Now That I Have Become a Woman, I Am a Vtuber - Chapter 121

“Is… is that really true?”

Kangjun looked at me as if the idea had never even crossed his mind.

“W-wait, are you a singer?”
Uh… I wouldn’t really call myself a singer.
But if I were to say, “Oh, no, I’m not a singer, haha,” wouldn’t that make the composer sitting next to me feel a little put off?

After all, we did work on a song together.

“Well, yeah, sort of… that’s why I’m here, isn’t it?”
When I said that, Kangjun continued with an astonished look on his face.

“No wonder your voice is so… Excuse me, but could I hear you sing?”
By singing, he probably means one of my songs, right? Unfortunately, I don’t have any officially released ones yet.
When I glanced at the composer, he gave me a slight nod. That must mean it’s okay.

“How about I play you a song that’s set to release soon?”
“Yes, I’d love to hear it!”

And so, I played him the song.
Unlike earlier with Hyunsoo, when we were testing each other’s reactions, this was just a one-sided performance, so it felt more even.

When the song ended, Kangjun looked at me, his mouth hanging open even wider than before.

“When… when are you releasing this? Or rather…”
He seemed to remember his own song and paused to think about his plans.

What’s he doing?
If he’s already heard the song, shouldn’t he say something complimentary by now?

After a while, as if he’d reached some conclusion, Kangjun looked back at me and asked,
“Are you… the one who featured in Wonderland?”

What? He figured that out so quickly?
Well, he did say he liked Hyunsoo’s songs, so it makes sense he’d know Wonderland. Still…
Is this the intuition of a fellow artist?

“Yes, you’re right. Good guess.”
“W-wait a minute.”

He looked flustered, nervously glancing around, before picking up a notebook from the desk.
Wait, isn’t that the composer’s notebook?

“Uh, excuse me… could I get your autograph?”

That caught me off guard.
Did he mean an autograph as Suhyun?

“I really loved Wonderland. I even searched for the featured artist but didn’t realize it was you, sitting right here in front of me.”

Hearing that felt… peculiar.
Maybe it’s because it’s rare to see someone express such fandom just from hearing my voice.

In the end, I gave him my autograph.
Not as Miro, but as Suhyun.

The next day.
On what was essentially the last day of my vacation, I called my manager.

[Hello?]
“Yes, hello, Manager.”
[Ah, what can I do for you? Are you enjoying your ‘vacation?’]

Oh no, from his tone, it seemed like he still hadn’t let go of that little incident.

But it all worked out in the end, didn’t it?
The gaming company even proposed an additional contract afterward.

Sure, I did receive a minor warning on Dwitch, but that’s just a reminder to be more careful in the future.

“Haha, I’m enjoying it very much. I’ve even had some small successes.”
[Successes?]
“Yes, you’ll be in for a big surprise later.”

I decided not to mention that Hyunsoo had promised me a song.
After all, the song wasn’t ready yet, and surprises are best when they’re unexpected.

[Haha, you always manage to surprise me, Miro. I’ll look forward to it.]

Wait a second… did he just grit his teeth? This time, it’s genuinely good news, though.

But I had something else I wanted to ask today.

“Manager.”
[Yes?]
“How do you go about making a music video?”

That was the main reason I called.
If I’m going to receive a song, I’ll need to make a music video for it, right?
That’s just common sense for a VTuber.

[A music video?]
“Yes, I’m thinking of creating an original Miro song.”
[Wait, what? All of a sudden?]

The manager sounded completely caught off guard when I mentioned creating an original song.
Was it that surprising?

“Does it sound unexpected?”
[Honestly, I didn’t think you’d be interested. I’ve been subtly encouraging the other members to consider it, though.]
“Wait, really? Why didn’t you tell me?”
[You didn’t seem like the type to be interested.]
“What?”

So I’m the only one who wasn’t told?
To be fair, if Hyunsoo hadn’t given me the song, I probably wouldn’t have thought about it either….

[And to be honest, I’ve only subtly suggested it to the others. Producing a personal original song costs a lot of money, and it’s not something the company can fully sponsor.]
“Why not? The company’s usually pretty generous with funding these kinds of things.”

It didn’t seem like The Six to skimp on things like this.
Aren’t they usually willing to support us with everything we need?

[From the company’s perspective, it’s better to invest in group songs instead.]

…That made sense.
Still, how expensive could an original song really be?

“How much does it usually cost to make a personal song? From buying the song to producing the music video and everything else?”

Since the manager seemed knowledgeable, I figured I’d ask. It’s important to have an idea of the baseline cost.

[If you’re starting from scratch, it can cost a few million won. Especially for someone without connections or experience.]
“What? A few million?”
[Yes. And considering that it might not even become popular, it’s hard for the company to justify the investment.]

So, including everything, it could cost a few million won, and the odds of success aren’t guaranteed?

“Where does most of the cost come from?”
[It varies depending on the quality, but creating the song itself is the biggest expense. From lyrics and composition to mixing and making the music video, every step costs money.]
“I see….”

[Plus, for a broadcaster like you, this industry is entirely new territory. Without connections, you’d have to pay full price for everything.]

Hearing that, I realized just how much I’d been freeloading up until now.

Not only had Hyunsoo offered me a new song for free, but even the song I worked on with the composer for Turning Point—I didn’t contribute much, did I?
Both of them handled everything themselves, so my costs were minimal.

Still, I’m in a relatively good position compared to others.
I already have the song. I just need to make a music video.

And since the music video will be in 2D, I’ve got an expert in that field—my inner artist.

[Even so, as a VTuber, having at least one original song would be a huge milestone. It adds a lot of symbolic value.]
“Hmm… I’ll think about it.”
[Please do. I’m sure you’ll do well, Miro.]
“Yes, I’ll give it a try.”
[Really? Should I look into it for you?]
“Could you check out the music video side of things for me?”
[What about the song? Finding one from scratch can be tricky….]
“Oh, I already have something in mind.”
[Got it. I trust you’ll handle it well. I’ll look into the video for you.]
“Thank you.”

The discussion about the music video ended there.
Since the manager said he’d take care of it, I knew it’d be done properly. He’s dependable like that.

[By the way, do you have any plans for today?]
“Plans? None at all.”
[Then how about trying a live stream on YouTube?]
“A YouTube live stream?”
[Yes, just in case you get suspended from Dwitch again. Why not test it out?]

…Suspended again? What does he think of me?
I’ll never! Get suspended again!

But it seemed his suggestion wasn’t purely about that.

“Are you suggesting I switch to YouTube?”
[Well… there is a bit of that intention.]

A bit, huh?
It’s clear he sees YouTube as a better option compared to Dwitch’s limited audience.

“Alright, I’ll do a stream today.”
[Really?]
“Yes, it’s not a hard request, after all.”
[What time will you start? I’ll make sure to watch.]
“Ten… minutes from now.”

I’m the type to act quickly.
I immediately went live on YouTube.

[Miro enters.]

Even though I had done simultaneous streams on YouTube before, this was my first time doing a dedicated one.