SWNOVELXO Chapter 161
It was a winter night with heavy snowfall all day long.
The news that Kariri was going to collaborate with Che-na made many people doubt their ears.
No matter how popular Kariri was, she was just a virtual YouTuber.
90 million subscribers on V-tube? An average video view count of 500,000?
Compared to Che-na, who achieved the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks, that was just a drop in the bucket.
On the other hand, her music video garnered views in the hundreds of millions.
Saying it was a new kind of aggro was simply an understatement.
Especially since the target was an idol who was also gaining popularity in Korea, fans had their eyes on it like hawks.
When protests demanding punishment from the agency exploded, even more shocking news came.
[Hello, this is NTIS Entertainment.
We would like to talk about the future schedule of our artist “Che-na” Kim Saetbyeol.
Che-na is currently on break after completing her world tour schedule, and we have confirmed through contact that she will appear on an internet broadcast due to personal ties.
This is not a planned schedule by the company, but she has promised to uphold her position as a public figure on the internet broadcast and will do her best to ensure there is no concern for the fans.]
*
“Uh… Welcome! Wow, Che-na unni…! How long has it been? So glad to… no, it’s ‘glad to meet’!”
“Is it okay if I sit here? Hey everyone, hello! It’s a bit fresh to meet like this. I’m singer Che-na.”
Yoon-seul sparkled her eyes and gazed at the true ‘celebrity’ sitting next to her.
Until now, the only times she appeared on camera were during collaborations with LK and Kim Woo-joo.
And now, the news that the third guest was none other than Che-na brought in tens of thousands, no, over a hundred thousand viewers in an instant. The front row numbers were changing in no time.
It was so crazy that the chat window lagged to the point of freezing.
“Yoon-seul, looks like you’re doing well these days? You’ve gotten even prettier now that you’ve lost your baby fat.”
“Gyaaa! Uh… unni, if you say that with that face… that’s unfair!”
“Really?”
Kariri’s face turned red from Che-na’s compliment, not knowing how to respond.
She was so stunning that just looking at her felt like her soul was being sucked out.
In comparison, her own evaluation was just that she looked like an ordinary cute idol, so Che-na’s praise was a glorious statement for Yoon-seul.
“And you can’t call me that name here.”
“Then what should I call you?”
“Kariri…! I am King Kariri of Savanna! Grr… Roar!”
It was nearly impossible to read comments amidst the rapid flow of the broadcast.
But knowing what they wanted, Kariri quickly shifted the topic.
“So… shall we go into virtual reality right away?”
Broadcasting in real-life forms was simply out of the question.
With sincere intention, Kariri suggested.
“After coming all this way, just virtual reality?”
“Instead, since Saetbyeol unni is pretty… Ah… I think we can just model the avatar!”
Kariri had even prepared the highest-level capsules for rent in anticipation of Che-na’s arrival.
And sure enough, the technology was on their side, as they could recreate Che-na’s looks in virtual reality.
Kariri’s signature segment, “Charming Q&A”.
In “Charming,” the person caught has to answer the opponent’s question or take part in a random penalty.
Kariri, feeling quite proud, had prepared a slew of questions that walked the fine line of appropriateness.
“Charming! Let’s go! Get your head in the game!”
“Wait, you suddenly got way too proactive… Gyaaa! Why’d you hit me right away?”
“Oh right! I got so excited I totally forgot!”
As the corner progressed, a wealth of information piled up.
What caught everyone’s interest most was how Che-na ended up on Kariri’s show.
It turned out they had shared the same training room during Kariri’s trainee days, which drew curious glances from the public.
Many people didn’t even know that Kariri had once been an idol trainee.
– Wow, viewership count 300k lol
– This is legendary today
– The power of a world star is mind-blowing
With Twish broadcasting simultaneously on V-tube, the viewers multiplied by ten.
Especially, it was a significant collaboration even for Yoon-seul herself.
Che-na was an idol who had already reached the peak of the career she once aspired to.
She was naturally high-energy and wore a constant smile.
“Ah, time to sing! Then Kariri will go with ‘Wild Flower’!”
“Again with ‘Wild Flower’? Are you still singing that?”
“Don’t underestimate the song I polished a million times with craftsmanship, hehe!”
Kariri fiddled with the broadcast settings a few times to activate the audience visibility mode.
In response, a spectacle unfolded outside the private room, with hundreds of thousands of people holding their cheering lights.
Perhaps it was a future that Yoon-seul was meant to have had if she hadn’t given up on being an idol.
Yet, Kariri shook her head and focused on the song. She was a virtual YouTuber, not an idol.
She aimed to show the best virtual YouTuber to Korea’s best idol.
“The memories I long for, the feelings I cherish.”
Che-na quietly listened until Kariri finished singing.
As the applause erupted at the end of the song, Kariri shed tears and bowed her head deeply.
“Ugh. Thank you so much, everyone! This time, would you like to sing, Che-na unni? How about your new song—”
“No… I’m not feeling it today.”
“Oh really? Well, taking care of your voice is important… Then shall we go to the Pillow Time corner?”
The infamous ‘lying broadcast’ that hits big when idols do it.
Many of Kariri’s segments drew inspiration from the outside world.
Two beautiful girls lying on one bed, looking at each other and exchanging heartfelt words was not a common sight at all.
