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“Is that really true?”

Lee Kang-jun looked at me as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Um, are you perhaps a singer?”

Well… I don’t think I am a singer. But if I say, “Oh, I’m not a singer, heehee-” wouldn’t the composer next to me be a bit upset?

Still, we worked on a track together.

“Uh, yeah, well… that’s why I came here, right?”

Upon hearing that, Lee Kang-jun looked shocked.

“That’s why your voice… Excuse me, could I listen to your song?”

I guess he means my track, right? Unfortunately, there’s nothing official to show…

In that sense, I glanced at the composer, and he nodded. That must mean it’s okay to share, right?

“Then would you like to hear an upcoming track?”

“Yes, I’d really love to listen to it.”

So I played the song for him. Unlike when I shared it with Hyeon-su earlier, now we both had just one sheet of music, so it felt fair.

After the song ended, Lee Kang-jun stared at me with his mouth agape.

“… When will it be released? No, more like….”

Did he suddenly remember the song he would release and ask when it would drop? He swiftly fell into his own thoughts.

What’s he doing? Shouldn’t he compliment me since he just heard the song?

After a moment of waiting, Lee Kang-jun looked at me and said,

“Um, are you the one featured in Wonderland?”

No way, he figured it out this quickly?

Since he mentioned he liked Hyeon-su’s songs, it makes sense that he would know Wonderland too…

Is it true that singers are just that perceptive?

“That’s correct. You guessed it.”

“Ah, no.”

He fumbled for a moment, rolling his eyes nervously before picking up a notebook from the desk.

Isn’t that the composer’s?

“Um, could I get your autograph?”

That made me feel a bit strange. So, it’s an autograph as Kim Soo-hyun, huh?

“I actually really liked it. Wonderland. I’d been trying to find the singer you featured, and here I am, not recognizing it right in front of me.”

That gave me a somewhat mysterious feeling. Is it just because I have someone who expresses such fandom over my singing right in front of me?

In the end, I signed it for him.

With my name written as Kim Soo-hyun, not Miro.

***

The next day.

On what was effectively the last day of my break, I called my manager.

[Hello?]

“Oh, yes, Manager.”

[Yes, what can I do for you? Are you enjoying your ‘vacation’?]

Ah, hearing the manager’s voice made me realize they still had the vacation spirit.

But was the outcome all right?

They offered another contract from the game company.

It was a bit unfortunate that I got a warning on Dwitch, but… I can just be cautious from now on, right?

“Hahaha, I’m having a great time. There were some modest results.”

[Results?]

“There are, indeed. You will be very surprised later.”

I didn’t mention that Hyeon-su promised me a song just yet. After all, the song hasn’t arrived, and this kind of surprise is more fun, right?

[Haha, Miro always manages to surprise me. I’m looking forward to it.]

Ah, did he just say that with some sass? But this is genuinely good news.

However, there’s something I want to ask over the phone today.

“Manager.”

[What is it?]

“How do you make a music video?”

That was the main point.

I mean, once I get the song, I’ll need to create a music video, right? That’s common sense for a VTuber.

[Music video?]

“Yes, I’m thinking of creating an original Miro song.”

[Are you suddenly saying this?]

My manager looked extremely surprised upon hearing I was considering an original song.

Was it that unexpected?

“Is it that surprising?”

[I thought you wouldn’t be interested in this area, but to be honest, I had been subtly suggesting it to some other members.]

“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

[Because I thought you wouldn’t want to do it.]

“What?”

So, I was the only one left out?

To be fair, if Hyeon-su hadn’t given me a song, I probably wouldn’t have thought about this…

[And honestly, I had only gently suggested it to those other members. An original song can be quite costly, and it’s ambiguous if the company would support it entirely.]

“Can’t they support it generously? They usually spare no expense for things like this.”

Why is The Six being like this?

Aren’t they the type of company that usually provides solid support?

[From a company perspective, it would be better to use that money for a group song.]

… That’s true.

But still, how much does producing an original song actually cost?

“By any chance, how much does it cost to make a personal song? Including everything from buying a track to producing the music video?”

I thought the manager might know well, so I asked. I should at least know how much it generally costs.

[If you go completely raw, typically, an uninformed entertainer might spend several thousand (won).]

“Wait, what? Several thousand?”

[That much is necessary. But there’s no guarantee that it will blow up, so it’s hard for the company to support it.]

In other words, it would cost several million to get everything done, but since the chances of the song succeeding are low, they aren’t keen to invest, right?

“Where’s all that money even going to?”

[It largely depends on the quality, but just producing the song itself costs an arm and a leg, right? Starting from lyrics and composition to mixing and music video production—there’s no way around it.]

“I see….”

[Moreover, if you’re an entertainer, you’re essentially a total beginner in this field, right? You don’t have the connections for discounts or anything, so it’s entirely out of pocket.]

Thinking about it, I realized I had been living like a freeloader all this time.

