Chapter 5 : Falling into a fandom is like a car accident

Entering fandom is like a car accident.

Click.

[Because it’s Mama who created this beautiful image!]

Click.

[Because it’s Mama who created this beautiful image!]

“ot.”

“1”

Again, I was doing this.

I shook my head hard from side to side. Is this the third time? Or maybe the fourth. Since watching Yui’s debut broadcast, I’ve often found myself replaying that scene absentmindedly.

In front of nearly ten thousand people, my picture moves and calls my name. The people shower me with praise and admiration to the point of making me feel embarrassed.

In a way, these are pretty common words.

They’re clearly a combination of very ordinary words.

They’re made up of expressions that even young children would easily understand.

But why do those words sound so pleasant?

It’s true that my voice sounds good, but as I get used to this body’s voice, it doesn’t really evoke any excitement. It’s not a peculiar accent or trivial flattery, nor is it some seductive tone…

But just thinking about it, should I listen to it again?

Click.

[Because it’s Mama who created this beautiful image!]

“He…”

Even though I was trying to look as serious as possible, my expression inevitably softens. A foolish smile, one I’ve never made since changing into a woman, spreads across my face.

Is this what people call a “fandom accident”?

The newly created “Hanasaki Yui Rewatch” channel on YouTube.

The very first video, “The Most Beautiful Dandelion Seed Arrival in the World,” 27 minutes and 5 seconds. Clicking on this coordinate I left behind is the easiest way for me to find happiness right now.

Just moving my finger once makes me smile without any cost.

It’s much more efficient than harmful things like cigarettes or alcohol.

Of course, if someone were watching me, I might look a bit lacking… but this is my room.

As long as I don’t act like this outside where people can see, it’s fine.

Though, doing this alone inside also gives me a bit of self-loathing.

I should turn off this dopamine generator, YouTube, soon.

If I keep this up, watching Yui mention me will end up taking up the whole day.

Ah. Should I watch it just once more…

“Get a grip, Kang Suhyun!”

I can’t waste a whole day rewatching the debut broadcast. That was enough for the day I watched it live.

Now I need to finish the drawing I couldn’t complete last time!

With trembling hands, I turned off YouTube and opened the unfinished file from last time.

Zing-

The coloring wasn’t done yet, but the sketch, which boasted high quality, was already impressive.

“Yui lying in a flower field, smiling gracefully.jpg” appeared on the screen.

Huh.

“Unbelievable growth…”

The drawing made me laugh without realizing it.

Before, I would’ve spent hours on sketches that were far less impressive than this one.

Now, I can complete everything except the coloring in just a little over an hour.

The fine details of the clothes, the pressed skin, and the texture of the skin are all captured in the roughs.

“I shouldn’t just admire my drawing… I should finish it first.”

Rather than wasting time getting emotional, it’s better to promote Yui as quickly as possible.

After tapping my soft cheek twice, I picked up the pen.

It was time to return to my main task.

How many hours have passed, I wonder? I’m not sure because I don’t check the clock often.

What I do know for sure is that my coloring skills have grown just as rapidly as my drawing abilities.

Yui, no longer in a black-and-white world, was now highlighted in vibrant colors, emphasizing her purity.

All the techniques I honed as a man, combined with the talents this body possesses, created a drawing of a completely different caliber.

The talent of Kang Suhyun, a woman who didn’t draw much in high school and never received recognition, is now blooming.

The skills and experiences I gained from drawing nonstop after middle school as a man, combined with this new body, created something truly outstanding.

These two talents from different realms combined and made my abilities blossom.

Even I, looking at this picture, could see that it had incredible quality.

Even though there was no burden or constraint of getting paid for it.

The drawing, which I started with the thought of just doing it lightly, ended up being of higher quality than any illustration I had done before.

The folds of the white shirt that matched the raised chest.

The slight spread of the arm’s flesh as she lay in the flower field.

Even the detailed strands of her golden hair.

“…I need to upload this soon.”

I want to feel the same excitement as when I watched the broadcast.

The moment when countless people flock to me, giving me so much attention and praise that it feels overwhelming.

I want to feel again that I am alive and loved.

Three large monitors glowing brightly.

The right monitor is divided into four parts, so I can watch the debut broadcasts of Lumilive’s new members at once.

