I May Be a Virtual Youtuber, but I Still Go to Work - Chapter 144
A day or two later, Movgun was back at it again, trying to share the latest scoop.
Blocking his number only made him switch to another. Persistent, much?
I ignored him long enough for a call from the President to come in.
[Movgun, pick up already… he keeps whining at me.]
Maybe I should just answer next time. It feels like I’m just giving Movgun and the President a reason to chat.
[Anyways, Movgun wanted me to tell you that Taro’s recording schedule has changed abruptly, so someone else will take his place on the talk show.]
“Oh, surprise, surprise.”
[Did you expect any less?]
“No matter how much momentum you have, how do you call out the top VTuber of Bachu Bachu in a week? I figured there was under a 10% chance of that happening. Taro is still coming for the MCN battle, right?”
[That’s set in stone. If I’m busy with President duties, he’s genuinely busy being an idol. It’s common for plans to fall through during the initial stages.]
“True.”
[When you’re busy, cut down on other appearances. Don’t feel like you have to take every opportunity. Hustling is great, but remember to consider your health.]
“Yup.”
[Great! I’ll let you know who’s replacing Taro as soon as I hear. And loosen up the block on Movgun, at least until the MCN battle is over.]
“Well, if the President insists.”
Honestly, even if the participants changed, our strategy wouldn’t differ much. But one big aspect did—it was the bet with the President.
“But doesn’t this make my wager way too favorable?”
[A 10,000 subscriber bet on the behind-the-scenes channel?]
“Right! If someone else takes Taro’s place, the boost in subscribers won’t be as significant.”
I might have mentioned this a few times before, but big-time subscribers are notorious for not drifting from their main shows. Even if they do switch, they only end up dropping by to see what’s happening.
Especially with corporate VTubers like Bachu Bachu, this trend is even more pronounced. Once you get hooked, it’s like a honey trap—they just don’t escape.
Even when a streamer stirs scandal or makes a huge mistake, they might switch allegiances to another idol in Bachu Bachu but won’t outright abandon the whole group.
So even if there’s a collaboration, the number of viewers trickling over to us would remain minimal. And with Taro not being the one on the talk show? Even fewer would be interested in coming over.
What about viewers crossing over from Movgun’s side, you ask?
No chance. All the potential crossover fans have already jumped ship.
Moreover, people typically only look up the full video channels when they need to. With copyright issues leaving out significant segments, it’s often better to watch the clips left on the official channel rather than subscribe to a full video channel on YouTube.
So, my channel with just the replays hitting 10,000 subscribers?
I thought the odds were low. That’s why I told the President things weren’t looking good for me.
[Well, I wouldn’t say so.]
But the President remained unfazed.
She sent me a screenshot of why she felt so confident.
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Parallell Behind
@parallel_official_behind · 3,902 subscribers · 45 videos
This is the full video channel excluding official announcements from Parallel.
—————————————————
In just two days?
“4,000 subscribers?”
I thought the Majia mini gallery was a closed-off clique and the only ones who went out were the regulars, who’d invade places like the Pal Gallery or the Ba Gallery to scream my name and demand I debut.
And these guys are so ruthless that I just knew they were embellishing things to mess with me, expecting there to be plenty of inflated numbers.
I hate to admit it, but it seems I misjudged the situation.
[Why, is that more than you expected?]
Just as the President said, those Sluggers were a larger breed than I thought.
Despite my efforts to weed them out, if they’re still hanging around, they must have something off in their heads.
I know firsthand that being forced into a different choice is tied to following the President. But seriously, shouldn’t they be dodging an eight-ton truck by now?
Not dodging? That’s how I end up in this mess.
[Anyway, look at how many subscribers we already have! Before the MCN battle kicks off, we’ll definitely hit 10,000. My gut says so.]
Yet, 4,000 in the first two days feels a bit dicey for hitting 10,000.
That means I can still continue the bet without any issues.
