chan's speech-is so. Are you treating me like an idiot right now-is so."
In a server full of diverse streamers, Subnitti began to shine like the indispensable seasoning in every dish. She discarded the compulsion to stand out more than anyone and worked to blend with the atmosphere around her. And whenever she had free time, she studied Minecraft diligently. It was a game she had some experience with, but to keep going on this server, she needed to be good at combat and building alike.
She believed she could develop step by step like that — until one day.
Suddenly, the environment of Rena World changed completely. Partner streamers began flooding in one by one, advancing like a mountain range. The previous peace vanished without a trace. Fighting spirit stirred among the small-time virtual streamers, and more and more of them started watching for how they might catch some of the runoff.
In that atmosphere, Subnitti steeled herself as well. In the end, streaming had to consider reality too. Without proper income, no matter how much you loved streaming, you couldn't keep going.
Where would be good? Bad Potato Company? But they've already got a lot of people.
There were already too many who'd jumped the gun, led by Dorai and Coco-nyang. Everyone was wondering if they should just join any company at all, and the atmosphere had grown chaotic. Still, based on the lessons she'd learned on Rabbit TV, Subnitti didn't rush — she waited calmly. A hasty choice could lead to a bad ending, after all.
Then one day.
"Ami-chan is going to join Partner Company-is so. How about Subnitti joining together-is so."
Ami-chan, whom she'd gotten closest to in Rena World, chose Partner Company. And she invited Subnitti to come along.
Actually, Subnitti had finished her own information gathering by then. The partner streamer leading Partner Company was Dananyang — a streamer with a long career, real ability, and above all, an impressive network of connections. Joining Partner Company at that level wouldn't be a loss. And more than anything, Ami-chan, whom she was close with, would be there too.
"I'll think about it a little more. But thanks for inviting me, Ami-chan."
The reason Subnitti hesitated was simple. There was a company that had been catching her eye more and more lately.
Pangea TV's first pure-blooded virtual. A popular pick who'd drawn more attention than even the finalists of the Wooga-dol audition. The leader of V-Live Crew, one of the most notable virtual crews on Pangea TV. And even in Rena World, she was writing a magnificent story and drawing in casual viewers. From the perspective of a fellow virtual streamer, Seo-a was on a completely different level — the kind that made you say her game was just on another plane.
"Would you like to do some part-time work for our company?"
Was it some kind of premonition? Subnitti accepted Seo-a's proposal far too easily.
From then on, she was truly busy beyond belief. She took building commissions, sometimes mined, and even cleared vast plots of land to build massive underground farms. Before she knew it, she was a member of V-Live Company.
The day they won Purge Day and shouted together. The landmark meetings where they all put their heads together. The building funding for Skypia, the sky island that set a record of 750,000 Candy. The 4th Purge Day, when they became the server's first public enemy and drew all eyes. And finally, today — when she earned the Best Streamer badge she'd longed for so much.
Working with Seo-a, there had been plenty of hard and grueling schedules, but Subnitti was savoring sparkling days for the first time in her streaming life.
This light doesn't come from me. Being by Seo-a's side, I naturally started shining together with her.
Among countless virtual streamers, Seo-a was the star who shone brighter than anyone. From her bold planning ability to the leadership that guided everyone, the charisma that didn't back down even in front of major corporate streamers, and the eloquence that took control of every situation.
Subnitti had not a single regret about accepting that part-time offer that day.
If I'd refused back then and followed Ami-chan into Partner Company, would I be part of Mu-yang Group now?
She probably would have caught more of the runoff. After all, it was the place led by the great Park Bong-sik himself. But Subnitti had already learned so much at V-Live Company. A harmonious atmosphere where no one stuck out awkwardly — everyone blended together. And Seo-a didn't just shine alone — she pulled the people around her up with her.
A connection she wanted to keep going forward.
Suddenly realizing how much happier she was than when she'd been on Rabbit TV, Subnitti decided for the first time in a long while not to hold back.
"Seo-a, I'm gonna go a bit hard today. Yeah? I got Best Streamer, so today's fine, right?"
"Okay! But Manager Sub, no overdoing it with the drinking. Got it?"
With Seo-a's permission, she started a late-night drinking stream for the first time in a long while. On Rabbit TV, she'd held back to maintain a demure image, but after transferring to Pangea TV, she'd openly revealed herself as a drinker. She'd even gained some regular viewers for her late-night drinking streams. They said they liked the atmosphere of drinking and chatting together.
Taking drinks with her regulars, Subnitti honestly talked about the feelings she'd felt today. That she loved V-Live Company so, so much.
It was the perfect end to a happy day.