“Yoon-seul… I mean Kariri. I can’t get used to this name, haha. Why did you quit being an idol in the middle? I’ve always thought you could debut with me. You’re beautiful, sing well, dance well, and above all, you were the hardest working among all of us.”
“Kariri! I realized that I didn’t need to be an idol!”
“Really?”
“I didn’t want to just be an idol. I wanted to sing in front of many people, to dance. I believe it doesn’t have to be in the form of an idol.”
“I get it now…”
“But I’m a bit envious of you, unni! Singing in virtual reality is so moving, but how much would my heart race if I heard cheers from real people!”
She had never had so many people gather before.
Did Che-na feel the thrill at every concert?
With her eyes closed, Che-na listened closely to Kariri’s confession and spoke softly:
“Kariri, I’m envious of you instead.”
“Huh? Why me?”
Che-na gently caressed her cheek.
Kariri let out a tiny scream from the ticklish sensation but quickly opened her eyes and focused on Che-na’s words.
“It’s amazing how you’re carving a path to places no one thought of going and living life so freely and joyfully. Maybe the name ‘idol’ isn’t the word that suits you best… well, that’s how I see it!”
“Hey, unni, here we have to speak the truth! This is a Truth Game!”
“Haha, did you catch me? You’re right, you suit it second best!”
“Exactly! That’s what Che-na unni should be!”
Kariri had a knack for bringing out her guest’s charm.
She amplified the existing appeal and uncovered unexpected charm.
For the public who envied Che-na only for meeting a good agency and getting a good song, as long as she could let them know that Che-na was such a thoughtful and charming person, Kariri would be satisfied.
“I hope we get to do this kind of collaboration again next time.”
Selfishly wanting more,
“It probably won’t happen.”
“Busy with your schedule, right?”
“Yeah… So you should live without regrets and have fun!”
“Okay! I’ll keep that in mind! Until the day I regain the throne of Savanna!”
*
The day after the collaboration.
[This morning at 4 AM, singer Che-na was found dead at her home in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. The police and fire authorities stated that there were no external factors like a crime, and they are investigating the exact cause of death, considering the possibility of an extreme choice.]
*
With the shocking event that shook the Republic of Korea, news reports poured in from morning onwards.
For some reason, the bereaved family stated they couldn’t disclose the letter Che-na left at this time.
They kept repeating like a cuckoo that it was Che-na’s will, so please trust and wait a little longer.
The sudden suicide news of a singer led to waves of mourning from around the world.
Despite the letter being revealed to the world a month later, speculations ran wild much earlier.
Several netizens later uncovered that Che-na had been suffering from severe depression for a long time, and the blame shifted entirely to the agency.
But the flow of that blame was not always one-sided.
Just like a river splitting apart when it hits a big rock, the next target was Kariri.
-Didn’t you know your close friend was depressed?
-Didn’t you say something to Che-na after the broadcast? The last person she met was Kariri.
-Did she catch some dirt on you or something?
-This is just ridiculous; I’m watching the broadcast again and it looks like you tried to compete with Che-na, haha.
-What even is a virtual YouTuber? Just looking at it makes me sick.
-There’s no normal person among those who watch that stuff.
-Exactly, it’s disgusting.
-Why did it have to end with someone like her? Haha.
-You should go die too.
-These girls acting cute just suck money out of us.
-You killed her, go turn yourself in.
*
BANG BANG BANG!
“Is Seol Yoon-seul home? We are from XXX! Can you spare a moment for an interview?”
“I’m a XXX reporter! Seol Yoon-seul, please give us just a moment!”
Reporters crashed into Yoon-seul’s house.
The girl kneeling in front of the entrance door started to pull at her hair.
“No… I didn’t do it…”
[Seol Yoon-seul!]
[Are you inside?]
[I want to ask if Che-na said anything to you!]
“No, I… Hah… Hah…”
Yoon-seul’s gaze trembled anxiously.
The hot air went down her throat, but for some reason, she couldn’t breathe well.
Fear that her rapidly racing heart might explode at any moment—
Fear that her body might go numb and she’d be unable to breathe and die like this—
The feeling of pressure that made her feel as though she might suffocate closed around her.
[The day before the accident, she reportedly appeared on the internet broadcast of Seol Yoon-seul, a former trainee of the same agency… ]
On TV, on internet sites, the face of ‘Seol Yoon-seul’ kept floating around.
This wasn’t how she wanted to get famous.
Yoon-seul’s powerless body crawled on the floor.
The cold hardwood floor seemed to cool her heated feelings, but the chills returned and it was of no use.
[Being healed means not experiencing panic attacks, but rather not fearing them.]
That was the monster that had already shattered Seol Yoon-seul’s long-held dream.
And that monster had now reached out to Kariri as well.
Half-collapsed, Yoon-seul continued to wail.
According to the doctor’s words, she wasn’t fully healed yet.
But how could a human not fear death?
– Seems like a worthless debut failure got jealous and killed Che-na. Poor our Che-na unniㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
– She looks like a total fox. Why did Che-na even hang out with someone like her? Unbelievable;;
– How is she going to go outside now that her face is known everywhere?
– Who cares? If she didn’t want that, she shouldn’t have sought out popularity.
The world was cruel to the girl.
A great flood washed over the savanna, typically starved for rain, and even the mighty King Kariri couldn’t do anything about it.
In front of society’s malicious gazes and slanders, individuals were entirely powerless.