You're Not Ready Yet
About a week had passed since I'd submitted the documents, and Christmas was now just one week away.
"Whoa, Christmas. It's Christmas."
Even so, as someone who'd never once had a girlfriend, it wasn't a day that made my heart race or anything.
Well… it wasn't like there was nothing to get excited about. Not with Lua right next to me.
More precisely, with Lua's other side — Lulu.
Christmas was also the debut day for Happy Heaven, the second generation of Lulu's agency, Fantasy Live.
Lulu had said she'd watch the debut concert with her viewers and enjoy it together, so the thought of getting to cheer on the juniors' debut alongside my favorite, Lulu, was more than enough to set my heart fluttering.
But that flutter soon turned into a completely different kind of flutter.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The phone in my pocket started going off.
I was in the middle of class, but it hardly mattered. Class in name only — everyone was basically just chatting and goofing off.
A high school classroom once every exam was over was always like this.
I checked around carefully, then pulled out my phone — and staring back at me was a message so unexpected it left me stunned.
Honestly, I hadn't expected a thing.
My only real track record was clipping for Lulu as Mangjjonku.
Of course, I'd put more work into editing than most clippers, and I'd casually turned out long-form videos too — across several long-form genres, no less.
I'd made full-stream summary videos, weekly best-clip compilations, and even stitched multi-day themed broadcasts into single videos.
My only weapons were a broader, more varied video résumé than the average clipper, and pure fan devotion to Fantasy Live.
So when I actually passed the first round, I was completely floored.
I glanced over at Lua.
She was reading a book as if nothing at all were happening. Should I call that focus of hers amazing — reading through this entire ruckus?
I stared at that intensely concentrated Lua for a moment, then looked back down at my phone.
The interview was four days from now — this Saturday.
I'd already known that, actually. The gap between the document results and the interview date had felt a little long, but the schedule had been written right on the original recruitment notice.
Thinking about that, I couldn't really complain that it was coming too soon.
"Hmmmmm…"
The company wasn't in Seoul but Seongnam — the distance itself wasn't that bad.
Still, it would take a little over an hour by subway.
I was mapping the route in my head and fretting over what kinds of questions might come up in the interview when—
"Jinwoo, what are you thinking so hard about?"
By the time I came to my senses, I was already walking home with Lua.
"You startled me… At least blink when you walk in. Why'd you call me?"
"Just, you looked like you were fretting soooo hard. Something up?"
Something up? I'm trying to decide whether to join your company as an editor.
But I couldn't just say that straight out.
I had no idea how she'd react if I did.
One thing was certain, though: if I actually landed the editor job, I'd have to tell Lua that I was Mangjjonku.
It would be a deliciously awkward mess to chew through — but I'd just have to take it.
Thinking that, I decided to change the subject with Lua.
"Just, Happy Heaven debuts next week."
"Yeah?"
"I was wondering what it'd feel like."
At my words, Lua stared at me.
Then she tilted her head and looked up at me from below.
"Gonna change your favorite?"
"Absolutely not."
"Really?"
"Really. My favorite is Lulu."
"So that means I'm your favorite?"
I immediately shook my head at the grinning Lua.
"No — not you. Lulu."
"I am Lulu, though?"
"You and Lulu are different. Unlike you, Lulu is more playful and energetic. Plus she's reeeally bad at games. Ah — wait, being bad at games is the same?"
Whether that scratched a nerve or not, Lua immediately smacked my leg.
Thwack!
"Ow."
"You jerk. You're seriously gonna tease me for being bad at games?"
"Isn't this the reaction you wanted?"
Well, she wasn't wrong, honestly.
Having successfully derailed the conversation, I bickered with Lua all the way home.
At the same time, I started preparing myself little by little.
Mentally preparing for the interview, that is.
The morning of the interview, I dressed exactly as my brother had recommended.
"Hyung, interview clothes… am I really wearing this?"
I looked myself over from head to toe.
Right now I was wearing my school uniform, same as always. Yeah — my school uniform.
"Normally high schoolers should wear their uniforms. You wrote that you're currently enrolled in high school on there, right?"
"Well, yeah, but…"
"Then the uniform is the neatest and best option."
"Is that so…?"
Originally I'd planned to borrow a decent set of clothes from my brother, but thanks to his insistence I ended up in my uniform.
As a result, I became a model student in full school uniform with the blazer on, all neat and proper on a weekend.
