I May Be a Virtual Youtuber, but I Still Go to Work - Chapter 128

Looking back, I realized I hardly knew anything about Bajubi despite having exchanged contact information.

Ah, the typical Korean way.

When meeting someone, the first order of business is to exchange ages, names, hometowns, and university connections—basically, all the links between you and me. But someone as introverted as Bajubi just shrinks back, too busy observing and hoping no one asks her anything.

Even the person wanting to ask a question becomes unsure, thinking, “Is it okay to ask this…?” resulting in both parties dancing around any real inquiry.

At least our team had Younggun, a walking extroversion, which meant Bajubi was occasionally placed in the hot seat for questioning…

“By the way, how old are you, Ms. Jubi? Should I call you ‘Noona’?”

“…….”

I didn’t get a proper answer.

For some reason, it seemed like she had some unspoken circumstance that made her hesitant to respond, so we all just quietly moved on.

With no method other than guesswork to figure out Bajubi’s background, I could only deduce that she seemed to be in her late twenties—a career woman about the same height as our President—with a figure that was surprisingly substantial despite her hunched posture, leaving Younggun at a loss for words after their first meeting.

Plus, that day she wore an outfit that screamed office worker.

It looked as though she’d taken a regular woman and attached the ears and tail of a cow to her real body—she was an adult woman without a daughter, and still on the market.

So it seemed like everyone thought the same way. She must be popular in the office, right? But then again, had that extensive popularity turned her introverted?

Yet who said you should judge someone by their looks?

“Oh my… where did you bring such a cute friend from?”

“…… It’s not… that cute.”

“It’s been years since I called anyone over, so of course she’s a friend! By the way, have you eaten? I’ll get something ready right away, so just wait a bit!”

“… Oh, yes. It’s a small gift, but I heard strawberries are really good these days.”

“Ah, that’s why I’ve been smelling something fresh since earlier! I thought it was the scent from my friend!”

Taking her offer of eating at home rather than dining out was a great call, because as soon as we entered Bajubi’s house, we were greeted by her mother, who looked just like her.

If you looked closely, you could definitely feel the generational difference, but at a quick glance, they looked more like sisters than mother and daughter, which was incredibly confusing. Thank goodness Bajubi was in a hoodie and short pants, or I might not have recognized her.

“…… I’m sorry. … I said I didn’t have to be home. … Since I’ve been bullied at school…”

It wasn’t the usual situation of being among a lot of people, so I could actually hear Bajubi better today.

I revealed my sympathy openly and offered some comfort.

“I’m really sorry to hear that. Are you okay now?”

“……… I’m fine since school is on break.”

“Oh dear. If you took a leave of absence during the term, what about your tuition?”

“…?”

I wondered if I had misheard her words, but Bajubi stared at me blankly, saying nothing at all.

… Did I say something wrong?

Looking at her mother, I started to think maybe she’d just gotten an adult appearance, guessing her age to be somewhere between mid to late twenties. When she mentioned “school,” I even thought she might be in college and adjusted my guess to early twenties.

So with that uncertainty lingering, I asked Bajubi directly,

“Ms. Jubi, you’re not in university, are you?”

The answer I received left me flabbergasted.

“…… No, I’m in middle school. … I’m sorry. … I didn’t mention it.”

She was a middle schooler.

…… A middle schooler?

Sure, if I thought about it, there were some hints that indicated Bajubi was underage.

Her fandom was a wild crew of aggressive little guardians, and their constant refrain was “Protect Bajubi!” and “Protect the baby!”.

But I never thought the “baby” they referred to would actually be a baby.

Honestly, who would call someone like Bajubi a “baby” and actually believe it?

To me, it just sounded like the toxic trolls being playful to protect their streamer.

What sent shivers down my spine was realizing Bajubi’s real age while also recalling various comments Younggun had made on the day of our gathering.

Aah, Younggun, unforgivable phrases like “Farewell for violating the Youth Protection Act!” floated around in my mind.

Shaking myself back to reality, I said to Bajubi with utmost seriousness,

“If you ever feel like suing Younggun or anything…”

“… No! That’s not it. … He purposely hid that from me. He never said anything bad…”

“True, but if you ever need help, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I will gladly assist you.”

“……… Not that I would, but sure. … If I ever feel like it, I will definitely reach out.”

“Promise.”

But really, why was I so pleased about picking a slow train song back then?

When I couldn’t resist the urge to ask, I got this response.

“…… It was a song my dad often sang while drinking, back when he was alive. … It reminds me of my childhood…”

“Oh. I… apologize. I seem to have touched on a sore subject.”

“… Nothing to apologize for.”

Bajubi, who used to be quick to apologize during streams, seemed to make me the one playing that role today.

I unintentionally owed Ena a favor.

If it weren’t for her, I might not have realized all these missed messages.

Feeling uneasy about the three months that had passed, I could only imagine how dizzying it’d be after over six months.

How much emotional turmoil had this shy girl endured alone?

* * *

The home dining prepared by Bajubi’s mother was an extravagant feast.

It was the essence of a maternal touch that you can only find on a Korean table.

Sweet braised ribs, freshly roasted seaweed, soybean paste stew, steamed eggs, and sweet lotus root stir-fry—it was literally filled with things you could hardly get to eat regularly.

