I May Be a Virtual Youtuber, but I Still Go to Work - Chapter 147

Before the balance was readjusted.

The score conversion ratio between Majia and Luna was 1:3.

In other words, Majia needed to get 3 kills to equal Luna’s 1 k*ll…

But before the adjustment, the final score was 28 to 18 (6),

A whopping 10-point difference.

It’s not easy to talk while playing an FPS game in the first place.

And when Majia started to subtly probe, practicing or not, my skills were never going to show up.

However, even after everyone agreed to adjust the ratio to 1:6, citing balance issues,

In her usual fashion, Luna had suggested a meal to someone whose face she shouldn’t see, and her mental state crumbled.

With no way to make things worse, her heart felt unexpectedly at ease, and her chatter increased, but

Thinking about how to report this upward, and how much she would get scolded, her focus on the game was terrible.

Thus, the final score became 15 to 0 (0).

That’s 150 subscriber tickets.

:: Natsuki Luna has gifted 150 subscriber tickets! ::

— Santaaaaaaa!

— Yay!

— Thank you, Luna!!!!!!!!

— Great Luna

— Moo

— Successful rice-farm, nice~

— Bing

— Just trying to give out more subscriber tickets, lol

— Is this the dignity of a major corporation?

— Waaah, why is it just me?

— There are no slugs who didn’t rice farm? lol

— Why just me? Why just me? Why just me? Why just me? Why just me? Why just me? Why just me? Why just me? Why just me? Why just me? Why just me? Why just me? Why just me? Why just me? Why just me?

— Hey, that’s a lie, right? There’s no way 150 tickets would miss, lololololololololol Q_Q I’m gonna blow up ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

:: PIN0 has sponsored 10,000 clouds! ::

:: I’m gonna explode because I didn’t receive it, so unfair! ::

— You’re already on a premium subscription, right?

— Hey!

— Are you really trying to rice farm with this?

In fact, the 150 subscriber tickets could have been packaged as a show of leniency from a major corporation.

Not intentionally losing, but since the Parallel folks liked it, that was fine.

It had that kind of feel.

The painful part was getting found out by Majia due to a momentary misjudgment.

That was the most gut-wrenching.

Actually, it was almost like she was already found out.

Every time Majia came to the studio, they greeted each other, so

It would be odd for them not to recognize each other when meeting at a meal unless she was someone who couldn’t remember faces.

Of course, she could confront Majia and ask if she was Fan_C, but

That would just be a loss for Natsuki Luna, or rather Lee Yura.

People who have a lot to lose tend to feel more pressure and anxiety when keeping a secret,

Especially if it’s one that could be monumental.

And the most anxiety-inducing thing was how the longer their meal was delayed, the more her suspicions could extend into a discussion with someone.

Because isn’t it natural for someone to want to discuss their findings with a close friend?

Then the rumors would spread like wildfire, and more people would find out about Luna’s past life that no one knew about.

In such cases, it’s better to confront it head-on.

Expanding this network quickly with close friends, seniors, and juniors in the industry, and asking them to keep the secret was the only option.

Which is precisely why there was an emergency.

With fire under her feet, Luna raised her voice just before the broadcast ended.

“Senpai!!!”

[Whoa, that startled me. My ears are gonna fall off.]

“Just in case—how about we have a meal today?! Since we just finished the broadcast, aren’t you hungry for a late-night snack? I know some great restaurants that are open at night!!”

[Looks like you’re trying to make sure you become the top VTuber by preparing things like this in advance.]

“E-Everything is just to treat the seniors! Hahaha! So, what do you say? Isn’t it easier for you and Jia to finish up today and then go to your other business?!”

Majia surprisingly accepted the proposal gladly.

[Yeah. If we can eat today, today is better. No one knows when it would be postponed again, and we’re both super busy.]

“Thank you!!”

— Progress is incredibly fast, lol

— This is maximum affinity of a doggo

— Almost at missile level, lol

— Let’s take good care of our Luna

— Oh dear, please take good care of our precious Majia too

— No, we’re the more precious ones

Then, with Movgun leading the way, the broadcast ended.

