Decent Audition
The first thing I did after returning home was sit on my bed and sift through the memories.
And the more I went over them, the stranger it felt.
How should I put it…
It didn't feel like I had just inherited memories.
It was more like male Kim Soo-hyun and female Kim Soo-hyun had merged into one.
Of course, right now I leaned more toward the male side.
If female Soo-hyun was black and the original male Soo-hyun was white, then I was now a pale shade of gray.
Or maybe it was simply the hormones in this female body at work.
Either way, after carefully reviewing, I realized that female Soo-hyun was seriously invested in Vtubing.
It had been impulsive, sure, but she'd done her homework and built up decent foundational knowledge. She'd prepared surprisingly well.
Spending over a hundred bucks in one go on equipment and an avatar was shocking enough, though.
Especially that virtual avatar—why the hell was it so expensive?
The money spent on the avatar dwarfed what went into the mic or cam.
Her PC was already high-spec for design work, so nothing needed upgrading.
I figured streaming a heavy game might cause a little lag, but for now the audition came first.
["Miro-nim, here is a reminder for the first round of the open audition…"]
I reread the message that had just arrived.
The schedule was for tonight. It was hosted by a big entertainment company full of star streamers, called "Celestial Idol."
It had four stages: first, a public audition; second, an interview; third, a solo streaming test; and fourth, self-promotion based on one's activities.
For the first round, it was all about introductions and singing ability.
So, I logged into VRChat and loaded up the avatar female Soo-hyun had bought.
It was my first time, but thanks to her prior practice, I managed it smoothly.
I stared at myself in the mirror function, and a complicated mix of emotions welled up.
Miro—my 2D avatar—was a pink-haired, green-eyed girl with small horns sprouting from her head, a cheeky little demon design.
"Ah, ah! Ahem!"
Rather than calm, the character gave off the vibe of a playful older-sister or same-age type. So, I raised my voice tone a bit.
I opened a recording program and checked my voice one take at a time.
"Hello~"
[Hello~]
"Hello! I'm Miro!"
[Hello! I'm Miro!]
"Damn, that's insane."
Hearing my own playback, it was a voice worthy of that face.
I tried adjusting the tension here and there, careful not to let it sound unnatural.
"But the singing…"
Female Soo-hyun had picked two songs.
One, a Korean idol track. The other, a J-pop song.
For male me, the former was familiar enough, but the latter I'd never heard.
"A~ aaah~"
For female Soo-hyun, it was the opposite. The Korean song felt a bit awkward, while she had the Japanese one memorized by heart.
I tried singing both, then listened to the recordings. The choice was clear.
"The first round's in the bag."
I wasn't anywhere near professional singer level, but with male Soo-hyun's karaoke-honed skills fused with female Soo-hyun's sweet tone, it came out sounding like a well-done cover.
"Come to think of it, I've got a two-for-one deal going."
I was twenty-one, but with both lives combined, I'd lived forty-two years.
My social life was half-baked, limited to school, but I had the experience of two completely different paths. A hybrid.
The thought filled me with confidence.
What rivals did I even have? Just a bunch of early-twenties rookies who hadn't seen much of the world.
Step aside.
Here comes Kim Soo-hyun, the once-in-a-generation genius who'll captivate men's hearts!
Wasn't I already setting myself up to be the overwhelming frontrunner? Maybe my expectations were running too high…
I leaned back in my chair, grinning to myself. Finally, it was time for the first audition.
I boldly joined the broadcast where it was being held and entered the VRChat waiting room.
"So this is the waiting room?"
Yes—even the audition had a waiting room. Dozens of avatars with colorful hairstyles crowded around, chattering in bright, high-pitched voices.
Honestly, with so many bubbly girls in one place, it was dizzying.
"What, you joined too?"
"Wow! Fancy meeting you here!"
"So nice to meet you~"
"Huh? You know me?"
The place was full of greetings and laughter.
It was a bit overwhelming, so I slipped toward a quiet corner.
There, I parked my avatar and watched the ongoing broadcast.
The first contestant finished their introduction. The second contestant's profile appeared.
'Nice avatar design.'
Well, none of them had bad avatars, but this one looked like it had money poured into it.
