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

At that moment, Darami—the one who was supposed to become the main character—was...
“There are like 400 people living here, so there really aren’t any good places to hide...”
Since yesterday, she had been busy fleeing from citizens.

After all, with 400 residents and her face and name plastered all over social media as a wanted criminal, what else could she expect?
— Hahahaha
— Wow, the server’s worst criminal!
— Da-ra-mi, unbelievable
— Holmes’s rival, Dariarty lol
— Geez, why is she just running all the time hahaha
— Hey, where’s the gun Tia gave her earlier?
— She turned it into a hamburger and ate it~
Despite it all, Darami, who had been caught by the police more than a few times before, was pretty good at escaping.

It felt like all that constant chasing had at least sharpened her escape skills.
— But she really runs well, haha
— Yeah, but let’s not pretend it’s something to brag about hahaha
— Good at running away, yup, only that
— Better than the first day though, lol
Still, considering she had already met Magia (Tia) and Pino (Pin0), she’d be much safer sticking with them.

Why was she running around alone?
To find out, we have to rewind to about a day ago, to what happened after the three of them escaped through the sewer following the warehouse explosion.
***

Rewinding back to the late hours of Day 4.
As Darami followed Magia out of the sewer, Magia asked,
“So, what are you going to do now, oppa?”
“What do you mean, what do I do now?”

“Well, oppa, you’re about to be branded the worst criminal ever.”
“What? Why me?”
“Why do you think? You promised the police chief you’d help capture me, didn’t you?”

“How did you...?”
“And then, instead of helping, you followed me into the warehouse and vanished. Together with a huge explosion! Heehee!”
“Oh.”
Only then did ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) Darami realize how serious the situation was.

She had promised to help the police chief, even took extra photos of the useless duo.
And yet she vanished with the explosion alongside Tia.
There was no way she wouldn't be suspected.

“I-I’ll just tell them it was you! That I was kidnapped!”
“Hmph? Why would I let you?”
“What do you mean ‘why’?! You’re the one who blew up the warehouse!”

“Got any proof?”
“Then what about that bomb you showed earlier?!”
Click.

A pistol slid from Magia’s pocket, and the barrel pressed against Darami’s forehead.
“Got any proof?”
The same words, but with a completely different weight.

Darami gulped down hard.
And then, desperate to survive, she muttered—
“I guess... not...”

— ?
— Oh my god
— Is this really the one who wanted to be a mafia?
— LOL
— Totally chickened out haha
— True madness wins every time
But Darami’s attitude didn’t stay the same for long.
“But...! If you keep blowing up buildings like that, I can’t walk the same path as you.”

— Ohhh
— Wait, what’s this guy saying?
— Oooh...
— Nice speech, lol
After all, her dream had been to become a cool mafia boss, not the most wanted fugitive chased by the entire city.
Even comparing the two, there was a huge difference:

A mafia boss builds connections, invests in businesses, and gradually takes over a region through somewhat “legitimate” means.
Villains who set off bombings? They just keep running forever.
She didn’t want to become famous by being hated.

At least, she wanted to be able to walk among people freely.
“So you’re saying, as long as I don't go blowing things up recklessly, you'll stick around?”
“No, I’m not saying I’ll stick around… just that I won’t bother with whatever you do.”

“What, so you’re trying to ditch me? Disappointing~.”
“……”
Darami clamped her mouth shut.

But Magia, Pino, and even the viewers had seen through her.
Darami was trying to escape by making an earnest-sounding excuse.
— LOL
— Was it all an act?

— So the cool speech was just fake too? haha
— This guy just wants to bail
— Pathetic!

But Magia wasn't going to let Darami slip away.
By now, Darami’s fate was sealed.
She had to stick with Magia and Pino.

Especially after openly challenging the police like this—if Magia or Pino got wanted posters too, their movements would be heavily restricted.
And with someone like Movgun as their opponent, they needed to be cautious.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to be the world’s greatest criminal, oppa? My sister, the taxi driver, told me you said that.”

“What?! No, I didn’t?!”
“...You didn’t? Tch, boring.”
Magia’s eyes gleamed.

