I stopped in my tracks on my way to see Crkemang and imdiately called the boss to report the situation.
[A competition invitation? That’s great, isn’t it? It’s good PR for Parallel, and you’ll expand your connections too.]
“That’s true.”
[And it’s not even Battle Colosseum, but Combative. A fresh face like you showing up is bound to draw attention. Naturally, people who don’t know about Parallel will start looking it up.]
The boss was saying exactly what Lupko had said earlier.
Honestly, even I preferred seeing new players shine in competitions rather than the sa old faces every ti.
...Not that I had ever imagined myself as one of those rising stars.
Anyway, that settled it—Lupko, the boss, and .
Three approvals confird.
There was no doubt that my participation in the competition would be a win for Parallel.
[et with Crkemang first, then co back with Lupko so the three of us can talk.
By the way, aren’t you glad I brought you in? You’re amazing, Magia! You just snagged content the mont you arrived at the year-end party!]
The boss was going a little too far with the praise, so I shut it down with a quick reality check.
“...It just sort of happened. I was lucky.”
[Oh, don’t be modest. Luck is a skill too. Anyway, I’m hanging up now. But if anything like this cos up again, you’ll let know, right~?]
“Yes.”
After ending the call, I turned to Lupko and filled him in. He let out a loud laugh, distorting his already long and, frankly, unfortunate-looking face.
“As expected! The boss has an eye for the bigger picture. Of course she’d say yes.”
I tilted my head slightly.
“Well, let’s talk more after I et with Crkemang. Aren’t you entering the competition too, Lupko?”
“Huh? The competition? Oh, no, I’m not competing. I’m just setting things up.”
“...Huh?”
“Oh, right. I actually wanted to sit this one out for a break, but the organizers told to bring in a replacent, so I thought of you. Damn, I’m one lucky guy. Who’d have thought Magia would actually take the offer?”
“...Wait, that’s not what you said earlier—.”
“Anyway, you’re filling in for , so I’ll hype you up during Parallel’s World Cup. I’ll pump up the expectations to the max, so do your best, got it?”
...Why did this feel like I just got scamd?
But then again, it wasn’t exactly a bad deal for either.
Lupko and the Mad Dogs Crew had a combined 3 million subscribers on YouTube. If they uploaded our team’s World Cup footage, it’d be massive exposure.
And if anyone accused of taking bribes, I could just point out that Lupko swapped himself out for in the competition—just a simple trade. No harm, no foul.
Basically, Lupko had played this smart.
He might bark like a mad dog on stream, but off-cara, he was a bespectacled strategist, analyzing and calculating his every move. Maybe those rumors weren’t so far from the truth after all.
* * *
So, how did the conversation with Crkemang go?
Honestly, it all happened so fast that even I barely kept up.
But let break it down in chronological order.
First, as soon as I arrived, I got showered with complints.
“Haha! No way, is this really Magia? Are you the real deal?”
“Hello, Crkemang. I’m Assistant Manager Magia from Parallel. Never in my life did I expect to be introducing myself to you like this. Here’s my business card.”
“Wow, this is crazy. Nice to et you. I thought you were deliberately using a cute character, but you’re actually just small and adorable in real life.”
“You’re too kind.”
Before long, the conversation naturally shifted to baseball, and thanks to my prior research, I managed to build rapport.
“Now that I think about it, it’s the off-season, right? Must be tough with no gas to watch.”
“Wait, you know about that? People who don’t follow baseball wouldn’t even realize I’m bored out of my mind.”
“I was watching your recent streams, and you’ve been complaining non-stop about having nothing to watch.”
“Haha! Right, right. I always say that. Damn, those bastards. If they played gas during winter, people like would have sothing to watch. But nooo, they just have to take their break.”
“I totally get it. I’m a fan of my boss, after all.”
“Oh yeah, Momo! She did that adorable act recently. Nailed it.”
“Ugh... Anyway, my boss is so busy that she barely streams. It’s torture having nothing to watch.”
“Ah, a fellow sufferer. A comrade in content deprivation.”
“At least I have other talents in our company to watch when she’s not around. But for you, once winter hits, everyone’s on break, right? Even Major League Baseball?”
“Damn, now you’re roasting too. You’re sharp.”
“I’ll take that as a complint.”
“Haha!”
As we continued discussing streaming and gaming, I found out sothing unexpected.
Crkemang was also participating in the competition.
Maybe because we were both new to Combative, we clicked pretty well.
About ten minutes in, the conversation had progressed to this point:
“Just call Uncle.”
“Eh? But we’re only properly talking for the first ti today.”
“Nah, it’s fine. I hate it when people call ‘Oppa’ or ‘Hyung.’ Anyone nearly ten years younger than gets to call Uncle. So go on, say it.”
“...Alright then, Uncle Crkemang.”
