Chapter 85: The Path of a VTuber

A woman, walking briskly as if heading to an appointment.

“At least I’m not late…”

The woman, who had been looking at her watch, stopped in her tracks.

In front of a café, she stood still, staring at her reflection in the café’s glass window.

There, her hurriedly put-together appearance was reflected.

“Is it alright?”

Streamer Rita, Kim Rahee, straightened her clothes as she gazed at her reflection.

It was an important occasion, but she wasn’t happy with how she looked today.

She had been unsure about her outfit right up until she left home.

Maybe she should’ve worn something else?

“Ah, ah. I’m Streamer Rita. It’s nice to meet you. I’m honored.”

Is “honored” too much?

She might feel uncomfortable if I praise her too much.

I need to tweak my introduction a bit.

“Ha…

But the nervousness couldn’t be helped.

The person Rita was about to meet was someone who had made a mark in the online streaming world.

A rising star who suddenly appeared and became a huge presence on Switch.

From what other streamers had said, she was also incredibly beautiful.

She had the air of a rich young lady, they said.

Now, Rita was here to bring such a person into her fold, trying to make a sales pitch.

It was a situation that couldn’t help but make her nervous.

Maybe that’s why she made a mistake she wouldn’t usually make.

“Ah, ah.”

Inside the café, just as she was checking her appearance one last time, she noticed someone sitting by the glass.

She hadn’t noticed because they were out of view from the outside.

Rita’s face turned red in embarrassment.

The beautiful woman who had been sitting there turned her gaze toward Rita.

Her black eyes, contrasting with her fair skin, scanned Rita.

It was as though she was checking if Rita was the one she had just seen adjusting her outfit.

“Ugh, how embarrassing.”

Rita turned her gaze away from the woman and pulled out her phone.

The meeting spot was this café. She was supposed to meet with the streamer Mollu inside.

• I’ve arrived, where are you??

Since the location was closer to Mollu, she had arrived first and was waiting.

This was why Rita had to arrive early to avoid making Mollu wait.

• I’m sitting by the window… Are you the one in the rider jacket and jeans who just came in?
• Yes, that’s me.

Rita replied, her heart racing as she looked around.

Mollu was here.

The person who might have a huge impact on her broadcasts was here.

But no matter how hard she looked, there was no one who looked like Mollu.

She was supposed to be sitting by the window.

“…Where is she?”

Based on the message, it seemed like Mollu had already seen her, so surely there would be some kind of signal.

Maybe like the woman waving her hand while looking at Rita?

“Eh?”

It was the same beautiful woman who had witnessed Rita’s earlier blunder.

She was the most beautiful woman Rita had seen recently.

Wearing a black coat and black jeans, she looked like she might be cold, as she had wrapped a scarf around her neck even though they were inside.

Sitting next to her was a tall woman who appeared to be her companion, sipping her drink.

They gave off a vibe similar to that of a young lady and her maid…

No, wait, why is she waving at me?

Rita hesitantly approached her.

“Hello, Rita.”

“No way…?”

A woman referring to herself as Rita, could this be the streamer Mollu?

“Is it… Mollu? If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Is there any particular reason why you do VTuber broadcasts?”

This was a question Rita had asked after wrapping up most of their business discussion.

In fact, it was a question she didn’t need to ask as part of her sales pitch.

It was a question without much meaning, but Rita couldn’t resist her curiosity.

I mean, why would such an ultra-beautiful girl use an avatar for her broadcasts?

She could show her face and instantly attract so many fans.

Mollu, perhaps understanding the meaning behind Rita’s question, smiled softly and replied.

“Well, I just want to do it.”

Her somewhat cold expression softened into a fresh, blooming smile.

She looked like a painting.

Rita felt a strange, supportive pull from her answer, as if she couldn’t ask any more questions.

“Ha, if you want to do it, you should! Flare welcomes you, Mollu!”

“Your voice is loud, Rita…”

“Ah!”

It was a habit of Rita’s to get too excited and then feel the crash afterward.

Seeing Mollu, who looked somewhat melancholic, Rita couldn’t help but get excited.

She awkwardly sipped her green tea in front of her.

“I’m grateful for the welcome, but I might have trouble being a regular member. I still have my other broadcasts.”

“Just appearing occasionally is enough.”

Rita nodded, understanding.

As long as she didn’t lose viewers to Mollu, that was a win.

It was promising that there could be some crossover with viewers from Mollu’s side through joint broadcasts.

