I Can See a VTuber’s Red Pills - Chapter 36
Yoon Sol (5)“Ah.”
She hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands, but she couldn’t completely hide the burst of laughter that escaped.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
‘Have you lost your mind, Yoon Sol? You’re laughing now?’
She chided herself, but once the laughter had erupted, it didn’t subside easily.
Zelnaga’s nonchalant reaction on the screen, combined with the viewers’ mischievous teasing directed at him, felt like a strange comedy.
The intense fear that had weighed down her entire body just moments ago had vanished somewhere, and in its place, a sense of bewilderment and a very faint, indescribable emotion was blossoming.
That person.
Zelnaga.
The overwhelming presence that had nearly dragged her into an abyss was now being ridiculed in the chat window like a village idiot.
– Ahah, what a joke lololol
– Ah, Zel-ssaem…
– I told you to stop showing off how dumb you are???
– Solar burst out laughing too lol
– How can anyone tolerate such a purely idotic move?
– The chat’s unusually spicy today, hoho;;
Yoon Sol, who had been staring blankly at the flood of chats, let out another chuckle without realizing it.
What on earth is this situation?
He was definitely someone scary, someone to be feared, someone she wanted to avoid.
So why was she laughing?
‘A strange person.’
At first, he was a ‘scary person.’
Then, after receiving Rinne’s message, he became a ‘person whose intentions I couldn’t understand.’
But now, the image of Zelnaga that came to Yoon Sol’s mind was simply that of a ‘strange person.’
Someone who didn’t act according to common sense, who was selfish, yet somehow clumsy and full of openings.
Thinking that, she no longer felt the suffocating fear from before.
Instead, a peculiar curiosity coexisted with an anxiety she still couldn’t shake off.
– Zelnaga: That was a mistake just now. I’m sorry.
– Zelnaga: (Bowing emoticon)
Zelnaga’s chat message appeared on the screen again.
This time, he was even apologizing with an emoticon.
It was a stark contrast to his arrogant and intimidating demeanor from before.
It was almost as if he were a different person.
‘Did he really get scolded by that person named Rinne?’
Yoon Sol tilted her head unknowingly.
– Bowing, what a joke lololololololol
– Wow, that old guy uses emoticons now? lololol
– He must be really sorry lololol
– Solar-nim, let’s forgive him this once ㅎㅎ
– Still, admitting his mistake and apologizing puts him in the top 1%.
– FR lol
– Solar, that guy isn’t really a bad person…
– Solar-nim, do you sing on your streams too??
The atmosphere in the chat window had completely lightened up.
The viewers seemed to enjoy teasing Zelnaga while simultaneously trying to lift Yoon Sol’s spirits.
Their warm consideration felt awkward yet appreciated.
“Ah, I… singing… seems a bit difficult right now……”
She wasn’t in a state to sing yet.
But she couldn’t remain silent like this.
“Um… It’s okay. It seems like it was a mistake… You, you don’t have to worry too much about it….”
She finally mustered the courage to speak.
Her voice still trembled slightly, but it was much more stable than before.
– Zelnaga: Are you accepting my apology??
– Zelnaga: Thank you! Starting today, I will become Solar-nim’s most devoted fan!
– Zelnaga: (Bear pledging allegiance emoticon)
Zelnaga, making another vow with a strange emoticon.
Yoon Sol was now at the point where she was about to let out an exasperated laugh at his antics.
Did that person really learn about the world through internet memes?
– Devoted fan, what a joke lololololololol
– Hey, hey, hey, ‘devoted fan’ is a bad term, you crazy idot!
– No, please just speak normally, you fcking idot! lololololol
– Solar-nim, should we just ban that person?
– Let’s just get rid of him. At this point, there’s no hope for reform.
– It’s your fault for teaching him wrong, so it’s your fault lololol
– I want to hear you sing after so long ㅠㅠ
As the atmosphere softened considerably, the viewers began requesting songs again.
However, Yoon Sol still lacked confidence.
She was particularly conscious of the fact that Zelnaga was watching.
If his ‘pure admiration’ was true, wouldn’t he be disappointed by her lacking live skills due to her stage fright?
“Today, maybe… we just talk a little more…?”
When Yoon Sol cautiously suggested it, the chat’s reaction was surprisingly not bad.
It seemed they had already had their fill of dopamine from Zelnaga’s appearance, the commotion about ending the stream, and the subsequent apology incident.
– Okay! Let’s just talk comfortably!
– Solar-nim, I have so many questions! What do you like?
– That’s right! Let’s take it easy today!
– Zelnaga: That’s right, that’s right.
– Zelnaga: Our Solar-nim, do whatever you want.
– ‘Our Solar,’ what a joke.
Another one of Zelnaga’s exaggerated declarations of loyalty popped up.
Yoon Sol sighed, now lacking even the energy to retort.
She decided to just accept that he was that kind of person.
“Me… what do I like? Hmm… I just like listening to music… and sometimes playing the guitar by myself?”
As Yoon Sol cautiously began to talk about herself, the viewers showed interest.
Among them were Zelnaga’s questions.
– Zelnaga: Wow, guitar!
– Zelnaga: What kind of songs do you like?
– Is he really planning to settle in here?
– Why is he so serious about this? lolololol
At his somewhat excited-looking questions, Yoon Sol unknowingly lowered her guard slightly and answered.
“Just… I like acoustic ballads. Calm ones….”
– Zelnaga: Oh, I like acoustic too ㅎㅎ
– Zelnaga: Besides ballads, what else do you like???
The questions continued endlessly.
