I May Be a Virtual Youtuber, but I Still Go to Work - Chapter 113
One week and one day after Serena’s graduation broadcast, it was Monday, and I arrived at work 30 minutes early.
This was at the request of the president, who had asked me to come in early due to an urgent matter.
I realized the reason when I got closer to the company entrance. It was that spot where I would run into Seungyeon every time I bought fish-shaped pastries.
There stood Serena, decked out in a mask and a baseball cap, waiting for me in front of the building.
I guess you can’t take the idol out of the girl.
Trying to hide her identity felt very “idol-like.”
I could see how previously she might have wandered around freely, but now, only recently graduated, she had to be careful. You wouldn’t want to be spotted by anyone who might go nuts at seeing her in front of Parallel.
In a way, she was just trying to save herself some hassle and was considerate enough to cover up.
Of course, with that hairdo, she was still so very much Serena. A half-up braid isn’t exactly common.
I strutted over and greeted her.
“Long time no see.”
Surprised, Serena blinked and looked away.
“Yikes! How did you recognize me?”
“How could I not? It’s Serena, of course!”
I gestured for her to come inside the building.
“Have you eaten lunch?”
Serena matched my pace as we walked.
“Yes. What about you?”
“I’m having this for lunch.”
I waved the warm fish-shaped pastries in a crinkly bag, and Serena gasped.
“Seriously?! No way!”
“I’m small, so this is enough for me.”
“Fair enough. But… you’re considering your nutritional balance, right?”
“Yes.”
“Ugh… that makes me worried, for no reason.”
Then Serena suddenly said, “I heard from Maru that the members live separately. Aren’t you considering creating a dorm?”
“Out of the blue?”
“If you build one, the members can live together! Isn’t that less lonely? It would also make it easier for Jia to help when problems arise during broadcasts. And on top of that, Jia can enjoy the buffet Auntie makes! You know, like a pro gaming team.”
That didn’t sound too far-fetched.
Actually, we had debated about introducing dorms after recruiting the first generation, but ultimately, it was decided to keep everyone living separately for various reasons, including safety and efficiency.
No similar discussions had occurred since, so it looked like that situation would remain unchanged.
“I would be all for it, but right now, things are a bit tight.”
But who knows?
We’re currently pouring all our resources into the members’ debuts, content, new outfits, and original songs. If the company grows, becomes more prosperous, and provides full-time bodyguards for the members, we might consider it.
Serena nodded slightly as if she understood.
“Sorry. My thoughts are a bit short-sighted.”
“Not at all. It’s because you care about your peers, right?”
Her thoughtfulness truly highlighted her good character.
It wasn’t just because of her wealthy upbringing that she supported the members instead of the management team at Rapitsu.
As she said, it wasn’t a one-day thing when broadcast stars were busy eating whatever, living on chaotic schedules, and feeling lonely all by themselves.
Plus, the fact that she was trying to consider my meals and convenience with work was just commendable.
Every time I pondered with the president, I kept thinking there was no one quite like Serena…
Meeting her again, I realized she was exactly the person I thought she was.
It wouldn’t be easy to dismiss the rumor that the whole of Rapitsu was shaken up without her.
“So, why’re you here?”
Serena narrowed her clear eyes playfully and grinned.
“You know why you’re asking, right?”
“Isn’t it just to catch up with a friend?”
“Eh? No? I came here to discuss something important!”
“Hmm. If that were the case, wouldn’t you have arranged a meetup beforehand? How could I know if I’d be around?”
After we hopped in the elevator, Serena beamed at me.
“I wanted to create a dramatic reunion or something. Was it a bit cliché?”
“Yes. It was pretty obvious what you were here for.”
“Oops, you got me.”
“So shouldn’t you tell me now? If it’s important, I need to report it to the president.”
“Oh, that’s fine. The early arrival was arranged because I contacted Momo first.”
In the now-empty elevator, the bell chimed as we reached the eighth floor, and Serena said, “I want to debut with Parallel.”
* * *
Thanks to an early arrival, I had a casual interview with the president and the HR head regarding Serena.
Why “casual?”
Because the moment Serena reached out, it felt like the president had already given her a thumbs up.
Aside from discussing the potential issues that might arise, it was more of a casual chat than an actual interview.
Maybe that’s why, even before I could part ways with Serena after the interview, a notice came in via DingTalk from the president.
[President: Passed]
[President: Now I understand why companies prefer experienced newcomers…]
[Me: Wow, worst company ever]
[President: Just kidding, don’t take it seriously]
Anyway, after the interview, I took Serena back outside after she made a quick trip to the restroom.
Typically, we’d head to the fish cake stand, but perhaps because of Serena’s image, I suddenly recommended a café.
There’s a place nearby with good prices and a princess-like interior that our team leader loves.
After placing our drink orders and sitting down, Serena asked, “So when do I debut?”
“Probably in six months? All debut-related matters are confidential, so you can’t mention it anywhere until the broadcast.”
“Oh, so I’ll be a second-generation member?”
Luckily, Serena didn’t seek to dig too deep into our situation. Perhaps it was because she trusted us and felt a bit wistful that she couldn’t stay longer.
Still, she added something concerning: “Can I tell my dad about my acceptance? He might help me out.”
“It’s fine since he’s family. I don’t see the producer going around blabbing. But… weren’t you reluctant to have the producer touch the VTuber stuff?”
