175. A Massive Project
175. A Massive Project
***
Monday, August 23rd.
1:00 p.m.
BaTalk!
At the sound of the BaTalk notification, a woman with long brown hair who had just stepped out of the shower glanced over.
Sua, who had been shaking out her wet hair with a towel, let out a baffled laugh.
"Serin, you really did just wake up."
After lightly drying off and twisting her hair up in the towel, she picked up her smartphone.
And the reply she found was exactly what she'd expect from Serin.
Serin.
[Yeah, thanks.]
"...She can't even put any effort into a text back, this girl."
It wasn't just today—Serin frequently sent only short replies, and unless the topic genuinely interested her, she wouldn't even bother giving a long answer.
At first, I'd wondered if Serin still disliked me, but after meeting up a few times, I'd realized that this was simply how she was.
"It's not like she's some guy... seriously. Would it kill her to write a little more?"
Grumbling that it stung a bit, Sua slowly got ready to go out.
Today was the day she was meeting her editor for the first time in months, and she also had a pile of errands to handle outside.
As society advanced, most things could be handled from home, but when it came to important matters, people still preferred to meet in person.
After thoroughly getting ready, Sua left her officetel.
Dressed up so differently that even Serin wouldn't recognize her.
......
A clean-cut man in his late twenties was waiting for someone in a cafe.
Sip.
The man took a light sip of his coffee. He was in the middle of reviewing matters one by one in preparation for the upcoming meeting.
Thump.
When a woman sat down across from him, he glanced up absently, wondering what was going on.
A woman with long brown hair styled in distinctive twin tails, carrying a haughty impression—perhaps because of her makeup. She had a bright, radiant atmosphere, but her eyes made her seem difficult to approach, which left a strong impression.
Her appearance was so striking that no one could deny she was exceptionally beautiful.
She looked like a well-styled member of an idol group.
But putting that impression aside, Junseok couldn't figure out who this woman was or why she'd suddenly sat down in front of him.
"...Who are you?"
Junseok asked cautiously.
Toward him, the woman casually spoke.
"You don't recognize me?"
Junseok—the manager currently overseeing Sua's NewTube channel and a casting manager under SJ MCN—blinked blankly before speaking hesitantly.
There was only one person who would say something like that at this meeting spot.
"...Sua?"
When Sua gave a small nod, Junseok's face showed genuine admiration.
"Wow. I honestly thought you'd cast some kind of spell. How did you make yourself this unrecognizable?"
Junseok truly hadn't known why this person was sitting across from him until Sua had spoken.
Looking satisfied with his reaction, Sua smiled brightly and shook her head as if it were nothing.
"I just tried dressing up a bit, to see if people would still recognize me. Anyway, besides the NewTube contract, what's this thing you wanted to tell me in person?"
At Sua getting straight to the point, Junseok was reminded anew that this woman with a completely different appearance really was Sua.
"Ah, just a moment."
Junseok pulled out the materials and laptop he'd brought.
Then, with a friendly smile, he continued.
"Ah. The reason I asked to meet in person is this—Sua, we're about to launch a project related to NewTube, and I wanted to share the good news that you're included in it. And currently, within SJ Entertainment, we also consider you a suitable candidate for an additional promotion."
'...A project and a promotion?'
Sua mulled over Junseok's words for a moment, then felt the terms were almost suspiciously good.
SJ Entertainment was considered the top MCN company in the country, but even so, I wondered whether my channel really warranted this much support.
It had already been quite a long time since NewTubers had become known to the public.
NewTubers who surpassed a million subscribers held a recognized celebrity status, but that didn't mean there weren't others who had gone even further.
As far as she knew, the number of Korean NewTubers who had passed five million subscribers had already exceeded a hundred.
Whether individuals or famous stars, there were more people with that level of influence than her.
"Ah, are you a little surprised?"
Junseok smiled faintly at Sua's thoughtful expression, and Sua nodded calmly.
"The terms just seem too good. Why are you offering this much support?"
There were plenty of other successful NewTubers.
Sua didn't add that last part, but Junseok, as if understanding her, calmly continued his explanation.
"One thing I can tell you for certain is that this is a very big opportunity for you. The project SJ Entertainment is launching this time is called 'Five Million.' We determined that you meet the conditions for this project. Are you aware that Another World has been growing more popular lately and has achieved considerable global success?"
"Yes. Of course. I know."
She'd heard through the grapevine that several overseas pro leagues launched this year were drawing significant popularity.
"Among Another World NewTubers, your reputation, subscriber count, and various other factors all looked good, which is why we're making this offer. To explain the Five Million project a bit more—it's literally a massive project aimed at five million views. While reviewing your NewTube channel's videos recently, SJ Entertainment saw potential."
It was called a project for five million views, which sounded grandiose, but Sua's feelings were complicated.
Because she knew immediately which video Junseok was talking about.
'Probably the video of my duel with Serin.'
