I May Be a Virtual Youtuber, but I Still Go to Work - Chapter 133

Every time I switch up my mornings and evenings, my sleep pattern goes haywire.

For example, I can’t manage to sleep for a full eight hours and instead end up getting chopped into four-hour segments, or I might take a nap that turns into a four-hour snooze-fest. Bad news bears.

“Hmm.”

So, it isn’t too strange that even if I fall asleep at four in the morning, I suddenly wake up at seven like it’s no big deal.

I fumbled around for my phone, which I assumed was either in the blankets or lurking somewhere outside of them.

Even if I buried myself back under the covers, there’s no way my groggy brain could start the day without scrolling through community gossip.

What’s more, since the president has decided to put community opinions on pause after that broadcasting fiasco, there’s definitely some key info I’ll miss if I don’t stay on top of things.

It’s almost like as soon as I wake up, I’m diving straight into work, but if you count that as work time, my dear Director of Accounting is conveniently ignoring me right now.

First things first, I skimmed through the night’s news that adorned the threads, and to my surprise, there was a ton of buzz about Bajubi.

Of course, the Parallel gallery was buzzing, but even the Buzzing Gallery had snagged three posts over the night.

No need to feel bummed that these aren’t updates about our members.

As harsh as it sounds, Bajubi’s sudden leap in recognition was thanks to yesterday’s broadcast and using that as a reference, I can brainstorm ideas on what our members could do next.

The responses were predominantly astonished at Bajubi being treated like a hidden gem.

Even after the broadcast ended, Bajubi’s follower count was still climbing.

There wasn’t much noise around it. Bajubi’s spotlighting really captured attention.

However, the overwhelming success of yesterday’s broadcast also came with some pesky side effects.

It was a refreshing change to host a broadcast purely for Bajubi’s sake after so long, without any ulterior motive involving our first generation.

But of course, the next day just happens to be the release date for the first generation’s new song, so conspiracy theories are probably flying around like confetti.

… ─ — Parallel (VTuber) Gallery / Concept Post ─ ─ — …

(Announcement) [Please refrain from mentioning Majia, F participants, and Fan_C-related gossip.]

★ [This feels shady.]

★ [■■■=■■■■=■■]

★ [Honestly, the sudden collab sounded suspicious from the get-go!]

★ [??? : Wow, that’s shady.]

★ [Look at that gay saying Bajubi’s collab timing is weird.]

★ [But doesn’t it seem a bit off?]

… ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ …

When I clicked on the most recent concept post, I saw some people’s thoughts were way off the mark.

… ─ — Parallel (VTuber) Gallery ─ ─ — …

[This feels shady.]

(Non-troll verification image – Parallel 4 members 1-year subscription.jpg)

I’d felt uneasy ever since I started putting pressure on myself to debut.

If I were in my shoes, I’d honestly want to be a Utaite under a massive entertainment company instead of a VTuber.

It’s already chaotic being a VTuber.

Why would anyone pressure someone who’s drowning in work to debut?

If I were in their shoes, I’d probably just quit my job and become an Utaite too!

Maybe the reason there haven’t been many collabs with the first generation recently is connected to this.

Truly unsettling.

(Recommended 775 / Not recommended 527)

[Comments]

— Parallel189: So you’re saying Majia was thinking, “We’re friends” in front of you while plotting behind your back?

◄ Parallel771: No way!!!!!!

◄ Parallel251: Please stop the baby talk!

— Parallel834: Why would someone on the verge of debuting from the second generation ditch Parallel? LOL

◄ Parallel581: Isn’t it suspicious that no clear statement was made about that?

◄ Parallel581: What was shown that day was more about CAT dropping a new song. You guys really are clueless, LOL.

… ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ …

I didn’t want any unnecessary embellishments on our perfectly composed team of four and simply wanted people to focus on the first generation, so I thought creating a separate alias would be a good move.

How did it end up like this?

The problem is, the post seems to be written by a hardcore fan, and it doesn’t come off as entirely illogical.

First thing, becoming a VTuber means far more workload than becoming an Utaite.

