I Can See a VTuber’s Red Pills - Chapter 1

After the accident in the military, my life changed.

At first, I cursed Sergeant Kim in my head.

‘Hey, hey! Move!’

Maybe he saw some weird highlight video or something, because he suddenly tried a bicycle kick—what we usually call an overhead kick in Korea—and hit me square in the head.

I was knocked out cold for an entire day.

When I came to, the doctors said I had nothing more than a mild concussion.

But after that, I started seeing strange things.

I kept reporting it over and over again.

Eventually, I was discharged from the military on medical grounds.

What was the diagnosis again? Schizophrenia?

Back then, I was filled with rage toward the military for treating me like a lunatic and toward Sergeant Kim for putting me in that situation.

But after being out of the army for a while, all that anger just melted away.

And the reason was…

“…What the f*ck. It was real?”

The screen was filled with my crypto profits.

+592%

I can see the future of cryptocurrency.

---

After the accident with Sergeant Kim, all kinds of strange things started appearing before my eyes.

Sometimes I could see people’s underwear through their uniforms—stuff I really didn’t want to see.

Other times, I could see the screens of the officers’ phones.

These days, I’ve gotten used to it, so if I don’t want to see something, I don’t.

But right after the accident, it was absolute hell.

Men’s underwear—and sometimes even the inside of that underwear…

Would anyone else ever understand the feeling of wanting to gouge out your own eyes?

Anyway, thanks to that, I got out of the army and realized just how beautiful the world could be.

Pretty girls walking by.

And even the secret parts underneath.

While enjoying the view and getting used to these “eyes,” I eventually decided to investigate them further.

The first question was, “Just how much can these eyes actually see?”

To make proper use of this ability, I had to figure out its limits.

What exactly could I do with it?

So I started looking at everything.

I sat outside and watched people walk by.

I watched the phones in their hands.

Other people’s smartphone screens would appear in front of me like some kind of status window out of a fantasy novel.

Then I went to a PC bang.

Just like with smartphones, I could see whatever game or browser someone was using on their screen.

And that’s when my life changed forever.

“Hey, you don’t do crypto?”

“Crypto? Isn’t that just gambling?”

“What do you mean gambling, you dumb*ss.”

“Come on. The prices rise and fall nonstop. If you bet on that, what else isn’t it?”

“God, this guy…”

Just a casual back-and-forth between friends.

But for some reason, that conversation caught my attention.

Crypto had been all over the place lately.

“Yo, look at this. I made this much just yesterday.”

“Ten… hundred… What the f*ck? You’re full of sh*t.”

“I’m serious, you crazy bastard!”

So I looked at the phone they were holding. And in that moment—

“…!”

The crypto exchange interface appeared before my eyes, showing coin prices changing in real time.

And then, over that, another screen appeared.

“Come on, just give it a shot. This guy’s giving you the info.”

“Ehh… still…”

“Hey, you never know. What if you’re a crypto prodigy and end up the richest guy in Korea?”

After that conversation, I sprinted home like a madman.

---

As soon as I got home, the first thing I did was boot up my computer and search for a crypto exchange.

Of course—

“Hey! Seo Hajun! Didn’t your mom tell you to do the dishes if you ate?”

I had to face my mom’s spicy palm after she saw my breakfast mess.

I shouted back that I’d take care of it, then locked my door and ran back to the computer.

And then I saw it again. The same screen from the PC bang.

“…No matter how I look at this…”

There was my monitor screen in front of me.

And overlaid on it, another screen that looked exactly the same.

It looked like it was pasted right on top.

But the coin prices and the small clock in the corner were different.

“…Fifteen minutes.”

Even if I’d sucked at studying and wasn’t the brightest, I wasn’t so dumb that I couldn’t understand what was happening.

My eyes… were showing me the future of crypto.

With trembling hands, I registered on the exchange and linked my bank account.

Then I double-checked everything by comparing times and prices.

