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

News of Ajung’s acceptance, as expected, was swiftly delivered by Jungyeon the next morning.

[Rinne (Yoo Jungyeon)]: Sir! Ajung-nim has accepted our offer! She seems incredibly moved! This is great!

A faint smile touched my lips as I checked the message.

It was an obvious outcome.

The environment and avatar I provided, and even the special status of being ‘Zelnaga Group’s Number 1 Member.’

There was no reason for Ajung to refuse.

However, even amidst that certainty, I was subtly worried.

Ajung was a person who was more precarious than she appeared.

But the satisfaction of successfully securing the group’s ‘Number 1’ right from the start was quite rewarding.

It felt like I had just placed the first trophy on a display shelf.

There was still much more empty space, but as they say, starting is half the battle.

‘Alright. Now, on to the next step.’

I immediately called Jungyeon via the intercom.

Soon, Jungyeon, her face slightly flushed, came up to the living room.

She too seemed quite excited about the news of Ajung joining.

“Sir! You called? Is it about Ajung-nim…?”

“I heard. Well done. Now, next, we need to prepare for the debut showcase.”

At my calm words, Jungyeon’s expression stiffened slightly.

She hadn’t yet received specific instructions regarding the debut broadcast ‘preparation.’

“Yes? Ah, yes! That’s right! How should we prepare? Should I discuss it with Ajung-nim, set a date, decide on a broadcast concept…?”

“No, you shouldn’t think of it so simply.”

I shook my head.

“This isn’t just Ajung-ssi’s avatar reveal broadcast. It needs to be an official showcase announcing the beginning of my corporate entity through Ajung-nim’s re-debut. Top-notch in every aspect. So people can clearly recognize, ‘If you join here, they do this much for you?'”

Sensing the weight in my words, Jungyeon’s expression turned serious again.

She quickly took out her tablet and prepared to take notes.

“Top-notch… what specifically are you thinking of?”

“First, a video. We need a high-quality intro video to announce the start of the showcase. Something that impactfully shows the group logo and Ajung-ssi’s new look. There were video experts on the artist list you were looking into recently, right? Contact the best among them.”

“Yes! Video production! Check!”

“Sound is also important. Commission a few dedicated BGM tracks, and re-check the broadcast system to ensure it’s top-spec. We might release an album later, so make sure to handle copyright issues properly.”

“Sound and copyright acquisition! Yes, sir!”

“The most important thing is promotion. Once the showcase date is set, we need to advertise it extensively for at least a week beforehand. On communities, of course, and if necessary, on other platforms too. Money is no object, so make sure as many people as possible pay attention.”

At my relentless stream of instructions, Jungyeon’s eyes widened as she frantically jotted them down.

She seemed to be realizing that this was a much larger project than she had imagined.

“Um… Sir. By any chance… what kind of budget are you considering?”

At Jungyeon’s cautious question, I chuckled.

It seemed she still hadn’t fully adapted to my ways.

“There’s no upper limit on the budget. Just bring the best necessary things. Don’t hesitate because of money.”

“……Yes! Understood!”

At my answer, Jungyeon no longer asked about the budget.

She just nodded with a determined expression.

“You take the lead in managing the showcase, Jungyeon-ssi. Coordinate the schedule with Ajung-ssi, fill in details like the script or Q&A. If necessary, you can make a guest appearance as Rinne, or even act as the MC.”

“What?! M-Me too?”

“Of course. You’re also a secretary and a first-generation member, Jungyeon-ssi. Naturally, you have to show your face. Your new avatar, Jungyeon-ssi, will probably be completed by then too, so it would be fine to unveil it together.”

At my words, Jungyeon’s face flushed slightly.

The thought that this could be her own debut stage seemed to fill her with a mixture of nervousness and excitement.

“Ah, and… the management expert I mentioned before. We should start looking into that soon. Pick a few headhunting firms and contact them, and at the same time, prepare a job posting with exceptional conditions. For the annual salary… shall we start at 2 billion won?”

“What?! T-Two billion won?!”

Jungyeon asked back, almost screaming.

I replied nonchalantly.

“Why? Is it too little? Then 3 billion?”

“N-No! No! It’s enough… no, it seems too excessive……?”

“It has to be excessive for someone who is overqualified for this small VTuber market to come. It’s someone who will handle all the troublesome work for me, so of course, that much should be paid. Legal, tax, management strategy… someone who can oversee everything. Look for someone with strict qualifications.”

I added a few more essential qualifications for Jungyeon.

She no longer seemed surprised by my spending habits, but rather just wrote them down with an awestruck expression.

Perhaps she had reached a state of enlightenment.

After giving all the instructions, I sent Jungyeon away.

Her shoulders looked much heavier than before, but at the same time, her eyes were filled with an inexplicable vitality.

It was likely due to the burden and responsibility of moving at the center of a massive project, and even more so, the sense of accomplishment.

---

“Wow… this… is me?”

The new avatar moving on the monitor still felt like a dream.

So natural, so delicate, and… so much like herself.

Rich expressions and smooth movements she couldn’t have imagined during her clay avatar days.

