Have you ever heard of a perpetual motion machine?
You give it a gentle push, and the metal balls attached to a disc start moving back and forth, generating propulsion that keeps the disc spinning, which then moves the balls again—a self-sustaining device.
It’s a common scam often seen on shorts and similar platforms. In reality, it’s impossible to achieve due to friction, air resistance, and other factors. Most of these setups have hidden motors to make them look convincing.
However, my conversations with the boss feel like a real perpetual motion machine.
Unless someone steps in and says, “Let’s wrap it up here,” our talks are like an untamed bull, an eight-ton truck with broken brakes, or a train running on bare ground after its rails have snapped.
“… Boss, aren’t you hungry?”
“Oh.”
By the time we snapped out of it, it was already 9 PM.
The boss’s official quitting time had long passed, and thankfully, there was no broadcast today. My stomach was growling, begging for food since I’d skipped dinner.
Gong Seungyeon, who had started work at 3 PM, had been left unattended for six hours.
“How about we call it a day and continue tomorrow?”
“Alright, let’s grab some food.”
“I have to check on Seungyeon, so I’ll just order something quick.”
As I was about to leave the boss’s office, he hesitated and asked,
“You know… once things calm down, after the kids and I return from our trip… how about another gaming cafe outing?”
By now, the boss surely knows I wouldn’t turn down such an appealing suggestion.
“Just let me know the date.”
Thankfully, Seungyeon had been handling things well without me giving specific instructions.
“Oh, Team Lead! You’re here?”
“Sorry, the boss and I got caught up in a long conversation.”
“You two seemed so engrossed that the other team leads were peeking in but didn’t dare to come in.”
“Really? I had no idea.”
“Yeah, but nothing urgent seemed to come up since everyone left after clocking out.”
It would’ve been a problem if my lengthy talk with the boss had caused delays in work.
After all, we were approaching the critical period of our first anniversary event.
Still, knowing everyone left on time was a relief.
“What about dinner?”
“Oh, the team lead bought pad Thai for me. He saw you were stuck with the boss and figured you wouldn’t be out anytime soon.”
“Good timing.”
“What about you, though? You haven’t eaten yet.”
“I’m about to. There’s leftover pizza in the fridge from yesterday, so I’ll have that.”
Pizza after a six-hour extended meeting always hits differently.
Though Seungyeon gave me a curious look, I pointed to the draft report she had been working on and said,
“There’s a typo.”
“Ah!”
She had written “komari” instead of “komaru” and “maru” instead of “mari.”
It was an easy mistake to make while typing.
Other than that, the overall structure of the report wasn’t bad. It seemed like she had used the report I wrote yesterday as a reference.
It was interesting to see how it shared similarities with my style yet had subtle differences.
“You’ve got a knack for writing reports, even though I didn’t explain how to do it.”
“Oh, really?”
“Thanks to you, I feel less stressed. I thought I’d have a ton of work to catch up on after talking with the boss for so long, but with you backing me up like this, it’s a huge help.”
“Hehe… Thank you. I figured you were busy, so I just tried my best based on what we worked on yesterday. I’m glad there weren’t any issues.”
“If you keep this up, you’ll settle into the role in no time. Does the work suit you so far?”
“It’s a perfect fit! I’ve always loved watching streams, but now I can watch four at once on these monitors. It’s unreal! And the headset is amazing, too. Whatever post-processing they use, the voices sound crystal clear.”
“You’re watching streams at work, though.”
“But I’m getting paid! I watch streams while earning money, and then I use that money to send donations. Isn’t that like the ultimate cycle of economic creativity?
Before, I could only send a thousand-won punch about 500 times a month at most. Now, I can manage 1,500 punches!”
There’s a certain type of donor who consistently supports streamers by breaking up their total contributions into small increments, like a thousand won each time. People like Seungyeon, who send impressive monthly totals this way, are part of what’s known as the “thousand-won punch gang.”
It’s a group that’s hard to see in a completely positive light, but I can’t help but find Seungyeon amusing.
Her mindset mirrors mine so closely that I have to press my hands over my mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
After I calmed down, Seungyeon asked,
“By the way, Team Lead, have you been getting enough sleep?”
“Yeah, I’ve been sleeping as usual. Why?”