The left monitor is filled with numerous message windows, where I’m chatting and handling tasks at the same time.

And the middle monitor is…

[WhitePalette: I drew Hanasaki Yui from Lumilive]
(An illustration of Yui lying in a flower field)

-??? Why do you call it fanart while you’re a mama?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

The quality is insane…
-Wow, haha

Wow… the volume…

On the central monitor, Suhyun’s SNS page is displayed.

Cold eyes are watching the illustration, which is receiving hearts and admiration from countless people.

Eyes that look pretty but terrifying, glowing a bright yellow like an animal’s.

But those sharp eyes quickly softened into a gentle crescent shape.

As if explaining that those eyes weren’t meant to threaten, just to look.

“This is the person Yui was talking about.”

The room, which is so white that even the smallest black thing would immediately stand out, is filled with white.

A white desk and computer, perfectly aligned with the wall in exact proportions as if measured with a ruler.

This place looks like it belongs to someone with a mental disorder or obsession.

But there’s only one manager for Lumilive’s first generation members, and that’s the general manager.

But something about it just looks so cool that the title of general manager was attached. Bihangwoon muttered.

Three silver piercings in one ear. Six in total, on both sides.

The short black bob with yellow bridges barely touches the shoulders, seemingly tired, sinking into the chair.

The dark circles under the eyes are so prominent that, despite the bare face, they almost seem like part of the makeup.

“She’s definitely an incredible talent. I can’t understand why she only has about 10,000 followers…”

Long, pale fingers twitch, starting to calculate.

She definitely has noteworthy skills in the industry. And, as Yui’s avatar, she’s already spread throughout the Korean Vtuber market.

There are talented people who quietly draw on SNS without being famous, and right now is the lowest point for her.

Her yellow eyes glanced at WhitePalette’s account commissions.

It’s clear that she’s worked hard on her drawings. She’s someone who gives her all in any commission work.

Her prices aren’t extremely cheap compared to others in the same industry, but they’re still relatively affordable.

“I don’t think there’s ever been an illustrator affiliated with a Vtuber agency…”

In the virtual field, the top company in Japan and the world is Hanalive.

Illustrators are needed when they create new outfits, but Vtubers don’t necessarily need illustrations on a continuous basis.

Even if they’re newcomers, fans send in more than enough illustrations, whether for thumbnails or other uses, from the very start of their debut.

But it’s a little different in Korea.

The Vtuber market isn’t that big yet, and there aren’t big companies established, so the number of fans doesn’t suddenly shoot up right after debut.

Due to situations like YouTube thumbnails, there’s a need for a continuous supply of high-quality illustrations.

There hasn’t been a case where an illustrator is contracted and forbidden from drawing for other places, so the possibility of that happening is low.

It would be better to have a strategy where we book many commissions in advance and, when needed, prioritize our own works.

“The illustrator probably hasn’t done many contracts. Someone with this kind of mysterious aura probably hasn’t tried it.”

Bihangwoon smiled faintly while looking at WhitePalette’s past posts.

Illustrations of characters from popular anime or the latest games drawn in her style.

And occasionally mixed in, her own emotionally charged illustrations.

The captions are mostly just “I drew this character from such and such a work.”

She’s never revealed any personal information.

“If someone like this joins ‘Maruhamun,’ it would be a total jackpot.”

“Mom and Lumilive Together at the Sports Day!” is one of the collaboration plans Lumilive is preparing.

It’s a broadcast where the members of Lumilive and their respective mamas gather to do cooperative games and score points.

Originally, Fuji Moto Rie’s mama, ‘GODPA,’ is one of the most popular illustrators in Japan right now, and it’s a broadcast aimed at attracting overseas fans.

Since Rie is a Japanese-Korean mix, the things that can be shown will be more natural when she’s with GODPA, who is also Japanese.

But Bihangwoon had a feeling.

This not-so-famous person might be the one who shines the most in ‘Maruhamun.’ An unfounded guess.

“Well, if it happens, that’s great. If not, it’s no big deal.”

The message window on the left screen grew by one more.

[Flying_cloud: Hello, WhitePalette. I’m Bihangwoon, the general manager of Lumilive…]

And in that space, a message that could turn someone’s world upside down was written, based on that unfounded feeling.