The anniversary concert was held the next day. Well, there was nothing more to say.
A huge success!
Nearly 40,000 tickets were sold, almost double the initial conservative estimate.
Even after giving a portion of the revenue to YouTube, which handled the online ticketing, the earnings were still substantial.
This was the jackpot of all jackpots.
Of course, preparing for the concert had its costs, renting a motion capture studio for a month alone cost tens of millions of won.
Then there were additional expenses, 3D modeling, rigging production, song production, and various other costs that the showcase broadcast alone couldn’t fully recoup.
And after considering the budget needed for future content, new outfits, and investments in the second-generation members?
It seemed there wouldn’t be that much left over.
At least, that’s what the CEO said.
Still, just looking at the CEO’s face brightening in a single day was enough proof that the concert had been a massive success.
If they kept steadily making profits, attracting investment through strong business performance, and expanding the company…
One day, they might escape the small 15-pyeong studio on the ninth floor of their current building and build a massive studio like VachuuVachuu’s.
With a facility like that, they could create 3D content freely.
Anyone who wanted could come and stream virtual streamers’ paradise.
Of course, VachuuVachuu’s motion studio alone had cost around 30 billion won to set up.
Even a smaller, mid-sized studio that could accommodate 10 people running around would require about 5 billion won.
Parallel still had a long way to go.
They had to work even harder.
Time passed, and the next Tuesday arrived.
Today, once again, Magia was practically one with the CEO’s office sofa.
Dohee had been groaning softly for a while now, but since she seemed to be lost in thought, reluctant to share whatever was on her mind, Jiya quietly fiddled with her phone instead.
thud.
“I can’t take it anymore.”
Dohee slammed the desk and stood up, striding over before plopping down onto the prime seat of the sofa.
Seeing the CEO’s legs shift in the corner of her vision, Jiya also sat up slightly.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while.”
“About what?”
“You. Doing a review stream. There’s a problem.”
When Magia first suggested streaming, Dohee had considered it positively.
The idea sounded good at first, but as they moved into the planning and structuring stages, obstacles started appearing one by one.
“We’re overloaded with work.”
“But I’ve been on a two-week break.”
“It’s fine for now. We even had time to go to the PC café together. But once the second-generation members debut, that’s going to change. If we commit to a monthly review stream, the chances of me having time for it are really low.”
Long-term content like review streams had to be started carefully.
It would be difficult to suddenly stop and blame internal circumstances.
‘I’m too busy, so we’ll be pausing this for a while’
‘Of course, just like before another plan was abandoned midway.’
“To maintain public trust, you’d have to stream alone when I’m unavailable. What do you think? Can you handle it?”
Magia fell into thought.
During the pre-concert special, they had talked together for four hours but Magia had carried about three of those hours.
Especially during the segment where they reviewed old broadcasts, it had practically been a one-woman show.
Even so, her voice was fine, and she hadn’t felt much pressure.
There was a time when even speaking for an hour would leave her hoarse.
But now her vocal cords were practically made of steel.
Maybe it was as if she had taken some of her stat points from stamina, build, and health to invest in her vocal cords and appearance.
So, talking alone for an hour or two during a review broadcast? No problem.
Materials? She could refer to what Dohee had already prepared and adjust the content appropriately.
No matter how busy things got, Dohee would at least be able to review the materials, so that wasn’t an issue either.
That left just one thing, Magia’s conversation style.
During the pre-event broadcast, she had been able to keep talking nonstop because there were people around to spark discussions, respond, and engage with her.
If someone could take Dohee’s place, things would be easier. But if not, the conversation would likely have awkward pauses.
Jiya had watched enough broadcasts to know how frustrating it was for viewers when the flow of a show kept getting interrupted.
“If the boss can’t make it, can I invite other members?”
“As long as they agree in advance, that’s fine. But you still have to be the main focus. You can’t expect them to memorize a script when they have so much on their plates already.”
“Hmm. That’s true.”
“Ultimately, you need to be capable of running the broadcast solo if you want to bring others on. That’s what makes things easier for everyone, including me.”
And if Magia was going to run the broadcast solo, another condition came with it.
“Also, if you’re going to do this, your working hours should be fixed at 40 hours a week.”
“Why is that?”
“Think about it. If you collapse in the middle of a broadcast, that would be a disaster.”
That would be far worse than just a minor streaming issue.
It could even end up on the 9 o’clock news.
The boss would be investigated, the finance manager could get arrested, and the operations manager would be branded a heartless superior who ignored overwork reports…
“Got it. If I want to do review broadcasts, 40 hours. Otherwise, 52 hours.”
