The young man was often evaluated by those around him as a decent fellow.
And he couldn’t really argue with that. In fact, he thought his life had its fair share of twists and turns compared to others.
He had moved around a lot since he was little. It was all because of his father’s business failures.
In the days when he could run around with his siblings in a spacious house that never got complaints, that house ended up with a big red seizure notice stuck on the furniture, just like in a drama. Gruff-looking uncles who didn’t seem welcoming barged in, demanding money.
With every move, the once spacious house shrank, and his mother, once a dignified lady, turned into a strong-willed auntie.
Due to the difficult family circumstances and not receiving proper care from his parents from a young age, his younger siblings often went astray and misbehaved, while the young man scrambled to take care of them and focus on his studies, leading to a pretty chaotic life.
Despite this, he managed to get decent grades and was admitted to a university in Seoul, and he kept his wits about him, not wasting time, earning scholarships throughout his college life.
After completing military service and graduating from university… he woke up to find himself twenty-nine. With a break and job preparation, he had somehow increased his age this much.
While preparing for a job, he consistently worked part-time to cover living expenses. He even sent his leftover money as allowances to his parents and siblings.
Although he hadn’t found a job fitting his conditions yet, he was living each day diligently.
Now, three years later, he had been offered a manager position at the restaurant where he had been working part-time about five days a week. The restaurant boss must have recognized his sincerity.
He had faced many hardships since childhood. Perhaps because of that, he thought he wouldn’t be greatly surprised or scared by any obstacles that came his way.
He realized that no matter how difficult things got, as long as you didn’t give up, you’d eventually find an answer.
However, that realization quickly went out the window today at lunch when something happened that caught him off guard.
“Could you recommend a menu item?”
She was a sight for sore eyes, a stunning beauty. With exotic silver hair and striking blue eyes, she radiated allure.
The guy was a bit of a bumbling fool when it came to speaking English. So, he was planning to whip out a translator if things got dicey, but then her fluent Korean flowed like a melody, prompting him to shove his phone back into his pocket.
“Oh, yes! Our restaurant’s recommended menu features mushroom soup and corn soup, and as for drinks, we have orange, grapefruit, and lemon…”
A stunning beauty who seemed like someone he’d never meet in his lifetime walked into the restaurant where he worked, looking like she could effortlessly crush some C-list celebrity. But it wasn’t just her looks that threw him off.
Sure, her appearance was more than enough to make anyone flustered, but since he worked in a fairly well-known restaurant, he’d developed a thick skin against beauty standards. Pretty faces didn’t easily rattle him.
The reason he was so flustered was something else altogether. That was, the tiny tablet sitting next to the lady.
Inside that black tablet was a polygon mass resembling an animated character. As if it were a real person, there were plates and napkins set in front of it, like a fancy dining setup.
For a guy, that was quite the bewildering scene. He’d been informed that two guests were arriving, but it was clear to anyone that only one person was sitting there.
There was a high chance she had declared there were two guests when she walked in. They say beautiful people can be a bit off; was this lady one of those peculiar types? His mind was racing with such thoughts.
“What do you want to eat?”
The beauty, with a mesmerizing gaze that could make anyone gulp involuntarily, casually spoke to the character. It was as if it were a real person.
Even more astonishing was when the character on the screen began to respond, its mouth moving as if having a real conversation. A young, sweet voice started coming through the tablet.
“Hmm, I like corn soup. As for drinks, I’d prefer orange… Can you recommend some pasta options?”
The character’s large, bright eyes turned toward him.
“Uh, um. Are you speaking to me?”
“Yes. What types of pasta are the most popular, according to women in their twenties?”
“Uh, well… the popular pasta options would be Aglio e Olio and Tuwumba pasta. Tuwumba has a slightly thick texture and is on the heavier side, so it can be a bit overwhelming. Aglio e Olio includes garlic, which gives it a spicy kick and balances the richness…”
“You’re so adorable! Just looking at the chat fills me with joy!”
Suddenly, a comic character from the tablet seems to come to life and starts talking to him.
This was a bizarre situation, but the man’s natural instinct kicked in, allowing him to respond mechanically with a dazed mind.
“I’ll have Aglio e Olio!”