“Well, we’ll see.”
[Sure, sure. Anyway, prepare well for the broadcast. If you want to draft any lines to run by me, feel free to bring them!]
“This time I’ll handle it solo.”
[Why?]
“If I show them to you, you’ll definitely sneak in some adjustments with your seasoned lines.”
[Hey, do you really think I’d pull something cheap like that? Honestly, your faith in me is—.]
“I’m hanging up. Got stuff to do.”
[Wait, wait! We’ve got work stuff left! If an unknown number calls this week or next, answer it, okay? It’s CAT. They’ve tried calling four times already, and since you didn’t answer, they contacted me.]
“Oh, wasn’t Movgun calling from a different number?”
The President sighed and muttered.
[Sometimes, you really hate Movgun too much.]
“Still, he did give me a big break with the Shorts, and he’s helping out with the talk show too.”
[Yeah, yeah….]
* * *
The next day, the bet had swung even more unfavorably for me.
[President: Confirmed, it’s Natsuki Luna.]
[President: I think I can raise the wager to 20,000 subscribers.]
[President: Would you like to swap?]
[President: If you don’t decide now, I won’t change it~]
The President seemed pretty smug, and there were reasons for it.
The changed opponent was a social dynamo who doesn’t play by standard business rules: Natsuki Luna.
Natsuki Luna (奈月 ルナ).
A new addition to the Bachu Bachu lineup, debuting just a few months back.
Just like us, she had been focusing on personal streams for the initial months, so this collaboration would be her first big outing.
While many had delved into her past, no one could figure it out—she was likely a complete rookie.
Yet just last week, during her initial collaboration with the seniors, she showcased an unbelievable charm and has already acquired herself a “mom.”
You might wonder what a “mom” is—a pairing that pops up in the VTuber scene, although rare, happens between one who acts like a child and another who appears remarkably mature, forming a faux parent-child dynamic.
And guess what? Taro is that ‘mom.’
She’s the quintessential princess of Bachu Bachu, with a bright future ahead, practically guaranteed.
With Taro’s backing and Luna’s naturally strong social skills, it’s safe to say her external activities will soar.
In other words, as the chosen counterpart for Luna’s first exterior collaboration, come rain or shine, I’m bound to feel the impact of her charm.
[President: Just so you know, you won’t have to handle business with her.]
[President: In fact, if we get formal, it’ll just backfire on us.]
The President’s comment about business being meaningless stemmed from the fact that there’s no way to fend off Luna’s social magnetism.
If I chilly-block her, it’ll only create discomfort.
Thinking about it, it’s simple logic.
Luna’s fans are likely just as enthusiastic, and how do we expect to act aloof?
If we do, they’ll react with something like, “How could we be treated like this when our girl is doing her best?!”
To the President, the 20,000 subscriber suggestion came from summarizing all that.
Today, the subscriber count for the behind-the-scenes channel already hit 8,700, which made my loss feel just about inevitable….
[Me: I don’t need it.]
I didn’t change the terms of the bet.
[President: Holding out?]
[President: I’ll keep the massage chair ready!]
If I lose, I lose, I guess.
There’s nothing more pathetic than changing the terms when defeat seems likely.
In front of the viewers, I need to maintain some pride.
More importantly, at this moment, my worry had shifted to whether I could handle Luna’s charm.
That apprehension turned into reality a day before our talk show, in the form of a DM from Natsuki Luna.
[Natsuki Luna: Hello, Majia’s assistant!]
[Natsuki Luna: I’m Natsuki Luna from Bachu Bachu’s 4th generation!!]
[Natsuki Luna: We’re going to be streaming together tomorrow, right?]
[Natsuki Luna: Since you’ve been streaming for a few months longer than me, I’m reaching out first!!]
Reading that, I found myself grappling with a thought.
She’s overdoing it, but she sounds kind…
I imagined Maru, who often launches into hyper mode without hesitation if he simply overthinking the situation—this felt like that.