“This might be a bit rude, but my kids used to be just as cute as you a few years ago. Now they’re all grown up and won’t even talk to their dad anymore. They’re so cold to , I swear.”
“Well, that’s just how teenage daughters are. I can be your honorary niece from ti to ti.”
“For ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ real? Then how about appearing on my stream soday?”
“Ah... I work for a VTuber company, so face reveals are a no-go.”
“I know, I know. Just wear that VTuber ‘mask’ of yours and co watch a baseball ga with . How about it?”
“How about the opening ga of the ‘25 season? Or would that clash with your plans with the Makgeolli Crew?”
“Screw them. I’ll book it with you first, and if they want in, they can tag along. Deal?”
“If you’re inviting , then of course, I’m in! I just need to check with my boss first.”
“Alright! No backing out later, okay? Mark the fourth week of March on your calendar.”
“Got it.”
After that, I helped Lupko set up a Baseball Manager 25 collaboration as promised, and just then, the Makgeolli Crew arrived.
The funny thing was, in the short ti we spent talking, Crkemang had already ward up to . He imdiately started ssing with the crew.
“Where’d you guys find this kid?”
“Oi, you dumbass. Where are your manners? You don’t just call soone a ‘kid’ to their face.”
“Ah, uh... Sorry, I just— You just seem so young.”
“Uncle, it’s fine, calm down. Nice to et you all—Hoppang King, Baekgeunchu, Dingsam. This is my first ti seeing you in person.”
“Pleasure to et you.”
“Likewise! Wow, you look just like your profile pic.”
“Idiot, that’s not a profile pic, it’s a character.”
“No, but seriously, doesn’t she look exactly like it?”
“Are you blind? She does, but the real deal looks even better.”
“Oh, my bad, Assistant Manager Magia. That was rude of .”
“It’s no problem.”
I ended up so flustered that I quickly made my exit.
Why were the Makgeolli Crew guys so damn friendly?
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
I had just t them today, yet it felt like I was reuniting with old drinking buddies.
As I made my way back to find the boss, Lupko glanced at my worn-out expression and chuckled.
“Damn, you already look like a rag.”
“I’m exhausted... I don’t like crowded places.”
“Yet you still made it here.”
“...Yeah.”
It had been a chaotic day.
Lapits’ Operations Team Leader Yeon Sung-mook had suddenly offered a debut.
Lupko had dragged into Combative.
And I had ended up making future collab plans with Crkemang.
Still, I managed to secure so solid opportunities for the company.
Even better, my phone had recorded my entire conversation with Yeon Sung-mook while in my pocket.
I always tell my friends who are job hunting: if you work in an office, set up a hotkey to record audio with just the side button. You never know when you’ll need it.
Of course, my exhausting day didn’t end there.
“Holy crap. It’s really Magia?”
“Magia, wow....”
When I finally found the boss, I saw that all eight mbers of our group and the Lapits mbers were gathered there.
Why weren’t they all out mingling? Why were they all clustered together like this?
A sense of unease crept up my spine, and I instinctively tried to escape—but fat chance.
Rain, dressed in leather pants, sprang up and grabbed before I could make a run for it, pulling straight into the center of a twelve-person circle.
This is insane.
The tribal ritual had begun again.
And this ti, even Lapits was in on it.
If the chaos had ended there, that would’ve been a relief. But of course, it didn’t.
I’d heard that the first generation of Lapits consisted of people originally scouted as idols by Virdess, but redirected to the subculture scene instead.
And from the looks of it, their second generation followed the sa trend—they were all ridiculously good-looking.
As for our team? That went without saying.
One of the boss’s main criteria when recruiting mbers was self-discipline, aning everyone had great base-level looks, good proportions, and impeccable styling.
And now, thirteen of these people were gathered in one place.
And sohow, I was smack in the middle of them.
What do you think that looked like to everyone else?
“Is that really Magia? You actually ca?”
“Look, she’s identical to her avatar.”
“No way. This is insane.”
“Wait, who’s that?”
“The Wicker Town Demon King.”
“Oh, that guy. The absolute nace?! Holy shit.”
On top of that, quite a few people had already noticed walking across the banquet hall with Lupko earlier.
I guess it wasn’t surprising. Looking around, there was no one else remotely as small as .
Iona’s claim that she could recognize instantly had been forcibly proven by the sheer number of people who figured it out the mont they saw .
And once that fact was confird, a swarm of people ca at in waves.
Luckily, Parallel and Lapits tead up to form a double-layered protective barrier around , but it was still overwhelming.
It felt like I was a lone soldier huddling behind the walls of Fort Rose while an army of giants sward in.
The boss’s massive network of connections was not helping here—one group would leave, only for another to take their place, and then another after that.
By the ti I had greeted and exchanged business cards with what felt like a hundred people, I was completely drained and collapsed onto a sofa.
