Chapter 4: If you’re trapped in a black company, signed a slave contract, and working like a dog, please shake a carrot.

The inside of the headquarters was quite clean.

‘…Wait, there’s really nothing here?’

There was something that looked like a reception desk, but no staff.

Did I get the date wrong?

Just in case, I carefully went up to the 2nd floor, the interview location, and thankfully, I saw a place where a group of people who looked like applicants were sitting.

What the heck, there isn’t even a staff member to guide people on the interview day.

I might have been a little disappointed.

To think my Haruka belongs to a place like this.

As I approached, cursing inwardly, a woman short enough to have a good fight with me, ponytail bouncing cutely, trotted over and bowed her head deeply.

“I’m sorry! We don’t have enough staff… Please show me your ID, and you can wait for the interview over here.”

Hmm.

When she bowed her head, I sneakily checked her chest leaning downwards; it was much larger than mine.

Is this that ‘busty loli’ thing?

But somehow, her voice sounds strangely familiar.

It’s a voice I often heard on the members’ streams…

“Uh… Are you perhaps Ari-nim?”

“Ah! You noticed?”

“Yes. You’re the manager, right?”

“Ehehe, you’re the first among the applicants to recognize me on sight.”

The woman’s eyes widened, and she tilted her head, then soon smiled bashfully and bowed her head once more.

Watching her ponytail sway ignited a strong desire to grab it and spin it around like a fire wheel.

She really is an incredibly cute creature, just like the members’ stories depicted.

Ari-nim works as the manager supporting the Bellus 1st Generation, Crystal members.

She handles various tasks like announcing event and anniversary news, managing the group’s official accounts, planning and executing group schedules, planning and producing Bellus official content related to Twitch, sometimes turning on streams to do showcases with members, appearing on members’ streams to help out, being urgently summoned to play games together when members lack players for multi-queue games, not resting even on weekends and getting dragged around shopping by members, going on business trips domestically and internationally for collaboration discussions, contacting celebrities interested in content with the group like domestic broadcasters, internet personalities, and artists to schedule things…… Anyway, she does an enormous amount of work, involved in almost everything.

She was another one being overworked…

No, at this point, it’s not overwork; they’re practically grinding her bones and drinking it like a cool beverage.

She made a lot of mistakes early on and got a lot of flak from the fandom, but after realizing the weight of her responsibilities, a wave of sympathy became the dominant opinion within the fandom.

At this rate, isn’t she the CEO rather than the manager…?

No, seriously, what does CEO Kim Kanghyun even do?

“Here’s your number tag. Please wear this on your chest and wait in an empty seat. I’ll be going now!”

Watching her back as she hastily trotted into the interview room, I suddenly felt the strange burden of a corporate worker.

Is that what being a working adult is like…?

“Huh……”

Come to think of it, did I accidentally apply to a terribly exploitative company…?

Well, I wasn’t the one who applied, but maybe I should just go home for today…

Life as a barcode machine at the convenience store wasn’t so bad. Yep.

Realizing something was going terribly wrong, I gulped and trembled my leg. After quite a long time passed, I finally saw Ari-nim calling my name.

“Interviewee number 329! Number 329, please come into the interview room!”

If that interview number signifies the order of interviewees, perhaps far more people applied for the Bellus 2nd generation recruitment than I thought.

Well, rather than becoming a small-time VTuber, applying to a large VTuber group like this is certainly more reliable.

Anyway, the interview is about to start, so let’s put aside distracting thoughts and focus.

But why are my leg and arm on the same side moving together?

Am I losing control to this body’s original owner again?

However, the situation I imagined didn’t happen at all, and I solved the strange phenomenon simply by not moving my arms at all.

It must look quite funny from the side.

A small girl walking with her upper body held rigidly straight, only her legs moving like a ghost.

Walking stiffly like a less-developed AI robot, I followed her guidance into the interview room. Inside, I saw a table and, sitting behind it, the man I’d seen more often in old YouTube videos than broadcasts, CEO Kim Kanghyun.

That exploitative CEO bastard.

What kind of structure did he create for this virtual group to operate on?

“Ah, hel-hello. I am applicant number 329, Woo Seowoo…! Please take care of meow…!”

I bowed my head deeply and planted my butt on the chair set far from the table.

My cheeks flushed hotly.

Dammit, I accidentally bit my tongue seeing the exploitative CEO.

“Haha, don’t be nervous. This is just a casual meeting to see each other.”

“Ahaha, okay.”

You’re making me more nervous, man…!

As I screamed silently inside, Ari-nim also took a seat next to the CEO.

“?”

