Now That I Have Become a Woman, I Am a Vtuber - Chapter 18

“Is your debut song coming out today?”

“Yeah, they said they’d send it this afternoon.”

The day after successfully finishing yesterday’s joint broadcast, I went downtown early in the morning with Hyejung for the first time in a while.

We had been too busy with various things to meet up, so we made time for it now.

“What do you think? Are you excited?”

“A little? But since a famous composer and the company put some money into it, it should be good.”

“Wow~ Could it end up being one of my college projects?”

Hyejung is a dance major. Though she seems to spend more time hanging out than practicing, she says she maintains her grades.

“That would be nice.”

Wouldn’t it be great if the song became famous enough to be used in a college project?

I answered the question with that thought, but Hyejung looked at me with a strange expression.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just realized how serious you are.”

“Now you notice? I even attend vocal lessons.”

“Compared to before, there’s a sense of urgency or passion now. You were more laid-back before.”

Laid-back? Me?

Thinking about it, that might be true.

I used to think it was okay to fail a few times and just take a different path.

But now…

“Still, I have my peers, right? I’m not failing alone.”

I have kind and supportive peers.

No one ever mentioned my profile picture being from an anime during the broadcasts, which wasn’t something to be overly sensitive about.

They were clearly trying to avoid making a big deal out of it, fearing the community might turn it into a forced controversy.

“Yeah, but you always had some sense of responsibility.”

“Was there nothing else?”

“Are you good at drawing?”

“Oh!”

“What?”

Speaking of drawing, I remembered I planned to practice after the broadcast yesterday but forgot.

“You have a pen and paper, right?”

“I brought them for a class, but why?”

“Give them to me. I need to test something.”

They say you should strike while the iron is hot, so I want to see how my skills are right now.

“Here, why do you need them?”

“Hold still.”

“Are you drawing me? You never drew anyone else before.”

Did Kim Suhyun, the girl, say that? I vaguely remember avoiding drawing others.

“That’s because they kept pestering me. Even if I drew them, they’d leave it lying around in a few days.”

“Ah…”

“Anyway, hold still. I want to see if my skills have rusted from not drawing lately.”

Kim Suhyun, the girl, specializes in illustrations.

So, I’m going to turn Hyejung’s face into a character drawing.

With my unique style, I want to see how much my skills have declined by comparing it to my previous works.

I glanced at Hyejung’s face and lightly sketched the face shape in my notebook.

It’s a bit amazing that I can draw smoothly without an initial rough sketch. I kept drawing lines, looking at Hyejung’s face, and then drawing more lines in the notebook.

A line drawn without hesitation becomes a surface and gradually gains a three-dimensional effect.

“Oh… You haven’t lost your touch.”

Seeing my drawing, Hyejung merely expressed admiration, but I was truly astonished.

There was almost no difference between the skills of Kim Suhyun in my memory and what I displayed now.

Even though male Kim Suhyun, who had lived for 21 years, is now in this body, female Kim Suhyun’s drawing hadn’t changed.

The body remembers the lines, and the mind recalls the rules.

It might be less confusing because male Kim Suhyun, who only scribbled stick figures, had come in.

After about ten short minutes, Hyejung’s face and upper body were somewhat drawn on the notebook.

In a rather cute 2D style.

“Oh.. It’s cute.”

Hyejung described the drawing as cute, but I found it amusing.

The process of drawing.

I can understand why female Kim Suhyun was so engrossed in it.

Seeing what comes to mind appear directly in your hand—how could that not be fun?

“Can I show this to the kids at school?”

“Do as you like.”

While Hyejung put the notebook in her bag, I couldn’t help but grin at the joy welling up inside me.

“What? Why are you grinning so creepily?”

“What should I do?”

“Why.”

“I have a pretty face, a good voice, I can sing well, play games well, and even draw well. How are other V-Tubers supposed to make a living?”

“I……I want to say something, but you do have quite a few strengths?”

“Isn’t this like the perfect optimization talent?”

It comes to mind naturally.

A scenario where I draw on stream while interacting with viewers and receiving donations.

Isn’t that the Trinity?

“By the way, has your singing improved a lot? I thought you were already good.”

“That’s because you’re tone-deaf and were just mesmerized by my natural voice.”

“Do you want to die?”

“Let’s finish this coffee and go to a karaoke room, I’ll show you.”

“Hah, I never turn down a challenge.”

.

.

So, I went to a coin karaoke room with Hyejung.

“Wow, damn.”

