VTuber Interview
I locked my gaze on Chae Eun’s face. With her silver earrings and silver necklace, she looked effortlessly chic, the kind of woman who could dominate a room without saying a word.
She was a little intimidating, sure, but I could handle it. After all, during my debt-ridden life before I died, I’d dealt with plenty of heavily tattooed tough guys with massive builds!
"This may sound random, but please hear me out. The person next to you, Sally, is great on stream, of course—but she also caused a huge stir with her singing. For what it’s worth, I listened once and got hooked, and I’m still listening to her to this day."
"Haha, thank you."
"No problem."
Huh? That was going well already? Nice.
"And the person beside me, Number 29, Mizuki, I heard she sings too. So what happens if it goes on like this? It just becomes a case of family members fighting over the same pie—basically eating each other alive."
Even as I said it myself, there wasn’t really a logical flaw in it. I didn’t know about the other interviewer, but I watched Chae Eun carefully. She was listening closely. Good. Keep going.
"On the other hand, if I pass Shining Parade’s interview and become a VTuber?"
"It won’t be family fighting over the same pie. Instead, we can bring in Un-non users and make the pie bigger."
"Wow. As expected of Sally—amazing. So this is why you’re currently the hottest VTuber in Korea."
"Haha, this one’s got a seriously impressive way with praise, doesn’t he? Boss, what do you think?"
But the ultimate decision-maker was Chae Eun, the one everyone called the boss. Her reaction was what mattered most.
"Have you considered that the Un-non user pie might be poison instead?"
"..."
Sharp. I was briefly at a loss for words, but in situations like this, all you had to do was press on.
"I understand why you’d say that, but that’s a premature generalization. While playing Unknown Universe, I’ve met plenty of decent users too."
Not enough to count on both hands, but still.
"Mm~. Somehow, I get the feeling you’re not very confident about that."
Sharp. She really wasn’t an ordinary opponent.
"I-I am confident."
"Understood. Then let’s go back to Number 29."
Had I done a decent job, then? I’d cleared the hurdle for now.
"Number 30 said proudly that they’d become the pinnacle of Un-non, but what about Number 29? What dream do you want to achieve by becoming a VTuber? I’ve already seen it in your application, but would you mind saying it once more?"
"Yes! I want to become an idol VTuber who shares dreams and happiness with everyone."
Ah, that was it. That was the kind of person who should become a VTuber. Wait—was I even allowed to think that while sitting here as the competition?
"Your specialty is singing, too. Could you sing for us now?"
"Yes. Ahem! I’ll begin. The song is Red Blossom’s..."
She was trembling with nerves, and I could feel it, but she kept her composure and finished cleanly. Everyone in the room except the boss broke into applause. I did too, clapping away as if I’d completely forgotten she was my rival.
"Wow. She’s good. Boss, I think she might even sing better than me."
"Thank you."
But Chae Eun didn’t give her a high score just because she’d been nervous and the opening had been a bit weak.
"If you pass and do your first stream, you’ll probably have around five thousand viewers. What will you do if you get nervous and make a mistake then? Your application says you don’t have any streaming experience, Number 30."
"..."
So that was a pressure interview?
She’d probably listened to K-pop before, but apparently she’d never experienced a K-pressure interview, because she had no idea what to do. Seeing Mizuki’s face like that tugged at my heart, so I answered for her.
"Then just sing it again. People make mistakes."
"I’m talking to Number 29 right now."
Chae Eun cleared her throat and lightly warned me off.
"Ah. Sorry. I did that without thinking."
Mizuki let out a little snort. Maybe hearing me made her relax. Her next answer had nothing wrong with it either.
"As you said, I may get nervous and make mistakes. But every time that happens, I’ll use it as a stepping stone and show you something better next time."
Chae Eun seemed satisfied, nodding.
"Then Number 30, we should hear you sing as well."
"Wha—"
Right. Singing was practically a required subject for VTubers these days. But I’d been so fixated on playing Unknown Universe that I hadn’t prepared anything at all. In the first place, I’d never even sung in this body.
"Would that be difficult?"
But if I said it was, it would obviously hurt my interview. So I’d just have to go crazy and try anyway. I had no pride left to lose at this point.
"Mm-mm. Ahhh. Oorooro."
For some reason, I tried copying Mizuki. She looked at me with a bright smile, as if she’d forgotten this was even an interview.
"I-I’m going. Please stop me in the middle if it’s bad."
"I won’t do that."
Unaccompanied, I sang the kind of song I always used to belt out drunk and screaming my lungs out. What did they think of it?
"Pffft..."
"..."
What is this, they’re all trying desperately not to laugh. What about Chae Eun? She had a serious expression on her face. Had I blown it?
"Thank you for the performance. It seems singing really isn’t your strong suit, just as you wrote in your application."
"Y-yes. B-but my tone’s not bad, right? They say the voice matters half as much as singing itself."
I’d spent a long time getting used to this cute voice too.
But Chae Eun’s reaction was hard to read—good or bad, I couldn’t tell.
"Yes, well. Aside from singing, do you have anything special that belongs just to Number 30?"
It looked like this was going poorly. Something special besides singing? I actually had plenty. Starting with the fact that I’d gone from a debt-ridden man to a twenty-two-year-old woman without warning, then the way my ability to read people had sharpened, and the meddlesome goddess helping me, and so on.
But there was no way they’d believe any of it. They’d probably just think I was insane. That was a secret I’d have to carry to the grave. So, half-jokingly, I tossed out this answer.
