Became the Mother of Virtual YouTubers - Chapter 107
Hyo In quietly watched Jin Ha giving her presentation from below the podium.
To be precise, she was watching Jin Ha’s avatar present.
Hyo In finally understood Jin Ha’s words that one could present without stepping up to the podium themselves.
At this level, there was definitely no worry about being caught.
At least, for the time being.
“By the way… it really is Jin Ha unnie.”
Overwhelmed by Jin Ha’s presence captivating the audience, Hyo In silently held her breath behind the stage.
Jin Ha’s presentation could not be summarized with just the expression “good.”
It was overwhelming.
She definitely captured attention and engaged the audience.
Moreover, she was armed with flawless theories that none could refute.
There were no gaps whatsoever.
‘I thought I had caught up a little…’
Since Jin Ha left the lab a year ago, Hyo In had diligently rolled and run on her own.
Thanks to that, she had learned a lot.
Because of that, she could see much more.
As a researcher, she felt like she finally grasped the extent of Jin Ha’s capabilities.
‘…I’m suffocating.’
Her heart raced wildly.
She felt embarrassed for thinking, vaguely, that she would be at a level to research alongside Jin Ha.
She was still merely Jin Ha’s assistant.
No, now, a year later, having met again.
Now that Jin Ha had shed the chains of the lab and soared freely.
It felt like the gap between professor and student had widened immensely.
‘Someone like me… can I really stand on the same stage as Jin Ha unnie?’
Inferiority and tension enveloped Hyo In.
It felt like she was sinking deeper into deep water…
Her body felt limp…
“Actually, I have another master—Hyo In! Everyone, please give her a big round of applause!”
At that moment, a nasal voice called Hyo In’s name on stage.
Lost in thought, Hyo In unconsciously took steps toward the stage.
She was lucky.
It was just the right timing that Jin Ha introduced the next presenter, or she might have made a mistake.
The warm applause pouring from the audience vaguely echoed in her ears.
She thought she could hear familiar voices cheering her on, saying things like, “Unnie, hang in there!” or “Cheer up, Hyo In!”
But that was momentary.
A ringing noise filled her ears.
Her vision darkened completely, and she couldn’t see anything.
Her mind went blank, and she couldn’t think of anything.
‘How did it come to this…?’
She had read the paper dozens, if not hundreds, of times.
She practiced the presentation so much.
She even bothered Jin Ha throughout the night.
She had prepared thoroughly…
Why…!
In that very moment, wanting to run away, Hyo In tightly closed her eyes.
“Hyo In, look here.”
From the darkness, a gentle voice resonated.
Slowly opening her eyes.
She turned her head to the side.
Jin Ha’s figure was imprinted on her retina.
To be precise, it was Jin Ha’s avatar, JINA.
But casually, the gentle smile was exactly like Jin Ha’s.
As Hyo In blinked vacantly, JINA transformed back into MINA.
“You don’t need to be nervous! We’ve practiced to the point of exhaustion, right?”
“…”
“Show everything you’ve prepared. Let’s blow this presentation hall up!”
Mina’s cute yet fierce gangster-style English brought laughter among the audience.
The once tense atmosphere on stage relaxed gently.
Hoo-haa.
Hyo In took a deep breath.
Finally, she could see her surroundings clearly.
‘Why was I trying to compare myself to Jin Ha unnie?’
Hyo In realized at last.
Just because Jin Ha shone brightly, it didn’t mean her efforts until now held no value.
‘That’s right. The reason I’m standing here now is…’
It wasn’t to catch up with Jin Ha.
It wasn’t to compare myself and feel disheartened.
This stage was simply a place to prove her efforts.
At the same time, it was also a step away from Jin Ha.
A place to gain the certainty that she could do well alone, even without Jin Ha by her side.
Of course, the core idea of this paper was given by Jin Ha.
And she had ultimately received help from Jin Ha while preparing her presentation.
Even on stage, she only regained her composure after receiving Jin Ha’s encouragement.
However, there couldn’t be a more perfect stage than this as a starting point for taking her first steps away from Jin Ha.
‘Although it might have been Jin Ha unnie’s stage just a moment ago…’
It isn’t anymore.
From this very moment.
It is Hyo In’s stage.
The heavy stone that had been placed in her heart disappeared.
She finally felt like she could breathe properly.
Standing next to Mina, Hyo In smiled, looking at the audience as she slowly raised the microphone.
“How can we measure standards of evaluation that are in the realm of subjective emotions, such as beauty or coolness, as objective indicators?”
The audience’s attention was focused on her soothing, pleasant voice.
“First of all, no one can deny that this avatar beside me is incredibly cute. Sure, it’s a black gang inside, but who cares? It looks adorable on the outside.”
Laughter spread lightly among the audience at Hyo In’s joke.
Bolstered by that reaction, Hyo In steadily developed her prepared presentation.
It wasn’t as dramatic or flashy as Jin Ha’s presentation.