[Hello~]
Her voice was good too. Probably a safe pass.
I relaxed, watching with a comfortable mindset.
After all, I had the unbeatable combo: stunning avatar, gorgeous voice, and twenty-one years of male insight into what makes guys tick.
Halfway through the auditions, though…
I let out a heavy sigh and fiddled with the lighter on my desk.
"…Fuck. This won't cut it."
My nerves spiked. I pulled out a cigarette and lit up.
"With skills like that, she should be a singer!"
Maybe I'd underestimated the Vtuber scene.
"Wow, she's amazing at singing."
fr, lol
holy crap, that's good
Hm… a bit too much hype?
nah, she's legit
damn, goosebumps
when's the LoL stream? when's the LoL stream? when's the LoL stream? when's the LoL stream?
is she even a singer?
"Singer-level, no?"
"Definitely singer-level."
"Damn, that's good."
Fueled by the virtual idol craze sweeping the country, the entertainment company The Six was running its "Celestial Project."
And two of The Six's biggest corporate streamers, Rush and Ahn Ji-hong, lounged arrogantly in their chairs as they judged the contestants singing on screen.
"But the self-introduction was kinda bland."
"Yeah, feels boring."
"Who cares, she's pretty and sings well."
"True, lol."
"Still, among today's crowd she's one of the better ones, right?"
"No weird gimmick at least, not bad."
That contestant left after a lukewarm reception. More came and went, but no one stood out.
"Hmm…"
"How long is this audition?"
"Everyone's so generic."
(potato chip emote)
"This project's doomed, lol."
"Ugh, seriously? This is what you guys hyped up?"
"Screw this, let's play LoL."
The chat boiled with frustration at the lack of originality, and Ji-hong, who'd agreed to sit in as a judge for a modest fee, endured the pain.
'Why am I even watching this?'
Sure, he'd enjoyed One Piece, Naruto, Dragon Ball, those kinds of classics. But people dancing and acting cutesy behind 2D avatars? That rubbed him the wrong way.
At least singing could be tolerable—but too many had such poor skills that the mood tanked every few minutes.
'I'd rather just go play LoL.'
He was dying to close VRChat and log off, but a paid judge had to keep up appearances. So he held out, humoring the chat, waiting for it all to end.
Then, midway through the audition, a new contestant appeared.
"Hello~ I'm contestant number 43, Miro!"
Bright greeting. The avatar—pink hair, small horns, money clearly well spent.
"Oh…"
"Oh?"
"Nice voice, huh."
"Holy crap lol."
"Pass."
"Why's the chat suddenly dripping with thirst?"
"Ugh, damn nerds."
"Alright then, shall we hear your song?"
Even Ji-hong had to admit the voice was better than the others. His fellow judge, Chul-won, picked up the hosting role.
"Ah, the songs I'll be singing are…"
Miro sang two tracks. Both were decent. A sweet tone with some solid power when it counted—definitely above average.
"Hmm… kinda middling?"
"But damn, that voice."
"Just voice-carrying, or nah? lol."
"Not bad, but wasn't the last one better?"
"And what was that second song, some weeb trash?"
"It was weeb trash but… it slapped."
Yeah. At the end of the day, it was karaoke-level—good karaoke, but not professional.
"Wow, that was nice."
"Yeah, the voice really makes it easy to listen to."
"Agreed. Have you ever trained in singing?"
The judges offered polite praise while jotting down cautious scores. The voice was undeniably appealing, but the project wanted raw vocal ability—it had to be strong enough for professional recordings.
"No, I've never had lessons!"
"Hmm… is that so? Would you be willing to learn, then?"
Since her voice was promising, they probed further. Miro nodded, saying she would if given the chance. The judges continued their checklist.
'Not bad,' Ji-hong thought.
He lobbed a few questions, scoring her steadily. The singing wasn't stellar, but far from unpleasant. And her speaking—clear, confident.
More streamer than idol material, maybe.
Either way, she wrapped up, received a passing grade, and left the stage.
The rest of the audition ran its course, and finally it ended.
Later, Soo-hyun chewed her nails in anxiety until, three days after, the notification arrived:
First round cleared.
She let out a cheer.