As a Utaite, you just focus on song production, concert prep, and fan management, while the agency takes care of most of the advertising schedules.

Being a VTuber means you’re juggling responsibilities similar to Utaite, but with the added pressure of a daily broadcasting schedule, collabs, and even advertising where you prepare ideas yourself while the agency manages everything else.

Plus, managing your own YouTube is all on you.

Leading a content creation team like the Modongbu, Dodongbu, and Ledongbu is ultimately the VTuber’s responsibility.

It might sound odd to say this now, but by this point, I bet you understand why I say being a VTuber leaves you with no time to watch broadcasts.

You really run out of time, and if you aren’t having fun interacting with your audience, you’ll burn out quickly and “graduate” from the industry, a reality that’s tough for both corporate and freelance VTubers.

The theory that “I’m too busy with work to be told to debut, so it’s driving me to Utaite” seems believable.

But cornering myself into drama by avoiding collabs with the members is on a whole other level.

Well, ultimately, these things happen because of information gaps, so I get that.

I haven’t shown my busy preparations for the second generation’s debut, just spoken about them.

Some anxious fans are bound to think like that.

At least the silver lining is that rumors of discord are always bound to appear, and they’re simple to resolve.

A straight-up approach works wonders; just arrange for a big collab that gives off those Kizuna vibes.

But it doesn’t seem crucial enough to rush on, and I planned to drop a note to the president after my vacation ends tomorrow, when suddenly…

[President: Call me when you wake up.]

That totally unexpected message from the president had an air of discussing related matters.

Leaving the sleeping Bajubi behind, I sneaked out and headed for the balcony.

Maybe it was because of peak commute time, but the cars in the parking lot were leaving in an orderly fashion.

“Hey, it’s me.”

[… Why on earth are you up so early? Go back to sleep.]

“Isn’t that rich coming from you? You definitely didn’t sleep at three last night either.”

[Sorry, but unlike whoever took the day off today, I’m stuck here because of the new song release.]

“I know. That’s why I brought it up.”

[You excited about running around playing with *Bajubi* like a princess? You looked thrilled!]

“I’m here to keep things in check, you know…”

I chuckled as I spoke to the president.

“Anyway, you saw the community reactions, right? I think a collab with the first generation is a must. What do you say?”

[I thought it was entirely possible for some backlash. It’s not really complicated to solve, so don’t stress out too much.]

“When have I ever stressed about stuff like this? I’ve stared deep into the abyss too many times for this to faze me.”

[Right, but still, hey? If it ever feels too overwhelming, make sure you tell me. If not me, who’s gonna have your back?]

“Team Leader Kang?”

[Yeah, unless you count me and Team Leader Kang, who else would?]

“Seungyeon?”

[… Chill, would ya?]

“Anyway, we should definitely do a collab. When do you think would be good? I heard the kids’ schedules are jam-packed with ads and outside collabs after the new song drops.”

The president thought for a moment and then responded.

[How about you run the collab next week in my place?]

New corporate VTubers usually have to go through a process of bonding with fans, so for the first few months post-debut, avoiding collabs is pretty standard.

Our kids did individual streams for the first three months before finally doing their first group collab on the third month.

That time, the content was titled, “Are We Really Close?”

You throw out a topic, and the first-gen members spill the tea on each other. Remembering the awkwardness from before, it’s all gone now, and they can chat about things they didn’t get to during past streams or various off-the-records that fans are curious about.

But the vibe ends up being more of a cute wrestling match digging into each other’s flaws rather than wholesome hugs, so there’s definitely a need for someone to mediate and ensure no feelings get hurt.

The viewers are enjoying themselves while watching WWE-style fun; they won’t take kindly if suddenly an UFC match breaks out.

So, it only made sense that either I or the president would run the previous broadcasts, and we’d revert to him hosting once more for the new song release…

“Would it be okay for me to host it?”

[Given how you’ve proven yourself, you should be fine. Plus, if you show up, the members might be a bit more assertive, you know? I think that’s a great way to show your camaraderie.]

“Just because I’m present doesn’t mean I’ll automatically react in an entertaining way.”

