Since I Became a Woman, I’ll Do Cosplay - Chapter 99
Seo Jiu was beaming with a wide smile.
He was going to be a VTuber anyway, and with just a signature on the contract, he would get a free virtual avatar created along with a year of free VTuber thumbnail service.
On top of that, mixing costs for his music would also partially be covered.
This would certainly make Seo Jiu’s life much more relaxed.
Now he could live comfortably, enjoying only the positive reactions from Cover Song videos and comments from his subscribers without feeling any responsibility or stress.
“First, the contract will be for 1+3 years. The revenue split will start at 50-50, with a plan to adjust it gradually in your favor.”
To Hayoon’s explanation, Seo Jiu nodded in agreement.
Even four years later, he would still only be in his early twenties.
He could enjoy his youth to the fullest, and if he doesn’t like this path, he could always find another way.
With solid vocal skills and the experience as a Cover Song VTuber with 150,000 subscribers, finding a job as a vocal trainer wouldn’t be an issue either.
There was a way forward.
“50-50…”
Contrary to Seo Jiu, whose mind was carefree, his father, upon hearing the 50-50 split, didn’t seem pleased and let his sentence trail off.
Additionally, while the 1+3 year contract only technically divided the pre and post-debut phases, it was essentially a 4-year contract, far from a short period.
From a father’s perspective, it was a difficult condition to simply accept.
“I’m fine with it though. I’ll just be twenty-two even after four years, so there’s no harm in trying, right?”
Despite the situation, Seo Jiu started convincing his father calmly as if it was no big deal.
“We will also provide the basic streaming equipment and studio after you debut, so you don’t need to feel pressured about the contract.”
“Industry-leading treatment is guaranteed.”
With Hayoon and Jin Ho chiming in as though they had been waiting for their cue, even Seo Jiu’s father felt unable to just oppose.
“Yes, it’s fine. My daughter seems to be excited about it, and the conditions seem reasonable, so let’s sign the contract.”
Finally, Seo Jiu’s father took out the seal from his pocket, and Jin Ho promptly pulled out the contract.
With this, the contract proceeded without a hitch.
“Please stamp here.”
“Sure.”
With no second thought, Seo Jiu also put his seal on the contract, thus officially affiliating Cover Song Lucy and VTuber Lucy with BGG Company.
“By signing this, the contract is now effective. Starting now, our commitment to Lucy’s comfort and convenience is guaranteed.”
Hayoon extended her hand formally to Seo Jiu, who, after a brief moment of thought, also extended her hand and shook it.
With that, the formalities were done.
Before they left, Hayoon and Seo Jiu sat down again.
“What are your plans now? I heard you came up from the province. Do you have any specific schedule?”
“For now, I’ll probably rest at the lodging, and my daughter might do some sightseeing in Seoul.”
“In that case, how about visiting our studio? If you have no other plans, it would be a good opportunity to visit us.”
“If you offer, I would appreciate it. My daughter would likely prefer spending time with someone who shares her interests rather than her father.”
Through this conversation, Hayoon secured the responsibility of overseeing Seo Jiu.
Even though the contract was signed, these days, it wasn’t uncommon for Millennials and Gen Z to ignore their contracts.
Hayoon wanted to seal this opportunity to make Seo Jiu an official and complete member of the BGG Company.
“Then, shall we get up? I’ll escort your daughter.”
“Yes, that sounds good.”
“Wow, where’s the studio?”
“About a 15-minute taxi ride. Shall we go together?”
Enjoying sightseeing in Seoul, Seo Jiu followed Hayoon without any hesitation.
“Is this the studio?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
As they arrived at the villa where Igloo was located, Hayoon pressed the password at the entrance and entered.
“The only thing small about this place is the stairs, but you do have an elevator for convenience, making the transportation of belongings easy too.”
“Wow… This really is nice.”
Hayoon pointed out the practical advantages, but Seo Jiu was busy fixing her fringe in the shiny elevator mirror, appearing more interested in its cleanliness than the elevator itself.
“….”
“….”
Hayoon gave Jin Ho a look implying his uneasiness, and Jin Ho shrugged, responding silently.
It was natural.
‘Probably has ADHD…’
Jin Ho had years of experience dealing with VTubers with ADHD traits and knew critiquing wouldn’t change their behavior, so he preferred to just let it be.
