I May Be a Virtual Youtuber, but I Still Go to Work

Have you ever heard of a perpetual motion machine?

It’s a device where, after a slight push, a metal ball attached to a disc moves around, creating propulsion. This movement causes the disc to spin, and the ball keeps moving, generating more force.

It’s a common scam seen in short clips. In reality, due to factors like friction and air resistance, it’s impossible to create. Most of the time, they secretly hide a motor somewhere to make it look convincing.

However, my conversations with the boss are like a real perpetual motion machine.

Unless one of us says, "Let’s stop here," it’s like an untethered bull, an 8-ton truck with broken brakes, or a locomotive running without its tracks.

"... Boss, aren’t you hungry?"

"Ah."

When I snapped out of it, it was already 9 PM.

The boss’s workday was long over—fortunately, there was no broadcast today—but I had skipped dinner, and my stomach was now pleading for mercy. Meanwhile, Gong Seung-yeon, who came in at 3 PM, had been left alone for six hours.

"Let’s call it a day and finish up tomorrow."

"Okay, let’s go get something to eat."

"I have to check on Seung-yeon, so I’ll just grab something quick."

Just as I was about to leave the boss’s office, she hesitated and asked,

"By the way… once all this busy stuff is done… how about we go on a trip with the others and then hit the game room?"

The boss should know by now that there’s no way I’d refuse an offer like that.

"Just pick a date."

Luckily, Seung-yeon was handling everything on her own without me having to say anything.

"Ah, Part Leader! You’re here?"

"Sorry, the conversation with the boss took longer than expected."

"You two were so focused that the team leaders were just hanging around outside and couldn’t get in."

"Really? I had no idea."

"Yeah. But it seems like no one had anything urgent because everyone else left early."

I would have been in trouble if I had kept the boss for too long and delayed work, especially with the first anniversary event coming up.

But since everyone left early, I felt relieved.

"What about dinner?"

"Ah, Team Leader brought Pad Thai. They said, ‘Part Leader’s with the boss, so she won’t be out for a while.’"

"Glad to hear it."

"How about you, Part Leader? You didn’t eat, right?"

"I’ll eat now. There’s some leftover pizza in the fridge, so I’m going to have that."

Pizza after a six-hour meeting always tastes special.

Seung-yeon looked at me oddly, but I pointed to the report she was working on.

"Hey, there’s a typo."

"Ah."

She had written "Komaru" instead of "Komari," and "Mari" instead of "Maru."

It was a small mistake that happens when typing quickly.

Aside from that, the overall tone of the report wasn’t bad. It seemed like she had referred to the report I wrote yesterday, and it had a similar feel to mine but with her own differences, which was interesting.

"How did you write the report so well? I never told you how to do it."

"Ah. Really?"

"Thanks to you, I’m not worried anymore. I thought today’s work would be a headache since I was stuck talking to the boss for so long, but since you’ve got it covered, I’m really grateful."

"Hehe… thank you. I figured since you were so busy, I’d try to do it based on our experience from yesterday, and I’m glad it worked out."

"If you keep this up, you’ll settle in fast. Does the job suit your personality?"

"It’s perfect. I’ve always liked watching their broadcasts, but being able to watch four at once on these monitors is crazy. And the headset is amazing. The post-processing is so good that the voices of the talents come through so clearly."

"You’re watching them at work, not at home?"

"Well, I get paid for this! Watching broadcasts while getting paid, then using that money to donate. Isn’t it the epitome of creative economy? Before, I could only send about 500 one-dollar punches a month, but now I can send 1,500!"

There are people who consistently donate in small amounts, like Seung-yeon, whose monthly contributions are substantial but split into many small donations. They’re the notorious one-dollar punchers.

They’re not exactly a cute type of donator, but I’m sure Seung-yeon is good at balancing it all.

She’s so much like me, I can’t help but laugh.

I pressed my hands to my mouth, trying to hold back my laughter, and Seung-yeon said,

"By the way, Part Leader, did you get enough sleep?"

"Yeah, I slept as usual. Why?"

"Your dark circles seem a bit worse than yesterday…"

"Can you see them?"

"I have good observation skills. Even if Komari’s voice changes just a little, I can tell if she has a cold, went to vocal training, or even went to the doctor."

I’ve often asked the boss or the talents if they’re feeling okay or if they need a break while watching their broadcasts, but it’s the first time someone has worried about me like this.

But in my life, I’ve only collapsed from exhaustion once, and that was my own fault for overdoing it.

This time, I wasn’t pushing myself to that extent, so I waved it off lightly.

"Thanks for worrying, but don’t stress over it."

"No, Part Leader, I’m really worried. I’m just saying it because I care."

"I told you, if I was going to collapse, I would’ve done it already."

"Hmm…"

Looking at Gong Seung-yeon’s expression, I could tell what she was thinking.

Ah, I want to drag her to the hospital so badly.

But as a part leader, I couldn’t do that.

However, I really was fine.

The dark circles were a bit noticeable, but that’s how it’s always been. Now it just feels like a sign of a friendly relationship.

And I still have a few broadcasts I can’t miss.

I’d rather watch the broadcasts, donate, and do everything else than go to the hospital.

I wish the day had 48 hours.

Live broadcasts are warmer and more satisfying than a recorded one.

***

One day.

“That's UFC if you strike like that.”

“Didn’t you react like this before, Boss?”

“I’m saying this because I felt it was a mistake too.”

“Ah, I see.”

Two days.

“Boss, honestly, that was really old-fashioned.”@@novelbin@@

“What?! When did I ever—!”

“Guess it’s because you're getting close to that age where you start becoming one of those….”