“No way! How did you know?”
“Well, if you wanted full support, you would have sought it at Rapitsu long ago. They might have even fired the mismanaging operations head.”
“True. I just wanted to do things on my own without my dad’s connections. He always insisted that being an idol is exhausting, which made me push back a bit. Hehe.”
As Serena hummed a little tune, she continued, “But back to the point. From now on, I don’t mind if my dad supports Parallel. Why? Because this opportunity wasn’t created for me.”
“… Is that so?”
“Yep! I want to join Parallel because Jia did well. It’s not because my dad’s my dad; he analyzed Parallel’s growth potential and made an informed choice.
No matter how biased a parent is, he always says that a chief producer can’t just run a company chaotically without it going belly-up.”
“Hmmm.”
“So if CAT is going to help Parallel from now on, it should be because they see Jia and the company’s potential. Not for me.”
I also had a question lurking in my mind.
Why had Nahyeon Gon, the producer, chosen me as the center for the new album?
“What does the producer see in me? My musical talent, or my operational capabilities?”
Serena chuckled, clearly knowing the answer.
“I think it’s operational capabilities. But dad might think differently. If you had to guess, it’d probably be about popularity. He often says that business depends on how many people you can attract.”
So they both have a point.
I felt a bit awkward and scratched my cheek.
Direct compliments can be a bit burdensome!
But I knew how to escape such situations. Flip the script and compliment them back!
“That’s why we want to work with you, Serena. With your proven success as an entertainer, there’s no reason for us to refuse.”
“Eek! Suddenly? But initially, that was all thanks to Jia!”
“I won’t accept any rebuttals.”
“Wow, sneaky!”
As we talked, thirty minutes flew by.
As I hinted at needing to leave, Serena requested a little more time.
“Uh, don’t call me Serena anymore. I graduated! Call me by my new name for my re-debut activities. I need to adapt early, since I’ll only debut in six months.”
“But we haven’t settled on a second-generation name yet…?”
“Ah! I heard from Maru that Jia created all the members’ names, so I thought it was already done.”
I was relieved to know Maru was friends with Serena. How had she kept all this under wraps despite our long chat?
Maybe she’s just good at hiding the fact that she’s Nahyeon Gon’s daughter.
In any case, I was quite grateful for her discretion.
Although not finalized, I recalled a name I’d been pondering.
She’s an entertainer who brings comfort to people. Her harmless image truly suits her.
Since the first generation established their identities with species and colors, the second generation would probably follow a similar path.
With that in mind, when I think of harmlessness and healing, something cute like a small bird comes to mind.
In Japanese, the long-tailed tit is “Enaga” (エナガ), so extracting “Na” sounds nice.
As for the surname, something that evokes a forest would be great, so how about Morisaki (森崎)?
“Saki” in Japanese refers to a deer, which fits cute creatures.
Thus, Morisaki Ena! To sum it up, it would mean “a small bird cared for by the spirit of the forest.”
“Maybe Morisaki Ena (森崎 エナ) is a good choice. Of course, that’s not final, so don’t get too used to it…”
Before I could finish, wham!
Serena smacked the café table and beamed.
“I love it! Can I push this to the president?”
… See? VTubers are all great actors!
You never really know their true selves just by watching.
Who knew she could express such strong emotions?
“Sure… I’ll propose it.”
* * *
In the following days, the president and I went through several rounds of review but regrettably failed to match four members together.
With Serena joining us, the debut was solidified with just three, which made the combination perfect.
Inserting one of the contenders amongst us now felt like a cumbersome process—defining roles was becoming tricky.
Thus, the second generation would have three members confirmed.
Though it wasn’t as many as four, at least it didn’t feel completely vacant like it did with just two.
An Si-ho. Unofficial activity name: Tokoyo Miho (橙狐妖 ミホ).
A fox youkai with enchanting crimson ears and tail.
Han Bada. Unofficial activity name: Hanauumi Orca (一海 オルカ).
A merciless sea deity who rules the ocean.
Nase Na. Official(?) activity name: Morisaki Ena (森崎 エナ).
A small bird watched over by the spirit of the forest.
The three who got accepted would start coming to the company’s ninth-floor motion studio every day except weekends from tomorrow.
For them, this would be their new home and practice space until they completed their debut preparations.
Though the space felt a bit spacious for only three, after we set up desks, a practice broadcast system, and a whiteboard for the president or HR head’s use, it started feeling surprisingly cozy.
Once Seungyeon, who helped set up, went downstairs, the president turned to me.
“Being here suddenly reminds me of the day the first generation kids came.”
Since this was an event absent from me in an alternate timeline, it took me a moment to process.
But as I racked my brain, a relevant anecdote popped up.
“Did they mistake you for their peers?”
They set everything up when the teachers came, led the team leader during vocal lessons, and continuously catered meals and snacks.
I had no choice but to be recognized as staff, yet they fooled themselves and ended up perplexed later.
“I never thought it would last a week.”
“Well, that just proves how kind and naïve the kids are.”
“At least this time, we have Serena, so that won’t be a problem.”
“Right? I look like a wooden plank. They should catch on quickly.”
However, the president nodded while looking a bit dissatisfied and sulking his lips.
“Just in case, they might confuse you with a debuting member. Having three feels a bit off, right?”
I chuckled and muttered,
“Oh come on. I’m sure if we explain, they’ll get it.”
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