Now That I Have Become a Woman, I Am a Vtuber

---

After receiving the message, I pondered for a bit.

This audition is fairly equitable. However, it’s definitely unfair for one participant to meet with the official staff, no matter how you look at it.

The message did mention that if coming in person is difficult, online is fine; and if it’s too troublesome, refusing to chat wouldn’t lead to any disadvantages, but I was honestly curious.

What could they be talking about?

Was it advice about the broadcast? Or are they perhaps going to offer bribes like back in school?

After mulling it over all day, I decided to go.

I thought it would be worth it just to hear them out.

So, after receiving the message, the next day at lunch, I stood in front of a building.

“Looks like they’re doing pretty well.”

Seeing the shiny building, it felt like the company must be making a decent profit. Of course, the entire building isn’t owned by the company; it seems they’re just using one floor among those lofty heights, but still, it’s something.

While I was absentmindedly admiring the building, a woman came out from inside.

She wore horn-rimmed glasses and had her hair loosely tied back, dressed in a checkered shirt, and after glancing around, she pulled out her phone to make some contact.

Beep—

And just then, my phone started ringing. I had a hunch that she was the person I was supposed to meet today.

“Hello?”

[Ah, this is staff Lee Ha-yeon. Where are you right now?]

“I’m right in front of it!”

[Excuse me? Ah.. uh..]

At the mention of “right in front,” the staff member looked around, caught my gaze, and her eyes widened as she dashed over.

“Is it Miro?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Oh, ha ha… I see. I’ll escort you inside.”

The staff, realizing I was indeed Miro, awkwardly smiled and guided me into the building.

“How did you get here?”

“I took the subway. It took about 30 minutes.”

“Thank goodness you live in the metropolitan area.”

Engaging in light conversation as we got on the elevator, it wasn’t long before we arrived on the 6th floor, inside the company.

“This way, please.”

The area the staff pointed to looked clearly set up for one-on-one meetings. It’s probably where affiliated creators consult with their staff.

“What would you like to drink?”

“Ah, just water, please.”

“Understood.”

After seating me in the consultation room, the staff member quickly returned with water and some snacks in hand.

‘…Are we going to talk for so long that snacks are necessary?’

Well, if we were just going to chat lightly, they wouldn’t have called me in.

“Feel free to snack.”

Pouring the treats onto the table and handing me a bottle of water, the staff member sat down across from me.

“You were curious about why you were invited today, right?”

“That’s right. Have other participants come in too?”

This was out of pure curiosity. Their inviting me suggested that other participants might also be present.

“Oh, no. If we called everyone, that would be a big problem.”

“Really? Then why was I…”

Fortunately, the staff was aware of this issue. But why did they call me?

“Before we get into it, could you keep our conversation here confidential?”

“What do you mean…?”

“Nothing that would disadvantage Miss Miro. However, this conversation could be deemed unfair by others.”

“Then I’ll keep it secret. Should I even sign a contract?”

“Ha ha… No, that’s okay. The company’s confidentiality agreement will come into play later if you pass and sign the contract.”

Already mentioning contracts…

Doesn’t that imply that my selection is practically guaranteed?

I felt pleased to be receiving a somewhat special treatment.

It’s unfair, but seeing it as a good kind of unfair treatment, why should I protest?

“Understood. I’m quite curious about what you have in mind.”

As I nodded and gazed intently, the staff member hesitated briefly before clearing her throat and beginning to speak.

“We believe in your potential, Miro.”

“My potential?”

What’s this? Can they actually perceive people well?

They’ve already recognized my potential; this company must be relatively capable.

“First off, your broadcasts are entertaining. You have a natural aptitude for hosting. Plus, your voice is pleasant.”

The staff member began to shower me with compliments.

If average audition participants heard this, they’d probably be snickering inside.

“Your singing is also quite unique due to the tone and quality of your voice.”

However, I knew these praises weren’t empty flattery.

In those praises were the advantages I felt whenever I viewed the female Kim Soo-hyun through the lens of the male Kim Soo-hyun.

After finishing the compliments, the staff member paused before presenting the real crux of the matter.

“However, the current direction of your broadcast seems too far removed from what we envision. To be frank, we want a virtual idol who receives unconditional support and love from fans.”

I nodded subtly at the staff’s words.

I understood what the problem was.

