Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Debut Preparations
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-"I'll push the debut forward as fast as possible."
"I'll be waiting."
-"The avatar will take some time, but we can get a debut up quickly by grabbing an illustrator and using a simple image..."
"Got it."
-"Work out the detailed schedule with the illustrator and sync up."
Even just this much made me feel like I was being treated well.
But that wasn't the end of it.
-"In the meantime, I'll assign a dedicated staff member to you."
What... really?
Did I deserve treatment like that?
"Whoa... this feels amazing."
-"Heh, we scouted you ourselves, so this is the least we can do."
The Boss asked us to chat privately and then left the call.
The moment the call ended, I yanked off my headset and flopped back.
I stretched out luxuriously first, then checked the time.
It was almost evening.
How had time slipped by like this?
Well, I should've known better than to chat so endlessly...
We were still awkward with each other, but she had this way of making you forget that. Total chatterbox.
I loosened up midway and ended up rambling right back.
I'd felt it from her streams, but she was seriously good at talking.
It wasn't just her dumping stories on you, either.
She had a knack for pulling people into the conversation.
I slipped my headset back on and opened the voice chat friends list.
There was an ID pinned at the top.
I had no idea what "dedicated" entailed exactly, but I'd probably be leaning on them a lot.
She'd told us to talk one-on-one, too...
Best to rip the band-aid off while the iron was hot.
No time like the present for intros.
-"Hi... hello..."
"H-he-llo... Hi there..."
-"Uh... yeah. Looking forward to working with you."
"No... same here."
-"Ah! N-no, I should be the one saying that..."
We repeated the awkward greetings and thanks over and over.
What started as a light call dragged on for about five minutes.
Man, the Boss really was a smooth talker.
I swept the floor with a sticky cleaning wipe.
It was big for a one-room, but still just a one-room.
Tiny as a handprint—done in a flash.
"Holy crap!"
I peeled off the wipe and flipped it over. Momma mia.
A long strand of hair was tangled all over one side.
First time seeing anything like it.
The hair itself was so thick, the volume was insane.
Doing random chores before something important felt weird.
Brought back memories of exam season, obsessing over desk cleaning instead of studying.
I squatted on the spotless floor and spread my palm open.
It wasn't like I was fidgeting from nerves.
There was a reason for all the bustling.
After a week in this body, I was certain.
This body—Kang Ji-min's—had zero connection to exercise.
I pieced it together from her messenger and gallery history: total gym avoider.
She'd dodge any outing like the plague, pure shut-in gamer.
Muscle aside from gender diffs, you need baseline stamina.
No matter what you do.
Even your brain works better with exercise.
For real.
Needs the stamina to think straight without fogging up.
Plus, once streams start, no time for workouts.
So I psyched myself up to try before then.
Bodyweight exercises it is.
Squats and push-ups first.
I steeled myself, planted my palms shoulder-width...
Lowered down... bent my arms...
And up...!!
Splat
"Ow!!"
...Not going up.
And it hurt like hell...!!
"Nngh... gahhh...!!"
I clutched my chest and groaned forever.
I mean, come on.
Smashing down like that...
Chest flattening out, it was just... insanely...!!
"Argh...!!"
The familiar push-up routine didn't go well.
I figured it'd be tough, but not impossible even once.
"Makes sense now."
Push-ups were the wrong call, maybe.
Way too disadvantaged.
Weak muscles already, now with two extra weights hanging.
I barely stood and tried squats next.
Push-ups too hard, but these should be easy...
"Gahhh!!"
How long had it been since she last exercised, Kang Ji-min!!!
Time until debut was hanging loose.
Not that I was stirring up exercise for nothing.
Boss said she'd rush even a draft illustration, but no telling how long.
At least with a model, design tweaks minimal.
Too flashy, and immersion breaks for me too.
Checked refs: wings and horns were tame.
Eyes... tentacles... ugh...
I preferred designs without the weird disconnect.
Not stylized art, just 3D avatar—no face reveal anyway.
Still.
Even slapping cash to rush the illustrator...
Done in days?
-"Then throw more money at it."
Ahh...
-"Problems money can't solve just mean not enough money."
Fair enough—trust and wait.
While waiting, time wasn't empty.
"Dedicated staff" meant exactly that.
She reassigned a long-time manager under Boss straight to me.
Streams not even started, and boom—manager acquired...
The staffer was a woman Boss's age.
Same as Boss meant same as me now, too.
Yeah.
Was.
Like Boss, she was "older sis" territory now.
Stiff speech, dry demeanor—intimidating at first.
But chatting revealed she was kind, helpful across the board.
Super useful for streaming stuff.
OurTV days veteran, loyal to the end.
Quit a good job to join—diehard fan.
Weathered every trial and error in Boss's early streams. Battle-hardened pro.
Tons of broadcast advice.
Content direction, too.
Especially chat trends and management—goldmine.
Off-stream: vocal care, fees, taxes—packed with value.
Used to be regular manager...
Incidents piled up, now handles YouTube and acts like a secretary.
Wonder what went down.
-"Chat management was always my gig."
"Ah."
-"Think of it as vacation."
"P-positive thinking rocks. Total lucky Vicky."
-"Doesn't mean I skip Boss's streams."
"Hahaha..."
Anyway, tons of help all around.
Getting close? Tough.
"So, Manager, drop the formal speech too...?"
-"Nah. This is comfy."
"Ah. Okay."
Helped a bunch, and long-term, better to bond.
We'd be seeing each other forever, so I pushed.
Shot down hard.
Strong opinions, turns out.
Boss must be the odd case.
She'd randomly call for meals—scared me—turns out virtual dinners.
Poked at food, then poof, gone.
"...Is she always like that?"
-"Boss has cat vibes. Cute, right?"
"Rose-tinted glasses what..."
Prepping all this ate up time.
Thought it'd be dead until illustrations, but tons to do.
Bond with manager...(failed)
Greet other Florence staff.
Group chat's huge—members plus twenty staff. Hard to chat.
Key prep included this.
"Nngh, heavy."
Carefully set down the box, rubbed my arms.
All the pre-stream gear arrived.
Hardest adjustment post-swap: strength.
No need gender diffs—this body had zilch muscle.
Why I bothered exercising.
Especially grocery run: reality check.
"Light," stuffed the box—didn't budge.
Hell that day.
Five-minute walk out took thirty-plus back.
Before/after weight gap near 30kg—duh, class diff middle to heavy.
Checked list: all gear here.
Then video-called manager for setup, one by one.
-"Plug in power last."
"Which one's power?"
-"...Only one cable left on the PC."
"Oh, this thick-ended one?"
-"No no no. Not that. Wait, that shouldn't be left...?"
"Sorry."
-"...What even went wrong?"
"Really sorry."
Guided like puppeteering—took ages 'cause I'm a noob.
GG quick, requested video.
First face-to-face: phone screen.
Glasses, hair in ponytail. Round, soft face unlike her stiff voice.
"Hi, Manager."
-"..."
"Nice to meet you, even like this."
-"With that face, why not idol?"
"Haha. Thanks, even if empty."
Voice reply.
-"Not empty."
Hmm.
I know.