Darami sensed the danger and tried to explain, but it was too late.
“Wait, just give me a second to—”
BANG!

A deafening gunshot echoed across the beach.
The waves lapped quietly afterward, filling the tense silence.
It was only after a while that Darami, realizing she hadn’t been shot, opened his eyes and said,

“Holy crap... I thought I was dead.”
— Hahahahahahahahahahaha
— You thought you got shot?
— Total coward lol
— Didn’t even try to dodge, haha
— And this is the guy who wanted to be a mafia boss?
— The ultimate loser
— Straight-up small fry
Darami stretched both palms forward, trying to calm Magia down.

“Thanks for not shooting me? Anyway, the ‘world’s worst criminal’ thing is a bit exaggerated. I just wanted to be a cool mafia boss.”
“Mafia still put up a ‘legal and gentlemanly’ front, but they’re criminals too. Not much different from me.”
“At least they’re not wanted fugitives...”

“So what? Just drive around in a car and the cops can’t catch you.”
“They’ll deploy helicopters!”
“If I couldn’t shake off one helicopter, I wouldn’t be doing this in the first place, haha. Pino drives like a beast. Want a demo?”

Sigh.
Darami sighed heavily and then pushed Magia forward.
“You're right. But first, let’s get out of here. Cops might be coming after hearing that gunshot.”

“We’re far from the warehouse, it’s fine.”
“That police chief is the lunatic who can hit a target with a taser from 200 meters. If it’s a real gun, he’ll hit us from a kilometer away. Move it!”
Meanwhile, Pino was waving from the road up the slope.

“Tia, over here!”
Darami and Magia climbed up to find a sleek black motorcycle parked there, complete with a sidecar just big enough for three.
Pino got into the driver’s seat, Magia climbed behind her and wrapped her arms around Pino’s waist, and Darami hopped into the sidecar.

Just before the motorcycle took off, Magia said,
“Take my hand, oppa. I’ll make you the strongest, most fearsome, most notorious criminal this city has ever seen. With Tia’s consulting, you’ll be invincible.”
Normally, hearing that from someone with a cute, young-looking face like Tia’s wouldn’t be convincing at all.
But...

“Let’s plant fear in the hearts of this city’s pathetic humans together!”
Magia’s persuasion worked surprisingly well.
After all, she had shown she was the type who would shoot first, bomb later, and couldn’t be reasoned with.

What would happen if Darami tried to cut ties with her now?
Log in—BOOM.
Buy a car—BOOM.
Get in a taxi—BOOM.
Thunder Special City would become a bomb-ridden nightmare.
If Darami tried to sell out Tia to get rid of her wanted status, Tia would just blow up anyone Darami tried to connect with.

‘I’ve already met everyone important anyway...’
Why did Darami want to be a mafia boss in the first place?
Because it fit the flashy, over-the-top style she loved.

But real mafias didn’t want her.
Not enough skill, not enough guts—there were many reasons she was rejected.
‘Maybe... if I show them what I’m capable of like this? Make them regret turning me down?’

If she could prove she was actually terrifying, if they regretted missing out on such a “talent,” that would satisfy her enough.
Honestly, it sounded cool.
The city’s worst wanted criminal.

A villain none of the cops could catch.
“I have one request.”
“What request?”

“I want to see your skills first.”
“Oooh~ finally interested?”
Fwooosh.

After taking a deep breath, Darami said,
“When I show up on the streets, a ton of people are going to chase me. There’s no way I can outrun them all on my own. Will you be able to get me out of a situation like that?”
“Ohhh~?”

“If you succeed, I’ll join you. If you fail, the moment I get caught, I’ll tell the cops you two are behind everything. Got it? This is a deal.”
The moment Darami called it a "deal," Magia started giggling uncontrollably.
This wasn’t the cowardly, trembling Darami from before.

This was the Darami who had finally regained her pride.
“Good, you should’ve said that from the start! I’ve been waiting for you to act like that, oppa!”
***

Thus, a day later on Day 5, Darami was doing exactly as promised—drawing attention and desperately running for her life.
Eventually, she ended up at one of the locations she had agreed upon with Tia:
a dead-end alley with high walls on both sides.

