Something Feels Off About My Agency Coworkers (4)
The Korea of this world, the Korean Empire, was a constitutional monarchy established on the Korean Peninsula. It had an incredible history of successfully modernizing on its own during the late Joseon period, without ever suffering Japanese colonial rule or the division into North and South. Naturally, the status of the emperor and the imperial family—who had led that modernization—should have been absolute. Yet for some reason, in the early twentieth century, the imperial family voluntarily relinquished its power and handed authority to the parliament. Like Britain or Japan, the emperor retained symbolic importance but held no real political authority. Still, because of their significant past contributions, the imperial family continued to exist, and the current emperor was treated more like an incredibly famous historical figure whose legitimacy was beyond question.
…At least, that’s what the history books said. I didn’t know much about it, but I figured the information was probably reliable enough.
‘So that’s why the head of the cabinet is called the prime minister instead of the president? Honestly, I’ve never really cared about politics, so I don’t know what the actual difference is.’
Because of all that, the Korea of this world had a few differences from the one I remembered. The biggest change was probably that the capital wasn’t Seoul—it was a city called Mir. The word “Seoul” itself had originally been a common noun meaning “capital,” after all. Several decades ago, under the leadership of the imperial family, they had built a new city and given it the pure Korean name Mir, which meant “dragon.” A city named after a dragon… it sounded like something straight out of a middle-schooler’s edgy fantasies. But since it was also my hometown in this life, and I had lived here for sixteen years, I had long since grown used to it.
“Haaaa…”
Riding the city’s famous maglev train, the Mirinae, as it cut across Mir, I let out a deep sigh. My whole body felt heavy, like I was carrying a massive log on my shoulders. Negative emotions were spinning around and around in my head, refusing to settle down.
Mom, who was sitting beside me, must have noticed how obviously strange I looked. She turned to me with a worried expression.
“Seolhwa, what’s wrong? You’re sighing so deeply.”
“Ah, no… I’m just… nervous…”
“Are you that nervous about going to the agency?”
“M-maybe…?”
The place I was heading to on the train was the Unimori Agency office. Somehow, I had managed to pass both the first-round document screening and the second-round online interview. Now, all that remained was the final hurdle: an in-person interview at the agency itself.
Huh? When did I pass the online interview, you ask? That was the very next day after I received the acceptance email for the document screening… The email had included the interviewer’s Buscode ID, so I sent a friend request and revealed my identity. Suddenly I was dragged into a voice call and had to do the interview completely unprepared. And as you can see, I passed. I had been so flustered that I just blurted out whatever came to mind. I couldn’t even clearly remember what I had said to the interviewer at the time.
‘I feel like I talked way too much about Mari for no reason… How on earth did I pass?! I was sure I was going to fail!’
To be honest, I had zero confidence that I would pass the upcoming in-person interview. When you really looked at me, I was a rotten onion of a human being that only got smellier the deeper you peeled. The moment I stood in front of the interviewer, they would see right through me and kick me out as fast as lightning. Ugh, if only I had been going alone, I could have just gotten off at some random station along the way and run away! But because I was a minor, a guardian had to accompany me. I couldn’t exactly ditch Mom here. After dragging her out on her day off and coming all this way, suddenly saying I was too scared and wanted to quit would be ridiculous.
“W-what should I do… I don’t think I can pass…”
“Don’t worry too much. You didn’t just pass the document screening—you passed the online interview too, right? That means they must have seen some potential in you, Seolhwa. You have more than enough chance of getting accepted!”
Cheer up, my daughter! Mom patted my slumped shoulders lightly and gave me an energetic pep talk. It was the kind of warm affection I could never expect from my little sister, who always looked at me like I was pathetic. Uuu, to think she would give such pure encouragement to a worthless daughter like me without asking for anything in return… I love you, Mom! A thirty-eight-year-old yoga instructor with a youthful face and a killer body—I still can’t believe you’re that old!
‘R-right… I shouldn’t get too down on myself. I did pass the online interview, after all. Compared to that, the in-person one is basically just a confirmation step!’
When I thought about it that way, there was no reason for me to be completely deflated. I was the talented individual who had proudly passed the interview for Unimori’s third generation—a group that boasted hundreds-to-one competition! From what I had heard, most of the results were usually decided during the document and online stages anyway. As long as I didn’t do anything too outrageously out of line during the in-person interview, I should be fine!
