Chapter 32: Good job, my daughter

As the second song neared its end, Winter took a breath and flicked her fingers once more.

With a visual effect of the ice palace cracking, transparent glass stairs spiraled onto the stage.

At the same time, her platinum blonde hair turned black again.

It wasn’t the exact same color as before. This time, it was mixed with a hint of red.

The ribbon hanging at the end of her hair came undone, fluttering downwards.

The moment the ribbon touched the hem of her dress, flames whooshed up.

The dress shortened in an instant. Her fair, beautiful legs were revealed up to her thighs.

The stage and costume changing in an instant.

Even that became a visual effect.

This was a unique charm of a stage in a virtual space that is hard to see on a real-world stage.

In the neon sign lighting, cheerful band music began to play.

This was also a very familiar song.

A famous animated movie theme song that had already been covered by many VTubers.

-Did the backlight go up?!

-You went to America, so now you have to go to Japan kkk

-Korean, English, and now Japanese!

-Come to think of it, didn’t Mary cover this too?

-I’m going to overtake my senior now

-Already far surpassed Mary based on the first song stream. This is legendary.

Winter casually sat on the stairs.

She crossed her long legs and rested her chin on her hand with her elbow on the railing.

Her gaze was askew, and her eyes were mischievous.

In that state, she nodded her head.

As if she had become a different person, Winter exuded a seductive atmosphere and let out a high note once again.

An hour passed in an instant.

After all the prepared stages were over, Winter took a breath.

Winter chuckled at the words ‘Encore!’ and ‘Jjinmak!’ endlessly rising above the chat window.

It was only a virtual space at best.

There wasn’t a single audience member in front of her.

But her body trembled as if she had just come off a real stage.

Of course, she had never performed in reality, so she didn’t know if it was really the same feeling, but she was sure that it wouldn’t be much different.

“Everyone… thank you.”

As she spoke briefly, her eyes became moist for no reason.

It felt like the regrets of the past had been somewhat healed through today’s stage.

It felt like she could do anything now.

Her emotions were overwhelmed with such confidence and joy.

Suddenly, tearful emoticons started to flood the chat window.

Some were worried that she was crying.

Some were teasing her for crying from her debut broadcast.

Some were crying with her, saying that they were also touched.

Such chats caught Winter’s eye.

When she suddenly looked at herself reflected on the broadcast screen, her eyes were full of tears, shining transparently.

The tears in Seo-ah’s eyes welled up and gathered on Winter’s pupils.

‘Really… you didn’t have to implement even this,’ Winter grumbled in a sulky voice, feeling embarrassed for no reason.

It was so easy to hide my emotions because my old avatar hardly had any facial expressions.

Now that this avatar captures even the smallest changes in my face, it’s not easy to maintain my haughty persona.

But I have no intention of using the old avatar again.

“I, actually, had a lot of worries while preparing for my debut broadcast.”

Winter wiped away the tears that had welled up in her eyes and spoke her last words in a trembling voice.

“I wondered if it was okay to do something this big from the start, what if I made a mistake, wouldn’t I be causing trouble for the people who are helping me… but, I really wanted to challenge myself.”

A faint smile appeared on Winter’s lips.

Her red cheeks were lovely.

“I was able to sing and dance because of the precious people who decorated today’s stage, and because of the many people who stayed with me until the end. Thank you all so much!”

A subtle background music was played in time with Winter’s greeting.

“I’m only going to sing one more song. I’m going to sing more in the future, and I’m going to show you more content, so please look forward to it.”

At the same time, the entire screen switched to a night sky.

A space where the lights were reduced to monochrome and starlight like grains of sand sparkled.

Below it, Winter’s pure white dress shone even more luxuriously.

“It’ll be hard if I belt it out until the end, so I’ll go with a calmer song.”

A bouncy melody mixed with the subtle background music.

It was an unfamiliar sound, but it made me hum along without realizing it.

[When I was around 12 years old.]

[I was even younger than you are now.]

[The me who went back to that time.]

[Would I be able to sing again?]

This is a song about Winter’s, Seo-ah’s story.

I vaguely remember when I was very young, I loved to go on stage and sing and dance.

I was so pure back then.

But as I was caught up in entrance exams and headed for a stable career path, I became farther away from my dream.

There is a saying that it is most unfortunate to have ambiguous talent.

That’s exactly what Seo-ah was like. If I had been tone-deaf and a klutz, I would have given up cleanly. But I had lingering regrets for no reason.

But as Winter, I regained the purity of that time.

Even though it’s an empty studio.

Standing in the center of the stage.

Exchanging breaths in real time through the chat window.

The act of singing a song that makes everyone happy.

‘After all, it’s fun.’

[Please sing.]

[With your beautiful voice.]

[I hope it becomes]

[A sweet comfort.]

Bouncy chorus.

The starlight in the night sky background twinkled all at once.

Silver fragments erupted from the end of Winter’s dress skirt.

The dazzling visual effects and clear high notes combined to captivate the hearts of those watching the broadcast.

If you watch the stage quietly, it felt like Winter was shouting like this.

How can you not become my fan?

What else can you do besides waving your light sticks and screaming!