"My small frame?"
The interviewers seated beside me struggled with all their might not to laugh. Sally, in particular, didn’t even bother holding it in and burst out laughing loudly.
"Not that. Something you can show in a VTuber stream."
"Paid streams."
"Money? You’re not seriously asking the company to bankroll you exactly as your application said, are you?"
"Out of conscience, I wouldn’t ask you to bankroll me. I’d just pay it back as I earn it, little by little! Kind of like a credit card..."
Me, the guy whose first life had been ruined by juggling cards around until everything collapsed, saying that made my voice trail off. Worse still, the atmosphere had frozen over at disaster-level speed.
So there was no choice. I had to use my one true talent from my first life: knees that were lighter than air. I stood up and dropped to my knees on the floor.
"As an investment. Just once. Please, I’m begging you, as if you were saving a life. Also, I’m really good at barking like a dog—not just with written words, but with my mouth too. I’ll show you right now."
Woof woof, grrrrrowl! Grrrrrrowl!
My sudden dog barks rang through the silent interview room.
The interviewers were trying to stifle their laughter with strangled little sounds, and Marie was clutching her stomach and cackling, but Chae Eun didn’t look amused at all.
"Stand up."
"Yes, ma’am."
That was when I knew for sure.
I was absolutely going to fail the second interview.
The face-to-face second interview was drawing to a close. By then, I could barely remember what I’d even said.
"Lastly, please tell us anything you’d like to say, or give us a self-promotion. Number 29 first."
As the interview neared its end, even the way people looked at Number 29, Mizuki, had changed. I admitted it—she was unbelievably talented. Someone like her should become a VTuber.
"Yes! I really love Korea. The people are great, and kimchi is delicious... bulgogi was delicious too."
Wow, she even played the cheat code here. It was over. This was a hundred percent acceptance.
"I definitely want to pass and work as a VTuber for Shining Parade."
"Understood. Next, Number 30..."
That was the moment.
Yeah. The Goddess of Luck’s Blessing did say it was granted to those who carve out their own destiny. Thanks.
"Number 30?"
"Yes. I’m definitely going to pass."
Apparently not expecting that answer, Chae Eun looked at me with interest.
"Why do you think so?"
"Because the Goddess of Luck has started smiling."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The interview, which had started around one in the afternoon, finally ended around evening. Chae Eun sorted through the notes she’d taken, organizing her thoughts. Ju-a, too, was thinking back on the people she’d interviewed, burning with fighting spirit.
"Everyone was incredibly strong. I need to work even harder too!"
"Right. Hold on, I’m thinking."
"What is there to think about? It looks like you’ve already made up your mind—Number 29, Mizuki."
"Yeah. That’s true."
It didn’t seem like she was worrying about her at all. But Ju-a had always watched Chae Eun from the side, so she felt like she could tell what she was thinking this time too.
"Let me guess. It’s because of Number 30, Kim Haru, isn’t it?"
Chae Eun nodded without saying anything.
"Yeah. As expected, Sally can’t be fooled. That person..."
There were many reasons they’d chosen to interview two people together, but the biggest was to see how much jealousy they had, and how much consideration for others.
Also, since people’s usual behavior tends to show through, it was important to see what they did while waiting for the interview. That was why they’d stationed an employee outside the interview room to observe them.
"Everyone else was busy preparing for their own interviews, but Kim Haru was unusual—she helped the other applicant, Mizuki. Calmed her down, encouraged her..."
"Oh? That’s pretty surprising."
Maybe she thought there was no chance of passing and just helped someone else? No way. Ju-a knew better than anyone how desperate this opportunity was.
"When she should’ve been busy worrying about herself, she was looking after someone else... I think she’s actually a pretty good person."
"That’s what I’m saying."
Had she really been prejudiced just because the girl played Unknown Universe, as Ju-a suggested? She’d always promised herself not to become that kind of person, but she felt a little ashamed all the same.
"She looks mentally tough too. Seems like she’d be fine streaming on Un-non..."
"Right? The person herself is kind of hilarious, so I think she’d fit internet broadcasting really well. And singing too."
Remembering what had happened earlier, Ju-a burst out laughing all over again.
"She seems like she’d get insanely popular in a different way."
She’d found the whole thing so entertaining that she’d even started thinking she might want to befriend Haru personally if the interview ended in rejection.
"The problem is, people like that are usually all or nothing. That’s what worries me."
"What’s there to worry about? You’re the boss who raised me, after all. And even if she ends up being all for nothing, so what? I’m right here beside you~."
It was partly gratitude for what the boss had done for her, but it was also pure personal curiosity. What would happen to Kim Haru? That was why she’d argued so hard for her. Chae Eun thought in silence for a long moment, then nodded.
"Fine. Then we’ll pass Kim Haru too."
"Yay! Thank you, Boss."
"But she won’t turn out to be dead weight, will she?"
"Aigoo, of course not~."
And so, Shining Parade’s VTubers were decided: Manaka Mizuki and Kim Haru.
"To think I’m finally getting a junior. For some reason, I’m kind of excited. I’m going to be busy again, huh."
"Yeah... heh."
"Hmm? Why are you laughing all of a sudden?"
Chae Eun remembered the last thing Kim Haru had said at the end of the interview.
She’d said she would definitely pass, and the reason was that the Goddess of Luck had started smiling. And, just as she’d said, it had come true.
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