chapter_0112

112 – Shall We Wait for Now?

112 – Shall We Wait for Now?

Typically, when a job posting is made, it is rare to clearly specify how many people will be hired.

This is due to the many variables involved in hiring.

Unexpectedly good candidates may come in, or conversely, it could be the opposite.

Naturally, when Parallel announced the recruitment for its second generation, it never explicitly stated that four people would be hired.

So, it could be that only two are selected and introduced to the world.

…This is only if we were an ordinary company.

It would be problematic for Parallel to simply hire two people and then step back, claiming that they’ve done their part.

First of all, there are various rumors to consider.

There are four first-generation members, right?

Naturally, people would assume that the second generation would also consist of four members.

If the number changes, fans will start to wonder and spread various rumors.

If the number is lower than expected, rumors will circulate that “someone must have caused a major incident,” and if it’s higher, there will be speculation about “who is the parachute candidate?”

The constant reproduction of rumors due to information asymmetry tires out the company and its members.

And there’s another, even bigger reason.

Parallel is a company that is currently in the midst of growth.

What would happen if such a company were to select fewer members than in the first generation, or even only half the number, and present them as the second generation?

Potential investors might start to wonder if there are financial issues. Has the Boss reduced investments?

Potential applicants might question whether the threshold for debuting has become even narrower.

In either case, it wouldn’t be positive for the company.

“Will you be selecting again from the hold list?”

“Isn’t the number a bit concerning?”

“Yes, very much so.”

“The problem is that there isn’t anyone among the hold list that I’m particularly fond of… but I’ll have to take another look. Are you free today?”

“I’ll help you.”

At least it was somewhat better to select again from the hold list.

If Cheon Do-hee’s criteria for the desired artist and Majiya’s past history verification do not pass simultaneously, they won’t even make it onto the list of successful hold candidates.

In other words, most of the candidates are those who have experienced some difficulties in group living, but they are people who can improve through training and continuous group activities.

So, while they may need more preparation before debuting, it’s better to select two additional members from this group than to debut with just two.

Moreover, there are often cases where someone who was evaluated as lacking as an individual becomes perfectly fine when they form a complementary relationship with someone else.

It seemed wise to choose individuals who would match well with the two final successful candidates.

It’s a secret, but.

Among the first generation, the two members, aside from Dora and Rain, were also on hold.

Maru was on hold because his mental state was too fragile, and Komari was too fiery in personality.

However, when they were paired together as a test, surprisingly, they got along well, with the weak Maru becoming stronger and Komari, conversely, becoming more subdued.

Of course, back then, the Boss was quite challenging, so the mindset is somewhat different now.

We should hope that the second generation will also inflate in this way.

The document review has resumed.

As I placed the copied documents and evaluations of the interviewees one by one on the reception table, I first sorted them based on personality.

To fill the two insufficient successful spots from the hold list, the final successful candidates or hold candidates must have complementary personalities.

To review the former, let’s first take a look at the two final successful candidates one by one.

Candidate number one, Ahn Si-ho.

Her first impression was that she seemed like someone who had partied a bit, but she was actually a homebody who had never been in a relationship.

She put in a lot of effort during the interview, fearing she might be eliminated if she seemed too nerdy, but ultimately, she was caught during the interview.

So, she is expected to take on the role of a clumsy sexy character.

In front of fans, she might say, “You all have to obey me,” but eventually, she will be overwhelmed by the viewers and end up exclaiming, “Okay, I got it, I got it!”

As for someone who would match well with Ahn Si-ho…

Perhaps it would be her designated troublemaker.

As mentioned earlier, she is clumsy.

If you poke at her from the side, she will stumble at least once, and that action will be exaggerated enough to belong in a silent film.

Yes, if we’re being specific, someone like Komari is needed.

Someone who will endlessly ask, “Is that right?”

I set aside the person from the hold list who had somewhat rough speech.

They were fine when broadcasting alone, but they were on hold because they might make mistakes during collaborations with peers or other broadcasters.

‘For now, let’s set these three aside….’

Next, candidate number two, Han Ba-da.

I wonder if the name influences personality, as she was someone who never seemed to be nervous from start to finish.

She provided perfect answers to all sorts of tricky questions and passed even the HR manager’s malicious trolley dilemma with her own beliefs.

I thought she might be too calm and thus boring, but…

Her usual stiff atmosphere contrasted sharply with her sweet singing, and the cute moments she displayed when genuinely flustered, like when her mask broke, were delightful.

In other words, Han Ba-da needs someone who can break her mask.

When situations arise that are incomprehensible from a common sense perspective, she will break.

Typically, viewers can relate to situations that make them grind their teeth.

In other words, a character like Dora, who, even when given the answer, stubbornly refuses to believe it until she’s burned for an hour and finally says, “Hehe, you guys were right,” would be perfect.

I selected two stubborn individuals from the hold list who could win against Han Ba-da in a clash of wills.

‘From this side, two….’

Afterward, I compared the hold candidates to see if there were any who could complement each other.

In doing so, I found two suitable candidates. Those two were also on the list of people who would match well with Ahn Si-ho and Han Ba-da, respectively…

Thus, the final two were selected.

I stacked the other documents neatly and left only the two candidates’ documents on the table, stretching out with a sigh.

The Boss, who was still deeply engrossed in reviewing documents, asked.

“Did you select them all?”

“Yes. I think it’s these two.”

Soon, after a bit longer contemplation than mine, the Boss took the documents I had set aside and compared them with his own.

“Let’s see.”

The Boss raised an eyebrow.

Then he tugged at one side of his mouth…

“You too think this is the best choice.”

“Do you too?”

