Blank

It sways gently.

That’s the kind of voice it is.

A whisper-like soft vibration tickles the chest like a feather.

The warm sound slowly descending along the ear creates a moist caress on the eardrum.

The outer ear canal secretes an unprecedented amount of fluid in foreplay.

Fuu-. The whole body trembles with a slight twitch at the gentle pressure like a blowing wind.

Even the brain dances in overwhelming happiness.

The cochlea has already turned into a trumpet, fully prepared to welcome that delicate frequency.

Hn, fuu-. The breath quickens on its own. The song slowly builds toward its climax.

Hah-. An involuntary voice escapes. If I keep listening, I won’t be able to control myself.

I lower the speaker volume for a moment and press the pause button.

The head, heated from excitement, cools rapidly. I immediately stand up from the chair, take deep breaths, change clothes, wipe the sheets, and relax my tense body. Now’s not the time to just get lost in the voice. From here on, it’s analysis time.

I press play again. This time, with headphones on, and the volume turned up moderately.

A sound from a completely different dimension pierces the eardrum compared to through the speakers. I furrow my brow and begin dissecting every element of the sound.

The mic… probably an entry-level condenser around 100,000 won? It feels like there are slight plosives popping because it was recorded without a pop filter.

Yet this quality. They seem to know how to tweak basic EQ and reverb.

Mixing outsourced?

But there’s no credit in the description. Just the one original song source. Means they did it themselves, right?

The equipment is meager. But there’s sense in handling it. This cover song surely isn’t their first work.

Timbre. This isn’t something to analyze.

No technique. Not a trained voice. Breathing is unstable, vocalization is all over the place. But the timbre more than compensates for all those flaws. It’s overwhelming.

This isn’t something you can teach. It’s a treasure. Training should focus on preserving this charm as much as possible. Avoid any overly strenuous schedules.

Vocal cords are consumables. Teaching vocalization might extend lifespan, but timbre can change often. Still, I need to explore ways.

The voice is important.

Of course, for first impressions, but it also greatly influences character.

In the animation industry, one voice actor monopolizing most roles of similar personality characters.

Or Ori’s trait meshing perfectly with a certain VTuber’s timbre, leading to a famous meme video that solidifies it as an official image.

In the subculture industry, the voice holds immense influence.

For this, market research is essential. It’s the agency’s duty to properly position talents where their voice fits.

Sometimes when management and artist’s desires don’t align, it’s a real headache.

But this one seems to perfectly grasp which songs suit their voice.

Music requiring a lyrical and elegant timbre. Their taste is probably in that direction from the start.

I smile in satisfaction and replay the video several times. I’m happy.

Then, suddenly, in a very brief blank where the song pauses, something feels off. An alien noise. What is this?

I immediately double-click (audio editing program).exe. Extract only the audio from ‘Blank’s video and load it into the program.

Play, pause again. Using the visualizer, I zoom in on the section with the noise. Amplifying a specific frequency band, the faint noise gradually takes clearer shape.

A creaking friction sound. Followed by a dull warning tone.

…Train horn. Regular intervals suggest near a metropolitan subway line. The echo indicates poor soundproofing in a residential area. If not far from the station, likely a studio apartment or officetel. (T/N: Bro thinks he’s Trevor Rainbolt)

Combining with the equipment condition, probably a college student living alone. Please be an adult.

I click the message icon on the ‘Alive!!’ site. Exclude any fan-like admiration or emotional approach. Can’t look like a scammer. In cases like this, a business-like tone builds more trust.

[Hello. I’m Doraime, a Twitch partner streamer preparing a new media content business. I see tremendous potential in your voice. I’d love to meet and make a proposal. Please contact me via this account’s messages at your convenience.]

I press send and lean back deeply in the chair.

…Will there be a reply?

***

A dark, cluttered room.

The curtains, blackout ones perhaps, completely block the light, making it impossible to tell if it’s dawn or morning outside. The only illumination in the room is the faint blue glow leaking from the computer monitor on the desk.

That light dimly illuminates the room’s owner.

She was tearing at her light brown hair.