Nodding to myself as if trying to convince my own mind, I turned my gaze to the scenery rushing past the window. Suddenly, memories of the online interview I had done in front of my computer a few days ago floated up in my head.
"What made you apply to become a third-generation member of Unimori?"
“W-well… I love RayMari collab streams so much that I just impulsively—!”
“How the hell did I pass that?!”
“S-Seolhwa?!”
The tiny bit of confidence I had managed to scrape together immediately crashed back to the floor. Past me, have you no shame? What kind of nonsense did you spout in front of the interviewer?! And more than that—how on earth did that result in a passing decision?! Maybe the president of Unimori accepted me so she could punish me for having impure intentions?! I swear I’ll decorate my entire room with official Mari merch, so please, at least spare me from the police!
I was so lost in my own thoughts that I forgot I was even inside a train. I clutched my head and groaned in agony. Naturally, Mom was startled by my sudden seizure-like behavior with no warning whatsoever. But by the time we reached our destination, I had somehow calmed down enough to get off the train with a face as red as a tomato.
…Was it really okay for me to keep chasing after becoming a VTuber like this? I was starting to worry that I might actually be losing my mind.
*
The Unimori VTuber agency office was surprisingly an entire large building dedicated to the company. I had heard rumors that their annual revenue reached tens of billions of won—maybe those rumors weren’t exaggerations after all. From what I had learned during the online interview, the building contained a large recording studio, professional training rooms, and even an expensive optical 3D studio. At this scale, it all made sense.
Mom seemed unable to believe that I had applied to a company like this and actually passed the online interview. Her eyes were wide as she eagerly looked around at everything. I’m amazed too, Mom.
‘Ugh, wait… seeing all this is only making me more nervous… Hoo, calm down. It’s not like I’m actually going to meet someone like Mari or Rayne in person. Whoever I meet, they’ll just be strangers, right? There’s nothing to be surprised about. Just act normal. Normal…’
My heart felt like it was about to leap out of my chest. I muttered to myself like I was trying to hypnotize my own brain. Then, holding the visitor pass I had been given in advance, I headed into the Unimori office with Mom.
Fortunately, they must have already been informed of my visit. The moment we showed our passes, we were immediately guided by a staff member. After walking through the complicated interior hallways, we finally arrived at a room with a plaque that read “Reception Room.”
I had no idea how long I waited on the sofa I had been told to sit on. Eventually, a woman with a rather glamorous appearance entered the room and introduced herself without hesitation.
“Hello, Miss Ryu Seolhwa, and Madam. I am Jin Hye-eun, CEO of Unimori. On the internet, I go by the name Sepia.”
“I-it’s the CEO!”
“The CEO? Do you know her?”
“Ah, um… well…”
I reacted on pure spinal reflex… But really, I couldn’t help it. In Unimori, the name Sepia meant the very mother who had given birth to both Mari and Rayne in this world! To a mere viewer like me, she was practically a benefactor. Even my oshi Mari called her “CEO” and followed her around like a little puppy. She was that amazing of a person. The moment I saw her in the flesh, the words flew out of my mouth before they could even pass through my brain.
‘But still… calling someone “CEO” the first time you meet them?!’
It was an unforgivable mistake for a member of society. It was about as embarrassing as accidentally calling your homeroom teacher “Mom” at school. Since the words had already spilled out like water from an overturned cup and could never be taken back, all I could do was freeze up.
It wasn’t like we were actually close, but after watching her broadcasts, I had developed a strong one-sided sense of familiarity! …How was I supposed to explain that to Mom, who didn’t even know much about internet streaming, let alone VTubers?
As I broke out in a cold sweat and floundered, Hye-eun, who had been wearing a relaxed adult smile, gave me a quick wink and spoke.
“Fufu, that’s right. I personally selected Seolhwa during the interview. I believe her dazzling talent will fully bloom in our industry. That is how I evaluate her.”
“Oh my! Is that true?”
“…Y-yeah. S-something like that!”
