I May Be a Virtual Youtuber, but I Still Go to Work-Chapter 135
Magia usually considers anything related to work as an extension of her job and takes it very seriously.
However, there are rare occasions when she reverts to her old self—a mischievous troublemaker who moves according to her whims.
That happens when even she can’t suppress the vile instincts lurking inside her.
For instance, when someone blatantly exposes an opening as if they were practically screaming, "Please mess with us!"
"I'm thinking of adding a bet between you and us at this part tomorrow, but I want to keep it a surprise, so I won’t reveal the details yet."
"Oh, a bet? Are you planning on something like a horror game punishment?"
"......."
There was a very specific reason why Magia immediately threw out that question the moment she heard the members talking.
She personally didn’t care what kind of punishment she had to face, but if the first-gen members were the ones stuck with a horror game penalty, that was something she simply couldn’t ignore.
Dora and Maru were practically guaranteed entertainment in horror games.
Even Komari, the most rational one, had reactions that were fun to watch. She tried to act normal, but there were moments when she would completely freeze up mid-sentence. It was adorable, really.
Rain? If she got scared, she would suddenly speak flawless Korean, which was hilarious. Most of it was swearing, but it was still a guaranteed laugh.
All of them were scaredy-cats, which meant that just watching them play would be pure gold.
Even the members themselves knew how precious this was and tried to use it sparingly.
But now they were planning a group horror game?
This was too rare. Too precious.
If Magia won the bet, she would get the chance to orchestrate this masterpiece herself. How could she not be excited?
They hadn’t even explicitly confirmed that the punishment was a horror game, but Magia was already hyped beyond belief.
Throughout the entire rehearsal, she handled the process properly while simultaneously letting her imagination run wild.
Should they throw a quiz at Magia to fit the theme of We’re Really Close Friends?
Maybe a more advanced version of the “fragment quiz,” where they showed a small part of a past stream and had to guess which one it was?
Normally, they would play up to five seconds of a stream, but what if they only played one second and asked her to figure out which broadcast it was?
But once the rehearsal wrapped up smoothly, Magia put a stop to her daydreaming.
For the drama to escalate properly, her raw, unfiltered reactions were crucial.
She had seen so many VTuber broadcasts over the years that she could practically read the members’ thoughts just from her imagination alone.
So if she wanted to keep the real broadcast from feeling underwhelming, she needed to stop here.
‘I can’t wait to see what the bet is...’
Magia went to bed earlier than usual that night, thinking about the next day’s content.
Please let it be a horror game.
She didn’t care if the bet was impossibly difficult.
Please!
***
Since announcing it in advance would have fueled conspiracy theories up until the broadcast, the notice about the host change was only posted at noon on the day of the event.
————— See on Z ——————
Parallel official KR☑ @Parallel_official_kr - 6 hours ago
Attention, Wol-Dungies.
Due to the CEO’s schedule, the host of <💔We’re Really Close Friends - revive>, originally planned for May 13, will be changed to Magia.
There are no changes to the broadcast date and time.
Thank you.
—————————————————
But even in the mere six hours leading up to the broadcast, the community was buzzing with speculation.
Despite the official notice providing a clear reason for the change, the lack of additional details led everyone to assume the worst.
The statement clearly said the CEO’s schedule had changed unexpectedly, yet Magia’s ravenous fanbase (?) was half-convinced that this was a pre-planned decision.
After all, if it were any other VTuber, they would have immediately addressed the rumors head-on by appearing on stream, laughing, and chatting with the members to dispel any drama.
But this was Magia.
She had only ever spoken directly about controversies involving herself once—and that was on April Fool’s Day, specifically to trick people.
Other than that? Not a single comment.
Even when people outright asked her about debuting on stream, she would just give a blunt "No" and ban them without hesitation.
And now, out of nowhere, she was collaborating with Bazubi?
And the next week, she was doing a collab with the first-gen members?
On a content format that was perfect for flaunting friendships?
And on top of that, the announcement came out suddenly?
The overanalyzing fanbase took all these details and spiraled into complete madness.
