Now That I Have Become a Woman, I Am a Vtuber - Chapter 96

[…So, the director has created a new filming location this time.]

“Creating a filming location?”

[Yes, it seems he wasn’t satisfied with the previous set, so he’s renting land and constructing it.]

I was a bit taken aback by Moon Changsik’s words.

Would they really go that far just to shoot one film?

“Then, will I be filming there too?”

[Probably? But since your scenes can easily be shot at the previous broadcast station set, I’m not entirely sure.]

That’s true, I don’t have much range of movement, and with only one scene, there’s no need to put in that much effort.

“Hmm… So when do I start shooting?”

[It won’t take too long. Probably in about two weeks, so it might be good to relax a bit and keep practicing until then.]

Hearing Moon Changsik’s voice over the phone, I paused in thought.

The time for actual filming was getting close, would I really be okay?

Though he had praised me, I still felt uncertain, so I figured I should practice as much as I could with the remaining time.

[By the way, it sounds noisy where you are. Are you going somewhere?]

Noisy? Could he hear all the background sounds through the call?

“Oh, I’m heading to the airport.”

“The airport?”

“Yes, I’m going to Japan today.”

Today was the long-awaited departure day.

Ah, maybe I shouldn’t phrase it like that? Technically, it’s the day before Kim Manager’s birthday.

Leaving Friday morning and returning Sunday—a three-day, two-night overseas trip.

It was my first trip abroad, as I’d only flown to Jeju Island before. But since passports come out quickly these days, and entry procedures are simplified with QR codes, it wasn’t a hassle.

[Japan… I’m envious.]

“Have you been to Japan?”

I wondered if I shouldn’t have asked that.

As a famous actor, he must’ve been there, right?

[Yes, I’ve been many times. I’ve even filmed there.]

“Oh… can you speak some Japanese?”

[I know the basics, vocabulary and such.]

Really? Wow, he can handle foreign languages too.

Is an actor’s job something that just ends up requiring them to know all sorts of things?

[Anyway, have a safe trip, and see you on set.]

“Yes, thank you. Take care.”

Click—

After finishing the call with Moon Changsik, Jang Madam, who’d been watching me attentively during the call, asked casually.

“Who were you talking to like that?”

“Oh, Moon Changsik.”

“What?”

“It seems we’ve arrived at the airport now.”

“Who did you say?!”

Then, after arriving at the airport, I boarded the long-awaited flight to Japan.

I took my reserved seat, listened to the announcements, and soon the plane took off.

The flight wasn’t all that exciting, really. Maybe because it was a short trip, there wasn’t even an in-flight meal, and before I knew it, we had arrived in Japan.

The arrival process was incredibly straightforward too. I just had to fill out a simple form, scan the QR code I’d prepared in advance, and that was it. After that, I just went through security, showed my passport, and suddenly I was at the Japanese international airport.

It was so easy that it felt a bit anticlimactic, but hey, it was still my first trip abroad.

After arriving at the airport, I found myself surrounded by signs in an unreadable language, along with a mixture of various people from different backgrounds, just like us travelers. It was honestly confusing at first, and I stumbled around a bit.

“This place is too hectic! Just follow this way!”

“Oh, okay.”

Thankfully, since both Manager Kim and Jang Madam had traveled abroad before, we managed to make our way out of the airport and reach the subway station without much trouble.

“Uh… so…”

We bought tickets at an unmanned machine in the subway station, using the yen we’d exchanged in advance. It was a bit of a hassle, but with the help of a translation app and the station staff, we managed to get tickets to our intended stop.

We finally arrived at our destination, checked into the hotel, dropped off our luggage, and stepped outside.

The distinctly Japanese scenery and the nearby shops made it clear that we were on vacation, but I was surprised by how many Koreans and other foreigners were around.

I’d heard it was a popular tourist spot, but I didn’t expect it to be this crowded.

It felt like a fifty-fifty split between Japanese locals and foreigners.

Suddenly…

“Excuse me… Are you Korean?”

“Huh? Yes, how did you know?”

“I could just tell. Did you come alone?”

“What?”

“We came as a pair, but…”

While my parents were momentarily away, I was being approached by a couple of Koreans.

It was so ridiculous I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m here with my family.”

“Aw, but why are you alone?”

“They went to the restroom. There they are—Dad!”

