They Became the Big Players Among the Hako VTubers - Chapter 11

Friday, 5:30 AM.  

The basement of a practice studio building in Seongsu-dong, Seoul.  

In the chilly dawn air, a light flickered.  

“…”  

Aki stood in front of it, wearing a yellow hoodie and carrying a backpack, swallowing hard. 

Today marked the start of the intensive short-term lessons she had invested 60 million won in—money she had received from Big Man ten days prior.  

Contrary to Aki’s expectations, the lessons didn’t start immediately after payment.  

‘Expensive lessons require preparation time, huh…’  

– “This lesson program is designed for professionals preparing for concerts or events. We need thorough analysis—would it be possible to speak with your agency?”  

The instructor leading the short-term lessons politely asked if they could contact Aki’s agency. 

They also made suggestions to enhance her live performance skills.  

– “Could you send us the group training videos from your company, as well as the choreography guides and audio tracks?”  

After signing a few confidentiality agreements, she handed over the materials. 

They contained traces of ABCD’s year-long preparations for their mini live shows.  

A week later, she received a call.  

– “The lessons are ready. We’ll be conducting them once a week for a total of 10 sessions. Would you prefer Wednesdays or Fridays? If another time works better, we can adjust.”  

“…I’ll take Fridays.”  

And now, the Friday dawn had arrived.  

“…”  

Aki’s heart was a mix of excitement and worry.  

Above all, she was thrilled to finally receive professional-level training—something she had only dreamed of. 

The group lessons at her company were good, but they never felt like enough.  

But what worried her was…  

‘I spent 60 million won, but it’s only three hours a week. What if I don’t learn enough?’  

Two hours of choreography correction.  

One hour of vocal training.  

There was no time for basics.  

This was strictly for professionals gearing up for live performances.  

And that made her anxious.  

She doubted whether she even qualified as a “professional.”  

“Phew. Did I rush into this too quickly…?”  

Maybe she should’ve gone for trainee-level lessons instead.  

‘I’m not even an idol yet…’  

Regret flooded her mind.  

But there was no turning back now.  

“I made a promise.”  

With mixed emotions, Aki pushed open the studio door. 

Following the front desk staff’s guidance, she walked toward her assigned practice room.  

The hallway displayed the schedule for the day’s lessons. 

No personal names were listed—just the names of small to mid-sized companies she vaguely recognized.  

『Lee A-young』  

Aki was the only one registered under an individual name.  

“…”  

After staring at it briefly, she stepped inside.  

Then, she greeted them loudly.  

Greetings were an idol’s basic courtesy.  

“Hello! I’m looking forward to working with you today!”  

“!”  

Inside the dance studio, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling mirrors, three backup dancers and two instructors turned to look at her. 

They had been chatting by the speaker tower in the corner.  

‘They’re all so tall…’  

The instructors approached and spoke in a businesslike tone.  

“You’re A-young, right? Welcome. We’ll be working together starting today. I’m Kim Aeri, in charge of choreography correction.”  

“Yes! Nice to meet you!”  

“Hello. I’m Nam Jinwoo, handling camera work correction. I heard you’ll be streaming your live performance online?”  

“Ah, yes!”  

“Understood. We’ll tailor our coaching accordingly.”  

“Yes!”  

“You see those fluorescent stickers on the floor? They mark simplified camera paths used in actual studios. Refer to them during your performance.”  

“H-How do I…?”  

“Ah, don’t worry—we’ll guide you through everything.”  

It felt like a declaration: “The moment you leave this room, you’ll walk out as a professional.”  

There was no unnecessary small talk.  

Aki warmed up while reviewing materials on A4 printouts and a laptop.

Meanwhile, the three backup dancers took their positions—Berry, Clara, and Doda.  

“Let’s do our best—!”  

“Looking forward to it.”  

Any worries about being mocked for being a VTuber felt laughable now. 

The atmosphere was solemn.  

‘This… is the real world of professionals.’  

Aki took her position.  

The matte rubber panels absorbed every footstep.  

Even the smallest details felt heavy.  

