chapter_0095

95 – The North Wind and the Sun

95 – The North Wind and the Sun

“Yeah. I was originally going to debut as an idol with VIRDESS.”

Majiya, who had casually dropped such a surprising statement, was the only one taken aback.

“I’m, um, an employee at Parallel.”

“Everyone already knows that you’re turning former VIRDESS idol trainees into Virtual YouTubers, right? And you were the one who asked Jia.”

“Rumors and the truth are different, though.”

“What does it matter? Jia is tight-lipped.”

Where does this trust come from?

…Thinking about it, Majiya is a manager at a Virtual YouTuber company.

People in this profession have to be tight-lipped.

One slip of the tongue can lead to a disaster.

Moreover, since she had helped a bit during this tournament, that influence can’t be ignored.

Of course, it’s still a mistake by Majiya’s standards.

Both Maru and Serena tend to talk a lot and are not good at hiding things, so they tend to get into similar troubles.

It was amusing that their ways of trying to solve problems were also similar.

“Or I can buy you coffee, so could you pretend you didn’t hear?”

It’s better to receive something in return than to let it slide.

Majiya nodded and took the lead.

“Okay. Let’s call it even.”

* * *

Perhaps because it was late, there weren’t many cafes open as it approached midnight.

After wandering aimlessly, we finally found a cafe that was open until 2 AM and settled down.

We received cappuccinos and herbal tea, rubbing our cold hands together as we sipped.

The conversation that had been interrupted by Serena resumed.

“To be honest, I’m a bit envious of Maru.”

“Hmm.”

“If I had known it would be like this, I would have debuted at Parallel too.”

“Pfft.”

Serena was talking so much more than I was that I thought about just sipping my coffee.

I almost spilled the coffee I had in my mouth all over my clothes.

Fortunately, since I was wearing a black shirt today, it wouldn’t show.

I swallowed the coffee and froze, while Serena burst into laughter and waved her hands.

“Haha! The mood is too serious. It’s just a joke, so lighten up. And it’s not like VIRDESS and Lapitz are that bad, really.”

“Yeah. Well, of course.”

“Let’s have a piece of cake, then?”

“Sure.”

I awkwardly stared at Serena while nibbling on the piece of cake that was offered as a reward for my silence.

What should I say?

It felt like I was hearing a serious family issue from a friend I wasn’t that close to, so I couldn’t find the words.

If I said something wrong now, I’d be the bad guy.

Fortunately, Serena’s next words weren’t overly serious.

“Continuing from where we left off, it’s just dissatisfaction that builds up because of how people are treated? It’s a bit like that. Since I’m personally close to Maru, I can’t help but compare.”

“The company isn’t terrible, but it’s not great either. It’s not like there’s no support, but it’s just… um, it’s half-hearted. They’re busy taking care of the main idol group.”

I could somewhat understand what she meant.

The relationship between management and talent can’t always be smooth.

Even if it seems like they maintain a good relationship, there are often times when both sides are just holding back.

The company might think, “We’ve done this much, what more do you want?” while the idols might wonder, “What kind of company can’t even accommodate such simple requests?”

When communication breaks down and more people start distorting things in the middle, it can explode into a huge scandal.

The Team Leader often tells me that the entertainment industry is really not easy. Of course, it varies from company to company, and the Team Leader was quite worried when he first joined our company.

Since Lapitz is a group that split off from the VIRDESS entertainment agency, I wonder if the atmosphere is similar to what the Team Leader experienced at his previous company?

I tried to speak positively to avoid disparaging others’ companies….

But somehow, Serena’s complaints seemed endless.

“Still, you guys are doing really well these days. That’s a relief.”

“That’s mostly thanks to Jia’s influence, much more than ours.”

“Um….”

“Back when we were in Wicker Town, we received almost no support. The ten million won sponsorship was something Iona had to persuade for hours to get. She said we’d fall too far behind Parallel if we kept going like this.”

“Is that so?”

“And then, as soon as the rumor spread that Lapitz Bread was a bust for Parallel Coin, they panicked and put in another ten million won. It’s legendary. They’re only quick when it comes to this kind of thing. They could have used that money to make a New Outfit.”

Was she really the breadwinner of the group?

“We did make a mistake with the Parallel Coin thing, though. That wasn’t our intention at all.”

“Right? I thought so. They said Parallel started the trouble first. The operations team leader was so dramatic.”

“Haha….”

“But still, these days are really enjoyable. Thanks to Jia, all our members are in a good mood. Remember the year-end party?”

