Chapter 156: Brilliant debut, Part 4

“12 PM time slot, BGG Company stage event, two minutes to standby. Please get ready.”

“Haa…”

Hayoon, guided by the stagehand, took deep breaths backstage.

Scarlet’s original songs played over the speakers, hyping up the crowd.

Scarlet’s music was generally well-received, and Hayoon didn’t want to waste this opportunity playing covers.

“I’ve memorized most of the script. If I forget anything, I’ll just improvise.”

Hong Seo-hyun’s voice calmed her nerves. Hayoon took another deep breath.

“Standby. You can go on stage now.”

“Okay.”

She walked onto the stage.

“Here’s your microphone.”

“Thank you.”

In her past life, she had been a recluse, avoiding the spotlight.

Now, she stood before a crowd gathered to see the Vtuber brought to life by her art.

They were fans of both the Vtuber and the illustrator. It was a strangely satisfying feeling.

“Waaaaah!”

“Scarlet! Scarlet!”

The crowd roared as she stepped onto the stage. She waved, feeling slightly awkward about receiving applause meant for Hong Seo-hyun.

She walked to the center of the stage and faced the thousand-strong crowd.

A moment of silence.

“Waaa…?”

“Ahh…?”

The crowd, sensing her hesitation, quieted down.

“Ah, can you hear me?”

“Yes!”

“She’s pretty!”

Her melodious voice, familiar to Scarlet’s fans, elicited cheers from the casual attendees.

“Wait, her voice…?”

“Is that…?”

Scarlet’s fans were confused.

They had initially assumed it was a cosplayer doing a talk show, but her voice…

“Am I pretty?”

“
yes! You’re gorgeous!”

“Waaaaah!”

Hayoon, chuckling, continued to engage the audience.

She had learned that natural interaction was key to captivating an audience.

She had even practiced public speaking for this event.

While her time was limited, she was determined to make the most of it.

“So, Scarlet fans, do I look like Scarlet?”

A close-up of her face, in full makeup and wig, appeared on the large screen behind her. The fans, of course, agreed. But…

“I’m glad you think I look like her. I wouldn’t want Scarlet to feel insecure, since I’m here in her place.”

Hayoon, not content with simple compliments, continued.

The audience buzzed with speculation. Scarlet was a Vtuber; how was she here? This person seemed to know her. Was she a staff member? And her voice…

“Those of you who are quick-witted might have already figured it out, but I’m Haru, CEO, Vtuber, illustrator, and cosplayer of BGG Company. A lot of titles, right? That’s the life of a small business owner. I have to be perfect. Anyway, nice to meet you all.”

Haru. It was Haru. It all made sense now. Murmurs of realization rippled through the crowd.

“Waaaaah!”

“Amazing!”

“CEO-nim!”

Vtubers rarely appeared at offline events.

Hayoon’s willingness to cosplay and take the stage touched the fans, who cheered and screamed.

“Hey, calm down.”

Hayoon chuckled, reminding them that she was a cosplayer and they probably already knew her real face.

Many, however, only knew her through Scarlet, so they were confused.

Hayoon expertly controlled the narrative, positioning herself as the source of information, drawing the audience in.

“We don’t have much time, so let’s move on. Did anyone visit our booth today?”

“Yes!”

“I did!”

“Of course!”

The Q&A session began.

“Then you saw the standees?”

“I took pictures!”

“They were so pretty!”

“Did you notice three unfamiliar faces?”

“Yes!”

“Second generation! Second generation!”

“Okay, stop chanting ‘second generation.’ Your pronunciation is getting weird.”

“Oh.”

“Oops…”

Despite being a novice, Hayoon was doing well, keeping the conversation flowing, mixing information with playful banter.

“Those three unfamiliar faces are debuting today. Can we show them on screen?”

A stylized emblem, a triangle intertwined with a circle, appeared on the screen.

It was clearly a reference to Trinity, the three-in-one concept.

“Unit Trinity. Three as one. Let’s start with a familiar face. Who is this?”

“Lucy!”

“Lucy!”

It was time for the member introductions.

Lucy, already known to most attendees, appeared on screen, eliciting enthusiastic cheers.

“Azure Sea” began playing over the speakers.

“Scarlet covered this song, right? Lucy has actually been with our company since January. We’ve been supporting her behind the scenes. Surprise!”

“I knew it!”

“How could we not know?”

“Come on, just play along.”

Hayoon and the audience bantered back and forth.

Next, Vivian and Shiro Yuki. They appeared on screen together.

Time was short, and they didn’t have much of a backstory yet.

“This is Vivian and Shiro Yuki, active on YouTube. Shiro Yuki specializes in ASMR, and Vivian… well… hee hee hee…”

“Hehehe.”

“Wow, those…”

Baek-seol was a moderately successful ASMRtist, while Vivian was the visual member, her ample bosom being her main selling point.

It was already attracting attention online.

“Now, let’s meet Trinity! I’m running out of things to say…”

Hayoon prepared to introduce the Vtubers, but before leaving the stage…

“…?”

“Huh…?”

“Is that…?”

…she had one last thing to do.

She waited for the familiar intro to play over the speakers.

Click, click

The stage lights dimmed.

“Scarlet’s ‘Crimson Sky’! Performed live by Scarlet herself!”

Hayoon gestured towards the screen, where Hong Seo-hyun, running from the back of the concert hall, appeared.

Hayoon, her task complete, slipped off the stage.

Hong Seo-hyun would take over, introducing the new Vtubers.

“Good luck, Unnie.”

Hayoon’s role was over. It was time to enjoy the show.