“Do you want to die? I’m still in my mid-20s!”

Three days.

“Hey, honestly, you only helped with the broadcast so you could argue with me, right?”

“Argue? I was just sharing my thoughts. And you know, we still have to do a reaction video, right, Boss?”

“Reaction video… Ugh.”

Four days.

“This time… okay, I think we’ll do it your way.”

“Oh. Boss, this is the first time you didn’t challenge me and just accepted it.”

“If you hadn’t scratched me like that, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Did I scratch you?”

“I’d say you went ahead and did more than scratch.”

By the way, at 7 PM that evening, the first-generation’s anniversary song was released.

[🥔Nutube] One Other (Music Video) | Parallel Another Parallel Official | 132K subscribers Views: 240K | 1 day ago | #Parallel #Another #1stAnniversary #3D

292 comments @Movgun 15 minutes ago Damn, Parallel, you’ve turned me into this

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ㄴ @gungungungungun just now Dude, shut up and shoot something

In just one day, it reached 240K views, breaking all previous records for any song uploaded on the official channel.

It even made it to the Trending page, and the algorithm picked it up, causing the numbers to keep climbing steadily.

Most of the comments were overwhelmingly positive.

Just as expected from the teaser. The 3D modeling and the background quality are amazing, and the tracking is incredibly smooth. The kids’ singing and dancing skills seem to improve day by day. During the rap part, I almost pulled out my 8-bit sunglasses and danced on my bed, etc.

The reactions were as positive as expected, and they continued into the next day.

Five days later, on the sixth day, November 7th.

The first 3D showcase of the first-generation talents: Akari Dora’s debut.

[🔴Live: Miracle Coffee Shop | 3D Showcase] 👪16,042 #3D #Parallel #Showcase #Another

Since all attention had to be focused on one person, Momo and the other members took a break.

But despite that, the turnout was extraordinary.

Considering that during the Halloween collab, when all four of them were present, the highest viewership was only 11,000, the first-anniversary song release had brought in quite a bit of new traffic.

And the showcase was captivating enough to keep those viewers around.

Both the boss and I, after seeing a short rehearsal video, stopped our meeting and watched Dora’s 3D broadcast in the boss’s office, filled with admiration.

“Her hair polygon count is insane. The rigging is perfect, too.”

“Right? We spent a fortune on it.”

“We’re not going bankrupt, are we?”

“It’s all an investment. There’s so much more we can do with 3D, so it’s worth it. Now, the important thing is directing the kids to do various types of content from now on.”

“Hm. Well, with Dora just bouncing around like that, the money will come in on its own.”

“It’s true, but are you sure you’re not just staring at her chest the whole time?”

“Well, the chest is a major issue. But you’re watching it too, Boss.”

“No… it’s just... shaking a lot…”

Dora’s 3D avatar, already revealing more than usual with her short dress and overall exposure, had the chat practically freezing when her chest motion was perfectly rigged.

— ㅗㅜㅑ — I think I might have heart failure, sis — Stop shaking!!! — Ahh, here comes the 9.9 intensity... 9.9...

Even though it was the same character just recreated in 3D, the reaction was explosively hot.

It really made me realize how important "visual stimulation" is to humans.

With 3D, it’s no longer just about bringing a character to life through 2D illustrations.

It’s about extending into a real world of possibilities—where the virtual world and reality are connected, especially with AR and VR becoming widespread.

The addition of 3D avatars means “the limitless expansion into real-world stages.”

Before, we could only guess about our virtual idols’ real personalities through gestures and habits that couldn’t fully be captured. But now, fans can see the true essence of their favorite idols, just as if they were hanging out with them in real life.

This is how communication between people works—not just through words, but through gestures and body language.

Now with different angles, viewers can feel like they’re standing right there next to the VTuber, experiencing real-life situations or hilarious variety shows in a way that’s more engaging than a regular broadcast.

And of course, concerts and the chemistry and intimacy between members can be portrayed in far more detail than ever before.

Fans of Dora enjoyed an experience of what it’d be like to be an intern at the beautiful dragon-themed café owned by the boss.

They passed the interview, sat down to eat together, learned how to make coffee while sitting so close their shoulders almost touched, killed an insect that suddenly appeared, walked home together as the day turned dark, and toasted at a bar together.

— Hehe — Sis — Marry me — You’re my wife, haha — We’ve already filed for marriage~ — Should we break up now? — No no no no no no no no no no no no no — Damn, do it for 2, 3, 4, 24 hours — Don’t end the streamㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ — I can work 24 hours, please don’t fire me — I’ll be your slave!!!!!!!

This is how viewers get completely sucked in by their favorite VTubers.

Even though the showcase was just a one-hour event, the donations were huge, and the viewership graph was incredible.

Isn’t it amazing that almost no one left until the broadcast ended?

It’s hard to describe this feeling of excitement. It’s not just the fan enthusiasm. It’s like hearing that a friend who was preparing for a difficult exam passed with flying colors.

I wish there were 48 hours in a day.

Live broadcasts are far warmer and more satisfying than a recorded one.

Dora’s fanbase was already in overdrive, and fan artists were flocking in, unable to hold back.

“I’m going to check on Seung-yeon. I need to make sure she’s okay so she doesn’t get too distracted.”

“Sure. Take care.”

I jumped up from my seat.

The preparations for the pre-party were going smoothly, and if everything went well, we could finish it before the 11th.

“… Ugh.”

Ping.

My vision turned white, and everything started to tilt diagonally.

First, I saw the boss’s office door, then the edge of the desk, and finally the floor.

Thud.

“Gia!!!”

The last thing I saw was the boss’s face.