I May Be a Virtual Youtuber, but I Still Go to Work
虽然是虚拟主播，但我依然要上班

Thirty Minutes Ago.   三十分钟前

As soon as Serena finished her passionate performance, the chat erupted in silent cheers.
当塞雷娜完成她充满激情的表演后，聊天室瞬间爆发出无声的欢呼。

[Thank you for enjoying it! Happy New Year!]
[感谢大家的欣赏！新年快乐！]

— Kyaaaaaaaaa   ——啊啊啊啊啊

— Encore! Encore! Encore!
——安可！安可！安可！

— Finally, someone this good at singing after Maru, lol
——终于又出现一个唱得和 Maru 一样好的了，笑死

— Damn, that was amazing
——卧槽，这也太强了吧

— Wait, isn’t that...? lol
— 等等，那不是...？笑死

— Who is that?
— 那是谁啊？

— Who??   — 谁？？

Among the more than sixty thousand viewers, there were a few who recognized Serena.
在六万多名观众中，有少数人认出了塞雷娜。

Which meant that the number of people realizing she was participating would only grow.
这意味着意识到她参与其中的人数只会越来越多。

The CEO said she would handle it, but I didn’t want to just dump everything on her.
CEO 表示她会处理这件事，但我不想把所有事情都推给她。

So, I decided to check in with Serena first and grabbed my phone.
于是，我决定先联系塞雷娜确认情况，拿起了手机。

The message wasn’t sent from a secondary account made specifically for this secret duet, but from my main TalkCord account.
这条消息并非来自为这次秘密二重唱专门注册的小号，而是用我的主 TalkCord 账号发送的。

[Me: We’re doing our content today,]
[我：我们今天在做内容，]

[Me: And someone like you is singing a Maru song. It’s crazy.]
[我：结果像你这样的人居然在唱丸之歌。太疯狂了。]

[Me: You should check it out later.]
[我：你待会儿应该去看看。]

A reply came back quickly.
对方很快就回复了。

[Serena: I’m already watching, lol.]
[塞雷娜：我已经在看啦，笑死。]

[Serena: But hey, did you know?]
[塞雷娜：不过你知道吗？]

She suddenly seemed like she was about to get serious.
她突然摆出一副要谈正事的架势。

And then, out of nowhere, she dropped a bombshell.
紧接着毫无预兆地抛出了爆炸性消息。

[Serena: That person is graduating early next month, lol.]
[塞雷娜：那个人下个月就要提前毕业了，笑死。]

I didn’t show any reaction on my face or in my posture.
我脸上和姿态上都没有表现出任何反应。

...But I was actually shocked.
……但其实我内心相当震惊。

[Me: What?]   [我：啥？]

[Serena: It’s not about me, why are you so surprised?]
[塞雷娜：又不是我毕业，你干嘛这么惊讶？]

[Me: Still,]   [我：可是，]

[Me: Any VTuber’s graduation is heartbreaking.]
[我：任何 VTuber 毕业都让人心碎啊。]

[Serena: Hahahaha.]   [塞雷娜：哈哈哈。]

[Serena: That’s so like you, Gia.]
[塞雷娜：这太像你了，吉娅。]

[Serena: Your kindness is seriously the best.]
[塞雷娜：你的善良真是无可挑剔。]

It’s often said that in a company, those who stay silent have a higher chance of quitting than those who constantly complain.
常言道，在公司里，那些保持沉默的人比那些不断抱怨的人更容易离职。

At least, that’s what the HR manager once told me.
至少，这是人力资源经理曾经告诉我的。

Basically, people who speak up don’t usually quit, but the ones who don’t say anything tend to leave quickly.

Serena rarely communicated with Lapits’ management.

Meaning she was at high risk of quitting.

I had considered the possibility that she might leave, but I didn’t expect her to bring up graduation so soon.

[Me: What’s she planning to do after graduation?]

[Serena: Not sure? Maybe become an idol?]

[Me: Right, I remember she always dreamed of that.]

[Serena: Who knows, though.]

[Serena: She’s a bit old to be a trainee.]

[Serena: Maybe she’ll just take a break first?]

Maybe because of Korea’s heavy focus on early training,

I had read somewhere that the average age of idol trainees was now around fifteen.

Since Serena looked like she was in her early twenties, it made sense that she felt it was too late.

...In a way, it was kind of sad.

We’re living in an era where people can live close to a hundred years, and yet, being in your twenties is already considered too late to start something.

At least Serena seemed somewhat relieved.

[Serena: She said she can finally rest now.]

[Serena: She hasn’t been able to take a proper break since high school.]

[Serena: ...But]

[Serena: She’s still a bit sad about not being able to see her fans anymore.]

[Me: The fans probably feel the same way.]

[Serena: Yeah...]

She seemed to have strong lingering feelings about her fans.

