I explained the situation to the security guard, considering bringing her to the monitoring room where I stay.
But then I realized letting her sleep inside the company might cause complicated issues about special treatment or whatnot.
Staying overnight at a PC room wasn’t ideal either what if her back went out while sleeping there? That’d be a mess.
There wasn’t a jjimjilbang nearby, either.
After some thought, I decided to take her to a nearby 24-hour room café.
The floor had heating, plenty of blankets and cushions, and it wasn’t a bad place to catch some sleep.
After paying in advance and entering the room, Seungyeon, who was waiting inside, asked,
“Thank you so much! This is my first time at a place like this!”
It’s only my second time.
The first was with the boss, back when we were checking out places before renting the office at Eunha Building.
If I remember right, we came here because the timing was awkward, and the boss, who’d been up all night streaming, wanted to nap for about an hour.
I stayed outside the room while the boss rested, watching Bachuu-Bachuu’s broadcast in the meantime.
I still remember that stream clearly Sango Rivia, the queen of Bachuu-Bachuu, and the other Bachuu members.
It was I’m Wolf, a reinterpretation of Mafia, and a legendary masterpiece.
Rivia pulling off a massive comeback by dropping a chandelier on three people? Unforgettable.
“Um… Magia-nim?”
“Ah.”
Lost in nostalgic thoughts, I’d completely zoned out despite someone being right next to me.
I smiled faintly and guided Seungyeon.
“For now, rest here until the interview tomorrow. Feel free to use the bar if you want. Everything’s been paid for.”
“Oh, thank you so much. I feel awful for causing all this trouble by coming so early…”
“It’s better than being late.”
If you’d come late, the boss might’ve turned into a blindfolded devil with dual blades and kicked you out for being unprepared.
I might’ve mentioned this before—people who showed up drunk or late after barely passing the document and video screenings lost their interview opportunities outright.
The boss had never been late even once during the peak of streaming days (before founding Parallel), so that standard still applies.
Even Dora, who’s often late now, used to be an elite who met the boss’s strict standards perfectly back then.
I agree with keeping the bar high—there’s no harm in that.
“Anyway, I’ll be resting in the next room. If you need anything, knock and wake me up.”
“Okay…! Thank you…!”
With that, I entered the room next door, locked the door, and laid out the cushion immediately.
I needed to sleep too.
Otherwise, how would I handle tomorrow’s interview?
This sudden engagement delayed my sleep by 30 minutes…
But just as I closed my eyes, about to drift off, I heard a faint sound from the room next door.
—Now then, D-Rain, shall we start the intro?
—Oh, hell yes. Hey, puddles! Dropping the rain from the sky to soak your dry ground once again—here we go!
I recognized it instantly.
It was the video from Find the Real Rain, which I participated in earlier this month.
—Hey, hey, everyone, shut up. Chill. Calm down. Obviously, I’m the real deal. I’m A-Rain. How can you not know? I’m so disappointed.
—What the heck? You’re killing me. A, take it easy. No matter how hard you try, the puddles won’t be fooled. It’s me—I’m the real deal. D-Rain.
I already knew Seungyeon liked Parallel’s broadcasts.
But watching highlight clips instead of sleeping, just hours before her interview? That was surprising.
‘Is she really fine not sleeping?’
I’ve mentioned it several times already, but it’s okay if she stumbles over her words a bit or doesn’t speak perfectly.
After all, the work I do doesn’t rely much on eloquence.
But showing up to an interview with tired, sunken eyes? That’s a bit much.
‘Well, I’m sure she’ll handle it.’
She must be desperate to have come all the way here at this hour.
And as desperate as she is, I believe she’ll show her best tomorrow.
*
“…Amazing.”
In truth, Gong Seungyeon did feel the need to sleep.
But she couldn’t help replaying the voice of the benefactor who had taken her in and provided a place to stay, rather than leaving her stranded in the desolate building hallway.
It was a voice that felt oddly familiar.
It resembled the younger voices she was used to hearing but carried a subtle air of maturity that only a working professional might have.
That’s why she immediately opened Rain’s YouTube channel and watched two videos.
Then, she moved on to Dora’s Pandemic Village video.
Finally, she rewatched Komari’s Can’t React to Backseat Gaming content.
By the time she finished, she was certain.
“Could it really be JikwonD-nim…?”
The distinctiveness of the voice had made her suspicious from the moment they first met.
And the more she thought about it, the more she was convinced—it was JikwonD.
