Chapter 104: Vertuber Audition, Part 2

It took Hayoon a while to prepare for the next round of interviews. Or perhaps it only felt long to Hayoon.

She spent so much time agonizing over the questions that the day of the interviews arrived before she knew it.

“This is crazy…”

She had started preparing immediately after the initial auditions, and now, the day was here. Time seemed to have warped.

“Already?”

She hadn’t been slacking, yet here they were. She rubbed her temples and messaged Do Jin-ho.

“How many applicants today?”

-Twelve.

The reply was immediate.

-Three out of fifteen were flagged – one matched a problematic username in my database, and the other two had accounts on questionable websites.

“Ah…”

Do Jin-ho had reduced her workload. She was grateful, but looking at the interview schedule he sent, she felt another wave of dizziness.

“12 hours of interviews?”

While a 12-hour interview marathon was intense, it was better than the four days of 24/7 interviews during the initial auditions. She took comfort in that and set up the questions on her second monitor before joining the call.

“Ah, um, ah, hmm, ah.”

She tested her microphone, and as soon as she confirmed it was working, two notification sounds chimed. Do Jin-ho and Hong Seo-hyun had joined.

“Were you waiting for me? Eager beavers, aren’t you?”

-Well, the CEO should set an example.

-Agreed. There’s no point in us being here first.

“Seriously…”

Hayoon resisted the urge to point out their laziness, wanting to avoid conflict.

“Alright, applicant number 1, please join the call.”

She announced, trying to sound energetic.

“Hmm, so far…”

-They’re not very… unique…

-Disappointing. Their only talent seems to be singing, but compared to Hong Seo-hyun, who writes her own lyrics, and Seo Ji-woo, who has a large following, they’re lacking.

Despite her initial enthusiasm, the applicants were disappointing. They had already narrowed down the pool based on applications and background checks, and three more had been disqualified due to Do Jin-ho’s online investigations.

“Let’s eliminate the first four.”

-I agree. I don’t want to collab with them.

-If our only Vtuber says no, then it’s a no. Cut them.

The first four applicants were rejected. Hong Seo-hyun’s assessment was crucial for potential collaborations.

-Greetings! Applicant number 5, Baek-seol!

The energetic applicant from the initial auditions, Baek-seol.

“Baek-seol? That’s a single-syllable name.”

-Yes!

Baek-seol’s biggest strength was her energy.

A bright personality was always a plus. While overly emotional streamers could be successful once established, for newcomers, it was a recipe for disaster, attracting the wrong kind of attention.

Her cheerful demeanor was a good sign.

“How old are you? I’d like to confirm your personal information before we move on to your strengths.”

-I’m an ‘02 liner!

-Oh, perfect age.

The same age as Do Jin-ho. Perfect. She already had bonus points just for her age.

-Alright, now that we have your basic information, let’s see your talent. Show us what you’re best at.

Hong Seo-hyun, sensing potential, asked for a talent demonstration. Since Baek-seol had highlighted ASMR in her application, it was a clear request for ASMR.

‘If she prepared a script, that shows good preparation. And if she performs well, that’s bonus points for acting ability.’

This was a crucial part of the audition.

-I’ll get ready. I have a decent microphone, so it should sound good.

Baek-seol cleared her throat and adjusted her microphone settings. Then.

-Unnie…

“…?”

She called out “unnie” in a suggestive tone?

-There…

“…?”

-???

-?

Hayoon, Hong Seo-hyun, and Do Jin-ho were confused.

-It gets hard when you touch it…

“…?”

-???

-?

Baek-seol burst into laughter, ending the… performance?

-I-I’m sorry. I read online that… yuri appeal is a plus here… because of the polar bear…

“Why did you laugh? It seems like you prepared for this.”

-Well, it’s just… funny. I’ve never… read a yuri script before, so… it was awkward… and then I got flustered and messed up. Haha.

Baek-seol chuckled awkwardly. Hayoon, after a moment of thought, asked,

“Can you show us your usual… performance, then?”

-Yes!

Baek-seol switched to a familiar script.

-Hmm, you’re here because you’re not feeling well? Where does it hurt? Ah, your skin is stiff? Hard? Let me take a look…

She delivered the lines in a sultry voice, earning a passing grade. Her streaming might be boring, but her ASMR skills were undeniable. That alone could attract a niche audience.

“Thank you, Baek-seol. That was a good performance. We’ll be in touch.”

-Thank you!

They moved on to the next applicant. The remaining applicants were underwhelming – mostly boring, some attempting JPOP with terrible pronunciation and no understanding of the songs.

“Seriously, what is this?”

-This is awful. Were all the initial applicants this bad?

-I don’t want to collab with any of them, Hayoon.

The auditions were a disaster.

Hong Seo-hyun was increasingly worried, and Do Jin-ho seemed uninterested. They had already dismissed nine applicants. Only three remained.

“You’re… born in ’01? Are you sure?”

-Of course! Why would I lie about that?

“…?”

-???

-?

Her defensive reaction to a simple icebreaker question about her age was a red flag.

“Ugh!”

-This is insane!

-There’s not a single decent applicant!

They hadn’t found a single promising candidate since Baek-seol.

-Hello, I’m Jo A-yeong.

“A-yeong.”

-I was born in… ’99. Hehe…

She was a bit older. Objectively, 23 wasn’t old, but for BGG Company, it was practically ancient.

“We have a lot of ‘00 liners here, but ’99 is basically the same, right?”

-Y-Yes! Even if my ID starts with a ‘9’, we’re practically the same age!

She seemed insecure about her age, which was amusing.

‘I have an idea.’

Hayoon messaged Hong Seo-hyun.

-We can use her age insecurity. She’s relatively old. What about a 999-year-old RP?

A concept was forming. A 23-year-old Vtuber insecure about her age, surrounded by younger colleagues. A perfect “relative oldie.”

‘This is good.’

They were already intrigued by Jo A-yeong.

“Let’s continue with the interview.”

But this wasn’t enough. Being a good target for jokes wasn’t enough to carry a stream.

“What are your strengths?”

-Well… I…

“Yes, A-yeong?”

-I have… big breasts…

“Big… breasts?”

-So, I can do… half-cam streams on special occasions… you know, to… attract viewers…

She planned to rely on her body. So.

“How big are they?”

Hayoon asked bluntly.

-…I cup.

“I…?”

An unexpected answer.

-She’s in! She’s in!

Do Jin-ho’s enthusiastic declaration, practically shouting “Bravo!”, made Hayoon imagine him doing a standing ovation. Well, she couldn’t blame him.

‘We have to sign an I-cup, right?’