But when it came to her reason for leaving, she was firm in her decision.

[Serena: But she said that once she leaves, her juniors and colleagues will be better off.]

[Serena: There’s a rock stuck in the company, you see.]

[Serena: And when they tried to remove it, they realized the one who put it there was the parent company’s CEO.]

[Serena: Obviously, it’s not easy to remove, since it’s a parachute hire.]

[Serena: So, she decided to graduate.]

[Serena: To send a warning to the company that if they don’t deal with it, they’ll lose all their talents.]

She was being careful with her words, but the meaning was clear.

The parent company, VIRDESS, had placed someone in a high position.

That person’s presence was interfering with their activities.

So, by leaving at the peak of her growth, she wanted to send a message—

“If you don’t fix this, you’ll lose everything.”

Still, after hearing it all, I had one thought.

"Does her father have some real power?"

Unless she came from a well-off family or had fought the company tooth and nail,

it wouldn’t be easy to graduate with such a strong resolve.

Especially considering her recent surge in popularity and steady income.

But Serena had already made up her mind.

She wasn’t even worried about what would happen after graduation.

Considering the calculated side she had shown back in Wicker Town,

it wasn’t just blind optimism or naivety.

She had once said, “If my dad were here,” or “My dad evaluated it this way,”

So I could only assume that she had a solid safety net.

After that, Serena kept talking—

Was it venting? Complaining?

Either way, she was throwing out things that were hard for me to respond to...

[Serena: I asked if the seniors and juniors wouldn’t struggle more once she left, but she said it’d be fine.]

[Serena: She said worst-case scenario, even if the company collapses, she can just go indie.]

[Serena: Honestly, the support was so half-assed that it was hard to tell if it was a corporate group or an indie setup anyway, lol.]

[Serena: Anyway, she told me not to worry too much.]

[Serena: And she wanted me to pass this on to you.]

[Serena: ‘Gia, please stay with Parallel.’]

That was the last message before the conversation abruptly ended.

[Me: I’m not going anywhere.]

I sent a reply, but since Serena had logged out of her main account to return to her anonymous participation, there was no response.

By the time the third contestant’s song started, I told the CEO about my conversation with Serena.

“Someone Serena knows came to sing today. She’s graduating early next month.”

The CEO must have already had a hunch that Serena would be graduating or transferring soon.

Because her immediate response was—

“Did you try to stop her?”

I shrugged.

“VTubers can disappear at any time. It’s common for them to quit streaming to chase their dreams or deal with personal issues.”

“You’re surprisingly cool about letting her go....”

“What else can I do? The moment someone mentions graduation, their heart is already gone. I can’t track them down and force them to stay.

You just have to treat them as well as you can while they’re still around.

Ever heard this phrase? ‘Be grateful that your oshi is still here.’”

“Oh, I’ve heard that one plenty of times.”

Honestly, the CEO was a long-standing VTuber.

Most people say the three-year mark is the breaking point.

If you pass that, graduation is usually just a matter of time.

That’s why I was always grateful.

Even though her upload schedule was a mess due to how busy she was, she never stopped streaming.

“Well, if she ever returns as a VTuber, maybe I’ll help out then. I have zero interest in people who aren’t VTubers.”

The CEO chuckled.

“That’s such a you thing to say.”

The atmosphere seemed to have settled down for a moment.

But the cool air of the broadcast room was soon heated up again by the endless stream of singing contest participants.

Dividing the categories into Performance Award and Talent Award had a huge impact—half the participants were there purely to rack up entertainment points.

And these people were insane.

From illegal duets featuring grandpas and grandmas...

To duets with foreigners from Japan, India, China, the U.S., and all sorts of unique accents.

It was absolute comedy—so much so that it was impossible not to laugh.

So when the twenty-fourth contestant appeared—

Both the CEO and I, already riding high on excitement, couldn't help but join the cheering viewers in the chat.

For the second time, Maru’s notoriously difficult Finale made an appearance.

And in the chorus, that unmistakable raspy vocal tone confirmed it—it was none other than Iyura herself.

[Dreaming of tomorrow, I’ll forget it all...]

— Waaaaaah

— Kyaaaaaaaa

— HOLY SHIT LOL

— THIS IS REALLY IYURA

— Damn, she’s insane

— Ascending to heaven rn

— Iyura-Maru duet... my heart is overwhelmed

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

While Serena had stood out with her dual-toned voice, both aggressive and soft, along with a technique eerily similar to Maru’s—

Iyura’s signature rasp was on full display here, blending in perfectly with Maru’s pure, soaring vocals.

It was giving everyone chills.

[Thank youuuu!]

— LOL

— Are you even TRYING to hide it?

— Who the hell is this?

— That post-song thank you was straight-up Iyura, lol

— She’s just so carefree LMAO

In the skill-based voting round, which was decided by viewers, Serena and Iyura completely dominated.

