Chapter 17: Become one with a vtuber

While Jinha and Winter were staring at each other as if having a silent staring contest, Youngjun cleared his throat with a “kheum” to attract their attention.

“As I naturally revealed while introducing Winter-nim, as you know, we at Cosmo Live are preparing for the debut of the 3rd generation.”

“The 3rd generation’s group name is Seasons, right? Is the theme the four seasons?”

“Yes, that’s right. Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. Four VTubers will debut at the same time.”

Jinha nodded slowly, understanding why they needed four high-quality avatars.

“The avatars have already been made. But as you can see… the quality is a bit lacking.”

Youngjun said, pointing to Winter’s avatar.

“When you just look at the idle state, it doesn’t look that bad.”

“The problem is the side view and when it moves. Especially with Winter’s avatar, the facial animations are quite serious.”

“Certainly… the previous worker didn’t really pay attention to rigging.”

Jinha’s avatar moved closer to examine Winter’s avatar in detail.
“…Hic!”

Startled by the sudden narrowing of the distance, Winter tensed up and trembled slightly.

Was VR Chat… originally this realistic?

The only reason she was able to barely maintain her composure was because she was in her calm and composed Winter mode.

“The person who was in charge of Cherry and Mary is originally a Live 2D artist…”

“Ah ha. So they missed some details in the 3D model work…”

“…Ha-oot!”

“…?”

“…S-sorry. I suddenly sneezed.”

Winter stuttered and waved her hand.

As Jinha examined her avatar thoroughly from every nook and cranny, she felt like she was being stripped naked and exposed, making her head feel hot.

“Actually, when we discussed it internally, there was talk of just asking for a simple renewal since the existing ones weren’t too bad.”

“Certainly, that would cost less. And there wouldn’t be much work to do.”

“But after seeing Jinha-nim’s avatar… I think it’s better to create new ones after all.”

The project was bigger than expected.

Four high-quality avatars.

Moreover, all four avatars were to be used as the face of a company

“If it’s an avatar for the 3rd generation… I’ll have to put more effort into it. Since many people will be waiting.”

Hearing Jinha’s words, Winter secretly clenched her fist.

She felt like waving a glow stick.

Our Mama, so cool! The best! Kyaaak!!

“Please tell us anything you need. We will assign a dedicated staff to prioritize supporting Jinha-nim.”

“I’ll probably be relying on you a lot. Honestly, for a VTuber’s avatar, quality is important… but even more important than that is the concept.”

At Jinha’s words, Youngjun and Winter nodded simultaneously.

In particular, Youngjun nodded his head vigorously, as if he was a woodpecker, showing his intense agreement.

“That’s right! Why the character has this hairstyle, why their eyes are this color, why they wear these clothes… These things are what really attract people!”

Come to think of it, Hana, and Han Ari, were really lucky.

In fact, Hana was a model created from Jinha’s dark desires, secret tastes, and the desire to experiment with the latest technology.

Detailed concept? That wasn’t considered at all.

Han Ari also started broadcasting with just enthusiasm, without any special planning.

In the end, the fact that Hana and Han Ari matched well was just a coincidence.

“Ultimately, when creating an avatar, it’s best to match it as closely as possible with the streamer who will use it.”

“I agree. It’s not just about making the appearance, like the looks or the size of the chest, similar…”

“If you consider even small details like speech patterns, tastes, and even favorite foods when setting up the character…”

“It feels much more natural when you see them in actual broadcasts. The level of immersion is on a different level.”

Jinha and Youngjun’s voices overlapped and piled up alternately.

Tiki-taka. The way they exchanged words was extraordinary.

“So, in the end, the work of creating a VTuber’s avatar can be said to be the work of infusing the streamer into the 3D model.”

When Jinha finished speaking, Youngjun’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

Clap, clap, clap. The sound of brief applause came through the microphone.

“Indeed… I’m so glad to be able to talk with someone who has such a deep understanding of VTubers,

Jinha-nim. I also think that’s very important.”

“Honestly, an avatar is not just graphics, but a ‘character’. So some level of RP is necessary.”

“That’s right! That’s why I chose the group name ‘Seasons’ for the 3rd generation and gave them the concept of spirits that manage the four seasons! I reflected each member’s actual personality, appearance, and even their daily patterns, you see.”

“Each member represents spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and you created a world based on that.”

“I really put a lot of thought into it. I even hired a famous scenario writer to create detailed individual stories.”

At the in-depth VTuber discussion, the mask of the polite businessman that Youngjun was wearing completely came off.