The viewers also warmed up as they dispersed to their respective locations.

Luna sighed in relief for now.

But the remaining problem was whether Majia would agree to it.

She said she would, but would she attach any thorny conditions?

If that meant she would have to ask something difficult, how would she communicate this to Taro, who always said to talk to the operations team whenever there were tough issues?

Nothing seemed easy.

What should she serve for the meal?

She heard they liked pineapple pizza, but serving pizza on a day like this made no sense.

As her worries dragged on, the answer eluded her.

And while Luna was agonizing over the menu for 10 minutes,

Ding.

“…Ah.”

She received a personal message from Majia via her Tokcode.

There was no time to waste.

At this moment, Luna was at the bottom of the food chain, so answering the call felt sharp as a kn*fe.

“Yes, Senpai! I was actually about to contact you!!”

What Majia said next was surprising.

[Let’s say we went out to have a luxurious meal; we can just make it sound good. You’re busy, right?]

“Uh. Huh?”

[By the way, you know Lee Yura, right? When can I meet her in the studio? You seem to be quite close.]

“…?”

She subtly suggested to drop it.

In summary, it meant they could cover it up here.

They knew roughly that she was Lee Yura.

Meeting would just confirm who’s who, so it was better to keep Natsuki Luna and Lee Yura separate.

In that case, Luna wanted to ask why she had to put her through such a wringer with her probing earlier.

But thinking back, it was Luna who had shot out the question, “Are you doing a side job?” right to her face.

It was purely out of a desire to make music together.

Regardless, it was far too aggressive for a first meeting.

Even if she let it slide, Luna would definitely need to apologize as Natsuki Luna.

“Before that. First of all, I’m sorry. I was rude earlier when I asked if you were doing a side job. I apologize!! I just got so eager about the song that I let my heart lead me too quickly! Sorry!!”

[It’s fine. Even during the broadcast, it wouldn’t have been a problem. You would have managed it.]

[But by the way, can you arrange a meeting with Lee Yura? I have something urgent to discuss.]

The situation was gradually being cleared up, and the direction was the best for Luna.

Rejecting the hand that the other person extended first would only be foolish.

“Anytime today works for me.”

* * *

About two hours later.

The two people who were supposed to meet as Majia vs. Natsuki Luna

Met as Majia vs. Lee Yura at a fancy izakaya.

Since they were familiar with each other, the greetings were brief.

“Hello, Yura! It’s nice to see you outside the studio.”

“Likewise! It’s great to have a meal with Jia.”

However, the relatively disadvantaged Lee Yura couldn’t display her usual cheerful demeanor.

She bowed deeper when greeting and while ordering food, she kept a low profile, and Yura was the first to ask.

“By the way… I heard you were looking for me through Luna. You said you had something urgent to discuss. What’s that about?”

“Oh, it’s nothing else. We were supposed to do a collaboration song soon, right?”

“Ah… right.”

“I heard that for personal reasons, you’re postponing it indefinitely. I wanted to ask about that. If it’s a definite postponement, I’d think, ‘Oh, she must be busy,’ but indefinite postponements can be a bit worrying.”

Majia briefly mentioned the contents of the contact she received a few days ago.

Oh?

But as she thought about it, something felt amiss with Yura.

Just now, Majia had spoken as if she was the very Fan_C.

“What? Wait, so you are Fan_C, Majia?! You just said no earlier!”

However, Majia’s recent words ‘not wanting to pursue’ put Yura in a position where she just confirmed she was Natsuki Luna.

Since the conversation mentioned was between Majia and Luna.

“By the way, considering how you said that, you must also be Lee Yura.”

“Ah. Oh! Yura…!! Oh!”

Still, Majia was saying that she’d let it go.

“Let’s act like today’s conversation never happened. Just as Luna said, ‘I don’t plan to say it anywhere,’ I don’t plan to sell the VTuber red pill anywhere either. Can someone in the VTuber industry do that?”

“Thanks, but why did you ask me like that during the broadcast….”