“Your dark circles look a little darker than yesterday.”
“…You can tell?”
“I’m pretty observant and have good instincts. Like, if Komari’s voice changes even slightly, I can tell if she’s caught a cold, went to vocal training, or visited the doctor.”
She often checks on the boss or the streamers, asking if they’re okay or suggesting they rest, but this was the first time someone had shown that kind of concern for me.
Still, I’ve only collapsed from overwork once in my life, and that was entirely my fault for pushing myself too hard. This time, I hadn’t reached that point, so I waved her off lightly.
“Thanks for worrying, but don’t stress about it.”
“Team Lead, words have power! I’m genuinely concerned about you.”
“I told you, if I were going to collapse, it would’ve happened already.”
“Hmm…”
Seungyeon’s expression gave her away. It was that look—the one that said, “Ugh, I’d drag you to the hospital right now if I could, but you’re my superior, so I can’t.”
But really, I’m fine.
My dark circles have always been slightly noticeable; at this point, they feel like close companions.
Besides, there are so many streams I still need to catch up on.
Why spend time at a hospital when I could be watching live broadcasts, sending donations, and soaking in the atmosphere?
Honestly, I wish days were 48 hours long.
Live streams are so much warmer and more satisfying than highlight clips.
* * *
Day One.
“Don’t poke me there like that it’s practically UFC!”
“Didn’t the boss respond like this last time?”
“I’m saying it because I realize now it was a mistake.”
“Ah, I see.”
Day Two.
“Boss, honestly, that was a real boomer move just now.”
“What?! When?!”
“Maybe because the big three-oh isn’t far off, huh? You’re starting to—”
“You want to die? I’m still in my mid-20s!”
Day Three.
“Hey, be honest. You’re only helping me with the stream so you can pick a fight.”
“Pick a fight? I’m just sharing my thoughts. Besides, we need to keep the vibe chill, Boss.”
“‘Chill’… Ugh.”
Day Four.
“This part… Yeah, going with your opinion here makes sense.”
“Oh wow, for once you didn’t shoot me down right away, Boss.”
“If you hadn’t poked me so much, I wouldn’t have.”
“But you did get poked, right?”
“I swear—”
That evening, at 7 PM, the first-year anniversary song for the first-generation members was released.
[🥔Nutube]
“One Other” (Music Video) | Parallel Another
Parallel Official | 132K subscribers
240K views · 1 day ago
#Parallel #Another #1YearAnniversary #3D
292 comments
@Movgun 15 minutes ago
“Dammit, Parallel. You’ve turned me into this.”
@L@gungungungungun just now
“Shut up and just shoot, bro.”
In just one day, the video racked up an astounding 240,000 views, breaking records for all songs uploaded to the official channel.
It hit the trending videos list, was picked up by the algorithm, and the numbers kept climbing steadily.
The comments were overwhelmingly positive:
“It met every expectation I had from the teaser.”
“The 3D modeling and background quality are insane, and the tracking is so smooth.”
“Their vocal and dance skills keep getting better and better.”
“The rap part almost made me put on 8-bit sunglasses and dance on my bed.”
The hard work of the first-gen members paid off, and the enthusiastic response continued into the following day.
Day Five to Six (November 7).
The first 3D showcase kicked off, featuring Akari Dora as the lead performer.
[(🔴Live) Miracle Coffeehouse | 3D Showcase] 👪 16,042 viewers
#3D #Parallel #Showcase #Another
To maximize attention on the performer, the other members, including Momo, were on a break.
Even so, the viewer count was no joke.
Considering the Halloween collab with all four members peaked at 11,000 viewers, the 16,042 people who gathered for this showcase hinted at significant new audience growth following the anniversary song release.
The showcase was mesmerizing enough to captivate everyone. Even the boss and I, in the middle of a meeting, ended up watching Dora’s 3D stream in his office, marveling at the production quality.
“The polygon count on the hair is insane. The rigging is flawless.”
“Right? We poured a ton of money into this.”
“We’re not going bankrupt from this, are we?”
“It’s all an investment. There’s so much potential with 3D-exclusive content. Now, we just need to focus on directing the members toward diverse projects.”
“Hmm. Honestly, even if Dora just keeps bouncing around like that, the money will roll in on its own.”
