I Want to Be a VTuber-Chapter 321: Light and Darkness (1)

GH Group had sharpened its sword, as they had announced, with the PV for Mine. They had even gone as far as holding a massive public audition called Hyper Action Star to promote the project, and there were even rumors that they had cast 'Arthur Diaz'.

They had essentially done everything they could. This left many people skeptical.

"They say empty barrels make the most noise."

"If this investment fails, how much will GH Group lose?"

"But Seoyeon is the lead, right? No project Seoyeon’s been in has failed."

"Seoyeon has been in a lot of hits this year, but it’s still just been one year."

"That’s true. After all the success, it’s about time for a slip-up."

That was the general sentiment. It wasn’t that they expected failure, but rather, because everything had been so perfect, it left them with an uneasy feeling.

However, the more uncertain people were, the more interest Mine garnered. And the final blow came just yesterday with the announcement about Biol’s new ambassador.

Ju Seoyeon becomes Biol’s ambassador?? What do you mean, suddenly?No, it’s on the Biol website.No way, you’re kidding.This is real.How can she become a luxury brand ambassador after just one year?

Even Seoyeon’s fan community had a hard time believing it at first. She had appeared in a Biol ad before, but no one had thought she would become an ambassador from just that.

You couldn’t just dismiss Biol as a local brand; they didn’t make anyone an ambassador.

It was a significant role—being the face of the brand—and they would select a long-term partner for this.

Why are so many people waiting for the Mine PV? Wow.Already over 30,000 people.The waiting line alone is 30,000 people, haha.Everyone’s hoping Mine will be the next Child’s Game, huh? What’s going to happen if it fails?Mine was decided around the same time as Child’s Game, idiot.Just ignore that nonsense and block it.

An hour before the ad PV was released, there were already more than 30,000 people waiting.

This alone showed how much anticipation there was for Mine.

And at that time...

'Why are so many people watching this together?'

Seoyeon found herself in a somewhat awkward situation. Or rather, it felt a little embarrassing.

"Today is the Mine PV release, so how about we watch it with the students?"

It was a suggestion from Song Dayeon, the theater club instructor.

Since it was a PV for the drama in which their senior starred, she suggested they watch it together.

Of course, Seoyeon had agreed at the time without thinking much of it. She thought it would be a good opportunity to act naturally as a ‘senior’.

But.

'Now that I’m actually going to watch it together, it feels...'

When she glanced at Jiyeon next to her, her face seemed completely unconcerned, even showing some excitement.

Of course, Seoyeon had heard the news that Sehee had reshot her scenes, so Jiyeon was probably curious about her sincere acting.

Seoyeon was curious, too.

Though she wasn’t sure if it would appear in the PV.

'At least I’m sitting a little further away, so that’s a relief.'

As Seoyeon looked at the theater club students watching her, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Right now, Min Ara was staring at her, clearly wanting to speak. And Kim Hyeri, who had been boasting about her appearance on Nettrix, was also looking in her direction.

It seemed both newcomers had joined the theater club.

Well, if they hadn’t, there was no reason for them to come to Yeonhwa High School.

Each of them had different reactions while waiting for the PV to begin.

Min Ara’s gaze was full of expectation.

Kim Hyeri’s was filled with a strange sense of tension.

For Kim Hyeri, this was likely a competitor’s work.

Mine was the drama Kim Hyeri had appeared in—Moving Heaven.

Of course, Kim Hyeri was more of a minor supporting character, essentially a cameo role.

Still, the PV reaction had been decent. The unique premise had earned good reviews in Korea.

But there were parts that didn’t quite capture the attention the way Mine had.

'I think the release date is next week.'

For Kim Hyeri, she probably hoped Mine would fail.

It would be nice if everyone succeeded, but human nature doesn’t always work that way.

"Oh, it’s starting."

While Seoyeon was lost in thought, she heard a male voice from the theater club.

At the same time, the students’ gazes briefly shifted in her direction.

'...I should have just said I’ll watch it separately.'

She had tried to act like a senior, but watching it with classmates felt very different from watching with an audience in a theater.

Seoyeon realized this anew.

And then...

"He’s the key to solving humanity’s long-standing wish."

A man’s low voice rang out, like a narration, as the PV began.

Nettrix drama Mine.

Seoyeon’s first action scene was about to be revealed to the world.

****

"Stella, what are you watching again?"

Stella was sitting on set, her laptop open in front of her. It was a rare sight.

She was even wearing earphones, indicating she was watching a video.

"I’m watching a PV for a project from my favorite actor."

"Oh, you have a favorite actor? I thought you only liked your own acting?"

"Haha, of course, I do. Didn’t you watch my last interview?"

Stella’s clear laughter was as charming as a fairy.

Her fellow actress, Anna Riley, shrugged.

It was hard to know if she was telling the truth or not.

Stella hadn’t even been looking at her own face.

