The Heavenly Demon Receives Permission to Become a VTuber
Sang-hyun had reserved a rather upscale Japanese restaurant. It was the kind of place that served full course meals in a private room, where the bill easily ran about a hundred and fifty dollars per person.
Since it wasn’t far from home, both families made their way there together.
All under the pretext of “I’ve earned some money, so I want to treat everyone.”
“Wow~ I’ve never eaten anything like this before!”
“Dad, is oppa paying for all this? This is insane. I have to post it on Insta.”
Among those seated, the most excited were Sang-hyun’s twin sisters, Seol-hyun and Cheong-hyun.
The pair, who would enter high school next year, had never seen such dishes in their lives and were busy snapping photo after photo.
Sang-hyun’s parents, Cheol-hyeong and Hee-seon, could only chuckle in disbelief as the elegant courses continued to arrive.
“When he suddenly said he wanted to treat us out of gratitude, I figured it would just be a barbecue spot. Never expected somewhere like this.”
“Exactly. Where in the world did he get the money?”
They knew Sang-hyun earned from video editing and the like, but had assumed it was little more than allowance money.
Certainly not enough to bring the whole family to a restaurant of this caliber.
“I was shocked too. Suddenly dragging us all to a place like this.”
“The moment I saw the entrance I thought, is someone’s birthday today?”
Myeong Ju-won and Kim Seon-yeong added their own comments.
The four adults had known one another since their youth, so the conversation flowed without the slightest formality.
“Haha, Yun and I are treating everyone today, so please enjoy yourselves to the fullest!”
“It is exquisite.”
Myeong-yun sampled the courses with a calm, almost indifferent expression. Yet the faint satisfaction visible on his face made everyone smile fondly.
Seol-hyun and Cheong-hyun in particular looked as if they were barely restraining themselves from taking pictures of him.
“That face he makes when he eats something delicious is seriously cute.”
“He’s nothing like our brother. Can’t we trade oppa for him?”
“Our dear sisters are as rude as ever today. Haha. If that’s how you feel, you two can pay for your own meals.”
“No, oppa! Thank you for treating us!”
“I didn’t mean it! Thank you for the meal!”
Sang-hyun went through the usual playful bickering with his sisters, then turned his attention to enjoying the food himself.
High-class cuisine like this wasn’t something he could easily experience either, so the meal continued in a warm, harmonious atmosphere.
The fathers enjoyed a few drinks as well. After all, fine food called for fine liquor.
And then, as they neared the end of the meal and were savoring dessert and tea, when the mood had sufficiently relaxed, Myeong-yun was the first to speak.
“Mother, Father. The reason this one has gathered everyone here today is because this one and Sang-hyun have something we wish to convey.”
“Oh?”
“What is it?”
Ju-won and Seon-yeong turned their gazes toward Myeong-yun. The eyes of everyone else at the table followed.
Sang-hyun rose from his seat and moved to stand beside Myeong-yun.
“He still hasn’t told his parents yet. Mom, Dad, you two already have a rough idea, right?”
“Ah, you mean what you mentioned last time? I wondered what this was about.”
“Wasn’t it that he’s working as a video editor? That’s what I understood.”
“To explain it precisely.”
When Sang-hyun gave Myeong-yun’s shoulder a light pat, he rose from his chair.
He looked around at both families and his friend, then opened his mouth.
“This Lord intends to become a VTuber. We have arranged this gathering today in order to receive your permission.”
“A VTuber?”
“VTuber? Sang-hyun, so what you and Yun were planning was to become VTubers?”
“What?! Yun oppa is becoming a VTuber?! For real?! No way, that’s insane!”
“When’s the debut?!”
Sang-hyun’s family immediately began buzzing with excitement at the word VTuber.
These days, VTubers appeared quite frequently on YouTube and occasionally even on public television.
Virtual idols had become a thriving trend as well.
It was content that no young person could possibly be unaware of, and even most adults had heard the term at least once.
“Myeong-yun will be the performer, while I’ll handle planning, editing, and management.”
“Yes, that is how it has been decided. It seemed rather entertaining.”
He did not offer a long explanation.
After all, the purpose of this meeting was simply to inform them of what he intended to do.
Although he had prepared various materials in case of objections, it seemed they would not be needed.
However, an opposing voice came from an unexpected direction.
“A VTuber? Mother is against it. I cannot allow you to do such a thing!”
Seon-yeong had suddenly voiced her opposition.
Ju-won, seated beside her, also wore a somewhat troubled expression.
“If your mother is against it, then I have no choice. Why do you wish to choose the path of a VTuber?”
Rather than outright opposing the idea, Ju-won first asked for his son’s reasons.
His child had only just become an adult.
It was clear he hoped his son would choose the best possible path.
‘But Mother’s reaction seems closer to an instinctive rejection… When the topic of VTubers came up before, she acted as if she barely knew anything about them.’