Instead, it was calm and stable.
Examples that anyone could relate to and solid logical development stood out.
The audience followed her presentation without losing focus due to the distinctly different style.
Most importantly, the topic was incredibly interesting.
It was evident that people wanted to ask questions immediately, their lips parting and closing repeatedly.
As the presentation came to an end, applause filled the hall once again.
It carried a little more encouragement than when Jin Ha finished her presentation.
As she clapped along with the other audience members, Seo Ah let out a small gasp.
“Hyo In, you did really great. You seemed a bit nervous at first.”
“Of course, Hyo In unnie worked really hard.”
Ye Rin’s eyes turned red.
Although she hadn’t participated in the paper from the very beginning.
She had watched as Hyo In stayed up late, contemplating and working hard over the past few months.
Thus, this moment where Hyo In’s efforts were rewarded brought her immense joy.
As her most precious senior shone brightly, light glimmered in Ye Rin’s eyes as well.
*
In the evening, there was a banquet schedule.
It was an official dinner of the conference, where participants shared their thoughts about the presentations and fostered friendships.
“Hyo In unnie, you worked hard. You were really wonderful today.”
Ye Rin smiled brightly, lifting her glass filled with cocktails.
Hyo In also smiled slightly, gently clinking her glass against Ye Rin’s.
“But I still feel a little regretful. I stumbled a bit during the Q&A.”
“Oh come on, unnie, you answered perfectly except for one question.”
“That one question is what’s regrettable.”
In the end, Hyo In let out a small sigh, saying she leaned on Jin Ha until the very end.
“By the way, where is Jin Ha unnie right now?”
“That unnie is…”
Hyo In pointed with her chin toward one side of the hall.
Ye Rin’s eyes widened a little as she turned to look.
Amid a crowd of people, two women were surrounded.
None other than Jin Ha and Seo Ah.
It was no surprise that people gathered around.
The true star of this conference.
Or at least the star of today.
Was Jin Ha, without a doubt.
Jin Ha, buried among the crowd, looked embarrassed, just scratching her head.
It seemed she still found communication with strangers difficult.
Especially with people who were bombarding her with harsh English that was hard to understand without consideration.
No matter how proficient Jin Ha was in English, the topics outside the range covered by Korea’s rote education were indeed tough.
“Yes, that’s right. Our CosmoLive has partnered with Jin Ha and is applying various technologies in broadcasts.”
In place of Jin Ha, Seo Ah stood right next to her, smiling brightly and holding conversations on Jin Ha’s behalf.
This was a moment that clearly showcased the differences between the sciences and humanities, between I and E.
Although she didn’t have research knowledge, this was not a Q&A session, but a time for networking, so it was a perfect environment for Seo Ah to shine.
At that moment, as Jin Ha scanned the surroundings, her eyes landed on Hyo In.
After briefly exchanging glances with Hyo In, Jin Ha excused herself with Seo Ah and the others, quickly crossing the hall.
“Phew! I’m exhausted.”
“Good job, Jin Ha unnie.”
Jin Ha’s languid complaint made Hyo In smile softly.
“Wait a minute, Jin Ha unnie. Did you leave Seo Ah unnie and run away by yourself?”
“Leave? I just left her to handle the back.”
“That’s the same as abandoning her!”
“It’s true. Seo Ah also said she wanted to make connections with researchers through this opportunity.”
Ye Rin narrowed her eyes at Jin Ha, as if she couldn’t believe it.
At the jibe from Ye Rin, Jin Ha lightly laughed and changed the subject.
“By the way, how did you find this conference, Ye Rin? Since you’ve seen the preparation process, I thought you must have felt quite a lot.”
Ye Rin took a big sip of her cocktail.
Then, with dreamy eyes and a dreamy voice, she mumbled.
“Honestly, I came not really knowing what I was getting into. I just came because the professor told me to, and I wondered what I could learn by coming…”
Setting down her empty glass and picking up a new one, Ye Rin continued seriously.
“But I’m really glad I came.”
Seeing Hyo In’s presentation, she felt a bit of the fulfillment of research.
She thought that someday, she would like to write a paper of her own.
While having long conversations with Seo Ah, she reminisced about what led her to walk the path of a researcher.
The faint goal became clear once again.
And seeing Jin Ha’s presentation…
Ye Rin stopped her lengthy explanations and emptied her cup again.
Someone from an engineering background could really drink well.
Puhuh. After letting out a sigh mixed with the effects of alcohol.
She cautiously shared her innermost feelings.
“…Honestly, I’ve lost my confidence.”
No one else, but she felt like even if Jin Ha were reborn, there was no way she could catch up.
To Ye Rin, Jin Ha was a senior who was unreachable, like the sky.
But even that senior…
Couldn’t endure life in the lab and came out…
How could someone like her?
Relying on the alcohol, Ye Rin carefully spoke words she wouldn’t normally say.
“So… why did Jin Ha unnie leave the lab?”