I Want to Be a VTuber
Chapter 325: Striking the Heart (2)

The Highly Anticipated Drama, Mine

Even before its release, Mine was already a hot topic.

Of course, there were plenty of mixed opinions about it.

For one, recent Nettrix dramas released in Korea had performed below expectations. Many assumed that Mine would follow the same trajectory.

However, there was still some hope—after all, Ju Seoyeon, an actress who had made a spectacular comeback last year by showcasing various sides of her talent, had taken on the lead role. That alone made people wonder, Could this one be different?

So, the moment Mine was uploaded to Nettrix, eager reviewers rushed to watch and share their thoughts.

Among them was Na Minsang, a YouTuber with 600,000 subscribers.

A rising star in the review space, he was known for focusing more on in-depth film analysis rather than just sensationalist takes.

To be honest, Na Minsang wasn’t particularly excited about Mine.

"Looks like another superpowered protagonist story."

A superpowered protagonist action drama, at that.

That was an especially risky attempt for a Korean production.

"Did they get inspired by DC movies blowing up? Now we’re getting knockoffs?"

He couldn’t help but scoff.

To be fair, how many Korean films that relied heavily on CGI had actually been good?

Let alone a superpowered action drama?

It wasn’t that Na Minsang underestimated Korean cinema.

When it came to emotional storytelling, Korean films held a solid position in the industry.

But action? That was a different story.

A single awkward CGI frame could ruin an entire sequence in this genre.

Prejudice.

Yeah, he couldn't deny that he had some.

Sure, recent Nettrix releases like Infernal Hell had shown that Korean CGI was improving, but it still wasn’t on par with Western productions.

At least, that’s what he thought—until he watched Mine.

"There is a girl."

He had no choice but to drop everything and upload a review immediately.

Even if it meant staying up all night editing, he knew he had to be one of the first to get it out.

"Born and raised in a research lab, this girl believed that the small world of the lab was all that existed."

The introduction of the protagonist, Jin Yeonseo.

Na Minsang narrated the scene as he recounted the start of the drama.

As a review and summary YouTuber, his videos served as a gateway for many viewers—if his review made something seem interesting, people would often go check out the original work.

"Everyone around her sees her as nothing more than a test subject. But among the researchers, there is one man who approaches her."

Adam Lowell.

"He always tells her stories. About how there is a vast world beyond this tiny research lab. He drops hints that one day, he’ll take her outside."

But the girl doesn’t quite understand his words.

For her, this small lab is the only world she’s ever known.

At this point, the drama doesn’t explicitly reveal what kind of abilities she possesses.

All the audience sees is her body healing at an accelerated rate.

Repeated experiments. Wounds inflicted on her. And how those wounds mend themselves over and over again.

The only impression given is that she is a weak and helpless victim.

"And then, an incident occurs. The lab catches fire, and Adam sacrifices himself to help the protagonist escape."

In the chaos, Jin Yeonseo encounters a woman intent on stopping her.

Agent Shim Sojin.

A figure introduced early on, already shown killing people without hesitation.

Up until this point, Jin Yeonseo had only been portrayed as a helpless girl—

A victim who had endured relentless experiments and suffering.

"Lab rats /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ should stay in their cages."

Shim Sojin mutters these words, gripping a baton as she charges toward Yeonseo.

Her confidence mirrors the audience’s expectations.

"But just once."

Jin Yeonseo blocks Shim Sojin’s strike.

And in that moment, she retaliates.

With a single kick, she sends Shim Sojin crashing through a wall.

Bloodied and unconscious.

This wasn’t the helpless victim they had seen until now—this was Jin Yeonseo, the superpowered being.

"It’s only then that the others chasing her finally realize."

A beast has escaped its cage.

And they have no means to stop it.

At this moment, Na Minsang pauses, staring at the edited freeze-frame of Jin Yeonseo in his video.

Damn, I can’t fit all of this into a single review.

Jin Yeonseo’s presence in the drama is immediately unsettling.

Despite enduring torturous experiments, she remains eerily calm.

As if it’s normal.

That eerie atmosphere only intensifies whenever she speaks with Adam Lowell.

Even when he talks about the outside world, she doesn’t show longing—only a vague, "Why bother?" kind of reaction.

At first, he thought it was just his imagination.

But the more he watched, the more he realized—it was intentional.

The deeper the story delves into Jin Yeonseo’s character, the clearer it becomes.

