Chapter 109
Chapter 109
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Hu Mushir Hong's Debut
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Generation 1's Hu Mushir Hong debut curtain fell without incident.
The dragon suffered no damage even after the red potion was exposed, and Hosen got forgiven for royally botching the broadcast because she's cute.
And sandwiched between them, just your average German artist!!
Fans wondered if it was okay to use Hu Mushir Hong—meaning even the most beautiful flower doesn't last more than ten days—as a team name, giving it an ominous vibe.
Some interpreted it as an elegant expression that VTubers aren't eternal, while others saw it as Wakamo's ideal pure VTuber not even lasting ten days.
The latter interpretation had already been thoroughly wrecked by Adolf and Mei, so memes of Wakamo crying today too were circulating.
At a time when the Generation 0 members were carrying on with broadcasts along unchanged lines.
Now united as one team, Generation 1 was living on [Wakamo 1st Floor].
Protected in an area off-limits even to residents, they spent peaceful days, casually discussing how to expand the house or add this and that once Jackson returned, and start construction.
Of course, it was peaceful but not quiet.
Even with Wakamo's warning, "Unauthorized entry to this area will result in expulsion," people still snuck over to the Generation 1 house today, or ignored the warning out of curiosity and tried to enter, only to get chased out by the seven residents.
There were protests from those expelled, saying they entered legally so why no leniency, and wasn't this treatment too harsh?
But from the start, subscribing to Wakamo's channel was the bare minimum requirement here.
Even for VTubers under Wakamo Corporation—not just Wakamo herself—the rules were similarly lax and common-sense, as long as you followed basic etiquette.
Yet incidents piled up daily because people who hadn't read the rules pretended to be fans and moved in.
Some harbored malice, vowing revenge, or spewed threats and curses, making for increasingly worrisome days all around.
It's only natural for VTubers to attract anti-fans.
Some just hate VTubers in general, but Wakamo's were a bit off the usual track.
Even Superman can't save everyone—there's always that bald guy who hates him! Humans are the problem, always!
As popularity kept surging, the things needing attention ballooned beyond imagination.
No time to focus on VTuber streams, Wakamo was swamped sorting through tasks the president, Manager Won Da-hye, had dumped on her.
On top of that, vetting content ideas from affiliated VTubers asking if they could do this or that—she'd be busy even with three bodies.
Kang Yeo-ul handled president duties, while Wakamo streamed, oversaw streams, and tended to Generation 0 members in a frenzy.
──Naturally, Mei was looking after the Generation 1 members too.
"Euuugh... This Sprite!! It tastes weird!!!!"
Adelheit grabbed a drink from the fridge without a second thought and spat it out spectacularly.
Mei, who was cleaning, got thoroughly spritzed.
Olga Romanova, who had insisted on making breakfast herself and was in the kitchen, poked her head out suspiciously and asked Adelheit.
"Adelheit. You didn't drink the Sprite from the fridge, did you? That's cucumber flavor."
"Why is this even here...?"
"It's popular in Russia...? I bought it because I like it."
Adelheit wailed that she couldn't understand Russian tastes and chugged an energy drink in one go. With dark circles from pulling an all-nighter on art again, she sat at the breakfast table and her head started drooping.
Mei propped her back up straight to keep her from face-planting into the table like a magnet to gravity.
A bowl of soup glowing red was naturally placed in front of Adelheit.
Next came well-grilled lamb skewers with warm tea on the table.
"It's borscht made with sausage, beef, red beets, and smetana. And this is shashlik, a lamb skewer dish."
"Tastes like mukkuk...?"
Russian soup with smetana—a type of sour cream—had that vibe. Bread and jam were set out alongside the skewers.
"Isn't this too greasy for breakfast...?"
"This is how we eat in Russia?"
"Last time May unnie made food, it was too spicy.... Chinese cuisine, so I get it..!! But breakfast should be hearty: coffee with bread like a Brezen, well-grilled bratwurst sausage, and liverwurst spread on bread—stuff like that, hearty...!"
"Olga likes greasy, Adelheit likes salty, and I like spicy. Every morning breakfast is its own battlefield."
Not intentional, but Wakamo Corporation had taken on a multinational corporation vibe.
A bizarre structure with one person from each country?
After eating, Olga freshened her mouth by munching cucumbers, while Adelheit, saying it wasn't enough, rummaged the fridge while gnawing on sausages.
Come to think of it, a bit late—thanks to diligently climbing the tower, Olga had mastered the skill to revert to human form.
An item helped with acquiring the skill to return to human, solving the issue quickly.
Even shrunk from 4m, her original 190cm height was still towering.
"Alright then. Mei? I'd like to discuss future VTuber plans some more...."
"Yeah~ sure.... We said we would, right? But why me? Can't you just go to Wakamo?"