After the song ended, snowstorms raged on the broadcast screen.

The lights and dress on the stage flashed dazzlingly, then gradually faded away.

-Tore it up.

-All-time legend…

-Are all the other members going to have concerts later?

-No way, if you do this from the first broadcast kkk

The phrase ‘This channel’s broadcast has ended’ was displayed, but the ten thousand or so viewers who hadn’t gotten over the afterglow remained in the chat window and poured out all sorts of impressions.

That’s how intense Winter’s debut concert was.

The performance was over.

The broadcast was turned off.

The splendid stage became a quiet room.

Winter returned to Seo-ah.

“…Haa.”

Facing the pitch-black screen, Seo-ah let out a tired sigh that she had been holding back.

A spoonful of dazed feeling from a sense of accomplishment was mixed in, leaving a deep afterglow.

Suddenly, Seo-ah’s smartphone rang once.

Seo-ah’s gaze turned to the side.

[Jina Mama: The concert, you worked hard. Thank you for your hard work.]

Seo-ah’s eyes widened as she checked the message that appeared on the screen.

She stretched out her arm, picked up her smartphone, unlocked the screen, and

Called the number that was registered at the top of her favorite contacts.

[Winter-nim?]

“Jina-nim. This is really sudden, but there’s something I want to hear. Can you tell me that?”

[What do you want to hear?]

Seo-ah was about to say it right away, but she took a short breath.

“Do… do you know that the person who made the VTuber’s avatar is called the VTuber’s Mama?”

I’m so embarrassed and shy to ask.

“If that’s the case, then I, no Winter is, can be said to be Jina-nim’s daughter, and… Winter just did something very, no, pretty amazing…”

I’m so embarrassed that I’m just beating around the bush.

“Then here’s the question, what should Mama say to Winter?”

Seo-ah swallowed a hollow laugh inside.

Oh, geez. What am I even saying? I’m not a kid.

“Ahaha. It’s nothing. Just pretend you didn’t hear it…”

[…You worked hard, my daughter.]

“!!”

The short but intense words pricked Seo-ah’s heart.

“I… I couldn’t hear you properly, but can you say it again?”

[I’m a little embarrassed…]

“But still. Just one more time. Okay?”

[You worked hard, my daughter.]

At that moment, her eyes became hot and her vision blurred.

“Did I… did I really do well?”

It felt like my head was wiped blank.

I somehow managed to hold it in during the concert.

This time, I don’t think I can hold it in.

[…Winter-nim, are you crying?]

Seo-ah let out a short sob instead of answering.

She wanted to continue speaking, but her throat was choked up and no sound came out.

Beyond the smartphone, I can feel Jina quietly silent.

Hmm- a drowsy breath.

A strange sense of relief came over her, and Seo-ah finally burst into tears.

“I… I, really, prepared a lot… It was really hard… Haa… What should I do. I can’t even speak properly… I… I… U, uuuh…”

A sobbing voice flowed down with tears.

A complaint that wasn’t even a word came out in a flustered jumble.

Words that I couldn’t bring myself to say to my real parents.

Poured out to the virtual Mama.

She wiped away tears with one hand, wiped her face, and eventually dropped her arm with a thud.

Embarrassment and pride disappeared without a trace.

Yeah, just for today.

Seo-ah burst into tears, intertwining dozens of words that she had carefully hidden in her heart.

[Are you feeling better? If it’s hard, shall we meet up for a bit?]

“…No. I’m going to be super ugly right now.”

Seo-ah sniffed and tried to wipe away her tears.

“Crying is… just for today. I’m only going to show Jina-nim my pretty and confident side.”

A low laughter echoed beyond the smartphone at Seo-ah’s embarrassment-filled grumbling.

[But tell me anytime if it’s hard. Well, I’m not in a better situation, so I’m not good at comforting others, but I’m good at listening.]

“Ah, really-! Stop making me cry! I was just getting better…!”

Seo-ah rubbed her cheeks with her palms and sniffed lowly.

Her nose was still red, but her tears had subsided to some extent.

[Then shall we hang up now? You have to broadcast tomorrow too. Your voice will be all hoarse if you cry more.]

“Tomorrow…? Ah… that’s right.”

Seo-ah fiddled with her neck for no reason, let out a hiccup-filled sigh, and frowned slightly.

But my voice, I think it’s already ruined… What should I do about tomorrow’s broadcast?

I finally hit the jackpot with my debut concert, but I can’t just take a break the very next day.

[Lie down on your bed and get some rest. Drink a glass of lukewarm water too.]

“Yesss, I got ittt-“

She chuckled, saying that she was no different from her nagging mom, and hung up the phone.

Then, she put water in the coffee pot and went quietly to bed. Seo-ah is a good daughter who listens well.

As I lay in bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.

“…Ugh.”

The sight of her acting spoiled with Jina flashed through her mind.

“Ugh, uuuuu…!!”

A little.

No, actually, I’m very embarrassed…!

“I’m crazy… I’m crazy, I’m crazy, I’m really crazyyy!!”

She kicked the blanket frantically, and eventually even screamed, “Kyaaaak-!”

Today’s memories are likely to last for quite a long time.