Chapter 52

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Translator: True Detective

Chapter: 52

Chapter Title: Could You Introduce Yourself Once More?

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1.

The chat window froze for a moment, just like when I mentioned Chef Kang Taeyeon a little while ago. They must be thinking, no way she actually brought her.

"...Why isn't she coming out?"

My sister muttered anxiously beside me. I frowned and stared at the wall where Chef Kang Taeyeon was hiding.

'Did something happen?'

She's not the type to just vanish without a word. Or maybe she's holding back for a more dramatic entrance?

The chat was exploding with insults directed at me.

"I-I'll go get her."

In the end, my sister couldn't just stand by and watch. She hurriedly ran toward Chef Kang Taeyeon.

The viewers kept hurling ridicule and abuse. But their momentum didn't last long.

That was because my sister had actually brought a man in front of the camera.

Cold eyes. Black hair. Snow-white skin in stark contrast. A neat yet ruthless impression. The man in the black military uniform looked at me.

"...She said it's embarrassing to show up as the Northern Grand Duke avatar. She told me to say sorry."

My sister whispered, sidling up next to me. Looking closely, both cheeks of the avatar were slightly flushed.

'Yeah, that makes sense.'

I'd been a bit annoyed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that she hadn't appeared right away, but if that's the reason, I could understand.

I nodded to him, signaling for him to greet the viewers. Chef Kang Taeyeon immediately understood and bowed his head.

"I'm Kang Taeyeon, head chef and owner at Damyun Seoul. Nice to meet you all."

"See? I told you I was bringing Chef Kang Taeyeon for real."

My sister put her hands on her hips and puffed up proudly. She seemed to think she'd gotten one over on the doubting viewers.

But my sister's face stiffened slightly as she saw the incoming chats. She'd realized the mood was shifting weirdly.

"…………."

Not a single viewer watching the stream believed what we were saying.

I mean, who would believe some guy in a Northern Grand Duke avatar suddenly introducing himself as Chef Kang Taeyeon?

"...Noir said I'd need an avatar to join the stream, so I had no choice but to use this one."

He said flatly. Of course, his shoulders were trembling slightly—he was still embarrassed.

"The vibe seems to be that most people don't believe it. I don't know how to prove I'm really Kang Taeyeon."

"Why not show them how to make one of Damyun Seoul's signature dishes?"

Chef Kang Taeyeon nodded at my sister's suggestion.

"Would that be enough?"

"Honestly, probably not. Most viewers don't even know what food Damyun Seoul sells to begin with."

"...Ah. Good point. So what should we do?"

We huddled together, pondering. I hadn't expected proving his identity to be the issue.

As the mood turned serious, sharp-eyed viewers started sensing something off.

"We're serious."

Chef Kang Taeyeon said calmly.

A good idea flashed through my mind amid my thoughts.

"We'll discuss among ourselves and come back. Please wait just a moment."

I switched the camera to the waiting screen and muted the stream mic.

"I never dreamed we'd run into a problem like this."

"Right? Proving your identity in virtual reality... "

My sister shook her head helplessly.

"How do other guests prove who they are?"

"Everyone who's come on so far has been a Virtual YouTuber, so their avatars are the proof. Only they can use their specific VTuber avatars."

"So the avatar itself proves identity."

"Exactly."

"Hayul. Got any good ideas?"

His gaze turned to me. I nodded slowly.

"Two things come to mind right now. But both have prerequisites."

"Let's hear them."

"Do you use SNS?"

"Yes. The Damyun Seoul account and my personal one—two in total."

"Then post proof on your personal account that you're appearing on my stream. No one else can access it but you."

"Ah, that's a good one!"

My sister, listening from the side, exclaimed in admiration.

"Definitely the most solid method. So what's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the other one?"

"You can't do this one alone. You'd need someone next to you."

"PD Jung In-seon and writer Seo Na-hyun are standing by nearby. Just say the word."

"Got it. The second method is to take a photo or video proving you're logged into virtual reality and send it to me."

"That one's less convincing than the first."

Chef Kang Taeyeon pointed it out right away after hearing my idea. I nodded silently.

"Correct. Since you can use SNS, go with that."

"Hey, why not do both while we're at it?"

My sister chimed in softly. Our eyes naturally turned to her.

"Both methods?"

"Take a video proving you're in VR and post it to your personal account. That announces you're on the stream too."

"That... would definitely boost credibility a lot. Alright. I'll ask PD Jung In-seon to prepare the video right away."

"Sure."

It wasn't difficult, so the video was ready in no time.

"Now I just post this to my SNS?"

"Hold on. For dramatic effect, let's reveal it in front of the viewers."

"Understood."

"Okay, turning camera and mic back on. Three, two, one!"

The sluggish chat picked up speed again.

"Right here, right now, I'll prove this is Chef Kang Taeyeon. Chef, if you please."

"Yes."

With his response, he manipulated the air. My sister nodded at me from beside me, meaning the post had gone up successfully.

The chat reactions changed noticeably. Some viewers must have seen the SNS post.

Viewers who realized it was really Chef Kang Taeyeon, and those who hadn't caught on yet. The chat split right down the middle.

One sponsorship woke up half the viewers to the situation.

"Chef. Could you introduce yourself once more?"

The corner of his mouth twitched up faintly. A cold smile. The aura was so heavy it really evoked the Northern Grand Duke.

"I'm Kang Taeyeon, head chef at Damyun Seoul."

As he bowed politely in greeting, the chat exploded.