I Want to Be a VTuber

Currently, the only advertisement Seo-yeon has shot well is for Éclat Étoile.

Otherwise, she hasn’t really advertised anything.

Whenever Seo-yeon appears on broadcasts, she always uses Éclat Étoile cosmetics.

She promoted it repeatedly whenever there was a chance, making her quite a valuable celebrity in Éclat Étoile’s eyes.

…Of course, she felt a bit like using it as an excuse.

Anyway, she was in a situation where she could be called a trending celebrity, so the number of advertisements coming in was quite high.

Among them, there were a few that didn’t really suit Seo-yeon personally, like gamepad ads or fishing rod commercials.

Of course, there were proper advertisements too, but for a while, she had no time to shoot any.

‘But I should start thinking about it soon.’

Anyway, advertisements bring in a lot of money.

And help improve the celebrity’s image, too.

‘…It’s because I forgot again as a hyper action star.’

She felt like she had been too enthusiastic in the action acting audition.

To be honest, Seo-yeon was secretly disappointed that Min Do-ha didn’t make it to the finals.

The acting skills that Min Do-ha had shown over time fitted her quite well.

But who would have thought that a Japanese person using nunchaku would make it to the finals?

‘It was Narumi Sora.’

Seo-yeon muttered her name in her mind, tilting her head.

Well, she just couldn’t think of anything.

In any case, in the entertainment industry, if you type in a search term, the information pops up automatically, but there wasn’t much about Narumi Sora.

‘If she had gone back to Korea, maybe I wouldn’t know her.’

She had zero interest in the Japanese entertainment industry in her past life, so it was understandable.

However, considering the acting skills she had shown in the finals, it would be a pity if she remained unknown.

Most of all.

‘I should have asked if she watches Vtubers.’

Of course, it didn’t seem like she would be the type to watch them.

She looked quite guarded before the finals ended.

When she was going to ask afterward, she was met with a solemn gaze.

‘Why did she leave with a good image?’

Anyway, Seo-yeon was feeling a bit conflicted.

Didn’t she take on a good role in acting?

This side had a villain-like performance.

Thanks to that, her own image was again somewhat akin to the murderer Cha Seo-ah.

– Aren’t you tired of having such a strong image all the time?

– Maybe it’s time to quit broadcasting and join the UFC, Seo-yeon.

Such comments were being posted under Seo-yeon’s articles.

It seemed that people thought of her as a physical ability concept.

Considering the number of likes on those posts, it seemed there were quite a few who agreed.

‘This reaction is better anyway.’

There were quite a number of edits running wild in the fan cafe.

Deep down, Seo-yeon felt relieved that the AI era hadn’t started yet.

If it had been the age when AI was rampant, Seo-yeon would have been synthesized into AI, fighting against all kinds of enemies.

Just imagining it made her body tremble.

‘…Although I am participating in an observational variety show as well.’

By the way, they had only two weeks left until filming for the observational variety show began.

So, there wasn’t much time left.

But before that, it might be a good idea to think about an advertisement as well.

For the image, rather than the income.

However.

“Seo-yeon, how about this advertisement? It’s a chicken ad.”

In six months, for a chicken brand that bullied its franchise owners.

“Oh, this one is good too. I heard it’s a brand created by a recent BJ, and it’s popular with the youngsters.”

A brand created by an internet broadcasting BJ who ventured into business.

By the way, this brand would go bankrupt within a year.

Of course, the image of the actors who advertised it would naturally go down with it.

‘I’m troubled…’

There were other safe advertisements, but nothing seemed particularly appealing.

Seo-yeon sighed.

Having a lot of information in her head sometimes became a disadvantage.

Because knowing too much made her overly critical about everything.

Should she just pick something randomly?

But among these, there didn’t seem to be anything that would help improve her image.

‘Why am I not getting luxury brand advertisements like Jung-woo sunbae?’

Even while thinking that, considering her current image captured on the internet.

‘…It can’t be helped.’

She just had to accept it.

Her current image was far from the typical elegant actress image.

‘Maybe I should just try a public service ad for the fire department.’

But would it really be appropriate for Seo-yeon, who had been running around wielding a fire axe, to do a public service advertisement?

Such questions lingered in her mind.

