Gong Seungyeon was the last interviewee, so once she left, the interviews naturally came to an end.
And then, smack.
“Evil.”
The boss’s playful smack landed on the crown of my head not long after.
“How could you outright tell an interviewee they were accepted on the spot?”
“But she was perfect. Besides, the earlier candidates weren’t great, so I just said it right away.”
“The acceptance results are communicated after they’ve gone home. If that candidate wasn’t the last, what would the others waiting outside think?”
Now that I think about it, I had definitely made a rookie mistake—it was my first time serving as an interviewer, after all.
“Ah, right. That makes sense. I’m sorry.”
“…As long as you understand. I guess it’s my fault for assuming you’d do well on your first try without proper training. Just make sure not to repeat the same mistake next time.”
“Got it.”
His words made me tilt my head. Next time?
“When would I have to serve as an interviewer again?”
“Not anytime soon, but as the company grows, you never know when another chance might come up… Actually, on that note, follow Manager Yeom and get some training on being an interviewer.”
“Wait, right now? I was planning to get some sleep.”
“Do it now.”
“…Fine.”
Manager Yeom, the HR manager who had been watching our exchange, motioned for me to stay seated. It was a signal that he’d explain things after the boss left.
Once the boss departed for his next appointment, Manager Yeom pulled a chair forward and sat where the boss had been.
“Well, to be honest, I don’t have much to say to you today. Just be careful about moments like what happened earlier. If you give off vibes of guaranteeing acceptance, then you absolutely have to follow through with it.”
“Understood.”
“Anyway, for this round of interviews, the boss said it was fine as long as you picked someone you liked, so I just checked if there were any glaring personality issues. The last candidate, Gong Seungyeon, seemed fine to me too. So don’t worry too much. You did well for your first time.”
In truth, aside from Gong Seungyeon, none of the other candidates appealed to me, so I had spent most of the interviews sitting silently. I only spoke up when the boss prompted me, and even then, it was just to prod lightly and hear their honest thoughts.
I felt a bit embarrassed.
“Thank you for saying that, even though I was inexperienced.”
“Honestly, when you’re an interviewer, half the job is just quietly observing the candidates. At the end of the day, the boss’s opinion is what matters most.”
“…I think it’s more because your gaze is so intense, Manager.”
“Oh, come on. I’m practically a saint.”
Despite his words, Manager Yeom’s smile looked more like an angry expression. He was in his mid-thirties but looked older due to deep wrinkles and prominent features, likely from years of hard work. Every time an interviewee entered the room, they would visibly flinch at the sight of him.
Anyway, today reaffirmed the saying, silence is golden. When you’re in an unfamiliar environment, keeping quiet gets you halfway there.
As I nodded to myself, Manager Yeom spoke up again.
“I’ll whip up a quick manual for interviewers once I’m back at my desk. You can study it later. Got it?”
“Are you making it just because of me?”
He chuckled as he got up.
“Well, for now, yeah. But in the future, there will be promotions and new hires. It’s better to prepare now so things run smoothly later.”
“Aha.”
“I didn’t peg you as someone with an inflated ego.”
“…That’s not it. I just didn’t want to cause extra work for you.”
“Haha! That consideration of yours is why the operations manager keeps singing your praises. Anyway, I’m heading out first. Enjoy your lunch.”
“Yes, you too. Have a good lunch.”
After bowing politely, I found myself alone in the meeting room.
Let’s see. I should tidy up, but everyone had already neatly pushed in their chairs. There wasn’t much to do except return the extra chairs we’d moved for the interviewee.
* * *
… — — Parallel Gallery — — — — — …
[Sharing My Interview Story]
So, there were three interviewers.
In the middle was Momo (the boss, I think), with one person on each side.
Momo mainly asked the questions, but the person on the left ended up asking way more than I expected.
At some point, I ended up clicking with that person, and we started excitedly talking about Komari Broadcasting.
They seemed to really enjoy it, too.
Honestly, I never imagined I’d have a full-blown fandom chat during an interview, but it completely melted my nerves.
So, maybe… there’s a chance for good news?
[Comments]
– Parallel874: Pre-congrats on getting the job.
ᄂ Parallel067 (Author): ᄒᄒᄒᄒ Thanks!
ᄂ Parallel743: I heard that if the interview atmosphere is too friendly, your chances of getting hired might actually drop.
ᄂ Parallel067 (Author): Wait, what?
ᄂ Parallel874: Oh, really?
