I Became a Member of My Favorite Group! - Chapter 19

The CEO’s single question mark, filled with all sorts of emotions.

As soon as it appeared on the stream, the chat was instantly flooded with laughter.

• LOLOLOLOLOLOL
• So it was scripted, LOLOLOLOL
• Internal whistleblowing, LOLOLOL
• The rookie’s bold, LOLOLOL

『I-it’s not scripted! No, maknae! How could you do this to me?!』

The CEO, flustered by the viewers’ teasing, went on a rant for a while.

Then, a message popped up in the Discord chat: “Ha-neulbom is typing…”

I guess she doesn’t realize I’m watching the stream, so she’s probably about to say something.

---

[Ha-neulbom] – Hey, maknae…
[Ha-neulbom] – What do you mean, scripted…?
[Ha-neulbom] – Are you upset with me or something?
[Ha-neulbom] – We were getting along so well…

Compared to her yelling into the mic earlier, this chat feels much gentler.

Come to think of it, the CEO has always been especially kind to me.

Even though she’s gotten closer to the other members and started using rougher language with them.

Could it be that I make her uncomfortable?

Anyway, seeing this side of the CEO is quite refreshing.

At the same time, it feels a little fun.

I think I’m starting to understand why some people enjoy being toxic on streams.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I should do it.

[Me] – Hehe.
[Me] – Just kidding, CEO.
[Me] – Since it’s my first time meeting your viewers, I thought I’d make a joke to break the ice.

You can’t spit on a smiling face, so I deliberately started with a laugh and made an excuse.

Honestly, even I know it’s a ridiculous excuse.

If I wanted to make a joke, there were plenty of other topics I could’ve chosen.

This was purely an act of kindness to help the CEO’s stream.

Well, maybe there was a tiny, tiny part of me that wanted to tease her and see her reaction…

But yeah, that was just a bonus.

Everything I did was out of love for the CEO.

• Wow.
• This kid knows how to play the stream game.
• Internal closeness level just skyrocketed, LOLOLOL
• I feel a sense of kinship with this VTuber I’m seeing for the first time…
• Hey! You can join Gooreumdan too!

Gooreumdan?

Ah, that’s the CEO’s fandom name, right?

Since the CEO’s name is Ha-neul (sky), the fandom is called Gooreum (cloud).

What a great name—sky and clouds.

[Ha-neulbom] – I see…
[Ha-neulbom] – Thanks for clearing that up, even if it’s late.
[Ha-neulbom] – But you’re not actually upset with me or anything, right?

Even as she accepted my apology, it seemed like she still had some lingering doubts.

As if to confirm one last time, she asked me directly.

Come on, how could I possibly be upset with the CEO?

That’s not something I’d even joke about.

Even this amazing computer I’m using right now was generously provided by the CEO.

And the fact that I get to work with the current members is all thanks to her.

[Me] – Of course not, hehe.
[Me] – I’m so grateful to you, CEO…!
[Me] – If it weren’t for you, someone like me would’ve never become a VTuber.
[Me] – I’m always thankful!

I said it with all sincerity, but for some reason, there was no response.

Even the stream was unusually quiet.

Did I say something wrong?

Feeling anxious, I quickly checked the chat.

• “Someone like me”?
• She seems to have low self-esteem…
• Isn’t she just being humble?
• That’s a bit much.

Huh? Why is everyone reacting like this?

Is there something wrong with what I said?

I carefully reread the chat, but nothing seemed off.

Maybe it’s something only I’m not noticing.

[CEO] – No.
[CEO] – Our maknae is so kind and cute.
[CEO] – Once she debuts, all the viewers here will fall for her.

After a long wait, the CEO finally responded.

Her tone felt like she was gently scolding me.

Of course, the CEO is always kind, but sometimes it feels especially pronounced.

Today is one of those days.

I’m not sure why, though.

[Me] – Yes!
[Me] – I hope that happens!
[Me] – Hehe…

To be precise, it’s not just about me but all of us in Blue LUV.

I don’t really think someone like me will do well as a VTuber.

I just want to work hard so I don’t tarnish the CEO’s reputation or the name of Blue LUV.

[CEO] – Speaking of which, do you want to do a quick Q&A?
[CEO] – The viewers have a lot of questions.
[Me] – Yes! Sounds good!

Communication is always important.

I answered enthusiastically and waited for the questions.

『Everyone, if you have any questions for our maknae, go ahead and ask. Of course, I’ll filter out any trashy ones.』

• Ask her about her first impression of the CEO!
• What does she usually do these days?
• What games does she like?
• Any special skills or hobbies?