Even calling me a senior?
I knew she referred to all VTubers as seniors, but there was no need to include me in that.
[Parallell Operating Team Majia: Hello Luna! I’m enjoying your streams!]
[Parallell Operating Team Majia: Looking forward to our stream tomorrow!]
[Parallell Operating Team Majia: Oh, and I’m not a VTuber, so please don’t call me a senior.]
[Parallell Operating Team Majia: People will get the wrong idea.]
[Natsuki Luna: No!]
[Natsuki Luna: You’re definitely a senior!!]
[Natsuki Luna: With your adorable looks!]
[Natsuki Luna: Your performance in Wicker Town!]
[Natsuki Luna: Your super carry in the competition!]
[Natsuki Luna: Even your impression skills are top-tier!]
[Natsuki Luna: You’re such an inspiring senior I admire!]
[Natsuki Luna: I can’t believe I get to stream with a senior like you!]
[Natsuki Luna: Oh, and just to note, I insisted I’d go if Taro couldn’t make it!!]
[Natsuki Luna: I’m really so excited right now!!]
Can you believe that all those messages came flying in less than a minute?
Wanna test if you can silence these types with a strong, cold remark?
It’s a good way to gauge how not normal they are.
[Parallell Operating Team Majia: Yup.]
[Parallell Operating Team Majia: Looking forward to tomorrow!]
Luna’s response exceeded expectations.
[Natsuki Luna: Yay!!!]
[Natsuki Luna: I practiced really hard for the back role to not hold you back!!!]
[Natsuki Luna: Looking forward to tomorrow!!!]
Her energy was explosive.
This was my first time facing someone like her on air, and now that I thought about it, I realized that I’d never encountered someone with this kind of energy before.
The others I’d streamed with were gentlemanly or tried to adjust to my vibe.
Luna was the youngest and had grown up beneath a cloud of affection in Bachu Bachu.
Now, I understood why her emoji symbol was a dog (🐶).
At this point, no matter how thick metal doors were put up to block her energy, they’d be burst open.
Time to calm down.
Let’s handle this calmly.
When facing excited pups, showing fear only amps them up more.
[Parallell Operating Team Majia: Just don’t overdo it!]
[Parallell Operating Team Majia: After all, the focus is on the talk itself!]
[Parallell Operating Team Majia: I’ll take care of it; feel free to chat comfortably!]
[Natsuki Luna: Wowwwww!]
[Natsuki Luna: The goddess of back roles is right here at Parallell, also known as Human Signal Flare Kim Firecracker!]
[Natsuki Luna: Oh queen Jia, golden goddess!]
[Parallell Operating Team Majia: Hmm.]
[Natsuki Luna: Uh-oh, was that too much?]
[Natsuki Luna: Just let me know if it feels too heavy for you!!]
[Natsuki Luna: I’ll tone it down!!]
I tried hard to avoid having her shrink under the weight of my gaze.
With so many fans, the conspiracy theories were bound to take off if she seemed nervous or off her game before the stream.
For moments like these, I may not be a professional, but I endeavored to adapt to her style.
I should strive to become a master of uplift instead.
Going above and beyond, definitely beyond business.
[Parallell Operating Team Majia: No.]
[Parallell Operating Team Majia: It’s perfect.]
[Parallell Operating Team Majia: That’s the very essence of Bachu Bachu’s divinity, ‘Natsuki Luna.’]
However, if I pulled any kind of half-baked antics in front of a truly masterful EVIL, it could be taken as provocatively shallow.
My words must have ignited a challenge for Luna.
[Natsuki Luna: Oh!]
[Natsuki Luna: I was all set to ease back a bit because I thought you’d feel pressured.]
[Natsuki Luna: But if you’re coming at me like this, I’ll bring 200% tomorrow just like today!]
Aw, come on.
If there’s a 100%, you could’ve said so earlier!