episode_0017

The director extinguishes the lights and activates the project beam.

Displayed prominently on the screen is an illustration of a VTuber, commonly referred to as a “pantadeogi.”

“That’s what I’ll be doing in the future…”

“Yes.”

As per the draft, it was still in a sketch with light coloring, yet it looked quite beautiful. The character had orange hair, a voluptuous figure, resembling me as a woman, exuding a warm image.

“It’s pretty. And the outfit…”

An apron, a knit tee, and jeans. Normally, with the apron covering everything, there was no hint of exposure. However, upon removing the apron, the knit tee revealed a well-defined chest.

“Usually, you can hide it with the apron, but when you take it off, this is what shows. Using this for teasing should garner great responses.”

“Experts are different.”

“Haha. Let’s move on to the next scene and delve into the roleplay details.”

[Avatar of the Sun – Raria]

[Image Color: Orange]

The color orange could also be seen as scarlet. The reason I dyed my hair that color. I wonder if they paid attention to this too. Touching.

“The name originates from ‘aria,’ meaning melody, with ‘Ra,’ the sun god, added.”

[Occupation: Daycare Teacher]

[Age: 4.6 billion years]

[Introduction: Mother Earth, the sun, who always nurtured the Earth warmly. However, feeling saddened by the increasingly distant communication and coldness of the Earth, she descended as an avatar to make the world a warmer place.]

[Height: ]

“My birthday hasn’t been decided yet. Please consider that it’s still a draft.”

“This setting is quite bold, especially being 4.6 billion years old…”

“Yes. Because it’s the sun! I referenced the detailed settings you mentioned during the interview. Even the fan nickname will be as you showed during the interview, Sunnimban.”

Seems like I’ll be the only VTuber like this. It feels touching that they meticulously crafted it with care.

“But why leave out the height?”

“Oh. We’re planning to create it in 3D later on. To make it easier to adapt, we’ll use your actual height. So, what is your height?”

I mentioned my adopted height from the daycare, 164cm.

“Yes, duly noted. How about the settings or appearance? Are they okay?”

“I think I’ll adapt quickly since it resembles me.”

“Exactly. In fact, I took some inspiration from your appearance. It’s just too beautiful. Hehe.”

I see. That explains it.

“The illustrator seemed deeply moved by your photo and said they would refer to various aspects to create their masterpiece, so look forward to it.”

“Is that so? Please convey my thanks next time.”

“Yes, hehe. Well then, assuming there are no corrections, let’s move on. The VTuber to be managed by Hyobin…”

[Marine Creature (Undecided) – Scu]

[Image Color: Black, Gray]

[Occupation: Ocean Dancer]

[Age: 300 years]

[Introduction: A marine creature (undecided) so lively that it feels like it will die if it doesn’t dance for a day! Tired of the ocean stage, it has come to dominate the Earth beyond the sea.]

[Height: ]

Her hair color seemed to resemble hers, with secret two-toned black hair fading into gray inside, wearing a revealing rash guard and pants. It gave off a vibe reminiscent of marine creatures like whales and sharks. Seeing her mouth open, it looked sharp like shark teeth.

“Aha. You’ve chosen to go with a refreshing marine creature theme.”

“Yes. The name is derived from ‘scu’ inspired by ‘squalo.’ I believe it suits well.”

“Haha, yes. But what does ‘undecided’ mean?”

“I’m still contemplating whether to do a killer whale VTuber or a beluga VTuber. It’s hard to choose one. I’m curious about Hyobin’s thoughts.”

“Hmm…”

Whale or shark? It’s a tough question to decide on just one. At that moment, Hyobin threw out a somewhat eccentric but intriguing suggestion.

“Let’s combine both. Let’s call it a ‘Liger’ for now, like a mix of the two! Of course, such an animal doesn’t exist in the real world, which is why it suits a Vtuber even better, don’t you think?”

“Oh, haha! That’s fine. I like it. Let’s go with that. How tall are you?”

“I’m 171 centimeters.”

No wonder she seemed really tall. The manager also marveled and noted down her height. Next up was Soonsoo’s turn.

