I Became a Member of My Favorite Group! - Chapter 3

Erin.

A member of the virtual group Blue LUV, born from the Blue Project.

A VTuber with a striking avatar featuring golden hair, silver highlights, and blue eyes, reminiscent of a knight from a fantasy world.

According to her backstory, she was once a hero who defeated the Demon King, ascended to demi-godhood, and was tasked with making Earth a happier world by joining Blue LUV. It’s a bit of an over-the-top setting, but hey, that’s the trend in this industry—gods, demons, and demon kings all becoming idols.

But honestly, in Korea, these kinds of settings don’t hold much weight in the long run.

The VTuber scene here is quite different from its Japanese counterpart.

In Japan, it’s all about role-playing (RP) based on the avatar’s lore, but in Korea, the avatar is more like a face—there’s not much difference from regular internet streaming.

That’s probably why a lot of people who start watching regular streams end up diving into VTubers too.

‘Ah, this isn’t the time for this.’

I snapped out of my brief tangent and refocused.

In front of me was Erin—no, Jia—still tilting her head and looking at me.

Of course, she’d make that face when someone she just met suddenly called her by a strange name.

How do I fix this?

Should I say she reminded me of an anime character I once saw?

But wouldn’t that make her feel bad if I compared her to an anime character?

And what do I do if she asks which anime it was?!

“Erin? Erin… sounds nice.”

“…Huh?”

As I was about to give up on finding a solution and clutch my head in frustration, Jia muttered the name “Erin” a few times and nodded with a satisfied expression.

Then she said,

“Is this the name you’re planning to use for your avatar?”

“Ah, no. That’s not it…”

I mean, I don’t even plan to become a VTuber.

But why is she asking this?

“Then, if I pass, can I use this name?”

“Huh? You mean the name Erin…?”

“Yeah, I kind of like it. I’ve already come up with an avatar concept but I couldn’t decide on a name.”

She already came up with an avatar concept?

Does that mean the Erin I know was originally Jia’s idea?

I always thought the company came up with the avatar designs.

Ah, now that I think about it, that makes sense.

After debut, the avatar essentially becomes their body, so they can’t exactly say they came up with the name or concept themselves. That would break the RP.

So, this little tidbit is something only a few fans, like me, would know.

Somehow, that makes me happy.

“Well, I don’t mind at all. Please use it. Erin… no, Jia, I think it suits you.”

“Pfft, you’re calling me Erin even though I haven’t debuted yet?”

Erin—no, Jia—burst out laughing, pointing out my slip-up.

But to me, it wasn’t just a simple mistake.

Because Jia is Erin, and Erin is Jia.

She’s the VTuber who will debut with the name Erin if she passes this Blue Project.

Of course, I can’t say that out loud since only I know that for now…

“Y-You can do it! If it’s you, Jia, I know you’ll definitely…!”

I clenched my fists and tried to encourage her, but in my flustered state, I ended up saying something unnecessary.

“Huh? You… like me?”

“Ahhh, no…! That’s not what I meant! I just meant someone as kind and beautiful as you can’t possibly fail… or that the world would be too harsh if you didn’t….”

I was rambling so much that even I didn’t know what I was saying.

Of course, it’s true that I like her!

If someone put a bomb collar around my neck and asked, “Who’s your favorite in Blue LUV?” I’d eventually say Erin after some thought. But that’s not what I meant here!

“I think I understand what you meant, so don’t worry too much. You were just trying to cheer me on, right?”

“Y-Yes…! That’s right.”

I almost became the crazy girl who confessed to someone of the same gender upon first meeting, but I managed to smooth things over.

Luckily, Jia only seemed a little surprised and didn’t make a big deal out of it.

In fact, she seemed… happy? Or maybe that’s just my imagination.

“Thank you. Let’s both pass and have fun together.”

“Ah…”

She extended her hand, wishing us both good luck.

I knew what it meant, but for some reason, it felt hard to take.

Unlike me, who knows the future, Jia doesn’t, so she can say these things sincerely.

But your position is fundamentally different from someone like me.

Your hand is too pure and radiant to be held by someone like me.

Once the final results are announced, I’ll probably fade from your memory.

And like Blue LUV in my memories, you’ll shine brightly alongside the other members, bringing dreams and hope to people.

Even then, I’ll never forget today and will continue to support you as a Star Piece, a fan of Blue LUV.

So, just for this moment…

Squeeze—

“…Okay.”

Even if it’s just to make this moment last longer in my memory.

I’ll allow myself to hold your pure hand with my dirty one.

