episode_0023

The first of the Linne Virtual Idol Project.

My cover song release as Laria garnered a much bigger response than I had imagined.

Unlike my relatively quiet broadcasts in the past, discussions about me were spreading all over the virtual community. Especially in the largest virtual community in Korea, the Korean Virtual YouTuber Gallery, there was a buzz about us.

– Kwon Seoa? Who did they bring as a singer? 😲

– I’ve heard of singer-level VTubers, but a singer VTuber is new to me.

– Gotta watch Laria’s debut broadcast for sure 😆

– She sings so well like a real singer (she is a real singer)

– Linne is really preparing hard for this

– Laria, debut day 1

– Gotta be organized to break through the 1000:1 competition rate

Now I truly feel like I’ve stepped into this virtual world. On the other hand, there were some worried comments.

– But even if you’re a singer, shouldn’t you be better at broadcasting as a VTuber?

– Yesri lacks charm, even many corporate VTubers struggle with live streams, can someone from a different industry handle it?

– If you underestimate this field, you’ll end up with a big nose.

I understand.

But this is something I can do well. It’s actually motivating for me. Thankfully, viewers who watched my broadcast left comments.

– She also has experience as a streamer. Her gentle voice is so good that you get hooked right away.

– She would really suit the VTuber world. Is she aiming for that by being a kindergarten teacher?

– Maybe because she’s from a kindergarten background?

As I arrived at the office, my colleagues were all talking about my cover song. They praised it, wondering how my voice could sound so good.

“Thank you. I’ll continue to bring you better songs in the future.”

Meanwhile, the department head came out to greet me.

“Oh, Laria! Have you arrived?”

“Haha, what’s with that tone?”

“Your cover song response from last night is amazing! It’s even more than the 5,000 applicants article!”

“Interesting.”

“It’s so exciting. Every time I refresh, there’s talk about our palette and Laria, I can’t keep up with it!”

I calmed down the even more excited department head and went into the meeting room. It seemed like everyone, not just me and the department head, was energized as they approached me with excited faces.

“We believed in you, Seoa unnie!”

“Praise the great Laria. Hail the sun god.”

“But Seoa-nim, really… this cover song is unbelievable. My ears are in ecstasy. I hope I haven’t melted.”

“It was amazing.”

It may feel awkward or unfamiliar, but one thing is clear – being happier now than when I was less popular and received less attention.

***

D-60, D-45, D-30, D-7, D-Day.

Finally, the day of debut arrived. From my experience working on Scarlet’s 1st digital album, I knew that no matter how many days you prepare, it’s never enough – it’s already D-Day.

A Saturday in mid-April, after spring has arrived and flowers are slowly blooming. The weather today is clear, with the sun shining down as if to celebrate Laria’s debut.

“Is it today? Linne Virtual Idol Project, Palette.”

“Oh, today? No wonder, our Seoa looks as excited as kids going on a picnic.”

To be precise, it starts sequentially from 1 PM. Since I was scheduled last, my performance would start at 5 PM. But I need to prepare diligently before that. They say well begun is half done, so I can’t afford to be careless and mess up half of it.

“Our Seoa is an idol… Well, she’s got the looks, the body, and she sings well. Her personality is too sweet, almost too sweet to be true. She’s got it all.”

“Mm.”

To be precise, she’s a bit different from an idol. I don’t know. Since it’s come to this, might as well aim for idol-level success. After breakfast, I stayed behind with the headmaster to clean the dining hall.

“Alright, we’re done here. Go get ready for the broadcast. Embrace everyone and come back. The divine sun, Laria.”

Truly, headmaster.

I even know the nickname she’ll be using.

“I’ll be back.”

My room, like a neglected warehouse in the orphanage. From this small room, a new beginning starts today.

I chose this distant room over a better one for music instead of broadcasting, to avoid causing trouble for the kids.

But somehow, it turned into meeting the broadcasting requirements. They say you never know what lies ahead in life, and here I am, quitting my heavy metal band to become a streamer, and today, debuting as a YouTuber.

Anyway, as I promised before, no matter what I do, I’ll always be myself. That’s a fact that won’t change. Let’s do this!

Starting from the debut day, except for regular meetings and special occasions, I work remotely for the company. Calling it remote work sounds weighty, but it’s just broadcasting from home, which is quite comfortable to think about.

[Palette Live Room]

Until 1 p.m., right before the debut, we decided to chat in a group voice chat room. Perhaps that’s why everyone was online early in the morning.

“Hey, everyone.”

“Laha.”

“Is La-sensei here?”

“Laria-nim! The sun has risen~.”

“Hello.”

Maybe because it’s the debut day, the tension and excited voices are quite impressive. By the way, a week before the debut, we decided to call each other by nicknames instead of names to prevent any mistakes. Let’s summarize it briefly once more.

Me – Laria

Goeun – Gmeum

Hyobin – Sku

Sunsu – Yuu

Minji – Hamchii

At first, it was awkward and hard to remember, but now it’s different. We naturally communicate by calling each other by our nicknames.

“By the way, the manager seems quiet. Is he here?”