Hyejung exclaimed in pure admiration at my improved skills.

***

After parting ways with Hyejung and returning home, I checked the debut song that had just arrived in my email.

“I feel a bit nervous.”

This song could change our fate.

Given how much the company invested, I don’t think it will be terrible… but who knows.

Even famous singers sometimes have flops, so how much more for us?

With such anxieties in my heart, I played the song.

The soft sounds of the instruments began to resonate, followed by the guide vocal’s voice.

And after about four short minutes the song ended, I quietly mulled over the song.

“It’s better than I thought…”

Given that we’re VTubers, I expected a song more akin to Japanese band music, but it was closer to K-pop.

Of course, it still had a bit of that Japanese band feel.

I don’t have professional knowledge of music, but haven’t I listened to a lot of songs? If I think about the members singing it…

At least, I don’t think we’ll be criticized for it being bad.

Buzz- buzz-

The group chat buzzing right now is probably having a similar discussion, right?

While thinking that, I received a call.

I thought it might be Hyejung, but a different name appeared.

[Ma Hohyun]

Ma Hohyun, nicknamed Maho, is my peer.

It’s the first time I’ve received a direct call from her…

Without much thought, I answered the call, and an excited voice came through.

[Suhyun! Did you listen to the song!?]

“Yes, I did.”

[Oh?]

“What?”

[Doesn’t your voice sound a bit different?]

“Ah, definitely.”

Come to think of it, haven’t I naturally spoken like a broadcast during calls with the members since I’m always in front of the mic?

It’s normal for my voice to sound different in a real call.

Well, the former manager, who is now our manager, didn’t mention it much since he’s probably used to such cases.

[It’s still good…! So calm and mature!]

“Is the broadcast voice not good?”

[No! That one is just brighter? It feels different. Your voice is really amazing…]

“I like your voice too.”

[Gasp…]

“Why?”

[Can I even call you ‘unnie’ with a voice like that?]

“Haha… you’re being dramatic.”

Maho, who says such things, has a top-notch voice compared to ordinary people.

That’s why she passed the audition.

[But more importantly, isn’t the song really good?]

“Yes, it’s really good.”

[So, where do you live, Suhyun?]

“What?”

[I heard from the manager last time that we could meet the composer in person for the recording? They said the recording facilities are good and we can get immediate feedback…]

“Ah, you want to go together?”

[Yes! I asked in the group chat, and the other members said they’d go separately.]

Hmm… maybe the other members find meeting in real life overwhelming?

Maho might be calling me because she feels uncomfortable going alone.

We’ve gotten close over a short period, often chatting about our interests…

“Sure. When do you want to meet?”

[Gasp! Really? No backing out now.]

“Well… I’m a bit reluctant to go alone, so please let me know when you’re going.”

[Then tomorrow! How about lunch tomorrow?]

“I don’t mind. Where should we meet?”

[Hmm… Let’s meet at the station closest to the recording studio.]

“Alright, I got it.”

[Okay, take care!]

That’s how I made plans with Maho.

***

The next day, I left the house in the morning for our meeting.

The weather is gradually getting hotter. Today’s outfit is an oversized short-sleeve t-shirt and shorts that aren’t too short, with a cap pulled down low.

Basking in the morning sunlight I haven’t seen in a while, I sat in a slightly empty subway car, as the rush hour had just passed, listening to the debut song on wireless earphones and memorizing the lyrics and melody for several minutes.

Arriving at the promised station, I got off and exited the subway.

Arriving early, I sat at a cafe in front of the station, waiting for the appointed time.

Bzzz-

Just as the prearranged time approached, Maho called.

“Hello?”

[Hey, Suhyun, I’m here. Where are you?]

“I’m at the cafe right in front. I’ll come out.”

[Oh? No, no! I’ll come in! Stay inside.]

“Alright, then I’ll stay here comfortably.”

[Haha! Okay!]

Ending the call and sipping the ordered drink, it wasn’t long before a woman entered.

Her long black hair reached her waist and was slightly frizzy at the ends, and although her face was obscured by the cap pulled down low, I could tell she had fair skin.

And… she was tall.

A woman who was almost as tall as the men around looked around, tilted her head, and took out her phone.

Seeing that, I chuckled and stood up, approaching the woman.

I’m quite tall for a woman, but she seemed at least 5cm taller than me. I looked up at her and waved.

“Are you Hohyun unni?”

Seeing her eyes widen beneath the cap, I chuckled again.

I guess I’ll see this reaction at least four more times?

It was worth changing my profile picture.