Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Making a Debut Isn't Easy (3)
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One would hope that life is always full of good things and time spent with good people, but in the professional world, you're bound to run into strange individuals eventually.
Now was one of those times.
"Those girls, they're the ones who passed the first-round auditions, right?"
"For now, yes."
"Your first-round auditions, don't you review documents and conduct interviews at the same time?"
"That's right. The competition was 400-to-1, and these five were the final selections. My junior's team handled it directly."
The fact that they had gathered at the studio for a VTuber idol group meant their debut was more or less confirmed.
They even had their VTuber names decided.
"So they're practically on the verge of debuting, aren't they?"
"Right. On the verge of debut."
"And yet you called me in as a consultant, which must mean you suspect something's fishy and wanted me to check it out, right?"
"...Honestly, I can't hide anything from you."
Jin Suyeon shook her head and pointed to the woman who would be debuting under the VTuber name 'Haroya'.
"Her name is Kim Mijung. She's 22 this year. Her position is to brew the broth."
"Brew the broth..."
While the term might sound somewhat unpleasant to a viewer, it was a more or less common, albeit unofficial, term within the industry.
I nodded.
After giving a silent affirmation to the Archmage Rasian, whose voice came through the gold ring, I examined each team member's debut avatar on the tablet PC Jin Suyeon handed me.
"She's definitely a pick targeted at male fans. Starting with the character's chest."
"Exactly. Later, if we do a 3D live shoot, her hand will float in mid-air when she places it on the avatar's chest."
Floating in mid-air.
It sounded like a term from an AOS game, but in the context of a 3D live performance, it meant something a little different.
When you place a hand on your chest during 3D motion capture, where does the virtual avatar's hand go?
If the hand clips through the chest, the atmosphere becomes solemn, and it becomes a target for ridicule. But what if the hand floats far above the avatar's body?
It means the real person's—the red pill's—chest is larger than the VTuber avatar's, which can be a powerful selling point for that VTuber.
That "floating in mid-air" moment is bound to be clipped for shorts and endlessly replayed as a highlight.
In that sense, this Kim Mijung, who was about to debut as Haroya, had a strong advantage.
I hadn't checked her on-air presence yet, but based on visuals alone, she could probably rank second in subscribers within the team.
If she could debut without any issues, that is.
"What do you think?"
"Can I be honest?"
"Of course."
"If I find something wrong and her debut gets canceled, what will you do then?"
"Then our 3rd generation will debut with four members instead of five, won't they?"
Jin Suyeon's voice carried a surprising amount of sincerity.
"It's better to deal with it now than to clean up a mess after a post-debut scandal. Even if it means scrapping the Haroya avatar entirely or delaying the debut of the entire 3rd generation, we have to handle it."
"That's true. It's rare in Korea, but it happened a lot in Japanese VTuber agencies."
There was a case where they interviewed a debut candidate, created her character, and then, while digging through her private social media, found a history of being a Toyoko Kid.
She was cut immediately.
If a former Toyoko Kid wanted to use that experience to debut as a bitch-gyaru VTuber, you might just wish them well and let them live their life. But if they debut as part of a corporation instead of as an indie, the entire company's image could be shattered.
One wrong move, and that negative image could spread to every VTuber under the agency.
For that reason, they had to be vetted and filtered again and again before debut.
However.
"Did you find anything strange?"
"No, nothing."
It seemed that Jin Suyeon's company had already conducted its own investigation and found nothing out of the ordinary.
"What about social media? Private accounts, following follower lists, checking IDs for games like League of Legends or Valorant?"
"Of course. But she's clean. The standard investigation protocol you created has made its way to our company. Did you really think I'd call you without even doing that?"
"Hmm... So nothing like playing duo with an ex-boyfriend or getting reported for verbal abuse in-game."
So far, she seemed normal.
Even Rasian was astounded by the thoroughness of the vetting process.
But my instincts, and Rasian's, were screaming that something was wrong.
"No."
I gripped the ring and firmly shook my head.
"I can't use a cheat like that for this."
There might come a time when I would need magic's help.
But not now.
"Suyeon. If they're going the idol route, that means they're all guaranteed to have at least a decent level of singing ability, right?"
"Yeah. I called them here today under the pretext of recording their debut cover song. I'll introduce you as the music producer who's overseeing it."
"I see..."
"...Wait, are you thinking?"
"There's no other way but to go through this step by step."
For an inference to become a certainty, it needs a basis, and that requires evidence.
"I'm going to have to properly scratch at that red pill."
A short while later.
"Everyone from the 3rd generation? Please say hello. This is Producer Kang, who will be overseeing your debut song."
"It's a pleasure to meet you all."
Following Jin Suyeon's introduction, I came face-to-face with the five members of the company's debut group.
"Producer Jin Suyeon has told me a lot about you. She said you are all more than ready to debut right now."
"Th-thank you."
The prospective VTubers bowed their heads, their faces flushed at my lip service.
Though I said it to be nice, they were probably sharp enough to have noticed.
They must have realized that while they were chatting and passing time in the practice room, Jin Suyeon and I were watching them from outside.
"Everyone. What do you think is the most important thing for a VTuber?"
"Huh?"
"This is just a personal question. Think of it as an industry old-timer trying to sound profound, and just answer honestly."
