Chapter 105: Career Path

“…That’s what she said.”

I spun around the business card in my hand as Doah finished her explanation.

What the hell was this thing made of? The quality was good.

I’ve been spinning it around like crazy, but I couldn’t see a single crease on it.

“…Really?”

“Yes. Seems like she really likes you, Oppa.”

Since the semester had ended, we didn’t have anything to do during our supposed school time. So, we often visited each other during that time.

While going on a date outside was fun, both Doah and I were fundamentally introverts who preferred to stay indoors.

Well, we might go to a park or something if the weather was warmer, but it was still in the middle of winter. No way we were gonna go outside under the biting cold winds.

“So, why don’t you try contacting her?”

“Hmm…”

I pretended to hesitate a little, but my answer was already set in stone.

A big no.

Seriously, I wasn’t interested at all.

People might call it a good opportunity or whatever, but that was only for people who wanted to work in that industry.

As for me…

I just wanted to enjoy the winter break, peeling tangerines with Doah.

Just think about it, if I were to accept her offer, I’d definitely get busy. Doah was already busy enough, if I got busy too, when would we get to see each other?

“…Do you not want to…?”

When I didn’t answer, Doah looked at me with a slightly dejected face.

“No, it’s just… Uh, how should I put it…?”

I couldn’t just complain about that CLOSER manager who worked with her…

Inwardly, I kept thinking, ‘Why does she keep bothering me?’, but Doah seemed to think highly of her, so there was no way I could say those words out loud.

“Then, Oppa.”

She slowly let her upper body fall onto my lap as we sat side by side.

Then, she rested her face on my thigh.

When I looked down at her to look at her eyes, the shadow of my face fell over her head.

“What do you want to do?”

“What do I want to do?”

“You know, what is it that you want to do in the future? Like, what’s your career path?”

My career path, huh…?

I had given it serious thought, but I hadn’t come to a conclusion yet.

Well, I had a vague idea that if I just continued going to school, I’d try to get a job at a broadcasting station or something.

When I got discharged from the military, I figured that I should get my act together and started putting more thought into that, but when that happened, I was just starting my second year. I knew almost nothing back then.

Of course, it wasn’t like I had learned anything great even after I’d finished my second year now.

When would I ever learn anything I wonder…?

“Well, I think I’ll just continue going to school for a bit more and make my decision in a year or so.”

Even though I was anxious about my future, I didn’t think that I needed to feel impatient about it.

After all, I still had two years left as a student.

“Wouldn’t it be better if you were to try various things while you’re in school?”

Doah said as she fiddled with the hem of my shirt.

“Who knows you might want to do something later but can’t because you’d need to get a job.”

Was that really so?

Would there be a future where I wished to become a celebrity or something like that?

Honestly, I couldn’t see it.

But then again, you never knew what the future had in store for me.

Thanks to the owner of these squishy cheeks, Kim Doah, I could see things from this perspective.

“Ugh. Why do you keep pulling them?”

Despite having cheeks that could stretch like mozzarella, Doah turned her head this way and that as if telling me to stop.

She was so cute, I couldn’t help but smile at her.

“What about you? What do you want to be later?”

“Me?”

I didn’t want to be the only one who received a career counseling session, so I seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack.

“You weren’t planning to be a vtuber forever, were you?”

There was no way that would be the case.

Before she joined CLOSER, Luka-tan didn’t stream on time often. She said that she was busy in real life or something.

“Hmm… I guess not forever, right? Maybe?”

Seeing her small lips fidgeting, I poked her cheek.

“But I told you that you should do it forever in your chat~”

“…Really?”

“Yeah! What am I gonna do with my life if you quit streaming?”

“Just go watch other vtubers. You don’t even need to watch CLOSER, there are other cute vtubers too. A lot of them.”

She said that, speaking as if it was something obvious. Honestly, it made me rather upset.

“No, Doah. Does it even make sense to compare you to others?”

“Well, objectively speaking, it isn’t like I’m number one in viewership or anything.”

Being number one in viewership also meant that she catered more to the mainstream viewers.

The problem here was that her streams were quite far from those kinds of viewers.

