I May Be a Virtual Youtuber, but I Still Go to Work - Chapter 127

The first-generation and the second-generation members, they’re all in the same boat.

Momo, having hired Majia, is always scheming up new ways to fluster her.

But it’s not as easy as it sounds.

Just when they think they’ve got her cornered, she slips away like a mouse, and somehow, the ones getting played are always themselves.

It’s like they’ve become the gray cat from a classic cartoon — you know the one that’s all pounce-y and sly.

This is all happening in the realm of live streaming, which is basically Majia’s playground.

If they were to drag her into other areas, she wouldn’t be half as formidable.

Take, for example, their weekly dinner that they have every Friday after training.

Miho, who usually struggles with socializing, mysteriously gets all perked up sitting next to Jia and says with a smile, “Don’t you think Jia is really quiet and cute when we’re not on air? I mean, for someone like me who’s not great with people, I can get close to her this easily!”

Ena nods as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world, and Orca, albeit a bit delayed, joins in with a nod too.

Jia, puffing her cheeks and snorting, retorts, “Save that kind of talk for when I’m not around!”

Before she started lecturing on how to deal with troublemakers, Majia’s shy demeanor was just an adorable quirk among the members.

But after being put through the wringer by this troublesome lot, she started thinking: wait a minute, isn’t this Jia’s Achilles’ heel?

The fun part is that this realization spreads naturally from Momo to the first-gen and then on to the second-gen, as if someone is giving out hints on the side.

It’s like Momo’s determination to grow their streaming presence while taking hits from viewers is now fired up in both the first and second generations.

So it makes sense that Majia, who’s used to getting smacked around by Momo, is now doling out the slaps to these kids.

Just as Momo discovered a way to tease Majia through compliments, the kids naturally came to the same conclusion.

With Orca being the only one still a bit wary of the “scary boss,” the other two pretty much trap Jia on both sides, leaning in close and giving her head pats.

The sight of their hands petting Majia’s head, as if she’s some oversized pet, makes her head bob back and forth like it’s a seesaw.

Jia thinks to herself that even the haircuts she gets at the salon once every six months aren’t as chaotic as this, letting out a resigned sigh.

She wanted to shove a spoonful of gyudon into her mouth but couldn’t do it with all that going on.

“Let’s eat some food already…”

Yet wasn’t Majia once terrified and shaking in Dora’s arms, quietly watching the broadcast?

The members aren’t purposely cruel, so Majia, sandwiched between them, just ate her food in silence.

Noms.

Majia finished her little meal, taking her time and being the slowest among them.

Meanwhile, someone’s phone vibrated on the table.

Ena picked up her phone and stared at Majia for a moment.

Jia noticed this and blinked, asking, “What’s up?”

“Jia, have you noticed you haven’t been active on the Tokcode lately?”

Majia nodded vigorously.

She wasn’t one to hang out on Tokcode trying to make friends; ever since that competitive event, she hadn’t seen the need to check in.

And after the second-gen debuted and everyone was busy, when she got home, she was usually out cold after watching the clips Seungyeon had made and other VTuber videos.

“Bajubi asked me to tell you to check your DMs if you get a chance.”

“Oh. Yeah, I’ll do that.”

Bajubi.

That name froze Majia mid-bite.

“Uh-oh.”

Maybe Majia had forgotten something crucial for the past few months?

* * *

The next day, Majia stormed up to Cheon Dohui and declared an emergency.

“Hey, what’s with that panicked look?”

“I need the President’s help!”

Cheon Dohui frowned.

Majia usually only said stuff like this when there was some broadcasting issue, but the only thing coming up was the regular review content that was next week.

That likely meant she either wanted to play a prank or was making a big fuss over nothing…

But hey, being the President, indulging Majia, the notorious troublemaker, is practically required etiquette, right?

Cheon Dohui nodded, as if to say, “Spill it.”

“I was supposed to do a collab with Bajubi for the Parallel World Cup, but as you know, I hardly check Tokcode? I have all my notifications turned off.”

“Yeah, I remember that. But?”

The look of leisure on Cheon Dohui’s face flipped to shock the moment Majia showed her the personal messages.

[Personal Message]

— January 27, 2025 —

[Bajubi: Sorry, but Jia-san]

[Bajubi: Would you be okay to collab next month…?]

[Bajubi: If you’re too busy, just let me know when you’re free…!]

— February 19, 2025 —

[Bajubi: Please tell me if you don’t have time for a collab!]

[Bajubi: I’m okay if we never collab…!]

— March 25, 2025 —

[Bajubi: Um]

[Bajubi: I really don’t mind!]

[Bajubi: Just telling me you can’t collab would be fine!]

