First Broadcast

Finally — D-day.

As had already been announced, the first generation of VIVID debuting this time numbered four in all.

And so Mirage Live had decided to split them two and two, debuting all four across two days.

Debuting on the first day were Han Mari and Yoo Chaewon.

Their virtual character names: Akatsuki Luna and Amamiya Maho, respectively.

Akatsuki Luna's concept was a silver-haired, red-eyed vampire.

Amamiya Maho's concept: a black-haired, purple-eyed witch.

Perhaps because the two of them had been run ragged without rest right up to debut day, both made it through their first broadcasts safe and sound, without a single accident.

And so day one came to a close, and the first slot of day two belonged to Cha Narae.

Her virtual character name: Kiba Akari.

She, too, had just wrapped up her broadcast moments ago without any major incident.

On screen, the red-haired character with wolf ears swayed her body this way and that, waving a lively goodbye — See you next time!

Now only one person remained.

Me, gazing at the character I was about to become, standing motionless on the monitor.

Unlike me — blonde hair verging on platinum, with eyes blue as sapphires — the character had sky-blue hair like droplets of water and eyes of silver.

In her hands she gripped the long handle of a mop.

"Nervous?"

"CEO."

"Yes, I'm the CEO."

"Though it seems the nervous one here is you, CEO, not me."

Even without ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠turning my head, I could hear her legs bouncing up and down, and her heart pounding loud enough to reach me.

"Whoops. Caught, huh..."

"Why are you so nervous?"

"Because it isn't over yet, that's why."

"Do you think I'll make a mistake?"

"No, it's not that... but you never really know, do you."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

Honestly. How did someone with nerves this thin ever end up founding a VTuber company?

"If it's because of the jinx, then there's really no need to worry."

"Wh-what jinx?"

"I did some research on you, CEO, and it came right up. Excellent drive — and apparently that's exactly why everything you touch ends up with a snag in it."

"Th-that is NOT true?! That has never happened!"

"Then you're calling your viewers liars?"

"That's right! And you wouldn't know this, but viewers are pure evil, every last one of them. Running off God knows where to spread their little rumors. Huh?"

"I see... Though are you aware that what you just said made you sound like a total boomer?"

"Ugh! I-I am not a middle-aged lady yet! I'm in my twenties!"

"That's right. For now."

"Gwaaah! Like it won't happen to you someday?!"

"That would be a matter for the distant future."

"It comes sooner than you think!"

"Hehe, we'll see. ...You do seem to have calmed down a little, though."

The legs that had been trembling moments ago went still, and the worry settled on her face eased somewhat.

The CEO had returned to her usual self.

Honestly. Such a high-maintenance person.

"It's almost time. Would you mind stepping out?"

"Whew... All right. Then I'm leaving the rest to you — all the way to the end."

"Yes, ma'am."

The CEO left the room.

Alone now, I steadied myself. All right, then.

Hmm.

Even before the stream began, the chat was already plastered wall to wall with people hunting for me.

But the three who had debuted before me had drawn exactly the same crowd, so it was a familiar sight.

Right on schedule, I cleared away the standby screen and brought up my character over the mansion-entrance illustration I had prepared in advance.

And then—

"Ah."

It was an accident that unfolded in the barest sliver of a moment.

If you measured it in time, roughly 0.3 seconds.

With a system error, the so-called Red Pill appeared in one corner of the screen — and vanished.

It was, quite literally, a system error. There was nothing that needed handling.

I ran a quick check that nothing was wrong with my equipment, then delivered my line.

"Shh. You all saw nothing."

"You. Saw. Nothing."

"Yes. That is the correct way to proceed."

Only after a few heads went flying did the situation finally settle down.

"Now then, back to the beginning... Welcome, honored guests. It is an honor to receive you. And I sincerely welcome your visit."

The chat had been restored to pristine normalcy.

Phew. To think an equipment glitch would cause a disaster right out of the gate.

