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

Like a kitten grabbed by the scruff of its neck, I was dragged outside. At that moment, the first-generation VTubers puffed up their cheeks and strode toward me.@@novelbin@@

I had already resigned myself to the idea that I’d be pinned to the ground and smacked on the back, but to my surprise…

“Unnie. If you were planning something like this, you should’ve told us in advance.”
“Exactly!”
“I was seriously shocked~.”
“I was kinda pissed, but it was great. Good.”

The four of them wrapped around me from all sides in a tight hug.

A complete encirclement.

Help me, guys.
I’m too short—I can’t breathe.

“Guys, Gia’s suffocating.”

My mouth was even covered, making it impossible to speak properly. But the moment Momo spoke, the four of them immediately backed off.

140 cm—direct impact to the chest.
I nearly died from suffocation just now.

As I shook my head to clear my thoughts, Maru suddenly lowered her voice.

It was the same tone she used last week when she apologized after the I’m Wolf collab.

“I’m sorry… We tried to do a hidden camera prank, but we almost ended up hurting you instead….”

“A hidden camera?”

“When we left you out at lunch, it was all part of the prank. If that upset you, I’ll apologize for everything. It was my idea, and they just went along with it. I’m the worst….”

Magia, an unexpected victory.

So that was them excluding me?
Honestly, I was just happy to enjoy my meal in peace.

Wait, was I being excluded back in school, too?
I thought I was just a voluntary loner.

Either way, Maru looked like she was about to cry, so I instinctively blurted out an apology as well.
Rule #1 for managing Maru: If she starts getting teary while apologizing, you have to act like it was a mutual misunderstanding—even if it’s a lie.

Fortunately, I had also prepared a surprise for them, so I had something to say in return.

“It’s okay. I tricked you guys too, just to show you this. So we’re even.”

But honestly, I wasn’t in any condition to comfort her beyond that.

The shrimp had helped me recover a bit, but the barrage of compliments from the members earlier had drained me completely.

Now that everything was done, my energy finally hit rock bottom, and sleepiness washed over me. My eyelids started drooping.

As I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand, Maru gently placed a hand on my shoulder.