It was natural for fandoms to fall into a state of panic the moment their oshi showed signs of graduation, but this was reaching an extreme level.
... ─ — Parallel (VTuber) Gallery ─ — ...
[We’re screwed]
I know what this is...
She’s just trying to do as many streams as possible before she graduates and make some final memories......
Why are you doing this to us all of a sudden?
You weren’t even the type to stream this often!!!!!!
Stop it now!!
I don’t want to suffer another loss!!
[Comments]
— Parallel015: Damn, now I’m suddenly anxious lmao
— Parallel802: So, the ones who kept insisting she should debut... do you finally realize what you’ve done? But it’s too late now! Just accept Magia’s graduation!!
ㄴ Parallel564: She hasn’t even debuted yet, wtf lmao
ㄴ Parallel069: Nope, Magia is already a VTuber~
ㄴ Parallel811: You guys are delusional lmao, when did Magia debut?
ㄴ Parallel707: Since she debuted in complete silence, she’ll probably graduate in complete silence too lmao
ㄴ Parallel992: Why does this actually sound legit though?
ㄴ Parallel992: I mean, there’s no obligation to announce when an employee quits lol
... ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ...
... ─ — Parallel (VTuber) Gallery ─ — ...
[Wow, so the lyrics for her featuring part were]
"I'm standing at the starting line again, heading for the next destination."
"Say goodbye to the me of yesterday, and restart with the me of today."
Whoever found this is a damn genius.
This is giving me chills.
[Comments]
— Parallel015: Holy shit, that’s a straight-up graduation hint lmao
— Parallel442: Magia, you sneaky little bitch ㄷㄷ
— Parallel562: Nah, that’s a reach
ㄴ Parallel812: Cope...
ㄴ Parallel241: Stay strong
ㄴ Parallel095: This is what happens when you stan someone who hasn’t even debuted... Find a new oshi already.
ㄴ Parallel562: Noooooooo
... ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ...
... ─ — Parallel (VTuber) Gallery ─ — ...
[Isn’t that just a teaser for the second-gen debut?]
Am I the only one who hears it that way? lmao
Why is everyone assuming graduation?
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
She could just be doing both utaite and VTuber work.
Just wait a few months—someone with a suspiciously familiar voice will pop up as a second-gen member.
[Comments]
— Parallel358: Can you even juggle utaite, VTuber, and a corporate job at the same time?
ㄴ Parallel095: Just thinking about that makes me nauseous lmao
— Parallel551: If she were preparing for a debut, wouldn’t she be streaming less, not more? Who even came up with this logic?
ㄴ Parallel551: Look at how she took a break and then suddenly came back streaming nonstop. Doesn’t that tell you anything? It’s her graduation tour!
ㄴ Parallel252: YOU KNOW NOTHING!!!!
... ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ...
For the record, the real meaning behind the lyrics that people kept trying to connect to my "utaite reincarnation" was entirely different.
It was actually meant to celebrate the first-gen members' fresh start, symbolizing how they would step out of their small pond and shine even brighter with CAT as a partner.
The intention behind the song was even explicitly stated in the video description.
But thanks to these wild speculations, the hype was undeniable.
Even in the VTuber fandom, when news of a graduation spread, even a small VTuber would get some level of attention.
Wait, who’s graduating?
And they’re not even a real VTuber yet?
...Magia?!
Because of this, a ridiculous number of people came to check it out just in case.
Plus, it was a Sunday evening.
The perfect time when people desperately hunted for dopamine to avoid going to bed before work the next day.
🔴 (Live) We’re Really Close Friends - revive 👪47,333
#Parallel #Another #Magia
That number meant a lot.
Last week, the peak viewership for the new song watch party had been 90,000, with 60,000 people tuning in at the start.
But today, without the backing of CAT’s name, they still had 47,000 viewers at the very beginning.
Sure, some of the audience had likely been drawn in by the high-quality song release, but a significant number had clearly flocked in after hearing the rumors about Magia’s graduation.