[Queen of the White Flower Garden, Yuu]

[Image Color: White]

[Occupation: Queen and Gardener]

[Age: Equivalent to 2 flower petals]

[Introduction: The queen of the White Flower Garden country. She personally took the lead to gather the residents of the flower country.]

Her hair was as silver as her name, and she was dressed in a pure white dress. Truly giving off a flowery vibe.

“Being called the Queen of Flowers is nice. So, Panik will be a resident of the Flower Country… a bee? How does that sound?”

“It’s fine. Let’s go with that.”

“Ah, I am 160 centimeters tall.”

Seeing everyone smoothly suggesting good ideas, it seemed like industry experience was indeed invaluable. They seamlessly moved on to Goeun’s turn.

[Spirit of Darkness, Geum]

[Image Color: Purple]

[Occupation: Yin-Yang Master]

[Age: (Unknown during life) A thousand years as a spirit]

With long purple hair and a chic face adorned in a ghostly maid outfit.

[Introduction: A spirit with a somewhat poignant backstory. However, without yielding to this, she moves to enlighten spirits in the same situation as herself.]

“The setting is from your time as Nicky in the corporate Oz, where you had many fans. Surely many of them would come to see you if you were reborn… Is it okay to include that?”

“Yes, that’s fine. Thank you for considering. I am 162 centimeters tall.”

“Alright. Then finally…”

Minji, who had become a loli Vtuber, gave a preview. She looked at the screen as if mentally preparing herself.

[1st-year Witch at Witch School, Hamchi]

[Image Color: Brown]

“What was brown again?”

“…It’s brown.”

“Huh, did you hear that? I was talking to myself.”

[Occupation: Witch]

[Age: 1 year]

[Height: ]

She resembled a hamster with long brown hair, a petite figure, and wore a uniform resembling a purple magic school robe. Her hat was a witch’s hat, and she had cute hamster ears attached.

“Wow, totally loli RP.”

“Yes, and adding one more thing…”

[Introduction: A hamster raised collectively at the Witch School. Wanting a nice body like other witches attending the school, she secretly learned transformation magic. But what’s this?! Whether due to lack of skill or being originally a hamster, she ended up transforming into a small-framed girl. Believing it’s because of her lack of skill, she continues her magical research today in pursuit of a nice body.]

“Wow… even put effort into the introduction. You’re determined to make a loli Vtuber, huh.”

“Talking about a small body but aiming for a big bust! Sounds fun just to imagine, right?”

“Indeed, it should be fun. But will it really catch on?!”

I struggled to hold back the laughter that involuntarily bubbled up.

“That’s the problem. If you keep getting attacked like that, won’t it be the fate of a clown pick? Leave it to me.”

“By any chance, if it gets too difficult, please let me know.”

“Sure, but that’s unlikely to happen. And about the height…”

Looking around, she whispered quietly.

“I’m 149 cm, but could you say I’m 150?”

“Height 149…”

“Eek!”

“Haha. Just kidding. I’ll go with 150.”

“No, I just thought of something. Like earlier, if you could call me 150 even though I’m 149, it gives off a feeling I’d like. It might work well with the viewers and create a nice atmosphere.”

In a way, she was using laughter to overcome her complexes. Indeed, from their first meeting, I felt that she was a person with a strong exterior but a warm interior.

Next, the name of Lin’s virtual project, which had been kept secret until now, was revealed.

[Palette]

[Fan suggestions for paint colors? Paint names? (Undecided, will be decided with viewers)]

“A palette where various colors blend together. This will be your team name going forward. It may seem ordinary, but the value of a name increases as you succeed.”

“It’s not bad even now.”

“Thank you, Seoa. So, what is our Palette’s goal…?!”

The PPT screen moved to the next slide.

[YouTuber Emperor, Beyond Emperor.]

“YouTube creators loved worldwide with an influence akin to an emperor… Creators with over 10 million subscribers are called Emperors, or Beyond Emperors. Our goal is to achieve Emperor status! Or perhaps aim even higher! Let’s all work hard together.”

10,000,000 subscribers.

A very large number. While they might have achieved it in terms of views, subscriber count had previously capped at around 50,000. But that wasn’t a reason to give up.

“That’s right. Dream big. Besides, there’s no reason we can’t achieve it.”