My broadcast certainly had a very different vibe from the broadcasts of other participants.

As I nodded slightly, the staff, who had been watching me, continued speaking.

“We’d like to propose something to you, Miro.”

“A proposal?”

“Are you willing to completely revamp the atmosphere of your broadcast? Essentially, uproot the current setup and rebuild from the ground up.”

Hearing that, I slightly frowned.

I unintentionally expressed my dissatisfaction through my expression.

Seeing my expression, the staff member flinched again, took a sip of water, and continued to speak.

“Of course, it will be tough at first. But after passing the audition, once you release a song, the influx of viewers will likely increase, and then the current atmosphere could become a hindrance.”

Though she didn’t explicitly say it, the underlying message was clear.

If I promised to change the broadcast atmosphere here and gradually uprooted the audience to replace it, I’d undoubtedly secure a win.

I closed my eyes and contemplated.

From my long-term perspective, it made sense to swap things out completely.

However, despite the growth aspect, I didn’t mind the current atmosphere very much.

Sure, it might be a bit excessive, but did it warrant uprooting everything?

I could manage to ease up by ousting a few people as examples.

While it’s nice to have all the viewers adore me, isn’t there a certain thrill in having a bit of pushback?

If everyone just showered me with unconditional positivity, where’s the fun in that?

After all, my broadcasts are just me rambling without any actual content.

Should I just say no?

Then I might fail the audition.

But if I were to fail, I could still gradually grow and become a proper broadcaster, albeit slower than the other audition winners.

But does it really have to be that way?

Can’t I have the best of both worlds? Just like how I possess memories of both the male and female Kim Soo-hyun?

Is there a way I can aim for both the audition win and retain my current viewers?

No, wait.

I reopened my eyes and locked my gaze steadily with the staff member.

The woman in the checkered shirt and horn-rimmed glasses lowered her gaze just a fraction when I stared directly at her.

‘Seems like I unintentionally seized the initiative here.’

Maybe she has some bad memories from her school days?

I wouldn’t know, but it felt good to have taken the upper hand.

“Could you tell me how many total final selections you’re considering? Even if it’s just your personal opinion?”

I asked with a subtle smile.

The staff member contemplated briefly, then nodded and opened her hand wide to indicate.

“I’m thinking maybe around five.”

“Five? Then isn’t it reasonable for at least one ‘troublemaker’ to be included?”

“Excuse me? A troublemaker?”

Although proposals like what I’m about to make shouldn’t be managed by the staff member, I thought they could at least relay the opinion upward.

“We could do viral marketing.”

Viral marketing refers to making viewers promote on their own.

“Having at least one person stir up a little chaos every now and then could grab attention, right? I’m not saying to force anything, but being around playful viewers can result in slip-ups.”

Yet I was talking back a little since she was someone in charge of audition participants. But I can’t help it. I’m just speaking off the top of my head, just like during my broadcasts.

“Hmm… But might that cause issues for the other successful applicants? It’s still a single group, and if one person’s fandom is too… intense, then…”

The staff raised a cautious counterargument, yet it was a sensible point that hit hard.

“On the contrary, we might see that those among the inflow of viewers might settle in my room, right?”

While saying that, I felt like I was squeezing out a bit of an unreasonable line.

Are my viewers’doing the same thing to the other successful applicants like they do to me?

Just imagining that made my head spin.

Suddenly losing confidence, I nevertheless firmly established my stance.

“…Would it really be difficult?”

“Yes… While softening the broadcast atmosphere is possible, completely uprooting it might be tough. That way, the fun of the broadcast would also get lost.”

“I understand… Great, I will mention it to the higher-ups.”

“Yes… Thank you.”

Thus, my meeting with the staff wrapped up somewhat quickly yet uneasily.

“Ugh… Did I screw that up?”

As I exited the building, I instinctively contemplated whether to smoke by tapping my cigarettes in my pocket. I was riding the rush, but surely it felt a bit forced.

Even though I meant it sincerely, to sum up, it felt like I was saying I wanted to keep my broadcast atmosphere unchanged while demanding to be accepted into the audition.

Truly, I seem no different from a child.

Would my viewers even understand the effort I’m putting in?

Of course, I can’t convey the nuances of this conversation in my broadcast, but still, I hope they appreciate it.

…Even though I don’t actually have any prepared content today.