Chapter 84: Rookie From A Large Corporation

Although the pandemic is spreading globally, it doesn’t mean we can’t go outside.

Therefore, after two months of staying home, feeling extremely stuffy, I decided to go out and meet someone for a change.

Though we’d be meeting indoors anyway.

“Long time no see, Sua! Are you feeling okay now?”

“I’m all better now. Don’t worry.”

Osorin, whom I met after a long time, greeted me brightly and friendly as usual.

After finishing the disinfection routine, I looked around the house, which had changed slightly since I last saw it.

Pictures and dolls of Osorin’s character, etc.

Items related to broadcasting decorated every corner of the house.

“Did you receive these as gifts from fans?”

“Yeah, I received them on my last birthday. Isn’t it amazing?”

“I should have made something like this for you too.”

“Sua, you played with me that time. That made me the happiest.”

Since it was said that receiving monetary gifts from students was burdensome, I inevitably gifted my time.

Jina was also with us, and we went around here and there, even visiting an amusement park.

Unlike me, who got tired quickly, watching the two of them playing excitedly made me feel good too.

“Ah, wait a minute. Stand here.”

“Huh? Okay.”

“Hmm….”

Before sitting down and starting the conversation properly, there’s something I need to do.

I slowly approached her, who was standing still, spread my arms, and hugged her tightly.

“Hmm, hmm.”

“Su, Sua?”

“The hugging feeling is quite good. But you’re still too thin. Eat a lot.”

“Uh-huh….”

Osorin, bewildered by the first skinship.

I sat down in the prepared seat as if it were nothing and picked up the snacks placed in front of me.

She also sat down, bewildered, and we caught up after a long time.

As we talked about various things, the flow of the conversation naturally shifted to broadcasting.

Osorin’s broadcast has the same atmosphere as before.

Always energetic and with excellent virtual control, a broadcast without any sense of incongruity.

Besides, the broadcast progresses without any boring moments, and the reactions make it easy to edit because there’s a lot of material.

“What’s strange is that I feel like the number of viewers has increased since Corona appeared. Lately, the total viewership has been steadily increasing, although little by little.”

“Because the number of people who can’t go outside is increasing. In a way, it’s natural.”

“I really think Byeolmuri was made well and early. It was made before this situation, so there were no problems, and Chiro and Guzuz’s broadcasts are growing thanks to it.”

“We were lucky.”

It’s natural since it was all intended.

The world is giving us a free boost, why refuse?

You have to seize the opportunity.

This was an opportunity that everyone involved in internet broadcasting grasped.

Not an inflow of viewers coming to watch other broadcasts, but an increase in viewers who are seeing broadcasting for the first time.

That means that even rookies have an opportunity for growth.

While quick-witted people seized the opportunity and worked hard to attract viewers.

Osorin didn’t.

“But the total viewership graph is rising, so why have you been broadcasting less lately?”

“Ah, don’t tell me you don’t have anything to use for YouTube?”

“No, it’s not like that because the broadcast is so fun, but I’m a little curious. The market is growing together, but only you are reducing the broadcast time.”

Last time, it was about taking breaks with occasional urgent absences, but lately, the trend has been to gradually reduce broadcast time.

No matter how much profit YouTube brings, the profit from live broadcast donations cannot be ignored.

Reducing broadcast time was like giving up some profit.

As I tilted my head and inquired, Osorin made a slightly awkward expression and scratched her head.

“Hmm…. I was trying to do this on my own….”

“Were you planning content?”

“Should I call it content? It’s a little different. Seeing my sister start a company gave me a slightly different idea.”

Osorin said that and played a video on her phone.

A music broadcast channel.

It was a video uploaded 8 years ago.

“SeeU, Sua, you might not know her well, but a Korean Vocaloid once appeared on a music show. For reference, the dancers here are BTS now?”

“I think I’ve heard of it. But why Vocaloid?”

“I imagined virtual, not Vocaloid, singing. You know VRchat, right? If you go in there, some people wear full tracking equipment and sing and dance. I thought it would be good.”