“…”  

A few hours later, Aki walked out of the studio, slightly drained.  

She muttered weakly.  

“…Worth every penny.”  

No—  

If anything, it felt like a steal.  

Aki, who had always led her members during group training, was a complete novice here. 

Ten years of self-study and one year of experience meant nothing in front of professionals.  

– “A-young, your knees are buckling too much! Stretch your legs wider to fill the frame!”  

– “Let’s slow down A-young’s part to 0.7x speed.”  

– “Since you’re the center, staring directly at the camera feels too intense. Tilt your head slightly instead. Even with 3D graphics, eye contact is noticeable.”  

“…”  

Aki was overwhelmed.

The three backup dancers seemed to elevate each member’s performance to its absolute limit, making her feel swept up in their pace.  

– “Sorry… My basics aren’t…”  

– “Huh? No, your basics are solid. It’s just that this isn’t about ‘showing off solo skills.’ You need techniques beyond smartphone recordings now.”  

And then there was the vocal training.  

– “A-young, your pronunciation is stuck in your throat. Open your mouth and pull the sound from your diaphragm.”  

– “Let’s readjust your breathing timing right before the chorus.”  

In just three hours, countless flaws were pointed out. 

She realized how much she had been fumbling in ignorance.  

“…”  

Under the morning sun, Aki walked to the company.  

Her yellow-dyed hair swayed cheerfully.  

* 

Upon arriving at the company, good news kept coming.  

Park Youngsoo, the general manager, adjusted his glasses and spoke.  

“I’ve talked to the tax office. Fortunately, about 30 million won of your 200 million won tax will be refunded. It should be deposited today, so keep that in mind.”  

“…Huh?!”  

“After reviewing deductible expenses and tax-saving options, that’s the amount we could manage.”  

Out of the 1 billion won Aki received from Big Man, her share was 450 million. 

Of that, 200 million had been taken as miscellaneous income tax.  

Now, 30 million of that tax was coming back.  

‘Thank goodness…’  

Ding!  

“!”  

As if on cue, Aki’s phone buzzed.  

The tax refund had been deposited.  

[Deposit: 30,000,000 KRW]  

[Remaining Balance: 110,000,000 KRW]  

“…!”  

Aki’s face lit up.  

100 million.  

She had crossed the 100-million-won line again.  

The balance, drained by lesson fees and investments, had returned to the 100-million range. 

The guilt of “wasting a huge sum” that had weighed on her mind slowly faded.  

Aki quickly ran through future projections in her head.  

‘Big Man’s donations are about 2.5 million won a day… plus around 1 million won from ad revenue. Combined, that’s roughly 12 million won. Once we move to Pajijik…’  

Soon, her balance would hit 120 million won.  

Enough to be a real help to her mom.  

She asked Park Young-soo,  

“C-Can I send all of this to my mom?”  

“Huh? No, you can’t. Transfers over 50 million won incur insane gift taxes.”  

“Then…”  

Aki consulted with the manager to plan her finances. 

They settled on a tax-efficient solution.  

First, send 50 million won to her mom.  

Keep 50 million won as personal reserves.  

As a result,  

Her living expense balance would drop to 20 million won, but—  

‘No matter what happens, I’m safe for a while.’  

Aki sighed in relief.  

At the same time, she smiled wryly.  

‘Guess I’ll keep working weekend shifts at the convenience store.’  

After moving to a major platform,  

Big Man’s donations would drop significantly.  

With no viewer influx, her revenue would stagnate.  

So, she needed a safety net.  

“…Phew.”  

Still,  

Just having money to protect herself brought relief.  

“…”  

Clutching the smartphone Big Man had bought her, Aki offered a silent prayer. 

A prayer of gratitude to the sponsor who had pulled her into this reality.  

‘…Thank you.’  

Aki returned to the dorm.  

Friday was her early streaming day.  

Choi Yeseo and Kim Aeri, who were eating lunch in the living room, greeted her. 

They were lounging in comfortable clothes, mixing egg rice.  

Kim Aeri grinned.  

“A-young! Want some?”  

