I Became a Member of My Favorite Group! - Chapter 6

After the phone call, I was in shock for a while.

Of course, I would be.

Me, a member of Blue LUV? What on earth is this?

Tug—

“…It’s not a dream, huh.”

Just like when I first became a girl, I pinched my cheek as a test.

My stretched cheek reminded me of a rice cake, but since I’m not made of rubber, it hurt.

Yeah, that means it’s not a dream, but why did this happen?

Should I say no even now?

I’m not someone who deserves the love of many people.

Some people say that VTubers have it easy, that they live comfortably without showing their faces, but I can confidently say this.

Being a VTuber isn’t an easy job.

You need natural talent or something outstanding to attract people’s attention and love and above all, you need to shine.

That’s what I think it takes to be a VTuber.

The problem is, I don’t have any of that.

Why else would I have answered the question, “What’s your charm?” during the interview with, “My love for the members!”?

No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t think of any unique strengths.

No, I don’t even have anything that could be called a strength.

I don’t have anything that sets me apart from others.

“…Let’s meet and talk first.”

No matter how I think about it, this isn’t something I can accept.

Of course, I’m grateful for the opportunity but I’m sorry too.

I only took the interview because I wanted to meet the members of the group I’m a fan of.

Now, saying, “I’m not going to do it,” feels incredibly shameless, but accepting this recklessly and causing harm to the team would be even worse.

I checked the address sent in the text and nodded firmly.

The brightest stars in the world don’t need someone like me.

＊＊＊＊＊

Three days later, I visited the company again.

I thought that last time would be the final time, but coming back here again made me feel a mix of emotions.

“Welcome, Da-jeong. It’s been a while since the interview, right?”

“Ah…! Ah, hello…”

Like a country mouse just arrived in Seoul, I looked around the hallway.

Haneulbom personally came out to greet me.

I instinctively bowed at the appearance of such an important person.

Wow, she’s dressed so beautifully.

In contrast, I’m wearing the same shabby clothes as during the interview, which is a bit embarrassing.

But it’s the cleanest outfit I have.

“I’m a bit late with the introduction. I’m Kang Ha-neul, the CEO of Blue Project. You can call me CEO or Unnie… feel free to address me however you’re comfortable.”

“Th-Then, CEO…”

For a moment, I was tempted by the term “Unnie.”

Not because I particularly liked it, but because it felt more appropriate given that I came to refuse the offer.

But as someone with a male mind, the term “Unnie” felt too uncomfortable.

So, I reluctantly chose the alternative, “CEO.” Haneulbom… no, the CEO, nodded with a slightly disappointed expression.

“The other members are waiting. Come this way and let’s greet them together.”

“Huh? Ah…”

What should I do?

This seems like the perfect time to refuse, but the thought of seeing Blue LUV again made it hard to open my mouth.

Just once.

Yeah, just this once.

I’ll just greet the members and then tell the CEO I can’t do it.

This memory alone will last me a month without eating.

“Are you nervous? It’s okay, just follow me.”

“Yes, yes…!”

Thinking I was hesitating out of nervousness, the CEO took my hand and led me to where the members were.

I followed, twisting my body like someone who needed to pee.

“By the way, is your place close to here? I’d feel bad calling you often if it’s far.”

As we walked down the hallway.

Perhaps feeling uncomfortable with the silence, the CEO spoke with a slightly awkward expression.

“Ah, it’s a bit far. About a two-hour walk…”

“Ah, so you took the subway?”

Gasp, the subway?

Why would you say something so scary?

The money for one subway ride could buy me a whole meal!

“No, the subway is too expensive, so I usually walk.”

“…So you walked for two hours? In this weather?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t it hard? It’s so hot outside…”

Of course, it’s a bit hot but money doesn’t grow on trees.

Plus, since I’m lacking exercise, I think of it as building stamina, so it’s not so bad.

Even when I was working part-time, I didn’t use public transportation much.

Actually, it’s not that I avoided public transportation, but I just didn’t have a reason to use it.

My part-time job was relatively close to home, and I just went back and forth between home and work.

“Yes, it’s fine. I like walking.”

“…I see.”

The CEO looked at me with a gaze full of pity.

Why is she looking at me like that?

Did I say or do something pitiful?

“We’re here. Everyone’s waiting inside, so go on in.”

“Yes…!”

With a questioning look, I finally arrived at a door.

The CEO pointed to the doorknob, signaling me to open it, but…

Ugh, I’m so nervous.

Thinking that Blue LUV is on the other side, I can’t bring myself to grab the doorknob.

“C-Could you open it for me…?”