Watching every single finger move as she did, Jeonga let out exclamations of admiration several times.

Beside her, Jungyeon was remotely explaining various functions.

Setting expression shortcuts, recognizing specific gestures, optimizing the screen layout.

She seemed like a person who could do anything.

She was reliable both as a secretary and as a senior VTuber.

“The thought of streaming with this now… makes me so nervous.”

Jungyeon laughed and replied to Jeonga’s words.

[“You may be nervous, but it will also be an incredible opportunity! The Boss really put a lot of thought into it. Ajung-nim’s showcase will probably be the debut broadcast of all time, you know? I’ll be supporting you from the side, so don’t worry too much!”]

Jungyeon’s encouragement gave her a little courage.

The fact that she wasn’t alone, and that Zelnaga was solidly supporting her from behind, became a great source of strength.

‘Zelnaga Group’s Number 1 Member…….’

It was a title that still didn’t feel real.

She couldn’t describe how much her heart had pounded when she officially received the offer through Jungyeon a few days ago.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t afraid.

But her faith in Zelnaga and her anticipation for a new beginning overwhelmed that fear.

How should she repay this gratitude she had received?

There was no other way but to show it through the best broadcast.

A new avatar, the best environment.

There was no reason to hesitate now.

“Um… Jungyeon-ssi. When should I expect the showcase date to be?”

[Hmm… Considering the production time for the intro video, additional avatar revisions, and so on, it’ll likely be in 2 weeks at the earliest, or 3 weeks. The Boss said we need to have enough promotion time too.]

“Yes! Understood! I’ll prepare really hard!”

Jeonga clenched her fists.

She would show her best to her viewers, and to Zelnaga.

That was the only way she could repay them.

---

The community, as expected, showed an explosive reaction.

The information Jungyeon leaked and my unconventional job posting combined to make ‘Zelnaga Group’ instantly the hottest topic in the VTuber scene.

---

[Ggizzik VTuber Gallery]
Title: [Official] Ajung ‘Re-debut’ Showcase Confirmed for 3 Weeks Later + Zelnaga Group Launch

Rinne stream official. Date TBD but in 3 weeks.

Intro video, original avatar, all-time best promotion予告.

• Zelnaga, that crazy b*stard, is preparing a job posting for a management expert with an annual salary of 2 billion won LOL.

• What the f*ck, a VTuber company manager with an annual salary of 2 billion won? Has the country gone mad? LMAO.

• Annual salary 2 billion won, ffs LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

• I’m so f*cking excited for Ajung’s re-debut ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Naga-hyung, please make it the highest quality ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

• The group name ‘Zelnaga Group’ is a bit lame, someone give it a name.
  ㄴ Seriously LOL
  ㄴ What’s the real group name? Hasn’t it been revealed yet?
  ㄴ Haven’t heard anything?

• But what if they go bankrupt after pouring in so much money?
  ㄴ You think they’ll go bankrupt? LOL Naga-hyung donates 10 million won when he’s bored LOL.
  ㄴ What’s the standard for going bankrupt, money? If it’s money, no worries because of Naga-hyung. Then what, viewers? Then Ajung, who’s currently a clay model, has her viewer count going up every day, so what’s the problem?

• Because of that Zelnaga bstard, my bottom-tier VTuber is super anxious these days, fck.
  ㄴ Hey, you too? LOL
  ㄴ My bottom-tier VTuber seems to be testing the waters lately, like they’ll rush over immediately if that Zelnaga bstard posts a VTuber recruitment notice..
  ㄴ But wouldn’t all bottom-tier VTubers rush over?
  ㄴ That’s why it’s so fcking annoying. If they get picked, I can just watch them, but if they don’t, I feel like they’ll get discouraged and quit streaming.
  ㄴ Uh… good luck…

• Ah, everything’s good, but when are you throwing burgers?

• Throw some chicken too instead of burgers, ffs.
  ㄴ Or maybe she’s just re-debuting then, and until then she’ll continue streaming with her current avatar. But she might have to reduce her streaming hours a bit because she has things to prepare in between?
  ㄴ You son of a b*tch.

---

Watching people’s enthusiastic reactions was always enjoyable.

Seeing how their expectations and speculations diverged from my plans was also part of the fun.

They still thought I was doing ‘business,’ but I was merely creating a perfect ‘collection, a trophy.’

However, a problem arose in the middle.

While the showcase date was set and the intro video and avatar production were proceeding smoothly, Jungyeon approached me with a somewhat dazed expression.

“Um…… Sir…?”

“Yes. What is it? Is there a problem?”

“No, well…… It’s a problem if it’s a problem…….”

“What is it?”

My bewilderment only grew at Jungyeon’s hesitant demeanor.

Things had been going very smoothly lately.

Seeing Jungyeon like this in such a situation made me worried for no reason.

“That intro video and all that… we’re working on it, right……?”

“So? Why? Is it money again?”

“No, no! It’s not like that…….”

I thought she was making a fuss about money again, but that wasn’t the issue.

It was a more fundamental problem than that.

“……What are our group name and company name?”

“……….”

Ah.

I hadn’t decided on that yet.