I May Be a Virtual Youtuber, but I Still Go to Work-Chapter 185

Even if she’d practiced by listening to the guide vocal in advance,

a recording session would only be considered complete once the composer, the vocal director, and the producer were all satisfied with the result.

That’s why prep time and actual recording time rarely correlate.

It all depends on how closely the artist and the production team align in their understanding of the music.

“Okay! That’s it for today. Good work.”

But Sun Woo-hyuk didn’t say that until the six-hour mark.

They had already blocked off backup recording slots for three days later and a week later, just in case.

Everyone had assumed this session wouldn’t be enough for Magia.

And yet, after wrapping all the parts on the very first day, the mood in the room was electric.

Everyone was buzzing with excitement, chatting with lighthearted faces.

“Should we go ahead and cancel the slots for three days and next week?”

“No—let’s leave them for now. We’ll need to listen through the recordings again tomorrow and double-check everything.”

“Got it. Then should we let Iyura and Gia head out and have a follow-up meeting ourselves?”

“Sounds good. I’ll walk them out.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Na Hyun-gon, who had stayed quiet the entire time, suddenly cut in.

“I should get going soon anyway. I’ll take them out. You all focus on your work.”

“Oh—yes, sir! Thank you, Chief Producer!”

And with that, Magia and Iyura followed Na Hyun-gon out of the building.

Of course, there wasn’t a single word of conversation along the way.

Iyura was clearly wary—she knew she’d signed that Bachubachu contract a little too recklessly, and now it had led to all this.

Na Hyun-gon didn’t want to put pressure on her,

but this was their first time seeing each other again in quite a while, and he was hoping they might say something.

But then the hot, sticky night air of an early September heatwave swept across their faces, and finally, Magia broke the silence between them.

“Thank you for walking us out. Since our throats are a little dry from recording, we were thinking of grabbing something to drink. Would you like one too, Producer? It’s on me.”

The idea of these three getting drinks together was... visually unusual, to say the least.

Which was exactly why Magia asked—she figured it would open things up.

Yes, today’s recording had been important.

But beyond that, there had to be a reason Na Hyun-gon had personally shown up.

Clearly, there were things he wanted to say—or ask—especially to Iyura.

Luckily, Iyura didn’t immediately refuse.

She knew she’d have to talk to Na Hyun-gon properly at some point.

Still, the image of Magia offering to pay for Na Hyun-gon’s drink was a little off, so—

“Why would Gia be buying drinks? I’ve got it. Let’s go.”

“Thank you for the treat.”

“Th-thank you...!”

But even on the way to the café, the conversation still didn’t come.

So Magia decided she had to act.

The vibe clearly said both of them wanted her to stay as a neutral buffer.

But when it comes to delicate matters like this, letting someone else mediate just dilutes the meaning.

They had to talk directly.

And besides, Magia didn’t think either of them was holding serious resentment toward the other.

So once they finished ordering, she seized the moment and raised her hand.

“Sorry. I was so tense today that I think... I really need the restroom.”

“Oh, of course. You worked hard. Go ahead.”

Iyura gave her a look like she wanted her to stay,

but you can’t solve problems by running away.

Magia gave a quick nod, as if to say I’ll be right back, and headed off toward the restroom.

As the minutes passed and the drinks were still being prepared,

Na Hyun-gon finally broke the awkward silence.

“Were you able to sort things out personally?”

“Ah. Yes... to a degree...”

“I’m glad. I was worried—wondering what I’d do if something serious had happened to you.

But seeing you today... you look okay. That puts my mind at ease.”

“Thank you for your concern...”

“If there’s anything the company can do to help, don’t hesitate to speak up.

Even though you had your own stuff going on, you still came here to work on this track with Gia.

I owe you for that.”

“Ah... yes... okay...”

“If you ever feel like making music again, just reach out—whether it’s through your manager or Producer Sun Woo-hyuk. Got it?” frёewebnoѵēl.com

“Y-yes...!”

Iyura responded nervously, tense from head to toe.

But in the end, Na Hyun-gon didn’t ask about the specifics of her situation at all.

He just said she was welcome to return any time, arms open.

And that only made her guilt swell.

Once Na Hyun-gon picked up his coffee and left,

Iyura turned to Magia, who had just returned, and muttered miserably,

“Ugh... I’m trash...”

Magia could tell from the look on her face that something had been said,

and as someone who’d talked to plenty of F-type personalities before, she leaned in with quiet empathy.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Producer Na Hyun-gon told me I’m welcome back anytime,

and I was already thinking about tomorrow’s stream while he was talking...”

“Wow. Trash.”

Iyura, still holding her face in her hands, spread her fingers and gave Magia a ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) deadpan look through the gap.