“Pfft, are you that nervous? They’re just the members you’ll be working with.”

Eventually, I asked the CEO to open the door for me, even though it might be bothersome.

With a kind smile, she grabbed the doorknob herself.

Creak—

Finally, the door opened, and the first thing I saw was a large desk.

And around it sat four women.

They seemed to have already started talking, as the atmosphere was surprisingly warm.

“Guys, our last member is here.”

The CEO gently pushed my back, as if introducing a puppy.

It seems she’s already comfortable with the other members.

Meanwhile, the four people, who had been sitting, stood up with joy when they saw me bowing nervously.

Among them was, of course, Erin… no, Jia, whom I had seen during the interview.

She passed too!

Well, if our Erin didn’t pass, who would?

Of course, the same goes for the other members!

“Oh, really?”

“Wow! We’re finally all here!”

“What’s this, why is she so cute…?!”

I cautiously revealed myself while internally spouting fan-like lines.

Then, three of them rushed toward me, expressing their excitement.

Especially the woman with navy-blue hair and a charming appearance, who looked at me with particular interest.

But unfortunately, I wasn’t in a position to purely enjoy their warm welcome.

“Ah, ah, ah, ah…”

Unable to even say “Hello,” I repeated the same words like a broken doll, leaving everyone looking at me in confusion.

“Ah, h-hello. I’m Jeong Da-jeong… I’m 21 years old.”

In the end, I bit my tongue out of nervousness and stumbled through the worst possible first greeting.

I wished I could crawl into a mouse hole right then and there.

“I’m Yuna. My name’s just Yuna. I’m also 21! Nice to meet you!”

The first person to greet me was a lively girl with her hair tied up in two long ponytails.

She seemed very outgoing, and if she had a tail, it would probably be wagging. She was so cute.

“Wow, that makes me the third oldest…?! I’m Park Chae-yoon. I’m 22. Nice to meet you, Da-jeong!”

Next was someone who, like Yuna, had a bright personality but with a more mature appearance.

She was one year older than me at this point.

Her long ponytail gave off a strong impression of someone active and energetic.

“I’m Lee Ra-hee. I’m 23, so feel free to call me Unnie.”

The next person had a mole next to her eye and narrow, alluring eyes that added to her enchanting aura.

What can I say? If a fox were reincarnated as a human, this is exactly how they’d look.

Her voice was as smooth and captivating as her appearance.

Her hair, a deep indigo that wasn’t quite black or blue, was equally striking.

“Y-Yes… Nice to meet you, Ra-hee Unnie.”

The term “Unnie” felt incredibly awkward to say, but since she asked, I forced myself to push through the discomfort and greet her.

“Oh my gosh, you’re so cute! I want to put you in my pocket and keep you…!”

“Ugh!”

Then, Ra-hee Unnie suddenly hugged me.

I couldn’t resist and ended up burying my face in her soft chest.

Ugh, I almost suffocated.

Today, I learned that you can kill someone with your chest.

Anyway, from left to right, it’s Yuna, Chae-yoon, and Ra-hee Unnie.

Just by their voices, I could tell which member each of them was.

Yuna is probably Yukimura Yukiko (雪村 雪子), the snow maiden character and the youngest member of Blue LUV.

Chae-yoon is likely Lilith, the assassin character and main vocalist of Blue LUV.

Ra-hee Unnie is probably Lucretia, the vampire character and the group’s ultimate tsundere.

And finally…

“We’ve met before, right? It’s so nice to see you again, Da-jeong.”

“Ah, yes…! It’s nice to see you too, Jia.”

The only member who mentioned we’d met before was Jia, the leader of Blue LUV—Erin.

‘Wow.’

Looking at the four of them gathered like this, I felt a strange sense of wonder.

Even if I superimposed their avatars over their real faces, it didn’t feel awkward at all.

Maybe when they created the avatars, they based them somewhat on their real personalities and appearances?

“I really wanted to work with you. Let’s have fun together from now on.”

“Ah…”

As various thoughts raced through my mind.

Jia reached out her hand and spoke with such sincerity that I couldn’t help but sigh.

To me, who had planned to refuse this opportunity today.

It felt like she was telling me, “This is where you belong.”

How can I refuse now?

If you reach out your hand to someone like me.

I’ll start to foolishly believe that someone like me has a place here.

“…Yes, let’s do our best together!”

However I couldn’t bear to see that smile disappear.

Even though I knew I shouldn’t, I took her hand.

Alright, I’ll give it a try.

Not because I believe in myself, but because I want to be of some help to the people who brought light into my life.