'Interview? Could she be talking about that Korean actress?'

Anna was one of the actresses who felt some rivalry with Stella. Of course, most actresses her age felt the same way.

Hollywood.

A place where many stars battle for the top.

Actors praised as geniuses often found themselves trampled by the ‘real’ stars they met there.

Anna Riley, at one point, had thought she was a genius.

She had believed she was the best actor among her peers and had been recognized since her childhood.

'I must be a genius.'

Anna had thought that until she met the real monsters of the industry.

"Show me, Stella."

Anna said with a smile.

It was a simple joke.

'Of course, Stella will refuse.'

Stella didn’t care much about others.

She was called a fairy, smiling equally at everyone, but being ‘equal’ to everyone meant that no one truly got close to her.

Honestly, Anna didn’t think much of Stella’s ‘favorite actor’ claim.

Her recent interview? Maybe she was just trying to appeal to the Asian market since she had been in Japan recently.

She simply thought it was that.

Korea or Japan.

The markets were large, but she didn’t really know them well.

'Wait, could it be because she’s mixed-race that she’s interested?'

She had heard that her stepfather, Asher Baldwin, was doing something in Japan.

He was supposed to be making a film, but Anna wasn’t sure about the details.

Stella herself didn’t seem to know much about it either...

"Hmm~, you’re interested? Well, if you want to see, I’ll show it to you, specially."

"What?"

"Oh? Did I speak too bluntly? Was that just a polite remark?"

"No, it’s just that I didn’t think you’d accept."

"You’re too harsh~, don’t you think you’re being a bit stingy with me?"

With Stella’s clear smile, Anna felt a strange discomfort but naturally sat next to her.

At that moment, other actors on set were deep in a heated discussion about a scene they were filming.

It seemed the actor filming that scene was struggling.

So, Stella and Anna had some spare time.

'Mine?'

It was the first time Anna had heard of it.

It seemed like it was a Korean drama.

Korea.

A country that had never been in Anna’s mind until Child’s Game became a huge success.

'Is this a PV for a Korean drama released on Nettrix? Why would Stella be watching this?'

Stella wasn’t really interested in OTT dramas.

She never appeared in dramas, only movies.

'It’s starting.'

As Stella sat waiting for the video to start, Anna kept watching her side profile. When the grand background music began, Anna turned her attention to the screen.

"He’s the key to solving humanity’s long-standing wish."

A low voice, like narration, from an old man.

And ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) in the darkness.

Under a dim lamp, several men were having a conversation.

"It’s a miracle."

"There will be no two of them."

"So, we must start with that child as the source."

They were talking with a picture of a girl in the center.

A mysterious girl in a white dress.

The men talking were of various nationalities.

Blonde and black-haired.

People from the West and East had eyes that glowed yellow.

The flickering light from the old lamp reflected their frantic minds.

"This child is a gift from God to us."

Slowly, the screen moved and focused on the man who had spoken.

'...Arthur?!'

At that moment, Anna gasped.

Arthur Diaz.

A Hollywood actor had appeared in this?

'Could it be that Arthur is in this?'

That made sense now.

Arthur’s strange inferiority complex toward Stella.

And the rivalry Anna knew about.

But for actors of their age, the only one who could be compared to Stella was Arthur Diaz.

'...Or is it?'

But when Stella briefly glanced at it, her side profile reflected an emotionless gaze. It didn’t seem like she was interested in seeing Arthur at all.

'On another note, the PV is very clean. Quite atmospheric.'

As the conversation among the men came to an end, the screen slowly faded to black.

The sound of rain.

The sound of footsteps running, desperately, with urgent cries echoing.

It indicated something had gone wrong.

A girl, breathlessly running, trying to escape.

"Yeonseo, the world is more beautiful than you think."

A warm male voice is inserted like a flashback.

"I’ll help you. You shouldn’t be trapped here."

The shackles around Yeonseo’s feet are broken, and the man takes the place of a decoy for her.

The girl briefly looks at him, then runs out of the laboratory.

"Hey, what are you doing?! Young lady, you’ll get into an accident!!"

In a lab filled with white, the girl runs out desperately, almost getting hit by a car.

And she meets a fateful encounter.

An older couple looks at the ragged Yeonseo with pitying gazes.

She looked like nothing but an orphan, an abandoned child.

"Yeonseo, Jin Yeonseo. That’s your name, right?"

They smile gently as they look at the girl staring at them blankly.

"Yes."

Even with their smile, Yeonseo tilts her head, unable to understand their feelings.

Her face carries a strange, unsettling vibe.

It was as though she couldn’t comprehend the emotions they were experiencing.

There’s no background music.

Only the sound of their conversation flows in the silence.

"If you have nowhere to go, how about living with us?"

"Become Park Yeonseo, not Jin Yeonseo."

Her old name, Jin Yeonseo.

