Chapter 83: Tea..Team Leader? Yuki-chan? …Why? Could it be that Yuki-chan is getting fired…?

[Manager-nim: The Team Leader wants to see you.]

[Manager-nim: Please come to the main office by 3 PM tomorrow.]

‘Why.’

‘What on earth went wrong.’

‘The Team Leader is probably the highest-ranking person managing Lunaverse KR.’

‘He was also the one who barely let me in after seeing me do a dogeza during the interview.’

(TL Note: Dogeza (도게자) is the act of kneeling directly on the ground and bowing to prostrate oneself while touching one’s head to the floor. It’s a gesture of deep apology or deference.)

‘But that kind of person is calling for me…?’

‘No… why?’

‘Something I might be called for…’

‘Yuki-chan doesn’t want to get pregnant, you know.’

‘Unfortunately, from the boobies onwards, it’s a paid service.’

‘S*xbiiiiiiiiim!!!!’

‘Haak… Hieut, heuaa…’

“…There are many.”

The number of past misdeeds was so high that I didn’t even know where to begin thinking.

It was simply amazing that I hadn’t received any sanctions from Newtube so far.

“Sigh… Well, I should at least go and see.”

I sigh and enter the Lunaverse main office.

The interior looks relatively quiet, perhaps because work has somewhat decreased since the recent 3D broadcast.

And at the counter, a woman with sharp features and short black hair greeted me.

It was Manager-nim.

“Ah, you’re here. You can go into the conference room now.”

“Uhm… Manager-nim?”

“Yes?”

“I’m not going to get fired, am I? If I’m being called for a dismissal notice or disciplinary action…”

“Haaa… It’s not like that, so don’t worry. It’ll probably be nothing.”

“R-Really?”

“Yes. So stop dawdling and just go in quickly.”

“U-Uh-huh…”

Even though Manager-nim told me it was okay, I still couldn’t calm down.

‘It could just be a lie to reassure me, right?’

‘The usual oni-like Manager-nim is capable of such a thing.’

(TL Note: Oni is a kind of demon or ogre in Japanese folklore.)

“Hoo… hoo…”

After taking deep breaths to calm my chest, I cautiously open the door to the conference room.

Sitting inside is a man with an impressive shiny bald head, slightly wide in build.

It was the Team Leader.

“Ah, Yuki-yang. You’re finally here.”

(TL Note: 양 (Yang) is a polite suffix added to names, similar to Mr./Ms. but can also carry a slightly endearing tone.)

“Y-Yes, sir!”

“Come in and sit. The tea I prepared will get cold.”

The Team Leader, still with a kind expression, gestures for me to come and sit.

As I awkwardly sit down in a chair, I see a cup of black tea placed on the table.

‘Don’t tell me…’

‘It can’t be, right?’

‘It won’t be… because there are no nuclear bombs in Korea.’

‘Radioactive black tea, that’s ridiculous.’

‘…Still, it’s unsettling, so let’s not drink it for now.’

“How’s the streaming going these days?”

“Haha… Yes. I think it’s going well.”

“I see. Seeing that you already have close to 1 million subscribers, it must be going well.”

“……”

Come to think of it, I was already on the verge of reaching 1 million subscribers.

Perhaps by this evening, I would finally reach 1 million.

Compared to when I first started streaming with only 10 viewers, it was an unimaginable level of growth.

Streaming with tens of thousands of viewers…

Back then, it was a scene I could only dream of…

“Anyway, that’s why I called you here today, Yuki-yang.”

“Yes? Wasn’t it to fire me?”

“Fire you? Haha… Is there any reason for me to cut off the most famous VTuber in Lunaverse KR with my own hands?”

‘Th-That’s a relief…’

‘Not being fired, that was a real relief.’

‘Honestly, when I first came in, I thought I was going to be fired and had braced myself somewhat.’

‘It felt like the tension that had filled my whole body was instantly released.’

“Anyway, it’s a bit early, but congratulations in advance on 1 million subscribers.”

“……”

“Actually, I believed in you from the beginning. I didn’t expect you to reach 1 million, but I thought you’d be the most successful among this 2nd generation…”

“…Me.”

I speak softly, my head bowed.

Normally, interrupting a superior would be rude, but seeing the sudden change in my atmosphere, the Team Leader said nothing.

“Why did you choose me back then?”

And finally, the question came out.

The voice asking the question trembled, like a leaf in a storm.

‘Actually, there were many strange things from the beginning.’

‘Most of the people who applied to Lunaverse KR were either idol trainees or famous streamers.’

‘Normally, someone like me, a nugu, or Rin, who had never streamed before, would have had a hard time getting picked.’

(TL Note: 하꼬 (Hakko) is a slang term for a small, unknown streamer, a “nugu.”)

‘But whether it was that man’s simple whim, I ended up sitting in a place that should have been occupied by brilliantly shining people.’

‘Thanks to that, it was good that I could shine like them too…’

‘But isn’t it actually uncertain?’

‘Whether I can truly shine like them.’

‘Or if I’ll just shine for a moment and then fade away.’

‘If so, then why on earth.’

‘Did the Team Leader choose someone like me as a VTuber?’

“……”

Silence filled the room for a while.

Thud, the hand placed down next to the teacup.

