Chapter 2: Interview

[Please attach a song video. Be sure to attach the version with the MR removed.]

I waited only for my last shift at the convenience store to end.

Was Suhyun definitely the next worker on Monday?

Ding–

“Hello. I’m a little late. Sorry, Eunseo Unnie.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll get going~”

As expected, Suhyun didn’t think anything was strange about seeing me either.

My appearance as a man seems to remain only in my head.

“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”

“Oh, right. Today is my last shift.”

“Huh? Oh… did you pass the voice actor open recruitment?”

“Ah, no… I’m just going to rest a bit.”

Suhyun looked at me with sympathetic eyes.

But I wouldn’t be sad anymore.

Because a hopeful path as a VTuber had begun to appear for me.

“…You worked hard. I’m sure there will be a good opportunity next time.”

“Thanks. You take care too, Suhyun.”

She was born in ’04, but she was a kind kid who was cheerful and knew her manners.

If I earn a lot of money next time, I should treat her to a meal.

I quickly put on the large clothes that still didn’t fit me and went outside.

To record a song, the priority was to go to a facility suitable for it.

***

[This stop is Hongik University Station. Hongik University Station is next.]

Just a while ago, I used to frequent this place for final preparations and whatnot.

It had been so long since I came here that the way felt awkward.

Dingaling~

“Oh? Eunseo-ssi. It’s been a while.”

“Hello. Is the recording studio free?”

As expected of a large academy, the manager was always stationed near the entrance.

That person was also an aspiring voice actor who started around the same time as me…

Didn’t they get in this time either… Our sad situations are no different.

“Of course. Since the open recruitment is over, there’s no one to record.”

“Can I use it now?”

“Yes, yes. Studio A is free for about 2 hours until the next class, so feel free to use it.”

“Thank you.”

I bowed and entered the recording studio.

The familiar scent and the stuffiness inside were noticeable.

Creak– Click–

Just in case, it would be a bit embarrassing if I got caught singing at a voice acting academy, so I locked the door….

The song to use for the video should definitely be JPOP.

A song that resonated with my heart when I was young.

Kenshi Yonezu’s “Lemon.”

Some people might say it’s an old-fashioned choice, that my taste is outdated.

Of course, I’m not ignorant of current trends.

However, if I had to choose just one song that resonated with my heart, it would be this.

I turned on the program, set up the microphone…

Who set the microphone so high?

A height that was even higher than my head. You’d have to be 190 cm tall to use this.

…

When I tried to loosen the microphone stand, it wouldn’t budge at all.

Who tightened it this hard?

“Ugh!!! Huff… I can’t loosen it at all.”

I tried with all my might to loosen it, but it didn’t move even slightly.

Do I have to ask the manager for help after all…?

No. Let’s not bother him unnecessarily.

“Ugh!!! Ugh!!”

After several minutes of struggling, the tightened bolt finally loosened.

“Whew… now let’s really try recording.”

Although I was younger, I must have sung this song tens, no, hundreds of times, enough to memorize it.

I sang diligently for almost the full 2 hours.

I thought my calm voice suited this song really well.

Since the recording was finished, it was time to listen….

[Play]

Even I think this voice can only be described as a gift from God.

I can handle the entire spectrum from high notes to low notes, and my voice doesn’t give out no matter how much I use it.

Truly a steel voice box.

A smile naturally appeared on my face.

Until now, frankly speaking, I had been filled with inferiority.

That day, I had just finished a full 9-hour shift and was scheduled for an evening class.

During a conversation about salaries, a woman in the same class subtly, no, openly bragged about how much she earned from broadcasting.

My world truly felt like it was collapsing.

Looking at it objectively, she didn’t have any special talents.

Her one advantage was that she was good at making a cute voice.

Come to think of it, there are almost no aspiring female voice actors who can’t do this.

No. There are none.

“Ha… now I just need to go home and submit it.”

Knock knock-

I heard someone knocking on the door from outside.

I quickly opened the door.

“Are you finished? It’s class time now.”

“Ah, yes, I’m finished!”

“Have this. You must be tired using your voice so much.”

The manager suddenly offered me a warm canned coffee.

…When I was a man, he definitely wasn’t this kind.

“Thank you….”

“Come to think of it, are you going to re-register for classes? If so, which class…”

“Ah, I’ll think about that. I’ll get going now!”

His sudden increase in kindness felt somehow repulsive.

I quickly grabbed my USB and ran out of the academy.

“Why, why is he acting like that….”

***

[Lumi Live 1st Round Pass and Future Information…]

When I woke up in the morning, a message clearly stating my acceptance had arrived.

With a fluttering heart, I opened the message.

The 2nd round will be held in person. The date and location are as follows:

October 28th, Gangnam-gu, Seoul…

What, that’s tomorrow?

Is there a company that notifies you of acceptance just one day before the interview?

That would be Lumi Live.