“You don’t have to max out to 52 even if you don’t do the broadcast… You know you don’t get an award for hitting that number, right? The labor department will just start getting suspicious instead.”
“Yeah, but then what about my overtime pay…?”
“We’ll handle that with an additional contract related to your broadcasting work, so don’t worry.”
In short, she needed to stick to a 40-hour workweek and be able to handle the broadcast alone.
No matter how she thought about it, it all led to one conclusion.
It wouldn’t be easy.
“I’ll think about it some more. It’s not like I have to decide right away.”
“…So you’re not completely giving up?”
“I don’t want to. It helps Parallel, after all.”
“And you’re still going to stick to 40 hours?”
“Yep.”
Seeing Jiya accept the terms so easily made Dohee uneasy.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that Jiya was up to something.
“You’re not even arguing back this time?”
“I always listen to the boss.”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
Magia chuckled knowingly.
“I already called you a tyrannical, evil boss during the pre-event. That’s enough for me.”
For some reason, Dohee felt a lump in her throat.
How could Magia say something like that?
Could it be that a tiny angel had finally found a place in this troublemaker’s heart?
“Oh but, ugh….”
“W-What? What’s wrong? Are you sick again?”
“It’s this stomachache… I feel like the only cure is snacks and a drink…”
“……”
“Ugh, now I’m even getting dizzy… At this rate, I might end up in the ER again…!”
Let’s not forget.
When this troublemaker says something nice, 99% of the time, it’s just a setup.
Dohee responded by delivering a solid flick to Jiya’s forehead before heading to the break room to fetch some snacks and a drink.
Even as she rubbed her sore forehead, Jiya was too busy fiddling with her phone while slowly nibbling on her snacks.
“…What are you so busy with? You should just rest.”
“Ah, I’m managing public opinion.”
“Are you monitoring the forums? You’ve already checked all the concert reactions, haven’t you? You’re not writing anything weird, are you?”
“Come on, even if I do, I know how to do it without getting caught.”
…That’s not exactly something to be proud of.
*
The boss was told that they were monitoring the concert’s response, but in reality, there was another purpose.
…— — Magia Mini Gallery — — — …
[The new main mod’s response is fast]
Did you see this coming?
Almost everyone from the previous gallery has moved over to the refuge.
[Comments]
— 🟧Magia1: I was a mod in the previous gallery, but I saw the main mod getting ready to bail, so… ᄋᄋ
ᄂ🟧Magia1: I set this up in advance since I had a bad feeling.
ᄂMagia335: Wise move. ㅋㅋ
ᄂMagia201: Even if you hadn’t, someone else would’ve made a new one anyway. ㅋㅋ But still, nice.
ᄂMagia866: Made the migration much easier, so it worked out.
… — — — — — — — — — — — — …
… — — Magia Mini Gallery — — — …
[(Notice) Gallery Usage Rules]
[Author: 🟧Magia1]
1. No offensive or adult content—instant deletion.
2. Avoid anything that could lead to legal trouble. Neither I nor the mods will protect you.
Everything else? Do as you please.
If things get too chaotic, handle it yourselves.
[Comments]
— Magia464: Upvote.
— Magia352: Thanks for the work.
— Magia004: Appreciate it.
— Magia530: Can I apply for a mod?
ᄂ 🟧Magia1: Welcome, slave.
ᄂ 🟦Magia01: Overflowing with power.
ᄂ Magia466: This guy was born to be an unpaid laborer. LOL
ᄂ 🟧Magia1: ᄂᄂ I’ll send you a ₩50,000 gift card every month.
ᄂ Magia466: ? I’m in.
ᄂ 🟧Magia1: Welcome aboard, momo.
ᄂ 🟦Magia02: Greetings, my name is Mod.
ᄂ Magia611: Wait, I wanna join too. Do we really get a gift card?
ᄂ Magia464: You actually believe that? LOLOLOL
ᄂ 🟧Magia1: Believe what you want. Anyway, 611 is now a mod.
ᄂ 🟦Magia03: My life for Magia.
… — — — — — — — — — — — — …
Right before the JikWondee Mini Gallery collapsed, there were two accounts linked to it.
One was a mod account, and the other was a regular JikBoongee account.
I used the mod account to create a new gallery in advance, becoming the main mod there and setting it up as a refuge.
The reason I went this far? I learned people management from the boss.
I mean, when I kept pestering the boss, didn’t they immediately hire me as a manager?
Just like how the boss follows the mindset of Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, I’m doing the same.
Getting people to work as lifetime slaves for just ₩50,000 what a ridiculously efficient HR strategy.
The internet really devalues labor like nothing else.
If I had made more money, I would’ve treated them better.
