I Want to Be a VTuber

Young-bin felt good today.

The anger from having to stay at the office for days was melting away like snow on a warm day.

“Team Leader, you’ve worked hard preparing for the launch. The director said you can leave early today to rest.”

Since it came from above, he quickly accepted it.

Of course, he was told he would still get paid for the day, so there was nothing to worry about.

‘I never thought I’d actually get to leave at this time.’

Young-bin, who worked at a gaming company, was generally pretty busy.

He often pulled all-nighters, and his return times were always irregular.

Recently, he’d been particularly busy preparing for the launch of a new game.

This break was sweeter than anything.

If he played his cards right, this might be his chance to become a director, and he pushed himself hard in many ways.

‘Today I’ll finally catch up on the games I’ve been missing.’

He didn’t have any worries about the game launch from the company.

It was just another run-of-the-mill production; he recognized the current director’s skill but didn’t know much about games.

‘I really miss high school.’

Back then, he used to make games with Suah.

Anyway, they won prizes at competitions.

He could have gotten hired with that, but the games he was working on now were a bit different from his dreams.

‘If I become a director this time, maybe I can break free?’

He thought while looking around the house.

‘Huh? Where did that frame go?’

He couldn’t find the picture of the swordsmanship outfit that his daughter had torn in half.

His daughter had vehemently opposed it, but Young-bin thought it was crazy cool and had hung it up.

He knew his daughter was a bit strong, but he didn’t expect this much.

‘But where did it go?’

He rummaged around the house with that thought in mind.

After some searching…

“Hmm.”

It was oddly quiet.

The layout of the house felt somehow different too.

‘Did they really do some heavy cleaning today?’

Young-bin wasn’t too concerned.

Among the family, he was the only one who didn’t know about the appearance on [Golden Duckling].

He’d been so busy with work that he didn’t have a chance to mention it.

He had been living at the company during the camera setup, so he was completely in the dark.

‘Is it in my daughter’s room?’

He felt as though he could hear whispered voices.

He strode over and knocked three times on Seo-yeon’s door before barging in.

“Our little dinosaur, what are you doing with Mom?”

But then…

“Huh?”

Instantly, Young-bin was taken aback.

Couldn’t be helped—Suah was dressed up suspiciously.

She had made an effort with her makeup and her hair was neatly styled.

Looking at her outfit was another shock.

“Wha-what are you barging in like that for?”

His startled daughter said.

Her usual lack of emotion was replaced by rare bewilderment.

‘What’s going on?’

Something felt off.

Young-bin’s instincts were on high alert.

And just when he was about to ask…

“W-we should go outside first.”

He had no choice but to be dragged out by Suah.

After all, Young-bin was an endlessly weak man when it came to his daughter.

*

Dad’s sudden return was unexpected.

He thought today would be okay since he’d heard he was working overtime, but here he was.

Now was not the time to talk.

Especially since the camera was rolling; there was no good moment to say anything.

Even if he did, that scene would likely be cut, but Young-bin’s reaction would surely change.

Plus, it felt like if he talked about it…

‘It would probably just get boring.’

Oddly, he was definitely sensitive about such things.

When he thought about being in front of the camera, he knew he had to manage their image.

So he decided to let it be, but then…

“I don’t get it.”

Young-bin said, sticking close to Seo-yeon.

“Our daughter didn’t just bounce back from that, right?”

“…….”

“Ah, is she trying to bounce back in the game too?”

Seo-yeon’s hand gripping the mouse trembled with a tremor.

Sure, she had just walked into the path of a bullet, but that wasn’t exactly her intention.

She thought she could last at least one hit.

But she didn’t expect it to hit her in the head.

‘I wasn’t even playing a game.’

Honestly, she had no intention of gaming.

E-sports were more like a secret weapon; she was supposed to do something else.

But Young-bin coming home early threw her off.

‘Still, she had shown commitment in her studies before.’

She thought it might relieve some of the pressure.

Just then…

[Headshot!]

A cheerful voice rang out as Seo-yeon’s character fell backward with a thud.

“Don’t you get the concept of cover?”

“…….”

She killed a lot and died a lot.

That was Seo-yeon’s gaming style.

But having Young-bin beside her felt like she was dying even more than usual.

Naturally, Young-bin’s teasing tone increased.

‘Why isn’t she reacting like she usually does today?’

Normally, she’d have shot down any ridiculous claims with her voice, but now she was silent.

‘Hmm.’

That was strangely puzzling, but Young-bin kept teasing.

Of course, with every jab, she died more.

“Ugh, seriously.”

Annoyed, Seo-yeon helplessly poked Young-bin in the side with her finger.

Not too hard, just enough to make him lean sideways slightly.

But then poke!

She felt something peculiar.

“……?”

When Seo-yeon looked at Young-bin with a puzzled expression, he was grinning confidently.

“Hey, this has good specs!”

As Seo-yeon eyed him suspiciously, Young-bin pulled down the zipper of his hoodie.

Lo and behold, he was wearing the half-torn swordsmanship outfit like a vest.

“My daughter hid this away, didn’t she?”

“…….”

“Was she embarrassed to show it off?”

“…….”

“And from now on, you should take up swordsmanship. You’re fierce.”

With that, Seo-yeon lifted the chair where Young-bin was seated.

Of course, Young-bin came up with her.

‘I think I understand why Lee Yoo-joo tried to deliver a chair shot.’