"If I go straight to the president and speak bluntly, won't she think this newbie who just joined is arrogant...? Even the military has ranks, right?"
Valid point... but gauging how much higher Olga's military rank was than Wakamo's was impossible.
Mei swallowed back the reflexive "desu" speech pattern with all her might.
Her soft, kind, gentle tone instinctively screamed "soldier" to any Korean—nothing ordinary about it.
"Tea first?"
Olga politely set down a teacup from Lomonosov porcelain, one of Russia's most famous, featuring blue stripes and gold lines.
She then brought out a samovar, Russia's water boiler, with striking floral patterns worn from years of use.
"By the way, doesn't Olga drink vodka or anything? No booze in the fridge."
"Ah, I don't like alcohol. Not that I hate the stereotype of Russians loving vodka, but I prefer tea. Russia has tons of teahouses. If we all go sightseeing in Moscow later, I'll guide you."
"Adelheit will complain everything's too heavy."
"Um...."
Pondering Lipton or Ahmad between, Olga steeped a glistening black tea and poured it into Mei's cup.
From bread slathered with varenye—cherry sugar jam—to cookies and biscuits on the table, Olga was even eating leftover borscht from morning.
"Russians feel guests are welcome when biscuits and such are plentiful. Tea time reveals a person's true face—that's how special Russia's tea culture is. Here, black tea."
Mei sipped, realizing why black tea was big in Russia. No fuss with etiquette.
Unaware of tea tasting, Mei sniffed and licked to savor somehow when Olga spoke up.
"During tough days... when I couldn't even go outside, VTubers were easy to access. Around 20...? That's when I started watching. As you see, I'm huge... too old for celebrity stuff. But VTubers don't care about that. Less aiming to be an idol... more like becoming the kind of VTuber who inspires others."
"Stop, any more and I might enter a trance and die. Hearing your genuine dream and passion for VTubing so heartfelt might make me rampage."
"Eh... rampage how...?"
"First off, living under one roof with a VTuber would be too much and I'd explode."
"....Explode?"
"This tangled love for VTubers...! In that empathy, the guilt of 'Can I even call myself a VTuber next to someone this radiant?' would make me burst."
"......Mei."
"Yes."
"From someone almost a year into VTubing. You shouldn't think 'Do I even deserve to be one?' Love and cherish yourself as a VTuber more. Wakamo president feels the same, right? Yeah..."
Pure like a big kid, but she was undeniably an adult. One of the eldest.
Having lived in the military, learned from comrades, gained insights from her own eyes—and read tons of Russian literature—she pondered briefly before speaking.
"Comparing yourself unfavorably to others as a VTuber... is an insult to all striving VTubers!! Be proud of your place!! I worked hard too, I'm a VTuber too! Without that mindset, you can't make it, Mei!! .....Stand tall, chest out. Strut around declaring you're a proper VTuber."
"....Yesss...."
"Don't mope about not singing well—practice steadily... Is that why you don't merch well? Wakamo president too? But that's discourteous to fans who truly love you. Fans want mementos of time together... like this doll I have. So make more merch, fanmeets often, signings, and even if concerts are tough, Mei plays instruments well—share that more."
All spot-on, no rebuttal....
"Among aspiring VTubers growing through effort, some look to you and Wakamo president! Mei! Don't throw it all away just because debut bombed!!"
To be precise, Wakamo and Mei are the same person, so identical flow tanked both streams.
Let the misunderstanding ride.... Sometimes you need someone to bluntly advise what Wakamo avoids.
"If you love VTubing that much... let's go to a festival in Japan together. I've... never been... Can you guide me...?"
"Where? Wedding venue...? Wait, Japanese concerts? Been to tons! Let's hit America too!!"
Having a fellow VTuber fan was pure bliss.
No more sneaking around alone, watching her step!!
Crunch crunch─
Mei laughed at the dizzying sight of cucumber in sour cream—not gochujang—then her eyes twitched.
Gochujang... need gochujang....
Watching Adelheit dip boiled white asparagus in every sauce, calling it salad!! Mei felt dizzy.
Jackson..... need Jackson.....
Need Jackson living his burger-cola-fries life, no regrets....
"Not confident in songs—only military tunes... Dancing too... Gotta practice steady? Not sure what to stream today, so getting ideas from you, Mei."
"Ah, so that's...?"
Grateful for the tea refill manners, Mei thought FPS games for VTubers... but Olga had only ever watched others game.
Eager for [Build Craft] on Wakamo server, but Asuka wrecked it during repairs—tricky now.
They planned a collab: Mei performs, Olga sings.
While brainstorming ideal VTuber streams, Adelheit finished breakfast with five sausages and a beer.