Oh, there are more questions than I expected.

And they’re all things I can answer without too much trouble.

The only one I’m not sure about is my special skill, but I can probably come up with something.

[CEO] – They want to know your first impression of me.
[Me] – First impression?

The first question chosen was about my first impression of the CEO.

Should I be honest about this?

It’s a little scary, but the CEO is so generous that I’m sure she’ll understand.

[Me] – A scary unnie…?

Well, that was just my first impression.

It’s not like that at all now.

Sure, she can be scary when she scolds the members, but I know she’s really kind deep down.

It’s just that when I first met her, she gave off this strong, no-nonsense vibe.

Her tone was confident, bold, and straightforward.

So, I guess it felt a little intimidating to approach her at first.

---

『What?! Why am I scary?! Maknae! Why are you like this to me?!』

• LOLOLOLOLOLOL
• Scary unnie, LOLOLOL
• Did she just roast her on their first meeting?
• Ha-neulbom… what did you do to this kid…

『I didn’t do anything! I’ve always been super nice to our maknae!』

Yeah, that’s definitely true.

The CEO has always been kind to me.

It’s just that her attitude toward the other members is a bit different, so from my perspective, it felt scary.

[CEO] – Maknae?
[Me] – I’m sorry…
[Me] – ㅜㅜ

Following the earlier question mark, another bone-chilling message.

Feeling like I was being punished, I apologized.

Then, in real-time, the chat’s mood started to plummet.

• Boo, trash.

• She made the maknae cry…
• And this is the company owner?
• Look at how petty she is, tsk tsk.
• Our maknae did nothing wrong ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
• This b*tch just has a small chest.

Huh?

But isn’t it supposed to be “small-hearted,” not “small-chested”?

Or at least “narrow-minded.”

『Ya, you little punk! What do you mean, small chest?! Did you see it?! Did you?! It’s supposed to be small-hearted!』

• Ah, she got caught, LOLOLOLOL
• This is why I hate streamers who catch on too quickly.
• What do you call it when there’s no proof?
• Yeah, if you’re mad, turn on your cam~

Ah, I see.

Now I get it.

Since the CEO prefers no-cam streams, the viewers are using that to troll her.

It would be fun to just keep watching the stream like this…

But I already did something rude to the CEO earlier.

Now it’s my turn to take her side.

[Me] – No!
[Me] – The CEO is huge!
[Me] – I’ve hugged her a lot, so I know!

Firmly denying the viewers’ slander, I felt a strange sense of pride.

Yeah, this is something I can definitely confirm.

It’s not like I couldn’t know, since the CEO and Ra-hee unnie are always hugging me out of nowhere.

Plus, our CEO usually dresses very modestly.

You can tell at a glance, “Wow, she’s big.”

Among our members, only Ra-hee unnie and Jia unnie could rival her.

By the way, the CEO will probably praise me for this, right?

Hehe.

• ㅗㅜㅑ
• Maknae’s testimony: The CEO is huge.
• We admit defeat.
• Maknae, I’m so jealous of you…

The viewers seem to accept my testimony, too.

Perfect.

I was giggling to myself while watching the stream when…

『…Wait a minute. I didn’t type anything in the chat just now. How did she know we were talking about chest size?』

Suddenly, the CEO spoke up, as if she’d realized something.

• ?
• A grown woman talking about chest size is a bit…
• Now that you mention it…
• What’s going on? How did she know?

Gasp.

Right! I didn’t tell her I was watching the stream!

Only then did I realize my mistake and frantically started deleting the messages I’d typed in Discord.

The problem was, it happened right as the CEO checked Discord, so it was captured on stream.

• LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
• She was lurking on the stream, LOLOLOL
• Look at her deleting Discord messages, LOLOL
• Caught red-handed, LOLOL

The chat, watching my failed attempt to cover up, was flooded with laughter again.

And the CEO, who had been silent for a while…

『Maknae, you know we have a meeting at the company in three days, right? Don’t forget and make sure to come, okay?』

I could hear her grinding her teeth through the mic, though she tried to hide it.

She spoke in a voice so sweet it was almost sickening.

[Me] – Um… I think I’ll have a stomachache that day, so I might not be able to come to the company…

『What kind of excuse is that, you brat! No, where did our sweet maknae go?! Bring her back!』

I tried to resist timidly, but all I could do was shrink back in fear as she yelled even louder.

Eek.

Maybe the CEO is still a little scary after all.