Receiving a feature from Hyeon-su for just one song and the fact that the track ‘Turning Point’ I have with the composer is something I haven’t really contributed to either?

Most likely, those two handle everything, so there’s no significant expense, but that doesn’t mean the quality diminishes.

In fact, those tracks would likely be several levels above the ones I would buy.

Anyway, I guess I’m in a much better situation than others.

After all, I already have a song… so I just need to make the music video.

And besides, I’m planning to make it in 2D anyway. The little artist inside me, who’s a full-on expert in that field, is all prepped up too.

[Still, from my perspective as a VTuber, I believe having at least one original song would be a must. It gives you a certain symbolism.]

“Hmm… I understand for now.”

[Since you mentioned it, seriously think about it. You do well, right, Miro?]

“Yes, I’m aiming to do one.”

[Really? Shall I look into it for you?]

“Could you just help me look for the music video part?”

[Are you okay with the song? To be honest, finding someone for that from the start can be quite overwhelming… Is it alright?]

“Oh, I have someone in mind for that already.”

[Understood. I’ll trust you to do a good job. I’ll look into the music video part.]

“Thank you.”

Thus, the talk about the music video wrapped up.

If my manager says they’re going to look for it, then they’ll definitely find someone reliable.

They’re thorough with their work.

[By the way, do you have any plans today?]

“Plans today? None at all.”

[Hmm… Then how about trying a YouTube live broadcast as a test?]

“A YouTube live broadcast?”

[Yes, because you could get paused on Dwitch anytime, so I thought maybe you could give it a shot now.]

… Again with the pause, what do they think of me?

Never! There’s no way I’ll get paused again!

However, well— it seems my manager might have other intentions in mind too.

“You could say you’re considering transitioning to YouTube.”

[… There’s a bit of that intention, yes.]

A bit?

Considering the limits of viewers on Dwitch, they’re looking at YouTube streaming now.

Wasn’t that why I asked for simultaneous streaming for Miro 24/7?

“Well, anyway, I’ll try it today.”

[Really?]

“Yes, it’s not a difficult request, right?”

[So, what time are you planning to do it? I will definitely keep an eye on it.]

Definitely keep an eye on it? That’s unnecessary.

“Ten….”

[Ten o’clock? That’s a bit late, but that’s alright….]

“In minutes. In other words, ten minutes.”

[Wait, what?]

“There’s only a little left. Let’s end this call now. I need to go prepare for the broadcast.”

[Ah.]

I’m a person who acts decisively.

So, I immediately turned on the YouTube live broadcast.

[Miro has appeared.]

The last time I did a simultaneous broadcast was a while ago, but this is my first time doing a full live session.

– What’s this?

– Did she switch?

– Miro switched over, whoa!

Since I turned on the YouTube live broadcast, I can see the newcomers looking bewildered.

Hmm…

It’s not a switch, but truthfully, did I turn it on rather suddenly?

It would be troublesome if there were rumors of me switching.

How would they interpret me on Dwitch?

But hey… honestly, it wouldn’t be bad at all to declare that I’m switching over.

As my little heart whispers to me to go towards YouTube, that’s the international giant I’ll be heading to.

Sure, saying that would probably get me blacklisted on Dwitch afterward, but oh well.

Anyway, while watching the somewhat awkward YouTube chat, I continued with the broadcast.

“Hey everyone, it’s only been two days, right? How’s it feel to be trapped in the room of mind and time?”

– I switched to Loa~

– Came a bit early.

– It’s already been three days?

As soon as I start the unfamiliar YouTube streaming, typical zero newbies start sending their comments immediately.

Look at these guys?

I actually turned on the broadcast a day earlier instead of getting banned.

And yet, I’m doing it while using YouTube’s workaround policy.

“Ahh, did time go by quickly? In that case, why don’t you spend another day here?”

With that, I played a music track that had a threatening vibe.

If you don’t fix that rebellious attitude, I’ll knock you out, you know.

– See you tomorrow.

– Take care.

– Today’s stream was solid, for real.

But it seems all those threats have made them bold now, because these guys are acting cocky.

Hah! Did you think I wouldn’t pull the trigger?

Seems like they don’t know the barrel I’m shoving at them doesn’t have any blanks.

Less than three minutes into the broadcast, I ended it.

These people.

Did they lose their touch after just two days of rest?

If they can’t figure it out from the start of the broadcast, then I’ll have no choice but to establish some discipline.

After a short break, I fired up League of Legends for two rounds on the Howling Abyss and went back to streaming again.

“Hey everyone, it’s only been two days, right? How’s it feel to be trapped in the room of mind and time?”

– Welcome back…(in a plaintive tone)

– I’ve been waiting…

– You said you’d come back quickly! Why are you only here now?

– Is this… a different timeline? Damn, I thought two years had passed…!

Yeah, this is it.

This is the proper Miro broadcast.

“Of course, I knew you would be eagerly waiting for me.”

I greeted the start of the broadcast with a satisfied smile.

 

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