I Can See a VTuber’s Red Pills - Chapter 17
The list of artists Jeong-yeon brought was nothing short of dazzling. It included everything from big names that anyone even remotely interested in the VTuber scene would recognize just by hearing their names, to hidden masters who had cultivated their own unique art styles and secured dedicated fanbases.
The nationalities were diverse, too. Korean, Japanese—even Western artists were included.
As Hajoong swiped through the tablet screen, which meticulously listed each artist’s representative works, style, estimated quotes, and special notes, a satisfied smile spread across his face.
Jeong-yeon’s eyes, shining brightly even through the exhaustion of an all-nighter, hadn’t been for nothing.
“So, you’ve reached out to all of them?”
At my question, Jeong-yeon nodded eagerly, as if she’d been waiting for it.
The fatigue had long since vanished from her voice—if anything, there was even a hint of excitement in it now.
“Yes! I’ve gotten replies from all of them! Just like you said, Boss… when I emphasized the, uh, financial aspect… they all… agreed to do it…”
Her voice trailed off, her expression still dazed, as if she couldn’t quite believe it.
It must have been shocking for her, too—renowned artists in the industry, people who likely had months’ worth of backlogged commissions, were now scrambling to take on the job just because they were being offered multiples of their usual rates.
“Money really is the best, huh.”
I tossed the words out casually.
Jeong-yeon’s lips twitched for a moment, but she soon nodded in reluctant agreement.
It was an undeniable truth.
At least in this industry—no, maybe in most things in this world.
“But, Boss… really? All of them? You want to commission every single person on this list?”
“Of course. Instead of wasting time hesitating, it’s better to get as many made as possible so we can compare. Like I said earlier—half for Ajeong, half for you.”
At my words, Jeong-yeon’s eyes widened again.
The idea that she could have multiple original avatars—ones made by world-class artists, no less—was beyond her wildest imagination.
As the VTuber “Rinne,” she had always dreamed of one day having an original avatar, but due to the realistic cost constraints, she had been making do with minor tweaks to her existing 3D model.
“B-Boss… I… how could I ever repay this kindness…”
Watching Jeong-yeon struggle to speak through her overwhelming gratitude, I chuckled.
“Kindness? Think of it as part of your secretary benefits package. But in return, you’d better do your job properly. Contacting the artists, conveying the concepts, giving and receiving feedback… this isn’t going to be easy.”
“Just leave it to me! This Yoo Jeong-yeon—no, Rinne!—will dedicate her body and soul to creating the perfect avatars for you, Boss!”
Jeong-yeon snapped into a salute, her military discipline kicking in again.
I didn’t mind her exaggerated show of loyalty. In fact, I found it amusing. It was yet another moment confirming that money could buy people’s hearts—or at least their enthusiasm.
“Good. Then let’s get started right away. We’ll need to convey the concepts to each artist… As for Ajeong’s concept…”
I fell into thought for a moment. What kind of concept would suit Ajeong? Her real-life appearance was pure and delicate, with a hint of fragility. But in her streams, she worked hard to present a bright, positive image.
When playing games, she showed a completely different side—quirky and cute. It was hard to define her charm with just one concept.
“First, let’s have you watch through Ajeong’s past streams and pick out some keywords. Pure, cute, gaming… what else? Oh, and her occasional mental breakdowns are part of her charm, too… maybe incorporate that subtly?”
“Huh? M-Mental breakdowns?”
Jeong-yeon flinched in surprise. For VTubers, mental instability was usually something they wanted to hide—a weakness. The idea of making it part of her concept was…
“Why not? It’s part of who Ajeong is. We can portray it in a way that’s not too dark—just a little unpredictability as part of her charm. Like, she’s usually bright and cheerful, but sometimes she snaps… that kind of thing.”
Jeong-yeon made a puzzled face for a second before nodding slowly.
Admittedly, my approach wasn’t conventional. But that was exactly what made it fresh and interesting. Maybe this was what would make Ajeong stand out even more as a VTuber.
“Understood! I’ll do my best to grasp your profound vision and nail the perfect concept! Then… what about my concept?”
Jeong-yeon stared at me with sparkling eyes. I pictured her avatar and her real self. A cute, white-haired, blue-eyed anime girl avatar—while in reality, she was quite mature, lively, and had her own quirky charm.
“For you… your current character isn’t bad, but… hm. Maybe we can sync it up more with your real self? On the surface, a flawless beauty, but with a hidden rough-around-the-edges, playful side. And… someone who loves buttering up her boss… a fiercely loyal secretary concept?”
“Wha—?! A secretary concept?!”
Jeong-yeon’s face turned bright red. She clearly hadn’t expected her embarrassing traits to become part of her character.
“Why not? It’s cute. Competent at her job but occasionally a total airhead, and gets flustered when praised by her boss… viewers would love that, don’t you think?”
“N-No way! That’s way too embarrassing!”
Jeong-yeon flailed her arms in protest, but I just chuckled. The image of a mischievous secretary character was already forming in my mind.
“We’ll just send the artists some of your photos and stream clips and let them work their magic. They’re professionals—they’ll know how to capture the essence.”
“B-Boooooooss!”
