Chapter 91: BGG and Igloo

The cosplay project “Cosplay Holic” was a huge success.

The initial sales reached 980 copies.

While it didn’t quite hit a clean 1,000, it was thanks to the promotion by the rising VTuber Scarlett and her original song that the numbers turned out this way.

Considering the initial sales alone were in the 900s, there was potential to sell up to 2,000 copies within the year.

“An extra 10 million won in revenue!”
At this, Hayun cheered once more.

Since even the initial sales alone covered most of the outsourcing costs for the soundtrack, selling just another 1,000 copies would be enough to break even on the expenses for the voice actors’ contracts as well.

In short, out of the 33 million won earned through crowdfunding, subtracting 3 million won for merchandise production costs meant a clean 30 million won in net profit.

“Massive success!”
“Woohoo!”

Hayun cheered, and even Do Jin-ho, who rarely showed excitement, loudly expressed his joy.

With this, Do Jin-ho no longer had to worry about job security.

Being the sole programmer of an indie team that managed to generate 30 million won in net profit would make for a great portfolio when applying to major game companies.

Since job concerns were mostly settled, it was time to move on to the next step.

“Alright, next year, we’re going for a large-scale project with VTubers! Now that I’m an adult, handling contracts will be easier, and I won’t have to worry like when I was a high schooler.”

It was already November. Do Jin-ho’s graduation was just around the corner.

Hayun thought about how to utilize him as he transitioned from the structured 12-year school system into the workforce.

It didn’t take long to reach a decision—she would make full use of his position as VTuber Scarlett’s manager.

“From now on, senior, you just take it easy and scout promising up-and-coming VTubers. Thanks to both overseas and domestic influences, the number of small independent VTubers has grown significantly.”

There’s only so many VTubers one viewer can watch.

Most of the initial trickle-down effect in the domestic VTuber scene had already gone to Hong Seohyun. While there might be new VTubers who could surpass her, most wouldn’t even come close.

“The indie VTubers who have invested a lot but aren’t seeing the returns must be feeling frustrated.

Like, ‘I have potential too! I could sing and stream just as well as Scarlett!’ That kind of thinking is inevitable.”

Do Jin-ho’s role was to monitor those with that subtle sense of inferiority and eventually recruit them.

Typically, corporate VTuber contracts lasted about two years.

Among those debuting now, if any showed potential but weren’t growing fast enough, they could be scouted for a debut under AGC in December 2022.

With that decided…

“I’ll leave the monitoring to you, senior. I’ll even give you a little bonus every month, so just sit back, relax, and watch VTuber streams.”

“Hey, that phrasing is a bit….”

“Ah, sorry. Dealing with annoying chat viewers lately has made my language a bit rough.”

“…Uh.”

Do Jin-ho knew well enough what kind of toxic den Hayun’s chatroom had become.

Though slightly uncomfortable, he reluctantly nodded.

“Alright, from now on, my sister and I will focus on refining the most aesthetically pleasing VTuber designs possible. Scarlett and Haru’s designs were simple with accessory highlights, but now that our initial group has established itself, we don’t need to follow that approach anymore.”

There’s a famous saying:
“Just get famous, and people will praise you no matter what you do.”

With Scarlett and Haru having secured a spot in the domestic VTuber market, they could now purely focus on aesthetics.

Maybe even include a monster-girl design.

Of course, this was just a rough plan for now and could change anytime.

“Lastly, Scarlett?”

“Yeah, what?”

“Make a ton of money. Donations have been rolling in recently, so push even harder.”

“I’ll do my best… Mama…”

And with that slightly exploitative-sounding conversation between Hong Seohyun and Hayun, the strategy meeting for post-“Cosplay Holic” was concluded.

“Hayun, so…”

Hayun had a deep conversation with Min Jung-gyun for the first time in a while.

And the topic was…

“I have a lot of money. The deposit is a bit tight, but it’s still manageable.”

“Sigh. How much is the deposit?”

“Five million won.”

She was asking him to be a guarantor for a rental contract.

“And how much do you have in your account?”

“About five million. I’ll cover the rent with my monthly income.”

“So, even with that, you’re still coming to me?”

“Well, rather than barely scraping by, I’d prefer to have some breathing room to invest in better equipment.”

Hayun shamelessly made her case to Min Jung-gyun.

This was, no matter how you looked at it…

“You want me to cover your deposit?”

“Not all of it… Just five hundred thousand won. With that, I can at least get a soundproof booth, which would make my budget much more comfortable.”

“…Are you sure about this?”

“Yes. The senior I’m managing is already earning around 2 million won per month in donations, just two months into streaming.

Considering the potential donation ceiling, she could hit 3 million per month next year. Her growth pace is excellent.”

I’m working hard, but there’s some initial instability.

So, lend me just enough to offset that uncertainty.

It was a blatantly transparent deposit scheme, making Min Jung-gyun chuckle in disbelief.

“Hah, seriously… My daughter… Who did you take after to be this progressive?”

“I could be conservative, too.”

“What?”

“Just kidding, I’m neutral.”

“You’re making political jokes now? You’ll have voting rights in two years.”

“I’m just matching your style, Dad. Heh.”

“Jeez, my daughter…”

Min Jung-gyun’s laughter faded, and he got serious.

“Parents can gift up to five million won tax-free.”

“Right.”

“Considering the allowance and other money I’ve given you so far, let’s say that’s about one million.”

“Yep.”

“I’ll cover four million. Your mom and I have enough financial stability, and if we split the cost, we can manage it.”

Perhaps due to the growing recognition from Hayun and Choi Arin’s cosplay photobooks, more cosplayers were flocking to Yoon Soo-hee’s studio.

Whether it was good promotion or simply inspiration from Yoon’s photography and editing, the studio saw a rise in business.

“Am I just recycling the money I earned back into my mom’s studio?”

Regardless, the studio avoided shutting down, so that was a win.

Though it felt a little strange to be leeching off her mom, Hayun shrugged it off.

“I’ll repay the four million in full within two years, once I become an adult, Dad.”

“It’s fine. And stop calling me ‘Father.’ Just say ‘Dad.’”

“Okay, Dad.”

“Yeah, that sounds better. And about the place you found—let’s check it out together this weekend.”

“Yes!”

Just like that, her overly generous dad agreed to lend her the deposit and even visit the real estate office with her.

Soon, Hayun and her game publishing team would have their base of operations.

Calling it a “workspace” or a “forward base” didn’t matter—securing a two-room rental under Hayun’s name didn’t take long.

The small room would be furnished with desks for Hayun and Choi Arin, allowing them to work overnight and head straight to school.

A foldable bed wouldn’t be a bad addition, either.

The larger room would house a 500,000-won mid-sized soundproof booth.

If they recruited new members, another booth would go in that room.

And if the living room housed two more, they could accommodate up to six VTubers.

A no-men-allowed space, a sanctuary for female creators.

“This won’t work under just ‘Game Publishing Club’ anymore.”

With this scale, a proper company name was needed.

The business was registered under “Haru Company” for now, but that was just a placeholder.

Grinning, Hayun imagined the people who would soon fill this space.