“Yeah. I still remember being surrounded by two layers of people…”

“We didn’t spin you around! We were just protecting you. Tch. It’s meaningless even if we protect you.”

“Thank you.”

“Anyway, everyone likes it. Iona seemed a bit suspicious at first, but I think her thoughts changed after Wicker Town. No one expected that a competitor’s employee would lead to a viral moment.”

“I didn’t expect the results to turn out like that either…”

“Believe it or not, my dad even said he thought you were amazing.”

Wow, Serena’s father recognized me.

I don’t know what that means, but…

“Honestly, if Jia had been in the position of the current operations team leader, Lapitz would have caught Batchu Batchu KR’s tail by now.”

Batchu Batchu KR’s first generation has long surpassed a million subscribers.

Isn’t that a bit too much?

The best-performing Iona is around 700,000, so there’s roughly a 300,000 gap, which isn’t something that can be easily closed.

“Anyway, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear anything said here… Can I ask you one thing?”

“Sure.”

“Does the operations team leader not help with broadcasts?”

“He doesn’t help. He just tells me to do this or that. Whenever I go to the company to ask something, he’s just staring at his phone at his desk.”

“Hmm.”

“If I were the boss, I would have kicked someone like that out and hired someone like Jia. There’s no one better than Jia from an employer’s perspective. She works hard and has great skills.”

That’s the kind of attitude that would be suitable for parachuting into a job.

What’s the difference between that and a real boss?

At the very least, they should at least try to meet the qualifications for the position.

“There are indeed many people who sit in positions without qualifications…”

I never thought I’d end up discussing this.

To conclude, it seemed Serena envied Nara, who was working hard for our members.

But I also have a lot on my mind these days.

I wish the workload for the members would increase in proportion to my efforts, but it keeps coming back to me.

“That’s a problem because the work I’ve managed to secure is falling too much on me. I want to redirect it to the members somehow, but it’s not going well.”

Serena tilted her head.

“Isn’t that a good thing? If it goes like that, it means Momo and Jia are opening up opportunities from both sides.”

“Well, for example, there might not be many opportunities that directly fall to Maru. But having a pathway open is a world of difference from not having one, you know?

If there’s a pathway, there’s at least a chance for things to flow in. If you just sit still, there’s no possibility at all.”

The worries I had been carrying since the year-end party suddenly flew away with Serena’s words.

Why was I complaining about the workload falling only on me?

As Serena said, if I grow the official broadcast, that channel could become another boss.

With two bosses, it’s only natural that more opportunities would trickle down.

I was so focused on forming connections to help the others that I hadn’t realized this obvious truth.

Am I really a healing-type Virtual YouTuber?

I thought she was just venting, but it turns out she has a knack for psychological counseling.

Anyway, thanks to Serena, I was able to solidify my resolve.

I’ll manage the situation room and Fantasia as promised to the boss, but I won’t get too hung up on the work that comes my way.

If the boss allows it, I’ll do it.

…As much as possible, excluding the Combative Tournament.

“I might need to increase the broadcast time.”

Even though I feel like I’m doing my job well, there’s still a lot I haven’t taught Seungyeon.

For example, while working at the company, I should have created three more sub-accounts instead of using the old one…

For now, I’ll have to make do with the people we have until the second generation arrives.

I need to adjust my working hours, do the operations team work, and also broadcast.

I always think this, but wouldn’t it be great if a day had about 48 hours?

Can I consider broadcasting from the situation room as work?

If I just say it’s a volunteer activity out of fan love, would the boss definitely reject it?

As I was lost in thought with my chin resting on my hand, Serena asked,

“By the way, are you really not going to participate in our team’s after-event broadcast?”

“Oh, that?”

“I’d love it if you came since you’re the tournament MVP. I think people would want that too…”

This had come up during the company dinner earlier, and the suggestion was made to play a game together on Thursday, before the Naore Grand Tournament auction that’s happening this Friday.

Originally, after people who met by chance have done a long content together, they don’t just end it with a dinner but often do an after-event broadcast to show additional fun and closeness to the fans.

The content was to be decided by Serena, and since we decided to avoid the Combative Tournament…

What should we do?

“What are we going to play? Have you decided on a game?”

Serena smiled brightly and showed me a video.

Cute animal characters that are soft like jelly were grappling with each other in a brawl.

A fighting game that has a delicate balance of physicality, strategy, and luck, capable of 2:2:2 team battles.

It was .

