chapter_0047

47 – Mayday, Mayday

47 – Mayday, Mayday

Have you ever heard of a perpetual motion machine?

Just a gentle push with your hand makes the metal ball attached to the disc move around, creating propulsion, and it spins due to that propulsion, causing the metal ball to move again.

It’s a common scam often seen in shorts and such. In reality, due to various reasons like friction and air resistance, it’s absolutely impossible to implement, and most of the time, a motor is hidden in an unseen place to make it look convincing.

However, my conversation with the Boss is a real perpetual motion machine.

Unless someone says, “Let’s wrap it up here,” it’s like a runaway bull, an eight-ton truck with broken brakes, or a locomotive running on bare ground despite the tracks being cut.

“… Boss, aren’t you hungry?”

“Ah.”

When I came to my senses, it was already 9 PM.

The Boss had long passed his quitting time—thankfully, there was no broadcast today—and my stomach was growling, having skipped dinner, while Gong Seung-yeon, who came in at 3 PM, had been left unattended for six hours.

“Shall we call it a day and finish up tomorrow?”

“Sure, let’s go eat.”

“I have to look after Seungyeon, so I’ll just grab something quick.”

At those words, the Boss hesitated before asking as I was about to leave his office.

“Uh, you know… once we finish up the busy stuff… should we go on a trip with the kids again?”

The Boss must know by now that I wouldn’t refuse such a delightful proposal.

“Just set the date.”

Fortunately, Seungyeon was managing to handle one person’s workload without me having to say anything.

“Oh, Team Leader! You’re here?”

“Sorry. I got caught up in a long conversation with the Boss.”

“I could tell how focused you two were; the other team leaders were just peeking in and couldn’t come in.”

“Really? I had no idea.”

“Yes. But it seemed like no one was in a hurry, so they all left early.”

It would be troublesome if my conversation with the Boss caused any disruption to work.

This is a very important time with the one-year anniversary event coming up.

Still, I was relieved to hear they left early.

“What about dinner?”

“Ah. The Team Leader brought back pad thai. He saw you were stuck with the Boss and figured you wouldn’t be out anytime soon.”

“That’s a relief.”

“What about you, Team Leader? You haven’t eaten, right?”

“I’ll eat now. There’s leftover pizza in the fridge from yesterday, so I’m going to have that.”

Pizza after a six-hour extended meeting has a special taste.

Seungyeon looked at me strangely, but I pointed to the report she had been working on and said one thing.

“Hey, there’s a typo.”

“Ah.”She had written Komari instead of Komaru and Maru instead of Mari.”

It was a subtle mistake that happens while typing.

But aside from that, the overall texture of the report wasn’t bad.

It seemed like she had referenced the report I wrote yesterday.

It was amusing to see similarities while also noticing differences.

“How did you write the report without anyone telling you? You’re quite skilled!”

“Ah. Is that so?”

“Thanks to you, I’m less worried. I thought today’s work would be a hassle since my conversation with the Boss went on for too long. If Seungyeon can back me up like this, I’m grateful.”

“Hehe… Thank you. I thought you seemed busy, so I tried to do my best based on the experience from working together yesterday, and I’m glad it worked out….”

“If you keep this up, you’ll settle in quickly. Does the work suit your personality?”

“It fits perfectly. I’ve always liked watching the kids’ broadcasts, but being able to watch four broadcasts at once is unbelievable. The headset is amazing too. The post-processing makes their voices sound so clear.”

“You’re watching at work, not at home?”

“I get paid! Watching broadcasts while getting paid. I can use that money to support them. Isn’t it a complete creative economy? I used to send a thousand-won punch maybe five hundred times a month at most. Now I can send it fifteen hundred times!”

Among those who consistently support, there are people like Seungyeon who send a significant amount each month, splitting it all into one-thousand-won donations. They are the notorious Thousand-won punch squad.

It’s hard to view them purely positively, but Seungyeon would probably be good at tightrope walking.

Moreover, she shares my mindset so closely that I can’t help but laugh.

I pressed my hands against my mouth to calm down, and Seungyeon spoke.

“But, Team Leader, have you gotten some sleep?”

“Yes, I slept as usual. Why?”

