Became the Mother of Virtual YouTubers - Chapter 104

The option to wake the two people had already been discarded.

There was no way the person, whose tasks remained piled high like a mountain, could be forced into bed.

Therefore, it was Plan B.

At the very least, to ensure they wouldn’t go hungry, sandwiches or something needed to be shoved into their mouths.

Also, it was necessary to replenish fluids and inject some caffeine into their veins.

Seo Ah waved lightly at Ye Rin while getting dressed.

“Ye Rin, should I go out and get some simple breakfast and coffee?”

“Ah, then I’ll just change clothes in that room and come out!”

“Okay, then see you at the front desk on the first floor.”

Surprisingly, these two zombies, Seo Ah and Ye Rin, didn’t even turn their heads while opening the door.

Only the serious glances and faint voices exchanging opinions could be heard.

That was no ordinary level of concentration.

As Seo Ah and Ye Rin stepped outside the hotel, the unfamiliar yet beautiful morning scenery of Vancouver unfolded before their eyes.

Under the soft morning sunlight, the fresh air brushed against their cheeks.

“Whoa… Last night, I felt like my head was going to explode, but just breathing in the morning air makes it a bit better.”

“You’ve worked hard, Ye Rin.”

Seo Ah chuckled lightly at Ye Rin’s casual complaint.

The two headed to a quaint café near the hotel.

As they opened the door and walked in, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee pleasantly enveloped them.

“Please get four coffees to go. And I would like some sandwiches in different varieties…”

“What are you looking for?”

“Do you have any recommended menu items? Something that could help someone who stayed up all night would be great.”

Having finished ordering in fluent English, Seo Ah looked outside the window while waiting for coffee with Ye Rin.

“Ye Rin, I overheard you talking about your thesis last night, and it was really impressive!”

After a brief silence, Seo Ah was the first to speak.

“Honestly, I couldn’t understand a single thing… How do you comprehend such difficult content?”

Ye Rin’s cheeks flushed slightly at Seo Ah’s heartfelt compliment.

Looking flustered, Ye Rin scratched her head and smiled shyly.

“Hey, to be honest, I barely kept up! Listening to Hyo In and Jin Ha talking, I realized I still have a long way to go.”

That’s why it motivated her even more.

For a moment, she clenched her fists, determined to work harder.

But then, she let out a small sigh, speaking in a dejected voice.

“But… in reality, graduate school is much tougher than I thought.”

At first, she thought it would be fine.

Since her grandfather and parents were all in research positions.

She believed she would adapt quickly.

However, the actual research industry was completely different from what she had imagined.

“I had some expectations, but when I faced it in reality, there were moments that felt overwhelming.”

In fact, suffering under her advisor was nothing.

Being the ‘parachute’ of sorts, the professor couldn’t treat her, the granddaughter of his mentor, carelessly.

Even when the professor occasionally couldn’t manage his emotions and assigned unreasonable tasks, her mentor, Hyo In, served as a solid buffer.

However, the decline in self-esteem was unavoidable.

Once she entered graduate school, there were so many outstanding people around her.

Wondering how so many papers, hundreds or thousands every year, could come up with new ideas.

Actually, she didn’t need to look far. Just looking at her senior lab members, everyone was far ahead of her.

Watching Byeong Jae and other male seniors present at the seminar, she honestly understood only a fraction of it.

No need to mention how amazing Hyo In, her research mentor and the lab’s ace, was.

Above all, what diminished Ye Rin was the mere existence of Jin Ha.

When heard about only in conversation, she seemed like a remarkable senior doing fantastic work in the field.

She had even looked down on her inwardly, thinking she was someone who couldn’t endure grad school and ran away.

Feeling sorry for such a senior, she thought Hyo In must have granted her co-first authorship out of kindness.

That was a misconception.

Towering above her like an overwhelmingly high mountain was Hyo In.

And Jin Ha existed, stretching endlessly into the sky.

Going beyond demonstrating the research to Hyo In, she was also ‘teaching’ Jin Ha at her own level, still a fledgling.

This person couldn’t even obtain a doctorate…

Could someone like her continue to research?

On top of that, seeing her seniors rolling out paper after paper made her feel extremely discouraged.

After discussing papers with Jin Ha, her confidence plummeted, to the point of feeling self-loathing.

Such inner feelings cast a shadow over Ye Rin’s face.

“…It’s tough. When you face something directly, it’s bound to be different from what you first thought.”

Seeing Ye Rin like that, Seo Ah slowly nodded.

“Whether it’s research or broadcasting… No, actually, I feel that applies to any endeavor.”

At Seo Ah’s words, which revealed her own struggles, Ye Rin’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I thought Seo Ah wouldn’t be the type to have worries…”

She seemed so relaxed and mature.

Even if their fields were different, she shone beautifully.

But Seo Ah shook her head lightly, insisting that’s not the case.

“I’m always aware of how others perceive me. I’m constantly tense and anxious.”

Seo Ah paused for a moment and added cautiously.

“I actually jumped into the broadcasting industry because I liked it… but sometimes I feel so exhausted that I want to escape.”

Hiding behind the avatar named ‘Winter’, it felt even more so.

If I quietly vanish like this, would anyone notice?