Leaving Jeong-yeon’s shriek behind, I turned my attention back to the monitor. A notification for Ajeong’s stream had just popped up.
[What game should I play today? Give me recommendations!]
[Ajeong]
Ajeong’s stream had started a little earlier than usual. Ever since upgrading her PC, the proportion of gaming streams had increased noticeably.
Her controls were still clumsy, but her infectious positive energy and lively interactions with viewers kept the streams vibrant. Lately, her viewer count had consistently surpassed 500, solidifying her position as a mid-tier streamer.
On screen, her familiar clay-like avatar was enthusiastically reading through the list of games recommended by viewers.
But to me, the real Ajeong’s face on the side of the screen was far clearer than the game footage. The serious expression as she focused on the game with her headset on, the slight furrow of her brows when things didn’t go her way, the bright smile when she read viewer chats—
Every moment felt like a precious collectible to me.
―Teacher, public game today?
―Public games suck ass, gtfo
―Is Naham not coming today?
―It’s already been 10 mins since stream started
―Tell that bastard to rot in hell
―Ajeong, your voice is extra lewd today
The chat was sprinkled with messages that seemed to be waiting for me.
Without realizing it, my presence had become an indispensable part of Ajeong’s streams.
But today, I didn’t feel the need to announce myself right away. For now, I just wanted to quietly enjoy watching her.
The fact that dozens of world-class artists were creating avatars exclusively for Ajeong—and that I alone would get to choose the best one to gift her—sent a thrilling rush of satisfaction through me.
[Zelnaga has donated 1,000,000 Butter!]
[Hope you have fun gaming today!]
But it didn’t take long before I caved and quietly sent the donation.
Ajeong’s reaction was, as always, priceless.
[Ah! Zelnaga-nim! You’re here again today! Hehe, thank youuu! I’ll do my best streaming today, all thanks to you!]
Beyond the screen, the real Ajeong’s face bloomed into a radiant smile. I couldn’t help but smile back in satisfaction.
Ajeong really was most beautiful when she smiled.
Meanwhile, on the floor below Hajoong’s residence.
Jeong-yeon was in her room, fully immersed in reaching out to artists and conveying concepts.
Her tablet was packed with details about each artist, their contact information, and the concept keywords Hajoong had provided for both Ajeong and herself.
“Okay… let’s start with the Japanese artists…”
Jeong-yeon deftly used a translator as she began drafting polite yet concise emails.
Though this was part of her job as Hajoong’s secretary, it was also tied to her own new avatar, so she was more serious and passionate than ever.
‘I never imagined my life would turn out like this…’
Just a few days ago, she had been considering quitting streaming and looking for an ordinary office job.
And now? She was earning close to 100 million won a year and commissioning world-class artists to create her VTuber avatar. It all felt like a dream.
“Boss… you’re really not normal.”
Recalling Hajoong’s outrageous actions and spending habits, Jeong-yeon clicked her tongue. There were plenty of rich people in the world, but she had never seen anyone spend money the way he did.
The way he invested in VTubers—like leveling up a game character or collecting rare items—was bizarre, yet oddly captivating.
‘Am I… just another one of his collectibles?’
The thought gave her a strange feeling. But it wasn’t unpleasant. If anything, her heart raced.
She was starting to look forward to the unpredictable days ahead with Hajoong.
“Alright! I’ll finish contacting at least half of them today!”
Fired up, Jeong-yeon began typing away furiously.
Sending emails, checking replies, forwarding additional materials—time flew by in a whirlwind.
Meanwhile, online communities were once again buzzing about Zelnaga, Rinne, and Ajeong.
Rumors that Zelnaga had commissioned dozens of famous avatar artists simultaneously had caused an uproar.
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[Zzzzt VTuber Gallery]
Title: Breaking) Zelnaga’s insane artist shopping spree (holy shit)
(Screenshots of famous artist list + related forum posts)
Is this for real?
Rinne said he ordered from every artist on the list?
And it’s for both Ajeong AND herself—two people’s worth??
How much money does this guy even have lmao
- Bro’s actually insane ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
- ???: Boss! All the artists said yes, what do we do? / Zelnaga: Order from all of them.
- This mf is out of his mind ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
- Each avatar costs hundreds or thousands, and he’s ordering that many????
- The small-time VTubers are a warzone because of him lately
ㄴ Fr tho their streams have gotten way longer
ㄴ They’re desperate to get picked by Zelnaga even once ㅋㅋ
ㄴ All is by the grace of Lord Zelnaga
- What the hell is so special about Ajeong that he’s going this far??
- Rinne’s living a Cinderella story too ㅋㅋㅋ so jealous fuck ㅠㅠ my small-timer ㅠㅠ
- So he’s only gonna use one, right? What happens to the rest? Trash?
ㄴ Give one to my small-timer
ㄴ Me first, bitch
ㄴ My Lingling deserves it first
- At this rate, Naham’s gonna start a whole company soon
ㄴ I was thinking the same
ㄴ Wouldn’t it be easier to just make a company for tax benefits? ㅋㅋ
ㄴ What tax benefits dumbass?
ㄴ To Zelnaga, taxes probably look like pocket change
ㄴ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ fr
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