The call from the boss came about an hour later.
Although it was past 11 p.m.,
I felt wide awake, probably because I’d been sleeping during the day recently.
Maybe that’s why I could vividly sense even the faint tremor in the boss’s voice.
[You… weren’t asleep, were you?]
It was the first time I’d seen my boss acting so cautious around me.
Why is she making me worry like this?
Ignoring the team leader’s earlier advice to answer apathetically,
my voice naturally carried some emotion.
“I slept a lot during the day, so I’m not sleepy now.”
[How are you feeling? Are you okay?]
“Yes, I’m fine.”
[…Right, of course. I mean, you did look okay when I saw you earlier. You’ve got some color back, too.]
Perhaps because of that, the boss’s timid mode ended as quickly as it had started.
Maybe it’s because she’s not the kind of person who lets anxiety hold him back for long.
[“I’m not good at beating around the bush, so I’ll just get straight to the point.”]
And straight to the point he went.
[First, I’m sorry. We worked hard together, but I ended up telling you not to do anything. I said it was for your health, but honestly, I didn’t realize it would feel like I was dismissing all your efforts. I’m really sorry.
…And the promotions, the new hires all of it was because I wanted you to stay with the company for a long time. You understand, right? I wasn’t trying to stop you from working. Okay?]
The desperation in his words, which seemed to linger on the verge of ending, stirred up guilt in me.
Even though I knew the boss was trying to keep me away from work out of concern for my health,
I had prioritized my desire to support his success, pushing myself beyond reasonable limits.
…This way, it feels like I’m causing him far too much stress.
‘She’s so different from before.’
The last time I collapsed, it was just, “Handle it yourself. Yeah, do it well. Don’t make me worry,” and that was about it.
But now, if I so much as faint, it feels like the boss is ready to crumble with me.
All I wanted was to help him out and join in on the pre-festival preparations.
This situation is a bit overwhelming for me.
‘So she’s thinking I’ll always be like this if I get sick…’
I’m fine with the boss treating me like a friend and hanging out with me.
But I think things like being taken care of or receiving special treatment shouldn’t go too far.
After all, I’m just one of the 1.6 million subscribers who got lucky.
I’m merely one of the “Mongmongs” working hard on behalf of the rest who weren’t chosen,
someone who gets a little extra attention as payment for my labor.
Maybe I need to compromise a bit with my belief that I should dedicate myself entirely to the company.
“I’m sorry too. After all, it’s my fault for not taking care of my health and collapsing.”
[.…]
“So, I was thinking…once the pre-festival and the concert are over, things will quiet down for a bit, right? Since Seungyeon’s here too, can I take a week off next week?”
It took almost 30 seconds before the boss responded.
[…You’re taking time off?]
Considering I’d exchanged all my leave for cash over the past three years,
this decision must’ve caught him by surprise.
“Yes. I’m planning to rest, go to the hospital, and get my health properly checked.”
[…You make it sound like fixing a robot. You know there’s a perfectly good word for that ‘checkup.’]
“A checkup is basically just getting inspected to fix your body, isn’t it?”
[I mean, that’s true, but…]
“Anyway, you’ll approve my leave, right?
In return, I really want to participate in the pre-festival.
I promise I won’t overdo it, so please let me.”
The boss’s voice was still shaky, but the earlier unease was no longer there.
[Of course, I’ll approve it. But on one condition I’ll pick you up every morning, so just come into the office like this week.]
“Come on. Do I have to sleep in your office again?”
[If you ate properly, I wouldn’t have to say stuff like this…]
Making me take leave and still come to work this company really takes the cake for being the blackest of black companies.
Still, if staying in the boss’s office for a while puts his mind at ease, there’s not much I can do about it.
Besides, by then, the boss will have some downtime, so I’ll make sure to work him to the bone for that week.
Yes, I should start practicing now.
Water! Snacks!
*
As soon as the call ended, Cheon Dohee let out a deep sigh.
“Haah… I thought my heart was going to stop.”
She’d panicked at the thought of losing an employee over this.
But after actually speaking with Jiya, it became clear that Team Leader Kang had overreacted.
Of course, it could have been a serious situation…
「——Still, I really want to participate in the pre-festival. I promise I won’t overdo it, so please let me.」
Before Dohee even had the chance to bring up work, Jiya herself mentioned it first, which eased Dohee’s worries.
It meant Jiya still had the motivation to work.
‘Right… If there’s something Jiya wants to do, it wouldn’t make sense for me to stop her just because I’m worried.’