“My viewers can be a bit mischievous…”

“It’s okay. I’ve dealt with all kinds of people while streaming.”

“That’s a relief. I was a bit worried.”

How bad can the viewers really be?

Rita, who had already met various types of viewers, didn’t worry too much about this aspect.

She was actually more worried about Mollu, who was concerned about it.

With such a kind heart, it seemed like she might suffer a lot in the harsh broadcasting world, filled with malicious people.

“First, you’re a crew member, but let’s keep it like a guest appearance on broadcasts.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

Rita had successfully recruited Mollu.

Now, what needed to be done immediately?

The first step would be to let people know that Mollu had joined their crew.

As Rita was organizing her thoughts, she spoke up.

“I’ve planned a joint broadcast. Would you like to see it?”

Let’s take things step by step.

<What’s this? Is the crew leader joining?>

• A new family member has joined Flare!!

(Mollu’s avatar smiling widely)

• Flare, now with Mollu, look forward to what’s coming!

This is strange.

oo: Looks like Mollu is really going to try VTubing. Until now, the crew was always rejected, but now someone is joining?

ᄋᄋ: Wasn’t the leader against being part of a group?

ᄂᄋᄋ: Looks like her personality has changed recently.

ᄋᄋ: But why Flare? It’s a small company after all.

L oo: If Mollu joins, Flare’s a big company now, lol.

roo: She’s definitely going to get a lot of support from Mollu.

Why not just play AoW or something? What’s with this VTuber stuff? So annoying with all the weird otaku things.

ᄋᄋ: AoW is a classic.

ᄂᄋᄋ: Be trendy, what’s with AoW?

ᄋᄋ: If you don’t like it, leave, lol. The broadcast won’t fail without you.

ᄂᄋᄋ: ^^

ᄂᄋᄋ: This guy is just a viewer, he should be grateful that the stream is even on, whether it’s VTuber or whatever.

roo: Real Mollu fans have no complaints.

ᄂᄋᄋ: These kinds of posts pile up and cause problems.

ᄋᄋ: AoW is a classic, lol.

roo: Too many people who don’t even know the classics anymore.

<I didn’t think she would keep doing VTubing>

Didn’t they just bring her in as a one-time shield because they hated her face? Why keep doing it?

ᄋᄋ: You should’ve figured it out when she started using avatars.

ᄋᄋ: She’s the type to take sponsorships for cold noodles in winter, lol. Do you think you can judge her?

ᄋᄋ: There’s nothing consistent about her content. She does whatever she feels like.

Recently, Mollu, a broadcaster who had received praise for becoming more consistent, was asked by viewers about her decision to join a VTuber crew.

She opened her mouth in response to their questions.

“Yeah, well… that happened.”

Despite her avatar having bright eyes and moving around, she spoke in a calm tone, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

It was as casual as saying, “I had kimchi fried rice for lunch today.”

It seemed the viewers were now used to this kind of response from her, as they didn’t react much.

<Jeongkrite donated 10,000 won!>

• Mollu, now is not the time for VTubing. It’s time to focus on your own projects and solidify your own position.

Though it might be hard to hear, I’m saying this for your own good, so don’t just ignore it.

[Haha]

[Go away, old man]

[Quit giving unsolicited advice]

In response to the long donation message, Mollu didn’t say anything.

The viewers, who had assumed she was ignoring them, soon realized that her avatar had been still because she had stepped away for a moment.

“Ah, I went to make coffee. It’s a gift, and it smells nice.”

She nonchalantly sipped the coffee.

[Moving]

[Just dodge it]

[10,000 won thrown away, lol]

“Did something happen?”

“No, nothing at all. Oh, I got a donation. Yes, thank you for the 10,000 won.”

<Vtuber10yearsExperienced donated 10,000 won!>

• Mollu, if you’re going to do VTubing, don’t you need some kind of concept?

[Is there such a thing?]

[Everyone has their own concept]

[The leader’s concept is ‘crazy’]

[Isn’t that just their ego?]

[Why does the leader need a concept? She can destroy any concept]

“A concept? Hmm… Should I get one?”

[Everyone in Flare’s crew is older than the leader, should we go with the ‘rebellious’ concept when we join?]

[The oldest one is probably in their thirties]

[Oops]

[How about a delusional concept?]

[How about a foreigner concept?]

[I’m worried. Every time the leader reacts like this, something weird comes out.]

[Haha]

As the viewers threw out various ideas, Mollu thought about what kind of concept to go with.

To be continued…