Three million views. That was a number hard to reach without a collaboration stream with Serin. Of course, Sua felt she'd contributed to that video to some degree, but the buzz around the name 'Rin' had played a huge role.
"Is this project... related to the NewTuber Rin?"
Sua skipped straight past all the intermediate steps and brought up Serin directly.
"...When you put it so directly, well, that's very like you, Sua. Yes, that's right. Among the NewTubers who've recently become a huge topic, Rin. It's also true that we considered the conditions even more suitable because you seem to be acquainted with her. If the two of you proceed together, we believe we can provide solid support."
Junseok stated the facts plainly. This woman in front of him, who looked to be in her early twenties at most, was more calculating than expected.
Usually, people who found success easily tended to have careless sides, but this NewTuber called Plea had clearly blown up overnight, yet she was particularly difficult to deal with.
On one hand, she was a good partner because she'd successfully completed multiple projects while thoroughly scrutinizing the terms; on the other hand, Junseok always had to prepare far more for her than for other NewTubers.
"Then is the promotion in the same context?"
At Sua's question, which omitted so much, Junseok caught her meaning and laughed awkwardly.
"...Yes. That's right. The promotion will also proceed on the premise that you work together with Rin."
"What's the scale of the project support funding or the promotional campaign?"
"There's no set upper limit for the project. However, regarding the promotion, we're estimating roughly 100 million won in advertising costs across various sites and the NewTube channel."
"Are the content support and content scope fully autonomous?"
Even as Sua's questions continued one-sidedly, Junseok calmly began giving prepared answers.
"Regarding content, a dedicated creator manager will be assigned, and we'll of course help with content production, as well as provide as much support as possible at the company level. As for the scope of the content, we can accommodate the opinions of the NewTubers in the project as much as possible... but it will likely be limited to each NewTuber's area of expertise. In your case, Sua, the condition will likely be that you produce content related to Another World."
"Hold on. I think I need some time to think."
At Sua's thoughtful tone, Junseok nodded and picked up the glass of water in front of him.
Watching him, Sua's mind raced.
'This is too big to turn down.'
It wasn't just a standalone project or a standalone promotion.
The fact that the promotion budget alone was estimated at around 100 million won implied that the project could offer even more support than that.
As someone who knew better than anyone how much of an impact NewTube promotions could have, Sua found it far too regrettable to give up this offer.
A promotion was essentially a kind of boost—it made the channel appear frequently in the algorithms of NewTube viewers while also promoting the channel across various sites.
Enough that she could genuinely feel the subscriber count rising from that alone.
Moreover, a major factor in Sua's hesitation was that if you turned down a huge promotion and project like this once, additional opportunities rarely came again. Like an unspoken rule, if you didn't accept when it was offered, further chances seldom followed.
Right now, this was a promotion that could bring the advertising effect of a massive 100 million won, but in reality, it was like standing at a crossroads deciding whether or not to become a NewTuber the company was actively pushing.
The more she thought about it, the more Sua leaned toward accepting the offer.
'I do need to ask Serin what she thinks. How do I convince her?'
It was a great opportunity for herself, and at the same time, an incomparably good opportunity for Serin, who had just started NewTube.
And in a way, she could also sense SJ Entertainment's underlying intention to build a bridge to Serin.
Serin still hadn't joined any MCN agency, and with the recent news of her scrim against G1 added on top of that, she was no different from a massive jewel any MCN company would covet.
After finishing her thoughts, Sua calmly spoke.
"I think it'll take some time before I can give an answer about the project and the promotion."
She chose to defer her answer. From the start, Serin was included in the conditions, so it was impossible for her to answer alone.
At that, Junseok showed a flicker of interest but kept a friendly smile on the surface.
"Yes. Understood. Then we'll hear your answer on that matter later. Next, regarding the current Plea channel..."
After that, they exchanged brief words about the NewTube channel and wrapped up the entire conversation in under thirty minutes.
Jingle!
With all their business concluded, they left the cafe.
Junseok looked at Sua and smiled brightly.
"Thank you for always making time like this. Honestly... I'm reminded again how comfortable it is working with you, Sua. Your answers are so straightforward that it makes everything easy to move forward."
At the flattering remark, Sua smiled faintly and nodded.
"Yes. Well then, I'll see you next time, Manager."
Junseok gave a polite bow, then turned away, and Sua turned as well.
As they parted ways to go their separate directions, Junseok suddenly stopped not long after and turned around.
There, he saw her getting into a taxi right away.
She had something special about her—her looks and presence were such that people around her couldn't help but glance at her, whether they realized it or not.
Enough that he thought she might have become a celebrity if she hadn't become a NewTuber.
"She's really great in every way... but why does she insist on only meeting at cafes?"
Even when he tried to set up a proper meal meeting with the corporate card, Sua always wanted to meet at a cafe, which Junseok found a little disappointing.