Especially in that moment.

After annihilating Shim Sojin, Yeonseo’s expression is impossible to describe.

There’s something profoundly wrong about it.

Like a girl who doesn’t understand emotions—just imitates them.

"...This actress really thrives in roles like these, huh?"

At this point, isn’t she basically optimized for villain roles?

But unlike typical villains, Jin Yeonseo is, objectively, a victim.

And yet, she doesn’t feel like one.

Even after completely crushing Shim Sojin, Yeonseo wipes her unsettling expression away and hurriedly pretends to flee.

This is where the audience gets confused again.

Was it an accident?

Or was it deliberate?

Still, the sight of Yeonseo escaping is undeniably pitiful.

Even with her overwhelming abilities, she runs like someone who wants nothing to do with fighting.

And by sheer luck, she encounters a kind couple who take her in as their adoptive daughter.

"And time passes quickly. Three years later, Jin Yeonseo has changed her name to Park Yeonseo. She graduates middle school, moves to another city, and transfers to a new high school."

With that, Na Minsang continues narrating the episode.

As the first episode reaches its midpoint, the drama shifts to Jin Yeonseo’s new high school life.

This is where the real story begins.

****

After three years of living an ordinary life, Jin Yeonseo starts high school.

The first episode of the drama covers this transition.

As the scene shifts, the camera settles on a high school setting.

"Hello, I’m Park Yeonseo. I’ll be studying with you from now on. Please take care of me."

A transfer student.

Unlike the dark, brooding atmosphere of the earlier scenes, Yeonseo now appears bright and cheerful as she introduces herself.

The moment she steps into the class, her stunning looks draw applause from her new classmates.

"Where are you from?"

"Wow, you’re really pretty!"

"Are you good at studying?"

The moment break time begins, students swarm around her with curiosity.

As Yeonseo politely answers their questions one by one, the camera subtly shifts focus.

A quiet girl, seated nearby, sneaks a glance at Yeonseo before returning to her notes.

Just then, a rough-looking student passes by and taps the quiet girl’s shoulder.

"Cafeteria."

One word.

And with that, the girl sighs and stands up.

The shot lingers, subtly highlighting another student in Yeonseo’s new school life.

Days pass in quick succession, shown through brief montages.

Yeonseo studying normally.

And in contrast—behind her, another girl constantly getting bullied.

A girl with glasses, timid and unassuming.

And the group of students tormenting her.

Not just any students—the students.

The ones known as delinquents.

"Hey, nerd. What are you doing all alone again?"

"Bored? Wanna hang out with us? Let’s go to the cafeteria together."

"Let’s go to the cafeteria together."

It sounded casual enough.

But anyone could tell—the tone was anything but friendly.

A rough-looking girl had her arm draped over the timid student’s shoulder as she spoke, exuding a smug, overbearing presence. The meek girl swallowed dryly and nodded hesitantly.

That response seemed to irritate the delinquent. Her face twisted in displeasure before she clicked her tongue and smirked.

"Hey, hey, hey. Relax, will you? You’re making it look like we’re bullying you."

Smack.

She playfully slapped the timid girl’s cheek, as if teasing her.

It was just another ordinary day at school. No one stepped in. No one reacted.

Except for one person.

The transfer student, Jin Yeonseo.

"What are you doing?"

With a bright smile, Yeonseo casually stepped into the group’s space, standing right between the timid girl and the delinquents.

The moment she did, the other students watching from afar held their breath.

Oh no. The new kid just got involved without knowing what’s going on.

But the delinquent girl standing across from Yeonseo stiffened.

For a brief moment, she felt overwhelmed—crushed under the weight of Yeonseo’s piercing gaze.

She shook it off quickly, embarrassed at her own reaction. Scratching her head, she forced a sneer.

"What does it look like? We’re just hanging out with her."

"I wasn’t asking you."

"...What?"

"I was asking her."

With a firm yet casual gesture, Yeonseo placed her hand on the timid girl’s shoulder.

The delinquents blinked in disbelief.

"You don’t know who I am, do you?"

"Of course not. I’m new here."

"Then I guess I’ll have to teach you."

The words had barely left her mouth when the delinquent reached out—

As if to grab Yeonseo’s hair.

But before she could, Yeonseo caught her wrist.

"Huh?"

"You shouldn’t do things like this. I was taught that it’s wrong."

Yeonseo smiled as she spoke.