“I’ll think about it a bit more.”

“Yeah. Sure. You’re busy with your project activities anyway, so let’s choose the ads carefully.”

Seeing the oddly gloomy Seo-yeon, Manager Park Eun-ha felt proud of her.

‘Even with so many big ads out there, she prioritizes her project activities.’

Manager Park Eun-ha seemed to be blinded by her admiration for Seo-yeon.

In her eyes, Seo-yeon was an actress who prioritized her projects even while being called a top star.

In reality, Seo-yeon had shot only one advertisement for Éclat Étoile.

She hadn’t even looked twice at the other advertisements that came her way.

What a great role model for a wonderful actress!

Anyway.

‘I must hurry and return to being the mysterious actress of the past.’

While thinking about such things, Seo-yeon suddenly remembered something.

Even though there were no advertisements that had come to her, there was one place she could request directly.

It was an advertisement for a chair brand.

*

A week after the end of [Hyper Action Star].

Seo-yeon went to GH Group once more.

Primarily to celebrate her significant performance in [Hyper Action Star] and to get a rough introduction to her upcoming schedule.

“Thank you for your hard work in the audition. However, I’m afraid we won’t be able to start filming right away.”

Director Kang Tae-jin from GH Group’s Cultural Business Department said that and instructed her to rest for now.

It seemed they had found the lead role, but were still in the process of casting the other actors.

“Probably filming will start, at the earliest, about three months from now… about when the currently airing drama ends.”

Director Kang Tae-jin mentioned [Sky Garden], perhaps he was aware of it.

Then he gestured to the man beside him.

It was their first meeting.

However, Seo-yeon immediately recognized who he was.

‘Han Ye-geon, the director?’

He was a well-known director even in her previous life.

Even now, he was recognized as a ‘genius director’, but the real deal would come to light in a few years.

When OTT dramas became the trend, that’s when his true talents would shine.

He was the person who created visually stunning dramas with investments from a major overseas OTT platform.

‘It was called [Child's Game].’

That name rang a bell.

He was so famous that Seo-yeon didn’t even need to dig through her memory.

He even stubbornly declared that despite the huge success, he wouldn’t film a sequel for [Child's Game] and stepped back.

The season two of [Child's Game], without him, didn’t perform nearly as well as the first season, but that was quite decent considering how good the first season was.

‘But is such a director involved in [Mine]?’

Is this really alright?

What about [Child's Game]?

‘What if [Mine] caused [Child's Game] to flop?’

That couldn’t be a small loss.

Anyway, [Child's Game] had a significant impact on the Korean drama market.

“…Do you know me?”

Then, Director Han Ye-geon, who had been quietly listening, spoke up.

“Pardon?”

Seo-yeon, taken aback, responded.

“I’ve noticed you staring over here for a while, so I wondered if you knew me.”

“Oh, yes. I know you. You’re Director Han Ye-geon, right?”

“…Hmm. I’m not someone an actress like Seo-yeon should be aware of.”

Judging solely by what was said, he might seem like an experienced director, but Han Ye-geon was actually only in his mid-thirties.

A young director who succeeded wildly at a young age.

‘His unique personality was also famous in my previous life.’

He was known for clashing a lot with actors.

Stubborn and somewhat headstrong.

But he had the talent, so despite the complaints, actors wished to work with him.

“Oh, I previously introduced you. The director for this [Mine] will be Director Han Ye-geon.”

“Aha.”

As the two chatted, Director Kang Tae-jin interjected.

“He said he had a lot he wanted to tell you when he met you, Seo-yeon.”

“Ah, yes. What is it?”

Han Ye-geon nodded at Director Kang Tae-jin, who was speaking like a slick talker.

He really had a lot to say to Seo-yeon.

‘In person, she doesn’t match the image on screen.’

Despite the slightly ridiculous image she had on online communities.

That’s a community thing, and apart from that, the image of ‘actress Joo Seo-yeon’ was quite positive.

‘The most striking image is Cha Seo-ah.’

In other words, a villain-type image.

Not the cheap villain typically found, but rather a more refined antagonist.

Mysterious eyes.

Jet-black hair that reminds you of a dark night.

Combined with her characteristic chilly atmosphere, she was a girl that fit in quite well.

