I Can See a VTuber’s Red Pills - Chapter 22

The news of Ajeong's acceptance was swiftly delivered the next morning through Jeongyeon, just as expected.

[Linne (Yoo Jeongyeon)]: President! Ajeong-nim has accepted our offer! She seemed really moved! This is perfect!

A faint smile touched my lips as I read the message. It was an expected outcome.

The environment I provided, the avatar, and even the special status of being the "First Member of the Zel Naga Group"—there was no reason for Ajeong to refuse.

But even within that certainty, I had been slightly worried. Ajeong was the kind of person who was more precarious than she appeared.

Still, the satisfaction of successfully securing the group's "first member" right from the start was quite rewarding.

It felt like placing the first trophy in an empty display case. There was still plenty of empty space, but as they say, a good beginning is half the battle.

'Good. Now it's time to move to the next step.'

I immediately called Jeongyeon over the intercom. Soon after, Jeongyeon came up to the living room, her face slightly flushed.

She, too, seemed quite excited about Ajeong joining.

"President! You called? Is it about Ajeong-nim...?"

"You heard the news. Good work. Now, we need to prepare for the debut showcase."

At my composed words, Jeongyeon's expression stiffened slightly.

She hadn't yet received any concrete instructions about "preparing" for the debut broadcast.

"Huh? Oh, right! Of course! How should we prepare? Should we discuss the date with Ajeong-nim, decide on the broadcast concept...?"

"No, we can't think of it so simply."

I shook my head.

"This isn't just a broadcast to reveal Ajeong-ssi's avatar. It has to be an official showcase announcing the beginning of my corporate era through Ajeong-nim's redebut. It has to be top-tier in every aspect. People need to clearly think, 'If I join here, they’ll do this much for me?'"

Perhaps sensing the weight in my words, Jeongyeon's expression turned serious again. She quickly pulled out her tablet, ready to take notes.

"Top-tier... What exactly do you have in mind?"

"First, the video. We need a high-quality intro video to announce the showcase. Something impactful that shows the group logo and Ajeong-ssi's new appearance. There was a list of specialists we were looking into recently, right? Contact the best video producer among them."

"Got it! Video production—check!"

"Sound is also important. Commission a few exclusive BGMs, and double-check the broadcasting system with the highest specs. We might release an album later, so make sure copyright issues are handled properly."

"Sound and copyright secured! Yes!"

"The most crucial part is promotion. Once the showcase date is set, we need to advertise it extensively at least a week in advance. Not just on communities, but on other platforms if necessary. Money isn’t an issue—make sure as many people as possible take notice."

Jeongyeon's eyes widened as she frantically jotted down my rapid-fire instructions. She seemed to realize this was a much larger project than she had anticipated.

"Um... President. How much... budget are you thinking of allocating?"

I chuckled at Jeongyeon's cautious question.

She still hadn’t fully adapted to my way of doing things.

"There’s no upper limit. Just bring in the best of what’s needed. Don’t hesitate because of money."

"...Understood!"

Jeongyeon didn’t ask about the budget again. She just nodded with a solemn expression.

"Take the lead in organizing the showcase, Jeongyeon-ssi. Coordinate schedules with Ajeong-ssi, fill in the details like scripts and Q&As. If needed, you can appear as a guest or even MC as Linne."

"Wha—?! M-Me too?"

"Of course. You’re the secretary and also a first-generation member. Naturally, you should show your face. Your new avatar should be ready by then, so it’d be good to debut it together."

Jeongyeon’s face turned slightly red. Nervousness and excitement seemed to clash at the thought of her own debut stage.

"Ah, and... the management expert we talked about before. We should start looking into that soon. Narrow down a few headhunting firms and reach out, while also preparing a recruitment ad with groundbreaking conditions. The salary... let’s start at 2 billion won?"

"Wha—?! T-Two billion?!"

Jeongyeon nearly shrieked. I answered nonchalantly.

"Why? Too low? Then 3 billion?"

"N-No! No! It’s enough—no, it’s way too much...!"

"It needs to be excessive to attract someone overqualified for this small VTuber market. This person will handle all the tedious tasks in my place, so it’s only natural to pay that much. They’ll oversee everything—legal, tax, business strategy. Be strict with the qualifications."

I added a few more essential requirements for Jeongyeon to note. By now, she no longer seemed shocked by my spending—just awestruck as she wrote everything down.

Maybe she had reached enlightenment.

After finishing all my instructions, I dismissed Jeongyeon. Her shoulders looked much heavier than before, but her eyes were also filled with an inexplicable energy.

It was probably the weight of responsibility and the thrill of being at the center of a massive project—along with an even greater sense of accomplishment.

"Whoa... Is this... really me?"

