Since I Became a Woman, I’ll Do Cosplay - Chapter 98
This is Lucy.
Her real name is Seo Jiu.
“Seoul…!”
This girl from Ulleung Island has finally made her way to Seoul.
Of course, she wasn’t alone.
“Ugh, look at this air. What makes it so hazy?”
The middle-aged man grumbling beside her, none other than Seo Jiu’s father. As soon as they stepped off the KTX, he started complaining about the unique hazy air of Seoul and guided his daughter through the crowd.
“Seoul is rumored to have tons of cosmetics shops. I should definitely stock up when I’m wandering alone later.”
However, his daughter seemed entirely oblivious to his concerns, completely absorbed in her plans for sightseeing in Seoul. It wasn’t really strange, considering she had spent 18 years living on Ulleung Island. Her trips outside the island were rare, usually limited to once-a-year family vacations or visits to relatives during holidays. How could a high school girl in her prime not be thrilled to explore the bustling Seoul?
“This way. Just one bus ride and we’ll be at Seodaemun Station.”
“Yes.”
But, there was something to be done now.
Though her father was with her, the reason she managed to leave Ulleung Island was for a meeting with Ha Yoon, the CEO of BGG Company.
Seo Jiu, clutching the petty cash card in her pocket as though it were a long-missed friend, smirked and followed her father out of the crowded Seoul Station.
After boarding the bus and traveling a few stops, they alighted at Seodaemun Station.
“This way.”
“Yes.”
Following her father, who seemed to know everything, they entered a well-decorated famous coffee franchise.
The sound of a bell ringing to announce new customers triggered an immediate reaction from a pair of attendants, but Seo Jiu was too busy admiring the interior of the coffee shop to notice.
“Wow…”
She gasped, then quickly covered her mouth. This reaction was too “country bumpkin-like,” even though she technically was one. Still, she didn’t want to appear too provincial. Regaining her composure, she continued.
“That must be them.”
“Yes?”
“Those people over there.”
Leaving Seo Jiu to her rambling thoughts, her father approached the pair seated some distance away.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Jiu’s father.”
“Ah, yes, Miss Lucy’s real name is Jiu, correct? Please, take a seat.”
A female student with an impressive bust, far exceeding comparison to Seo Jiu, greeted her father politely. This was Ha Yoon, the CEO of BGG Company, who had provided Jiu the excuse to leave Ulleung Island.
“What beverage would you like? Considering your long journey, we think it’s only natural we offer this as a courtesy.”
“I’ll just have a cold Americano, please.”
Ha Yoon and Jiu’s father conversed comfortably, and naturally, Ha Yoon’s gaze fell on Seo Jiu. If the father was such a proper gentleman, surely his daughter would be well-behaved in reality as well, Ha Yoon thought.
“What would you like, Lucy?”
“But, wait.”
“Excuse me?”
“Ah, it’s here. I’ll have a Chocolate Chip Frappuccino, with espresso whipped cream, a chocolate drizzle, an extra shot of mocha syrup, 5 shots of mocha syrup, 3 shots of hazelnut syrup, blended chocolate chips at the bottom, and topped with solid chocolate chips…”
Seo Jiu lived up to the expectations, but in a bad way.
“Jiu.”
“Yes?”
“I’ll give you the card. Please place your order.”
“Yes.”
Jiu’s father gave her a slight frown, handing over the card. Seo Jiu, seemingly unaware of any oddity in her request, held the card with the anticipation of enjoying her desired golden recipe and headed toward the counter. On the contrary, her father’s expression darkened, as if disapproving of her behavior.
‘Ugh…’
Ha Yoon, expecting her father might say something later, chose to remain silent.
#
A few minutes passed.
The proper discussion was postponed until Seo Jiu’s “absolutely delicious Frappuccino” arrived. Once everyone had their respective beverages, the conversation began.
“Firstly, our company BGG would like to enter an exclusive contract with your daughter.”