“That was brutally honest...”

Magia picked up the coffee from the counter and asked casually,

“I’m kidding. You just looked really down. Want to sit down somewhere? Or talk while we walk?”

“Do you... have a little time? Is it okay if I keep you for a bit, even though you’re busy?”

“Of course. I’ve got time.”

Magia thought of Natsuki Luna—Iyura’s VTuber form—and smiled brightly.

As always, Magia was a complete angel when it came to VTubers.

“You and the producer... there’s no bad blood, right?”

“No, not at all. If anything, he’s like... my benefactor.

If he hadn’t discovered me, I’d probably still be some nobody singing in my room.”

Wouldn’t she have debuted somewhere eventually anyway?

Magia chuckled softly.

“So if we sum it up...

You stabbed your benefactor in the back,

and now you’re in a bind because you’ve realized VTuber life is more fun than being an utaite?”

“D-did you really have to word it that precisely...? I already know that...”

“So, what do you actually want to do?

Do you still want to continue your utaite activities, even if it’s at a slower pace?

Or do you want to go all in on VTubing? I feel like we need to start with that.”

Iyura hesitated, dropping her gaze as she mumbled,

“I want to decide for sure... but you know how I am, Gia.

I’ve got no backbone, I’m always being swayed by stuff, I don’t plan ahead...

But once I do start something, I have to see it all the way through...”

She was a total pro when it came to doing the work she was given—

not so much in other areas, but definitely when it came to music.

And Magia could already picture what would happen if Iyura contacted CAT to resume her utaite activities.

Allmight Production, desperate for results, would start lining up new projects.

And Iyura, unable to say no, would split her time trying to stream as a VTuber while cramming in recordings.

But that didn’t guarantee the work would be good.

She’d burn herself out doing double the labor,

get less satisfaction from the results,

and lose out on the fun she had while streaming.

Eventually, she’d hit total exhaustion.

Burnout.

That terrifying condition that can take someone overflowing with passion and turn them into a chronic case of “eh, whatever.”

And it could strike Iyura at any moment.

She’d already hit a wall once as an utaite.

So if she pushed herself too hard again just to repay CAT’s kindness, she likely already knew how that would end.

Which is exactly why she still hadn’t made a clear decision.

She couldn’t bring herself to say to CAT: Let’s work on another song together.

And yet, it was obvious she still enjoyed working with Magia.

Even today, throughout the whole recording session, she’d had a bright, relaxed expression.

Which is why Magia had to ask:

“Then... did working with me today feel like too much?”

Iyura frantically waved her hands.

“Nope. I’ve told you a bunch of times—it’s not like that.”

“But technically, the song we recorded today falls under utaite work, doesn’t it?”

“Well... yeah, I guess it does.”

“So if I kept asking you—as Iyura—to work on more songs with me... would you do it?”

Iyura looked up at her, gauging her reaction, then replied:

“If possible, I’d rather do that kind of work as Natsuki Luna.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re going to blow up soon, Gia.

Iyura’s already had her growth arc, but Natsuki Luna still has a long way to rise.”

Ah—right.

She was addicted to challenges.

She had that same spark of competitiveness as Team Leader Ra Seunghyun.

Magia let out a weary sigh.

“Ugh. Selfish trash.”

“If that’s your judgment... I’ll accept it...”

“Wow. Trash that talks back.”

“But I can’t give this up.

I want to be the first VTuber in Bachubachu to work with Fan_C.

Someone people thought only did songs for Parallel suddenly does a collab—and it’s with Natsuki Luna? That’s got a vibe to it, right?”

“How do you know how far I’ll go?”

“My 2.5 million subscriber gut says you’ll surpass me for sure.”

“Only time you actually use the name Iyura, huh?”

“W-well anyway!”

Iyura asked,

“How long did you practice with the guide vocal for today’s song?”

“About eight hours a day for a week.”

“And what did you use for reference?”

“Our first-gens. I tried to track their growth as musicians.”

“So like... how Maru sounded at debut, then a few months into vocal training, and now—that kind of breakdown?”

“Exactly.”

Thud.

Iyura lightly slammed both hands on the table.

“Gia, you’re a genius.

Your observation and analytical skills are insane.

And on top of that, you know how to turn it all into your own voice.”

Still not great at handling compliments, Magia scratched her cheek with a sheepish look.

Iyura kept going.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Where did you mostly practice? Personal soundproof booth? Or did you rent a studio?”

“At work.”

“...?”

“I practiced during work.”

“Um. Doesn’t that... bother people around you?”

“I used the company’s personal soundproof booth. It’s fine.”

“Wait. What kind of work were you doing? Monitoring and management stuff?”

“Yeah.”