“So, you mean you want to create a virtual idol? Not just an idol in name like in Japan, but a real idol who makes music.”

“Virtual idol…, sounds good. Yeah, something like that.”

Osorin talking with a flushed face.

Even as she spoke, she seemed excited, imagining it in her head.

I couldn’t help but be a little surprised listening to Osorin’s story.

‘Her eye for reading the flow is too good?’

Isn’t it true that in 2021, the first virtual girl group debuted in Korea and gained explosive popularity?

A group created and led by a major broadcaster broadcasting on a different platform than ours.

But that too, recruitment began in mid-2021 and they debuted in the latter half.

Doesn’t that mean she thought of it a year earlier now?

‘Of course, planning and execution are different…. But still, it’s amazing.’

Even the virtual vlog, which I was a little hesitant about, became successful content.

Moreover, the number of people subscribing to Osorin’s YouTube just to watch the vlog increased.

Could Osorin have also regressed into the past like me?

That thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I quickly shook my head.

“But why did you think of a virtual idol? There are many other things.”

“While talking with Wooseok oppa, the topic of idols came up a bit.

He said there are many rookies who are talented but can’t debut because their seniors’ comebacks overlap with other agencies’ debut timings. Plus, now that Corona has hit, debuting has become even harder.”

“Ah, that certainly makes sense.”

“But if they debut as virtual instead of real people, they don’t have to worry about that. Literally, the dimension is different, so they differentiate themselves from other idols and aren’t affected by Corona.”

This is the advantage of virtual.

Not bound by time and place, and unlike general celebrities, their faces are not exposed, so they are free.

To put it another way, this means that even those who gave up their dream of becoming an idol because they were talented but not outstanding in appearance can challenge again.

“It sounds like a good idea, but what are you thinking about?”

“Idols aren’t just about singing, right? They have to sing while dancing. So the Live 2D method that my sister and I are doing isn’t right. Like SeeU appeared on the music show, 3D is needed.”

“Well, 3D is better for active things.”

“So that’s the problem. For idols, not only movement but also facial expressions are very important, but current 3D can’t recognize detailed facial expressions.”

“Aha.”

It was an unexpected problem.

The 3D avatars I remember had perfectly made facials and moved just like real people.

Current 3D avatars were limited to moving their bodies with full tracking in VRchat and making pre-inputted expressions with controllers.

There was a limit to moving like a human.

“Still, can’t you just track the body first and post-process the facial later?”

“…I was imagining an idol moving in real time. Am I being too greedy?”

“If you want it, you should do it. Don’t struggle alone, why don’t you talk to an expert?”

“I asked Hayoon. But I couldn’t think of a good plan. Besides, I heard something shocking….”

“Something shocking?”

“That…. The cost was enormous…. It’s incomparably expensive compared to Live 2D….”

If it was just modeling and rigging to create an avatar that can be used in VRchat, it would be somewhat okay, but she wanted smooth movements and a much more natural avatar, so the price skyrocketed.

Idols basically work in groups.

That means that at least four or more such avatars are needed.

No matter how much she earned from YouTube and broadcasting, that amount of money was understandably burdensome.

“If the project collapses, the money will be completely wasted…. And taking out a loan is also scary.”

“Hmm…. Then how about getting help instead of doing it alone?”

“Help?”

“There’s someone nearby who has so much money overflowing that she even started a company.”

“Ah, Jina? Even so, it’s shameless to suddenly ask for this. The risk isn’t small even if we split it.”

No matter how much money Jina has and how successful Byeolmuri was this time, simply dipping her toes into this project was a bit risky.

It was also the time when Corona broke out, and it was a time when it was more important to maintain what was being done rather than trying something new.

“Then just give Jina something that will benefit her. A benefit big enough to make her do your project.”

“Can I give her something that beneficial…?”

“I think Jina would actually like it.”

“What is it?”

I took out Byeolmuri’s business card from my wallet.

My business card that Jina made for me, calling me vice president.

I thought I would never use it, but wasn’t it made for situations like this?

“We welcome experienced newcomers.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m making a sales pitch right now.”

A rookie from a large corporation.

What a windfall.