“Sis, you okay? Hey, are you still with us?”
“Oh no, boss, Gia’s dead.”
The boss, who had already made several rounds through the banquet, clicked her tongue as she looked at .
“Want to head ho first? You look exhausted.”
“...No, I’ll rest for a bit and then get back up.”
She crouched down next to and whispered.
“You locked in a competition entry and a collab with Crkemang. What more are you trying to do?”
Flick.
Her finger traced a gentle arc before landing squarely on my forehead.
“Ahh.”
“You’ve already done more than enough, so just rest. If soone important cos by, just sit up and say hello.”
I didn’t even have the energy to respond, so I just nodded.
Ugh. Completely drained.
I really don’t belong in places with this many people.
But even though I poured all my energy into this for the company, why does it still feel like it’s not enough?
...Is it because of that?
I secured opportunities, but every single one of them involved directly.
The benefits should’ve gone to the mbers, but they sohow all ended up on my plate.
I couldn’t just pass things off to Lupko or Crkemang, though.
They were major players, and this stage of our relationship was all about trust.
I just had to hope that since I opened the floodgates, the opportunities would naturally flow to the mbers next.
I had thought bringing a hundred business cards would be excessive.
But no.
It was barely enough.
Apparently, the number of attendees had increased a bit this year, reaching around 300.
And just under a third of them had seen my face and taken my card.
Among them were strears I didn’t know, industry professionals, and even complete strangers.
I handed them out since they asked, but with so many people swarming around, I had no way of keeping track of who was who.
...I wonder how many will actually follow up.
Ti to start praying.
Please, let all this effort lead to success for the boss and our first-gen mbers...
“Giaaa~ squish squish~.”
“Gia’s cheeks are addictive, aren’t they?”
But just as I was about to focus on my prayer, the mbers kept touching my face and hair, being annoying.
Maybe it was because I was already so exhausted, but I snapped before I could stop myself.
“Enough!”
I shot them a glare, my eyes sharp as an axe, and the mbers flinched back in shock.
Maru, who was closest, looked guilty.
“S-sorry... We were bothering you while you were resting, huh....”
It had been a long ti since I had outright rejected the mbers like this.
They all looked startled.
Damn.
That reaction made realize—I was acting just like my past self.
This was exactly how things used to be.
Whenever I was even a little nice, they would rush in without a second thought.
And since I hated rumors spreading, I would set firm boundaries with harsh words.
That cycle was how the wall between and the mbers had ford.
Think about it—imagine a big, burly man with his favorite idols squealing and clinging to him.
Even if most people were fine with it, so obsessive fan out there would definitely lose their mind and go feral.
It might sound like I was overthinking it, but after three years as a VTuber manager, this had beco second nature.
That’s why I only started approaching the mbers after I beca small.
...Still, I didn’t have to react that harshly just now.
I looked at Maru, who was still watching nervously.
“It’s fine from tomorrow onward, but not today. If you keep touching , I’ll get mad.”
The mbers grinned mischievously in unison and flicked my forehead.
What a bunch of troublemakers.
Fine.
Tomorrow, when the boss goes live, I’m dropping a thousand-won punch donation a hundred tis to get my revenge.
* * *
─ — Parallel (VTuber) Gallery — ─
[Summary of Magia Sightings from Yesterday’s Streams]
Lupko – No more questions. She just looks like Magia. Yes.
Movgun – Demon King? She’s literally just Magia. I was shocked.
Kamik – Weird, huh? It’s exactly that vibe. But dammit, I still didn’t get to properly say hi.
Crkemang – She’s adorable. We agreed she’d call Uncle.
Ronze – Magia was Magia. That’s the only way to put it.
Lapits mbers – Cute! (Literally all of them said this. The only difference was adding “super,” “totally,” or similar words before it.)
...
Why does everyone say the exact sa thing?
Pazibell, so what does Magia actually look like?!!!!
[Comnts]
— Parallel351: They said she looks like her avatar.
ㄴ Parallel034 (OP): You believe that? LOL
ㄴ Parallel252: I an, it could be true?
ㄴ Parallel034: They’re obviously just covering for her.
ㄴ Parallel034: They did the sa thing last year when people asked about first-gen mbers.
─ — Parallel (VTuber) Gallery — ─
[Breaking News]
Magia is replacing Lupko in the Combative competition.
(Update: For the doubters, here’s the clip.)
🔗 sclip.pazizik/roofkr/2024102400204913 [Lupko: Magia’s taking my spot.]
[Comnts]
— Parallel931: For real?
— Parallel014: Magia’s entering a Combative competition?
ㄴ Parallel735: This is a betrayal...
— Parallel345: She hasn’t even debuted, but she’s already doing everything—collabs, big servers, year-end parties, competitions...
ㄴ Parallel242: At this point, they should just debut her.
ㄴ Parallel885: LMAO, right?!
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