“Still, isn’t it a bit much to be staring at my chest so intently since earlier?”
“Well, the chest is an important matter. Besides, boss, you’ve been staring too.”
“No, it’s just… it’s really distracting…”
The character was already wearing a dress with minimal fabric, resulting in high overall exposure. On top of that, the well-executed “bust morphing” left the chat temporarily paralyzed.
– “Oh wow.”
– “I think I’m going to have a heart attack.”
– “Stop shaking!!!”
– “This is a magnitude 9.9 earthquake in my room… magnitude 9.9…”
Even though it was just the same character brought to life in 3D, the reaction was overwhelmingly heated.
It was a stark reminder of how crucial “visual stimulation” is to humans.
While the character’s 2D illustrations already managed to convey a sense of being “alive,” there was always that underlying feeling of “I’ll never meet this in reality.”
My idol, confined to the screen like a bird in a cage—this became a bittersweet aspect for fans watching.
But with the addition of 3D, the boundary between virtual and reality begins to blur.
With AR and VR becoming increasingly widespread, fans now feel an almost assured belief:
“My idol can step out into reality to sing for me, or even dance for me.”
In other words, the addition of a 3D avatar represents “the infinite potential of expanding into a real-world stage.”
Imagine discovering that your favorite character, who used to only sway their upper body, actually moves like an energetic puppy.
Or perhaps realizing they’re an incredible dancer—or, on the flip side, a complete klutz.
Fans can’t help but feel it:
“This is what it feels like to face my idol and have fun together.”
After all, communication between people isn’t just about words.
Body language, including expressions and gestures, plays a significant role in conveying meaning.
With 3D, fans can enjoy scenarios where it feels like they’re sitting right next to their favorite VTuber, viewing them from various angles and perspectives.
Collaborative content involving physical movements can provide laughter greater than most comedy shows.
From concerts to detailed depictions of chemistry and interactions between members which could only be expressed in words before—everything becomes possible.
Today, fans of Dora got to enjoy a unique experience: being hired as a part-time worker by a beautiful dragon CEO.
They passed the interview, sat face-to-face during a meal, learned how to make coffee while standing shoulder-to-shoulder, received protection from an unexpected bug, walked together on a dark evening after work, and clinked glasses at a bar.
Most fans who participated in the experience were left saying things like:
– “Ahhh.”
– “Noonaaa.”
– “Please marry me.”
– “She’s my wife, haha.”
– “Already filed the marriage registration form~”
– “Do we really have to part ways?”
– “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!”
– “Damn it, make it 2, 3, 4, 24 hours.”
– “Don’t end the stream, pleaseee!”
– “I can work 24 hours, just don’t fire me, I beg you.”
– “I’ll become your slave!!!”
And just like that, fans became hopelessly entranced by the VTuber.
Despite being just a short, one-hour showcase, the amount of donations poured in was immense, and the viewer graph was astounding.
It was as if nobody who joined the stream left until it ended. Can you imagine that?
There’s this elation that’s hard to put into words. Sure, part of it is the thrill of being a fan, but it feels more like the joy you get when you hear that a friend who was preparing for a tough exam passed with flying colors.
It makes your chest feel warm, and your head heats up too. It was almost a physical sensation—throbbing and pounding, almost to the point of aching.
And to think, there are three more days of this kind of broadcast? It’s basically a dopamine festival.
The prophets of VchuVchu must have selfishly enjoyed this kind of excitement before anyone else. Not that I can judge too harshly, since I’ve been keeping up with their 3D streams too.
Meanwhile, Dora’s fan community had already gone wild. Artists were flooding in, unable to hold back, churning out fan art like factory workers.
“I’ll go check on Seungyeon for a bit. Can’t let him mess up because he’s too hyped.”
“Alright, go ahead.”
I stood up from my seat. Preparations for the pre-event with the boss were going smoothly, and I felt that if we could just get through the event on the 11th without issue, it would all be perfect.
That’s when—
“…Ugh.”
Ping.
Suddenly, my vision turned white, tilting diagonally.
What I saw shifted from the boss’s office door, to the corner of the desk, to the floor.
Thud.
“Jiya!!”
The last thing I saw was the boss’s face.