[It’s funny.]

“?”

[It’s genuinely funny. I can’t say our perspectives match, but it’s amusing watching the members all scramble to outshine you. You know what I mean?]

Is that so?

I must’ve seemed a bit slow, as the president elaborated.

[Remember when you targeted me? Watching you struggle to escape from your torment was hilarious. Isn’t it like that?]

“Ah, I see.”

[It’s kind of the same feeling. I don’t have to spell it out further, right?]

“Got it, crystal clear. You really are something.”

[… You don’t have to shower me with compliments during this convo, you know?!]

“You’re the best, President.”

[Oh boy.]

However, I wasn’t exactly viewing the president passing on the hosting duties as a purely positive thing.

The reason was depending on what would happen after I’d taken on the role.

[But you know, once you host a collab like that, everyone will expect you to host all future ones.]

“Why would they pick me over you?”

[I mean, they’ve already seen over a year of my hosting. It’s about time they got a bit bored.

And as I just said, my hosting and your hosting bring a completely different vibe. While I’m here to pamper the kids, you’ll be getting into it with them. So I guess it’ll definitely be a lot more entertaining.]

Even more so, the president himself noted.

Since I had pulled a prank about becoming a second generation member on April Fool’s Day, me being in the broadcast would generate a distinct atmosphere that feels like two VTubers are chatting instead of the company deeply intruding.

[Honestly, I don’t think having the company interrupt collabs is a great look anyway. It just ruins immersion.]

“That’s a fair point, but you’re still a president while being a VTuber, so doesn’t that mean people will be okay with that?”

[No, because how they treat me is completely different. As soon as they start treating me like a president, they can’t help but think about reality.

But you? That’s not the case. You’re already on a first-name basis with them. In fact, the stage setup is the same as the first generation, and we already spilled the beans that they’re all on the same vibe during the April Fool’s Day announcements.]

To sum it all up, what the president was getting at was that if viewers ended up enjoying that broadcasting atmosphere, handing all future collab hosting duties over to me would be a no-brainer.

“Looks like I’ll be busier than before.”

[If it ever feels too much to handle, let me know! Hiring someone new is always an option.]

“Right. I’ll keep that in mind.”

[Anyway. Well, this should wrap up the traffic guide nicely….]

The president sighed for a moment before tentatively asking.

[Since we’re collabing anyway, how about having a meal together with the kids? Of course, we’ll rehearse the day before, but it’d be good to chat a bit to catch up since it’s been a while since you’ve seen them.]

“I’ve kept up with their streams, at least in summary. Is it really necessary?”

If it were just a casual meal, I’d be fine, but for me, this was extending work.

Trying to sneak out of this, the president was having none of it.

[People know how much effort you put into supporting them, but this time, what we need to show is a genuine friendship vibe, you know?

Not just casual topics about upcoming streams, but other personal chats would help deepen those connections.]

If I were to put it into context, it’s like this.

It’s only natural to discuss work with company people every day.

To display solid friendship to ease any controversy, you’d need conversations that are more personal, beyond work chatter.

[Are you aware that they are purposely avoiding using the free passes you gave them?]

Plus, on the president’s advice, the free passes handed out on our one-year trip had clearly been avoided by all four members, who hadn’t invited me to a single stream in the months that passed.

It seems like they may still feel a bit awkward around me, or maybe there’s more to it.

“Now that you mention it, it’s been a while since anyone invited me…”

[It seems like they subconsciously agreed not to annoy you too much. It’s been two months of holding back. They all know how busy you are, so they’re just hanging in there. You should relieve that tension to pave the way for a better collab.]

“They handed those to me to use, but why are they avoiding it….”

The president shook his head.

[You don’t seem to realize just how hectic your life is from an outside perspective, do you?]

“I’m not busy at all.”

[That’s because you’re superhuman! To the kids, you seem completely insane, like a work maniac. Even if it’s a free pass, they’ll hold back if you don’t seem like you have time to spare. They’re not clueless.]

I scratched my neck and mumbled.

“It’s really not that bad….”