ᄂ Parallel067 (Author): Come on, don’t you start too.
– Parallel385: How about Momo’s “red pill”?
– Parallel224: Respect for the effort.
ᄂ Parallel067 (Author): ᆪᆪ
… — — — — — — — — — — — …
Even after the interviews ended, the HR manager continued to browse the community Magia had introduced earlier.
They were on the lookout for anyone casually spilling details about their interview experience, intending to put their application on hold if needed.
After all, this wasn’t just any company—this was Parallel. The mystique surrounding a VTuber’s personal life was crucial.
If anyone dared to casually mention the boss’s “red pill,” swift judgment would be inevitable.
Magia’s top pick from the four interviewees, Gong Seungyeon, had clearly made an effort to avoid spilling details or describing people too specifically.
On the other hand, the three candidates Magia had reservations about shared posts like:
– I think I saw a staff member at the interview.
– That staffer seemed to have a higher rank than I expected.
– Momo is definitely the blue pill type.
This small but critical detail set Gong Seungyeon apart. It demonstrated a deeper understanding of the company’s values, something inexperienced candidates often overlooked.
For any applicant, truly wanting the job meant grasping the unique characteristics of the business even in seemingly trivial matters.
If you’re a manufacturer, you can make suggestions and reflections about the company’s direction based on publicly available pipelines and R&D status.
If you’re a service provider, you could use examples of conflicts or issues with customers and propose alternative solutions.
Parallel focuses on the VTuber industry.
In other words, anyone who doesn’t adhere to the unspoken rules of the VTuber field isn’t worth hiring.
“Jiya seems to have a sharp eye for people.”
In fact, this wasn’t the first time the HR manager noticed Jiya’s talent in this regard.
Was it during the first generation’s live auditions?
She had been helping outside the interview room—answering candidates’ questions, showing them to the restroom, and handling miscellaneous tasks.
Based on the information she gathered during that time, she had advised the CEO, “This person might cause trouble later.”
Sure enough, the rejected candidate was later hired by a smaller company, where they caused problems related to bullying allegations and current partner issues, leading to the company’s downfall.
The HR manager had already been keeping an eye on that individual, so Jiya’s insight was particularly striking.
When the manager asked Jiya one-on-one how she knew,
“There was a VTuber I used to watch. One time, they accidentally showed a faint ring mark on their finger during a stream. They eventually confessed the truth under fan pressure and graduated in disgrace.
The candidate I pointed out had a similar mark on their ring finger, and when I subtly probed, their reaction gave them away. That’s why I suspected them.”
The HR manager was amazed by this response.
However, it seemed this radar didn’t work on everyone.
When Jiya misjudged the operations team leader who quit after three months, she was visibly upset for days.
It appeared her knack was limited to internet broadcasters specifically VTubers.
Even with some flaws, the HR manager held her intuition in high regard.
So much so that they considered Jiya might outperform her future successor in VTuber-related interviews.
That’s why, when reporting the interview results to the CEO, the HR manager made a suggestion without hesitation.
“By the way, sir, what do you think about including Jiya in the interviews for our second generation applicants?”
“… Jiya?”
“Yes. She has a remarkable eye for people. Particularly those in the VTuber—or maybe even just the broadcasting—field.”
“Ah… Well, that makes sense. She does watch a lot of streams.”
The CEO scanned the interview results file thoughtfully.
“So, you’re suggesting adding Jiya to the panel with me, the planning team leader, and yourself?”
“I think that would be ideal. But if you feel that’s too many interviewers, we could involve her in a different capacity.”
“Like how?”
“As you know, Jiya helped out in the waiting room before. We could formalize that as her role.
A lot of conversations happen in the waiting room, as you’re aware. If Jiya takes charge there, she might uncover things candidates try to hide during the actual interview.”
“Hmm.”
Why do large companies assign young staff to manage interview waiting rooms?
It’s because the lighter atmosphere contrasts with the heavy tension of the interview room, making candidates more likely to share things they wouldn’t during the interview.
Most of the time, the conversations are just casual small talk. But embedded within that, young HR staff can ask questions that serve as an extension of the interview process.
While not decisive enough to determine acceptance or rejection, Jiya’s role could serve as a casting vote in situations where it’s nearly impossible to distinguish between two candidates.
Cheon Dohee also remembered how Jiya accurately identified a potential troublemaker during the first-generation selection process. This made the HR manager’s proposal highly appealing to her.
More importantly, Jiya’s appearance had an almost absurd power to disarm her conversational counterparts.