I had pretended to be busy earlier, fearing that Young-gun might force us into a Combative Tournament.

But this looks like it could be a good way to heal.

“If we suddenly switch to a Combative Tournament on the day, I’ll run away.”

“If they suggest changing, I’ll break Young-gun’s head.”

When it comes to shooting well and giving orders, he’s a refined intellectual.

But he’s still a healing-type Virtual YouTuber.

…It’s funny to hear someone like that say they’ll break someone’s head with a calm face.

* * *

The next day in the boss’s office.

“Collaboration?”

Majiya immediately reported to Dohee.

Other Virtual YouTubers might have just given a casual notice about this, but Majiya is an employee.

Since she had promised to consult with the boss about anything, it was only right to get permission first.

“Yeah. They suggested doing an after-event broadcast.”

“Ah, right. Since the tournament is over, we should do it once. Are you doing it tomorrow?”

“Yeah. The day after is the Naore Grand Tournament auction, so it’s better to do it before Director Yudong goes.”

“Okay, okay. Do as you like.”

“And by the way, after the second generation selection is over, can I hire one more junior employee at the right time? Someone to work with Seungyeon.”

“Hmm. Really?”

“After the tournament, I realized that building connections in broadcasting isn’t as easy as I thought. It’s not just about doing one collaboration and ending it. We also have to continue with after-event broadcasts….

Right now, Seungyeon and I are managing somehow, but once the second generation comes in, I think we’ll definitely need one more person.”

Cheon Dohee was a bit taken aback.

Even if it was for the kids, the Combative Tournament itself must have been quite stressful for her.

It felt like after the tournament, she suddenly developed a desire for broadcasting.

“Surely, she made quite a bit from the Wicker Server.”

Seeing that it was going into the company’s pocket rather than her own, she couldn’t help but smile.

It was a miracle that someone who used to prefer watching rather than broadcasting was now participating so passionately in broadcasting-related content.

But at this point, Dohee was even more curious about Majiya’s thoughts.

She knew well that Majiya had high loyalty to the company.

So why did she ignore the proposal that came to Yeon Seong-muk?

“Got it. I’ll prepare to post the announcement as soon as you say it. …But are you planning to change jobs or something?”

Dohee’s eyes were fixed on Majiya.

‘You’re hiding something, aren’t you? Answer quickly,’ was the unspoken signal.

In that moment, Majiya realized that the secret she had been hiding had been discovered.

She giggled and said,

“Oh. Since I’ve been found out, I guess I’ll have to go for an interview at Lapitz.”

Cheon Dohee immediately pinched Majiya’s cheeks and said,

“You shouldn’t be trying to change jobs when you’re the one hiring people.”

“Ah, ah, ah. Oh dear.”

Majiya hurriedly rummaged through her wallet and sent a business card and a voice recording file to Dohee’s DingTalk.

“Ouch. When did you find out that I wasn’t saying anything?”

“I knew right away at the year-end party.”

“Hmm. I’m glad I didn’t say anything. It’s just the right time for it to cool down.”

“Could you not talk about people like they’re in a hot pot?”

“But if I had told you that day, the boss would have contacted Lapitz right away and questioned them.”

“I’m not that much of a troublemaker…”

“I was cautious because I know the Sashimi Master from a few years ago.”

Majiya chuckled.

“Anyway, I have my own thoughts, so please don’t contact them first.”

“What thoughts? What are you planning?”

Majiya, who had previously shouted for Lapitz Potion in Wicker Town, was now making Dohee anxious about what she was up to this time.

However, Majiya just smiled as if to say not to worry.

“Do you know the fable of the North Wind and the Sun?”

“The one where the wind blows and the person doesn’t take off their clothes, but when the sun shines, they take them off?”

“Taking off clothes? How can a Virtual YouTuber say such lewd things so casually…”

“Hey…”

“Just kidding. Anyway, I’m trying to warm things up a bit.”

Majiya wasn’t planning anything grand.

She was just going to continue taking care of the members and other likable Virtual YouTubers as she always had.

She was the sun, steadfast in her place, not the anxious North Wind.

However, it seemed that Cheon Dohee misunderstood that meaning a bit.

“Are you planning to heat up the bulletin board or something…?”

“No.”

“Don’t forget that we agreed to discuss everything, okay? You have to talk to me before causing any trouble.”

“Ah, I won’t cause any trouble.”

Author’s Note

Wow

That’s good news!

The production schedule for the content has been moved up, and it might take place around Christmas!

I need to hurry and prepare!!!

Yay!