"Alright, let’s see what you’ve got."
Just like they planned, Darami made the call to Magia.
Riiing...

As the dial tone went through, pursuers appeared at the end of the alley.
"There she is!"
"Found Darami!"
"Get her!!"
Fortunately for Darami, most of them were only wielding clubs or bare fists—firearms hadn't been widely distributed yet.

Still, it was only a matter of time.
The distance between Darami and her pursuers was barely a hundred meters.
At that moment, the call connected with a soft click, and Darami whispered,

"Tia, you’re watching, right?"
[Of course~.]
Magia chuckled through the line.

[But you should step away from the wall you’re leaning on. Otherwise, you’re dead, you know?]
"Ugh!"
Startled, Darami jumped forward—and immediately,

BOOM—! KA-BOOM!
"Uwaaah?!"
"What the hell?!"
The walls on either side exploded, blocking the pursuers' path. 

At the same time, the wall Darami had been leaning against collapsed, opening a way forward.
Thud-thud-thud.
From behind the pursuers came the distant whir of a police helicopter.

Beyond the wall was a sheer cliff atop a high retaining wall, but Darami didn’t hesitate—he sprinted straight for the collapsed gap.
"Aaaargh...!"
Flying in a perfect arc, Darami crash-landed into the sidecar of a speeding motorcycle with a loud clang.

"Urgh!"
The motorcycle, skidding as it hit the ground roughly, quickly recovered its balance and tore off down the long stretch of highway.
Pino’s driving skills were nothing short of extraordinary. Despite the sidecar attached, she drifted and maneuvered the bike like she was riding a skateboard.

But the chase wasn’t over. A police helicopter was still approaching from above the cliff.
For now, only Darami was officially wanted. But if Magia and Pino also became wanted criminals, their activities would be severely restricted.
Already determined to stick with them, Darami shouted,

"If you can’t shake the helicopter, you’re gonna get wanted too!"
Magia just giggled.
"Oppa, are you stupid?"

"W-what are you saying? I’m worrying for you!"
"Did you forget what I said yesterday? Before committing a crime, the first thing you secure is an escape route!"
Even as she spoke, one helicopter edged close above the nearby rooftop.

And then—
BOOM!
The top floor of the building the helicopter was passing exploded spectacularly.

Maybe it was the highly realistic physics engine of Neo California, but debris smashed into the helicopter, and soon smoke started pouring from it.
Magia laughed loudly.
"I rigged all the surrounding buildings with explosives! Heeheehee!"

"You're insane...!"
— Wow
— How many bombs did she set up, hahaha
— Absolutely insane hahaha
The heavily damaged helicopter couldn’t continue its pursuit and wobbled before crash-landing on the nearby rooftop.

Meanwhile, the motorcycle carrying the three of them sped off the highway interchange at full throttle.
Stopping at the familiar beach, Magia reached out her hand.
"I think we make a pretty great team. Pin0 and I could really use your reputation and flair, oppa~."

Darami, the public face.
Pin0, the action commander.
Tia, the explosives specialist.

It was, honestly, the perfect team for committing large-scale crimes.
Sure, the two girls’ combat abilities were overwhelming compared to Darami’s, but Darami served an important role—drawing attention and covering for their movements.
After a moment’s hesitation, Darami took the hand extended toward him.

"If you’re okay with someone as lacking as me..."
Soon after, Darami was invited into the newly formed group .
And immediately handed the boss position. Magia smiled devilishly and said,

"Good choice, boss. Now, turn on 'Real-Time Location Sharing with Group Members' and head back into the city! You remember the three target spots I gave you, right? Go to one of the two left—we already blew up one."
Darami, stepping out of the sidecar, replied,
"So basically, I just have to repeat what we did earlier?"

"Exactly! Hopefully, you’ll panic a little less this time?"
As Magia hopped into the now-empty sidecar, Darami said,
"Like I said before, if I get caught, I’m spilling everything. Got it?"

Magia just shrugged like it was no big deal.
"I told you already! Oppa’s not getting caught."
The motorcycle performed a stylish drift, then roared off.

Without even looking back at Darami, Magia shouted,
"And even if you do get caught, we’ll just blow up the police station! See you soon!"