Out of the 60,000 viewers, half—30,000—participated in the vote.

Serena received 26,249 votes, while Iyura got 26,441—a neck-and-neck finish.

Considering that some people probably dropped out of the stream before voting, Iyura technically had the edge.

Even so, Serena had caught up significantly.

Because of that, the # Nоvеlight # anticipation was through the roof.

Every contestant so far had brought out at least one signature move.

...And then came the final act.

Me.

The number of viewers had grown to 70,000.

At this point, all I could do was pray.

That the number wouldn’t drop after hearing my singing.

That these people would come back for tomorrow’s content.

With my lips curving into an uncharacteristic smile, I clasped my hands together like I was praying.

The CEO noticed.

“...You look really excited.”

“Look at that viewer count. How could I not be excited? Just imagine—if even half of them tune in for our members’ singing contest tomorrow.”

Parallel skyrocketing.

First-gen skyrocketing.

Second-gen, let’s go.

But the CEO didn’t seem to get my enthusiasm.

“Oh. So you’re not just hyped because you’re doing an illegal duet?”

“...Did you forget that you’re my oshi? If I was that excited about an illegal duet, I would’ve jumped into the members’ karaoke sessions a long time ago.”

“...Fair point.”

“Anyway. I just hope people don’t run away after hearing me sing.”

“Well, since you’ll be impersonating my voice, there’s no way they’ll leave.”

“I’m just going to sing in my own voice, actually.”

“?”

The CEO looked bewildered—but this was the best way to fool people.

“I already mimicked your voice earlier. If I do it again, it’ll be too obvious.”

“Huh. I guess that makes sense.”

“Always act unpredictably. Survival Guide for Malicious Trolls, Chapter 1. Remember that.”

“...Wasn’t that originally from Hood?”

“Don’t tease me after I finish singing.”

“Hmmm?”

She gave me a look, as if she had just found an amusing new toy to play with.

I shot her a serious glare in return.

It was a warning.

If she teased me even once, I had ten pre-prepared, premium-grade trolling techniques waiting just for her.

Maybe she sensed that.

Because for once, she didn’t push it further.

The twenty-fifth contestant exited.

The CEO grabbed the mic, her excitement palpable.

“And now, we’ve reached our grand finale! Gia, please introduce the last contestant’s song!”

“Sure. The final contestant has chosen One Other. It’s the most recent first-gen group song. We’ve had contestants sing other group songs, but this is the first time for One Other, right?”

“That’s correct! Contestant, are you ready?”

I bowed using the pre-prepared secondary account.

And to the CEO, I simply gave a firm nod.

A short intro began.

The infectious beat made it impossible not to move along.

I swayed to the rhythm, waiting for the moment when the members’ harmonies would come in.

The main focus was on first-gen.

I was just a passenger, hitching a ride in the trunk of their convertible.

The first lines kicked off.

Dora and Maru pressed down on the gas pedal, their voices driving the song forward—

And I slipped in seamlessly, my frequency blending in without disturbing the harmony.

“Addicted to this pull, falling deeper inside.

This love is so real, it’s taking me high.”

*

Cheon Do-hee was stunned.

It was definitely Magia.

"You and I, our worlds endlessly intertwine.

Together we shine, like stars in the sky."

That usually lifeless, businesslike tone had suddenly transformed into a powerful, resonant voice—like a sharp, vibrating ajaeng.

At a level where no one would recognize it as Magia.

Plenty of people have different tones when they speak versus when they sing.

But this was a plot twist among plot twists.

— ?

— Oh, what the hell

— Where has this person been hiding...?

— Damn, this is hitting straight into my eardrums

— Thought the music was a bit loud, but I can hear her crystal clear ㄷㄷㄷ

As the viewers noted, the first-gen backing track Magia had set up was a bit on the loud side.

And yet, her voice cut through it effortlessly.

Compared to the perfectly polished first-gen vocals, she wasn’t exactly at a professional level—

But her pitch and breath control were flawless.

It was the kind of performance you’d expect from a seasoned newcomer.

It wasn’t just the studio audio setup making her sound good.

Magia herself was standing out.

Another major strength was that her tone didn’t overlap with anyone else’s.

The blend was so seamless that it made you wonder—

When the hell is this five-person album dropping?

And it wasn’t just Cheon Do-hee thinking that.

Bzzzt.

As the song neared its end, her phone started buzzing like crazy.

Not just once—several times in a row.

Composer. Lyricist. Producer.

All people who had worked on first-gen’s original and cover songs.

And they were all saying pretty much the same thing.

[PITMAN: Momo, do you know who the last contestant is?]

[SiSseuneunRockHee: Is that Gia?]

[Utau: Momo, I’m getting a melody idea. Urgent.]