Chapter 164: My Name Is Kang Lulu! (Main Job: Star Piece, Side Job: Blue LUV)

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Chae-yoon unnie’s birthday.

My first-ever phone upgrade.

Ra-hee unnie’s move.

Several big events had come and gone, and now my daily life had changed a little.

****************

“No, no—you need to tighten your lower abdomen and project your voice louder. Try it with me. Ahhh—!”

“Ahhh—!”

“Yes! That’s exactly the feeling!”

First, for the first time in my life, I was receiving vocal training.

Well, calling it the “first time” feels a bit awkward.

Back when the company first started, the CEO had hired a vocal trainer, so I did receive very brief training in the very early days.

But as schedules piled up—broadcasts, work, and all—I naturally drifted away from it while the other members continued.

Now, with original song recordings scheduled, I’ve rejoined the group.

Actually, for now, I’m the only one receiving vocal training. The CEO told me to take one-on-one tailored lessons for the time being.

***************

“Huuuah… I’m exhausted…”

“Here, drink some water and rest. Let’s stop here for today.”

“Th-Thank you for your hard work.”

Vocal training isn’t just standing still and singing—it’s surprisingly draining.

Focusing on breathing, maintaining technique… it’s mentally exhausting.

As I slumped into a chair, the trainer handed me a water bottle. I gulped it down like an oasis in the desert, and she smiled as she watched me.

By the way, this trainer is  Ria.

She used to work for a famous agency but now freelances as a highly sought-after vocal coach.

At first, I thought “Ria” meant she’d lived abroad, but her real Korean name is Juria. She said adding her full surname sounded too old-fashioned, so she just goes by Ria.

During lessons, she’s a strict teacher, but outside, she’s incredibly warm and kind. She explains even the smallest details thoroughly.

“But your projection has definitely improved. Lulu, you pick things up quickly, don’t you?”

“Really? Hehe… thank you!”

Aside from the CEO and our manager, So-eun unnie, everyone at the company calls us by our stage names.

There’s no particular reason—it just became an unspoken rule.

I still feel a little shy being called “Lulu” in real life, so I awkwardly scratched my cheek and smiled at the praise. Trainer Ria grinned back, satisfied.

“Honestly, considering you’ve never had formal training, your base is really strong. Especially after I heard your cover of Changwol, I was shocked!”

“Huh? Y-You’ve heard that?!”

“Of course! I listen to all of the members’ songs, covers or originals.”

“Wow…”

Changwol—my first cover song, the one I sang when applying for Blue LUV.

The CEO once told me she decided to accept me after hearing it.

I’m not sure if I sang it that well, but the reaction on my Youtube channel was surprisingly positive. Still, I never expected Ria to have heard it.

“What struck me was that while your fundamentals were a bit rough, your emotion and technique felt incredibly natural.”

“M-Me…?”

M-My technique and emotion are natural?!

I pointed at myself, stunned by the unfamiliar praise. She nodded and elaborated:

“Yes. For example, in Changwol, there’s that part in the bridge where the emotion is heartbreaking but deliberately restrained, right?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“The transition from full voice to half-voice there is really difficult, but you pulled it off effortlessly.”

D-Did I really?

I remember that part, but… I thought I just sang it normally.

“If it didn’t feel difficult to you, that’s what ‘natural talent’ means. I heard the recording wasn’t heavily edited either?”

“Y-Yes.”

Our CEO always says it’s better to show imperfections than to over-polish and so Blue LUV’s songs generally avoid heavy post-processing.

“That’s why, when I heard your song, I thought, ‘Oh, she’ll be fun to teach.’ There’s nothing more rewarding than refining raw talent.”

“R-Raw talent?!”

I scratched my head, flustered by the barrage of compliments.

I’ve gotten plenty of praise from staff and fans, but this was the first time I’d been praised so much for my singing.

Of course, all praise is nice.

But since my job is being a VTuber—an idol—it felt especially touching to be recognized for my main craft.

“Anyway, tomorrow’s going to be tough, so brace yourself.”

“Y-Yes…! See you tomorrow teacher”

“Just call me Ria. Later.”

With that, Trainer Ria—no, Ria—coolly left the vocal training room.

Hehe, I got so much praise today.

I should brag to the Cherries and the members. They’ll be shocked!

***************

Today, after starting the stream and greeting the Cherries, I did something different: I played a game first and only started the main chat near the end.

Normally, I’d share updates early and end cleanly, but today I had something important to say—so I rearranged the schedule.

They say people remember the last thing they hear best. Maybe I’ll structure streams like this from now on.

“Oh yeah, Cherries! I got praised by my vocal trainer today!”

• Oh
• Lulu is so hyped after getting praised lol
• She’s learning properly, huh
• Isn’t Lulu’s trainer supposed to be super strict?

Hehe, exactly!

Good catch, Cherries!

