The Otaku Mom Assistant and the Unnie Obsession
"Uh, um. Ah, yes."
"Yes."
"You're mixed-race, huh..."
"Both of us are pure-blooded Koreans."
"Ah..."
After Park Ki-hyeok left, the next visitor was the person who would become my assistant. She had this soft, squishy vibe that made her look like a kid, but this woman was 32 years old. A married mother of two with six years under her belt. I'd expected someone a bit out of the ordinary, but I hadn't imagined she'd be this gentle-looking.
And a married woman, at that.
I stared at the woman in front of me.
"So, your name is...?"
"Park Jiu!"
"Got it."
Ah, why were all the people I met so full of energy? It was draining me already. I glanced at the beaming Jiu, who had shouted her name with such vigor, and elbowed Tsupi in the side. For someone like me who struggled with conversations, I desperately needed Tsupi's help.
"I'll take it from here. First, about your—"
As I stepped back a little, Tsupi smoothly took over, chatting with Jiu. Pros really knew how to handle things. Sidelined from the conversation for a bit, I sipped my green grape ade.
Listening to them, but not really following since it was all unfamiliar stuff, I let my mind wander.
Creating my avatar won't be too hard. Basing it on Model 5 and rigging it should take about a week.
After that, I could just handle whatever Maerchen asked for, and as long as they didn't push my debut forward, I'd have plenty of time. Plus, with my voice being so good, recording shouldn't be an issue.
Or maybe not?
That's why vocal academies exist, right? Even a great voice doesn't guarantee singing talent.
While I was lost in these thoughts with Tsupi and Jiu right there...
"So, Muil, Jiu prepared a portfolio. Want to take a look?"
"Y-yeah, sure."
Damn, I bit my tongue.
"So cute!"
"Thanks. I'll check it out."
"Yes!"
Her cheerful reply made me take the tablet Tsupi handed over and flip through Jiu's drawings. The roughly 100 pieces were strikingly different from anything I'd seen before. Not just well-drawn—they had a style and direction similar to mine. A little polishing, and she'd make a solid assistant.
"Do you watch KR Maerchen Live a lot? Otherwise, there's no way you'd draw like this."
"Yes! I'm into subculture, so I watch a ton of VTubers! And KR Maerchen is my absolute favorite!"
Her work was so good, I wondered why she hadn't taken commissions yet. Flipping through, I saw tons of fanart and homages of the gens.
"Um... if it's okay, could I maybe get an autograph?"
While I was looking, Jiu timidly asked.
"I-I'm just so curious about the babies' moms..."
"Babies?"
"We call all the KR Maerchen gens 'babies'!"
"Ah, gotcha."
Makes sense. At 32, calling them 'noona' or 'unnie' might feel off. But wait, that makes her two generations above me—hope she doesn't call me baby. Suddenly, I worried about future titles.
"I can sign for you. After we do the contract."
"Gasp. R-really?"
"Yeah."
I handed the tablet back to Tsupi and stood up. Her personality shone through her looks, her skills were decent, and most importantly, her style matched mine—more universal and refined. I was a bit concerned if she could handle smooth, frame-by-frame work without breaks, but that could be ironed out over time. Rushing from the start never ends well.
Anyway. Leaving them to it, I headed to the counter. What to drink next? Picking at the kiosk, Tsupi and Jiu, contract done, approached.
"Try the chamomile. I've been into it lately—pretty tasty."
"Not big on tea..."
The meeting seemed wrapped, so time to head out. But first...
"Jiu, where should I sign?"
"One sec!"
She fumbled out her phone and pointed to the back. No way, there? Seriously? Staring at her in disbelief, she nodded brightly.
"Yes! Right there!"
Fandom really was a mental illness.
*
The 11th gen contract and my assistant's were wrapped up that day. We could've talked more and taken it slow, but why not get it done quick?
After that, I dove into avatar work for real. Base: Model 5, modeled after my looks. My goal was to maximize the difference from Model 5, making it feel like a whole new person.
Jiu sat this one out. Her job post-contract: designing outfits for gens 1 through 10, excluding me. And when I was away—which would be often—she'd pick up my slack. Time-wise, that'd probably be her main gig.
And next up...
Even while working, I thought about my schedule. A recording invite for the debut song would come soon. Then MV production, greetings with senior gens...
Ah. They'd be my seniors now.
Me, always the 'papa,' now a 'mama' and the new maknae. The family tree made my head spin, but that wasn't Muil's style. I'd stick to my work, even among mega VTubers with millions of subs. Surviving there was enough.
*
The recording studio at Maerchen Live HQ. Never thought I'd end up here. Life's unpredictable, huh? With that thought, I opened the door.
Someone was already inside. Imari, top-gen VTuber at KR Maerchen Live. 3rd gen multilingual master—Japanese plus three others. Her avatar was a foreign minister concept, matching her real poised personality. Or rather, that was her personality.
"Hm? What brings you here? Civilians aren't allowed."
"Here for recording. You're 3rd gen Imari, right?"
"I am, but..."
I recognized her instantly because of her singing. Otherwise, I might not have clocked her.
A greeting's fine, right?
After a quick think, I said,
"Hi. I'm Uwar, debuting 11th gen. Nice to meet you."
"Oh? R-right. You're the..."
You're the what? She trailed off. Tilting my head, she shook hers.
"Nothing. Anyway, debut song recording?"
"Yeah. Didn't expect you here."
"Haha. I'm wrapping up anyway. And 'Imari-nim' sounds stiff—call me unnie? Let's drop formalities while we're at it."
"I'm comfy with polite speech. Feel free to go casual with me, Imari sunbae."
"Unnie."
"Pardon?"
"Say 'unnie.'"
Should I just leave? Where's Tsupi? She was supposed to oversee this.
"Imari unnie."
"Yup!"
Playing along just enough, Tsupi finally entered.
"Oh, Tsupi?"
"What? Imari? Here for a cover?"
"That, and personal parts for the 3rd gen group song."
"Huh. Awkward. Muil, other studio?"
"Imari unnie's done. This one's fine."
"Imari unnie?"
See? That's why I called her sunbae. Tsupi's eyes darkened mysteriously as she stared Imari down. Imari broke into a sweat and looked at me. What? I can't do anything. It might look like I was ignoring it, but I had no moves. She started it by making me call her unnie.
Sure, gens called each other unnie/dongsaeng all the time—KR's did. But an undebuted newbie like me treating Imari like unnie? One slip on stream, and viewers—who'd think it was our first meet—would question it. Explaining would suck. Better stick to sunbae.
After scolding Imari out, Tsupi approached.
"Next time, still call me unnie?"
"She hasn't learned yet."
Tsupi asked,
"Ready to record?"
"Yes."
"First..."
"?"
Tsupi grabbed my shoulders seriously.
"Call me unnie too."
"No way."
Why would I?