“This isn’t an error, right?”
On the massive video streaming site, E-Tube.
On the screen, a graduation stream of a virtual E-Tuber was underway.
“750,000 live viewers… this is insane.”
The number of live viewers kept climbing — from 500,000 to 600,000, then 700,000.
Before I knew it, it had reached 750,000.
Sure, she was a big-name corporate virtual YouTuber, one of the founding members who had been there since the company’s early days, and her dazzling graduation performance was in full swing —But 750,000 live viewers?
It was a number I’d never seen before, and I couldn’t help but feel awe.
“Back in the day… no, never mind.”
The word “graduation” brought back memories.
Memories of when I used to work in the virtual YouTuber industry.
My brow furrowed.
They weren’t particularly good memories.
“I was the one in charge of creating VTuber settings, after all.”
Building the overall world and adding depth to the characters.
Honestly, it wasn’t something you could call that important.
It wasn’t exactly a well-paying job either.
Then again, maybe that’s precisely why someone like me — an unknown writer — was able to get the job in the first place.
“But it was fun.”
”Virtual E-Tubers. Or V-Tubers for short.”
I’d been watching V-Tuber streams pretty regularly.
For someone like me, getting the chance to dive into an industry I’d only seen from the outside — through broadcasts — was exciting in its own way.
I was motivated, and I worked hard.
I put together simple world-building and created characters according to the company’s requirements.
The project plans filled up quickly.
Collaboration with illustrators and custom model makers went smoothly too.
They were all incredibly talented and well-known for their skills.
The work flowed easily.
But…Like most small to mid-sized companies that jumped into the V-Tuber industry late —The V-Tuber group I had carefully crafted didn’t even last a year before it reached its graduation ending.
The V-Tuber scene was already a red ocean — one of the reddest.
“Third World Idols,” “Stellarise” — and a few other corporate-backed groups and famous streamers dominated the top ranks.
With those giants firmly holding their ground, there was no room for newcomers to break in.
Of course, there’s no such thing as never — a few exceptions did rise to success.
But the V-Tuber group I worked on wasn’t one of them.
The group sank quietly.
And the company?
It fell apart.
A memory as lonely and fleeting as autumn leaves.
“Even so… I really put my heart into Yoo Seoyeon’s design.”
Yoo Seoyeon.
A character from the V-Tuber group I worked on.
The one I poured the most effort into designing — and the one the company had the highest hopes for.
A timid girl who discovers her hidden talents and sets out to conquer the gaming world.
She had a lot of detailed backstory, but to sum it up simply — a beautiful girl with genius-level gaming talent.
In short, a “skilled gamer” V-Tuber — the kind of streamer known for their sheer ability.
“Considering the person behind the character, it was a perfect fit.”
It wasn’t just a simple concept.
When creating a V-Tuber, it’s crucial to reflect the real person — the “inner person” — behind the character.
If the person is introverted, the character is often shy and reserved.
If they’re outgoing, the character is cheerful and lively.
Of course, there are also over-the-top, joke-like settings — like being 300 meters tall, or being a 4-year-old with a D-cup —But aside from those comedic elements, matching the character to the person behind them is the industry standard.
[Shy, but with world-class gaming talent.]
That was the core concept behind Yoo Seoyeon.
And there was a solid reason for that.
The person behind Yoo Seoyeon’s character was an aspiring pro gamer.
I don’t know if she was truly “world-class” — but her skills were good enough to rival active professional players.
Even in an era where RP — the act of playing a V-Tuber character — has lost much of its importance,It would still be a huge problem if a character known as a “gaming prodigy” turned out to have terrible skills.
After all, Yoo Seoyeon’s identity as a character was built around her overwhelming reflexes and natural gaming talent.
In that sense, she was set to become a rare kind of V-Tuber — a “female V-Tuber with exceptional gaming skills”.
It was only natural that expectations were high.
There were other smaller details, like:[Stunningly beautiful appearance.]
But we didn’t emphasize that too much.
After all, in an industry where being a “beautiful girl” is the default, pushing that concept felt a bit redundant.
That said, we did put an incredible amount of effort into her model.
Far more care and attention went into her design compared to the average V-Tuber.
She had a perfectly cute height.
A face where her violet eyes and starlight-like silver hair blended in perfect harmony.
Just looking at her, you could tell how much effort went into her creation.
From the design to the modeling, everything was a masterpiece — the result of the designer pouring their very soul into it.
Since she was set to be the core character of the team, we spared no effort in making her perfect.
Streaming and water have one thing in common:The human body is made up of 70% water.
And a V-Tuber’s content?
70% gaming.
It’s inevitable.
No matter how good you are at singing, you can’t sing for several hours every single day.
Even if you’re great at talking, you can’t just chat like a radio host for an entire stream.
Unless there’s something special happening, talk segments usually just serve as warm-ups before the main content.
There are plenty of talented V-Tubers out there, but when it comes to daily streams, there’s no content more reliable than gaming.
Especially since V-Tubers are limited in movement.
Unlike other streamers, doing outdoor streams or mukbangs is extremely difficult.
That’s why Yoo Seoyeon was so highly anticipated.
Her gaming skills, the main draw of her V-Tuber streams, were nothing short of overwhelming.
When it came to her main game, she was good enough to debut as a professional player.
Though she was new to streaming and her talk skills hadn’t been tested yet,Her gameplay alone was more than enough to grab people’s attention.
A female V-Tuber with exceptional gaming skills was, by itself, a guaranteed recipe for success.