“You seem to have darker circles under your eyes than yesterday….”

“… Can you see that?”

“I have good observation skills and intuition. I can tell if Komari’s voice changes a little whether she has a cold, went to vocal training yesterday, or visited the hospital.”

I’ve occasionally asked the Boss or the kids if they’re feeling okay while watching broadcasts, wondering if they need to take a break.

But it’s the first time someone has worried about me like this.

However, I’ve only collapsed once in my life, and that was because I overexerted myself.

This time, I hadn’t pushed myself that far, so I waved my hand lightly.

“Thanks for worrying, but don’t think too much about it.”

“No, Team Leader, I’m really worried about you!”

“I told you. If I was going to collapse, I should have done it a long time ago.”

“Hmm….”

Looking at Gong Seung-yeon’s expression, it seemed like that was the gist of it.

Ah, I want to drag her to the hospital.

But as a Team Leader, I can’t do that.

But I’m really fine.

The dark circles have always been a bit prominent, and now they feel like a friendly acquaintance.

And there are still broadcasts I can’t watch.

Instead of going to the hospital, I’d rather watch broadcasts, support them, and do this and that.

I wish a day had 48 hours.

Because live broadcasts are warmer and tastier than cutouts.

One day.

“If you hit there, it’s UFC.”

“Didn’t you respond like this before, Boss?”

“I’m saying this because I felt it was a mistake too.”

“Aha.”

Two days.

“Boss, honestly, that was really old-fashioned just now.”

“What?! When did I!”

“Is it because you’re nearing the age of a dozen eggs that you’re getting more and more….”

“Do you want to die? I’m still in my mid-20s!”

Three days.

“Hey. You honestly helped with the broadcast just to fight with me, didn’t you?”

“Fight? I just expressed my feelings. And we have to consider the broadcast context, Boss.”

“Consider the broadcast context… sigh.”

Four days.

“Here… yeah, it’s right to do it your way.”

“Oh. The Boss accepted it without any objections for the first time.”

“If you had scratched it just enough, it wouldn’t have been like this.”

“I scratched it, didn’t I?”

“Just like that.”

By the way, at 7 PM that evening, the first anniversary song for the first generation was also released.

[🥔Nutube]

One Other (Music Video) | Parallel Another

Parallel Official | 132,000 subscribers

24,000 views | 1 day ago | #Parallel #Another #1stAnniversary #3D

292 comments

@Movgun 15 minutes ago

Damn Parallel, you made me like this

– @gungungungungun just now

Shut up and shoot your gun

Even just a day after uploading, it showed an unbelievable figure of 24,000 views, breaking the best metrics among the songs released on the official channel.

It climbed to the trending videos and was selected by the algorithm, with metrics steadily rising.

Most comments were overwhelmingly positive.

Just as expected from the teaser.

The 3D modeling and background quality are amazing, and the tracking is incredibly smooth.

The kids’ singing and dancing skills seem to be improving day by day.

In the rap part, I almost pulled out my 8-bit sunglasses and danced on my bed, and so on.

The reactions to the hard work of the first generation continued even into the next day.

Thus, five days passed, and on the sixth day, November 7th.

The first 3D showcase of the first generation, featuring Akari Dora, was set to launch.

[ (🔴Live) Miracle Coffee Shop | 3D Showcase ] 👪16,042

#3D #Parallel #Showcase #Another

Since all members, including Momo, had to focus on one person, they took a break from broadcasting.

However, even considering that, the number of people gathered was extraordinary.

Thinking back to when all four of them gathered during the Halloween collaboration, which peaked at 11,000 viewers, it meant there had been a significant influx of new viewers due to the release of the new song for the anniversary.

And the showcase was captivating enough to hold those viewers’ attention.

Even I and the Boss, who had seen a short rehearsal video, paused our meeting to marvel at Dora’s 3D broadcast.

“The polygon count of her hair is insane. The rigging is also well done.”

“Right? They spent an enormous amount of money on this.”

“We’re not going to go bankrupt, are we?”

“It’s all an investment. There are many things that can only be done in 3D, so it can’t be helped. From now on, it’s important to direct the kids to engage in various content.”