She might be a top-tier internet streamer, but as a business owner, Dohee was still a rookie.
The company had somehow managed to stay afloat for three years without any major issues, but it wasn’t purely because of Dohee’s leadership.
It was thanks to the employees, who consistently delivered top-notch results in their respective areas.
And, of course, thanks to the “Gray Area Killer,” Magia, who flawlessly cleaned up any lingering issues.
…That’s why Dohee had made this mistake. She was still an amateur as a CEO.
She’d known Magia for five years and thought of her as a close friend.
Out of that familiarity, she’d casually told her friend to “take a break” because she was worried about her health.
But a CEO can’t do that.
It alarms the employee.
“What’s going on? Am I not needed anymore? Are they asking me to leave?”
In other words, the approach was completely wrong from the start.
Instead of commanding Magia to take a break, Dohee should have focused on removing all the burdens weighing on her shoulders.
For someone like Magia, who worried endlessly about the company day and night, the only way for her to truly rest was to eliminate the very sources of her stress.
‘At least I hired Seungyeon in time. Thank goodness for that…’
Dohee realized she needed to ramp up efforts to expand the workforce immediately.
The company’s second round of recruitments was set to begin right after the concert in two days.
If preparations weren’t made in advance, the “Gray Area Killer” Magia might once again cry out, “Yippee! More work for me!” and recklessly take on too much until she collapsed.
Dohee couldn’t afford to forget why Jiya had chosen to stay here alone, even though her family had all moved overseas.
It was all for Momo and Parallel.
If Jiya wasn’t going to push herself too hard, Dohee had to become a better CEO. A more perfect one.
* * *
… — — Parallel (VTuber) Gallery — — — …
[Breaking News] Employee D to appear at today’s pre-festival
——— —— View on Z —— ————
Parallel official KRZ @Parallel_official_kr – 1 minute ago
ANOTHER, 1st Anniversary Pre-Festival
2024.11.11 (SAT) 6PM
Hosted by: Shirahoshi Momo with Employee D
Join us on Parallel’s official channel for a special gift!
——— ——— ——— ——— ———
LOLOL Yes.
[Comment].
-Parallel843: Oh
-Parallel028: Oh
-Parallel435: Oh
… — — Parallel(Vtuber) Gallery — — — —…
[??? : Don’t keep asking Staffordy when he’s going to debut]
??? : No debut scheduled
You just open your mouth and that word comes out automatically.
What else are you going to lie about now, Mosaic?
[Comment]
-Parallels784: Staffordy is not going to debut~!
-Parallels135: If you don’t broadcast your debut, it’s not your debut.
-Parallels030: Anyway, he didn’t debut.
… — — Parallel(Vtuber) Gallery — —— — …
[Staff D avatar.rigging]…
Brainfeedback.
Momo’s platter is rigged once.
Even on the official broadcast, at a super big big big event called 1GiSaeng’s 1st anniversary eve.
You’re bringing an unrigged platter?
This is unacceptable as a perfection-crazed momo.
And below is something someone recently found, wrote on a faggot, and buried.
——— —— View from Z —— ————
PIN0Z @pin0_live2d – 4 days ago
I’ve been trying harder than usual to get it to work, but I’ve been trying harder than usual to get it to work, but I’ve been trying harder than usual to get it to work, but I’ve been trying harder than usual to get it to work, but I’ve been trying harder than usual to get it to work, but I’ve been trying harder than usual to get it to work, but I’ve been trying harder than usual to get it to work.
I tried harder than usual, but I always tried harder than usual, but I always tried harder than usual, but I always tried harder than usual
—— I’ve been working harder than I ever have.
I think Pin0 (Papa Komari) worked on a ratudi recently.
I’m 99% sure it’s a staffy platter.
I haven’t written much on Z lately because I’ve been busy with work.
If you look at it, it’s all about the day of the staffie broadcast
It’s all related stories.
Of course, I don’t know if I should call it a story.
I only wrote down repetitive phrases like a spell.
What I wrote on Halloween is a legend
——— —— View on Z —— ————
PIN0m @pin0_live2d – 11 days ago
pineapplepizzahoney flavoredpineapplepizzahoney flavoredpineapplepizzahoney flavoredpineapplepizzahoney flavoredpineapplepizzahoney flavoredpineapplepizzahoney flavored
pineapple pizza honey flavored staff diet pineapple pizza honey flavored staff diet pineapple pizza honey flavored staff diet pineapple pizza honey flavored staff diet pineapple pizza honey flavored staff diet pineapple pizza honey flavored staff diet pineapple
——— ——— ——— ——— ———
How does this look like something a normal person would write?
