Next Friday.
Go Hana visited Yoo Mija’s studio.
It was close to the house in Seongbuk-gu where Mija originally lived.
“Did she say her older brothers helped set everything up…?”
The studio was unexpectedly tidy.
Designed with a white theme, it was equipped with multiple computer desks and display tablets. There were also designated seats for assistants.
— Click!
Mija, who had been absorbed in her phone, rolled out from the farthest corner of the studio on her chair.
Her once long, flowing blonde hair had been cut short just below her neck.
She waved her hand playfully.
“Hana-chan, hi.”
“…”
Hana found herself marveling at Mija.
‘Mari and Juri always seemed mature, but this one… She’s changed so much.’
Back in middle school, Mija still had a very childlike look to her.
But after going through high school and entering university, her body’s curves had fully blossomed.
Despite being only 21, she even had a slightly worn-out aura.
‘Back in middle school… she was just a gloomy little kid going through her edgy phase, but then she shot up in high school, and now she’s basically turned into a full-on suburban housewife…’
“…”
“Huh? Hana-chan, why are you just standing there?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
“?”
Hana cautiously stepped inside the studio.
“What about your assistants?”
“They’re on vacation until the next project starts, now that this season’s wrapped up.”
“I see.”
“You on vacation too, Hana-chan?”
“This summer’s going to be hectic, so President Jung told me to take a good two-month break. As long as I graduate someday, college can wait—I’m on leave for now.”
Stretching, Mija let out a sigh.
“Ah… I’m jealous. I have to prep for college finals and wrap up planning for the new season…”
As she arched her slender waist and stretched out her arms, her blouse, unable to withstand the pressure from both sides, lost a button that shot off into the distance.
— Pop!
“…Ah, damn. Did they grow again?”
“?!”
As if this was nothing new, Mija just shrugged and casually threw on a cardigan hanging nearby.
Hana, witnessing this, felt shaken.
Then, she looked down at her own blouse.
The clean studio floor and her dainty feet were clearly visible.
There was no obstruction in her field of view.
No mountains to block the horizon.
It was, quite literally, a barren wasteland.
“…”
No way.
She was an adult too.
Was this fair…?
‘Ugh…’
*
The two sat at their respective computer desks, chatting away. The VTuber they were waiting for hadn’t started streaming yet.
“So, Hana-chan, you actually went to Egypt and Africa?”
“Yeah. I got interested when I heard about ancient art from before the Common Era.”
“Wow… I always thought I put in a lot of effort when preparing materials, but seeing how you prep for exhibitions is honestly terrifying.”
“…”
Hana suddenly smirked.
“…Heh.”
“?”
“But hey, Mi-chan.”
“Yeah?”
“…I’ve noticed for a while now you don’t stutter dramatically or giggle like ‘Uhi-hihit’ anymore.”
“…Ugh.”
Mija’s face turned slightly red.
“Well, uh… After working in society and hearing all kinds of things from people… I kind of grew out of my edgy phase.”
“I see. Yeah, you really have changed. In a good way.”
As they continued chatting, it was a message from the VTuber who had invited them.
—Ding!
“!”
“!”
She had just opened a group chat for them. Inside were her manager, production staff, and other team members.
The moment they joined, a long message in Japanese flooded the chat.
「[F.P.L 3rd Gen] Tsukuyami Moneta: Thank you both for accepting my invitation despite your busy schedules.
I have always watched your work with deep admiration.
It is a tremendous honor to have you on my stream, and I humbly bow… (abridged) … Before we begin, we will be conducting a connection test, so I ask for your understanding.
Once again, I extend my sincerest gratitude to my esteemed senior guests.」
The message was so long they had to scroll down to read it all.
It was filled with elaborate honorifics and excessive formalities.
Mija read it in a daze.
“Oh… So this girl plays the role of a clumsy airhead on stream, huh? But when it comes to work, she talks like this.”
“I didn’t even get a greeting this long when I exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo.”
“Huh? Hana-chan, you can read Japanese now?”
“Yeah, I studied it. I can read, write, and speak Japanese and Chinese… and I’m currently learning German, Italian, and French.”
“…O-oh. I see.”
—Ding!
“!”
Another long preparation request arrived, prompting Mija to start setting up her equipment.
—Clatter.
She pulled out her smartphone, microphone, and other gear. Since she often streamed her drawing sessions, she was already experienced in online broadcasting. She even set up Hana’s equipment for her.
Hana, watching this, spoke in a meaningful tone.
“Ah… I haven’t felt this chill in a while.”
“Hmm? Ahh… Haha…! You mean the thing you used to do back in school?”
