Chapter 157: Nervous is front of 1000 people, Part 1

Hong Seo-hyun’s dream was to earn money through singing.

Who hasn’t dreamt of making money from their hobbies during their school days?

If watching YouTube is your hobby, you dream of becoming a YouTuber.

If gaming is your hobby, you dream of becoming a professional gamer.

During adolescence, when studying feels like a chore and the future seems uncertain, these kinds of thoughts are only natural.

It’s much more constructive than writing down vague dreams like becoming president, an astronaut, or a diplomat – aspirations that sound grand but are incredibly unlikely to come true.

This was why Hong Seo-hyun became fixated on singing.

Since middle school, she rarely scored below 95 at karaoke, and she genuinely enjoyed singing.

It was a great stress reliever.

That’s why she chose to attend Yongsan IT High School.

She planned to learn video editing skills there and become a Utaite on YouTube.

She dreamed of a life where she could sing her favorite songs, earn a little money, and do what she loved.

A life anyone would envy.

That was the life Hong Seo-hyun dreamed of, and for her first year of high school, that dream seemed to slip away.

The school assigned video editing projects almost weekly, leaving her with no free time.

After a year of feeling powerless, the COVID-19 pandemic hit during her second year.

Other departments might have had fewer assignments due to the need for on-campus equipment, but unfortunately, the video department wasn’t restricted by such limitations.

Even during the pandemic, she was overwhelmed with assignments, barely surviving.

Then, she stumbled upon a poster for the Game Launch Department and recorded a song…

That recording landed her a spot in the Game Launch Department.

From that point on, Hong Seo-hyun’s life was smooth sailing.

Free from financial worries, she produced top-quality music videos, thriving as an Utaite.

Her streaming also went well, elevating her reputation as one of Korea’s top Vtubers.

She had initially aimed for a life where she could pursue her passions, even if it meant less money.

Now, she had both: financial stability and the freedom to do what she loved.

And today was the culmination of that journey.

“Wow,… I’m more nervous than I was for my debut. This is crazy.”

Today, Hong Seo-hyun would sing in front of nearly 1,000 people.

She always had a similar number of viewers during her streams, but this was her first time performing in front of a live audience.

She was so nervous her throat felt parched.

“Why are you so nervous? Shouldn’t someone with experience be more relaxed?”

“Oh, Ji-woo.”

“Hey, it’s Lucy today. Lucy. You know that.”

Seo Ji-woo, waiting in the same studio, checked on Hong Seo-hyun, noticing her anxiety.

While not quite at Jo A-yeong’s level of melting down from nerves, Hong Seo-hyun was still human and couldn’t help but feel tense.

Seo Ji-woo’s carefree demeanor was actually the unusual one.

“It’s not about what I call you… Do I look relaxed right now?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Well, think about it… There are 1,000 people waiting for our concert right now. 1,000.”

“Just do your best. We have 200,000 subscribers waiting for new videos on our channels. You can’t be intimidated by a mere 1,000, can you?”

“It’s not that simple…”

Simple-minded people tend to be fearless.

Even with over 200,000 subscribers, Hong Seo-hyun didn’t believe they were all eagerly awaiting her content every day.

Some were ghost subscribers who rarely watched her videos, while others subscribed multiple times using different email accounts.

From that perspective, the 1,000 people Hayoon was currently dealing with in Ilsan were not a small number.

During live streams, she didn’t face the audience directly, so she wasn’t particularly nervous even with 1,000 viewers.

But… a giant TV in the studio displayed a live feed from Ilsan.

The ever-changing emotions of the audience would be broadcast through that TV.

It was incomparable to live streaming. During streams, viewers had to type or donate to interact, resulting in mostly positive feedback.

Here, she’d be exposed to non-verbal cues like facial expressions, gestures, and sighs. Hong Seo-hyun’s nervousness was completely understandable.

However…

“200,000 is so much bigger than 1,000. Why worry about such a small number?”

Seo Ji-woo had a simple perspective.

1,000 audience members?

I have 200,000 subscribers?

No big deal, right?

“You’re such a drama queen. Seriously.”

“This isn’t that simple!”

“Stop downplaying it. You get 1,000 comments on every YouTube video you upload. Why are you acting like this?”

“Ugh…”

Seo Ji-woo’s oblivious responses, a product of her simple thought process, were driving Hong Seo-hyun crazy. Although she secretly adored this little devil, …

– “Those three unfamiliar faces are making their debut here today. Could we show them on screen?”

They were running out of time for small talk.

Hayoon, on the TV screen, was fulfilling her role, nearing the end of the concert’s introduction.

“Okay, Seo-hyun, get ready. The introductory script is almost finished. We’re on a tight schedule, so you need to go on immediately.”

“Okay, I understand. And… Ji-woo, just you wait.”

“Huh? What?”

Hong Seo-hyun desperately wanted to squish Seo Ji-woo for her obliviousness, but she positioned herself where she had practiced during rehearsals, wearing her motion capture suit.

“Inhale, exhale…”

The studio was spacious to facilitate movement, and from her position at the far end, her three junior colleagues waiting for their debut looked small.

“Come to think of it, they’re debuting in front of 1,000 people right from the start.”

Maybe I shouldn’t be complaining about being nervous.

Thinking this, Hong Seo-hyun started to understand Seo Ji-woo’s point of view.

Right before going on stage, all sorts of thoughts crossed her mind.

Was this what they called a life flashing before your eyes?

“This is intense. So intense.”

Hong Seo-hyun muttered to herself.

She performed in front of over 1,000 viewers more than five times a week.

Seo Ji-woo accused her of downplaying her nervousness, and now Hong Seo-hyun understood why.

But…

“Ugh.”

It was true that she was nervous.

What could she do about it?

Even after resorting to reminiscing, a tactic she often used to calm her nerves, she felt even more unsettled, as if she were putting a comma or a period at the end of a three-year journey.

So, she continued to mutter various sighs and groans.

–”Now, it’s time to meet Trinity, right? I’m running out of things to say, so I should head off…”

Hayoon on the TV was preparing to hand things over to Hong Seo-hyun.

She purposely drew out her last lines, signaling to the staff in the Seoul motion capture studio.

“Seo-hyun!”

“I’m ready. Yes, yes, I’m ready. Don’t worry.”

Hong Seo-hyun, still in her motion capture suit, inserted her in-ear monitor and prepared to start the opening performance for Trinity’s debut concert.

‘Hayoon said she’ll sell recordings of today’s concert as USB merchandise later. So, if I sing amazingly well, the value of the USB merchandise will go up. I’m practically responsible for our company’s financial stability. So…’

So.

Let’s do this.

Hong Seo-hyun.

She briefly encouraged herself.

–”Scarlet’s Crimson Sky! Sung by Scarlet herself!”

It was finally her turn.

The pre-determined line was spoken, and on the screen behind Hayoon, Scarlet’s 3D avatar, unveiled for the first time, appeared.

‘Okay, let’s go.’

Hong Seo-hyun decided to forget about Hayoon on the TV.

Forget about her avatar on screen.

Here, in this place.

In this Seoul motion capture studio, she would sing for the 1,000 people in Ilsan’s KINTEX. Just her.

Hong Seo-hyun focused on herself.

This thought calmed her. A smile spread across her face as she heard the cheers from the other side of her in-ear monitor, even with the TV volume lowered.

‘This is… nice.’

Even filtered through her virtual avatar, the cheers of the audience with every step she took sent a thrill through her.

With her signature elegant voice, she began to sing Crimson Sky.

BGG Company’s first concert had begun.