I Want to Be a VTuber

“You must get along with him, our son.”

Lee Hyuk-soo, a professor at Baekyeon University Hospital’s Department of Hematology and Oncology, was met with this gentle reminder from his wife, Gil Soo-jin, who affectionately ruffled their son’s hair.

“It’s all for your sake. Just look at what you can gain by being friends with that kid.”

She showed a photo of Lee Yoo-joo to her son, Lee Min-hyeok.

“The daughter of a fallen entrance exam coordinator. But her brain is filled with nothing but her brother’s portfolio. She knows how to study and how to secure the top spot at Baekyeon University’s medical school.”

“Mom, I…”

“I know, my son. I heard you don’t like her very much. Min-seo told me you fought today? Be sure to apologize tomorrow.”

“Mom!!”

Lee Min-hyeok couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted.

However, Gil Soo-jin, his mother, merely stared at him quietly.

With that calm demeanor, Lee Min-hyeok’s voice gradually quieted down.

“Then, couldn’t you have tried a little harder?”

Her hand, which was ruffling his hair, slowly descended and tightly gripped his shoulder.

“Oh, how I wish you had worked hard enough that I wouldn’t have to intervene like this. You should be ashamed. She’s never placed lower than first until now. Do you really think you can beat someone like her?”

Even the middle school Lee Yoo-joo attended was on par with the prestigious Baekyeon Middle School, with its escalator-style rise in status.

“By the way, she was also the representative for new students.”

In other words, it meant he was completely outmatched academically.

Lee Min-hyeok felt as if he had lost his breath at his mother’s words.

“You must become a doctor, son.”

At his mother’s insistence, Lee Min-hyeok slowly nodded his head, almost imperceptibly.

“Yes, you’re right. I’ll apologize tomorrow. I’ll let Min-seo know too.”

With that, Gil Soo-jin turned her back on him, leaving him staring at the floor.

“Just be like Min-seo, okay?”

While Min-seo may have slightly lower grades, she was the much more likable second child.

Min-seo was already glued to Lee Yoo-joo’s side.

“Such an annoying girl.”

Lee Min-hyeok muttered under his breath as he turned away.

And the next day.

Lee Min-hyeok approached the female student, Lee Yoo-joo, whom he had first met on the first day.

Seeing his twin sister, Min-seo, already stuck to her side, he couldn’t help but chuckle as he walked over.

“I’m sorry.”

At that moment, Lee Yoo-joo’s gaze shifted.

Initially puzzled.

Then, recognizing the reason, her eyes curled up in amusement.

A smirk appeared on her lips.

“What for?”

“For saying you didn’t belong here yesterday. I didn’t know you were the representative for new students.”

Lee Yoo-joo felt like an anomaly at Baekyeon High School.

This place, known as the ‘Sky Garden,’ advanced like an escalator from kindergarten to university.

Chosen ones.

The top 0.1 percent of South Korea.

Those who possess money, honor, and power reside here.

In such a world, it was only natural that most looked down upon outsiders.

In a society that preached there were no social classes, she was treated as if she were of the lower class.

Yet, some still approached her.

Like Min-seo.

The reason was obvious.

“I won’t tell you.”

Lee Yoo-joo slowly stood up and poked Lee Min-hyeok’s chest with her finger.
Lee Min-hyeok pressed his finger against his chest and said, “This is my brother’s portfolio.”

At that, Lee Min-hyeok widened his eyes.

Lee Min-seo, next to him, also covered her mouth and sneaked a glance.

“That’s why you’re apologizing to me.”

Lee Yoo-joo said this, pulling her finger away from Min-hyeok’s chest, and smiled sweetly.

“So I won’t tell you.”

“You!!”

“But…”

Lee Yoo-joo looked around at those watching her and said, “I’m not saying I’ll keep it a complete secret.”

Everyone here was a competitor.

They all bore the expectations of their parents and studied for the family’s sake.

Of course, there must be a few misfits among them.

But at least, the intense gazes directed at her were pretty evident in their motives.

“I’m quite fickle, you know.”

From her words, Lee Min-hyeok thought of his mother, Gil Soo-jin.

Therefore, he could almost predict what she was going to say next.

“I’m definitely going to college. Yes, you guys want it to be Baekyeon University. As the top of the department.”