Don't tell me this was the power of the CEO's jinx?

I knew there was no such thing, and yet the suspicion wouldn't leave me.

Greeting complete, I hurried to change the screen and pull their attention elsewhere.

"This hall is hardly suited for conversation, so allow me to move us somewhere more appropriate."

Clap clap!

A light round of applause, and the scene changed.

This time, an interior that looked like a drawing room.

Meido Mei moved to the right of the frame, and beside her appeared a rectangular blank space, shaped like a menu board.

"Since this is our first meeting, allow me to begin with a self-introduction."

"My thanks for the first donation."

Sliiide—

The page turned.

"First, the self-introduction."

"As you all already know, my name is Meido Mei. My occupation is maid. And not merely a maid — I strive for the perfect maid."

"Hehe, who can say. We shall take our time and find out together. Next — my age is seventeen. And in all likelihood, that will never change for as long as I live. Unlike a certain someone."

"I did not point at any specific person. So kindly cease your slander of my mistress. Next — my birthday is December 6. This is both the day of my birth and, at the same time, the day I was picked up by my mistress and came to work at Mirage Live."

"I had been cast off by my previous mistress and was wandering the streets."

"My previous mistress was, naturally, also a woman."

"And a villainess without equal, at that."

"And not merely an ordinary black company, either."

"My sole regret is that I could not give her one last noogie on my way out."

"That is enough of my past for now. I shall unravel the rest little by little as we go. Next — height and weight. Height: 165 centimeters. Rather tall, no? And my weight is a secret."

"Still, if you would like a hint, it is four—"

"And last of all, my 'Mama.'"

"The Mama who made it possible for me to move as I do — ZY."

"To think you would come in person. My thanks for the ten-thousand-won donation, Mama."

"Since you all seem to know her already, I suppose there is no need for a formal introduction."

My Mama — that is to say, ZY, who had drawn the Meido Mei character and gone so far as to model her so that she could move — was quite a famous figure in this line of work.

It was simply that her fame ran in the direction of drawing things that were, how shall I put it, stimulating.

Attention was pooling toward Mama more than I had anticipated.

If this kept up, the broadcast might well veer off in a very strange direction.

For now, I hurried things along to the next page.

Sliiide—

"Next, my hobbies and tastes."

"It may look that way, but I am a maid — one who aims to be the perfect maid — and so my work is, in effect, my hobby."

"I assist our busy staff members with their work — massages, cleaning, brewing tea, task support, mental care, and so on."

"You might call it our company's basic welfare. As it happens, we will be recruiting additional members before long, so do give applying a thought."

"Then I shall see you all in the interview room."

Sliiide—

"These are the things I like, and the things I dislike."

"Everyone, would you kindly close your eyes for a moment?"

"And now, imagine. A room I have cleaned to perfection, bread fresh from my oven, tea brewed by my own hands — all of it coming together for tea time."

"Should the opportunity arise, I may consider holding a cooking stream and sharing bread I have baked myself."

"Even should it happen, it would be some way off yet. I ask that you all wait in anticipation."

"Of course."

Sliiide—

"And last of all, the fan character. For the record, I drew it myself."

A character drawn by my own hand: a rectangular chocolate brownie, dusted with white sugar powder on top, with stick-thin arms and legs.

"For the record, should you subscribe, it looks like this."

A headband appeared atop the chocolate brownie's head.

"I place upon it the very headband I myself wear."

"My, what a shame. I could have taken you on as juniors so naturally."

"So — do you dislike it?"

"Then we shall call that satisfaction... And with this, the self-introduction is at last complete."

"Today was merely a light first meeting. Next time, I shall return bearing far richer content."

"Ah — and thirty minutes after the stream ends, the first-generation group debut song, Our First Star, will be released. I trust you will all give it a listen."

"Until next time, then."

Unlike the disaster that had erupted at the very start, the first broadcast wound its way to a close quite successfully.