“Um, Mother just doesn’t think it’s a good idea. Does it have to be a VTuber? YouTube careers have unstable income and…”
Myeong-yun caught the faint tremor in Seon-yeong’s voice.
She was afraid of something. He could not yet identify the exact nature of that fear, but Ju-won seemed to know what it was.
The atmosphere had grown strangely heavy.
Sang-hyun looked at a loss for how to salvage the mood, while Sang-hyun’s parents wore expressions that suggested they, too, knew something.
Myeong-yun studied his family’s troubled faces for a moment, then spoke.
“…Could you tell this one what happened?”
This was not something he could avoid.
If he was to become a VTuber and create the world he desired, this was an obstacle he had to face and resolve.
At Myeong-yun’s question, Ju-won looked at Seon-yeong.
They were not the kind of parents who would forbid something without explanation.
When Seon-yeong reluctantly nodded, Ju-won spoke.
“Cheol-hyeong.”
“…Ah, yes. Sang-hyun’s mom, let’s step out. Seol-hyun, Cheong-hyun, Sang-hyun—you too. We’ll wait at the café.”
“Right. Let’s go, kids.”
Cheol-hyeong and Hee-seon led the children out of the private room.
Only then did Ju-won take a deep breath and speak with a heavy tone.
“Your mother was once a VTuber.”
“…!”
The completely unexpected revelation caused Myeong-yun’s thoughts to freeze for a moment.
He had sensed there was something in her past, but he had never imagined his own mother had once been a VTuber.
‘…Now that I think about it, she possesses many talents. She sings beautifully, paints well, and is fluent in both Japanese and English…’
The source of his mother’s abilities suddenly became clear.
Whether she had always been gifted or had developed those skills after becoming a VTuber, her slightly awkward social demeanor suggested the latter.
‘The latter seems far more likely. And that would also explain why all of Mother’s close friends have a similar air about them.’
The small questions he had accumulated over the years were all answered with a single phrase: “Mother was a VTuber.”
According to Sang-hyun, most VTubers spent their time broadcasting from home, which meant their social circles were not particularly wide and their social skills tended to be somewhat lacking.
While it varied by individual, it was a common trait among those who began broadcasting without experiencing much of the real world.
‘Now everything makes sense. So that was it.’
While Myeong-yun processed this surprising truth, Ju-won continued.
“She was a VTuber during the early days of Live2D virtual streaming. And I was the illustrator who drew her character.”
“…!”
This, too, was astonishing.
His father had been an illustrator.
Myeong-yun had occasionally seen him drawing at home, but he had never realized the man was a well-known figure in the industry.
Having little understanding of the art world, he had simply thought, “Father draws well.”
Since he left for work every day, Myeong-yun had assumed he was an ordinary office worker.
“…In any case, your mother was quite a famous VTuber. She surpassed a million subscribers, and her live streams were always sold out.”
“Talking about such things in front of the child… it’s a bit…”
Even now, speaking of her glorious past seemed embarrassing. Seon-yeong’s ears turned red.
It must have felt like having her most brilliant yet slightly mortifying dark history dug up.
She had once shone brighter than anyone, but thinking about it now brought only embarrassment.
Ju-won gently patted Seon-yeong’s shoulder as she hung her head, then continued.
“Fame is not always a good thing. Especially for a job like VTubing that feeds on public attention. As your mother grew more famous, she began to suffer from stalking and similar incidents. There were even people who showed up at our house.”
Fame was not solely positive.
Just as celebrities attracted paparazzi, VTubers attracted obsessive fans desperate to uncover their real-life identities.
Stalking was the baseline. They would analyze real-life photos to determine where someone lived, map out their daily routes, and even identify who had taken the pictures.
VTubers whose personal information was exposed often endured such harassment until they had no choice but to retire—what the community called “graduation.”
Because it was closer to forced retirement, both the fans and the VTuber often felt unsettled by it.
“…It seems your mother simply does not want you to experience the same things. She knows all too well what happens when a VTuber becomes famous.”
“…Mother.”
Myeong-yun looked at Seon-yeong.
She had been willing to reveal her own brilliant yet embarrassing past out of concern for him.
Her heartfelt wish that he would not have to endure the same hardships moved him deeply.
The sincere worry of a mother.
In all his years living as the Heavenly Demon, had he ever received such concern?
No, he had not.
The Heavenly Demon was not an existence that exchanged emotions with others.
The Heavenly Demon stood alone, existed alone.
Interaction with others was unnecessary for a perfect and flawless being.
That was precisely why her feelings resonated so strongly in his chest.
So this is what human love is like—so beautiful and warm.
Touched by Seon-yeong’s genuine worry and affection, Myeong-yun gently took her hand and continued with a soft smile.
“The things Mother fears will never come to pass.”
Besides, it was already a little… no, rather late to turn back now.