However, even if Magia herself hadn’t said a word about it, mentioning "graduation" in a VTuber’s chat was one of the biggest taboos in the fandom.
It wasn’t just because it disrupted the atmosphere and could get you banned.
There was also the psychological effect—if someone who was on the fence about leaving saw it, they might take it as a sign to graduate, and even those who had no such thoughts might start wondering, Do people want me to leave?
Because of that, today’s chat was almost suspiciously tame.
The viewers were fully prepared to plead if Magia so much as hinted at anything.
Read latest chapters at freёweɓnovel.com Only.
— I’m so excited for today’s stream!
— When’s it startingggggggg
— Gia hosting?? This is gonna be great
— Is there anything Magia can’t do at this point?!!!
Most of them were practically groveling, as if begging her not to leave.
All eyes were locked on Magia, waiting to hear what she would say.
But there was only one reason Magia had decided to address things today.
Rumors about a rift between her and the first-gen members could easily spiral into rumors about a rift between the company and the first-gen members.
She had to stomp out the fire before it spread.
So while she found it absurd that the gallery was already worrying about her graduation when she hadn’t even debuted, she didn’t pay it much attention.
The only thing on her mind was the punishment the members had prepared for the loser.
What kind of bet would they throw at her? How hard would they make it?
She just wanted to get on with the content.
She had to stay calm and composed, channeling the professionalism of the CEO while hosting.
But quickly. As quickly as possible. No, faster.
She couldn’t completely suppress her anticipation.
She tried to hold back, but Magia wasn’t a seasoned broadcaster like Cheon Do-hee.
She had always been someone who followed her instincts when streaming.
That’s why, even from her opening line, her excitement was impossible to hide.
"Wol-Dungies of Parallel, and all our new Wol-Dungies tuning in, hello! I’m Magia, your host for today! Let’s all give a huge round of applause to our first-gen members joining us for this collab...! Wow...!"
"Hello!"
"Hi, hi! What’s up!"
"Waang~."
"Hello!"
If someone didn’t notice anything odd about that introduction, they were probably just a casual first-gen fan or a new viewer.
But if they did pick up on something, they were definitely part of Magia’s nameless fanbase.
What was weird about it?
Well, for them, the way Magia added that little cheer at the end was deeply unnatural.
Even just the way she said, "Give it up for them↗!" was far too energetic for her.
And that "Wow...!"—what was with the bright tone?
To some, it almost sounded like the reaction of someone finally free of a heavy burden.
Naturally, the gallery watching the stream live exploded with theories.
Parallel Gallery wasn’t entirely focused on Magia, since it covered the other members too.
But in Magia’s mini gallery? It was all-out war.
"Shit, she’s actually gonna graduate, isn’t she?"
Even though that panic didn’t visibly spread to the stream, you could still catch traces of it in some of the anxious chat messages.
— Magia seems really excited today lol
— Why is she kinda cute today?? lmao
It might seem like nothing.
But if you added, "Do you like the thought of leaving that much?" or "Why does it sound like you’ll never do this again?" after those comments, it became obvious what they were really thinking.
And it wasn’t just a one-time thing—Magia kept that upbeat energy going, continuously making her nameless fans uneasy.
"Alright, before we get into today’s content, we’re going to take a quick look back at our previous We’re Really Close Friends streams. Everyone ready?"
"Ugh... I’m already dreading this."
"Debut days... The way we were garbage at streaming. I fear watching this..."
"Yeah, same~. This is embarrassing~."
"Dora unnie, you don’t sound embarrassed at all...."
"Dora didn’t struggle as much in the beginning, so of course she’s fine...! Even if people call her 'Dumb Dora' now, she was actually the best at this back then!"
"That’s mean~! I’m not dumb anymore~."
"It’s normal to be awkward in the early days. But honestly, I kind of miss that rookie charm we had back then.
For those of you who missed it, you can still watch the cringe-worthy early debut days of our first-gen members on Parallel’s official channel. So don’t forget to subscribe and turn on notifications!"
"HEY! Why would you tell them that?!"
"Oh, you didn’t know? Guess I’ll be watching Maru’s darkest past after this stream."