‘I’m crazy, crazy crazy..! Han Do-ah. Why did you upload this! What if someone sees it? …Delete it. Now.’

It was an act done in a fit of anger. Something she would never do normally. For Han Do-ah, having her voice exposed to the world felt like standing naked in the middle of a plaza. Humiliating. She thought she’d gotten used to it. But trying to submit after so long brings a rush of heat. This is driving me crazy. All because of…

It was the moment her trembling hand moved the mouse cursor to the delete button.

A small notification window popped up in the bottom right of the screen.

[New message: 1]

Her heart sank, plummeting to the floor.

Did someone already listen? Hate comments? Or…

All sorts of horrific imaginings flashed through her mind. Frozen in fear, holding her breath, she barely managed to click the message icon.

What appeared on the screen wasn’t the expected criticism or mockery.

[Hello. I’m a Twitch partner streamer, Doraime, preparing a new media content business…]

Han Do-ah blinked.

‘…Media content business? What does this mean? Some new spam?’

The confusion deepened with content even more incomprehensible than hate comments. She reread the message several times, but it remained the same. Too serious for a prank, Twitch partner…? Affiliated with a company? Doraime… Sounds familiar.

But to her, this message wasn’t a lifeline of salvation.

Rather, it felt like a threat from the outside world trying to collapse her small cave. Someone found me. Someone’s trying to drag me out.

No.

Run away. Without hesitation, she moves the cursor to the X icon. Hesitates-. No, I need to clearly state refusal so they won’t contact again.

Han Do-ah places her hands on the keyboard.

[Not interested.]

***

I was leisurely drinking coffee. …While spamming F5.

Yeah, coffee’s best as instant mix. The thrilling harmony of sugar and cream. Still that unchanging, familiar taste.

Ding-!

The alarm rings.

A reply came. Faster than expected.

Thud-! I set down the coffee and check the reply.

“…Haha.”

I didn’t expect a positive response, but at least I thought they’d ask what the proposal is.

But the six characters on the screen, excluding spaces, completely missed my expectations. A grand slam out of the park.

[Not interested.]

I stare blankly at the screen for a moment, then burst out laughing, puhat. Cute.

Yeah. That’s how it should be. That’s what makes it more fun.

The harder a gem is to obtain, the higher its value.

My heart starts beating faster. …Definitely not because of the coffee. Instant coffee is a cure-all, after all.

I clasp my hands and stretch them high toward the sky. Whew, the muscles stretch, bringing a refreshing sensation.

Crack, crack. Tilting my head side to side, faint impacts transmit from each joint.

I place my hands back on the keyboard.

Not interested, huh.

Then I’ll make it so you can’t help but be interested.

***

Failedfailedfailedfailedfailedfailedfailed

Hmm. As expected, the world doesn’t go as planned.

After that, I tried contacting as much as possible. All rejected.

Apparently fed up, not just blocked, but the ‘Blank’ account completely deleted. The empty profile page, along with ‘get lost,’ stabs at my heart. Hng, too harsh.

But it’s okay. Contact methods aren’t gone.

The ‘Blank’ profile had the birthday exposed, forgotten to hide it.

August 29th. No other info visible, but this is enough.

Someone with this level of skill and talent wouldn’t upload just one video to Alive. Of course, the ‘Blank’ account had only that one video. …Now even that’s deleted.

Judging by the speed of deletion, it’s not their first or second time. Skill at this? Well, anyway.

What to do now is simple.

When analyzing the market, the internet is an essential tool.

And for conveniently gathering info online, crawling is key. Specify the site with a program, set conditions. Nationality: South Korea, birthday: August 29th. Accounts with at least one submitted work.

Swish. After some time, the program lists all Alive accounts matching the conditions.

Anyone can do this with a little learning. What a convenient world. (T/N: Umm, should I call the police?)

About 50 accounts match. Fewer than expected.

Probably because the platform is only in Korea and Japan currently.

I click through accounts one by one, searching for ‘Blank’.

This isn’t it, that neither.

​

The scroll is nearing the end. As anxiety sparks in my heart.