Didn’t he always complain about being insanely busy? Staying at the office until 2 a.m. with the lights off was a bit scary, but still.
“You even look like… the cardboard cutout.”
The last video she played was Komari’s Can’t React to Backseat Gaming, where JikwonD was represented as a simple cutout with only the mouth animated.
The only difference between the 2D cutout and the real-life JikwonD she had met was whether they were in two or three dimensions.
Wasn’t there a trend on Shorts not long ago, where people used AI to turn 2D illustrations into semi-realistic art?
Sure, there were plenty of differences if you looked closely.
But with details like blue-tinted hair and light-colored eyes—key points that defined his appearance—it felt as though if you fed the cutout version of JikwonD into that AI, the semi-realistic output would resemble Magia.
The surprising part was that Seungyeon, a die-hard 2D enthusiast, found herself slightly drawn to the real-life JikwonD.
Even though he wasn’t a perfectly rigged 2D model, his 3D self had enough charm to make even someone like Seungyeon take notice.
That was the kind of first impression Magia left on her.
“Surely, I’m not going to end up working with him… right?”
Seungyeon had already forgotten the fact that Magia was guarding the company at 2 a.m.
After all, JikwonD was currently the hottest topic among Parallel fans.
There were so many people hoping he’d start streaming properly, but he maintained his air of mystery, fueling wild curiosity.
And that person might be her senior?
“Wow. Wow. Wow. If it’s true… wow.”
In any case, the important thing was the interview tomorrow.
People need sleep to articulate themselves properly.
Setting an alarm, Seungyeon closed her eyes, determined to show everything she had prepared during the interview.
* * *
“Hello… there.”
“Welcome, Ms. Gong Seungyeon. Please have a seat.”
“Oh, yes. Thank you.”
Following Cheon Dohee’s guidance, Gong Seungyeon took her seat, her gaze trembling as if an earthquake had struck.
Although she’d run countless simulations in her head, she had never accounted for the possibility of Magia being one of the interviewers!
‘What the…? Was she in a much higher position than I thought…?!’
At the center was Momo, who was clearly the company president, and on the right sat a man glaring at Gong Seungyeon with a sharp, almost predatory gaze.
Could an ordinary employee even attend such a meeting? It didn’t make sense.
She’d assumed that the young and casual voice she’d heard late at night belonged to someone low in rank, simply working overtime. Maybe that assumption was completely wrong.
In short, Magia might have been a hidden powerhouse.
‘Um… Did I mess up yesterday? Please tell me I didn’t…’
While Gong Seungyeon’s mind spun in confusion, Cheon Dohee, who had been fidgeting with her resume, spoke.
“First, could you give us a one-minute self-introduction?”
“Yes!”
She had to pull herself together—this was a once-in-a-lifetime interview.
With a slight shake of her head, Gong Seungyeon began reciting the introduction she had prepared like a machine.
“Hello. I’m Gong Seungyeon, and I graduated from Joonglim University’s Electrical and Electronics Engineering department this summer.
Currently, I’m preparing for employment.
My hobbies are watching Parallel broadcasts and joining live streams.
My specialty is repairing broken electronic devices. I applied because I deeply admire the first-generation members of Parallel, who mean so much to me, and I want to support them and future members. Thank you!”
Hearing this, Dohee laughed.
“You repair electronic devices? Yourself?”
“Yes, like friends’ phones or tablets. If they suddenly won’t turn on, I sometimes fix them with help from YouTube, Google, and GPT…”
“That’s impressive. What do you think, team leader?”
Magia, seated to Dohee’s right, blinked briefly before speaking in her usual clear voice.
“Honestly, repairs are better handled by professional services or replacement. What matters more is quickly identifying the issue or broken equipment.”
“…Oh.”
“I have a specific question for you. Suppose a broadcast that was streaming fine suddenly crashes. You’re sent to fix it. Excluding travel time, can you identify the cause and resolve the issue within 10 minutes?”
Magia’s voice sounded the same as it had yesterday, but knowing she held a much higher position now felt intimidating. On top of that was the worry about whether showing up so late yesterday had inconvenienced her.
The combined weight of these thoughts bore down on Gong Seungyeon. But she had to endure it.
While her main motivation was to help the other members, she also truly wanted to work alongside them.
“Yes. If it’s not a severe issue, I believe I can resolve it within 10 minutes. However, if the equipment is completely fried, I’ll take responsibility by promptly communicating the problem and focusing on protecting the virtual streamer!