“Maybe he’s busy preparing to avoid any broadcast troubles before the debut?”

“Ah, that makes sense. Indeed, veterans are different…”

“My microphone was off?! No wonder! I’m so nervous!”

Not so different after all.

By the way, after going through many things and becoming closer over about two months, the manager naturally started to relax and talk more.

“Well, this nervousness is also a fun experience. It’s not strange to be nervous before debuting. Agree?”

“Haha! Manager, you seem to be as nervous as us, almost debuting together.”

“Should I just leave…?”

The manager responds appropriately to Sku’s joke. The atmosphere seems good.

“It’s a joke. Now, I’m so nervous that I might mess up. Give me your hand.”

The manager answered his own question, making it sound scary.

“Hand!”

Today, the manager, whether genuinely nervous or pretending to be nervous to help us relax, made our voices brighter.

“Hahaha! What are you doing?”

“Phew.”

“Hey, Chi-neun, are you okay?”

“Huh? Um, well, I’m a bit nervous. But with the other team members here, I feel better… Help me! I need to play the guitar, but my hands are shaking like I got electrocuted!”

Hamchii, Chi-neun, also joins in the joking.

“Thank you, everyone. Thanks for easing the tension with fun jokes.”

“Is that true?!”

“I’m really nervous, Laria!”

It wasn’t a joke?!

We all burst into laughter.

“Haha! Why? Just show what you’ve practiced.”

“That might not be difficult for the genius known as Master Lassen, but for me, a mere commoner… ”

“It’s okay. From what I’ve seen of your performances so far, I believe you’ll do just fine.”

“Oh, hearing you say that makes me feel like I can do it again.”

“Are all the preparations for the guitar in place? Have you set everything up in advance?”

“Yes.”

Chi’s guitar, Maestro, was borrowed from the company for the time being. Fortunately, they agreed without hesitation.

I found out that Chi also lives alone in a soundproof studio-like apartment. It seems like that was the whole point of living there in the first place.

“Alright then. Just like how a wrongly drawn stroke can turn into a stroke of genius in a painting, showing your mistakes can sometimes make you more endearing. So don’t worry, just think of it as showing what you’ve practiced.”

“…Master Lassen. I’m touched. I bow to you.”

“No, there’s no need to bow.”

“Haha, impressive. With Laria around, I feel reassured. I may have built it, but I made the right choice in making it a sun.”

Meanwhile, Yuu’s voice and Scu’s voice almost overlapped.

“What, please cheer for me too!”

“I’m cheering too!”

“Everyone else is the same.”

I called out everyone’s nicknames one by one to boost their spirits, including the manager.

“Even me… That’s a nice thing to say, Laria, aren’t you nervous?”

“I’m more excited than nervous. I’ve been on many stages before, but I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited.”

“Is that so? Haha. Well, that’s a relief. Now you’ve received our support. Let me explain the relay broadcast one more time.”

The manager immediately started talking about the relay broadcast. If Chi was really nervous and asked for help, no matter how much I thought about it, it seemed like the manager was trying to ease the tension.

Starting from 1 p.m., each of us will have an hour, starting with Hyobin (Scu), then Goeun (Gumye), Minji (Hamchi), Sunsoo (Yuu), and me (Laria).

“As someone new, I’ll be just as important as Laria unnie. I’ll show you confidently.”

She’s the type who can handle more than her share of work, excluding singing. She confidently responded as usual.

“Right. Scu is reliable too. The expected number of viewers… with the debut broadcast, the review event, and Camomile’s grateful promotion. Also, the popularity of Laria’s cover song and Yuu’s cover song has garnered attention, right?”

“Oh, Laria’s cover song was featured in a real-time popular song video.”

“Still, your cover song also became a hot topic in various communities.”

The manager’s words were not empty.

With the news of Kakabi debuting as a YouTuber, various YouTuber communities were once again buzzing.

“Anyway, so we predict around 700 to 800 viewers. It could be more.”

“Wow. That’s really a lot… My highest career high is 50. How many times that…”

Should I give them another round of encouragement? This time, the manager stepped in.

“Don’t worry about the numbers. It won’t do any good. Even if there’s a decline, think about maintaining the pace. If you’re really concerned, you can cover the screen with sticky notes.”

Although I’ve gotten used to running an unpopular band, the real-time fluctuations in viewership are more stressful than I thought.

“From the debut onwards, mental and health management are top priorities. If something difficult happens, speak up immediately…”

The time of promise is slowly approaching. The manager left a final, somewhat verbose remark.

“Let’s become emperors and rule the world! Today’s debut will be the cornerstone of that.”

“Haha. You sound like a complete villain.”

“We’ll rule with love and peace, romance and dreams. We’re the heroes on the side of justice, not villains.”

To prevent Miyeon’s mistake, she left the voice chat room.

1 PM, the promised time. The first broadcast of the Lyn Virtual Idol Project, Palette. I waited for it to start after a brief moment.

[Lyn Virtual Idol Project, Palette! Bomsangari Scoo debuts.]

The relay debut broadcast that we practiced so hard for has begun.

Expected viewers: 700-800. But more than 1,000 viewers have already tuned in.