“Exclusive agreement…”
“Yes. The official activities will begin around December next year, when she’s free from high school life.”
“Then, why meet now if we can meet next year?”
In reality, the negotiation was conducted between Seo Jiu’s father and Ha Yoon. Jin Ho was handling the laptop presentations at appropriate moments, while Seo Jiu was busy enjoying her custom-ordered frappuccino.
“Firstly, your daughter initiated contact with us regarding her debut as a VTuber. Currently, we are suggesting delaying the actual debut until next year.”
“If she’s ready to debut now, why wait until next year?”
Jiu’s father was clearly of a certain age, appearing to be in his mid-50s.
“Firstly, let me explain what a VTuber is…”
Naturally, Ha Yoon gave an honest explanation of what a VTuber was, since her father was unaware.
“Does it cost several million won just to create that VTuber avatar, with a production time of a few months?”
“It depends on quality, but our company aims for the highest quality, which takes about three months.”
“Why delay it until December next year instead of just three months later?”
“As you know, it’s no easy task to succeed in the field of liberal arts without serious dedication. It’s hard to even survive. Therefore, it’s crucial to start strong.”
Next came the AGC. Ha Yoon and Jin Ho displayed estimated graphs calculating the impact of the upcoming AGC, scheduled to begin next year.
Though the data wasn’t strictly authoritative, what mattered most was that it effectively resonated with parents of similar ages, bridging generation gaps.
“Hmm…”
Sure enough, upon seeing those well-arranged materials, Seo Jiu’s father seemed a bit shaken, his expression changing.
“Our aim is to introduce your daughter at this event, an event with a clear target audience, ensuring definite effects.”
“So, what will happen during this one-year period?”
“I will provide illustrations for the cover song channels you operate. You currently maintain a weekly uploading schedule, right? We’ll align with that.”
“R, really?”
It was Seo Yoo who reacted this time. Knowing the level of Ha Yoon’s illustrations, this was quite an intense reaction.
“Eh?”
“Yes?”
“Why are you so young? Are you a student?”
“Yes, currently.”
At that moment, seeing Ha Yoon’s face directly made Seo Yoo’s mind fill with doubts. Confronting Ha Yoon’s red potion, she seemed unrealistically young, almost unbelievable for the CEO of a company.
“Jiu.”
“A. Sorry.”
At her father’s rebuke, Yoo immediately sat still. Despite her MZ-generation traits, she still feared her father.
“Hmm. As evident from your daughter’s reaction, my work is fairly recognizable in the industry. So, I plan to consistently provide quality illustrations until her debut.”
Yoo’s response likely became a clear human gauge of Ha Yoon’s advantages for her father, but…
“Why are you going through so much effort? Is my daughter a guaranteed success?”
Too much goodwill worried Seo Jiu’s father. He couldn’t help but wonder if his daughter had gotten into any kind of trouble.
“We already have a successful case similar to your daughter’s. Scarlet, an up-and-coming cover singer and VTuber, has about 130,000 subscribers.”
Ha Yoon had prepared this response for such moments.
“Currently, Scarlet earns a stable income of over 2 million won even after deducting platform fees.”
“She provides us with 2 million won out of her earnings and pays around 1.7 million won to platforms, generating about 5.7 million won monthly in sales, which totals over 60 million won annually.”
Together with Jin Ho, Ha Yoon bombarded him with numbers, making it difficult for Seo Jiu’s father to clearly judge the matter. Essentially, leaving him no choice but to sign.
This plan of Ha Yoon’s worked well…
“Ah, it seems like there’s quite some money in this. If she earns like this from the first year, as she gains more experience…”
Seo Jiu’s father’s expression betrayed his growing interest, looking back and forth between his daughter and Ha Yoon. While it’s true that more experience usually leads to higher earnings…
‘There’s no real need for me to point that out.’
Lucy.
For Ha Yoon, wanting to recruit Seo Jiu as a cash cow, this misunderstanding was quite appealing.