I Want to Be a VTuber-Chapter 264: Approaching Year-End (1)

"Let’s see... So the meetings are all done? Now, all that’s left is filming?"

Sooah double-checked Seoyeon’s schedule while watching YouTube on the TV. Though she no longer followed Seoyeon to work as she used to, she still checked in on her schedule regularly.

Sometimes, she would ask Seoyeon’s manager, Park Eunha, but since that was awkward, she usually got the details straight from Seoyeon.

"Yes. First, I’ll be filming Majin, and once that wraps up, I’ll start on Director Jo Bangwoo’s movie."

"And then comes Flower of the Imperial Palace?"

"Yes."

Next year’s schedule essentially consisted of just two projects: Flower of the Imperial Palace and Majin.

This year had been overly packed, so two projects in a year was already plenty.

Besides, the only project this year where Seoyeon had been the lead was Heavenly Garden. While she had prominent roles in the others, they weren’t lead-level commitments, allowing her to take on more.

"Yesterday, Jiyeon and Seohee called me. They said their Japan shoot is finally over."

"...Really?"

When had those two gotten so close to her mom?

Seoyeon was genuinely curious.

"And there’s not much left for the Korean shoot, right? So they’ll jump straight into promotions after that?"

"Yes."

In short, Seoyeon’s remaining tasks for the year were twofold: promoting Kyungsung Lady ahead of its release and filming Majin in between.

With her busy schedule, she had turned down most advertising offers, leaving just these two tasks.

'Guess I’ll hold off on variety shows until next year.'

She planned to focus on her school life for now. The second and third quarters of this year had been her busiest, leaving her unable to attend school properly. It was time to make up for that.

"I see. The CEO of Adiz reached out, asking if you could do more ads."

Apparently, they had contacted Sooah as well.

'That’s probably because they want her to appear in them with me.'

Seoyeon didn’t say that out loud, though.

Occasionally, after Sooah’s appearance on variety shows, ad requests had started to trickle in through Park Eunha.

These were mainly for baby food or family-themed ads, where Sooah would appear with her younger sister, Suyeon.

Thanks to their popularity, both Sooah and Suyeon had developed their own fan communities. Unlike Seoyeon’s chaotic fan community, theirs resembled proper fan clubs.

"What are you watching, by the way?"

"Huh? Oh, it’s Park Soonchul TV. It’s this channel that uploads car accident footage—kind of like black box compilations."

"Oh, that."

Seoyeon knew about it. It was a famous YouTube channel that often made rounds in online communities under titles like, ‘Another Park Soonchul TV Legend Dropped, LOL.’

'So Mom watches this too now.'

After Seoyeon had grown up, Sooah had started discreetly revisiting her love for animation. Now it seemed she had expanded into YouTube territory.

As Seoyeon glanced at the screen—

[Today, we’ve received a very unusual submission. Let’s start with the video.]

The mention of an "unusual submission" sparked a flurry of activity in the YouTube chat.

If Park Soonchul called it unusual, it couldn’t be anything ordinary.

Another legendary video incoming?Every video’s a legend, so calling it “another” is redundant, lol.For real, hahaha.

The footage showed a car speeding through a narrow alley. It was clear from the reckless driving that the situation was dangerous.

Seoyeon felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

It seemed... oddly familiar.

Why speed like that in an alley?Judging by the interior, it’s a Carnival.Carnival drivers, lol, as expected.This guy’s definitely gonna crash into something.

Long-time viewers of the channel predicted the outcome: either a sudden collision with a car emerging from the alley or the reckless driver crashing into a wall.

But then, the footage showed a crosswalk without traffic lights. On the crosswalk, a child holding their mother’s hand came into view.

Given the Carnival’s speed, there was no way it could stop in time. The situation was dangerously close to a major accident.

Oh no, this is bad.Is this gonna show a fatal accident?Wait, did this guy really upload a video of himself hitting people?If he submitted this because he thought he was in the right, he’s insane.

Just as the video reached the critical moment, Park Soonchul paused it.

He often stopped videos at the brink of an accident, so viewers assumed the next scene would show the mother and child being struck.