Sorry, guys. I need my salary to lift that Parallel Log after all.
Anyway, ever since Pino shut down the JikWondee Gallery this morning, I’ve been busy working on this.
My hands haven’t stopped because, surprisingly, being the main mod gives you a lot to say.
Luckily, four people applied, and I sold them blue badges for ₩50,000 each.
One of them might even be Pino, but for now, I’ll stay quiet about it.
Information asymmetry is always a weapon.
If they cause trouble later, I’ll have leverage to rein them in.
Now, I can let the auto-hunting system take over.
What matters now is…
… — — Magia Mini Gallery — — — …
[There’s definitely an informant who leaked JikMiGal’s downfall]
They must have slipped in here too.
Seriously pissed off. If I find them, I won’t let it slide.
[Comments]
— Magia035: If loving Magia is a crime, then I’ll gladly bear that sin.
— Magia845: Damn, can’t even enjoy Oshee fandom in peace.
— Magia455: This is so unfair.
ᄂ Magia455: It’s not like we did anything wrong.
ᄂ Magia455: We just wanted to get Magia back, so we sent in donation trains.
ᄂ Magia455: But Magia took all the money and ghosted us.
ᄂ Magia455: We’re the ones who got screwed over!!
ᄂ Magia560: But to be fair, we never actually told them to stream again, so… nothing we can do.
ᄂ Magia560: Taking the money and vanishing is low, but it is what it is.
ᄂ 🟧Magia1: Don’t take it too hard.
ᄂ 🟧Magia1: If Magia has any conscience, they’ll do something eventually.
ᄂ Magia455: I really hope so…
… — — — — — — — — — — — — …
Even though they’ve put in the effort, these poor friends haven’t gotten anything in return yet. So, before they turn dark, we’re doing a review stream.
From my estimation, about a month is the limit.
After that, suspicious users with shady IPs will start causing trouble everywhere.
If we handle it before then, they could become great fans who raise the Parallel Log with me. So, if you don’t want the boss to be unnecessarily stressed later, it’s best to take care of it now.
“How can I change the way I speak?”
Since I started my social life alongside the boss, I grew into someone optimized for adapting to others.
Speaking first is a privilege of the stream host.
For someone like me—a mere shadow—that kind of special right was something I wasn’t even supposed to care about.
But in this review stream, I have to be the host?
It’s paradoxical and completely contradictory!
Yet, for now, I have no other choice.
All I can do is lie down and stare blankly at the ceiling.
Bzzzt.
– Incoming call: Maru –
A name I know all too well.
But instead of a chat app or a voice message, it’s an actual phone call.
Must be urgent. I picked up.
“Hello?”
[Oh! Jiya-nim! How are you feeling? The boss said you were sick recently! I was super worried!]
It’s rare to have someone talk this loudly in a one-on-one call.
The sheer volume, like they had swallowed a train whistle, made me instinctively lower the call volume.
“Yeah, I’m feeling much better now. Almost back to normal.”
[That’s a relief! You really can’t be getting sick! Do you know how shocked we all were when we heard after the concert?!]
“If I told you beforehand, you’d have been too worried to focus on preparations.”
[Ah, true!]
Honestly, in the past, I wouldn’t have cared whether I was sick or not—what did it matter to them?
But I’ve developed some awareness.
After working on content with these three, I’ve realized something.
I feel… protected.
Is it because I’m small? Or because I look frail?
There’s a reason I took leave this week and made sure to visit the hospital.
I didn’t want to inconvenience people by getting sick again.
“Anyway, why’d you call?”
[Ah, if you’re feeling up for it! Would you like to play a game with me later?]
“A game?”
[Yeah! We suddenly have an I’m Wolf collab tonight, but one of the original players had to drop out! Since the game isn’t as fun unless the lobby is full, we’re scrambling to find someone. If you’re free, would you join?]
I’m mostly recovered, and this week is basically just keeping the boss company under their watchful eye.
I went to all my hospital appointments yesterday, and there didn’t seem to be any immediate concerns.
The blood test results will tell me more, but when I went to the ER last time, there were no alarming signs.
Plus, I haven’t had the chance to do anything with Maru yet this might be a good opportunity.
And the collab game is I’m Wolf.
It’s an online adaptation of the Mafia game with added roles, maps, and fun mechanics, making it a classic for multiplayer collabs over the years.
Normally, I’d just play the role of a quiet facilitator among streamers.
But now, I need to practice leading conversations.
This could actually be the perfect training ground.
Lost in thought, I heard Maru call my name again.
[Jiya-nim…?]
“Ah, yeah. I’ll join. When does it start?”
Maru answered energetically.
[As soon as you join, we’re good to go!]