They must be quite desperate to recruit the 3rd generation.

I opened my closet and looked for clothes to wear tomorrow.

…I don’t have any women’s clothes.

Until now, I had been wearing my old clothes casually.

No matter how I thought about it, they were too difficult to wear for an interview.

“Ugh… I guess I have to wear a suit.”

If you think about it, it’s a job interview.

I believe the first impression is the most important.

A tailor shop not far from my house.

As soon as I entered, the clerk looked at me strangely.

Well… the clothes were too big….

“Welcome. Is there a style of suit you’re looking for?”

“Uh, I have a company interview tomorrow… Can you recommend a suitable suit?”

I don’t have time or leisure for custom-made suits, so I’ll just have to wear one of the ready-made ones.

“What about the material and such…”

“Just recommend something, please….”

“Ah, okay! Then, I’ll take your measurements first.”

The female clerk kindly measured my size.

‘Ugh… so this is what it feels like for someone to touch my chest.’

Bringing the measuring tape and examining it from various angles, the clerk said in surprise.

“Wow… 75E… I’m jealous.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, no! I’ll get the suit for you right away!”

The clerk carefully wrote down my measurements on paper, and after a while, she brought out a suit.

“For returns or refunds, please bring the receipt.”

“How much is this?”

“Uh… did you get shoes?”

“Uh… no?”

“Shall I get you the shoes too?”

“Yes. Please give me the shoes too.”

The clerk showed me various styles, but I couldn’t tell the difference at all.

What kind of world had women been looking at all this time…?

“Uh, just give me something that looks good.”

“…Is this okay?”

“Yes, yes. Give me that one.”

“Then it’s 1,094,900 won.”

My mind went blank when I heard the price.

This amount for this suit set, I thought it would be a few hundred thousand won at most….

With trembling hands, I handed the card to the clerk.

The clerk quickly snatched it and completed the payment.

“Payment is finished. For exchanges or refunds, please bring your receipt and come within a week.”

“Yes… I understand. Thank you.”

With shaking hands, I received the suit set in the shopping bag.

Ha… I hate spending money on clothes the most.

The suit I tried on at home fit my body perfectly.

A suit that could properly show off the curves of my body.

The clerk must have had good taste.

A sense of satisfaction I couldn’t quite place flowed from deep within my heart.

Standing in front of the mirror, turning my body this way and that, and looking at my beautiful body, it still felt unreal….

Taking off the suit again, folding it neatly, and watching the Lol World Championship while anticipating tomorrow’s interview.

“What questions will they ask~”

The Lol World Championship quarterfinals were in full swing.

Once again, I was witnessing a historical moment.

“G2!!! Completes a perfect 3-0 victory over LNG and advances to the semifinals!”

“This is G2. The number one in Europe, no, the number one in the West!”

An unprecedented upset that no one expected.

“Wow, really… this is just LoL.”

Tears of emotion streamed down my face.

I didn’t even cry like this during the 2022 Lol World Championship. (TN: DRX beat T1 in what might be the biggest upset in the series, very good match though.)

Is it because my emotional sensitivity has increased since becoming a woman…?

I should take an MBTI test again later.

***

“Eunseo-ssi? Wow, but honestly, wouldn’t it be better for you to become an idol or something?”

“I’m hesitant about exposing my face….”

As soon as I entered, the interviewer rapidly fired off various questions.

As she said, I could go into webcam broadcasting or the entertainment industry….

But I had something similar to stage fright and was extremely reluctant to show my face.

This was also the reason I completely gave up on acting and went into voice acting.

“Your voice is really good. I was truly surprised during the first round of screening.”

“Thank you.”

“Your singing skills are decent… but do you have any other talents?”

“…….”

A suffocating one-on-one interview.

The place used as a meeting room was turned into an interview room, and only the two of us were sitting at an extremely large table.

“Uh, I’ve been aspiring to be a voice actor for quite a while.”

However, I had experienced this kind of pressure interview just a few weeks ago.

The Haewon Broadcasting final interview was an even more intense pressure interview.

I met the interviewer’s eyes with more confidence than ever before.

“Oh, really? Did you have any achievements?”

“I went to the finals of the Haewon Broadcasting open recruitment just last year.”

“Oh~ I know a bit about that industry. Your acting skills must be considerable? Well, would you like to show me?”

The interviewer suddenly demanded an acting demonstration.

But if I was going to get nervous in a place like this, I wouldn’t have come this far in the first place.

“Ah, right. Ahem.”

Standing up, I thought of a short script I had practiced dozens, no, hundreds of times.

A script for someone in their 20s, which could be used for both male and female roles.

“I will begin.”

Without paying attention to the interviewer’s expression, I fully immersed myself in the acting.

However, the interviewer’s expression seemed not good.

Did I… make a mistake?

“Hmm… what I hear is…”

I swallowed hard, focusing on the moment the interviewer opened her mouth.