"Damn it. Fine, I’m pulling up Rain unnie’s debut stream right now."
"OK, let’s do this. Let’s see who wins!"
"This is already a mess...."
"Alright, alright, save the fights for the content later. This was just a warm-up."
"We weren’t fighting?!"
"Wasn’t this exactly a fight~?"
"Fair point. You guys are so loud."
"Just wait till later, both of you...."
"Now then, before we jump into We’re Really Close Friends - revive, as I said earlier, we’ll be taking a look at the highlights from last year’s We’re Really Close Friends. Roll the clip!"
Maybe it was ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) just overthinking.
Maybe Magia just happened to be in a good mood today.
No matter how hard they tried to shake off the feeling, her nameless fans couldn’t stop fixating on one thing:
"This isn’t like Magia."
***
By the time the second segment of We’re Really Close Friends was wrapping up, there hadn’t been any further signs, which was a relief.
But Magia’s concrete fanbase knew that the second wave of graduation hints was coming.
The moment the members revealed the bet they had prepared to showcase their bond with Magia.
We Really Know Each Other.
A game where they had to identify a stream based on just three seconds of audio or a tiny clip of footage.
Even after nearly two years together, pinpointing a broadcast from just three seconds was ridiculously difficult.
Even though they had made the questions easier, their success rate was abysmal, and Magia roasted them nonstop.
"Wow. That was an easy one."
"See, guys? These two actually get along. No need to worry."
"Hahh... Getting this one wrong is just unacceptable."
In the rehearsal, this was the moment when the members were supposed to spring the real trap.
The surprise segment that Magia had no idea about.
Maru, pretending to be offended, suddenly raised her hand.
"Hold up. I have a question."
"Go ahead, Maru."
"You keep mocking us for getting these wrong. But how well do you think you’d do?"
"At the very least, better than you guys."
"Oh, really? So even if the clip is super short, you’d still get it right?"
"Yeah. Even if it’s just one second."
Rain egged them on.
"Holy damn. Crazy confidence. Wanna make a bet?"
"A bet? Sure. Put something on the line."
Dora, who was the most terrified of horror games, casually dropped the suggestion.
"Then~ if you get enough right, we’ll all play a horror game together~."
— Wait, WHAT
— DORA mentioned a horror game first???
— Omg lmao
— TAKE THE BET
— GIA PLEASE ACCEPT AND WIN
And just like that, the trap was set.
Then, as planned, Komari naturally steered the conversation to ensure Magia got roped into the quiz by setting the conditions for her loss.
"We put a horror game on the line. What are you betting, Gia unnie?"
As promised, Magia stated her terms.
"Betting on a set number feels a bit weak. Let’s just go all or nothing. If I get even one wrong, I’ll do a relay stream with you guys next week. You can decide the content—it can be anything you want."
"No take-backs, got it?"
"Hehe, I’m so making her play a horror game~."
"24-hour Battle Call training. You’re dead!"
"Wow, Rain unnie, we’re on the same page. I was gonna make her do 24 hours of ranked Naore."
— Oh.
— Magia Returns ㄷㄷ
— She’s finally coming back to streaming!!!
— Damn, second-gen debut prep must be wrapping up.
— Nice!!
To those unfamiliar with Magia, the reaction was simple excitement—she was a collaboration cheat code, and they were hyped to see what she’d do in another first-gen collab.
But those who knew her well?
They were drowning in sheer terror.
A company-affiliated VTuber about to graduate, suddenly making rounds to collaborate with all their fellow corporate members—and doing it more actively than usual?
That was one of the classic signs of a graduation tour.
This was even more alarming than any of the previous hints.
Of course, none of it would matter if Magia just won the bet.
But then, the moment Maru played the first quiz question, Magia’s fanbase went completely pale.
[— Squeak...]
A one-second clip.
Nothing but an ambiguous, contextless, squeaky sound.
"Alright, guess!"
How was anyone supposed to figure that out?
They had deliberately set this up to make Magia lose.
This was a straight-up relay-stream death sentence.
