Prologue

A month had passed since his twenty-ninth job interview, yet Hirojimi Tanaka had received no reply to his application. He had applied to over a thousand job vacancies, unknown by pride or position, have withstood pain after printing many resumes. Yet, his hands never landed any jobs, So, as he prayed. Unlimited Job Application works.

Such was the life of Hirojimi, a thirty-year-old bachelor and NEET who had graduated from a STEM university with an average score. With each passing year, his spirit was crushed as his applications went unanswered. Rejection letters were rare, and most companies did not even bother to contact him. He wondered why he could not secure any jobs. Was it because of his looks? Or perhaps his average academic performance without notable achievements? He concluded that society revolved around appearance or money, disregarding academic talents and loyalty.

Today, he would once again dine with his mother, like a parasite, consuming their food without giving anything in return. Tomorrow, he would face another interview. However, after being ignored twenty-nine times, he was no longer optimistic about the process.

"Good luck with your interview tomorrow, dear," His mother's kind words felt like poison to him. Her prayers had remained unanswered for over five years of his unemployment. There was no reason to believe they would be answered now. Nonetheless, he responded politely, playing the role of a good child.

"Yes, Mom. Thank you."

"Don't forget to wear a shirt and tie for work, okay? You should dress up a bit."

"Even if you dress up a pig, it would still be a pig..." His reply was filled with frustration as he responded to his parents. The parents wore sad frowns but chose not to rebuke him for his language, and they continued to eat in silence.

Once finished, Hirojimi retreated to his room to play video games, watch hentai and anime. If there were a degree in porn knowledge, he would graduate Summa cum Laude. Both hentai and JAV were his sustenance, and he had accumulated over 9000 gigabytes of research data on those topics alone. Over nine thousand gigabytes! That amount would require three to five hard drives solely for his collection of porn and anime.

When midnight arrived, he lazily retired to his bed after shutting down his computer. It was an unhealthy habit, but he no longer cared.

"I wonder if I could be reincarnated. Maybe things would be different then. I could be a hero who saves the princess or become a demon lord feared by all," he muttered, envisioning the amazing feats he could accomplish in other worlds, enhanced by magic and his vivid imagination.

However, things did not go as he wished. Tomorrow arrived, and the day of his interview came. As usual, he donned his best shirt, tie, and suit, which his mother had spent over three hundred dollars on five years ago. He had stopped watching interview exercises after more than two years of failed attempts, but he still remembered them by heart and continued to practice.

"Welcome to Oxforn Inc. May I help you?" The beautiful lady who had been engrossed in her phone noticed Hirojimi when he stood before the reception desk. She quickly put on a fake smile, interrupting her chat or Instagram browsing.

"Hello. Is this Oxforn Inc? I have an interview scheduled today with Mr. James. Is he available?" Despite his introverted nature, Hirojimi still managed to produce a curt reply after enough practice.

"Oh yes! This is certainly Oxforn Inc. Please wait a moment while I call our headquarters," she replied, still smiling. She then asked him to wait as Mr. James was currently occupied.

This procedure had become a routine for Hirojimi. He never arrived late, but the interviewers always made him wait. Some made him wait for thirty minutes, while others made him wait for over two hours. As he pondered why such a procedure existed and why he should respect a company that did not respect him, he waited alongside five other job applicants, all dressed in similar suits. The key difference was their appearance. They were all lean, while Hirojimi was rotund. The female applicants had meticulously polished faces adorned with makeup, and the male applicants had cleanly shaved beards and tall statures that gave them a sharp demeanor. It was already evident to Hirojimi that he was destined to fail the interview, and his heart sank as he waited for the interviewer to arrive.

When the appointed time came, an hour later, he was led to a room where a disinterested-looking man spoke up politely.

"Greetings, Mr. Hirojimi Tanaka. My name is James Wyles from Oxforn Inc. Before we proceed with the interview, let's have a brief conversation. Could you introduce yourself?" James' words were sugary, and his handsome smile made Hirojimi feel sick. He wondered how many times he had to repeat his introduction, but he did it nonetheless.

"Greetings, Mr. James. My name is Hirojimi Tanaka. I am applying for a job at your company. I am a thirty-year-old bachelor with a degree from a reputable university." Hirojimi began his introduction, following the typical format. First, he stated his name, then his education, and finally, he mentioned his hobbies. Since he had no work experience, he tried to embellish his resume with excuses like volunteering for charity work, hoping to deceive potential employers. He couldn't help but wonder if this was some sort of new torture devised by ingenious devils. Why should he repeat everything that was already written in his resume? Was it meant to shame him? Or was it a way to expose his lies?

"I see. Thank you for your time in meeting with us today. If you meet our selection criteria, we will get back to you in less than a month." The interview concluded before Hirojimi realized it. He had received this mundane response several times throughout his interviews, yet it still pained him to hear that he hadn't been successful.

"Thank you for taking the time to interview me. I sincerely hope that my skills can be beneficial to your company, and I invite you to take a closer look at my resume," he smiled in return and departed. He intended to return home, to immerse himself in his fantasies of other worlds and indulge in hentai. However, he needed to answer nature's call, so he spent a few minutes in the company restroom.