“I’ll let you know the password officially once you move in.”
“Yes.”
Hayoon was getting used to Seo Jiu’s brief responses.
Seeing this pattern even face-to-face, it was clear Seo Jiu just wasn’t much of a talker, which slowly lowered Hayoon’s expectations.
“See how spacious it is? There are two rooms, one living room, and a kitchen with everything you need for simple cooking.”
“But the living room is empty?”
“Yes, we will set up soundproof booths for the second-generation VTubers like Lucy, and there aren’t separate furnishings.”
After the introduction of the empty living room, they moved to the room where a soundproof booth and a simple bed were already set up.
With the lights on and the air conditioning running, it seemed Seo Jiu’s senior, Hong Seohyun a.k.a Scarlet, was live-streaming right now.
“In this room, Scarlet, Lucy’s senior, always streams, and a simple bed is installed for her to rest comfortably while lying down.”
“Wow… Wow.”
“And there will be one more soundproof booth placed in this space.”
“The space usage is amazing…”
It looked like Seo Jiu was drawing a rough floor plan in her mind as she kept nodding with admiration.
“So, I guess you’ll broadcast from either the living room or this room?”
“Yes, if you prefer, you can decide your spot right away. You were the first of the second generation to sign, so I can give you some preference.”
“Hmm…”
Hayoon naturally gave Seo Jiu the privilege to choose the sound booth’s location.
This was part of a strategy to increase intimacy with Lucy, the Cover Song VTuber with 150 thousand subscribers.
Small considerations like this contribute to higher renewal success rates.
Still, whether or not Seo Jiu with her heavy Gen Z traits would appreciate this as a favor and feel grateful was another matter.
“Then, I’ll set up inside this room. With the bed space and privacy-wise, broadcasting from inside the room seems better than from the living room.”
“Yes, then I’ll order the soundproof booth in the same size as Scarlet’s. Next time you visit Seoul, feel free to come by anytime.”
“Got it!”
Such small details built up to ensure a successful renewal contract in the future.
Thinking that she’d done enough, Hayoon moved to the next room.
“This is where Lucy’s virtual avatar and thumbnails will be created. This is the room for illustrators including me.”
The art studio, densely packed with all kinds of art equipment, was dark because no one had come to work yet. Seo Jiu also showed little interest in this field, giving only a cursory appreciation before nodding and leaving.
This concluded the tour of Igloo.
“Then, I’ll go now. It’s almost my first time in Seoul, so there are many places I’d like to visit.”
With the contented face of someone who had just visited an art gallery, Seo Jiu said they wanted to see other places and boarded the elevator.
“Yes, see you next time.”
“Goodbye.”
At this, as Hayoon and Jin Ho saw Seo Jiu off, the silence remained until the sound of the elevator descending and the ground floor’s front door opening and closing was heard through the stairs.
“Phew, it’s over.”
“Successful acquisition of a cash cow… ”
Satisfied that they had finalized the contract, they both sat down on the villa steps.
“Since Lucy already has a self-designed character, we need to check her willingness for a re-make next week and start the illustration process. The virtual avatar must be out quickly so we can cut down the original 3D model, and we might debut with a concert at next year’s AGC.”
“Speaking of that, what about the audition? Should Lucy be one of the judges?”
“No, although Lucy signed first among the second generation, putting someone who has no VTuber experience as a judge could cause problems. I’d suggest only me and the senior participate.”
“Yeah.”
Was being asked to serve as a judge for the audition that satisfying?
Jin Ho smirked while imagining the upcoming audition.
“Make a draft for the audition announcement from the start. We should announce it at least a month ahead.”
“Got it. I’ll prepare it as soon as I get home.”
“Also, we’ll mainly focus on selecting people who can sing. While straightforward, it’s still effective considering the current domestic Cover Song VTubers are almost gone due to the ongoing pandemic. Following Scarlet’s success formula should still work just fine.”
“Okay, understood.”
The two shared a brief planning session for the BGG Company’s upcoming second-generation audition that would decorate the end of the year and returned to their individual spaces.
Detailed discussions would occur in calls from their respective corners instead of on the villa’s staircase.
Then, the very next Monday morning,
“Sorry…”
Seo Jiu’s unusually gloomy voice called out first.
Apparently, she received a strong scolding from her father shortly after returning to Ulleung Island.