Of course, I think the most important thing is to prepare in advance to prevent such issues. If I’m assigned to this role, I’ll conduct regular inspections to minimize potential problems!”
Magia’s lips twitched as if she were suppressing a smile, then she asked another question.
“You probably know from watching broadcasts that they often take place late at night. What would you do if an issue arose after you’ve gone home after work?”
She tried to look intimidating with a stern expression, but to Gong Seungyeon, Magia was just a slightly sulky girl.
However, since Seungyeon still believed Magia to hold a high position, her response was exceptionally earnest.
“I would immediately respond to the member’s call, rush over, fix the issue, and normalize the broadcast.”
“Even if it’s at three or four in the morning?”
“The members’ broadcasts run late into the night, so I believe it’s only natural to be prepared for that!”
At that, Magia nodded and smiled.
“Good.”
That smile was… quite adorable.
…No, now wasn’t the time for thoughts like this. She had to stay focused.
Calling someone in a high position “adorable”? What was she thinking during an interview?!
While Gong Seungyeon lightly shook her head to refocus, Cheon Dohee moved on to the next question.
“Well then, let’s talk about your motivation for applying. We already know you’re a fan of Parallel, so we’ll skip that part. I’d like to hear how you became a fan and why you want to work here.”
Sigh.
This was a question Gong Seungyeon had prepared extensively for. After all, it was the story she wanted to share the most.
“Parallel is my sanctuary. I still vividly remember when I was preparing for my graduation exams and feeling utterly exhausted.
That’s when I happened to hear Komari’s cover of Top of the Top. It was purely by chance—I had stopped by a PC café for research, and the staff had it playing in the background.”
Top of the Top.
A J-pop song known for its exhilarating combination of upbeat guitar riffs, a soaring violin melody, and snappy snare drums. Its lyrics, filled with courage and hope, conveyed the message that no matter the challenges, one could overcome them with a positive spirit.
“I learned Japanese at a young age, so I could understand the lyrics. ‘Don’t be scared, don’t worry, be brave.’ Those words, combined with Komari’s powerful voice, filled me with courage.
Until then, studying for exams had been so grueling that I was tempted to just give up. But after hearing that song, my motivation surged like an erupting volcano.”
At this point, the HR manager stifled a chuckle. It was rare to see a new applicant speak so confidently and passionately while still sounding amusing.
“From that day forward, I made a decision. If I ever got the chance to apply my electrical engineering expertise, I’d do so at Parallel. Even if the work was tough and demanding, I knew I could do anything for the members.
That decision led me to this application. If you give me a chance, I’ll dedicate myself fully to the role!”
The sincerity in her voice carried her feelings effortlessly, as if no further explanation was needed. Perhaps that was why Magia gave a small nod before asking,
“I can feel your love for Komari. Is she your favorite member?”
“Yes! She’s my golden leaf!”
“Wow, I bet you’ve donated a lot to her!”
“Hehe, well… it’s a bit embarrassing, but over ten months, I donated around five million won.”
“Where did you get that kind of money? Isn’t this your first job search?”
“I did all sorts of part-time jobs, both long-term and short-term. If it’s for sending messages of support to Komari, it’s worth it.”
“By the way, have you seen Komari’s recent ‘No Backseat Gaming’ stream?”
“Ah.”
Gong Seungyeon’s expression instantly turned gloomy.
“I was busy preparing for the interview, so I only managed to watch the edited highlights.”
“Oh dear. Still, it’s good you at least caught the highlights.”
“Yes…! It was nice to see sides of her I don’t usually get to see! Especially when Staffdy kept fumbling during Apex matches, and Komari tried to hold back from saying anything mean—she ended up repeating herself a lot. It was so funny because Komari, who’s usually so sharp, kept slipping up like that…”
“Right? That part was hilarious. Then did you catch the Rubber Duck House stream the next day?”
“I was honestly worried about Komari’s mental state. She got over a thousand video submissions that day! Most of them I’d already seen, but there were so many that were new to her. She was practically losing it on stream.”
“Did you, by any chance, send a video that day?”
“…No.”
Magia didn’t miss Gong Seungyeon’s hesitating tone.
“Are you sure you didn’t send anything?”
After a long moment of silence, with her gaze cast downward, Gong Seungyeon finally spoke up with determination.
“…Actually, I sent 51 videos!”
A brief pause.
Then, Magia suddenly stood up and exclaimed,
“Accepted!”
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.