“Wow… she could go pro right away.”
Everyone at the company said that after watching her gameplay videos.
And since she was already an aspiring pro gamer, their reactions weren’t surprising.
And then…Well, you know what they say — “Be careful what you wish for.”
The person behind Yoo Seoyeon’s character actually did debut as a professional gamer — and quit the V-Tuber group.
“It was a total disaster.”
After that…The V-Tuber group debuted with four members instead of five — without their most promising star.
And in an already brutal red-ocean market… they sank without a trace.
In an already cutthroat red-ocean market,With Yoo Seoyeon — the team’s core — gone, it would’ve been more surprising if they hadn’t failed.
In the end, the group disbanded through “graduation.”
If Yoo Seoyeon had stayed…Would they still have failed?
Or would they have somehow miraculously succeeded?
No one will ever know.
“Not that it matters now.”
After all that, I quit my writing job and went back to university, where I had been on a leave of absence.
It wasn’t really because of the whole “Yoo Seoyeon’s sudden departure” incident.
I just didn’t have the confidence to make a living as an unknown writer.
Besides, when it comes to getting a stable job, a college degree is pretty important.
And so, I left my short-lived writing career behind and became an ordinary college student, staying up late at night watching livestreams.
Still, having worked in the industry — even for a little while — watching this graduation live stream brought up some complicated feelings.
“I wonder how it feels for them right now.”
“I wonder how that feels.”
I muttered to myself, watching the graduation live stream on the screen.
With over 750,000 people watching you… would it be overwhelming?
Terrifying?
I couldn’t help but be curious.
What if…If I debuted as a V-Tuber myself, would I finally understand that feeling?
“Yeah, right. That’s ridiculous.”
Male V-Tubers weren’t really my thing.
And debuting as a female V-Tuber?
That was impossible.
For one thing, my chromosomes would make that a bit… difficult.
Sure, there’s “Bamiyuk” — when a guy debuts as a female V-Tuber — but that wasn’t the direction I wanted to take.
While my mind wandered through these thoughts, the live stream was reaching its end.
After the final performance, the closing remarks wrapped up the show, and the broadcast came to a close.
Maybe it was because the stream had been so lively and energetic…But now that it was over, the silence felt strangely empty.
Feeling a bit unsettled, I turned off my computer and flopped onto my bed.
With the stream over, real-life worries started creeping in.
From the immediate concern of tomorrow’s classes to the long-term anxiety about finding a job.
“Man, I wish I could just be a V-Tuber.”
If I were a popular V-Tuber, I wouldn’t have to worry about classes or job hunting.
Burying myself under the blanket, I let myself get lost in those impossible daydreams.
***
The sharp glare of sunlight.
Stretching with a groan, I forced my stiff body awake and instinctively reached for my smartphone.
6 a.m. — way too early for any well-adjusted college student to be awake.
I set my phone down at the edge of the bed and pulled the blanket back over myself, determined to get a little more sleep.
“…Wait a second.”
Something felt… off.
“My reflection on the phone screen…”
Before the screen lit up, the dark surface of my phone showed a reflection.
But instead of the familiar face I’d known my whole life, something… different stared back at me.
Did I just imagine that?
Maybe I was still half-asleep and seeing things.
Tilting my head in confusion, I grabbed my phone.
“Huh?”
Even that felt weird.
My phone felt… bigger somehow.
Or maybe my hands had gotten smaller.
With my fingers trembling, I switched to the front-facing camera.
“……”
And there, on the screen — staring back at me with a dazed expression — was a girl.
“Wha—?!”
Any trace of sleep vanished instantly.
My foggy mind snapped into focus.
And that thin, high-pitched voice that just escaped my throat?
Definitely not mine.
I shot up from the bed and bolted straight to the bathroom sink.
The slightly lower perspective made everything feel off, but that weirdness was nothing compared to what greeted me when I stood in front of the mirror.
“H-Huh?!”
Staring back at me was a silver-haired girl.
A ridiculously beautiful one.
My eyes blinked rapidly.
Who was this girl — and why was she waving at me from inside the mirror like she was my reflection?
The simple, obvious truth hit me a moment later — like remembering that eating makes you full.
Mirrors reflect your own image.
Which meant…”This… this is me?”
“…Ah”.
I must be dreaming.
I pinched my cheek and pulled.
Soft, marshmallow-like skin stretched under my fingers.
And with it came a faint, very real pain.
So… not a dream.
“But… this face looks kind of familiar…”
As I stared at the mirror, trying to figure out where I’d seen it before, a strange sense of déjà vu washed over me.
Jewel-like, amethyst-colored eyes — perfectly cut and polished.
Long, flowing silver hair cascading past the shoulders.
Slightly upturned eyes, giving off a sharp yet graceful impression.
Every delicate feature precisely crafted, as if fine-tuned to perfection.
It was a face so stunning, so otherworldly, that it wouldn’t seem out of place stepping right out of an anime.
“Ah…”
I knew this face.
I knew it all too well.
I’d spent countless hours working on this design — how could I not recognize it?
Yoo Seoyeon.
The character I’d helped create.
The one whose face I’d seen so often it was burned into my memory.
If Yoo Seoyeon ever came to life… she would look exactly like the girl staring back at me from the mirror.
“W-What is happening…?”
My legs gave out, and I sank to the floor with a thud.
So, to sum it up…I went to sleep as myself.
And woke up as a girl.
Not just any girl — but the V-Tuber character I created.