The delinquent instinctively tried to yank her wrist free.

It didn’t budge.

Trapped in Yeonseo’s grip, she could neither curse nor react—she just froze.

Because Yeonseo’s eyes, despite her pleasant expression, were... off.

Her gaze didn’t belong to a normal high school girl.

It felt like looking at a humanoid robot—something that resembled a person, but wasn’t quite right.

"...Ah. Got it."

The delinquent finally pulled away and backed off.

"T-Thanks... for helping me."

"Don’t worry about it. But hey, I don’t think I got your name? We’re classmates, after all."

"I-I’m Hong Seha."

Seha introduced herself with a small nod.

The delinquents, meanwhile, retreated hastily.

"Ugh, what the hell was that?"

"Why’d you just stand there?"

"I told you, she’s weird! She’s a total psycho. Did you see her eyes?"

"So what, we’re just gonna let it slide?"

"Hell no. I’ll have my brother deal with her."

Just like that, the target of their bullying had shifted.

Jin Yeonseo.

The arrogant transfer student.

That was more than enough reason for them to go after her.

It wasn’t reckless.

They were a group, and she was just one person.

Meanwhile, Seha quietly returned to her seat.

The camera focused on her as she stared at the back of Yeonseo’s head.

The music softened, the atmosphere shifting.

And then, her gaze sharpened.

As if the timid, awkward persona she’d shown so far had been nothing but an act.

That was when the audience finally got a good look at her face.

The girl who had been hiding behind glasses—

"Wait. That shy girl... was Jo Sehee?"

"Holy crap, it actually is."

"No way. I didn’t recognize her at all, lmao."

"?? How did you not notice? It’s obviously Jo Sehee."

"Bruh, she completely changed her vibe. I seriously thought she was just a random extra."

"I can’t believe I fell for it. Damn."

YouTuber Han Bongsik, with 1.45 million subscribers, nodded along as he read the comments.

To be honest, he hadn’t realized it was Jo Sehee either.

Lowered gaze. Glasses. A completely different posture and presence.

It was almost impossible to recognize her.

"Alright, so Episode 1 is hitting all the ‘hidden powerhouse’ tropes. But look at this—did you catch how fast she grabbed that hand? Was that CGI?"

"- Nope, not CGI. They mention it at the end of the episode."

"- That’s just Jeet Kune Do. Anyone who trains can do it."

"- ??"

"- Hi, I’m Ju Seoyeon, and yes, it was real."

"Did she actually learn martial arts for this? No, seriously, look at this. And her gaze...."

Bongsik paused the video, deep in thought.

He’d felt it back when she played Cha Seoa in The Chaser, too—

Ju Seoyeon had an uncanny ability to make her performances deeply unsettling.

She was too good at portraying something fundamentally off.

"Are we sure Jin Yeonseo isn’t the villain?"

"- Lol, she’s the main character."

"- Dude, if you didn’t get nervous during the nerd scene, you’re lying."

"- Fr, I thought her head was about to fly off."

"- Just talking to her feels like a death flag."

"- So when does Jin Yeonseo grab an axe? Or is this just a delinquent drama?"

"- Early episodes focus on the school setting."

"Alright, no spoilers, guys. I mean it."

Bongsik had been looking forward to this drama.

He wasn’t about to let people ruin it for him.

"Oh, there’s a making-of clip at the end?"

"- Yeah, it shows Min Doha getting absolutely wrecked."

"- Wait, wasn’t that CGI?"

"- What part of it wasn’t CGI?"

"- Only the wall breaking was CG."

"- Wait, really? I thought the whole thing was real."

"- ???"

"- Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ju Seoyeon actually could do that."

"- Bruh, what do you guys think she is, a Terminator?"

"- If it wasn’t CGI, Min Doha would be a pancake."

Bongsik was tempted to watch the making-of clip.

But he held back.

Right now, he wanted to start Episode 2 first.

Episode 1 had ended on a suspicious look from Hong Seha.

And Episode 2 opened with—

Jin Yeonseo, cornered behind the school by a group of male students.

"Hey. I heard you messed with my little sister."

A guy with an unmistakably thuggish aura stepped forward.

"Damn, you’re pretty cute, though. If you hang out with us for a bit, maybe I’ll let it slide."

"Ah, oppa!"

"What? Can’t your oppa have some fun too?"

Listening to their conversation, Yeonseo let out a small chuckle.

How pathetic.

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