‘Now I understand why there’s so much talk about wanting to use her as a villain.’

Han Ye-geon occasionally interacted with other directors.

Whenever they discussed recent actors, Seo-yeon was the one most frequently mentioned.

A young actress.

Among the younger actresses, those with talent are quite rare.

Even when they find the right actress, they often fill roles with actors of a certain age.

Young actors end up lacking in skill to some extent.

So, talented young actresses are incredibly rare.

This was also why Jo Seo-hee was favored by directors.

And recently, among the young actresses who have increased their recognition, Joo Seo-yeon was right up there.

‘But could Joo Seo-yeon only play villains? Hmm, that doesn’t seem right.’

Indeed, Jo Ha-rin from [Dream Future] portrayed a lively character.

That might be her true color.

‘However, Cha Seo-ah’s image overshadowed Jo Ha-rin somewhat.’

While observing Joo Seo-yeon, Han Ye-geon stroked his chin.

When he saw her on-screen, the impression he got was that the character ‘Yeohwa’ played from the preliminary rounds was similar to Cha Seo-ah.

However, seeing Seo-yeon in person, it felt like…

‘Is she a bit too lively?’

Upon closer inspection, that was the case.

Though she masked it with a blank expression, her constantly moving eyes revealed a depth of emotion.

As she looked at Han Ye-geon, she displayed an incredible curiosity.

That sensitivity made Han Ye-geon smile without realizing it.

‘Such a smile.’

Usually, many actors would look at him with a certain demeanor describing him as a ‘genius director.’

Also, he had a reputation for being quite sensitive.

Because of that, Han Ye-geon generally disliked being looked at by others.

Yet for some reason.

Seo-yeon’s gaze made him smile involuntarily.

Could it be that it resembled the gaze of curious puppies looking at strangers?

Just pure curiosity.

“Seo-yeon.”

“Yes.”

Han Ye-geon had seen Seo-yeon act before.

To be honest, her unbelievable physical abilities were astounding, but that wasn’t acting.

“I have a lot of things I want to do in this film.”

Perhaps it was the lively impression she displayed now.

And the intensity she showcased as ‘Yeohwa’ during the audition.

He wanted to encompass both sides.

“Is that okay?”

This wasn’t a question; it was effectively a notification.

Typically, an actor would be tense upon hearing such words, but Seo-yeon nodded her head with a look full of enthusiasm.

Han Ye-geon found her expression quite satisfying.

“That’s great.”

Anyone who knew Han Ye-geon would be astonished at how brightly he smiled.

*

“Excuse me? An advertisement?”

The team lead, Kwak Hyun-woo, at the advertising planning team of Aids, doubted his ears when he heard what he just heard.

“Is that really true?”

“Yes, that was from Nova Entertainment’s manager. She definitely said it was Joo Seo-yeon’s manager.”

“So, Joo Seo-yeon wants to advertise for our brand?”

“Exactly.”

At those words, Kwak Hyun-woo was further bewildered.

Of course, Aids was a moderately successful chair brand.

However, compared to competitors, they didn’t stand out.

Above all.

‘We don’t usually hire expensive advertising models, do we?’

They typically didn’t see the merit in hiring pricey advertising models.

In the past, they had recruited various celebrities who were trending, but had seen little effect.

Just working with unknown actors or idols wasn’t much different.

“Aish, she’s currently riding the wave of popularity! How much is she going to ask for?”

It was a rare occurrence for the agency to reach out first.

It happened occasionally, but only under specific circumstances.

Nova Entertainment had previously collaborated with Aids to advertise for another celebrity, which allowed them to reach out.

However, now that one of their actors was gaining popularity, it seemed they wanted to squeeze in another advertisement.

‘This is strange, isn’t it?’

By this point, Joo Seo-yeon should have been getting CF offers rolling in, so why would she particularly choose Aids for an ad?

“Then do I need to inform them that we decline?”

“Wait, wait. Just give me a moment.”

Kwak Hyun-woo pondered for a moment, folding his arms and shaking his body lazily.

“Well, let’s have a meeting to explore this.”

Let’s hear what their reason is for seeking a deal with Aids.

That’s what he decided.

After all, he could see no rationale behind their request for an advertisement from Aids.

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