However—

"What’s unusual is this part. Honestly, I thought it was a fatal accident too, but then—watch this!"

The video resumed. The mother and child noticed the car at the last second. The Carnival slammed on its brakes—

But there was no collision. Instead, the car slid straight through.

"There’s no impact."

???What the heck?Is this magic?Where did the people in front go?

"I thought it was bizarre too, so let’s watch it in slow motion."

The footage slowed significantly. Just before the car could hit them, something flashed past the screen.

Though the figure’s face wasn’t clear, it appeared to be a woman. She pushed the mother and child out of the way in the nick of time.

The black box camera’s low frame rate made the movement look choppy, but the footage unmistakably showed her actions.

Wait, that wasn’t a shadow? It was a person?!Did someone just run in and save them?An alien?How is that even possible?

"I’ve been reviewing accident footage for over a decade, but this is a first. The Carnival’s driver deeply regrets his actions now."

Regrets, lol. He’ll drive the same way tomorrow.The fact no one got hurt means he won’t face any real consequences.But who was that person?Are we seriously saying that blurry figure was human?

"The person who submitted the footage said they didn’t get a good look. The figure was wearing a mask and a cap, so their face was obscured."

Their outfit certainly seemed suspicious.

The chat erupted with wild theories.

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An alien?

A superhero in disguise?

Some even suggested it was straight out of a comic book.

As Sooah watched the peculiar footage, she turned to Seoyeon.

"...Seoyeon?"

"..."

"It wasn’t you, right?"

Seoyeon averted her gaze. She had never imagined the incident would surface in this way.

Wasn’t that Ju Seoyeon?Hmm... plausible.Why would Ju Seoyeon be there, though, lol?Apparently, there’s a YTBC broadcasting station near that alley. If she had business there, it’s possible.This is such a stretch.But... kind of convincing?

Seoyeon cautiously browsed the online posts, paying particular attention to her fan community. Thankfully, most of the discussions were just speculation.

'Good thing I had my face covered when I ran.'

Since she hadn’t said much during the incident, no one seemed to have pieced things together. The mother and child she’d saved had a clearer view of her than anyone else, but they didn’t appear to recognize her either. Probably... right?

'At least I don’t have to worry about Flower of the Imperial Palace for now.'

She had successfully sent off Jung Haran, who had been mumbling about “status windows” in a daze, and it would take some time before the production team cast the remaining roles.

"Are you not nervous at all?"

While Seoyeon was engrossed in her phone, Narumi Sora, seated beside her, timidly broke the silence. The situation was overwhelming for Sora.

It was the first full assembly of the cast for Majin, right before filming officially began.

'There are some familiar faces here.'

Sora glanced around the room, noticing a few actors she had seen in Hyper Action Star.

'Even Han Soyu is here.'

It seemed like they had picked some of the more promising contestants from the show. Among them was the perpetually frazzled Min Doha.

'Why am I even here...?'

Doha, a woman whose screams could rival a supercar, had no interest in appearing in Majin. When she was contacted for the role, her initial reaction was to refuse outright.

But—

"Doha, think about it. This is a huge opportunity."

"GH Group is putting everything into this OTT drama. You’d be crazy to say no."

"If you really don’t want it, let me take your spot. I’d kill for this role."

Even her manager and fellow actors, not to mention the agency’s CEO, personally encouraged her to accept the offer.

By then, it was nearly impossible for Min Doha to decline. She knew how significant this opportunity was.

Her role wasn’t just a minor part; it was a character with substantial screen time. If she performed well, it could skyrocket her career.

But—

Doha’s eyes drifted toward Seoyeon, who sat a bit further away, calmly looking at her phone.

While most of the cast seemed visibly nervous, Seoyeon, a lead actress, appeared completely at ease, like a veteran who had been in the industry for decades.

'Well, she has shot enough projects to rival a veteran.'

In just one year, she had worked on an unprecedented number of productions. To the actors who knew her, it was almost superhuman.

Some worried about overexposure, but Seoyeon’s versatility in showing such a wide range of personas left no room for her image to stagnate.