Small ripples on the surface of the black tea.

And when those ripples subsided.

The Team Leader spoke again.

“To put it bluntly… it’s because I saw potential.”

“Potential… you say.”

“Yes. In my opinion, among the people there, I thought you had the most potential.”

“But… that doesn’t make sense, does it? How could I, more than all those people…”

I argued with him as if it didn’t make sense, and he smiled quietly.

The Team Leader continued.

“I saw desperation in you back then. A desperation that you would do your best, even if it meant risking your life.”

“……”

‘It had to be that way.’

‘Back then, I was so poor that meals were a struggle, and there wasn’t really anywhere else to work besides being a VTuber.’

‘I think I really thought of it as my last chance and gave it my all.’

‘Actually, I’ve slacked off a bit recently, so it’s less than before…’

‘But still, around that time, I really worked hard, prepared to die.’

‘Organizing, analyzing, and memorizing trending things in a notebook.’

‘Practicing for hours to create a more attractive way of speaking.’

‘Singing, dancing, and gaming, I practiced to be at least average in all of them.’

‘Thanks to that, the practiced way of speaking and the RP didn’t match, so I abandoned the RP…’

‘Well, in the end, I did become popular, so I guess it’s all good as long as the result is good…? 

“Just keep working hard like you are now. That’s all I have to say.”

“……”

“Ah, and please avoid overly suggestive content during broadcasts.”

“Ah, that’s…”

“If you get banned, it becomes a headache in various ways…”

“Haha… I’m sorry.”

I had no excuse for this, even if I had a hundred mouths.

It’s just that the only thing I’m good at is s*x jokes, so the broadcasts became spicy.

If I were to get banned, it would be entirely my responsibility.

“Well, anyway. I shouldn’t keep busy people for too long. You can leave now.”

“…Thank you.”

“Yes. Congratulations again on 1 million.”

I bowed my head 90 degrees and left the conference room.

My footsteps felt a little lighter than when I entered.

‘Was it because I could resolve what had been bothering me?’

‘Or was it because I could recall the efforts I had made before?’

‘Well, anyway.’

‘I felt relieved.’

---

“Ah, right. I should have finished the black tea before coming out.”

“……”

“Should I go back and drink it now…?”

“Haaa… Really, Yuki-ssi, you are…”

Fortunately, I managed to escape beforehand and avoid the bundle of papers swung by Manager-nim.

---

Back home again.

First, Rin and I ordered tteokbokki.

Somehow, since it was a special day, I wanted to eat something special, but still, I felt it would be better to have something familiar.

So, as usual, we ordered jjajang tteokbokki and regular tteokbokki and had dinner.

(TL Note: Jjajang tteokbokki is tteokbokki with black bean sauce.)

Before I started my stream, I called Rin for a moment.

“Why did you suddenly call me?”

“No, it’s just… somehow, since it’s 1 million, my mind feels restless…”

“It’ll be fine. It’s just that your subscriber count is increasing, right?”

“That’s true, but… I’m somehow worried.”

‘Should I call it an unidentifiable anxiety?’

‘Or should I call it fear of a future that hasn’t arrived yet.’

A feeling that I shouldn’t be like this began to creep up, and I started to feel a tension I rarely felt.

“Rin. What will we do later in life?”

“Well… we’ll have to keep being VTubers.”

“What if we retire from being VTubers? What will you do then?”

“We’ll have a lot of money earned… Can’t we just live while playing around?”

“Playing around?”

“Yes. Just doing some hobbies, and living with Yuki-unni.”

“Heeh… I see…”

At Rin’s overly simple answer about the future, I felt myself spacing out without realizing it.

‘Right.’

‘Why was I thinking so complicatedly?’

‘All I have to do is just keep living with Rin like this and be a VTuber.’

‘Well, as long as I don’t get into any scandals, I should bury my bones in Lunaverse.’

‘Better technology might come out later and I might become obsolete, but the money I’ve saved by then will probably be enough to live on for the rest of my life.’

‘Even the money I have now is enough to make my eyes spin.’

“So, you’re saying you want to keep living with me, Rin?”

“Th-That’s right…”

“Are you going to get married?”

“M-Married? How can girls… And we’re not even dating yet…”

“Eh, we weren’t dating?”

“…Yes?”

“After trying so hard to eat Yuki-chan up…”

“……”

“Just kidding, just kidding~”

“……”

Rin lowered her face, red with shame.

Then, she lifted her head again with a subtle smile and opened her mouth.

“So, Unni. When are we going to f*ck?”

“Eh… f*ck…?”
“You teased me about ‘f*cking’ with my name last time, didn’t you?”

“I-I never did such a thing!!”

“I’m sure Unni will like it too. The new dild… I bought this time…”

“Noooooo!!!! I’d appreciate it if you didn’t take my virginity so freely!!”

But Rin didn’t stop at my words; instead, she walked towards me.

Thud, thud, she walked slowly with exaggerated gestures, making her hands into the shape of a witch’s claws.

And seeing that, I ran towards the soundproof booth with all my might.

“Kyaaaaaaaaargh!!!”

I screamed.

“Really… you’re so cute.”

Slurp.

I think I heard a lip-smacking sound before entering the soundproof booth…

‘It must be my imagination, right…?’