At my call, Manager Kim, who was walking leisurely with Jang Madam from a distance, noticed us and visibly tensed up.

The two Koreans must’ve noticed too, as they quickly made an excuse and left.

“Those guys…”

“My, our daughter is popular, huh?”

Seeing the differing reactions from Manager Kim and Jang Madam to the same situation, I just shrugged.

“Yeah, well, anyway, let’s go eat.”

“Sure, there’s a famous place nearby.”

After standing in line at the popular spot for a meal, we ate, and then, to get some fresh air, I stepped outside to wait, when a group of men with backpacks approached me.

“Excuse me… Are you Korean?”

“Yes? That’s right.”

“Did you come alone? We’re here as a group of three…”

“Oh… We’re three, too.”

At the mention of “three,” the man who’d approached me brightened up.

“Wow, really? That’s great…”

“With my mom and dad, that makes three, so you can go on your way.”

“Yes…”

The man quickly left, but whenever I found myself alone afterward, without fail, someone would approach and start a conversation.

Do I really look like a Korean traveling alone?

Or maybe it’s just that I didn’t notice much in between activities or being around others, but here at a tourist spot, it feels like there are people trying to start conversations all the time.

Just when I was starting to get a bit irritated by all the attention, thankfully, the day’s activities wrapped up. We returned to the hotel, celebrated Manager Kim’s birthday with the cake we’d bought, and ended the first day of our trip.

***

The next morning.

I left the hotel alone, heading to the spot where I was supposed to meet someone.

Walking through the quiet Japanese scenery, breathing in the chilly morning air similar to back home, I felt a strange sensation.

It was as if I were blending into the city as a local. The Japanese-style wooden buildings and houses gave me a sense of peace.

Thinking that a longer trip here might be nice someday, I strolled leisurely, taking in the local scenery and shops, and following the map directions to the subway.

When I arrived, the subway was surprisingly busy. Not only were there office workers carrying briefcases, but there were also students in uniforms, even though it was a Saturday.

Do students in Japan go to school on Saturdays?

Anyway, after purchasing my ticket from the machine, I boarded the train.

As I watched the unfamiliar scenery pass by, waiting to reach my stop, I got a message from Tenshi, who I was meeting today.

[Tenshi: How close are you?]

Where am I exactly? I sent a photo of the station name, which was conveniently displayed in English.

[Tenshi: Almost there! I’m already here. I’m wearing a brown coat.]

A brown coat?

It’s the perfect weather for that…

I glanced around.

It must be a popular choice here; there were already three people in brown coats in this car alone.

…Will I be able to spot her?

Oh well, I can just contact her when I get there.

When I arrived at the agreed-upon station, I saw it was a pretty bustling area, even at this hour. There were quite a few people around, and with the size of the station, finding someone based only on the “brown coat” clue was challenging, so I sent another message.

[Me: I’ve arrived. What are you wearing?]

What am I wearing? Just jeans and a knit hoodie.

And yet, I didn’t see anyone else dressed like me here.

…

Realizing the subtle differences in fashion trends between Japan and Korea, I snapped a quick photo of just my upper and lower body to send to Tenshi.

After a brief pause, Tenshi replied.

[Tenshi: Your outfit is cute! I’ll try to spot you.]

Though Tenshi said they would try to find me, I think I may have already found them.

From afar, I noticed a girl glancing around, repeatedly checking her phone. She’s on the shorter side, but her lavender hair really stands out. And just as Tenshi mentioned, she’s wearing a brown coat. She seems a bit too dressed up to be a typical VTuber fan, though… but then again, who am I to say?

I decided to send another message, and when I saw the lavender-haired girl check her phone again, I moved closer.

Up close, she looked more like a young girl than a woman. I heard she’s older than me, though—maybe she just looks young?

Just to be sure, I messaged her again, and seeing her check her phone once more, I felt certain.

I thought about surprising her but quickly dismissed the idea.

Those who lack physical prowess might need to pull off surprises, but someone naturally gifted like me? Just my presence is a surprise.

I walked up and gave her shoulder a light tap.

She turned her head, looking up from her phone.

“Excuse me, Tenshi?”

I was fairly certain, but I still had a sliver of doubt. Her eyes went wide, and then she greeted me with a familiar voice.

“Eh? Really?”

“Nice to meet you.”

And just like that, I had my first meeting with an online friend.