VTuber RP Is Not a Concept - Chapter 100

I was invited to Eun-seo’s house. It had been three weeks since my first visit last time.

After exchanging greetings, I played with Eun-seo in the living room.

“Cho-eun, can you help me for a moment?”

Eun-seo’s mom came out of the kitchen and approached me. At that moment, Eun-seo’s dad jumped up from his seat.

“You can’t make the guest work. I’ll help you.”

“No, oppa. Last time, Cho-eun asked me to teach her a recipe. I was planning to teach her this time.”

I momentarily froze.

“…Me?”

I had no memory of saying such a thing. But her mom nodded casually.

“Yes, you said something like that, right? Eun-seo, is it okay to borrow your sister for a bit?”

After a moment of contemplation, Eun-seo nodded, and her mom led me into the kitchen.

She placed her hands on the kitchen counter and looked at me closely.

“You were surprised that I called you suddenly, right?”

“Honestly… Yes. I never said anything like that.”

Her mom chuckled softly.

“I know. It was just an excuse.”

She soon wiped her smile away and spoke calmly, her voice a whisper, as if she was afraid the living room could hear us.

“I watched your broadcast yesterday.”

It was a brief statement, but the meaning behind it was significant. Eun-seo’s mom had found out about my Virtual YouTuber channel.

“You’re looking a bit surprised? Still, you probably weren’t as surprised as I was. Yesterday, a clip from your broadcast came up on the algorithm on MyTube, and as soon as I saw your avatar, it looked so much like someone I know. Can you imagine how shocked I was?”

“I thought it was possible for my mom to find out. She mentioned watching Virtual YouTubers sometimes.”

“But, you know… Cho-eun.”

Eun-seo’s mom crossed her arms and let out a light sigh.

“Do you know which Virtual YouTuber I sometimes watch?”

“That’s a very difficult question to guess.”

“It’s a Virtual YouTuber that you surely know too. The singing specialist, Houka Nagi. My husband works in the music field, and I’m quite interested in singing too. I happened to listen to her song, and I liked her style.”

Ah, a senior from the first generation… In that case, it’s a bit late for my broadcasts to finally get recommended. She really only watches the senior’s broadcasts occasionally.

“So, Cho-eun, you’re a junior from the same agency, right? I was amazed by this coincidence.”

Eun-seo’s mom’s slightly excited demeanor quickly faded, and a cautious atmosphere filled the space.

“But… about yesterday’s broadcast.”

I had an idea of what she was about to say.

“I had no idea that you were receiving such attention and were embroiled in controversy. Of course, your responses were bold and decisive, but…”

Eun-seo’s mom’s voice became low and serious.

“Now that a day has passed, I’m even more worried. Even though you seemed fine on the broadcast, how do you feel now?”

I silently looked at her.

“Honestly, facing those kinds of discussions leaves a mark, doesn’t it? Are you really okay now?”

Her voice was not curious, but genuinely worried.

I felt strange being worried about as just Eun-seo’s older sister. Still, I answered honestly.

“I’m fine. In fact, I feel pretty good.”

Eun-seo’s mom listened to my answer but still seemed uneasy, looking at my face once more.

“Really? Are you really?”

I lightly smiled and nodded.

“Yes. The controversy was something I couldn’t avoid, but I actually think it’s fortunate that it ended well.”

“I see… That’s a relief.”

Eun-seo’s mom started to take out dishes while speaking.

“Actually, I called you separately to talk about this. Your avatar is just like you in reality, right?”

“Yes. The design is almost identical.”

“In that case… is it okay to tell my family?”

She gently held a cup with one hand and carefully added.

“Is it okay if I tell my husband and Eun-seo, ‘Cho-eun is that Ria’?”

I had thought about the leaked red pill issue beforehand, and since I promised to introduce it to Eun-seo’s family if an Original Song comes out… there wasn’t really a way to hide it anymore.

So, I had no choice but to ask for their consideration.

“Yes, you can tell them. But could you please keep it just between your family? Virtual YouTubers need to be careful about personal information leaks.”

“I do think your avatar is quite vulnerable to personal information leaks, but… I understand. But what about Eun-seo?”

“Eun-seo?”

“She’s only 7 years old. She might not have a clear concept of keeping secrets… She could feel like she wants to brag.”

“…I have thought about that.”

※※※

After finishing the meal, we all watched the music video for the Original Song ‘That Day.’

When the song ended, a brief silence filled the room.

Eun-seo stared at the screen with sparkling eyes before suddenly turning to me.

“Sister! Did you really sing it!?”