The new avatar moving on the monitor still felt like a dream. It was so natural, so detailed, and so... her.

Expressions and smooth movements she couldn’t have imagined with her clay avatar. Watching even her fingers move exactly as she did, Jeong-ah let out multiple gasps of amazement.

Beside her, Jeongyeon remotely explained various functions—shortcut keys for expressions, specific gesture recognition, screen layout optimization.

She really seemed capable of anything. As both a secretary and a senior VTuber, she was incredibly reliable.

"Thinking about broadcasting with this now... I’m so nervous."

Jeongyeon laughed at Jeong-ah’s words.

[It’s nerve-wracking, but it’ll also be an incredible opportunity! The President put a lot of effort into this. Ajeong-nim’s showcase might just be the greatest debut broadcast ever! I’ll be supporting you from the sidelines, so don’t worry too much!]

Jeongyeon’s encouragement gave her some courage. The fact that she wasn’t alone—that Zel Naga was firmly backing her—was a huge source of strength.

'The first member of the Zel Naga Group...'

The title still didn’t feel real. When she received the official offer through Jeongyeon a few days ago, her heart had raced uncontrollably.

It wasn’t like she had no fear. But her trust in Zel Naga and her excitement for a new beginning overwhelmed that fear.

How could she repay this gratitude? The only way was through the best broadcast possible.

A new avatar, the best environment—there was no reason to hesitate now.

"Um... Jeongyeon-ssi. When should I expect the showcase date to be?"

[Hmm... Considering the intro video production, additional avatar tweaks, and other preparations, it’ll likely be in about two weeks at the earliest, or three weeks at the latest. The President wants ample promotion time.]

"Got it! I’ll prepare as hard as I can!"

Jeong-ah clenched her fists. She’d show her best self to the viewers—and to Zel Naga.

That was the only way she could repay them.

As expected, the community exploded with reactions. The information Jeongyeon leaked and my groundbreaking recruitment ad intertwined, instantly making "Zel Naga Group" the hottest topic in the VTuber scene.

---

[Zzizig VTuber Gallery]

Title: [Official] Ajeong’s "Redebut" Showcase Confirmed in 3 Weeks + Zel Naga Group Launch

According to Linne’s broadcast. Date TBA, but likely in 3 weeks.

Intro video, original avatar, unprecedented promotion teased.

- Zel Naga this madman is hiring a management expert with a 2B won salary LMAOOOO

- WTF since when do VTuber company execs make 2B a year this country’s doomed ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

- 2B SALARY ㅅㅂㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

- So hyped for Ajeong’s redebut ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Please give us top-tier quality, Nagaham ㅠㅠㅠ

- The group name "Zel Naga Group" is kinda lame tho someone pls suggest something better

ㄴ Frrr ㅋㅋㅋ

ㄴ Wait, what’s the actual group name? Not revealed yet?

ㄴ Nothing’s been announced.

- What if they pour all this money in and flop?

ㄴ Flop? ㅋㅋ Nagaham casually drops 10M won donations, money’s no issue.

ㄴ What even counts as flopping? Money? Then Nagaham’s got it covered. Viewers? Ajeong’s clay avatar’s numbers are rising daily, so what’s the problem?

- Zel Naga’s making my heart race these days, damn it

ㄴ You too? ㅋㅋㅋ

ㄴ My oshi’s been scoping out Zel Naga’s recruitment ads like she’s ready to bolt over.

ㄴ Tbh all oshis would sprint there.

ㄴ That’s what sucks ㅅㅂ If you get in, great, but if not, you’ll just spiral into antis.

ㄴ Stay strong...

- When’s the burger giveaway?

- Forget burgers, give us chicken ㅅㅂ

- So Ajeong’s taking a 3-week break?

ㄴ Nah, she’s just redebuting then. She’ll keep streaming with her current avatar, but prep might cut into her schedule.

ㄴ Goddammit

---

Watching people’s frenzied reactions was always fun. Seeing how their expectations and speculations diverged from my plans was part of the entertainment.

They still thought I was running a "business," but I was just creating the perfect "collection, trophy."

But then, a problem arose.

While the showcase date was set and the intro video and avatar production progressed smoothly, Jeongyeon approached me with a dazed expression.

"Um... President...?"

"Yes? What’s wrong? Is there an issue?"

"Well... It’s not not an issue..."

"What is it?"

Jeongyeon’s hesitation only deepened my confusion.

Things had been going so well lately. Seeing her like this made me uneasy for no reason.

"The intro video and everything... We’re working on it, right...?"

"Yes? What about it? Money again?"

"No, no! Not that..."

I thought she was fussing over money again, but it wasn’t that.

This was a far more fundamental problem.

"...What’s our group and company name?"

"........."

Ah. We hadn’t decided that yet.