“You could practice singing while doing that?!”

Ever since Ha Jae joined the team, Magia had handed over her old monitoring station to Gong Seungyeon.

She’d been appearing more often in content and managing communication systems, so she didn’t have as much time to sit in one spot anyway.

Most of her time now was spent on the 9th floor, in a small soundproof booth attached to the motion capture studio.

She’d handle work in there, and when a teammate needed support, she’d run downstairs to help.

Since she was mostly stationed inside the booth, even when streaming on the official channel, it was mostly comms-room content—

no need to talk constantly, so she could keep the mic off and practice singing freely.

She didn’t want to miss any broadcasts either, so she kept her eyes on the monitor, sang with her vocal cords, and listened to her recordings with her ears—over and over.

“If you came to CAT HQ, we have plenty of practice rooms. You could’ve used them...”

“You have to reserve those. And it’s two hours round-trip.

Unless I absolutely need to go, it’s way more convenient to stay at the company.”

“So basically, you’re still doing all your usual work—while also practicing singing at that level...?”

“I thought that was the bare minimum.

Just because I’ve picked up something new doesn’t mean I want to slack off on my current responsibilities.

And singing’s not even my specialty, so I couldn’t afford to half-ass that either.”

Iyura shook her head, looking appalled.

“You monster... but I love that.

Just knowing someone like you is coming up behind me—it gives me chills.”

A genius can intimidate an ordinary person.

But a hardworking genius... terrifies even other geniuses.

That was exactly the kind of person Magia was.

Natural talent, relentless effort, and tireless discipline—

Fan_C, the so-called monster, was rising fast from under the surface.

With no foundation whatsoever, she had passed 200,000 subscribers on YouTube, purely from featuring on Parallel songs.

And from what Iyura had just heard today in the studio, she knew—this track was going to be something special.

“...Anyway. Monster Gia, you’ll keep making songs with me, right? I kept my promise and worked with you on this one...”

But Iyura’s dream and hope were about to be shattered by one of Magia’s signature fact punches.

“Unfortunately, everything song-related is handled through CAT.

If they don’t approve it, I can’t do any projects with Natsuki Luna.”

“...Wait. What? You mean... these weren’t your choices?”

“I handed it all off to CAT. I’ve got too much on my plate.

I’m basically just the recording assistant.”

“......”

Iyura did the math and mumbled,

“...What are the odds Producer Na Hyun-gon knows I’m Natsuki Luna?”

“Even if everyone involved keeps quiet, word always gets around.

And someone in his position? He probably knows.”

“R-really?!”

“Even if he doesn’t, if a request for a collab with Natsuki Luna comes in—or I ask for one—

he’ll definitely look into it. Especially if I’m the one making the request.

I’ve never suggested anyone before, so if I suddenly name just one person... yeah, he’ll dig.”

“Ugh...”

Iyura’s expression darkened.

Magia took a sip of coffee, as if to deliver the final blow, and said,

“Honestly, I’m completely against you trying to juggle both things equally. I think it’ll break you.

But if you really want to keep doing music with me,

you have to maintain some level of activity as Iyura.”

“So Producer Na Hyun-gon will approve it...?”

“Exactly.

If you try to get approval just to work with me, without doing anything else as Iyura—

he’s probably gonna say no out of sheer principle.”

“Ughh...”

“Think it through.

I can’t even say anything to CAT for you—

if I open my mouth and accidentally confirm your identity as Iyura, that’s a whole new problem.”

“Right...”

Iyura groaned, falling deep into thought.

Then, after a while, she spoke with newfound resolve.

“You’re working at your company, streaming as a VTuber, and doing utaite work...

Meanwhile, I’ve only got two things going on, and I’m whining? That’s ridiculous.”

“I’m not a VTuber, though...”

“Even so, you’re doing similar stuff.

Either way, I should take a page from your book.”

CAT was a top-tier label.

They always prioritized the artist’s wishes, but also knew exactly how to package a song to go viral.

So if Iyura left everything to them like Magia did,

she could still call the shots—no matter if people called her a “recording assistant.”

“I’ll go back and tell them I’ll release one song a month.

Then... there should be no issue working with Fan_C as Natsuki Luna, right?”

Originally, Magia had planned to suggest that possibility if the song exploded in popularity.

Something subtle, when the track hit 50 million views or so.

But somehow, they’d gotten here already.

One of the main reasons, of course, was the sheer madness of the performance Magia had shown today—

though she wasn’t even aware of the impact she’d made.

Magia smiled.

“If it’s too awkward to go alone, I can come with you.”

“Really?!”

“Then you’re treating me to dinner, right?”

“Of cour—wait, what?”

“Thanks for the beef.”

“Wait, WHAT?!”