I May Be a Virtual Youtuber, but I Still Go to Work-Chapter 84
Momo's excitement was evident in every step she took.
“I have so many ideas. How many outfits should I put together?”
She was saying that even though her mind was already overflowing with concepts, she would only pick the best ones.
...What the hell.
She sounded like someone who had been analyzing my wardrobe for ages, waiting for the day she could finally fix it.
And not only was she thrilled, there was also a weird sense of relief in her expression.
Was my monotonous fashion that painful for someone stylish like her?
Still, if we spent the whole day shopping, we wouldn’t have much time to hang out afterward.
So, I stuck to my original plan.
“Three outfits should be enough.”
“Three. Got it. Let’s go.”
I had thought we might grab a coffee first, take our time a little.
But Momo wasn’t interested in wasting even a second.
Her long legs moved with purpose, and I had to take quick, short steps to keep up.
Not that I complained.
I was always the one following wherever she went, anyway.
We had nearly made a full loop around the large, figure-eight-shaped shopping mall when—
“Here.”
Momo marched straight into a store as if she were possessed.
At first, the entrance looked just like any other clothing store, so I didn’t think much of it.
But then—
...Wait.
This is a children’s clothing store.
For a moment, I was thrown off by how stylish the clothes looked—probably meant to appeal to kids who wanted to dress older.
But in the end, the real customers here were parents, so most of the outfits were still adorably cute.
I tugged at Momo’s sleeve, demanding an explanation.
“This is a kids’ store.”
“You’re a kid.”
“I am not.”
“Height-wise? You are.”
She ignored my indignant glare and turned to the store employee.
“Excuse me, can we try this on?”
“The fitting rooms are over there.”
“Thanks. Let’s go.”
“Wait. Hold on!”
Before I could even protest, Momo dragged me into the dressing room and shut the door.
“You said it yourself—you’re leaving everything to me.”
“I didn’t say you could dress me like a child!”
“It’s just technically kids’ clothing. I’m just picking what suits you best. Besides, really petite people do shop here. The fit is better.”
“...Is that so?”
“If you buy regular-sized clothes, they never fit right. They just look sloppy. Trust me.”
...Huh.
Suddenly, I understood why my past self had always stuck to business suits despite growing more comfortable at work.
Sure, it was partly because rotating a few outfits was easier than constantly switching styles.
But more than that...
It was because I hated being treated like a kid in a corporate setting.
I had worked my way up as a professional, but people still saw me as some tiny office junior.
So I had forced that message through my clothing.
I am an adult. Don’t underestimate me.
...But, whatever.
I had already promised Momo I’d go along with this.
And at this point, arguing would take more effort than just trying it on.
It’s just casual wear anyway.
I barely wear casual clothes as ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) it is.
Plus, Momo would definitely pick at least one formal outfit for the Pazijik year-end party.
...So, uh.
Where the hell do I even start putting this on?
***
Momo would be lying if she said she didn’t have ulterior motives in taking charge of Magia’s styling today.
After all, who was Magia?
She was practically the company’s only source of cuteness.
A tiny girl walking around an office full of stoic adults naturally stood out.
And when that tiny person was adaptable, thoughtful, and easygoing, it was only inevitable that she became the de facto mood maker.
She was so effective at de-escalating conflicts that even when two people were on the verge of a shouting match, Magia showing up alone was enough to shift the mood toward reconciliation.
Something about her presence made people smile—and maybe even feel a little guilty for making her come running, leading them to resolve things amicably.
Even when she skipped company dinners, conversations about her never stopped.
And the number one topic?
Magia’s fashion.
Everyone wondered—what would Magia look like without her usual business attire?
Of course, Momo was the only one who had actually seen Magia in casual clothes—after all, they had gone to PC cafés together a few times.
And that was when she had realized...
Magia had zero fashion sense.
She had assumed Magia clung to business suits for some deep, personal reason.
