Now That I Have Become a Woman, I Am a Vtuber - Chapter 73

The sound of cicadas in the summer, the stifling heat and humidity, and the seasonal monsoon rains that periodically sparked irritation in people—all of that has now completely faded away.

When you step outside, everyone’s wearing all kinds of jackets instead of short sleeves, and the leaves on the trees seem to dress themselves up, their colors deepening one by one. It has become autumn.

And when you think of autumn, there’s one nationwide event that comes to mind.

“Chuseok is coming up soon.”

“Oh, right.”

Yes, it’s Chuseok.

The national gathering season is approaching.

That means that soon, all sorts of relatives will be gathering at our house.

Since Manager Kim bought a house in Seoul with a yard, our place has naturally become the family gathering spot.

The cousins will be swarming in soon.

Back when I was a guy, I had to gather all the cousins in my room and handle them all, like Lu Bu at the Battle of Hulao Pass, but the memories of Kim Suhyun as a woman are a bit different.

Far from entertaining them, just one glance from female Kim Suhyun telling them not to come in would keep everyone out of my room. Honestly, this face really is a cheat. Without this face, I wouldn’t have been able to protect the goods in my room.

There’s a slight regret about the superficiality in society’s obsession with looks, and a bit of satisfaction in the fact that I benefit from this prevailing lookism.

“Make sure you play with the younger cousins this holiday.”

But this time, it seems I won’t be able to slack off like female Kim Suhyun’s memories suggest.

“Huh? No, thanks.”

“This brat! Every time relatives come over, you hole up in your room, and I end up embarrassed.”

Is that really the case?

If I had a daughter who looked like me, wouldn’t you be bragging about it all over the neighborhood?

Besides, both Ms. Jang and Manager Kim have my picture as their KakaoTalk profile. Now they say they’re too embarrassed to show their face?

“Don’t you think my presence is a bit too much for the younger cousins?”

“Do you even know how old they are?”

“What do you mean age, they’re in middle and high school, and some are little kids.”

At our family gatherings, both Manager Kim’s relatives and Ms. Jang’s relatives come together.

That means the kids vary widely in age.

“Well, at least you know that much. Anyway, you’re an adult now, so take care of the kids. Last year, you didn’t even come down, saying you were independent.”

I’m sure I went down last year… Oh, right, female Kim Suhyun didn’t go down.

Honestly, there’s a limit to staying cooped up at home.

“Alright, I’ll play with them.”

“Really?”

“What, you think I’m lying?”

Believe it or not, back when I was a guy, I did play with my cousins quite a bit.

Besides, even now, I entertain thousands of people daily, so a few cousins are no big deal.

“What’s gotten into you? Usually, you’d avoid answering and just brush it off.”

…Is that really my image?

No, I guess that’s the reputation female Kim Suhyun has built up.

Honestly, aside from her looks, voice, drawing skills, and a few trivial gaming skills, everything else is just a mess.

“How hard can it be? Just leave the kids to me, and you can go gamble illegally with Auntie.”

“Are you trying to get someone arrested? Just say ‘Go-Stop.’”

“But you bet money, right?”

“Anything under 500 won is fine.”

“Really?”

“I don’t know, your dad said so.”

“Is that so?”

Well, I’m not entirely sure, but if Manager Kim says so, it must be true.

“Anyway, you’ve agreed to watch the cousins, right? You better not run off later.”

“Don’t worry. Where would I even run to?”

“True. What else would you do but hole up in your room?”

…That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?

Still, where would I even…

Hmm…

“Look at you, not saying anything. You really don’t have anywhere, do you?”

“No, that’s not it. I do.”

Maybe Maho’s place?

It’s nearby… and if I showed up, they’d probably let me in…

But no, Maho might go away for Chuseok too.

Then… uh…

“Forget it, I’m going to my room.”

“Oh my, are you sulking?”

“As if I would at my age.”

Of course I’m not sulking; this is more of a tactical retreat.

Once I have a few more friends, I’ll revisit this conversation.

With that, I went into my room, closed the door, and lay down on my bed.

The breeze gently blowing through the open window now clearly signals the arrival of autumn.

Autumn is said to be the season for reading and gourmet dining… Should I read a book? Or maybe explore some popular eateries?

Come to think of it, maybe I should learn Japanese.

I’ve got some spare time, and learning a foreign language is always beneficial.

It’s also supposedly easier than other languages and could be useful for my streaming, so it wouldn’t hurt to learn it once.

Still lying on the bed, I lazily searched for Japanese textbooks on my phone.

Since I earn money just by streaming from home, I should at least splurge on things like this.

I’m not making astronomical sums, but still, I earn more than the average person, so buying a textbook like this is no burden at all.

Now that I think about it, I haven’t spent much money since I moved back home.

When I lived alone, there were all sorts of expenses like delivery food and whatnot.

Now, even when Ms. Jang is out, I cook for myself without a hitch.

I’m really starting to feel like a domestic woman.

“This should be good enough.”

I bought a Japanese textbook with decent reviews.

Since I’m only going to learn the basics, I figured a popular book would do just fine.

Speaking of Chuseok coming up…

I don’t have the same worries about Chuseok as others do.

Back when I was a guy, wasn’t I a prestigious engineering student? If anything, during Chuseok, my parents and I used to practically float with pride.

And in female Kim Suhyun’s memory…

Lu Bu, indeed. Just pure Lu Bu.

With this face, who could say anything to me?

They probably just thought, ‘She’ll live well on her own,’ and left me alone.