These days at school we only wore the casual schoolwear, so this felt pretty uncomfortable.
Anyway, wearing that uniform, I headed for Fantasy Live's company building.
After taking the bus and the subway, the Fantasy Live building I arrived at was bigger than I'd expected.
"Whoa…"
The whole building wasn't Fantasy Live's, of course. But three of the upper floors belonged to them.
I carefully stepped inside, showed the message saying I was there for an interview, received a temporary pass, and was allowed in.
That "temporary pass" put more pressure on me than I'd expected.
I hadn't felt it at first, but gradually I started wondering if I was really interviewing at some insanely impressive company.
Hiding that nervousness as best I could, I headed up to the tenth floor… Fantasy Live's floor.
Ding~
The elevator arrived, and when the doors opened and I stepped out, a woman sitting in the lobby rose from her seat.
"Hello, this is Fantasy Live. What brings you here today?"
It was such an ordinary question, but it put enormous pressure on me.
I took a deep breath in and out inwardly, then gave the most textbook answer I could.
"I'm Seo Jinwoo. I'm here for an interview today."
"Ah… an interview? Just a moment."
She lowered her head to check something, then nodded at me.
"Yes, Mr. Seo Jinwoo. Please go up to the CEO's office on the seventh floor."
"…Excuse me?"
"The CEO said he'd conduct the interview in his office. Would that be all right?"
"Ah… yes, that's fine."
Why on earth would the interview be in the CEO's office instead of some other interview room or briefing room?
Was it some kind of intimidation tactic?
I was flustered, but I headed up anyway. Or rather, I was about to.
If it hadn't been for the song drifting out.
The moment I heard that song, I understood.
Why I couldn't use any other practice room, interview room, or briefing room.
Because the song could be heard.
The debut song of Fantasy Live's second generation — still something that couldn't be revealed to anyone.
I went up to the seventh floor, headed for the CEO's office, and the moment I stood in front of that door, I took a deep breath in and out.
And then…
Knock knock knock
I slowly knocked on the door.
"Yes~ Come in~"
At those words I opened the door, stepped inside, and bowed my head.
"Hello. I'm Seo Jinwoo, here for the interview today."
"Hello. I'm Yoon Ju-hyuk, CEO of Fantasy Live."
The Representative stood from his seat with a kind smile — the exact same voice I'd heard on streams.
But wait. Was this a scam?
He looked well over 180 centimeters, had a muscular build, a great voice, and a handsome face.
This was the male-lead archetype straight out of a modern romance novel.
This guy was the CEO of a VTuber company? I was getting cognitive dissonance.
After a light handshake, the two of us sat down and dove straight into the interview.
"I'm sorry for having you come up to the CEO's office. If we'd done it anywhere else, you might have heard a song that can't be made public yet. And, well… if you want to work in the VTuber industry, you know how it is. There are things even staff aren't supposed to know."
"The red pill…"
"Yes. For that security, we had no choice but to have you come up to the CEO's office, Mr. Seo Jinwoo. My apologies."
"Not at all. I understand."
I bowed my head, and the Representative waved me off before starting the interview proper.
The interview content was all pretty standard. Thoughts on VTubers, mindset, what information I knew — that kind of thing.
After hearing all of it, the Representative nodded, and then…
"I'm truly sorry, Mr. Seo Jinwoo."
…he suddenly apologized and bowed his head to me instead.
"……What?"
When I looked at him in confusion, he lifted his head and began to speak.
"The truth is, for the people who'd work as editors at our company, we'd prefer to hire adults whenever possible."
"Ah…"
……So this wasn't an interview — it was a "you're rejected" announcement?
Wait a second. Then why did they pass me in the first round?
Just as my head was about to short-circuit from the confusion, the Representative opened his mouth.
"……Would it be possible to sign a freelance contract instead of a full-time one? With the condition that we'd convert to a full contract once you become an adult."
Ah. So in other words.
"We'd like to claim you first, Mr. Seo Jinwoo — claim Mangjjonku."
Work me cheap until I become an adult, then work me expensive once I am?
"I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline."
"We'll make sure the compensation is more than fair."
After seeing the freelance contract fee he offered next, I was certain I'd been mistaken about one thing.
They weren't trying to work me cheap — they genuinely wanted to lock me down first.
"…I'll do it."
"Thank you."
A ridiculous amount of money is the best way to express sincerity.
I learned something good again today.