But no. It was obvious now.
She just had no idea what to wear.
So, she simply defaulted to the safest option.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
As someone who took casual fashion very seriously, Momo couldn’t ignore this.
Her mission today was clear:
Find the outfit that suited Magia best.Get her something formal for the Pazijik year-end party.Pick an everyday outfit she’d feel comfortable in.Yes, she was following her primal instincts as a fashion queen.
But fashion, like all forms of creation, required strong desires.
And when that raw passion was restrained just enough to incorporate practical elements, the result would be perfection.
Thus—the birth of the most adorable Magia in existence.
"This is insane."
Momo, adjusting Magia’s outfit as she stepped out of the dressing room, was speechless.
All she had done was layer a pinafore dress over her fleece-lined leggings, pair it with a thick blouse and a knit sweater, and yet—
The parents shopping in the store kept glancing at Magia.
They were probably taking notes, thinking of dressing their own kids the same way.
After snapping several pictures, Momo turned to Magia and said,
“Wow. With a proper outfit, you look like a completely different person.”
Magia walked over to the mirror and tilted her head.
Then she turned back to Momo and said something infuriating.
“It doesn’t feel that different from before.”
“...Are you serious? It’s completely different.”
“I don’t see it.”
“That’s because you’re a fashion idiot. Here, we’re buying this now. You’re wearing it out.”
“...Wait, right now?”
The outfit came out to around 150,000 won, but Momo casually swiped her card.
She then grabbed the paper bag containing Magia’s discarded hoodie.
“Why are you paying for my clothes?” Magia frowned.
“Why? I’m not allowed to buy my employee clothes?”
Magia snatched the receipt from Momo’s hand and muttered the amount under her breath.
...Yeah.
She was absolutely planning to donate twice that amount next time Momo streamed.
Of course, if she said it out loud, she’d get a flick to the forehead and a lecture, so she kept her mouth shut.
Second Store: Formal Wear
Naturally, Momo took her to another kids’ brand.
Magia’s face darkened.
“...I had no idea children’s clothing had so much variety.”
“Well, obviously. They have to appeal to as many parents as possible. Let’s go.”
“...Yeah, I guess, especially in a low birth rate era, they’d have to sell at least three outfits per kid just to break even.”
“Yah! Why do you say things like that?!”
Despite her deadpan complaints, the moment Magia changed into the next outfit, the same thing happened—
People stared.
Since Christmas had just passed, the mall was full of parents and kids on holiday leave, and some of them even whispered to each other while looking at her.
Momo also overheard the occasional comment like, Wow, that mom looks so young!
...Well.
Being mistaken for Magia’s mom wasn’t important right now.
This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.
What was important was the fact that she had managed to find a perfect look for this hopeless fashion disaster.
Momo put together a pleated skirt that flared out nicely, paired it with a lightly decorated blouse, a ribbon tie, and, for the finishing touch—
A beret.
The outfit was complete.
But within minutes, Magia ripped the beret off, complaining it felt suffocating.
Then, she frowned.
“...This looks like a school uniform.”
“It’s not a uniform.”
“It definitely looks like one. If I’m just going to wear this, why not stick to my usual work attire?”
A fair argument, but—there was a problem.
Work attire Magia looked like a child cosplaying an office worker.
People at the company were used to it by now, but outsiders still occasionally asked, Why is there a kid in the office?
Ironically, this outfit, which resembled a school uniform, actually made her look older.
By dressing her in a balanced 10s aesthetic, her perceived age went up.
Momo wanted to explain all this, but she wasn’t sure if she could convince Magia with just words.
So, she fell back on their earlier agreement.
“You promised to wear whatever I picked.”
“...Hmph.”
Even though Magia narrowed her eyes in suspicion, she reluctantly complied.
With that settled, they moved on to the third and final outfit.
Final Stop: Casual Wear
Since Magia loved casual clothing, Momo let her keep it simple.