“…Yes, let me confirm your order. A white couple set. Steak cooked medium rare, one each of mushroom and corn soup, Aglio e Olio pasta, and for drinks, grapefruit and orange, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“I’ll prepare the bread for you. Please wait a moment.”
Luckily, despite experiencing this situation for the first time, he managed to respond superbly according to the manual. It must be due to the habits he had developed over the past years of working.
‘What just happened….?’
He pondered as he headed to the kitchen, clinging to his dizzying thoughts. Those three years of experience were certainly not in vain.
*
[Aah, damn it, I’m so embarrassed, lol]
[How the hell are they going to deal with the aftermath?]
[I can’t wait to see the reactions from around, Kayak is going to be a hit, lol]
[Taker, Nicang, Riri, Haryeong are a must, lol]
[Why on earth are they doing this all of a sudden?]
[This is pure fun, like no joke, lol]
[Kayak’s surprise attack!]
[I was told it’d be fun, and it really is, lol]
[I guess I’m empathizing too much, it’s all a bit painful to watch….]
[Kayak’s more shameless than I thought, not even a hint of embarrassment,]
[Why are they acting like wimps? Lol, but they asked for the late-night stream]
[Late-night streams have their charm, but this is something I couldn’t have imagined]
[Kayak really is serious about being a VTuber….]
[Thanks for playing with our broadcast host, Kayak!]
[But how did you even meet Lion Meow?]
[It’s just way too fun, lol]
[What was that employee just thinking?]
[What did the employee do to deserve this?]
[The customer was almost a Karen, lol]
[Wish I could’ve seen the employee’s expression, so disappointing, lol]
[Just hearing their voice seemed like they were totally flustered, lol]
[For real, did they really ask me that in a higher tone?]
[??? : What the heck are these crazy people?]
– Puhuhu….
While watching the rapidly rising chat, Yeon Soo let out a small laugh.
To that, I responded without wavering, deliberately lowering my voice.
“Sweetie, is something good happening? You keep laughing since earlier.”
– Oh, uh. It’s just, heh. Because I’m at the restaurant with you. I’m happy, heh. Just that.
“Nice to meet you at the restaurant. I’m thrilled, hee hee. So let’s do this.”
The tone sounded like someone was holding back laughter, making Yeon Soo’s virtual avatar flicker its mouth corners repeatedly.
Did they say the avatar moved in sync with the face? It’s amazing how they could implement something like this. What incredible technology!
“Do you like the seat? You said you disliked the corner, so I purposely sat in the center.”
“Uh-huh. The center… is nice. The corner feels a bit… stuffy.”
[Of course, you have to sit in the center.]
[Hiding in the corner defeats the purpose.]
[Please just sit in the corner and quietly eat your food….]
In truth, Yeon Soo wanted to sit in the corner, but due to fierce opposition from me and the viewers, she ended up in the center. It’s one of those things that you have to do right the first time.
While we were munching on freshly baked bread, our ordered main dishes quickly arrived.
“Sweetheart, enjoy your meal.”
“Uh-huh. You eat quickly too.”
[How can you eat deliciously without arms? LOL]
[She’ll just eat it right away, haha.]
[Kayak is just grinning at the thought of tasty food.]
[But does that mean only Kayak gets to eat?]
[Hey, isn’t Lion Meow eating?]
[How does a lion eat soup and pasta?]
[It can eat steak, right?]
[Wait, is Lion Meow a carnivore?]
[Is the lion the problem here? The VTuber is 2D, right?]
[These guys have no bias… VTubers should eat separately at home.]
[Can Kayak eat two servings by herself?]
[The restaurant’s portions are small, so it might be possible.]
[Even if the portions are big, she’ll eat it all. I heard the broadcast host can eat about four servings alone.]
Right now, I’m out on a date with Yeon Soo. That was the concept for today’s broadcast.
Streamer Kayak and VTuber Lion Meow on a date.
As if they were a real couple, I was moving outside, containing Lion Meow in my tablet, engaging in various date activities. It was the only way to overcome the spatial limitations of a VTuber, who can’t do outdoor activities.
Transforming into a human tripod to do outdoor broadcasts with the VTuber.
This was the content I had previously envisioned for collaborating with a VTuber.
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