If I'd brought sunglasses, I would have perfectly embodied the 'madman of the industry' look, but unfortunately, I had none with me now.
Instead, I had this gold ring.
This question wasn't meant to make the debut group reflect on their mindset, but rather to help Rasian learn a little about VTubers through them.
"Singing ability."
A strong-willed-looking woman raised her hand and spoke.
Her character illustration was a siren concept with black hair and red eyes, so she clearly looked like she was in the singing position.
"That's right. Whether it's cover songs or original songs, you will all be singing, and you must all have at least a basic level of singing skill. Or, be so utterly terrible that you're ironically called a 'Singing King'."
"......."
"Especially since some people think of VTubers as 'cyber singers,' singing ability is paramount for those of you taking the virtual idol route. Um, the one who just answered?"
"Prospective 3rd generation member, Jang Nari."
"Yes, Ms. Jang Nari. Before applying to be a VTuber, you were a trainee at Loeton, weren't you?"
"!!"
My question stunned not only Jang Nari, who had been speaking, but also the other members of the debut group and even Jin Suyeon, who had been standing by quietly.
"H-how did you know...?"
"It's not unusual for someone to leave an idol agency as a trainee and become a VTuber. Especially in this day and age where virtual reality concerts are common."
"B-but how did you know which agency I was with...?"
"Your breathing and voice carry the distinct vocal training methods of Loeton. If my ears don't deceive me, you were taught by Trainer Baek Jang-hyuk...?"
"Gasp...!"
The debut member, Jang Nari, covered her mouth with her hands, utterly shocked.
Her gaze, which had initially been a 'who do you think you are' look, slowly filled with a mix of excitement, astonishment, and tension.
"Relax. It's not like I'm here to eat you all alive, is it? Haha."
"H-how did you even know my trainer's name...?"
"I know him."
It was a huge relief that I knew the guy.
'I've booked so many business-class tickets for that man.'
There were only a handful of vocal trainers who would travel all the way to Japan to teach at VTuber agencies, after all.
"My apologies, Ms. Jang Nari. I didn't mean to pry into your past; I just spoke out of a sense of familiarity. If you were uncomfortable, I apologize."
"N-no, it's fine! If you're a producer who knows my trainer, then..."
"Thank you for your consideration. And as for the rest of you..."
I met each of their eyes, one by one.
"What do you think is the most important thing for a VTuber?"
Finally, I asked the target, Haroya, Kim Mijung.
"You there, Ms. Haroya? What do you think?"
"...Not letting your red pill get exposed?"
Kim Mijung spoke cautiously.
"The red pill. What specifically do you mean?"
"I think being a VTuber is a job that sells a certain fantasy to viewers. I know that's true for most entertainers, but VTubers especially have to hide their red pill. It's like how fans would flip out if a female idol was found to be dating some guy."
"That's right. As long as you use a virtual avatar to hide your face, you must be all the more careful about your real-life affairs."
Confirmed.
This woman has something to hide about her red pill.
That must be why she brought it up herself.
"Viewers often say things like, 'Just don't get caught,' when something happens. But as we all know, they don't really mean it, do they? If it gets out that you have a boyfriend, the so-called 'chairmen' will leave one by one, your average viewership will drop, and you'll end up as a nobody."
I turned my gaze toward Jin Suyeon.
"For someone who debuted with a corporate agency, especially with <Novels>, one of the big three in the Korean VTuber industry, to have an average viewership of around 10 people would be a massive blow to the company. Isn't that right, Producer Jin Suyeon?"
"Of course. I'm not one to judge based on viewer counts, but if you're going to stream to just 10 people, you should debut as an indie and climb up on your own, not with a corporation."
"Exactly. To prevent such a huge problem from occurring, we warn you and remind you time and again about the red pill. You understand what's important for a VTuber very well, Ms. Haroya."
"Thank you, Producer."
She was polite.
Since I was someone their own producer's superior—a secret, but effectively the real power in this company, Jin Suyeon—treated with respect, Kim Mijung's attitude was impeccably courteous.
A polite demeanor toward someone in power.
But.
'Just as I thought.'
I caught the other three team members sending ambiguous glances toward Kim Mijung.
Jang Nari, the former Loeton Entertainment trainee who had answered my first question, seemed too strong-willed to be swayed...
'Kim Mijung has completely dominated the other three.'
One person had thoroughly wrapped three other team members around her finger in a power struggle.
This kind of relationship was not good.
This wasn't something that could be resolved like a conflict between girls in a teen idol drama, where they settle things on stage.
'Does Jin Suyeon not know? It's possible. She's not directly managing them, just briefly checking in on a project handled by her subordinate.'
.......
"Producer Jin Suyeon."
"Yes, Mr. Kang."
"The 3rd generation members, is their general producer a man?"
"Yes. He's in his third year. This is the first time he's been in charge of a full team... the 3rd generation."
I knew it.
"Everyone. I believe that the most important thing for a VTuber is their 'growth story'."
I smiled at the five debut trainees.
"The process of your growth from now on is important, but the life you've lived to get here is also important."
"To get here...?"
"That's right, Ms. Kim Mijung."
With a bright smile.
"By any chance, did you ever sing at a high school festival or anything like that?"
It was only for a fleeting moment, but Kim Mijung's face contorted.