Well, it was somewhat different than that chair shot.

*

[Golden Duckling] is an immensely popular variety show airing on MDC.

Its average viewership rating is over 9 percent.

When it’s at its peak, it can easily maintain over 10 percent, placing it in the category of hit variety programs.

Therefore, requests from stars wanting to join it flooded in… roughly half a year ago.

“I heard Joo Seo-yeon is making her first appearance today.”

“Is that alright? Variety show appearances can be quite hit-or-miss.”

In the midst of that, to renew the atmosphere, Director Jeon Ha-young boldly invited in one of the hottest actors right now, Joo Seo-yeon.

However…

“Hmm, I’m not sure.”

“But every variety show she’s been in has been a hit, right? I thought every appearance of Joo Seo-yeon was fun.”

“Oh, I’m not doubting Joo Seo-yeon. It’s just that…”

The notion among the internal staff was that actors weren’t entertaining.

After all, being an actor means living off of an image; they’re usually down-to-earth.

Once you dig a little, you find out they like gaming or they come from a regular family.

That kind of vibe was fine, but the clichés were always similar.

Since they lived off their image, they had to manage it well even in observational variety shows.

In reality, one actor who showed a rough lifestyle had boosted ratings significantly, but…

‘The actual quality of the works they were offered dropped.’

Most movies they participated in emphasized the actor’s mystique, so once that illusion was broken, their marketability went down as well.

The fans who loved the mysterious image had also begun to drift away.

That’s why there were talks of a slump lately.

But still…

“You seem worry-free, Director.”

“Me? I’m completely thrilled!”

Director Jeon Ha-young was all smiles.

When the other staff asked why, she wouldn’t spill the beans.

‘What happened after the meeting with Joo Seo-yeon that made her so confident?’

There was a meeting with Seo-yeon’s mother, who would also be a guest.

He couldn’t understand why she seemed so certain after that.

‘Star Fisher was definitely entertaining.’

‘Really? I preferred Hyper Action Star…’

Because of that, the staff began to suspect.

Although she was an actress, they couldn’t help but wonder.

This was partly due to the vital role the directors played in observational variety shows.

The narrative of these shows heavily relied on the director’s skills.

Editing decided whether the observational show was entertaining or not.

Since observational variety shows used camera work extensively and needed strong character traits, the skill of the PD was crucial in emphasizing particular points in the show.

Among all the variety shows that randomly popped up, [Golden Duckling] was the only one to have endured.

So there was considerable trust in Director Jeon Ha-young.

“I’m a bit excited, to be honest.”

“It felt like the show had become a mere image-making exercise for a while, so I hope this will be different.”

“I hope it doesn’t just end with hype.”

Naturally, the broadcast staff eagerly awaited the filming day.

“Alright, today we have a new guest!”

“Wow, I heard a new golden duckling is coming!”

While filming [Golden Duckling], the MC and the panel members excitedly welcomed their guest.

In this show, a ‘golden duck’ refers to a person appearing on it.

A young star.

From now on, they would become the protagonists of everyday life on screen.

“That’s right! So, who is it?!”

Everyone listened intently to the main MC, Gong Hyung-man.

“It’s none other than Joo Seo-yeon!”

With his announcement, footage from [The Chaser] began playing on the screen.

That’s when the panel members showed their astonishment.

There was only one young actress from [The Chaser].

If [Dream Future] was included, it was a certainty.

“It’s Joo Seo-yeon!!”

Claps, claps, applause filled the room as Gong Hyung-man looked around.

Everyone was astonished, mouths covered in surprise, yet concern was evident in their eyes.

The last guest had plummeted the ratings after all.

They needed to recover this time, but… another actor?

‘Wouldn’t it be better to have a more novel profession instead?’

But what special job could someone that young have?

Still, wouldn’t an idol have been better?

That was the thought swirling in their minds.

“So now, let’s welcome our ‘golden duck’s mom. Please don’t be shocked!”

“What?”

“Is she anyone famous?”

“No, not really. No, Joo Seo-yeon isn’t a star’s second-generation.”

Gong Hyung-man said in a sly tone.

That left the other panel members puzzled.

Why was he acting like that?

‘Just the usual hype, I suppose.’

Although they might have been briefed on the new golden duck, this was the first time they were meeting her parent.

They were curious, but what is a parent, if not, a regular person?

Unless it’s a celebrity second-generation, most parents turn out to be quite ordinary.

They hoped she would at least be good at banter.

Joo Seo-yeon’s mother would likely be in her mid-forties.

In which case, they often encountered quite the grumpy ones.

They wished for no controversies, Please.

Just then…

Clank!!

The new golden duck’s mother entered.

Everyone prepared to react and raised their hands to clap.

“Wha?”

As everyone froze in their tracks, still in their clapping position.

“Here is the mother of joo Seo-yeon, Min Suah!”

Mother? Is this real?

Her long hair was tied up, and her slightly drooping eyes showed a slight tremor.

Her awkward smile and porcelain skin had not a single wrinkle.

Although she wasn’t especially tall, her proportions were stunning.

She had a slim waist, wide hips, long legs, and appropriately plump thighs enhanced her curvy figure.

And the most striking thing was…

‘What the heck is that?’

The female panel members doubted their own eyes.

‘Wait, wait.’

The male panel members quickly averted their gazes.

If they gawked too obviously, it could lead to disaster.

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