Ah, Ari-nim is also an interviewer.

‘…Seriously, what doesn’t she do?’

Ari-nim. If you’re trapped in a black company, signed a s*ave contract, and working like a dog, please shake a carrot.

As I kept glancing at Ari-nim, sending desperate signals, CEO Kim Kanghyun smiled warmly and opened his mouth.

“I heard you recognized our manager at first sight.”

“Ah… yes. It’s a voice I often heard on broadcasts.”

“I see. You seem to have a lot of interest in Bellus usually?”

“Yes!”

I’m confident about this.

Right now, I can recite everything from the members’ names, ages, species, birthdays, favorite foods and songs, number of cover songs, etc., without hesitation!

“Yes, I actually knew. You were an early member of the fan cafe and drew quite a lot of good fan art.”

“Ah…”

I wasn’t the one who drew those, though.

Come to think of it, the email this body’s original owner used to apply was linked to the cafe ID, is he talking about that?

“Hahaha. Honestly, considering your fan dedication and drawing skills, the manager and I view you quite favorably.”

“Thank… you?”

Is this how interviews normally go?

Everything sounds negative.

I hope it’s just my imagination that it sounds like, ‘So you have fan dedication and draw well, but what else? Is there nothing more? Is this it?’

Well, what would I know? The only interview experience I have is from a convenience store part-time job, consisting of conversations like, ‘Can you start tomorrow?’ ‘Yes.’

I must be crazy to just show up for an interview like this.

“Well then, it seems we’ve already confirmed your motivation for applying. Do you happen to have an oshi VTuber?”

What, I never mentioned my motivation, when did they confirm it?

What did she write during the document screening…

“Ha-Haruka!”

“Haruka…? May I ask why……?”

He met Ari-nim’s eyes and asked as if puzzled, and I nodded confidently.

I’m really confident about this part.

“I love Haruka’s songs and voice! Especially the unique singing style where the emotions, packed tightly starting from the low range, explode during the climax with a satisfying shout, and the solid vocal tone that supports it! Honestly, I never get tired of listening to the original song released during her birthday concert, even if I listen every day! I listened to it this morning too…!!”

“……”

“Ah, and besides singing, I also like how she loves animals, takes good care of the members behind the scenes, and her voice when she’s half-asleep during Spaces, which has a big gap from her usual voice! And… and also…!”

This is the moment I regret my poor vocabulary.

If I had experience in speech contests, I could talk all day, but it’s hard to get the thoughts floating in my head out of my mouth.

To only be able to express this much about Haruka, I’m disqualified as a Kanari.

“Ah, so you were a Kanari. There was indeed a lot of Haruka fan art…”

Kanari is the name of Haruka’s individual fandom. It refers to ‘Haruka Kanata’, which often accompanies Haruka’s name, meaning ‘cozy yonder’, and it’s also a name derived from the ‘canary’ bird because Haruka personally likes yellow birds, believing they bring good luck.

I personally like this nickname very much too.

Bringing good luck.

It makes it seem like Bellus and Haruka’s unexpected success was because we brought them good luck.

Although, of course, it was something she achieved herself.

By the way, what was that just now when Ari-nim flinched and Kim Kanghyun gave her a look when I said I liked Haruka’s singing? Did something really happen to Haruka?

“Yes, understood. However, given the nature of our work, it would be good if we could see something like a personal talent that showcases your strengths.”

“Uh… I do a good Haruka impression!”

“Pfft… Go ahead then?”

“Hello! Nice to see you, Kanaris~ It’s Haruka~”

“Puhahahahahahah!”

In the early days of her debut, that greeting had more phrases attached about the sun’s light and jewels, but it gradually shortened to become that simple.

Honestly, overly elaborate settings are painful for both the person doing it and the person watching.

Korean culture is different from Japanese culture, after all.

Anyway, why did Ari-nim burst out laughing?

Is it that weird?

“Yes… It wasn’t exactly the same, but your confidence was excellent. I hope we can see that kind of flair on broadcast as well.”

“Huk.”

Does that mean… they’re going to pick me?

Can I now meet Haruka and get all touchy-feely, cuddle, wrestle tongues, make babies, and play house?

I grinned and rubbed my soft palms together eagerly.

However, contrary to my hopes, the corners of his mouth turned up in a smirk.

“Last question. Regarding the current internet broadcasting culture, what are your thoughts as a woman? For example, aspects that make you uncomfortable. Or things you wish would be fixed. Viewers being too mischievous. Something like that. Please, speak freely.”

“Heok.”

Right, sh*t.

This guy has recently been called the feminist slayer.