“Nonsense… You’re only saying that because you know a little.”

“A little?”

Lee Yoo-joo chuckled at that.

Then, stopping her laughter abruptly, she said, “I took last year’s college entrance exam. Guess what score I got.”

Lee Min-hyeok didn’t answer.

She leaned closer to him, smiling.

“It was a perfect score.”

Then she slowly pulled away, revealing just one finger from her clenched fist, “That means I was first in the nation.”

In the strange tension, Lee Min-hyeok gritted his teeth.

And he refuted her with a trembling voice.

First in the nation.

Did she really expect anyone to believe that?

Anyone could spout such unrealistic claims without showing anything.

“That could be a lie, you know.”

“Believe it or not, it doesn’t matter. You’ll see for yourself soon enough.”

After all, mock exams existed in high school.

If Lee Yoo-joo’s claims were true, the school wouldn’t let it slide.

Even if one pretended not to notice, the teachers would out them.

“It’s not just grades; you also manage your GPA. Do volunteer work, right?”

That sounded like she was appealing her worth to those present, as if she was saying things they could gain by getting close to her.

Lee Min-hyeok realized it.

Just like they were trying to get good grades from her, she had a purpose for being here.

And that purpose clearly followed her father’s wishes.

Just like him.

“So, us…”

Lee Yoo-joo smiled brightly at everyone.

“Let’s be friends!”

At her words, Lee Min-hyeok found himself speechless.

But there was one thing he understood.

At least for these three years,

She would be the queen of Baekyeon High School.

And thus, the first episode of [Sky Garden] came to an end.

*

– So what’s this about, anyway?

– Why do the rich care about grades? They must not know how spoiled rich people really are, LOL.

– But even the rich do obsess over their kids’ grades.

– College admission coordinators, LOL. Make it make sense.

The airing of [Sky Garden] Episode 1 drew various criticisms.

Many felt the premise was overly exaggerated.
Most opinions were that it was an exaggerated plot.

– Still, it was somewhat watchable.

– Lee Yoo-joo is so unlucky!

– She’s acting well, which makes it even more annoying, haha.

Starting with the opinions from such a community.

– So, who’s the male lead?

– Lee Min-hyeok;; There’s no way he’s the male lead, right??

– Honestly, this drama doesn’t seem right for prime time… It’s like a cartoon for kids.

– Still, the immersion was definitely there.

– Oh my;; Was it just me who found it fun??? I seriously enjoyed it.

Opinions were quite divided on social media, which has a large viewership base.

Some said it was fun, while others found it childish or disliked the male lead.

Naturally, the atmosphere at KMB’s Drama Department, having seen such evaluations, was quite gloomy.

“Oh, 6%… ”

Director Kim Il-soo was already feeling the pressure.

Especially since it was the day of filming, and he was supposed to meet Seo-yeon.

“This might be a huge shock for actress Joo Seo-yeon.”

Seo-yeon had never experienced failure until now.

It’s common for young actresses experiencing harsh criticism for the first time to break down mentally.

“Hey, Hyun-seok, get a grip. So, are we not filming?”

“But… sigh.”

Just looking at the other young actors who came in for today’s shoot was telling.

They seemed mentally broken before even hearing the ratings, likely having already seen internet reactions.

“If I’d known it would be like this, I should have adjusted the filming date a bit.”

Kim Il-soo let out another sigh.

Episode 1 ratings: 6%.

It’s not a low figure by any means.

At the very least, it’s a bit above average.

The issue is, with ratings like this, there’s a higher probability of a decline rather than an increase.

Word of mouth only spreads when people watch it.

6% stands right on that boundary line.

“We’re in trouble because ‘Grand Game’ is doing so well.”

“Right? It’s an unfair comparison.”

Though it’s not bad in itself, being ‘not bad’ doesn’t mean it’s good.

Baek Tae-soo PD’s [Grand Game] is a whopping 12%!!

If there were no competitors, the chances of a rebound would be high, but there’s a blockbuster right next door?

Naturally, everyone’s attention would gravitate that way.

“Geez, it’s just one bad thing after another.”

Kim Il-soo noticed Min Se-hee, the writer, who looked half-fainted.

She came to hear the ratings and immediately collapsed as soon as she did.