However, unlike before, it didn’t feel like pressure or unpleasantness, but rather like he was genuinely curious about her.
Of course, his way of speaking was still somewhat awkward and exaggerated.
Yoon Sol found herself answering his questions little by little.
About her favorite singers, about the songs she enjoyed listening to.
Then, suddenly, she realized she was talking too comfortably and hurriedly shut her mouth.
‘No, don’t let your guard down so easily.’
She warned herself once more.
But the floodgates, once opened, did not close easily.
She found herself answering other viewers’ questions more comfortably than before.
– Solar-nim, what’s your MBTI?
– Mint-choco fan? Anti-mint-choco?
– Solar-nim, what’s your ideal type??
“My MBTI… came out as ISFP. And mint-choco… um… I’ll eat it if it’s there, but I don’t go out of my way to find it. My ideal type… just a kind and affectionate person?”
While ordinary questions were being exchanged, Zelnaga no longer asked any.
Instead, he began to take on a different role.
– So Solar-nim, when are you joining Starlight? If you cozy up to Zelnaga-hyung, isn’t it an instant pass? lol
– Zelnaga: You, get out, you f*cker.
– Zelnaga-hyung, I’m a fan of Solar-nim, please hire me even as a janitor at Zelnaga Entertainment. I’m amazing at cleaning toilets.
– Zelnaga: Does he think this is his diary?
– Solar only sings well, she’s boring. I don’t know why Zelnaga-hyung simps for her so much. Honestly, she’s a lower tier than Ajung or Rinne.
– Zelnaga: Since you like talking about tiers so much, you must have graduated from a high-tier university, right?? ㅎㅎ Or not lol
He was acting like a broadcast manager, ruthlessly responding on her behalf whenever a slightly rude or malicious chat was posted towards Yoon Sol.
The problem was that the number of people helping him manage the chat was increasing.
“Um, excuse me… Zelnaga-nim…? You, um, you don’t have to respond to every single one, I’m banning them myself……”
Eventually, Yoon Sol couldn’t hold back and spoke.
– Zelnaga: Our Solar-nim, just proceed with your broadcast comfortably!
– Zelnaga: No, just give me manager permissions, and I’ll help manage.
– Zelnaga: (Allegiance emoticon)
Zelnaga, speaking confidently with another strange emoticon.
“Ah, no… um, still……”
– Zelnaga: I may not seem reliable, but please give me one chance.
– lololololololololol
– Now he’s asking to be a manager, what a joke lolol
– Just why is he going this far? lololol
– Let’s just make him a manager??
– FR, just let that guy clean up the mess and Solar-nim, talk to us.
– lolololololololololololololololol
She was so dumbfounded she was at a loss for words.
What is this person really?
Is he trying to protect her, or is he just running wild as he pleases?
She couldn’t tell.
But strangely, instead of getting angry, she felt like laughing.
“Th-then… I-I’ll give it to you……?”
Yoon Sol cautiously granted Zelnaga manager permissions.
– Zelnaga (Manager): Just trust me.
– Zelnaga (Manager): I will sever the heads of all enemies who interfere with Solar-nim’s happy broadcast.
That person, really, until the very end…
She eventually shook her head and burst out laughing.
By the time the broadcast was ending, the atmosphere had become incomparably more comfortable than at the beginning.
Yoon Sol was still cautious, but she no longer froze up or tried to run away like before.
Instead, she would point out Zelnaga’s clumsy attempts at being a manager or laughingly respond to the viewers’ mischievous jokes.
“Today… I streamed for longer than I thought. Thank you all for staying with me so late. I… I’ll be back tomorrow!”
Yoon Sol’s voice as she said her final goodbyes was much brighter and more stable than usual.
She herself was surprised by her own change.
She pressed the ‘End Broadcast’ button and took a deep breath.
As the tension left her body, a wave of fatigue washed over her, but strangely, she didn’t feel bad.
‘Really… is he just a strange person?’
When she checked her phone, a new message had arrived from Rinne.
[Rinne]: Solar-nim! I watched your broadcast today! You were surprised again because of the CEO, weren’t you? But I’m glad the atmosphere seemed good at the end!
[Rinne]: Are you perhaps having a hard time again because of today’s events?
[Rinne]: I will take responsibility and give the CEO a good scolding!
[Rinne]: And if you have time, let’s chat for a bit! I want to get to know you, Solar-nim!
Rinne’s messages were still overflowing with bright and cheerful energy.
And at the playful suggestion at the end, Yoon Sol unknowingly smiled a small smile once more.
She still didn’t have the courage to reply, but she didn’t want to throw her phone away in fear like before.
Instead, she carefully tapped on Rinne’s profile and went to her channel.
‘What kind of person is she?’
And, what kind of place was ‘Zelnaga Entertainment’ behind her?
A tiny bit of curiosity was beginning to seep through the tightly closed door of her heart.
I confirmed that Solar’s broadcast screen had turned off and smiled with satisfaction.
[Solar-nim! I watched your broadcast today! In the middle……]
I glanced at the DM window between Rinne and Solar displayed on the side monitor.
As expected, Rinne was naturally proceeding with the next step.
‘As expected of Yoo Jungyeon. Her work is always thorough.’
Of course, I had no idea that my ‘clumsy manager play’ would have had such an unexpected effect in the process.
I simply concluded that I had cleaned up the chat that had become chaotic because of me, and as a result, she had opened her heart.
Now, the next step was clear.
To invite Solar to my fortress, show her a perfect environment she couldn’t even imagine, and promise her a stage where her talent could fully bloom.
And finally, to add her to my collection.
The time to welcome the third star is approaching.