Chapter 98: Utaite Lucy, Part 4

Utaite Lucy, real name Seo Ji-woo.

“Seoul…!”

The country bumpkin from Ulleungdo had finally arrived in Seoul. Of course, she wasn’t alone.

“Look at this air. It’s so smoggy.”

Her father grumbled beside her, tired of the Seoul air. He’d complained about the air quality the moment they stepped off the KTX and was now navigating the bustling crowd, guiding his daughter.

‘They say there are tons of Olive Young stores in Seoul. I should stock up on cosmetics later when I’m alone.’

Ji-woo, oblivious to her father’s struggles, was preoccupied with sightseeing.

It was understandable. She had lived on Ulleungdo for 18 years, only leaving the island for occasional family trips and holidays.

Now, finally in Seoul, a high school girl’s dream, how could she not be excited?

“This way. We just need to take one bus to Seodaemun Station.”

“Okay.”

But she had a mission. The reason she had managed to leave Ulleungdo, even if it meant bringing her father along. The meeting with Haru, the CEO of BGG Company.

Ji-woo clutched her T-money card and grinned, following her father through the crowded Seoul Station.

They boarded a bus, rode a few stops, and got off at Seodaemun Station.

“This way.”

“Okay.”

Following her father, she entered a brightly decorated, popular coffee franchise. A chime announced their arrival, and a couple looked up, but Ji-woo, distracted by the cafe’s interior, didn’t notice them.

“Wow…”

She gasped, then quickly covered her mouth, realizing it was a very country bumpkin reaction. Well, she was a country bumpkin, but she didn’t want to seem too unsophisticated.

“They must be over there.”

“Huh?”

“Those people.”

Her father, ignoring her internal struggle, led her to a table where a man and a woman were sitting.

“Greetings. I’m Ji-woo’s father.”

“Ah, yes, so Lucy-nim’s real name is Ji-woo. Please, have a seat, Father.”

A girl with a noticeably larger chest than Ji-woo politely greeted her father. This was Hayoon, the CEO of BGG Company, the reason Ji-woo was in Seoul.

“What would you like to drink? It’s on us, of course.”

“Iced Americano, please.”

Hayoon and Ji-woo’s father conversed smoothly. Hayoon glanced at Ji-woo, thinking, With such a well-mannered father, she must be polite too, right?

“What would you like, Lucy-nim?”

But.

“Um, just a second. I’m looking for something.”

“Yes?”

“Ah, found it. I’ll have a Choco Chip Frappuccino with espresso whipped cream, extra chocolate drizzle, 5 pumps of mocha syrup, 3 pumps of hazelnut syrup, blended chocolate chips on the bottom, whole chocolate chips on top, and Frappuccino roast…”

Ji-woo, never failing to disappoint, rattled off a ridiculously complicated order.

“Ji-woo.”

“Yes?”

“Here’s my card. Order it yourself.”

“Okay.”

Ji-woo’s father, frowning slightly, handed her his card. Ji-woo, oblivious to her faux pas, happily took the card and headed to the counter, eager to finally try her custom creation. Her father, however, looked mortified.

Hmm…

Hayoon, sensing an impending lecture from Ji-woo’s father, decided to stay quiet.

A few minutes passed. The meeting was postponed until after the arrival of Ji-woo’s “special Frappuccino.”

“We would like to offer you an exclusive contract with BGG Company.”

“Exclusive…?”

“Yes, you would officially debut next December, after you graduate high school.”

“Why meet now, then? Why not next year?”

The conversation was mainly between Ji-woo’s father and Hayoon. Do Jin-ho occasionally showed something on his laptop, while Ji-woo was busy enjoying her monstrous Frappuccino.

“Your daughter contacted us about debuting as a Vtuber. It was her decision, and we’re suggesting postponing it for a year.”

“If she wanted to debut now, why not let her? Why postpone it…?”

Ji-woo’s father looked to be in his mid-50s.

“First, let me explain what a virtual YouTuber is…”

Hayoon patiently explained the concept of Vtubers, assuming he had no prior knowledge.

“So, these avatars cost millions of won and take months to create?”

“Depending on the quality, but we usually take three months for our highest quality avatars.”

“Same question. Why not three months from now, but next December?”

“As you know, a career in the arts requires more than just talent. It’s a tough industry to survive in. So, starting on the right foot is crucial.”

Next, AGC. Hayoon and Do Jin-ho presented data and graphs projecting the impact of the returning AGC next year. While not official data, visually appealing graphs were effective in persuading older generations.

“Hmm…”

As expected, Ji-woo’s father seemed impressed by the seemingly credible data.

“We want to debut your daughter on that stage. It’s a great opportunity with a targeted audience.”

“What will she be doing for the next year?”

“I will provide illustrations for her Utaite channel. She uploads weekly, and I’ll match that schedule.”

“R-Really?”

This time, it was Ji-woo who reacted, clearly excited about the prospect of having Haru as her illustrator.

“Huh…?”

“Yes?”

“Why are you so young? Are you a student?”

“Well, yes, for now.”

Ji-woo, finally looking at Hayoon properly, was surprised by her youth. She looked too young to be a CEO.

“Ji-woo.”

“Ah, s-sorry.”

At her father’s sharp rebuke, Ji-woo quickly sat up straight. Despite her rebellious tendencies, she was still afraid of her father.

“Ahem, anyway, as you can see from your daughter’s reaction, my illustrations are quite popular. I plan to provide high-quality illustrations for her until her debut.”

Ji-woo’s reaction served as an effective endorsement for Hayoon. But regardless…

“Why are you going so far? Is my daughter guaranteed to be successful?”

The offer seemed too good to be true. He was understandably wary.

“We already have a successful case similar to your daughter. A Vtuber and Utaite named Scarlet, with 130,000 subscribers on YouTube.”

Hayoon had prepared for this.

“Scarlet consistently earns over 2 million won per month, after platform fees.”

“She gives us 50%, about 2 million won, and the platform takes 30%, about 1.7 million won. That’s a monthly revenue of about 5.7 million won, or over 60 million won annually.”

Hayoon and Do Jin-ho used numbers to overwhelm Ji-woo’s father.

And it worked.

“This is quite lucrative. If she can earn this much in her first year, imagine a few years down the line…”

Ji-woo’s father looked at his daughter and Hayoon with interest. While his understanding of increasing revenue with years of experience wasn’t entirely accurate,

‘No need to correct him.’

…it was a beneficial misunderstanding for Hayoon, who was eager to sign Lucy.