After finishing his business, his plan was to head home. During the company's break time, he noticed Mr. James dining with his friends at a large table in the nearby cafeteria. One of them was the receptionist he had seen earlier. Realizing they might be discussing the job applicants, he discreetly positioned himself behind one of the pillars, eavesdropping on their conversation.

"So, Mr. James, who will be our new coworker?" the female receptionist inquired.

"Well, I'm not sure. I think we will pass on this group. None of them really stood out to me," Mr. James replied.

"Except the overweight one?" the female receptionist giggled, and the whole table erupted in laughter. Those laughs pierced Hirojimi's heart more deeply than the sharpest knife. Nonetheless, he remained still, eager to listen. It was his only chance to understand his shortcomings. Perhaps he could change for the better. He didn't know why he had consistently failed in all his interviews over the years. Nobody had offered him any guidance, and even if they had, he still would have faltered in the interviews. Now was a rare opportunity to hear directly from the interviewer himself.

"Nahh! He caught my attention in a negative way, haha. There's no chance we would recruit him, not in a million years."

"Oh? Why? Despite his appearance, he was quite polite," the female interjected.

"Are you seriously asking that?" Mr. James chuckled.

"Well, not really. But I wonder why he is unappealing."

"It's true that his appearance is off-putting. That's a major disadvantage. However, just having a good appearance is no longer sufficient to join our company. The higher-ups want us to expand our network. We're seeking employees who are well-known on social media or have real-life connections with the government. That's why I rejected all the applicants today. I had my eye on some handsome and charming candidates, but that's not what the boss wants, so no deal."

"Ouch. So evil. We posted a job vacancy but rejected them all."

"Well, such is life. We no longer need low-level workers. We need extraordinary workers with special skills or connections, and if possible, at a low-level worker's salary. With modernization, one or two low-level workers in the industry are enough." He sipped his coffee and took a bite of his sandwich. The realization hit him like a truck. Everything he had been striving for was not enough. He would never land a job simply because he was antisocial and considered unattractive.

Rage consumed him as he looked upon those who mocked him. However, he chose to leave the scene without causing a commotion. He didn't raise his voice or vent his anger at James and his company because, deep down, he knew they were right. He was a NEET with no friends, no work experience, and an average score. He had nothing to show off or take pride in.

However, despair and a sense of unfairness filled his heart as he walked back to the bus station and arrived home. His mother greeted him, but he didn't respond. The downcast expression on his face spoke volumes, and he retreated to his room. Out of habit, he turned on his computer and sat down to watch anime. However, none of the anime's content registered in his brain as he stared into the 2D world with empty eyes.

Knock, knock

"Hiro! Come outside. Let's have dinner," his mother knocked on the door. Hiro was unwilling to interact with anyone that day, but his mother insisted.

"I understand that you had a disastrous interview today. Just keep going, okay? Don't give up. Keep applying for more jobs. Some of them will definitely give you a chance."

"SHUT UP!!" Hirojimi finally snapped. "I'VE BEEN TRYING FOR FIVE YEARS, AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN GIVE ME A CHANCE TO PROVE MYSELF!!"

In his rage, he threw his chair at the door, venting his frustration. His mother fell silent and then spoke softly, "At least eat dinner, dear." She was attempting to comfort him but failed. The dinner that evening was eerily quiet. Ever since Hirojimi's interview failure, his relationships with those around him grew strained.

The silent treatment persisted for a week until Hirojimi stumbled upon an ad on YouTube:

Details regarding Virtual Idol auditions

Do you have what it takes to be next Virtual Idol? Be Your Anime Character! Join now and Get your free Live2D Character!

<Important Notes> - English speaker (Japanese speaker is a plus) - Able to sing as a female character (any gender may apply) * Please see the application URL for further information. Additionally, Japanese residents can also apply. <Application URL> https://forms.gle/**** * Deadline: 11:59 AM JST, January 29, 2019 Press Release: https://VeeIdol.com/****

He scoffed at the advertisements. However, man was a curious creature. The bleaker his despair, the brighter the flicker of hope. He had hoped numerous times to secure a job, even falling victim to job scammers on occasion. His hopes had been repeatedly dashed, leaving him callous. Yet, what if he were to be accepted? What if, despite his current despair, he could achieve success?

And so, he clicked on the registration link, swearing to himself multiple times that he wouldn't spend a single dime on them, no matter what. He had no expectations that his application would be received. He couldn't sing, and he couldn't speak Japanese. Nevertheless, some sort of drive compelled him to click on the link.

The submission form required his name, his desired alias if he were to become a real VTuber, his gender, and a voice sample. After completing the form and hastily recording a voice sample of him attempting to sound cute, he clicked the submission button and went to sleep. He never anticipated being accepted, but at least he could dream.

Since a week ago, he had ceased applying to any further jobs. He was exhausted and no longer had the desire to try. Mister James' words had deeply wounded him. Moreover, it was not something he could easily fix. The fact that he lacked friends and had an unsociable nature remained unchanged. Regardless of his proficiency or school grades, it didn't matter because he wasn't a team player.

However, just two days later, he received an email from VeeIdol Studio. He was scheduled to have an interview the following day.