“Yep! Normally, she’s super strict, but today she praised me a ton! She said my projection’s improved and my overall technique is more solid now. Oh, and guess what? She’s heard my cover of Changwol!”

• Kyaaa!!
• Changwol is great!
• The teacher’s clearly interested in her student lol
• So what score did she give you?

She didn’t give me a score, but… hmm, maybe I’ll ask her tomorrow?

Though I might lose confidence if she gives me a brutally honest rating…

“She didn’t give a score, but she praised me a ton! She said she thought training me would be fun ever since she heard my Changwol.”

• A true mentor who recognizes raw talent lol
• Changwol is lowkey hard though
• The high notes aren’t extreme, but the emotion’s intense
• Lulu’s version really nailed the emotional flow fr

“Hehe, yeah! She said the same—that my emotional delivery was really strong.”

It looks like everyone feels the same way.

Honestly, I didn’t realize I conveyed emotion that well, but if so many people praise it, I guess it sounded okay!

“Anyway, if I keep up vocal training for another month or two, I should be ready for recording. If I improve faster, maybe even sooner!”

• Damn, the schedule’s tight lol
• Less than two months till recording?!
• With lyrics on top of that… isn’t it too rushed?

“Ah, don’t worry! I’ve been working on lyrics in my free time lately!”

Since the song’s slated for early summer, the Cherries seemed concerned about the timeline, but it’s under control.

I’ve been jotting down lyrics whenever I have downtime—after work, during breaks, etc.

I haven’t met Composer VN in person yet, but we’ve been exchanging notes via chat and email. Progress is faster than expected; the song should be mostly done in two weeks.

Once I’m ready, we can jump straight into recording.

Of course, I’m not being blindly optimistic—I’ll prepare thoroughly.

[‘blue dear’ donated 1,000 KRW for snacks!]

• Working hard is good, but don’t overdo it, Lulu! Don’t collapse like last time!

“Pfft, don’t worry! I’ve been eating and sleeping properly!”

I thumped my chest confidently. With recording prep and other tasks piling up, I was a little worried about overworking, but thankfully, I’ve kept a solid routine:

• Eating breakfast religiously.
• Getting at least 6 hours of sleep.
• And most importantly…

“I’ve started working out with Lucretia unnie! I’m gonna become a super healthy axolotl!”

– Ooh

– Lulu working out? For real?

– Exercise is important frfr

– Surprisingly good influence from the Queen lol

Exactly!

Opinions vary on who’s the hardest worker in Blue LUV, but Ra-hee unnie is undeniably the healthiest.

I heard she does at least 2 hours of gym or pilates daily, eats on a strict schedule, and even calculates her calorie intake.

Even Jia unnie, who eats healthier than most of us, once sighed, “I could never live like that.”

Now that we’re neighbors, I’ve picked up some of her habits—like exercising.

At first, I hated it, but after a week of jogging with her, I started feeling proud. Still just light runs, though—no hardcore gym yet.

“I promise I won’t give you guys reason to worry! Pinky swear!”

• Pinky swear!
• Pinky swear!
• If Lulu says so, we’ll believe her lol

You’re all too kind. Even after all the times I’ve let you down, you still trust me.

…Though sometimes, you’re so savage I wanna bonk you.

“Oh! And I have big news today! Let me change the stream title real quick!”

• Ooooh
• What’s coming?
• 3D debut?
• A concert?!

A concert?! I don’t even have an original song yet! The other members would get one first!

Grumbling internally, I switched the title and slipped on cotton gloves.

Time to turn on half-cam—a rarity for me. I’ve only done it twice before:

1. To show my new workspace after moving.
2. To introduce Tofu.

So this is a big deal.

“I’ll keep the cam on just until the stream ends. Got something special to show!”

• KYAAAAAA!!!
• Half-cam after so long!! LETS GO!
• This alone is huge!!
• What could it be?!

Hehe, curious? You should be.

I carefully opened an acrylic case and began unpacking today’s treasures.

This is priceless. Not a single scratch allowed—it’s more precious than my life!

Adjusting the cam angle and lighting, I revealed the goods with a flourish.

“Tadaaa! Behold—Blue LUV’s first official merch! Everyone, applaud!”

• HOLY!
• WOW!
• The real thing…
• So jealous…
• Acrylic stands? The quality looks fire
• Mine hasn’t even shipped yet…

That’s right.

The first Blue LUV merch, announced recently. While the Star Pieces are still in pre-order limbo, I got mine early—perks of being in Blue LUV!

Originally, the CEO was supposed to unveil these, but the honor fell to me.

And I’m glad—it means I’m the first to officially own them!

If earlier streams were as Blue LUV’s Lulu, now it’s time for my main job as a Star Piece—promoting these goodies!

Hehe, I’m already hyped!

Let’s hype this up for two solid hours!