Chapter 155: Brilliant debut, Part 3

“Huff… puff… I got it…!”

Bae Gyeongsik, ticket in hand, hurried back to the BGG Company booth.

He knew running would make him look like an obsessive fan, so he maintained a brisk walk, his energy already waning from the all-nighter.

He was determined to get another photo with Scarlet.

“Whoa…”

The merchandise booth was still relatively empty.

BGG Company lacked the established fanbase of larger franchises.

He was about to join the short line when…

“Amazing.”

Five life-sized standees of Haru, BGG Company’s CEO and Scarlet’s frequent collaborator, greeted him.

Scarlet, Haru…

“Vivian, Shiro Yuki, Lucy…?”

…and the three new Vtubers, including the famous Lucy.

“The rumors were true…?”

Earlier that year, there had been speculation about Lucy joining BGG Company after Haru became her thumbnail artist.

The original song swap with Scarlet had fueled the rumors.

But the lack of official announcements had led people to dismiss them.

“Holy
…”

He hadn’t expected Lucy to debut as a Vtuber with BGG Company.

He was a fan of Lucy’s music, so this was exciting news.

“Awesome…”

Past the standees, Haru’s artwork adorned the merchandise: desk pads, acrylic stands, framed prints, tapestries… and the Scarlet chest mousepad, which was truly a sight to behold.

He grabbed an order form and started checking off the items he wanted.

Then…

“2022 BGG Company Art Book?”

A particular item caught his eye.

He marked it and went to the counter.

“What’s this art book?”

He asked the cashier, Jin-soo, one of Hayoon’s trusted chat moderators.

“It’s a combination of a cosplay photobook featuring Haru and Scarlet, and a photo collection of the new unit, Trinity.”

“Hmm…”

The inclusion of Trinity felt like a forced bundle, but he was a fan of Lucy.

It was a small price to pay for Scarlet and Lucy content.

“I’ll take this, plus the art book.”

“Thank you! Min-gi, grab the art book!”

“Got it.”

Jin-soo and Min-gi, managing the merchandise, quickly packed his order.

“That’s 249,000 won. Thank you! Need a receipt?”

“No, you can keep it.”

Bae Gyeongsik, smiling smugly, left the booth.

He planned to ask Scarlet for a photo with the art book, which featured her on the cover.

But…

“Sure, I can take a picture. Say cheese!”

“Cheese… hee hee…”

A freckled man with glasses was already taking a photo with Scarlet.

“Oh…”

Her earlier smile had been purely professional.

Disappointed, he turned towards the Uma Musume booth, then…

“Oh!”

“Ah, sorry…”

He almost bumped into a woman slightly shorter than him.

“H-Haru…?”

It was another Vtuber.

She looked exactly like Haru, whom he had seen in collaborations with Scarlet.

He was stunned.

“Yes, I’m Haru.”

Her gentle response melted away his initial animosity towards BGG Company.

“C-can I… take a picture with you?”

“Of course.”

Haru smiled brightly, took his phone, switched to selfie mode, and snapped several photos, striking various poses.

‘Haru, plus two points. Scarlet, minus three points. Still a long way to go, but Haru is now a contender for my top spot.’

He mentally evaluated them, then returned to the merchandise booth and bought Haru’s desk pad, acrylic stand, and framed print.

“That’s 80,000 won!”

“Keep the receipt.”

He paid and was about to leave for the Uma Musume booth when he noticed Scarlet was now free.

“E-excuse me! One photo, please!”

He rushed back and enjoyed another photo opportunity with Scarlet.

‘Scarlet, plus three points. Back in the lead.’

He was a delightfully unhinged fan.

“Can you make a heart with your hands?”

“I’ll give you a thumbs-up. You can add the heart later.”

“Ahaha…”

Hayoon, as Scarlet, continued to pose for photos.

Whether they were fans or not didn’t matter.

Some were attracted by her looks, others simply enjoyed taking photos with cosplayers.

Their motivations were irrelevant; all that mattered was the potential for online exposure.

“Go viral, go viral…”

Hayoon was confident in her looks and figure.

The photos would circulate online, generating curiosity about her cosplay and potentially attracting new viewers to Scarlet and the other BGG Company Vtubers.

Haru might also gain some followers, but…

‘I don’t have time for regular streams.’

She didn’t have the time, nor the inclination, for frequent streams.

She wanted to focus on promoting Trinity and Scarlet.

“Excuse me… Are you cosplaying as Scarlet?”

“Yes, I am. Welcome, student.”

“One photo, please.”

“Sure.”

After another photo op, she checked the time and headed to the photo zone.

“CEO.”

“Please be careful with the title. Just take the photos. The fans are very sensitive about these things.”

“Right, of course. Setting up the lights now.”

“Okay.”

It was 11:00 AM, time for the first photoshoot. The hired photographer quickly adjusted the reflectors and lighting.

“Hayoon.”

“Scarlet.”

“Oh, right.”

Choi Arin arrived.

“Please step onto the platform. We’ll begin shortly.”

The photoshoot began. BGG Company fans gathered, their phones at the ready.

“Starting now.”

“Okay…!”

Hayoon and Choi Arin struck their first pose, the popular “Sending Love” pose from a trending smartwatch commercial: one leg slightly raised, both hands forming a heart.

Flash, flash, flash

The flashes captured their poses.

The photos would be used in online articles, promoting Trinity and Scarlet.

The Vtuber market was still small, so every bit of exposure helped.

“Heart.”

“Heart.”

Next, the finger heart, popular among celebrities. Then…

“Second heart.”

“Second heart.”

…a heart pose from an anime that would become popular in a few years: two hands forming a heart, with a wink.

Hayoon whispered instructions to Choi Arin, the flashes capturing each pose.

“Gyaru peace.”

“Peace.”

Then, the trendy “gyaru peace” sign.

The photoshoot, a mix of current trends and future ones, lasted about 30 minutes.

“Phew, that’s a wrap. I’m heading to the stage; they asked me to be there 30 minutes early.”

“Good luck, Scarlet!”

“Technically, I’m going as Haru, hee hee. Good luck to you too, Unnie. See you at the afternoon shoot.”

“Let’s do this!”

After a quick break in the booth’s back room, Hayoon and Choi Arin went their separate ways.

“I’m finally here.”

Hayoon, waiting below the stage, took deep breaths.

Back at the 2019 AGC, she had been a fan, excitedly watching her favorite visual novel writer’s stage event.

Now, she was about to take the stage herself. It felt surreal.

“BGG Company stage event starts in 20 minutes. We’ll set up as soon as the current event ends. Please get ready.”

“Okay.”

It was almost time.