Loose-fitting pants.A fleece-lined round-neck sweater.A matching scarf to complete the set.Shopping finally finished.
The moment Magia put on the comfortable pants, her mood instantly improved.
Which meant... Momo’s shopping strategy had worked perfectly.
As they sat down on a bench near the mall fountain, Momo asked,
“So? Do you like the clothes we bought?”
“If I said no, you’d split my skull open, so I have no choice but to like them.”
“Anyone listening would think I beat you every day. You only get flicked when you mess with me—”
“It was a joke. I trust your sense of fashion. I know you picked well.”
“...This little—”
“Ahh! No violence!”
Magia laughed as she darted away on her short legs.
She was shockingly fast in pants compared to a skirt.
After a brief chase, they finally settled back onto the bench.
Then, Magia casually said,
“Well, since you did my winter wardrobe, I’ll leave spring, summer, and fall to you too.”
“...So you’re just going to get free fashion consulting every season?”
“It’s not free. It’ll all come back to you through donations.”
“...Aigoo.”
Momo sighed into her palm but couldn’t help but chuckle.
***
Two days later, on December 28th—one day before the year-end party—I got a message from Iona.
She must not have known I usually slept until noon because she had tried calling me twice—once at 10 AM and again at 12 PM.
[Iona: Gia-nim]
[Iona: Could you let me know when you’re available to talk?]
[Iona: I have something to ask you.]
So, after finishing my morning routine, slinging my bag over my shoulder, and putting in my earbuds, I called her back.
Most VTubers had similar sleep schedules and work hours, so by 2 PM, she should definitely be awake.
“Iona-nim, can you hear me?”
She answered like someone who had just escaped a near-death experience.
[Whew... I was worried you blocked me.]
“...? Why would I do that?”
[Well, I mean... We’re from different companies, and I’ve been reaching out a lot... I figured if it was annoying, you might have.]
This person.
She looked perfectly normal on the outside, but she was so weirdly twisted inside.
I had suspected as much when she refused the settlement bonus in Wicker Town.
And considering how obsessively she divided people into groups, she had probably been betrayed by someone in the past.
“I don’t block people without telling them why. That’s just standard practice when you’ve been a manager as long as I have.”
[Ah... I see.]
“If you ban someone without an explanation, all that happens is your CEO’s inbox gets flooded, and the company’s official email starts getting spammed.
Of course, even when you do explain, sometimes that still happens.”
[Hah... Sounds rough.]
“So, what’s up?”
Iona hesitated for a moment before answering.
[It’s nothing big. I just wanted to ask if you’re coming to the year-end party tomorrow. If you are, I’d like to at least stop by and say hello.]
“I haven’t told anyone I’m going. Did word get out?”
[Not exactly. It’s just that Parallel’s official channel is a Pazijik partner, right? Even if you’re not technically the channel owner, I couldn’t see a reason why Pazijik wouldn’t invite you.]
...Impressive deduction.
Well, this was why she still held Lapits’ top spot.
“You’re right. I got an invitation, so I figured I’d go. Good chance to network and promote our members more.”
[I thought so. That sounds like you, Gia-nim. In that case, I’ll come find you tomorrow.]
“And how exactly do you plan to find me?”
[It’s just a hotel banquet hall, right? It’s all on one floor. I’ll figure it out.]
I tilted my head slightly.
“...Do you even know what I look like?”
Iona’s response made me facepalm on instinct.
[Serena says she’ll recognize you instantly.]
Since Maru and Serena were close, my name had probably come up in conversation.
I wasn’t particularly annoyed that Maru had talked about me—it wasn’t like I was a VTuber trying to keep my real appearance secret.
But I was in a sour mood, mostly because of my recent shopping trip with Momo.
It felt like no matter where I went, people always expected me to stand out just because I looked like a tiny kid.
“...If she finds me on the first try, I’ll buy you both pizza.”