And their daughter.

The ordinary girl, Park Yeonseo.

The girl, Yeonseo, is given a new family name and becomes an ordinary girl.

Time moves quickly in the PV.

She becomes a middle schooler, studying here and there for several years.

She grows up, enters high school, and makes friends.

The cheerful background music signifies peace.

However, despite the lively music, events that gradually build tension unfold one after another in the video.

"I found you, Jin Yeonseo."

The fearsome psychic from her childhood who had chased after her.

Yeonseo, facing him, is the same little girl who had been running in the beginning of the PV.

'The PV is reaching its climax.'

There were about 20 seconds left.

Since Anna didn’t have any prior information about this drama, she watched with nervous eyes.

Is it a thriller?

From the information revealed so far, that was the only thing it seemed like.

'This Korean actress. The actress playing Jin Yeonseo.'

Anna’s gaze naturally shifted to the actress.

It wasn’t just because she was the lead.

It was the acting of a girl who didn’t understand emotions.

The more she watched her, the more an odd sense of discomfort grew.

Probably, it wasn’t just her.

The fact that she could move people’s emotions like this meant she wasn’t just any average actress.

But now, it was different.

The Jin Yeonseo who faced the psychic wasn’t the same as the past. She was now an ordinary girl.

She understood emotions and could feel fear...

'...Huh?'

The corner of Jin Yeonseo’s mouth twisted when she faced the psychic.

It wasn’t fear that twisted her mouth—it was joy.

"You’re too late."

Her soft voice.

At her words, fear appeared in the psychic’s eyes.

By this point, people started to realize that something was wrong.

"Jin Yeonseo!!"

The psychic rushed toward her with a roar.

The scene showed his incredible speed, proving that he was no ordinary human.

However, in response, Jin Yeonseo reached out her right hand and grabbed his neck in an instant.

It happened so fast, it was unbelievable.

"You don’t have to shout, I can hear it just fine. My name."

That was the beginning.

The calm music gradually became grand, and the scene moved quickly.

Action scenes from the drama.

The fight between Jin Yeonseo and the psychic.

The scenes where the weak girl, Jin Yeonseo, mercilessly takes down the psychics.

And when the cheerful music abruptly stopped.

"Why did you kill my father?"

In the darkness, a girl points a gun at a man.

The man rummaging through a desk.

As if she knew who he was.

And in the darkness, the man’s smile briefly appeared.

"Is it so wrong to kill the one who made the devil?"

With those words, the word Mine appears on the screen.

The PV ends.

The entire PV lasted about 2 minutes, but it felt like it ended in the blink of an eye.

'Has the CG level of Korean movies improved this much?'

Anna, stunned, couldn’t help but look back at the PV.

The CGI was incredibly natural.

Above all, the intensity of the short action scene was astonishing.

As an actress, she could tell.

When the scene cut, the action moments were often shot from the perspective of the girl.

In other words, the action was filmed without a stunt double.

Yet, there was no awkwardness in the action.

Anna herself was terrible at action acting.

Action required both talent and hard work.

The acting of the protagonist, Jin Yeonseo.

And the action.

To be honest, Anna couldn’t take her eyes off it.

Just when she thought the PV had ended...

"...Interview video?"

"This is PV2. It’s a short video. It looks like a behind-the-scenes promo."

It wasn’t really a making-of video but a short clip containing promotional comments from the actors featured in the movie.

"Mine was really fun to film. It’s a great drama. Honestly, it’s been a while since I enjoyed action acting this much."

Arthur Diaz was the first to appear.

His interview was conducted in fluent Korean.

"Not acting."

As Stella listened to Arthur’s words, her face became slightly surprised.

He was always someone with a mask on.

So, she had assumed he would just say the usual rehearsed lines in this interview.

But, unexpectedly, Arthur seemed to genuinely enjoy acting.

Then, various actors followed, including staff and the director, Han Yegun.

Finally, the main characters, Seoyeon and Sehee, appeared together on the screen at the end of the PV.

"This is my first time doing action acting, so I was really worried, but I’m relieved that it turned out better than I expected."

Seoyeon said, while Sehee watched her with a somewhat gentle smile.

She looked at her as if recalling something from the past.

"Honestly, I made a lot of mistakes in this performance."

Sehee continued while fiddling with her hands.

"I was thinking of just going along with it, but actress Ju Seoyeon helped me a lot."

Sehee smiled at Seoyeon as she said that.

In response, Seoyeon’s face showed a slightly awkward smile.

Seeing the two of them, Anna felt a bit of a strange sensation.

It was rare to see actors their age being so close.

It wasn’t just a performance—it felt genuine.

Anna let out an unconscious chuckle.

"Heh."

Stella also gave a strange smile as she watched.

"You studied too much."

"Huh?"

"It’s nothing."

She said that, and then turned off the video.

She had already seen everything she wanted to.