Maybe Cha Seoa? Or recently, Lee Yoojoo?

She was often perceived as cold and aloof, but her recent Violle commercial had flipped that image once again.

A true actor with a thousand faces.

At least, that’s how others saw her. For Doha, she was simply terrifying.

'That freak from Park Soonchul TV yesterday—it’s definitely her.'

While others were merely speculating, Doha was certain. She had noticed the faint glimmer of red in the slow-motion footage, a telltale sign of Seoyeon’s distinctive red eyes.

'Those eyes!'

Even now, she occasionally had nightmares of being chased by a red-eyed monster. She recognized her immediately.

It was Ju Seoyeon.

"Doha, stop with the nonsense already."

"...Yeah."

No one believed her, of course.

As Doha quietly hung her head, the room grew livelier.

More cast members were arriving.

"I heard Jo Sehee is returning for this?"

"Ju Seoyeon and Jo Sehee? Really? She’s not here today, though."

"Apparently, her schedule for another movie conflicted, so she couldn’t make it."

Ju Seoyeon and Jo Sehee were both regarded as the closest among young actors to being true legends.

The fact that they were in the same film ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) naturally sparked mixed feelings.

'They were both in Kyungsung Lady recently, weren’t they?'

'If they’re close, maybe this was planned ahead of time.'

'But their personalities are so strong, won’t it be distracting if they’re both in Majin?'

While people debated the two actresses, the real buzz was about someone else entirely.

"Are we seriously talking about them when Arthur Diaz is in this?"

"Wait, Arthur Diaz? He’s really in this movie?"

"Yes! I’m so excited! I’m a huge fan of his!"

"GH must have a ton of money to bring Arthur Diaz to Korea."

The actors’ conversations buzzed with excitement.

Today wasn’t about script reading but rather a general introduction to the production, allowing everyone to familiarize themselves with each other and the film’s direction.

Even executives from GH Group were present, a testament to the high stakes of the project.

And then—

Thunk.

The door opened again, and a group of people entered.

Black-suited bodyguards and a considerable number of staff surrounded a man with golden hair.

'Arthur Diaz.'

'It’s really him!'

Even though they were actors themselves, they couldn’t help but be awed by the Western superstar.

Arthur Diaz was synonymous with the word “prince” in Korea, a universally recognized actor whose talent had been validated in Hollywood, the global stage.

His dazzling looks drew gasps from some of the female actors.

'Quite the crowd.'

Arthur quietly observed the room. It wasn’t just the leads; supporting actors and even extras were present.

Was this just a show?

'Maybe it’s for the making-of footage.'

Cameras were scattered throughout the room, reminiscent of Hyper Action Star.

'That show was probably staged, though.'

While adjusting his schedule, Arthur had watched Hyper Action Star, the audition show for Majin. His impression was simple.

'Even Korean reality shows are scripted.'

Despite being billed as live, certain interactions among the actors felt too rehearsed.

And the pinnacle of that was Ju Seoyeon.

'Staged, surely.'

He had seen her dodge a paintball mid-flight, her crimson eyes tracking its trajectory.

It wasn’t CGI, given the live broadcast.

'...Never mind.'

Arthur decided it wasn’t worth overthinking.

Anyway, he noticed her immediately.

With a soft, princely smile—a “fake prince” smile, as Stella liked to tease—he scanned the room.

Some actors audibly gasped as Arthur’s gaze landed on Seoyeon.

"Good to see you again, Seoyeon."

His tone was warmly familiar. Naturally, this sent murmurs rippling through the room.

'Arthur Diaz and Ju Seoyeon know each other?'

'I heard Arthur rarely greets people first.'

'Wow, he really is stunning.'

Arthur’s shoulders seemed to rise slightly at the murmurs.

Just as he was about to take the empty seat to Seoyeon’s right—

"This seat is taken."

"Huh?"

"It’s reserved for a friend. Sorry."

Seoyeon’s polite but firm response froze Arthur mid-smile.

Not only Arthur—everyone in the room was shocked.

No one had expected anyone, least of all Ju Seoyeon, to outright reject Arthur Diaz.