Sometimes, very rarely, such thoughts crossed her mind.

What ultimately held Seo Ah back was her original intention.

“Every time that happens, I remember why I started this work.”

Even if she has doubts about herself.

Even if she wants to throw everything away.

“When I think about the moment I first dreamed, I feel a bit of strength.”

In response to Seo Ah’s words, Ye Rin nodded slowly.

After contemplating for a moment, she candidly shared her deeper feelings.

“In fact, there was a time when I wanted to try being a VTuber too.”

“Really?!”

At this unexpected revelation, Seo Ah’s eyes widened.

“Yes. But once I actually thought about broadcasting, I just couldn’t muster the courage. With my personality and not being confident in making people laugh…”

She smiled shyly, saying it was just a fleeting thought.

“But thanks to that, I was able to settle on a research topic. I began looking for labs that were working on creating avatars used by VTubers.”

With luck, she got connected with her current advisor through her grandfather’s influence.

And by sheer luck, she was able to meet a great mentor like Hyo In.

“By the way, I think you suit the atmosphere and voice of a VTuber quite well, Ye Rin. What do you think? How about trying it now?”

At Seo Ah’s playful suggestion, Ye Rin’s face turned red.

“Ah, no…! I’m too busy with research, and above all, I have no talent for broadcasting…”

“I was being somewhat serious. A VTuber with a graduate student concept. It sounds fresh and fun.”

“Ahaha… Is there even a demand for that?”

“Of course! I think I would be the first to hit the follow button!”

Watching Ye Rin shyly brought back vague memories of Jin Ha.

It was true about the reasons she started researching.

Lowering herself by saying she wasn’t good at broadcasting resonated too.

They had many similarities.

Of course, Jin Ha was much more outstanding academically and dedicated to the VTuber world.

But after all, the future is unpredictable.

Just then, the voice of the staff announcing that their coffee and sandwiches were ready echoed inside the café.

The two accepted the bags and cups, heading back to the hotel.

As they moved, suddenly…

“Uh… Seo Ah.”

Ye Rin hesitated for a moment, then cautiously spoke up.

“Could it be that Seo Ah is… from Seasons… Wi-winter…”

Shh–

Seo Ah gently smiled, bringing her index finger to her lips.

With a slight wink, she playfully added.

“I’m just an ordinary planner. Got it?”

*

Seo Ah and Ye Rin’s expressions stiffened as they opened the hotel door.

“…Wow.”

“Seriously… That’s cold.”

Jin Ha and Hyo In, these two research zombies, were sitting at the table in the same posture as when they left their room.

The only change was that the printed papers on the table were even more haphazardly piled.

“I’m afraid we might have to redo the model training and generate the results again…”

“Then won’t that take too long? How about we just make slight modifications to the equations here?”

“Then how will we resolve the issue of some of the data not following the trend of the indicators? I feel like we’ll receive enough criticism for this.”

The atmosphere in the room had become much heavier.

Crumpled paper from Hyo In’s fingertips fell helplessly.

Jin Ha was pressing on both sides of her temples, letting out a faint sigh.

“I don’t think anyone besides Jin Ha would ask such detailed questions…”

“It’s nothing. If I have a question, other professors would think the same. Don’t gloss over it.”

Jin Ha’s voice was somewhat sharp.

The usual languid demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

Watching this, Seo Ah cautiously observed Hyo In’s expression.

Hyo In bit her lips tightly, reflecting on Jin Ha’s sharp critique.

In an atmosphere so tense it felt like it could explode at any moment,

Seo Ah, with a bright smile, brought the cold coffee to Jin Ha’s cheek.

“Jin Ha, how about we take a little break?”

The cold sensation spreading around her cheek prompted an “Ah—” to escape from Jin Ha’s lips, a sleepy sound.

“Thank you, Seo Ah… I was just feeling so heated.”

“…Ma’am?”

“Nothing. I’m all over the place, so random things just slip out.”

She almost called her Mama.

Jin Ha couldn’t reprimand Summer for getting confused between Mom and Mama, as she was absorbed in work.

As soon as they got their coffees, Jin Ha and Hyo In immediately began sipping through their straws.

Hyo In quickly emptied half of her venti-sized cup, while Jin Ha opened the plastic lid and poured the drink and ice directly into her mouth.

“Let’s take a break and also fill our stomachs. If there’s anything else you need, feel free to let me know.”

Of course, those two would never ask for anything themselves, so Seo Ah had to pick up on what they might need.

With a worried sigh, she whispered to Ye Rin, who was standing next to her.

“Still… will this be done by tonight? You’re presenting in two days, right?”

“I hope so… but I think they might continue even until tomorrow morning, or maybe even tomorrow night…”

Having just finished their short break, Jin Ha and Hyo In picked up their prints once more.

Watching them, it made her think they might still be doing this even until the dawn of the presentation day, not just tomorrow night.

“…Ye Rin, can I come over to your room to sleep tonight?”

“…Sure. I also need to sleep properly in a bed tonight, not on the sofa.”

Spending the night here would only be a distraction to the two.

Of course, while she was awake, she would do her best to support them.

For now, though, it would be best to go get some more of that empty coffee.