She had said, “I’m not expecting much,” but in the face of such miserable ratings, it seemed she couldn’t take it.

He worried whether her already lacking confidence would shatter even more.

“B-but, I recently found a YouTuber who says the second half has potential. So, it’s not over yet! It’s not over!!”

Another staff member was diligently encouraging Min Se-hee.

Of course, the fact that the basis for this was just one random YouTuber was amusing.

“He’s not just some random YouTuber; he’s got 1.4 million subscribers!”

“That’s quite a lot.”

“Y-yeah, exactly. He’s a fan of actress Joo Seo-yeon and regularly reviews her works. Plus, he’s been almost spot-on with the ratings and audience counts for her shows….”

Well, to call him spot-on is a stretch.

The projects Seo-yeon has been in would clearly seem likely to succeed.

Just one look and you could roughly gauge their performance.

So, saying he was spot-on doesn’t really hold water…

“Still, I hope he gets it right this time.”

Sneaking a glance, the YouTube channel called ‘Bong-sik’ was claiming that this drama would dominate this quarter.

He said he couldn’t understand the negative reviews on the internet.

– Oh, Bong-sik.

– No way can Heavenly Garden compare to Grand Game, right????
Really, is Sky Garden going to mess with the Grand Game???

– LOL, I’m dying from laughter!

The reactions in the chat weren’t too great either.

Some even pointed out that excessive fan love can be toxic.

Of course, Bong-sik was saying that it wasn’t true, that it looked like it to him, but the atmosphere was really cold.

“Still, it’s nice to have a fan like that.”

“Yeah, right?”

Having around 1.4 million YouTube subscribers is quite a solid ally.

“Oh, I ran into PD Baek today.”

“OMG! Did he laugh at… you?”

“No, actually he looked pretty cheerful. Is something not going well?”

“No way. Last I heard, they were practically in festival mode over there…”

PD Baek Tae-soo not looking cheerful? That’s surprising.

“Oh, Joo Seo-yeon has arrived.”

The announcement of Seo-yeon’s arrival sent chills down the spines of the staff at the filming set.

Then Seo-yeon showed up to the filming set.

“Hello!!”

“Huh?”

She looked incredibly cheerful.

Usually calm in her greetings, today she seemed unusually excited.

‘Wait, what?’

‘She’s fine, right?’

‘No, not just fine; she looks really happy!!’

It was a completely baffling situation.

Kim Il-soo couldn’t help but be confused by Seo-yeon’s overly cheerful greeting.

Had she not heard the ratings yet?

Or was she in denial over the super low ratings?

“Um, Joo Seo-yeon, have you heard the ratings…?”

“Oh, I heard it. It’s 6 percent, right?”

But she had heard it.

And she was reacting like that?

“Maybe she thought my script wouldn’t even get 6 percent,” Min Se-hee mumbled, crawling out from her corner.

Is that so?

No way, that can’t be!

She thought it was such a bad script but still participated in the production?

‘No, that can’t be true.’

For someone who seemed so serious about this drama, Seo-yeon wasn’t the type to waste her first lead role.

‘What in the world is going on?’

Everyone’s heads were filled with questions.

But since Seo-yeon was so bright, it felt like the worrying issue they had was nothing of importance.

“Maybe she thinks we can definitely turn those ratings around?”

“Yeah, right. Not with the Grand Game around.”

“If we turn it around, we’d be gods.”

For one actor to turn it around is just too much of a gap.

This was something the script had to help with.

But the most important episode, the first episode, was a disaster?

Everyone’s gaze turned to Min Se-hee.

Upon receiving that gaze, Min Se-hee collapsed again.

She fainted once more.

‘If the first episode is at 6 percent, what will the second episode get?’

Meanwhile, unbothered by others’ thoughts, Seo-yeon was simply in a good mood.

She had practiced her signatures all night yesterday.

‘The second episode’s original rating was 4 percent.’

But now that it’s at 6 percent, who knows what it could turn into.

And then.

The second episode aired the next day.

[Sky Garden shows its strength, rising to a 10 percent rating!!]

[Chasing the Grand Game closely with the ratings, has it made a comeback?]

Originally, this resurgence would have started around episode 4.

However, Seo-yeon realized after seeing the rating for the second episode.

This time with her Sky Garden, there wouldn’t be any comeback needed.

---