I think Pinogei is just a gullible black sheep who jumped onto the employee-D coin.
[Comments]
– Parallel335: There’s a possibility!
– Parallel831: When I saw bits and pieces, it seemed odd, but now that it’s all pieced together, it actually looks convincing.
– Parallel472: Shouldn’t Pinogei go to a mental hospital?
— — — — — — — — — — — — —
— — Parallel (VTuber) Gallery — —
[From here, it’s employee-D debut theories]
[Author: 🟦Parallel02]
Employee-D is never debuting.
As someone with six years of experience with MOYUKSU, I can tell.
Even if, as some of you claim, the rigged model gets revealed, they’ll just move on without making a big deal.
When their real-life friend Taro debuted, they spread announcements weeks in advance, advertised everywhere, and dropped hints on their streams repeatedly.
Why? To pull in new viewers immediately, lock them in, and build a solid base for growth.
That’s how they make sure their debuts have a solid foundation.
But if there’s no announcement like that, it means they have zero intention of debuting employee-D, okay? ???????
I mean, why would they debut employee-D now, when it’s the first generation’s first anniversary? LMAO.
Seriously, it’s like someone tosses wood into the fire, and the flames just roar up like it’s an incinerator.
I wasn’t even gonna say anything, but watching how things are going in this gallery is just so ridiculous that I had to write something, ha.
(Likes: 344 / Dislikes: 252)
[Comments]
– Parallel241: Hey, hey, hey.
– Parallel740: Relax, relax.
– Parallel674: Oh wow, you must love “control.” What are you, the Control Officer?
– Parallel845: If this turns out to be true, you deserve permanent admin status LOL.
– Parallel335: Honestly, this baseless theorizing is getting out of hand. Someone needs to put a stop to it.
– Parallel241: It’s because people keep spinning theories like they’re actually debuting LOL.
ᄂ Parallel474: Honestly, the people getting swayed by this are also lacking in brainpower LOL.
* * *
And so, the next day.
The day of the pre-event.
I couldn’t hide my amazement at seeing my live, moving model.
I mean, it was the same model I had been obsessed with once before.
Although the excitement had faded at the realization that it was just a thing, seeing it move still stirred something special in me.
I resolved to clip the footage—minus the voice—into gifs and save them after the stream.
Something this cute simply had to be preserved.
“How did Pino finish this in just five days?”
“I don’t know. Must’ve been desperate.”
Apparently, they pulled an all-nighter to get released two days early as a special case.
Still, doesn’t the quality look better than the first generation?
Seems like Dora’s character sheet accurately reflected reality, triggering all the right lolicon sensors.
“For expressions, just activate the ones you want to use and turn the rest off. You know how to use it, right?”
“Yep. I’ve handled this stuff before when setting up the others’ streams.”
“Good. That saves me the trouble of explaining.”
With that, the boss’s model was positioned at 7 o’clock on the screen, while mine was placed at 5 o’clock.
We adjusted the layout: the main screen in the center, a flattened chatbox underneath. The stream setup was complete or rather, the boss had already prepped everything yesterday, so there wasn’t much for me to tweak.
“If you feel burdened or tired, just say so. If you need to take a break, I can finish the stream for you. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“So, are you ready?”
“Ready for what?”
“For your first proper stream, in a way.”
“Not really feeling nervous.”
“Well, good then.”
The boss fiddled with the nameplates we’d place in front of our avatars on the screen, then asked:
“By the way, will you join us again for the second generation’s first anniversary, like you’re doing now?”
“Yes, as long as you’re okay with it, boss.”
“In that case, how about choosing an alias for yourself? It feels a bit off to keep calling you Employee-D all the time.”
“Doesn’t bother me. I am an employee, after all.”
“True, but I’m worried that calling you Employee might make people take you less seriously. It’d be nice if you had a proper alias.”
On-screen, my avatar moved in sync with me, nodding, sighing, and even casting a contemptuous shadow across its face. At a glance, I looked just like a VTuber.
But I wasn’t a VTuber.
I was the shadow of a VTuber.
I had no need for an impressive backstory to capture people’s interest.
No need for a flashy name.
I had to stay in the shadows. Those things would only make me look more like a VTuber.
Within the Parallel universe, my identity was clear:
“Let’s just go with Magia.”
Magia Deputy. That was enough for me.
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