“The little ‘Hana-chan’ is gone. It’s time for Saint Chris to descend once more.”
“Oooh, I’m looking forward to this.”
With that, they turned on their respective devices, exchanged greetings with the staff, and checked the stream connection.
Then, on a side monitor, they pulled up Tsukuyami Moneta’s livestream.
*
The opening animation played.
A deep, late-night scene unfolded in a traditional Japanese garden, where a grand full moon descended.
Then, the tightly shut red gates slowly swung open, revealing a noblewoman dressed in elegant traditional attire.
She said with her ash-gray hair flowing.
「Let us spend the night as gracefully as the moon. Welcome to the world of art.」
— Swish!
Mystical autumn leaves danced across the screen, briefly obscuring the view…
And with that, the animation ended.
Next, Tsukuyami Moneta’s 2D model appeared on screen, her expression adorned with a gentle smile.
She greeted the audience with natural fluid movements, her voice clear and composed.
“As graceful as the moon! Everyone, are you well? I am Tsukuyami Moneta, a 3rd-generation member of Fantasia Project Live, the guide to the Night of Art… It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
*
Hana smacked her forehead.
“Yessss…! This is it!”
“Huh? What is?”
“The facial rigging and animation…! This is what a VTuber should be…!”
“??”
Mija tilted her head in confusion and glanced at the chat.
The viewers were filled with anticipation for the upcoming stream.
— Peace!
— Peace!
— Peace!
— The clumsy ‘Peace Lady’ has arrived (lol)
— Who are today’s guests?
— A surprise guest lineup? ww
— (Alcohol bottle emoji)
— Peace!
*
Unlike her elegant greeting,
Moneta immediately shouted in a nasally voice.
“Yiaaah~! Welcome, welcome! I’ve brought some amazing, fantastic art pieces again today! Ha-it!”
The chat was instantly flooded with bottle-spinning emojis. Encouraged by the enthusiastic reaction, Moneta shook her head side to side in response.
“Waaahhh! It’s a Friday afternoon, and the hype is insane! Thank you, all my free-time-on-weekdays folks, for showing up~! Uwaaaaah—!”
After a brief moment of chaos,
she quickly got down to business.
Moneta suddenly put on a serious face and pulled up a PowerPoint.
“…Alright, that’s enough greetings. Let’s get straight into today’s topic.”
– That mood shift was way too fast lol
– Mon-chan, did you just suddenly crave alcohol?
– The snacks have gone cold…
– Otsu-peace!
“It’s not ‘Otsu-peace’! We have important guests today, so I need to organize the topic right away—!”
Moneta swiftly changed the screen.
【The History of VTubers (2007~)】
“Ehh…! Today’s topic is none other than ‘The History of VTubers’!”
– We already know this.
– Otsu-peace…
– ZZZ…
– snore…
– Otsu-peace…
“Hey! You guys! Listen to the lecture!”
Moneta flipped to the next slide.
It displayed an illustration of the original virtual idol trio from her agency, Fantasia Project Live. The three characters each designed as a warrior, mage, and rogue were portrayed in a grand, classical painting style.
Nodding, Moneta explained,
“As you all know, among the first virtual idols nurtured by a VTuber company, the very first generation debuted in 2007—Eri, Noa, and Kagekage-senpai.”
– The first and the greatest, LOL
– Wait, wasn’t there someone before them?
– Are they skipping Chris-chan because she wasn’t part of a company?
– Eri-chan hasn’t streamed games lately… I’m sad…
– Are you really gonna question Eri-chan’s choices? That makes you an enemy.
– Guys, just listen to the story (laughs).
“In a time when there were no clear activity guidelines for virtual idols, when facial rigging didn’t even exist, when real-time international streaming platforms were unheard of…!
How did they manage to stream back then…?”
A video clip of the original trio’s early broadcasts appeared on the screen.
Rigid movements, manually controlled expressions, and the nostalgic UI of an old domestic streaming site stood out. Their delivery was also noticeably awkward, as they struggled to break free from traditional anime-style voice acting.
– Forced cringe compilation LOL
– Huh? Isn’t that from an unarchived stream??
– C-chan and the legendary Era of 17… So sad…
– I got into this fandom because of a Warrior x C-chan ship doujin back then.
– That’s how most people joined in those days.
*
Hana and Mija let out a small chuckle.
“…Heh.”
“That… C-chan… That’s you, Hana-chan, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Secret?” Still?
“…Yeah.”
“Why?”
“…It’s embarrassing. That I tried so desperately to keep it alive.”