The person I had spoken with during the online interview had been someone else… To go this far for an interviewee she was meeting for the first time today—what a considerate person! At this point, shouldn’t they erect a statue of her inside the company and set aside daily worship hours? Of course, it was way too early for someone like me, who hadn’t even officially passed yet, to be saying things like that…!
While a tiny version of me inside my heart clasped her hands together in prayer to the CEO, Hye-eun lightly brushed her hair back and spoke to Mom in an incredibly gentle tone.
“Then, Madam, would you mind giving me some time alone with Seolhwa?”
“Alone?”
“Eh?”
“I’d like to have a deeper conversation with her. If her mother is present, she might feel too shy to speak her true feelings. If you’re worried, we can record the conversation.”
A-alone? To talk? Wouldn’t that be a little bad for my heart…? As I glanced sideways with that thought, Mom simply smiled as if it was perfectly fine for me to be alone with the CEO and stood up without hesitation. She must have decided, after seeing Hye-eun’s demeanor, that she was trustworthy… But as for me, I really wished she wouldn’t leave me alone with this person. A sudden private fan meeting with someone I had only seen on stream? I was going to die!
But in the end, Mom waved at me with a “do your best” and left the reception room. Before I knew it, I was sitting across from the CEO with only a desk between us.
“Alright then… shall we begin the in-person interview? Ah, is it okay if I speak casually?”
“Y-yes… That’s fine…”
“Your vibe is quite different from during the online interview. Are you nervous?”
“Y-yes, extremely! Sitting in front of a beautiful CEO has turned my brain completely white!”
“Puhaha, how honest. You’re cute. With a face like yours, I wouldn’t have thought you’d get nervous at all.”
Hye-eun burst into laughter as she looked at me sitting rigidly on the sofa. Then she took something out of the handbag she had brought in earlier and placed it on the desk. Wondering what it was, I looked at the desk with a feeling like I was about to choke. It was an evaluation sheet where someone had written detailed notes about my interview. Shockingly, most of what was written was negative.
To summarize simply, it said I showed no particular talent and was unsuitable as a third-generation member. Huh? With an evaluation like this, how did I pass the online interview? Countless questions swirled in my head.
“As I said earlier, it’s true that I personally chose you during the interview. Everyone else was against it, but I thought that if you were polished, you could become a fine jewel. If I had to put it in words… CEO’s special favor? A parachute hire?”
“I-is that so… Why me, specifically?”
“Hmm, well… First, your voice style doesn’t overlap with the existing members. Even though you were rambling without any structure, it was still comfortable to listen to. Most people don’t realize this, but that’s an incredible talent for a streamer. Usually, people broadcast for hours on end. A voice that doesn’t cause fatigue is a merit all on its own.”
I see… It seemed she did have her own reasonable justifications after all. I had genuinely been wondering why I had passed both the document screening and the online interview. Maybe I should just think of it as having been extremely lucky in terms of hardware.
But for some reason, I had a feeling the conversation wasn’t going to end here. It felt like I was about to be tested on something incredibly important—something that might decide my entire future. Why was it that my ominous premonitions were never wrong?
Hye-eun slightly furrowed her elegant brows and said,
“However, that alone isn’t enough. There are far too many shortcomings to push you through with just your voice. First of all, Seolhwa, your basic storytelling and speaking skills are lacking.”
“Ugh…”
“And it’s not like you’re overwhelmingly good at singing, either.”
“Uuuugh…!”
“You’re not specialized in games, and on top of that, you don’t even have much of a cute or charming side. Inside the company, there are many opinions questioning whether it’s really okay to accept someone like you as a third-generation member.”
“That’s…”
Every single thing she said was completely fair… Faced with Hye-eun’s irrefutable words, I lowered my head toward the floor. It was true. All the current members of Unimori had outstanding talents that made it difficult to stand out with just a good voice. My oshi Mari specialized in singing, and her partner Rayne was skilled at games in general. In contrast, just as she had said, I had no standout strengths whatsoever. If I had possessed any in the first place, I wouldn’t have suffered such a miserable failure back in middle school…
So I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to even open my mouth. Sensing my mood, Hye-eun spoke in a rather serious tone.
“That’s why I want to hear it directly. Why exactly do you want to become a virtual liver, Seolhwa?”
Can you tell me what kind of dream you’re chasing?