They had a bit of an iykyk otaku vibe…

“You’re number one to me.”

“I’d rather Doah be number one, not Luka.”

For some reason, she always did this.

Whenever I sincerely said that I liked Luka, or that Luka was the best, she’d ruin the immersion by mentioning her real name.

“Of course you’re number one too.”

“Too? Did you just say too?”

Jees, why were you always like this? Seriously!

I squinted my eyes as if telling her to stop, and she pulled my neck for a quick kiss.

…Oh, crap.

Ever since that day, every skin contact I had with her would become a catalyst for me to think of naughty thoughts.

“Anyway. Maybe I’d try to become a program director for a broadcasting station or something after I stop being a vtuber…”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. I mean, I love lying at home watching anime and movies. Oh, also dramas too.”

That was a typical answer you’d often hear from students in our department.

“But CLOSER is doing so well these days, so I don’t know. Honestly, we’re much more popular than we first expected.”

This probably applied to real idols too, but groups selected through auditions usually started their activities with a rather large fanbase.

With the existing fans of the members, audition viewers, and music chart listeners combined, these days the members’ streams usually had at least 10,000 viewers.

“The company said one year, but I think they might extend the contract.”

Well, they had no reason to kill the goose that lays golden eggs, surely.

It would be a loss for YM if they were to disband a group this popular after just one year.

“Let’s hope that’s the case.”

“The other members often say stuff like that too. Like, let’s keep working together for a long time and such…”

“How are things between you and Jennifer? Is it okay now?”

I heard that it had been rough between them after the whole Oppa incident last time.

“Of course. Things were a little awkward at first, but we talked a lot afterwards. I mean, we can’t keep being awkward to each other because of that. It might hinder our collabs and stuff, you know…”

[Evidence of Bad Blood between Jennifer-Luka]

If something like this popped up on the cafe board¹, it would cause a huge uproar.

Knowing how much the toxic members of the community loved to make out these kinds of connections, I could immediately sympathize with her words.

“Well, I’m glad you two are getting along again.”

“We were always so close, though~”

Doah twisted her body to get up, then flopped down on her back.

“Ugh… I don’t want to stream~!”

“But you have to.”

Your fans were waiting for you. You couldn’t just not do it.

Of course, that included me.

“I just want to roll around here all day.”

As if trying to emphasize the ‘roll around’ part of her sentence, she grabbed the blanket and rolled over.

Though, since the single bed wasn’t that big, she only got to roll half a turn before being blocked by the blanket.

“You can’t~ Go and stream~”

“Pink Army! Listen here! Are you trying to defy your Luka-nim?!”

Hiding her face, she blatantly protested towards me in her Luka voice.

“C’mon! You’re going on a break soon anyway.”

The official break period for CLOSER members was set for the second week of January.

It felt like they were real idols or something. Everyone got the same break period.

Also, Doah said that the reason why they were given vacation around this time was because they had to do a Lunar New Year Special later.

So, how would we spend that one week’s worth of vacation given to us?

I dunno. We hadn’t planned anything yet.

If I had to say something, maybe we’d go to the lamb skewer place that Doah said she wanted to visit.

“…Want to go on a trip?”

She probably just said those words just because, but the moment I heard those words, my heart started racing like crazy.

I mean, a trip implied that we’d be sleeping together.

Sleeping together and sharing a bed… That meant…

Feeling my face heat up, I turned my back to Doah for no reason.

“Uh… Where do you want to go?”

If she really just said it just because, I could brush her suggestion off. But, if she was serious, well, I’d immediately try to match our schedules.

“I want to try going to a ski resort.”

The answer that came out of her mouth caught me off guard.

I had never been to one either, so if we actually went… It would probably be quite the adventure…

“What do you think? Not interested?”

“I’m looking up resorts right now.”

Sadly, all the reservations had already been filled-up, maybe because it was the season for it. I let out a deep sigh.

“Well… If you can’t find one, it’s fine.”

I really wanted to find a place because I wanted to ski so badly. Yes, I wanted to ski.

And to make beautiful memories with Doah.

I frantically searched for places to stay, typing ski resort over and over in the search bar.