Chapter 48: The Warrior Doesn’t Want to Get a Checkup

The Day of the KR Märchen Live Annual Health Checkup.

The administrative staff, employees from various departments, and 46 VTubers, including myself, were all gathered in the auditorium.

‘So this is what a wealthy company looks like.’

The auditorium was as big as a university lecture hall. Seriously, this company has everything… At this rate, they might as well build an entire campus.

I stood at the entrance, scanning the crowd. No matter where I looked, it was just Märchen employees everywhere.

“As I mentioned during the last checkup, Manager Park Ki-hyuk, your blood pressure is dangerously high. This time, don’t brush it off because it’s a hassle—please go to a big hospital for proper treatment.”

“Ack! Understood!”

“And cut down on the drinking too. You have kids, you know. How can a father who loves alcohol so much—”

‘Manager Park Ki-hyuk, huh.’

Park Ki-hyuk, head of the PR department in the KR Märchen Live HR division. I met him briefly during the 11th-gen contract process and hadn’t seen him since.

The HR department was in a different building, so I hardly had any reason to go there.

‘I wonder if Manager Kang So-woon is here too.’

Like Park Ki-hyuk, Kang So-woon was also from HR, but she worked in recruitment.

Märchen’s developers… developers… and developers…

Poor developers. If they were going to get kidnapped, why did it have to be by Märchen of all places?

I silently offered my condolences as I walked past various booths.

The auditorium had rows of checkup stations set up, but my first priority was finding Tsupi.

I was running late because I had to stop by the bathroom. Tsupi said she’d go ahead and handle registration for me, but now I had no idea where she was.

I wandered between booths, searching for a short-haired woman with a green hairpin.

‘Why can’t I see her anywhere?’

…Well, obviously. I’m too short to see past the crowd.

The Märchen employees surrounding me were all taller, and I ended up being swept along with the flow of people. By the time I realized it, I was at the break area.

‘So this is how people get lost… But I’m an adult…’

I felt slightly offended, but—

“Oh…?”

“Oh.”

“?”

Before I could dwell on it, two familiar people entered the break area.

“Kanu-sunbae.”

“…Hey.”

Kanu spotted me and subtly put some distance between us. That’s kind of sad.

Still, I approached the two of them and greeted them.

“H-Huh? Y-You really do look just like your avatar…?”

“?”

Wait, who is this? If she’s with Kanu, she must be a fellow generation mate.

‘Her voice sounds familiar…’

“Akira… sunbae?”

“KYAAAAA! IT’S REALLY YOU, YUWOL?!”

“Mmph—!”

The moment I called her name, my airways were crushed. How is Akira this tall?

She had to be at least 170cm. Meanwhile, Kanu and I… yeah. I sighed and soothed my bruised self-esteem. I used to be tall, too, okay?

More importantly, could she let me go? I could barely breathe.

“Ah, sorry, sorry! I got too excited, hehe.”

“Sorry. Akira’s kind of an animal.”

“Kanu-sunbae…”

“I meant it in the dictionary sense, Akira.”

Kanu sipped from her paper cup, eyeing Akira like she was an odd creature.

‘I bet there’s just more Kanu inside that cup.’

“Anyway, did you two already finish your checkups?”

“Oh, yeah! We came early.”

“Akira was terrified when they took her blood. Too bad I didn’t get a recording.”

Kanu clicked her tongue in regret. Not that she had much flavor to begin with.

Now that I looked, both of them had alcohol swabs pressed to their arms.

‘Wait, they take blood samples too? No one told me that.’

I sent a glare full of resentment toward Tsupi for not warning me.

Just then, Tsupi walked into the break area, her coat flapping behind her.

‘…Did she hear my curses just now?’

I really hope that was just a coincidence.

“There you are! Huh? Akira and Kanu are here too?”

“Hello, Team Leader!”

“……”

Akira greeted her brightly, while Kanu just gave a small nod.

Tsupi waved at them and turned to me.

“Looks like you two are done already. Go ahead and rest—I’ll take Yuwol for her checkup.”

“Okay… Oh! Can we go with you?”

“?”

“Huh?”

“What?”

In response to Akira’s suggestion, Kanu, Tsupi, and I all tilted our heads in sync, each with a question mark above us.

“Why would you want to watch someone else get a checkup…?”

“Because it’ll be cute!”

“…Sorry, she’s just really unwell.”

“Kanu-sunbae…?”

I looked at Akira in disbelief, but she only smiled sheepishly.

And she wasn’t even saying she wouldn’t come. Which meant she was coming.

Feeling vaguely uneasy, I turned to Kanu.