Under Hye-eun’s gaze as she stared straight at me, I froze solid. In that instant, I instinctively felt that if I gave the wrong answer, I would be rejected immediately. Her eyes were telling me that I couldn’t pass for the same reasons I had during the online interview. Therefore, what I needed to give now was a proper, logical answer for why I had to become a third-generation member.
‘B-but… it really is just that…’
I felt anxious in front of Hye-eun, who seemed to be expecting something. The reason I had applied to Unimori was nothing more than a fleeting whim. I had happened to watch their PV, thought “it’s okay if I fail, I’ll just apply once,” and somehow passed both the document screening and online interview with that half-hearted mindset. There was no grand determination to change the world or anything like that…!
So I shot up from my seat, intending to answer that I had simply given it a try. But the moment I met Hye-eun’s kind, direct gaze… without even realizing it myself, I ended up speaking the thought I had been carrying deep in my chest all along.
“B-because Mari was shining so brightly… I wanted to work hard like her and change myself…”
“I see.”
“But I failed… and now I don’t know what I should do. It feels like I’ve lost my way…”
“I understand.”
“I just… I wanted to become like Mari…”
That was it. This was undoubtedly my true feelings. Wanting to see RayMari in real life. Thinking that since it was a popular VTuber agency, even failing wouldn’t be a loss. Those had all been nothing but excuses to hide how much I admired and envied Mari at the same time. Someone like me could never become like Mari, who had both talent and put in the effort. Perhaps that unconscious fear had chained my true heart and sunk it deep down.
But my dream, ever since my previous life, had always been to become a wonderful person recognized by everyone. This was my one and only wish that I could never compromise on. Having finally brought it out for the first time, I squeezed my eyes shut. If Hye-eun told me that someone like me had no right to think such things… I felt like I would be so broken that I could never recover.
“That’s good. Seolhwa, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
Contrary to my expectations, what came back was a somehow gentle voice. It sounded almost like she was affirming my words… an unbelievable response. The fear that had chilled my entire body melted away in an instant. All that remained was pure confusion at not being able to properly understand the situation.
When I looked at Hye-eun with a bewildered expression, she stood up, walked over to me, and said,
“The Mari you like was once just an ordinary girl you could find anywhere. Especially with her bad vocal habits, her singing back when I first met her was so bad I couldn’t even bear to listen.”
“Mari was?!”
“Yes. But that girl had a dream. She wanted to create songs where she wrote the lyrics, composed the music—everything—with her own hands. The current Mari is the result of her endless effort toward that goal. Isn’t it amazing?”
“I-it’s amazing…”
I nodded at Hye-eun, who had come right up to me, and agreed. The Mari I had seen had always been someone whose singing moved people from the very beginning. To think she had once lacked skill too… It was a story that made my chest feel warm and full.
“The important lesson here is this.”
“Hyeek?! U-um?!”
As if that wasn’t the end, Hye-eun suddenly reached out and grabbed my chin. Then she brought her face so close that I could feel her breath. My entire field of vision was filled with her face.
“People who have dreams can become better. Their dream pushes them forward toward the future they desire.”
“U-ugh… CEO…”
“So your dream… is a little clumsy, but I like it.”
“Y-you’re too close!”
I shook my head violently to escape her hand and hurriedly backed away. She was so beautiful that just looking at her made my heart race. An attack like this was too dangerous for my heart. But it seemed she had already said everything she wanted to while holding my chin. With her arms spread wide, Hye-eun cheerfully shouted at me as I trembled with a flushed face.
“Welcome to Unimori, Seolhwa.”
“T-that means…”
“It means you passed.”
“Eeeeeh?!”
P-passed… Did that mean I was now officially a third-generation member of Unimori?! If this was a joke, I begged her to correct it immediately as I stared at her intensely. But Hye-eun left me there and walked out with crisp steps, apparently to call Mom who was waiting outside. She told Mom that she planned to officially debut me. It seemed I had really passed the interview… and had somehow become a VTuber.
‘I-I’ve done it now…’
To think I would end up in the same agency as my oshi! No, of course I was happy about that… but where was my life going to go from here? My head was so tangled with excessive emotions that it felt like it had glitched out. I had no idea what I was supposed to do anymore.