“Hmm. If Dora keeps bouncing around like that, money will come in on its own.”

“That’s true, but haven’t you been staring at her chest a bit too much since earlier?”

“Her chest is a major issue. You’ve been staring at it too.”

“No. Well, it does shake quite a bit….”

Dora, who already wore a dress with a small surface area, had a high overall exposure level. With the breast morphing working well, the chat was temporarily paralyzed.

— Oh my

— I think I’m going to have heart failure, sis

— Stop shaking!!!

— Ah, this is a 9.9 on the Richter scale… 9.9…

Even though it was just the same character reborn in 3D, the reaction was incredibly heated.

It reminded us of how important “visual stimulation” is to humans.

With Live2D illustrations, it’s possible to convey a sense of being “alive.”

However, even if it feels alive, it also gives the impression that “it’s hard to meet in reality.”

My idol, trapped in the cage of the screen, remains a regret for the watching fans.

But once 3D is established, the virtual and reality connect.

In an age where AR and VR are quite widespread, one can come to a near-belief that my idol could jump out into reality and sing or dance for me.

In other words, the addition of a 3D avatar signifies “an expansion into a reality stage with infinite possibilities.”

If my favorite, who always just bobbed her upper body, turned out to be an incredibly energetic puppy.

If she turned out to be an amazing dancer or, conversely, completely clumsy.

From habitual gestures that reflect her usual personality to small actions,

the moment fans see the true essence of their favorite, which couldn’t be known through Live2D alone, they can’t help but feel it.

This is what it feels like to directly face my favorite and play together.

After all, what’s important in communication between people isn’t just conversation.

We must not forget that body language, including expressions, constitutes a significant part of communication.

In reality, it’s possible to create situations where one feels as if they are in the same place as the virtual YouTuber, with various angles and perspectives.

It also becomes possible to provide laughter that surpasses most entertainment through content that uses physical movement.

Not only concerts but also the chemistry and skinship between members, which could only be shown through words before, can now be displayed in detail.

Today, what Dora’s fans enjoyed was the experience of being a one-day part-timer hired by the beautiful dragon Boss.

Passing the interview. Sitting across from each other and eating together. Learning how to make coffee at a distance close enough for shoulders to touch. Catching a bug that suddenly appeared. Walking home together in the dark after work. Most fans who experienced toasting together at a bar.

— Hehe

— Sis

— Please marry me

— She’s my wife, haha

— Yeah, I already filled out the marriage registration form~

— Do we have to break up?

— No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no

— Damn, do it for 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 24 hours

— Don’t end the broadcastㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

— I can work for 24 hours, please don’t fire me

— I’ll be a slave!!!!!!!

This way, they become unable to break away from that virtual YouTuber.

It was a short one-hour showcase, but the donations were immense compared to the time, and the viewer graph was astonishing.

Would you believe that almost no one left from the moment they entered until the broadcast ended?

It’s hard to express this exhilarating feeling in words.

It’s not just excitement from fan sentiment; it’s like hearing that a friend who was preparing for a difficult exam passed with flying colors.

My heart feels warm, and my head is heating up.

It was throbbing and pounding.

And there are still three more days of this kind of broadcast left?

It’s a complete dopamine festival.

The prophets of Batchu Batchu must have enjoyed this first—though I watched all their 3D broadcasts too.

Dora’s gallery is already in a frenzy, and factory managers who couldn’t hold back are flocking in to create fan art.

“I’ll go check on Seungyeon. I can’t let her get too excited and mess up her work.”

“Okay. Go ahead.”

I jumped up from my seat.

The preparations for the pre-event with the Boss were going smoothly, and I thought if I could just get through this well until the pre-event on the 11th, everything would be perfect——.

“… Ugh.”

Ping.

My vision rapidly turned white and tilted diagonally.

What my eyes were looking at was the door to the Boss’s office, then the corner of the desk, then the floor.

Thud.

“Jia!!”

The last thing I saw was the Boss’s face.

A word from the author (Author’s note)

Wow, the main event!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, Nobelpia, readers, and everyone who supported me!!!!!!!!

From today until Sunday, it’s a relay of gratitude!!!!!!!