“What about you, Kanu-sunbae?”

She hesitated for a moment before peeling off the alcohol swab and confirming that her bleeding had stopped.

Then—

“I’ll come too. Seems fun.”

‘Fun how?’

It’s just a checkup…

Also, Kanu, weren’t you avoiding me? What’s with the sudden change?

And just like that, I was being escorted to the checkup booths by three women.

I don’t want to do this.

“No, no, no—KYAAAAAAAAA—!!!!!”

Poke!

A piercing shriek and the unsettling sound of a needle puncturing skin.

The person before me had just finished their turn.

Even as adults, there are plenty of people who are afraid of needles and injections.

They just don’t show it. I mean, who actually likes getting shots?

‘But why does the first booth have to be for blood draws?’

I scowled as I grumbled internally, and Tsupi lightly scratched my chin.

“Are you nervous? Scared? Want a hug?”

“…That last part feels a little off.”

I ignored Tsupi’s nonsense and recalled what I had heard earlier.

Apparently, after the initial blood draw, you go through the other checkup booths, and by the time you’re done, the blood test results will be ready.

It was efficient, sure…

But I still wished they had scheduled it later. Maybe as the second or third booth instead.

I sighed as I got up from my seat.

The employee before me had long since left, looking completely defeated.

“Please take a seat, place your right arm here, and wait.”

The doctor spoke casually, but their hands moved fast.

They were already preparing to draw my blood.

“This is… different from what I imagined.”

“Right? I thought you’d be crying and wailing by now, Yuwol.”

“……”

Now I knew exactly how Akira and Tsupi saw me. Kanu too—she didn’t say anything, but I saw her nodding slightly.

“Please tense your arm once.”

“Okay.”

I flexed my arm slightly as instructed, and the doctor wrapped a tourniquet around it.

Suddenly, I could see the veins standing out on my arm.

‘Is this magic?’

I thought my arms were just filled with fat. Seeing veins there was kind of amazing, even though it was my own body.

Tap tap tap tap tap!

The doctor tapped my arm a few times before speaking.

“It’ll sting a little~.”

“!”

Reflexively, I turned my head and shut my eyes tightly.

I even bit down on the inside of my cheek.

“!!!”

The sharp sting of metal piercing my skin startled me. No—more than startled, it hurt.

‘Ow!’

I trembled.

I instinctively leaned my head back as far as I could. I did not want to see my blood being drawn.

Instead, I clenched my other hand tightly.

“Aww, all done~.”

The eternal torment had finally ended. Well, it was only a few seconds, but still.

Hesitantly, I peeked one eye open to check my arm resting on the table.

But then—

‘Wait, the needle is still in—!!!’

Tap.

Before I could even finish that thought, the doctor smoothly pulled out the needle and pressed an alcohol swab against my arm.

“Wow, you did great! Didn’t even cry, very impressive~.”

“……”

“Keep pressing on the swab, okay? Firmly. See you next time~.”

I nodded stiffly.

The doctor smiled and signaled for the next person.

I slowly stood up and stepped out of the booth.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Tsupi and Akira barely holding back their laughter. Even Kanu’s lips twitched slightly.

‘I can’t cry here… right?’

I pressed the swab harder against my arm, forcing myself to act like nothing happened.

I was just about to suggest moving on to the next booth when—

“Hnghk.”

Apparently, my body was more sensitive to external shocks than I thought.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I clutched the spot where the needle had been.

…Even my crying sounds like a kid’s. Literally, in the dictionary definition of the word.

After the blood draw, the rest of the checkup went smoothly.

As long as there were no more needles, what was there to be afraid of?

Feeling accomplished, I proudly walked back to the break area.

Tsupi, Akira, and Kanu followed closely behind.

Now that I thought about it—

“Tsupi, did you get your checkup too?”

“Me? Oh, I did mine this morning~.”

“…Go do it again.”

“What kind of insane nonsense is that?”

I was deeply wronged.

“HR? Why do you suddenly want to go there?”

“Just because. I saw Manager Park Ki-hyuk earlier, so I figured I’d drop by and see Manager Kang So-woon too.”

“You’re close with those two?”

“Not really… So, are you coming or not?”

“A manager can’t just leave their charge behind, you know.”

“Oh! I wanna come too! I’ve never been to HR!”

“Is Kanu there?”

And just like that, our next destination was set.

I wasn’t planning on doing anything specific at HR—just stopping by to say hello.

Since today was Märchen’s official health checkup day, most people were technically off work.

But, well…

‘It’s still a black company.’

Who rests at the office?