“The candidates probably won’t be wary of Jiya,” Dohee noted.
“Exactly. While Jiya was sharp enough to notice something that time, cases like that are usually rare.”
“Right. The more someone tries to hide something, the better they become at concealing it.”
“That’s why I think assigning Jiya as the waiting room manager might reveal more hidden details. That’s the thought behind my suggestion.”
It wasn’t a bad idea.
The only issue was that it would add more responsibilities to Jiya’s plate.
However, by then, Gong Seungyeon, the new hire, would have started to take over some of Jiya’s workload. It wouldn’t be too unreasonable.
“I think we’ll have to give Jiya a big raise when she gets promoted. You’ll have to help convince the CFO about this, though.”
“Oh, that’s no problem. Persuading department heads is my specialty. One night out at the bar, and it’s done.”
“Hey, your liver isn’t in great shape…”
“Well, what can I do? Take my meds, go to the hospital—this is the life of a corporate worker, isn’t it? Sure, it’s nice to spend your salary enjoying life, but a third of it goes to hospital bills anyway.”
Dohee stifled a wry smile and signed the CEO section of the printed interview results report.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — —
[2024 Q4 New Hire (Round 1) Results]
– Operations Team (1): Gong Seungyeon
…
— — — — — — — — — — — — — —
* * *
Gong Seungyeon received her acceptance notice and started work faster than anyone else.
Cheon Dohee had wanted someone to help Jiya with her workload as soon as possible, and since Gong was a fresh graduate, she could begin immediately.
Thus, on October 31, the same day as the first generation’s Halloween collaboration stream, Gong Seungyeon officially took her first step into the workforce.
It had been only two and a half months since her university graduation and just two days after her interview!
“Wow…!”
The excitement was overwhelming.
Gong had arrived an hour early, before the agreed 2 PM meeting time with her senior, and was busy taking selfies with the company building as her backdrop.
“Wowww…!”
She still couldn’t quite believe she’d been accepted.
Thinking back, she felt that chatting enthusiastically with Employee D that day must have played a role in her success.
She decided that when they met again, she would definitely express her gratitude.
She was completely engrossed in taking pictures when—
“Gong Seungyeon?”
“Huh?”
Startled, Gong turned around to find a petite girl, shorter than her by a hand’s width, chewing on something while looking at her.
It was none other than the legendary “Employee D,” Gia Ma.
It seemed a bit strange how often they were meeting, and an unintentional smile spread across Gong Seungyeon’s lips.
“Hello! You’re eating bungeoppang! It’s definitely the season for it.”
“Would you like one?”
“Gasp. If you’re offering, I’ll gladly accept it.”
Suppressing the urge to poke Magia’s puffing and deflating cheeks, Gong Seungyeon took the warm no, blazing hot bungeoppang.
“Ouch, ouch, hot!”
“I just bought it over there, so it’s still hot.”
“Th-thank you.”
“Follow me. Let’s head up.”
With that, Magia spoke and quickly darted ahead, crossing in front of Gong Seungyeon and entering the building first.
While Magia was struggling to push open the heavy glass door with a grunt, Gong Seungyeon caught up behind her and asked,
“Uh, but… um. I need to wait here. My senior colleague is supposed to meet me here. I was told to go up together….”
“That’s me.”
After pressing the elevator button, Magia looked up at Gong Seungyeon.
Gong Seungyeon stared back at her.
Wait, what?
Does this mean Seungyeon will be working with someone way more senior?
Or… is it that this “senior” isn’t as high-ranking as Seungyeon thought?
“Um… you’re my senior?”
“Yes. We’ll be working together from now on.”
Magia extended her small, delicate hand.
“I’m Magia. Please take care of me.”
Still unable to process what was happening, Gong Seungyeon, with a bungeoppang in her mouth, hastily clasped Magia’s hand with both of hers.
‘I’m really working with the actual staff member?!’
Without realizing, Seungyeon’s lips tightened around the bungeoppang.
The poorly cooked pastry split open, and a gush of scalding red bean paste burst out.
The bungeoppang was still as hot as fire.
“Mmff, it’s so hot!!”
Unable to endure the burning sensation, Gong Seungyeon spat it out.
The bungeoppang, which lacked wings, flew through the air and landed on the floor with a soft plop.
Since it was already a dead fish, it didn’t even twitch.
As the bungeoppang grew cold on the floor, Magia muttered,
“If you didn’t like it, you could’ve just said so.”
“No, no! That’s not it!!”