*
Moneta, seemingly unwilling to turn her seniors’ hardships into mere entertainment, spoke in a slightly calmer voice.
“Eh… As you can see, back in these days, broadcasts were done using 3D motion capture in a studio setting… but! Due to technical limitations, there were many restrictions at the time.”
At that moment,
the number ‘2007’ on the screen changed to ‘2008’.
Moneta dramatically exclaimed,
“But then! In 2008! A content revolution appeared—like fate itself! It was none other than…! Vo. Cal. Lo. Id—! This single innovation changed the destiny of all VTubers foreverrr—!”
– Ahhh, yeah, I know this part lol
– Making songs with Eri-chan and Kagekage-chan’s voices was so fun.
– What about Noa-chan?
– That’s when the EN crowd started pouring in, and suddenly, English comments exploded…
– What about Noa-chan??
– That’s when I became an otaku.
– What about Noa-chan…?
“Yes! That’s right! The voice synthesis software using our three senpais’ voices became an unprecedented hit, which naturally led to increased interest in their streams—! The true dawn of the virtual idol era! But! That’s not all, Monetaaa!”
The number on the screen changed from 2008 to 2009.
“The seeds had been sown. But for them to flourish? It took the mass adoption of smartphones and the birth of facial rigging—! Hah. Humanity has continued its relentless pursuit to make VTubers more realistic—!”
– Did Moneta-chan just say “hah”? LOL
– That’s from all the drinking and smoking.
– 2009 was a big year, huh…
– Smartphones were invented for two reasons: VTubers and adult content.
Moneta hurriedly flipped to the next screen, racing to keep up. The visuals showed virtual competitions, a sudden surge in VTuber numbers, and a growing industry.
“Ahh, no time! Anyway, in 2009, thanks to rapid advancements in facial rigging and graphic tools, VTuber content production became way easier! This was when the U.S. and Europe joined the VTuber scene! The era of Big VTubers had officially arrived—!”
– She’s talking so fast.
– Breathe, breathe!
The numbers on the screen rapidly advanced 2010, 2011, and then 2012.
“…And thus, we entered an era where game companies and corporations dominated real-time streaming platforms the VTuber 2.0 era—! An age where individuals and corporations alike blurred the lines, and countless users began engaging with the virtual world! …Hah.”
– Applause lol
– Otsu-peace!
Moneta then spoke with a meaningful tone.
“But…!”
– ?
– ?
– ?
“Did you all know… that everything has a beginning?”
– !
– !
– !
The 2012 on the screen began slowly counting backward.
2012
2011
2010
…
…
At last, the number had decreased by one more from the very first number, 2007.
[2006]
Moneta shook her head violently as she spoke.
On the screen, photographs from the untouched analog era flashed by. They were records of a legendary tale about a certain girl.
“The year was 2006. Do you all remember the legend of ‘Saint Chris’?
Do you remember the miracle created by a single girl and the beginning of a dream?
And do you still ‘remember’…?!?!”
—Huh, huhhh??? No way, is the guest…???
—Gasp, huff!?!?
—The Earth Mother has appeared!?!
Moneta moved as if having a seizure and shouted,
“Yes—!! The person we are introducing today is none other than ‘Saint Chris’ herself—!!
Dear viewers!! Please give a warm welcome—!! To ‘Saint Chris’ and her friend, ‘manga artist Haruko-chan’—!!”
Beside the screen, a mature silver-haired nun and a petite blonde manga artist appeared. They spoke fluently in Japanese.
“Hello, warriors. I am Saint Chris.”
“…Hello! I’m Haruko-chan—!”
The chat was filled with shock.
—Moneta-chan’s networking skills are insane!!
—The Earth Mother has descended—!!
—A goddess has appeared
—Youngest winner of the Golden Lion Award wwww
—No wonder ItoP supports Moneta so much
—Forget the RP, the red pill reveal is even more shocking…
—It’s like their roles got swapped…?
—I’ve never seen a VTuber so openly mention the people behind the avatars (laughs)
—What are we supposed to do when the real people are even more amazing?
—Saint-sama’s loli voice is hilarious
…
…
…
The chat was practically frozen due to the overwhelming flood of comments. In an instant, the concurrent viewership had skyrocketed past 200,000.
Moneta grinned in satisfaction.
“Wow… Thank you so much for joining us. Saint-sama, is there anything you’d like to say to the listeners?”
Saint Chris spoke.
“Well, it’s been so long since I’ve done a broadcast like this… But there is one thing I want to say.”
—?
“…Greetings, chosen warriors. I am ‘Saint Chris,’ from another world.”
The viewers erupted in cheers.