“No, I’m streaming soon… I brought a sandwich, so I’m good.”  

“Oh, right. You’ve got your evening shift.”  

“Yeah. Where’s Do-dam?”  

“She’s asleep after streaming VR games all night. I could hear her praying to Big Man until dawn.”  

“Ahh…”  

Choi Yeseo side-eyed Kim Aeri.  

“…We’ve lived together for a year. Isn’t it about time we memorized each other’s schedules?”  

“My memory’s bad. I forgot where I put the tablecloth I bought last year.”  

“Tablecloth?”  

“After moving to Pajijik, I wanna try stuff like crafting toys with hand cam. That’s trending overseas.”  

“Be careful with the red pills. You’re gonna get in trouble. Or should I just tape or drill you in place?”  

“Pfft, I’ll be fine.”  

Leaving their banter behind, Aki headed to her room. 

She hummed while setting up her facial rigging phone and computer.  

‘Ever since meeting ‘him,’ everything’s been going well.’  

That’s why she was happy.  

Streaming meant she could see ‘him.’  

Even if she didn’t show it, her heart warmed.  

“Hehe.”  

It was a secret from the other viewers.  

* 

– “Thank you for listening to my songs today~! Please tune in again ‘next week’~! Like a star in your heart—! This was Aki-chan!”  

“…”  

I closed Aki-chan’s stream.  

Before I knew it, evening was approaching.  

“…Hmm.”  

Lately, I noticed something.  

All the ABCD members kept emphasizing “next week.”  

‘If it’s about their 3D debut, there should’ve been an announcement by now. What else are they planning?’  

“…”  

An album release?  

A 3D showcase?  

Or a collaboration?  

“…”  

No idea.  

So, I gave up guessing.  

‘…They’ll announce it when the time comes.’  

I stopped speculating and got ready to head out. 

I wore a headlamp and work gloves—like a proper explorer.  

Then, I opened a game app on my phone.  

A real-time augmented reality treasure hunt.  

[Treasure Hunt GO—!]  

“…Hehe.”  

I’ll find it.  

The treasure hidden in Han River Park.  

Like an adventurer seeking the legendary Atlantis, I walked toward the park. 

Passersby glanced at my headlamp, but I ignored them.  

‘True explorers are solitary beings…’  

Lonely,  

Yet noble.  

Under the sunset at Han River Park, I swept my phone camera through the grass, occasionally pressing the in-game scan button.  

Ding!  

A cheerful chime rang out.  

[Treasure is 300 meters ahead!]  

“…!”  

I hurried forward.  

The narration grew more urgent.  

[Treasure is 150 meters ahead!]  

“!”  

The distance shrank steadily.  

[Look around carefully here!]  

“…Hah.”  

I swung my phone around. 

The sunset had faded, leaving only the nightscape of the Han River shimmering in the dark.  

Then, on the screen—  

A golden coin glinted.  

“!”  

I tapped it.  

Ding—!  

[Wow! Congrats! You found the ‘Coin of Atlantis’—!]  

My ranking shot into the top 100.  

Today’s mission: Accomplished.  

“Hehe…”  

A quiet satisfaction washed over me. 

Even if this was a ridiculous waste of time for a grown adult, the thrill of finding a legendary coin was real.  

‘The joy of beating pay-to-win games with sheer effort is indescribable…’  

“…”  

But now what?  

“…”  

I pocketed my phone.  

In the now fully darkened park, only my headlamp shone.

Since I rarely visited this area, everything felt unfamiliar.  

It was refreshing.  

“…”  

But the feeling didn’t last.  

“…I’m hungry.”  

I looked around.  

A shabby convenience store stood nearby. 

This outskirts area was deserted—only a treasure-hunting lunatic would come here.  

‘Guess I’ll grab a hot bar and cup noodles.’  

Like a triumphant general, I marched into the store.

A cheerful chime welcomed me.  

The part-timer working there, wearing a baseball cap, glanced up.

She had striking yellow-dyed hair.  

“Welc—!”  

“…”  

Uh.  

Um.  

Uhh…?