At her voice, Eun-seo’s mom and dad seemed to break out of their thoughts and shifted their gaze to me.

I smiled lightly and nodded.

“Yes. I sang it.”

Eun-seo jumped up from her seat.

“That’s amazing! You’re the princess! A princess can’t be bad at singing!”

Eun-seo was so excited, swinging her arms, then looked at the screen for a moment before saying.

“But… the music video was a bit scary!”

There were no direct depictions of war (due to production conditions), but I could see how the village becoming a ruin could feel that way to her.

I gently patted her head.

“It’s okay. It’s all in the past.”

“Yes!”

At that moment, Eun-seo’s dad’s voice came out low.

“…This doesn’t make sense.”

He gazed at the screen with his arms crossed, looking deep in thought.

“This isn’t just a matter of being good at singing.”

His finger pointed at the screen.

“I’ve seen some real talents while doing my singing activities. There are people who give you chills just by hearing them once during recording. No matter what song they sing, they give the impression, ‘This is a song only this person can sing.’ But Cho-eun does not fall behind at all.”

Eun-seo’s mom chimed in.

“That’s right. I was surprised because the emotional lines were so good. Cho-eun, this isn’t just on a hobby level. You’re a total pro.”

Eun-seo’s dad looked at me again.

“To be honest, I was quite shocked. You’re a… Virtual YouTuber, right? I heard that you do that. It’s really a shame you didn’t debut as a singer.”

Then he started lamenting about the current music market.

“These days, there’s no space to sing in your own style. To debut, you have to fit the trends and follow the directions the agency wants… Because of that, real talents like Cho-eun can’t find a place.”

“…I wasn’t particularly aiming to debut as a singer, though.”

Eun-seo’s dad squinted and tilted his head.

“If it wasn’t your goal to be a singer, then the fact that you practiced to that level…”

Eun-seo’s mom interrupted.

“Oppa, you’re being so old-fashioned. Cho-eun probably wanted to be a Virtual YouTuber.”

He still had a puzzled expression, but nodded lightly.

“Well, having a personal channel might be better for expressing individuality. Let’s see, you have… 170,000 subscribers? You said you haven’t been broadcasting for long, right?”

“It’s been just a month.”

“Wow, 170,000 in a month… It took me years to get my 100,000 button.”

Eun-seo tilted her head listening to her dad.

“Is 170,000… a lot?”

Eun-seo’s mom smiled and held up her fingers.

“Yes. You can think of Eun-seo’s kindergarten as having over 1,700.”

Eun-seo gasped, “Wow…” and suddenly grabbed my arm tightly.

“Then you’re really famous, right? Can I brag to my friends?”

As I expected, I bent my knees to make eye contact with Eun-seo.

“Eun-seo, I’m actually not a princess.”

“No! You have to be a princess!”

“Still, I’m not a princess. I’m not a princess… I’m an elf.”

The frown on her face at the denial of being a princess turned into sparkling eyes.

“An elf! What’s that?”

“Well… Elves are mysterious friends who live in the forest. They usually have longer ears than regular people, are fast, and can use magic…”

I spent a while trying to explain elves at a 7-year-old’s level.

After listening, Eun-seo confidently said,

“I don’t need to be a princess. I like elves more!”

“But, Eun-seo. Elves… must do MyTube secretly.”

Eun-seo blinked her round eyes and looked at me.

“Why?”

“Elves are very special beings. If people find out where they live, they could get caught.”

Eun-seo seemed startled and brought her hands to her mouth.

“Really!?”

I nodded slightly.

“That’s why elves are scared of being discovered on MyTube. People shouldn’t know.”

Eun-seo pondered, closing her lips tightly. Then, she clenched her little fist and looked up at me.

“Then… do I need to keep the secret too?”

I placed a finger on my lips.

“Yes. So, you can’t tell your friends that your sister is doing MyTube. Can you keep it a secret?”

“Yes! I will never tell! To anyone!”

Eun-seo’s mom, watching from the side, smiled and quietly set down her coffee cup.

“That’s a convincing way.”

Indeed, for a 7-year-old to understand the red pill, this was the best approach. But it didn’t sit well with me to tell a lie about getting caught.

I wondered if there would ever be a day when I could reveal the red pill…

After that, I spent a little more time with the family before it was time to part.

At the entrance, Eun-seo’s dad spoke up.

“Cho-eun, about the song I heard today… can I introduce it on the program I’m working on?”

“Yes?”

I wasn’t sure, but I thought mainly adults listened to it. Isn’t that something that deals with Virtual YouTuber songs?