"Dance, song—artist senses will handle it somehow? I'm a genius, after all."
"Damn, annoying but true—no comeback."
"So Adelheit can do it solo?"
"Ehehe... Olga sis too. Why so harsh.... Let Adelheit join!! We're teammates!!! Non-combat job or what?! By that logic, Mei's non-combat too—we're a team!! R... Ro... Rolling stone gonna tolerate dislodging the embedded one?! Look at me!! Already!! 50 floors!!"
"....Huh? For real?"
"Totes!! No lie!! Adelheit, under great Wakamo Führer's blessing and love, reclaimed genius glory from incompetent climber, ascended, sprouted wings, flew as butterfly──"
"Does she always... ramble like this? Seems worse than me post-human experiments."
"Harsh society is crueler... Humans are the most terrifying."
"Tower climbing came up... Could we do tower climb streams?"
""Yeah?""
"Adelheit said Wakamo president could see her in the tower.... So conversely, streaming possible?"
Wondered what she meant... but yeah?
Cameras don't follow past floors, but exit, re-enter next.
Filming climbers might need constant shoots... but Wakamo Corp exclusive charm?
Olga Romanova, proudly at 9 floors already, stood saying she'd apply right away, poured Adelheit tea, and headed out.
"Tha... thank you...."
('Why's she all timid in front of me...')
Graceful elder with Mei and Adelheit, but before Wakamo, like a pup before a lion, gauging moods.
Overwhelming height difference—even 190cm Olga looked up?
Or rank sorted by Wakamo's initial overwhelming prowess?
Better that than...
Forced soldier life, human experiments—instinctively obeying superiors, fearing to defy boss Wakamo? Worst!!
If the one who might go to Virtual Live concert with me fears me, I'll cry!!
Yu Ying asks if there's VTubers trying hard because I like them—I say no.
Sadako watched to see pathetic brother, but now enjoys some—better, but.
Adelheit rivals a museum specialist Japanese VTuber—worrisome.
Why rivalry... Rivals yes, but museum vs. art gallery different fields...?
"Anyway, 10th floor's [Waran], right? Kinda underwhelming?"
"B-but... red potion... dragon... concept... gotta show it..."
Spot-on again.
Does this kid only know fact-slaps?
Hurts... Mei beatings, then Wakamo—bones ache more.
"Streams... can read Russian, so... Korean viewers won't get... Russian games. Story-heavy... talky genre... FPS-ish.... Ru... Russian games kinda... then ones with Korean subs...."
Stuttering, but clear debut plan.
Before gaming, chat on viewer faves like [Wakamo 1st Floor] or [Gen 1 Breakfast]—Wakamo inwardly marveled: genius, no teaching needed!
Finally, a proper VTuber joined—pure感動.
Wait, normal recruits are like that, but this company's weird....
"Isn't it cooler with a dragon popping out mid our tower fights?"
Sadako chimed in quietly.
"Yu Ying hit 50 too. Include Adelheit sis, all climb to 50? Summon Olga sis there."
"Exactly exactly."
Yu Ying nodded—who knows when she started listening.
Clear jealousy: no solo Wakamo pampering.
Up to now, just climber-VTubers, real one arrives—everyone on guard?
Virtual Live harmony impossible...!!
"Th-that works too.... "
Olga looked like she had more to say but nodded to seniors.
(?Feeling need to instill discipline?) Yu Ying and Sadako urged Wakamo: tower time.
From always asking "Shall I climb?" to being dragged—progress?
"President Wakamo...."
"Yeah...?"
"Def... definitely, my VTuber career shorter than seniors... umm..."
"Right?"
"But I'm confident I'll kill better. Boss."
Her eyes glinted murderously, pupils dragon-like, tone shifting like split personality.
....My trusted pure VTuber....!!! No, Olga Romanova was right.
Forgotten: she was Russian spec ops sent to kill Wakamo!!
"That's why I don't mess around."
No wonder Asuka shut up.... Sly fox...!!
Manager Won Da-hye knew too, keeping distance.
Normally cultured gentle adult, but combat flips to ruthless soldier.
"Send all monsters to God's side...!"
"You go to church?"
"......Uh.... Change faith...?"
"Free will...."
Orthodox Russian relieved, art dropout patted: cheer up.
Our VTuber company okay?
.......Yeah!!
"Despite looks... before losing climber quals and power, I was Russia's #5....."
"Show Japan no match—Germany, Russia, China unite!"
"....Ah, me too."
Mei slapped forehead.
Not bystander...! Wakamo too!!
Always stirring trouble, getting entangled daily.
"Gen 0 vs Gen 1 fight.... China-Japan, Germany-Russia clash!"
"Already distraught, don't make worse, Asuka..."
President cries again today.
Being president's tough too..!!