Since Bajubi had mentioned that she preferred eating together at home, I had traded the meal for a box of strawberries, but now I understood why she preferred it.

Bajubi’s mother started sharing stories about the past.

“To be honest, I was a bit skeptical when she said she was broadcasting to practice improving her social skills and making friends. But now that it’s really happened, I’m amazed.

I watched the tournament a few months ago, and wow, when she got a chance to compete, it was so big! I was so nervous, thinking what if my kid made a mistake!”

Finally, we were learning about the motivating factors behind Bajubi’s actual debut.

It made sense why she thanked Younggun for building a good team.

Without Younggun, everyone around was a well-known chatterbox.

Even the somewhat aloof Kamic, along with Kkaemang, Ena, and Majia, were all involved in caring for Bajubi at every turn.

The thoughts that Bajubi had back then were perfectly voiced by her mom.

If she were on a different team, she probably would have been too shy to speak up and would be blamed as the reason for their loss.

“I thought it was incredible how Jia and Serena, who couldn’t even convey their voices, understood everything our Yubin was trying to say.”

“I have sensitive hearing, so I kind of ended up that way.”

“Stay humble, now. But really, thank you so much. Be sure to come and visit again. I can’t let you leave without at least feeding you once!”

Feeling a little guilty, Majia couldn’t help but blush, but Bajubi was just as embarrassed.

“…… I wish you’d stop saying that.”

“Hey! You really should express your gratitude. You always talk about how grateful you are.”

“………….”

With her face turning red and her hands moving slowly, Bajubi couldn’t seem to voice her thoughts, but it was clear she felt shy about using her mom to express appreciation.

Anyway, we couldn’t avoid bringing up the upcoming collaboration, and as Bajubi’s mother finished her meal and stepped away, Majia slowly broached the subject.

“Alright, it looks like tonight will turn into an all-nighter. Are you okay with that?”

“…… An all-nighter?”

“Yes! I thought it’d be unfair to just do the Parallel World Cup, so let’s also play a game together.”

The Parallel World Cup usually takes an average of 4-5 hours from the start of the 64 teams. Add in the second part with a game, and an all-nighter is almost guaranteed.

Upon hearing this, Bajubi shook her head vigorously.

“…… You don’t have to go that far…!”

However, Majia was pretty firm.

It was a weighty issue, considering the three months of no replies.

“I can’t let it slide just because I’ve ignored your messages for three whole months. Please don’t feel any pressure; I even took the day off tomorrow, so you really don’t have to worry about it.”

“…… Ugh.”

“You just pick one game you want to play. No matter what type of game it is, I’ll definitely join you.”

Bajubi didn’t take long to mull it over.

From her first encounter with Majia, she’d dreamed of collaborating on a specific content.

“…… I want to play Never Cry, Princess together.”

Never Cry, Princess.

The successor to Queen Maker—the original parenting simulator—this game was hailed as a spiritual successor.

Set in a fantasy world, your goal is to raise a ten-year-old daughter to eighteen. Compared to the original, the newly added unexpected events and options meant there are over 50 bad endings, whereas only five endings—true and happy endings—are unbelievably hard to achieve.

However, what Bajubi wanted was not to see the two of them work together to achieve a happy ending.

“…… I will be the mom, and Jia will play the daughter’s role…”

“?”

Though she was a middle schooler, Bajubi was clearly sure about her RP being a spinster ready for marriage, not to mention including her channel’s introduction.

So she wanted Majia—who had this adorable persona—to play the daughter, while she would become the mom raising that daughter.

Frankly speaking, at this point, Majia was already feeling lightheaded.

On Children’s Day, that it was an adult, not a child, who was playing a parent role, and the real child, Bajubi, was taking on the mom role?

Of course, the viewers might not care about who knew what—they would just come clamoring because it was Family Month and Majia was providing entertaining content once again.

But from the perspective of Majia, it was tough not to feel a tinge of self-loathing.

After all, she was here trying to atone for her mistakes with Bajubi, so there was no time to be picky.

Yet to act like a child in front of a middle schooler? That just felt like her heart wouldn’t allow it.

“Wouldn’t it be better to do the reverse? Even though I look like this, I’m so far from being a child. I might not be able to voice act properly…”

Bajubi shook her head vigorously.

“…… Not every daughter can be the same. … You are that daughter, cynical and grown-up. … I don’t want to put too much pressure on you with a ridiculous request to act differently from your usual self…”

Normally, Bajubi was the one saying “I’m sorry,” “No, it’s fine,” and “Please ignore me,” but for once, she was displaying a remarkably strong stance.

It was a pure expression of desire.

She wanted to proceed with this content together with Majia.

Since there was no need to force a tone for acting, Majia felt a little at ease.

“Alright, then. Let’s give it a shot.”

As soon as she got Majia’s approval, Bajubi flashed a long, adult-like smile with one side of her bangs hanging down, which left Majia’s feelings all tangled up.

Living alone with her mother had clearly influenced her a lot, but really, where was the indication that this girl was a middle schooler?

* * *

… ─ — Bazijik Gallery ─ ─ — …

[What is this Majia thing?]

(Bajubi)

https://www.pazizik.com/bar_zoo_bee

What is this kid doing on someone else’s stream unannounced? LOL

[Comments]

— Bazijik835: Nowadays, they promote the youth scene like this? LOL

— Bazijik835: No, seriously, I’m not kidding!

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