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

Just before I collapsed, my vision, which had turned completely white, slowly returned to normal.

Where am I? Who am I?

I see a strange ceiling.

My vision is still full of white, and gray worms crawl across the white surface.

I realized it was the ceiling of a hospital.

I feel like I’m about to lose my mind.

“Gia!”

At the scream-like call, I quickly turned my head to see the boss's face, close to tears.

“Are you okay? Are you awake?”

“Just... just a second. I’m a bit dazed after just waking up.”

My body is lying on a soft yet firm sheet.

There’s a blanket on top of me, but it’s thin, light, and rustles when I move.

Still, the temperature in the room is warm, so I don’t feel cold.

I hear the busy sounds of carts moving, the clattering of medical instruments, and nurses and doctors calling out.

So, this is a hospital… an emergency room, I think.

… Looks like I collapsed.

Of course, given how my body tilted, it was only natural I would pass out.

I must have barely protected my head when I fell, and after that, I lost consciousness and was brought to the hospital.

I moved my left hand slightly and felt the cold IV fluids flowing into my body.

I blinked my half-closed eyes, and with a slightly hoarse voice, I let the boss know I was fully awake.

“I’m okay now. What happened?”

“What happened? You collapsed...!”

“What time is it now?”

“It’s 11.”

I must’ve collapsed around 9.

That means I’ve been unconscious for two hours.

The boss has been staying later lately, but at 11, it’s time for her to go home.

“Go ahead and leave. You still have to work tomorrow. I’ll head home slowly once I’m feeling better.”

“Are you out of your mind? How can I leave you here like this?”

“It’s not like I’m dying… I just fainted for a bit.”

“… You’re so calm that it’s making me angry. Huh? Magia.”

With a snap, the boss grabbed both my cheeks and pulled them hard.

“Ah, ah! Aaah! Doctor! There’s an intruder here harassing the patient! Aah, air raid warning!”

“Do you want to crack jokes in this situation?!”

But what can I do? As much as the boss is worried, I don’t feel that bad.

My body feels completely drained, and my head is throbbing, but that’s about it.

It feels like having a major cold and lying down after taking painkillers and fever medicine.

The only issues right now are the lingering headache and the fact that my muscles aren’t responding well.

So, why does the boss have to stay by my side?

“One employee collapsing like this, and you’re not going to go to work tomorrow? The company’s discipline will fall apart.”

“… If you keep talking nonsense, I’m really leaving.”

“Please, go ahead. I’ll take a taxi home, so don’t worry.”

“Fine, I’ll go. And don’t go to work tomorrow. I’ll approve your leave with Team Leader Kang, so just know that.”

“Oh. But I only have 15 days of leave left.”

“You’ve only used one day, so you’ve got 15 left!”

The boss grumbled and disappeared behind the curtains.

… Phew, finally gone.

‘Not going, huh?’

Was it around this time last year?

I collapsed at work, and the boss took me to the hospital. A few hours later, once my condition improved, the boss left to prepare for the next day’s broadcast and work.

I thought I’d just sleep for a full day and be fine the next day, just like last time, and I closed my eyes with that thought…@@novelbin@@

“Thank you for taking care of her, Doctor.”

“No problem. I’m just glad the patient woke up quickly.”

Not long after, the boss brought the doctor over and gave me a side-eye before scoffing.

It was clear that she wouldn’t leave until my condition was checked out.

Maybe it was because this wasn’t the first time I had collapsed.

Soon the doctor checked my pulse, measured my temperature, and shone a light in my pupils before speaking.

“It looks like the fainting was caused by accumulated fatigue and temporary anemia due to menstruation. Are you eating properly?”

“Yes. I make sure to eat two meals a day.”

“Two meals... Has your portion size decreased recently?”

I’ve always eaten consistently.

I’m the kind of person who believes that long meal times are a waste of life—unless it’s during a broadcast, I usually eat quickly, even now with a small appetite. It takes me at most 10 minutes to finish a meal when I’m really hungry.

“Yes.”

“Are you getting enough sleep?”

“On average, I get about 5 hours of sleep.”

“You should be getting 8 hours of sleep on average.”

I almost said that I’d do that if the day was extended to 48 hours. But then, I realized I’d still only get 5 hours of sleep, so I kept quiet.

Of course, I would.

The rest of the day’s hours are spent on gaming and VTubing. How could I resist that?

It’s not Kirinuki, but I could watch more live broadcasts!

“I’ll try my best.”

“It’s not about trying. For now, you really need to make sure you get enough rest.”

“Got it? You’re taking the rest of the week off, and from now on, no overtime. You need to leave work on time.”

“But if I do that, I’ll have to leave Seung-yeon alone at the office late at night…”

“Magia.”

The boss gave me a stern look.

If I argued back, she’d probably lose it completely.

“Are you worried that Seung-yeon might get into trouble working alone? Don’t worry, Team Leader Kang and I will cover for you. Forget about working this weekend. No work until Sunday, understand?”

The Great Lord Momo has granted permission for Gia Jeongseung to take a break.

“Yes. I understand.”

“Doctor, while we’re at it, is it possible to stay for just one day?”

“I’m sorry, but there aren’t any available rooms right now. If you want to stay, you’ll have to stay in the ER for a few days.”

Upon hearing that, the boss muttered while looking at me with a grimace.

“I’m sending you home, and you’re probably just going to eat something quick and laze around…”

This is a bit of a scratch.

Still, for someone living alone, I’m managing quite well.

“I do eat on time and clean up on time, you know.”

“You’re probably ruining your nutritional balance. You’re not really eating corn powder or anything like that, right?”