[Bajubi: I know you’re busy from not replying]

[Bajubi: But I personally really want to do the Parallel World Cup, and considering you offered first, I don’t want to go ahead alone…!]

[Bajubi: Sorry for being so clingy…!]

Cheon Dohui delivered a resounding smack to Majia’s head.

“Are you out of your mind?!”

“Ow!”

“Ugh. I recognized your craziness the moment I saw you throwing around that gift voucher during your late-night broadcast.”

“No, I really intended to do it. I just forgot!”

“Why didn’t you exchange contact info after going out for drinks together?”

“I did! So I thought you’d definitely call. But then I realized you might be awkward about making calls.”

“Ugh. Anyway, you need to message her right now. Tell her you’re sorry for missing the collab offer.”

“Okay!”

“I don’t even know if she’ll believe you… I’ve known for ages that you hardly check Tokcode, but others might not know…”

“Honestly, it sounds like it’s not about the collab. Should we just meet up for a meal first?”

“That sounds like a plan. You two know each other’s faces, right? Grab a bite, and if it feels right, suggest an IRL collab too. Though… juggling two streams at once depends on whether Juvi’s computer could handle it. Hurry!”

Majia almost dialed right away but decided to reply through DM first.

She was a bit of a wallflower and often too timid to just call, so she slipped a message instead.

Going straight to a call might make Bajubi freak out and not pick up.

[Majia: Juvi-san, I’m really really really really really… sorry]

[Majia: I don’t really use Tokcode, and I always keep notifications off, so I honestly didn’t even notice]

[Majia: I didn’t expect you sent so many messages right after Serena mentioned it.]

[Majia: I genuinely apologize once more.]

Luckily, Bajubi replied super quickly.

Felt like it took less than a minute.

[Yes, hello Jia-san]

[Yeah, you seem super busy]

[So, I guess a collab is a bit tough?]

[How about tomorrow for the Parallel World Cup?]

You might wonder why she’d even ask for permission for something like this.

But the world of VTubers is brutally unforgiving.

They are often jostled about by fans more than other streamers.

One wrong word and bam! You’re labeled as strange, tone-deaf, or downright rude, and kiss your streaming career goodbye.

Bajubi’s insistence on whether Majia could join was because she was aware of the unpredictable waves Majia could cause.

If anyone thought, “Wait a minute, Majia promised to collaborate and now she’s just going solo?” they might just pounce on her without a second thought.

If Bajubi had been genuinely craving collab views, she might’ve just gone ahead without checking.

But she’s a hobbyist, and Majia knows that all too well.

[Majia: No]

[Majia: It doesn’t make sense that I can’t join just because I’m busy]

[Majia: We made a promise!]

[Majia: I simply forgot because I’m busy]

[Majia: I feel so sorry that I want to treat you to a delicious meal and collab with you, if that’s alright?]

[Bajubi: Honestly, you don’t have to collab if you don’t want to!]

[Bajubi: I can see how busy you are just from watching your streams…!]

[Majia: It absolutely is NOT okay for me!]

[Majia: It’s been quite a while since we saw each other, so let’s meet up!]

[Majia: Please, I’m begging you, I’m sorry!]

[Majia: An IRL collab sounds fine too; I can bring any equipment if needed!]

Three months must have felt like an eternity.

Whether those few words would open her heart was anyone’s guess.

This time, as they awaited a reply that might take a while, both Majia and Cheon Dohui held their breath.

Ding!

[Bajubi: Okay, how about May 5th?]

Both of them immediately glanced at the calendar.

May 5th. Children’s Day.

A public holiday when everyone’s off, and yes, Majia has the day off too.

The very next day, the new song by the first-gen she’s collabing with Fan_C drops, but…

The guess that Majia and Fan_C are the same person has mostly fizzled out lately, so even if Majia shows up on Bajubi’s stream, it wouldn’t be too weird.

What’s more, Majia has the perfect shield.

It’s that she made a promise to collaborate but ended up busy, which led to this situation.

Whether or not they believe that is beyond her control.

When has Majia ever been swayed by what viewers think?

Cheon Dohui nodded to show that it was all good.

“Since we’re off that day, definitely go for that collab. You can apologize properly too.”

“What if it gets chaotic with too many people? Can I do a wild dance?”

“Anyone causing chaos will be banned. Our fans don’t mess around in other streamers’ broadcasts, that’s for sure.”

“Got it!”

Finally, Cheon Dohui let out a relieved sigh.

“For sure, combining work and streaming is going to let some things slip through the cracks, huh?”

“I’m human, you know. It happens.”

“Now you’re starting to understand how I felt when I couldn’t keep my promises.”

Majia gave Cheon Dohui a steady look and shook her head.

“Trying to worm your way out like that, Momo really is the worst partner…”

“Hey.”