“…Ehehe.”

Rabbit!

Singing rabbit here!

Nickname Rabbit, bio also singing rabbit.

Kukuku. Cute one.

The account has only one cover song video uploaded.

30,000 views, pretty high.

Date is 6 years ago, this song was a cute trending hit online back then.

I press play on the video.

Ddon ddon ddon. A cute, bouncy beat lays down, and soon a cute voice adeptly follows the lyrics.

​It’s definitely ‘Blank’s voice. Less refined, more childish, but. The timbre can’t be hidden, pfuhuhu, laughter comes naturally.

Usa-pong~ Usa-pong~ Achikochi pong pong~

Memories flood back vividly. I covered this song once too. Black history, though.

On the day I open video donations once a year, my cover video comes up every day without fail.

Lime Rabbit Pong Pong can rot. Still makes me mad thinking about it. Those crazy Lime group guys.

Ah, can’t contain the anger. Facing my black history is always painful. This is someone else’s cover, though.

I lower the video sound and check the outro.

As expected, email is listed. Artists live on attention. Surprising if no contact on the internet. ‘Blank’ too.

I immediately try contacting via that email. Wonder if it’s still active.

***

Haa~ yawn.

A long yawn escapes. Oh no, I haven’t slept all day.

Already two hours waiting for a reply email.

Outside the window, it’s faintly brightening.

It’s been a while using the studio this long. Well, no one else uses it, so time’s not an issue. But the electricity bill… sob sob.

This place too, about three years now? Using it for broadcasts made it as comfortable as home.

Recording here. Watching movies. Sleeping, planning broadcasts.

Opted for multi-person since single was too cramped and fully booked.

At first, it was great. The feeling of occupying a spacious area wasn’t bad.

Like I’d become a successful artist.

But using it alone, the empty space felt ridiculously vast. Would I ever use that area?

No equipment or interior ideas to fill it came to mind.

Emptiness. No other word fits this space.

Emptiness started gnawing not just the space, but my heart too.

After that, except during broadcasts, a heavy feeling lingered in my chest.

Yeah. It was loneliness.

But once, I invited friends I’d made through broadcasting.

They were surprised. Broadcasting alone in a place like this?

I smiled awkwardly. This has the best setup. Expensive, though.

After that, we partied hard. Bought snacks and booze, drank all night, used the loud speakers to sing and dance wildly.

It was amazing. I have friends, I thought.

The once tidy room filled with trash, booze, and people; even with AC at 18 degrees, a subtle heat filled the space.

Yeah. When with them, emptiness didn’t creep in.

The next day, they all left.

I desperately stopped them from cleaning the trash. Guests don’t clean up.

Truth was different.

I didn’t want emptiness to return.

This trash, the memories with them, the lingering warmth.

If I clear it all, emptiness comes back.

Back to the empty room, back to the old days of nothing. Locked in an interrogation room, questioned all day.

I didn’t want to go back.

But what can I do. Bugs attract, landlord scolds.

Thought of getting a pet. Gave up immediately. No confidence in responsibility.

Now I found a solution. Play a favorite VTuber’s broadcast and max the speaker volume.

This way, the sound pressure fills the space. Emptiness eases a bit.

Not as good as with friends, but I can’t use them for my greed. Waiting for them to suggest again.

-Ding.

Lost in sentiment, the notification rings.

So welcome. Ehehe.

Quickly check the email.

[I have no idea how you found this email. You’re really persistent. Almost reported you for stalking.

…Still, I’ll meet once. Sunday 9 AM, at the cafe below.]

Ehehe….

Ehehehehehn….

“Yesssssss..!!!! Kek!”

I banged my shin on the desk. But it didn’t hurt.

Success. Yeah, not dead yet, Do-dain.

Too rough a method?

No, I tried a polite approach. They rejected roughly first.

I clear the earlier train noise data and subway route site from the corner. (T/N: Huh?)

Tsk, a bit disappointing now that it’s useless.

I stand up immediately.

Sunlight now bathes the studio interior, no need for lights.

The most refreshing morning ever.