“In the end, it means my thoughts weren’t wrong. But picking just these two… feels a bit lacking.”

“Hmm. I feel the same way.”

The two selected from the hold list are fine, but they resemble Komari and Dora quite a bit.

This means that if they debut, the probability of them taking away the pie from the same members is high.

The effects I’ve mentioned so far could also be enjoyed if they were to broadcast with the senior members, Komari or Dora.

In other words, even though I selected two from the hold list, it seems unlikely that the final successful candidates will increase beyond two.

The Boss sighed and lay horizontally on the sofa.

“I’m going crazy. No matter how I combine them, I can’t find an answer…”

“Don’t you know any other individual-affiliated virtual YouTubers outside?”

“I’ve already reached out to all of them. And it’s a bit ambiguous for someone who’s already somewhat established to debut again under corporate affiliation. If we were a big company like Batchu Batchu, it might be a different story…”

Just a word that we were planning to partner with CAT would have increased the number of applicants significantly.

But that’s still uncertain.

As Producer Na Hyun-gon said, the first song has to go well for us to take the next step.

If we exploit their names at this stage, it would only lower the possibility of collaboration.

Now is the time to continuously show that we can do it ourselves.

To the extent that a big company would say, “They’re doing well.”

To do that, we first need to match the number of second-generation members.

“We’ve debuted the second generation!”

“How many members?”

“Two members!”

Hearing this, Producer Na Hyun-gon would probably tilt his head.

He might even say with a smile, “Is Parallel at a stage where they can be picky about hot and cold water?”

But we can’t just pick anyone!

“Let’s review it one more time.”

The Boss shook his head.

“No. It’s better to debut you than to debut these people.”

“Should I prepare?”

Realizing he might have spoken too seriously, the Boss quickly retracted his words.

“I was just saying that. Don’t take it seriously.”

“You know I really do what I’m told.”

“No, don’t do that. I don’t want to take away the time of someone who’s already working hard…”

“I also rest when I need to.”

“Oh dear, did someone like that collapse and get taken away by an ambulance?”

He’ll probably keep bringing up that time he collapsed for the rest of his life.

I didn’t collapse on purpose.

As I stared at him intently, the Boss, who had been groaning, muttered.

“Indeed, we should start considering casting for debuts instead of just auditions. The resources for virtual YouTubers are limited, and among them, those who can do corporate affiliation are even more limited.”

“Should we look into aspiring voice actors or idol candidates?”

“Singers, voice actors, idols. Or even among those who work at companies, there are plenty of talented individuals. Corporate affiliation has a somewhat corporate aspect, so that’s also a method.”

“If we get closer to CAT, it might be a good idea to recommend those who are completely giving up on idol debuts…”

“That’s tough for now. It might be faster to reach out to graduated corporate-affiliated virtual YouTubers instead.”

“Hmm… that’s true?”

We paused our conversation and stared at each other for a moment.

After all, we both knew someone like that.

In the near future, a virtual YouTuber will be completely leaving after finishing her graduation broadcast.

Serena.

Among the first-generation members selected earlier, she has a character that does not overlap with anyone among the two final successful candidates.

Her proven broadcasting stability and social skills.

There was no one more suitable than her.

“Would it be too much to call Serena? If we can fill three members, it seems we can at least match the lineup.”

“Wait a minute. I actually had a conversation with Rapitz’s representative recently.”

You may have heard the news, but it seems that a staff member from our side, who is now processed for retirement, has caused some inconvenience to Majiya. I apologize for that.

Additionally, I will assure you that if Serena were to transfer to Parallel, it wouldn’t be considered tampering.

That’s what I conveyed.

“Anyway, it will take us about half a year to prepare for our debut.”

“Right.”

“By then, people won’t strongly oppose it. There’s no reason to turn down someone who is friendly to us and has proven broadcasting talent and everything else.”

Moreover, Serena is an invaluable asset who can help manage the mental well-being of the members alongside Maru.

It might seem like a burden, but being an internet broadcaster is a profession that cannot be pursued without the courage to be disliked.

Trying various things to get a dopamine rush, making mistakes, and getting criticized is quite common.

Our members may not say it, but…

The four of them are tightly knit, cheering each other on, and the Boss often treats them to meals and manages their mental state, so there aren’t any major issues.

The fact that Rapitz is precarious due to Serena’s departure is ultimately because Serena was doing the work that the operations team should have been doing.

Whether it’s treating them to meals or comforting them with conversations.

The group was maintained because Serena was working behind the scenes, so as soon as the news of her departure came out, the other members began to show signs of leaving as well.

In any case, since Serena is a proven talent, an important mission was immediately assigned to me.

“Tomorrow, contact Serena and suggest that the three of us—me, you, and Serena—meet to talk.”

“Ah. Could you wait a week for now? Serena will need some time to sort out her feelings after finishing her graduation broadcast.”

“Hmm?”

“Ultimately, Serena is leaving because she wants to spend more time with her fans. So, even if it’s a short farewell, giving her the experience of parting is something I feel sorry about, so she’ll need a little recovery time.”

I pulled out the earbud I had tucked to one side.

Seeing that, the Boss looked incredulous.

“Wait, have you been watching the graduation broadcast since earlier?”

“Yes, because that way, I can preemptively exclude anything that might become an issue if we debut her later.”

“Serena really wanted to come to our side…?”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“She’ll probably reach out to us within a week.”

Even though we are free from the tampering controversy, we still need to follow the procedures.

If we rush through things, it could lead to problems later on.

“Let’s think about it again then. How does that sound?”

A word from the author (Author’s note)

I’m glad you like the new cover, hehe.

So cute, right?