Of course, the fact that I hardly talked to anyone while cooped up in my room played a big part too.

But being too awkward around relatives isn’t ideal, so I should try to be a bit warmer this Chuseok.

I’ll just hand out some pocket money to the younger cousins and play with them a bit.

“Alright.”

After wrapping up my deep thoughts about Chuseok, I went over to sit at my computer desk.

Should I take a break from streaming for Chuseok?

There’s still some time left, but if I do, I should announce it in advance.

Anyway, the Miro fans won’t have much time to watch my stream over Chuseok since they’ll be getting knocked around by their own relatives.

I might as well take a break and play with my cousins.

For now, I started logging into the forum to schedule a post announcing the break.

If I write it half-heartedly like last time, there’s a chance it’ll blow up, so I should put in some effort.

Hmm… but it’s just a notice that I’m taking a break because of family visiting for Chuseok, so I don’t need to make it long.

I’ll keep it straightforward, sticking to the who, what, when, where, and why.

As I was drafting the notice in that format, my phone, sitting on the desk, buzzed with a vibration.

Who could it be?

Probably the manager or Hyejeong.

Since it was Hyejeong last time, it’s probably the manager now.

Thinking that, I looked at my phone, and sure enough, it was the manager.

Wondering what news he’d have for me, I answered the call right away.

“Hello?”

[Ah, hello, Miro. How have you been?]

“I’m doing well these days, thank you.”

[That’s really great to hear.]

What’s going on? He sounds unusually formal.

When someone who normally isn’t formal suddenly becomes polite, it’s one of two things:

They’re either about to apologize or about to ask for a favor.

“I’m not interested.”

[What?]

“I don’t know what it is, but can’t I just say no?”

[Wow, Miro, your intuition is sharp, isn’t it?]

Darn it. I was right.

Judging by his reaction, it seems more like a favor than an apology.

“So, what is it? If it’s another meeting with the second-generation rookies, I’m going to decline right away.”

[You didn’t exactly… do well last time, did you?]

“…That was an accident.”

The thought of that second-gen meeting still sends chills down my spine.

Honestly, the idea of the second-gen debut is terrifying. Are the rookies going to just devour their seniors?

[Well, it’s not about the second generation. It’s actually good news.]

“Oh? What is it? Is the third album already coming out?”

[No, there are no plans for that… This is something else.]

What? No plans? They planned the second album so quickly.

Looks like THE SIX might be getting a bit complacent.

Well, it’s true that things have been going well. After releasing the second album, the other members have also been on an upward growth trajectory.

“So, what’s the deal?”

[There’s still over three months left until the end of the year, isn’t there?]

“Roughly, yeah. About a hundred days?”

[Since it’s the first end-of-year season since the Celestial Project was launched, wouldn’t it be a bit of a shame to just let it pass by?]

“Why all the buildup? What are you trying to get me to do?”

After the initial push, THE SIX generally took a hands-off approach. They’d support us from behind by creating streaming avatars or songs but didn’t interfere with our broadcasts. So, what’s this about?

[Well, there’s a proposal to hold a live concert at the end of the year.]

“A live concert?”

Is that even feasible? And a concert? Surely not an offline one.

[Yes, an online livestream where all the members perform live to wrap up the year.]

It sounds great on paper… but is it actually possible?

“Can we even pull that off? What if we mess up?”

[Of course, it would be a pre-recorded live.]

“Then isn’t that technically not live…?”

[In the industry, they still count it as live.]

Is that so? Now that I think about it, that seems to be how it’s done in other places too.

In the virtual world, where anything could go wrong, maybe it is a bit much to do a full live concert. 

What if there’s a software glitch or something?

“I’m not sure if it’s doable, but it sounds fun.”

It does seem entertaining.

All the members performing together. The excitement during the last ‘Miro 24-Hour’ event was huge, so a concert… Even if it’s uncertain, it seems like it’d be exhilarating.

[Everyone sings well, after all. But more importantly…]

Everyone does sing well, but why the pause? What are they trying to get me to do?

“More importantly?”

[Do you know how to dance?]

…?

Like I’d be able to dance!

“Can’t we just use MMD for that…?”

[Unfortunately, MMD doesn’t count as live, so… The higher-ups have already arranged for dance lessons. They’ll provide everything from instructors to space, meals, and snacks, so all you need to do is show up and practice regularly.]

Wow, they’re covering everything? That must cost a lot.

Wait, no, that’s not the point—they’ve already planned everything? Then why call it a proposal?

“Is this really a proposal?”

[As I said, you have a keen sense. Technically, it’s required per the contract. But doesn’t calling it a proposal sound nicer?]

“What kind of…”

What a nasty contract…!

No matter how many times I think about it, female Kim Suhyun’s physical abilities are hopeless.

I’ve spent my life holed up, drawing and indulging in otaku hobbies—wouldn’t it be weird if I were in good shape?

In fact, you could even say I’m weaker than the average woman who spends her time actively outdoors.

And now they want me to dance?

Telling me to dance with this creaky body is practically a death sentence.

They say it’s better to roll around in a field of dung than to die, right?

Rather than risking my life and pride on something pointless, I’ll prioritize survival.

“Argh! Just let me use MMD for the dancing!”

So, I threw myself on the floor.

Who knew I’d be throwing a tantrum at my age?

[No, why are you acting like this when you’d actually be good at it…?!]

I could hear the manager’s flustered voice on the other end, but I chose to ignore it.

Forget it—over my dead body.

I can’t dance.