“Yes! Seoa, you said it well. With the radical support from Lin and my care… we have every reason to achieve it!”

Moving on, she cautiously brought up an important topic.

“So, excluding Goeun, four of you will form a team. Let’s talk about your previous lives. Please tidy up your current channels and social media after work today. Finish any pending content or agreements first. Does anyone have anything pending?”

I don’t. Looking around, it seemed others didn’t either. The manager added, surveying us.

“Goodbyes are always painful, but this time it’s a farewell to move towards something better. Fans will surely understand. If you have nothing else to do, please take care of it tonight. We plan to start promoting a new account from tomorrow.”

After brief responses, to lighten the momentarily subdued atmosphere, introductions of other employees followed.

Thus, the first day of work ended with listening to and giving introductions. As we left the building, the five of us from Palette found a moment to chat.

People who would be together for a long time.

To break the ice, I spoke first.

“Feel free to speak comfortably from now on.”

Although I am the oldest, it’s not a big deal. But everyone seemed hesitant to speak openly. There was a seven-year age gap for some. Maybe that’s why.

“It’s okay.”

“Well, I mean… My favorite singer suddenly came to mind, so I wasn’t mentally prepared to speak! It’s not that I dislike it. I’ll practice speaking slowly. And others prefer formal language. For now…”

“I also find it hard to speak up suddenly, like, uh, the wall of reality is too high… but still!”

Minji tried to speak with all her might, but seemed to struggle and stopped.

“Take your time, when you feel comfortable. You can let it out.”

“Yes, sure.”

Goeun also wanted to get closer, not draw lines, but needed time, so she decided to speak slowly.

“That’s right. Everyone. Can I speak freely now?”

“Yes, of course! You’re the eldest here.”

“Right, right.”

Hyobin, who had always wanted to speak freely, quickly began talking. In a friendly manner, she started speaking to others.

“But what about Seoa and Minji, how are you planning to handle today’s final broadcast? Since Sunsu doesn’t usually do live broadcasts on his Utaite channel, should we just announce it on the community board?”

“Still, we plan to briefly go live.”

“Really? I’m not sure what to do… Feeling stuck.”

“I know, right. What should we do… My mind is blank right now…”

“Anyway, let’s tie things up nicely.”

They comforted the worried members. Feeling like it wasn’t enough, they took out a gummy bear from their pocket.

“Who wants to eat the lucky gummy bear? If you eat this, everything will work out well.”

“Haha. You’re naturally slipping into your role as a daycare teacher. Give me one.”

“Me too!”

“Me, me too…!”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

***

Evening, inside the daycare center. Dressed comfortably, it was time to play with the child they had promised to meet in the morning.

“Seoa, today was fun! We played in the Sun class. It was worth the wait.”

“I’m glad. Thank you for waiting for me today.”

Trying to adapt to being a YouTuber and pretending to be a real daycare teacher, the reactions were surprisingly positive. The observing head teacher approached me with a smile.

“Are you going to do YouTube broadcasts from here on out?”

“Yes.”

It felt like just yesterday when they asked if being a YouTuber was a pyramid scheme. Now, they seemed to know more about being a YouTuber than I did.

“Have you seen this article?”

[Linu Virtual Project: Over 5,000 applicants, final selection of 5. A new trend in the virtual world…?]

“Only five out of 5,000 applicants, truly our Seoa. Fought at odds of 1,000 to 1 and won.”

“Haha! How did you win at odds of 1,000 to 1, Nuna?”

“…Singing?”

“Beep beep!”

I don’t know when everyone learned to shout from Anna, but they all followed suit like that.

“By the way, even though I’m not a teacher, is it okay for me to imitate a teacher?”

“Why not?”

“The head teacher is right. Seoa, you worry about silly things~. Well, does an actor playing a wizard in a movie really need to know how to use magic?”

“Haha, that’s true.”

They also talked about the upcoming final broadcast.

“You’ll understand for sure. And you’ll support me too.”

“Yes. That’s fortunate then…”

“Don’t let the atmosphere get awkward because of you.”

“Of course.”

This time, unlike other farewells, it’s a departure to a higher place.

“I’ll say goodbye gracefully and come back.”