He spoke in an excited voice, full of enthusiasm. It was fortunate that it was VR Chat, so no spit was flying.

Even though Winter was sitting next to him, giving him looks to calm down, Youngjun’s excitement didn’t abate.

Jinha’s voice also rose slightly.

“Honestly! I think being faithful to RP is not enough.”

“Then, it should be more than that…?”

“That’s right. Literally, the key is to live as that character.”

“Certainly… the moment you think, ‘Ah, that person is acting,’ the immersion is broken.”

“That’s why I think everyday life itself should become that character. The avatar and the streamer’s real body should move as one, don’t you think that’s what will make the Pasta viewers go wild?”

“That’s exactly it!!!”

Youngjun responded in an enthusiastic voice.

“Haa… I’m so happy to be able to have a conversation with someone who has such a deep aesthetic about VTubers.”

“So, if possible, before working on the avatars, I would like to meet each of the Seasons’ spirits separately in a virtual space.”

Jinha smiled quietly and continued.

“I would like to spend about a day together to understand their personalities and habits.”

Tears flowed from Youngjun’s avatar.

The real person wearing the VR headset was also shedding tears of emotion.

Today, Youngjun met a kindred spirit.

“I’ll set up a schedule right away! Jinha-nim, please wait here for a moment. I’ll contact the other streamers… no! The spirits!”

After Youngjun hurriedly logged out and disappeared.

Only Jinha and Winter remained in the quiet virtual meeting room.

Because there had been such a heated discussion just a moment ago, the space occupied by the two felt somewhat empty.

There was also awkwardness. Both Jinha and Winter were secretly a little wary of each other.

However, Winter, who had a bit more of an ‘E’ component, was the first to open her lips slightly.
(TL Note: E in MBTI stands for Extroverted)

“Jinha-nim, you really love VTubers. Well… since their mama is like this, it’s no wonder a monster rookie like Han Ari appeared.”

Jinha smiled vaguely, then suddenly asked a question that popped into his head.

“Um… how did you know? That I was the one who made Han Ari’s avatar.”

At Jinha’s question, Winter chuckled softly and said, “Ah, that?”

“I actually found out myself. I happened to see a paper, and there was a small image of Han Ari’s avatar attached. Ah, to be precise… it was the ‘HANA’ model, right?”

Jinha flinched slightly and turned his head.

“Ah, in the paper… right, it was there…”

Jinha smiled bitterly.

It was definitely a significant achievement in his life, but that time didn’t leave only good memories.

“But since you even looked up the paper, does that mean Winter-nim also knows a lot about modeling?”

“I just looked it up because I was interested.”

Winter spoke casually with an expressionless face, as if it was no big deal.

…While the real person wearing the VR headset couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from rising.

“Oh. By the way, if we meet each of the Seasons members separately… does that mean we’ll have to meet once more?”

“Well… I guess so? If Winter-nim is free today, shall we just continue talking here?”

“No. Let’s set a separate date. And… let’s meet outside.”

“Outside…?”

“Not in VR Chat or online, but in reality.”

At the unexpected suggestion, Jinha raised his eyebrows slightly.

“Is there a need to meet in reality? I think we can communicate enough in VR Chat…”

“I want Mama to know me a little better, what kind of person I am. And.”

Winter smiled slyly and pushed her chair back.

“I also want to prove that I’m not a scammer.”

“Not a scammer… what do you mean?”

When Jinha tilted his head, Winter giggled softly.

“Don’t you remember blocking someone on a freelance market site a while ago? Just because they inquired about avatar creation… Do you remember?”

“…Ah.”

Long ago, he had blocked someone without even properly reading the request, saying ‘No scammers’. The memory flashed through Jinha’s mind.

“Ah, that person… was Winter-ssi.”

“I was going to ask you to do some work because you did such a neat job on Ga Eul’s model, but I was a bit hurt when you rejected me so quickly.”

Jinha scratched his neck and expressed his apology.

“I’m sorry. I was in a bad mood at the time. But it’s a bit of a hassle to go far… Is Sinchon okay?”

“Sinchon is close.”

Winter smiled brightly and stood up.

“Okay. Then meet the other members first, and meet me last.”

Saying that, Winter subtly sent Jinha a VR Chat friend request.

“You won’t block me this time, right?”

“…Of course not.”

Jinha pressed the accept button with a slightly awkward expression.

“I’ll contact you often. If you’re not busy, will you reply?”
Seeing Winter whisper with a playful voice, Jinha felt confused.
At first, he thought he saw an image of a snowy winter, but now, the snow seemed to have melted, and he started to feel something ticklish from Winter.