“…F*ck.”

A dirty word slipped out—whether from the flood of dopamine or the sheer insanity of it all, I couldn’t tell.

I ran to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face.

I couldn’t let the excitement get to me.

Even the smallest mistake was unacceptable.

Once I calmed down, I picked one coin and opened a notepad to track its price changes every minute.

And then came the real deal.

“…Ho…ly…sh*t.”

+592%

That was my profit over just fifteen minutes, as shown on the exchange.

Roughly one year’s worth of money—about 10 million won, saved up from part-time jobs before the army and while serving—had blown up into something incredible in no time.

---

It’s been a year since I got into crypto.

Naturally, my surroundings changed too.

“So… you’ve been eating well?”

“I said I am. If you’re that worried, come live with me.”

“Oh, please. Mom can’t live in a place like that. This place is more than enough.”

“Alright. I just woke up, so I’ll call you back later.”

“Okay. Rest if you’re tired.”

“Mm.”

Compared to a year ago, my mom’s voice was so much gentler.

She used to say, “How’s he going to live like this?” all the time, but now, this was the voice I heard every day during her morning calls.

I got up and pressed the remote.

―Beep.

The curtains opened automatically, and sunlight streamed into the once-dark room.

“Graaahhh…”

I stretched and walked over to the full-length window.

The view of the Han River outside.

My home looked nothing like it did a year ago.

A lot happened in that year.

Once I realized what my eyes could do, I dove deeper into the world of crypto.

I locked myself in and studied nonstop, figuring out how to make more money, faster.

About a week into that, my mom got worried and scolded me, but I showed her my bank account and she never questioned me again.

Three months later, I bought a place with the word ‘Penthouse’ in the name—something I’d dreamed of.

I wanted to live with my mom, but when she saw the place, her eyes widened and she said it was too much.

So I bought her a different apartment nearby.

She refused at first, but I threatened to sell everything and blow the cash like a maniac, and she gave in.

Now she’s so happy, she calls every morning like clockwork.

But that wasn’t enough for me.

Even after moving into this amazing place, I kept locking myself in and focusing on crypto…

And I finally reached the amount I’d aimed for.

―Gulp.

I drank some cold water from beside the bed and wondered what to do next.

―Bzzzzzzzt.

The phone rang again.

After cutting off all social contact for a year, the only people who ever called me were family.

“Oppa!”

(TL note: In Korean, “oppa” (오빠) is a term of endearment and respect used by younger women to address older men, particularly those they are close to, like older brothers, male friends, or even romantic partners.)

“Jesus. Why are you yelling first thing in the morning?”

My brain was vibrating from the sheer volume of her voice.

“Give me allowance!”

“…That’s all you ever say to me, huh?”

“Come on~ Oppa, you’re loaded~”

“Sigh. How much?”

My little sister, Seo Harin.

Ever since she found out I was raking in money from crypto, she started calling whenever she was bored to beg for allowance—completely normal little sister behavior.

“U-uhh… a lot…?”

“You’re insane.”

“Ugh, come on! Your cute sister is asking for a little money!”

“Who’s cute?”

“Pfft. I’m super popular at school, okay? I got proposed to by two guys just this month! That’s your sister!”

“Yeah, right.”

To be fair, Harin is good-looking.

But to me, she’s just a crazy dog—nothing more, nothing less.

“Anyway. I’ll send it, but buy something for Mom too.”

“Yay! Don’t worry! I’ll take Mom to a fancy restaurant or something!”

“Don’t overdo it. She’ll just get suspicious if you take her somewhere fancy.”

“Uh… anyway! I’ll handle it!”

“Bye.”

“Peace out, big bro~!”

With that, the call ended.

I transferred some money to Harin’s account right away.

Then I looked out the window again.

People rushing to work, joggers along the peaceful Han River, cars zipping by on their morning commute.

“…What do I do now?”

I stared at the busy world outside and fell deep into thought.