“You suddenly asked if I was doing a side job, and I thought maybe you were in a similar situation as me.”

So the problem was that word: side job.

Realizing anew just how difficult the dual life could be, Luna firmly vowed to be more careful with her words in the future.

“So what should I call you? Luna-chan? Or Lee Yura?”

“Whichever is comfortable for you. It’s the disaster that my song obsession started, anyway…”

“Yes. Then I’ll call you differently depending on the situation. You can call me Fan_C in situations like this. So, what’s the reason behind the indefinite postponement? Are you seriously unwell?”

“Yes?”

“It doesn’t seem like health issues when I see Luna working hard to sing, but it could be the ebb and flow of light.”

Yura waved her hands while muttering.

“I’m not sick or have any serious issues. It’s just a contract issue. If I signed without thinking, that’s a problem…”

“Ah. So you need to focus on Luna for a while? I understand that.”

In a way, Yura’s mistake might derail the project, but hearing that it wasn’t a health issue relieved Majia.

Seeing Majia’s expression, Yura couldn’t help but chuckle.

Because she knew better than anyone the significance of working on a collaboration song with Yura for the new Utaite, Fan_C.

The reason Yura was trying to create opportunities to work with Fan_C under the name of Natsuki Luna?

And even though she knew it was unrealistic, she asked Majia if she was the Utaite, didn’t she?

The situation was rather ironic.

Even though they were unable to work together due to Yura’s postponement, there was still a growing desire to push for a collaboration with Natsuki Luna.

Majia asked.

“By the way, why didn’t you consult with CAT beforehand?”

“That’s… I never imagined I’d pass as Natsuki Luna. And I didn’t expect there to be a non-compete clause in the contract. I thought I could work on both sides without constraints like when I contracted with CAT.”

“Well, I think they might impose restrictions in the first six months or a year. It’s crucial for establishing an image with fans, and it can be problematic if other activities disrupt the broadcast cycle.”

“Yeah, six months. Oh no. But is it okay to talk about this?”

“Most corporations have that kind of practice.”

“Oh, I see.”

At that moment, one thought flashed through Majia’s mind.

It was that the persona Natsuki Luna, the reckless fool, might not be a complete creation.

The true personality hidden behind the mystique of Utaite, which she had cultivated by not engaging in outside activities other than song releases and SNS,

Could in fact be very close to Luna.

“Was Luna a hastily created character?”

“Creepy. How did you know so accurately?”

“Given I’ve been doing VTubers for six years, isn’t it strange if I don’t know?”

“Is that so? Anyway, it’s as you said. It was really hastily made. You know how sometimes the urge to challenge oneself wells up, right?”

“Are you wondering if something other than Utaite would work? If you could succeed even after dropping your current name? Something like that?”

“Yes. So I applied with a completely different appearance and singing style than usual, and then I just happened to get accepted.”

“Because who knows when another chance will come, you signed the contract and then this happened?”

“Yes…”

“The indefinite postponement for working with me seems to be because people around you are letting you know just how busy a debut year is, and you probably didn’t want to give false hope.”

“Or perhaps you might be thinking of leaving CAT entirely…?”

When Majia shot a pointed look, Yura waved both her hands quickly as if pleading.

As if to assure she had no such thought.

“I! If Parallel had moved faster to collaborate with CAT, I might have applied to Parallel. I wouldn’t have broken off my long-standing relationship! It’s not like I thought CAT’s contract terms were that bad that I had to break up or something like that!!”

“I didn’t mention anything. I figured it would make more sense to experience something bigger. You didn’t think you’d pass, did you?”

“Yes! I never intended to betray anyone! I had no idea I would have to take such a long break from my activities. Ah… this is all my fault.”

Majia might have given Yura a meaningful look, but in all honesty, she didn’t think of it as betrayal.

In this industry, talented, high-brand-value talents are always called upon.

What can one do when Lee Yura, the top in the Korean Utaite industry, wants to work with both sides?

It’s natural for BachuBachu to hold exclusive rights early in its debut,

And even if it was mostly Yura’s mistake, CAT had no choice but to temporarily let go.