I froze.

Last year, when I collapsed, I had been doing that, but I managed to hide it until the end.

To be honest, I felt unjust. It happened during an anniversary, with all the merchandise released at once, so I had no choice.

I didn’t want to owe anyone anything, so the idea that came to mind to save on food expenses was all I could do.

“You raised my salary, so I could just order a proper meal, like a full lunch box.”

“... In the end, it’s still delivery.”

“What’s wrong with delivery? These days, there’s no food that can’t be delivered, and the quality is decent—”

The doctor cleared his throat loudly, cutting off our conversation.

It seemed like he thought we wouldn’t finish the checkup if we kept talking.

“First, the IV drip should be finished soon. After that, you can call the nurse to remove the IV and you’ll be good to go. But remember to get plenty of rest and eat properly after you leave.”

“...”

“Please make sure the guardian takes care of the patient and doesn’t overdo it.”

“Yes.”

The doctor closed the curtains, urging me to rest, and left.

The narrow space created by the curtain.

Lying in bed, I couldn’t show that I was uncomfortable with the boss staying here instead of going home.

Honestly, I felt like a failed fan.

My idol was making me stay here instead of going home, worrying about me.

Whether she knew it or not, the boss asked,

“Your parents are still overseas, right?”

I nodded slightly.

“Then, let’s go to work together by my car until Friday. I’ll pick you up around 10, so wear something warm and be ready. You don’t have to wear a suit like usual.”

“Are you telling me to take leave and go to work?”

“I can’t work from your house. I want you to rest where I can see you. That’s what makes me feel at ease.”

“Crazy black company.”

“...”

“I’m just joking.”

The commands that followed had real substance to them.

“If you’re at home, you’ll just eat whatever, watch broadcasts, and play games without resting. So, rest on the sofa in my office. It’s as comfortable as a bed. Eat your meals properly, get enough sleep. That way, I’ll be at ease.”

I’m sure most of the fans would be wishing for this situation.

Collapsed from illness, and now the boss is making me rest, feeding me, and I get to watch the boss work from the sofa in the office.

This was exactly the dream situation, wasn’t it?

But once it happens, it’s uncomfortable.

I can’t even be grateful for the playful banter, being treated like a friend, while the busy boss is doing the nursing.

‘... I need to get better soon.’

But now that it’s like this, the only thing I can do is recover quickly.

I need to get better and attend the pre-party.

The boss asked for my help, and I worked so hard to prepare.

If I mess up and fail, that would be the worst.

***

The next day, my life in the boss’s office began.

“Hey, stay lying down.”

“Can’t I at least watch a broadcast?”

“Lie down. What broadcast?”

“I can’t sleep.”

“Should I play you a lullaby?”

“If you sing it yourself.”

“Wait, I’ll play it with Maru’s cool shouting.”

“We agreed to call it ‘playing’ rather than ‘singing,’ socially speaking.”

I wasn’t sure if it made sense to be relaxing on the sofa.

Since I’m short, my head and feet didn’t stick out.

Lying down on the soft sofa with two blankets covering me felt so comfortable.

If I say it’s a benefit of being short, would I be hated by millions of short people nationwide?

Soon, the boss set up a phone stand for me, and I started catching up on VTuber Kirinuki videos I’d missed due to lack of time.

I had saved videos to watch later, but I thought, Why not now?

As I did this, team leaders who came to the boss’s office to report work burst into laughter, making comments that had become a custom.

Even Team Leader Ra Seung-hyun from the planning team, who was said to be the toughest in Parallel, couldn’t hold back.

“... What the heck? Why is she lying here like that?”

Even Team Leader Oh Seok-jae from the PR team, who had once praised my promotional work, joined in with a loud laugh.

“Hahaha! Magia, you’ve practically rented out the boss’s office!”

Even the finance team leader, who had barely any interaction with me, chuckled and spoke to me.

“Gia’s been taking a real rest for once.”

“She’s now Gia, the Part Leader. Be respectful.”

“Ah, right. With all the changes in titles lately. Anyway, Gia Part Leader, get your rest. Don’t push yourself too hard. I knew you’d collapse someday with how you were working full 52-hour weeks.”

Then, he leaned in closer and whispered in my ear.

“And if you keep putting in false work hours in the HR system, you know the labor board might come after me, right? I know there’s a lot to do, but you need to cut down on your working hours. You get it? A new junior joined, after all.”

A chill ran down my spine, and instinctively I said, “Yes.”

Lying down, I was finally able to sleep well.

Whether it was because the sofa was so comfortable, or because I was just lying down, or if I was still recovering from the fatigue, I couldn’t tell.

So, I slept through videos, ate, then slept again, zoned out, and slept some more.

I stopped drinking caffeine and ended up sleeping the whole day, resting enough to recover quickly.

On November 10th.

I finally managed to leave the boss’s office after the last member, Aoyagi Rain’s, 3D showcase ended.

“Don’t push yourself again. Split the work with Seung-yeon and take it easy. That’s why I hired you. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Go home and rest. Don’t hover around Seung-yeon while she’s working.”

“I was just going to check on her quickly... I just feel like I need to.”

“Don’t worry, Team Leader Kang’s watching her. Go home, rest.”

When I was drained, I gave in to the boss, but now, I’m back to being full of energy.

Now, it’s time to focus on the pre-party talk for tomorrow.

“But, is there anything I need to prepare? The pre-party is tomorrow.”

“Prepare? What do you need to prepare?”

“It’s the pre-party tomorrow.”

The boss smiled and ruffled my hair.

“No. You’re not coming.”