＊＊＊＊＊

After that, the waiting room quickly filled up with people.

I wanted to greet the other Blue LUV members, but everyone was too focused on preparing for their interviews, so I didn’t get a chance to talk to them properly.

In the end, Jia was the only one I really talked to.

“Candidate number 21, Jeong Da-jeong, please come into the interview room.”

“Ah, yes!”

I had been preparing for the interview as best as I could, but when the staff called my name, my steps felt heavy.

Even though the outcome was probably already decided.

“Da-jeong, Da-jeong.”

Just as I was about to leave the waiting room, someone called my name in a whisper.

“…Yes?”

“Fighting! You can do it.”

When I turned around, Jia was waving her hands like a cheerleader holding pom-poms.

Sniff, getting cheered on by Erin herself…

I could die happy now.

“F-Fighting.”

I shyly waved my fist in response and left the waiting room.

Following the staff’s guidance, I knocked on the door of the interview room next door.

“Yes, come in.”

A soft, youthful voice responded from inside.

The moment had finally come. I straightened my back and walked in with stiff movements.

Creak—

“Ah, hello. I’m candidate number 21, Jeong Da-jeong. Nice to meet you.”

I recalled my one and only past job interview and greeted them politely.

The woman in the center smiled warmly at me.

“Don’t be so stiff. Sit comfortably. We’re not that strict of a company.”

“Perhaps she’s nervous because the CEO is sitting in the center?”

“What did you just say?”

“Ah, nothing. Let’s proceed with the interview.”

I blinked blankly as I watched the lighthearted banter unfold.

The CEO?

So, the person sitting in the center is Kang Ha-neul.

Since her face isn’t publicly known like the Blue LUV members, this is my first time seeing her in person.

She gives off the vibe of a reliable older sister.

And, of course, she’s beautiful.

“First of all, thank you for applying to our Blue Project. We were pleasantly surprised to see such a cute candidate.”

“Ah, no… Cute, you say…?”

I was a bit flustered by the sudden compliment.

In an interview, it’s essential to highlight your strengths, but being called “cute” made it hard to simply bow and say, “Thank you.”

I’m still a guy, after all.

Being called cute is the opposite of what I’d expect.

“Even your modesty is adorable. What should we do, Manager?”

“CEO, this is an interview. Please focus on the task at hand.”

“Adoring cute girls is also part of my job… Hmph.”

The CEO and manager were so casual that it was hard to believe this was an interview.

But I knew it was just lighthearted banter to ease my nerves, so I simply smiled.

Come to think of it, the CEO has always had a soft spot for cute girls.

She even joked—half-seriously—that the reason she created Blue LUV was to keep cute girls in her treasure box.

Even so, I can’t accept being called cute. Nope.

“The reason we passed you in the first round is because of your amazing voice. The song you sang, ‘Changwol’ (Singing Moon), right?”

“Yes, that’s correct…”

“Changwol” (Singing Moon).

A signature song by the Japanese J-POP artist Lazy, known for its delicate emotional expression and calmness rather than high notes.

It’s a song that beautifully captures the loneliness of someone looking at the moon and sky in an empty house, trying to suppress their solitude.

The lyrics, which talk about how everyone has their own star but the singer feels excluded, resonated deeply with me, and I’ve always loved the song.

“I’ve listened to this song quite a bit, but I’ve never seen anyone make it their own like you did. It felt like you were singing your own story, and I really loved that.”

“Th-Thank you.”

I sang it with so much emotion, so it’s no surprise she felt that way.

I nodded in acknowledgment.

“We think very highly of you, Da-jeong. Today, we’d like to explore what makes you unique—your charm.”

“M-My charm…?”

Do I even have any charm?

I’m not good at sports, I’m not great at games, and I’m not an exceptional singer.

Of course, dancing is out of the question, and I’m not even that articulate.

If they knew the real me, they’d probably wonder, “How did this person even think of becoming a VTuber?”

But I can’t say that in an interview, so I need to come up with something.

Ugh, what should I say?

To find an answer, I thought about the four members of Blue LUV.

Each of them has countless charms.

Some are lively, some are mature, some are cute, and some are naturally talented.

Even compared to those overwhelming individuals, what unique strength do I have?

If there’s something… Ah!

“I-I have it!”

“Oh, what is it? With how cute you are, maybe it’s your aegyo…”

Aegyo? As if I have any of that.

I internally scoffed at the manager’s comment, straightened my back, and confidently spoke up.

“I’m confident that no one can beat me in loving the members!”

It didn’t take long for me to realize how ridiculous that sounded.