However, after the guarantee period of about six months, how much work would be done for each side was bound to become the competitive focus for both sides.

So BachuBachu would send Taro in to manage things.

They wouldn’t let her go and would try to get her to work more with BachuBachu.

After all, Yura had stamped the contract without considering the aftermath.

BachuBachu wouldn’t want to let her go so easily either.

Through Taro, who had been in a nurturing position, they would be putting pressure on her.

Tempting her with more work and more opportunities.

‘If this goes on….’

Honestly, Majia thought she wouldn’t have much say in the competition between CAT and BachuBachu (and SB behind the scenes) regarding Yura.

The three giants were growling at each other, and in between, a small fry like Parallel would just end up getting tossed around in the end.

Yet if Yura’s guilt towards Majia was genuine, she would surely follow what Majia wanted.

Though the opportunities wouldn’t come often,

The fact that the top Korean Utaite, Lee Yura, who had a global ranking with 2.5 million subscribers, was temporarily in Majia’s grasp was true.

Were they a bit like mutual leashes who were sharing a secret?

That’s true, but Majia didn’t particularly mind if the members found out that Fan_C was her.

She had toyed with them because she didn’t want their gaze to rest on her.

And while it’s true that the longer she kept it bottled up, the more effective it would be when it burst out,

If everything went according to plan, wouldn’t that be life?

Just a free ride.

Sometimes dealing with sudden emergencies was part of the fun of life, wasn’t it?

As long as the issues affecting the members didn’t force her to work extra, Majia didn’t mind much.

“I think working with Natsuki Luna and Fan_C will not be easy. We need approvals from BachuBachu, SB, and even CAT. There are just too many companies involved.”

“Well, that makes sense. It is my greed…”

“So, how about we conduct the collaboration song as soon as the exclusive contract period is over in three months? I think that would be enough. It wouldn’t significantly affect Natsuki Luna’s schedule either.”

Yura nodded with a sharp gaze.

“Although it might lose a bit of its meaning… but I genuinely want to do a song together regardless. So even if it means making BachuBachu dislike me, I’ll push hard from the Natsuki Luna side too.”

“What do you mean?”

“The song! You said it would be difficult, but I want to work with Fan_C too.”

“… I’d appreciate it if you could do that. But why do you want to work with me so much? Working with Taro, who’s now Mama, would be much more beneficial.”

Yura bit her lip.

“Of course, business outcomes would make that the jackpot. But do people always work just for the money? They might give me what the company wants, but my personal preference lies with Fan_C. That much is clear.”

Actually, when Nahyeon Gon offered the collaboration song with Fan_C and Eula as the next project, Majia found herself wondering if it was the right decision.

A company push to elevate a newcomer isn’t unusual,

But Yura was the top in Utaite in Korea, wasn’t she?

She had harbored a bit of doubt, similar to the moment Movgun said, “Your talk show partner is Taro, right?”

That thought lingered, which is why Majia wore an expression of disbelief.

She had no choice but to insist earnestly that Yura’s desire to work with Fan_C was genuine.

“No. I got proposals from Producer Nahyeon Gon even though it was a chaotic situation with BachuBachu’s debut right around the corner!”

Such a heartfelt sentiment is striking to someone like Majia, who spends her day in a whirlwind.

In that moment, Majia smiled and reached out her hand across the table.

The schedule for their collaboration song had finally been confirmed.

“First, let’s get the collaboration song done. After that, we can think about the next steps.”

“Okay. We’ll start recording right away in September. I’ll talk to CAT and make sure everything is prepared in advance.”

Once everything was sorted out, the meal became a stress-free time.

While Yura, who is also Natsuki Luna, had a great knack for connecting with others, it was a bit daunting, but the conversation never stalled.

This made Majia a bit worrysome.

No matter how much of a Utaite with 2.5 million followers she was, she was still a VTuber, right?

“But you should keep your characters separate. You keep mixing Luna and Yura unconsciously.”

“I haven’t gotten caught by anyone aside from Jia…?!”