I Can See a VTuber’s Red Pills - Chapter 32
Yoon Sol (1)The system setup for Xelnaga Entertainment was progressing smoothly.
Yoon Taesoo, as if he had always belonged in that position, efficiently translated my somewhat unrealistic directives into practical plans, executing them without a hitch.
The interior construction of the building picked up pace, and the confidential recruitment process to hire experts from various fields had begun.
Jungyeon was no longer tied down by secretarial duties, and as the leader of the Starlight Project, she focused entirely on content planning and broadcasting alongside Ajung.
With top-of-the-line equipment and strong support, their streams broke new viewership records every day, truly riding the wave of popularity.
Ajung gradually overcame her past trauma and regained confidence, while Rinne thrived in the environment, fully unleashing her talent and charm.
It seemed as if everything was running perfectly.
Yet, within this flawless system, I found myself lost once again.
“Hmmm…”
The expansive living room of the penthouse and the dazzling cityscape beyond the massive windows no longer stirred any emotion within me.
After entrusting Yoon Taesoo with all the practical work, I had once again become a recluse, staring at the monitor screen from my room.
Of course, watching Ajung and Rinne’s broadcasts still brought me joy.
Seeing the gems I had crafted and polished receive worldwide acclaim gave me a thrilling sense of accomplishment.
But that alone couldn’t fill the deep void within me.
Like a hunter searching for prey, my collector’s instincts constantly craved a new target.
There was even a valid reason for it.
The VTuber group ‘Starlight Project’.
The name sounded grand, but with just two members, it felt incomplete.
Expansion was necessary.
New faces to stand on stage alongside Ajung and Rinne.
“Let’s see…”
I instinctively moved my fingers and opened the Ggizzik platform.
The screen was filled with countless thumbnails, each featuring VTubers showcasing their unique charms.
I scrolled through them with an indifferent flick of the mouse wheel.
Pretty avatars, attractive voices, impressive gaming skills… Each had their own appeal, but none caught my eye.
The thrill I felt when I first discovered Ajung, the sparkle I saw in Rinne’s competence—none of these were present.
Simply possessing ‘Red Pills’ wasn’t enough.
My standards had become increasingly selective.
Rather than a perfectly polished gemstone, I sought a rough, uncut stone, one that still harbored a raw and powerful light.
Or perhaps, a being whose fatal flaws only made my twisted sense of ownership more intense.
Click, click, and click again.
As I brushed past dozens and hundreds of thumbnails, irritation slowly crept in.
I instinctively opened the community page.
‘Ggizzik VTuber Gallery’.
It was as lively as ever, filled with all sorts of information, pointless posts, and ongoing disputes.
As I skimmed through the new posts, a few titles caught my eye.
Title: Honestly, Solar <<< This girl’s singing is freaking amazing lol
Did you listen to the new cover song that dropped today?
But why doesn’t she ever do live singing?
If you watch her chat for a bit, she stutters like crazy.
Is that part of her concept or something?
- Yeah, her singing is insane.
- But watching her stream is frustrating; she really can’t communicate well.
- That’s why, no matter how much they try to make her go viral, she’s still a bottom-tier streamer lol
- Nowadays, idiots keep spreading rumors that she used to be an idol trainee. Like, seriously?
Title: Is it true that Solar was a trainee?
I read somewhere that she was part of a debut group at one of the big three agencies??
Then got kicked out because she developed stage fright and now does VTubing?
- LMAO, the viral push on this girl is crazy lately.
- Even with all that, she’s still stuck with only about 30 viewers lol
- Why are so many failed idol trainees turning into VTubers these days?
‘Solar?’
A name I hadn’t heard before.
But the reactions from the gallery users were enough to pique my curiosity.
An overwhelming singing ability, rumors of idol-level visuals, signs of anxiety, and a backstory involving stage fright.
It felt like pieces of the ‘specialness’ I sought were starting to come together.
I immediately typed ‘Solar’ into the Ggizzik search bar.
A small channel appeared—still few subscribers and videos.
The latest upload was the cover song mentioned in the community post.
I clicked without hesitation.
On the screen was a somewhat unpolished but neatly designed avatar, standing still.
And then, the voice began to flow.
“…!”
I held my breath.
The words from the community users were not exaggerated.
A clear, pure, and deeply resonant voice.
Precise pitch and a rich expression of emotion.
This wasn’t just ‘good singing.’
It was professional—no, it was at a level that could easily be the main vocal of a top-tier idol group.
Like an angel whispering, a voice that seemed to soothe one’s soul.
The song ended in an instant, and as if possessed, I clicked on the next video.
It was a short edited clip from a live chat.
[Uh… um, h-hello…? I-I’m Solar…? T-the weather today is… n-nice…?]
A completely different side from when she was singing.
A tense voice, stuttering words, and the avatar swaying anxiously from side to side.
Even when simple questions appeared in the chat, she couldn’t respond properly, staring at the screen in silence.
The flawless singing ability contrasted starkly with her almost catastrophic broadcasting skills.
This stark contrast piqued my interest to the fullest.
‘Let’s check it out.’
I focused my eyes.
Beyond the monitor screen, the ‘real’ figure hidden behind the avatar slowly began to appear.
“…Huh?”
A laugh escaped me.
It was an unreal sight.
S-class? No, it was beyond that.
A small face with perfectly balanced features, large and clear eyes like those of a deer.
A visual that seemed destined to stand at the center of an idol group—radiant and refreshing like sunlight.
Her natural, long, light-brown hair added to her pure image, and even in comfortable, casual clothes, her innate proportions were undeniable.
But amidst that overwhelming beauty, I saw something else.
Her lips, trying to form a bright smile, trembled subtly.
Deep within those shining eyes was a shadow—rooted fear and intense anxiety.
Beautiful, yet fragile.
Like a delicate glasswork on the verge of breaking.
A fatal charm entirely different from Ajung’s.
Her vulnerability, as if she would shatter with a single touch, stirred a twisted sense of protectiveness and possessiveness.
‘Found it.’
My next collection.
My heart began to beat pleasantly.
Right then, a notification popped up on the corner of the screen—Solar was starting a short live stream.
The stream title was [Practice Communicating..].
It seemed like she was making an effort to overcome her lack of chat interaction.
Without hesitation, I joined the stream.
There were barely ten viewers so far.
Unlike the cover song video earlier, the atmosphere was stark and lifeless.
[Uh… w-welcome… D-did you all eat…? I-I haven’t… yet…]
Solar, still awkward and uneasy, was trying to communicate with the viewers.
Even when some viewers greeted or asked simple questions, she could only manage short, hesitant replies before falling silent again.
The air grew heavy with awkward silence, and the chat remained unusually quiet.
It was now.
I quickly logged in with my ‘Zelnaga’ account and hit the donation button.
Without hesitation, I filled the amount field with zeroes.
The exact amount didn’t matter.
What mattered was leaving an impression.
[Zelnaga has donated 10,000,000 Butter!]
[You’re good. I like you. Wanna be secret friends with this old man??]
With a flashy fanfare sound, a gigantic donation message popped up on the screen.
[…What?]
A moment of stillness.
Solar’s avatar froze as if time had stopped.
Even beyond the screen, Yoon Sol’s real face seemed equally stunned.
Her wide-open eyes darted between the monitor and the donation message in disbelief.
Her pale face lost its color, her fingertips trembling, her lips quivering, and her pupils shaking uncontrollably.
It was as if some terrible memory flashed through her mind, bringing forth fear and confusion.
I didn’t miss a single reaction.
Hmm.
“…Did I mess up?”
It seemed I had made a mistake right from the start.