Hobbyist VTuber

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Ha-eun is like a cherished stuffed toy for Ji-hye-min.

Of course, she doesn’t carry her around and cuddle her every moment like a real stuffed toy.

But just looking at her makes it feel like she embodies that same affection.

In a way, it’s only natural.

Ha-eun has been the longest and most devoted viewer of Ji-hye-min’s broadcasts, and simultaneously, she is the Deus Ex Machina of Fantasy Realm.

‘…Why did I mistake it for something obvious?’

Even though she’s the youngest among the members of Fantasy Realm, she jumped into the world of VTubers faster than anyone else.

If there were a model answer for what it means to be a VTuber, it would surely be Ha-eun’s Dia.

Thanks to Ha-eun firmly establishing herself as Dia, Fantasy Realm could take even deeper root.

Her talent as a celebrity blossomed even more as a VTuber, providing help in all sorts of ways.

Even during times when she wasn’t broadcasting, she often appeared on other members’ streams, contributing as the comic relief.

Although a little incident occurred where they didn’t have much distance in their off-air communication, it didn’t change the fact that…

Ji-hye-min, unconsciously relying on Ha-eun, only realized much later how overly enthusiastic Ha-eun was about her streams as Dia.

‘I should have noticed a bit earlier.’

When Ha-eun first revealed her health issues just a few days ago, it felt like getting hit in the back of the head.

It seemed foolish to have thought she was completely fine when she hadn’t appeared to struggle at all.

Of course, it’s a relief that Ha-eun’s health isn’t in a severely dangerous state.

If Ha-eun, who is already the busiest among the members of Fantasy Realm, pushed herself more, there would definitely be both big and small issues arising.

Even if there were no red flags about Ha-eun’s health right now, that’s a story limited to the present moment.

From Ji-hye-min’s perspective, Ha-eun’s current state is on the edge, about to crumble if nudged.

As Ji-hye-min cherished and relied on Ha-eun, she couldn’t just stand by any longer.

That’s why Ji-hye-min took the initiative to suggest an announcement stream together with her.

“Since we are announcing the break anyway, let’s also announce the adjustment to the broadcast schedule.”

“Hmmm… Is that okay?”

“If Ha-eun wants to continue long term, she needs to adjust her broadcasting schedule. Ha-eun isn’t superhuman, you know.”

Looking back, it was abnormal for Ha-eun, a busy celebrity, to stream almost every day.

So instead of allowing Ha-eun to set Dia’s streaming schedule as she had been doing all along, Ji-hye-min wanted to intervene now and find some balance.

“Above all, it would be misunderstood if she takes a four-day break less than a week after mentioning her health issues.”

“Misunderstood?”

“It’s true that the four-day break is only for now, but if she gets worse later, she might have to quit streaming altogether. The sustainability of her broadcasts drops. Something along those lines.”

Such misunderstandings were things Ji-hye-min, a veteran with over 10 years in the world of internet broadcasting, could anticipate.

So, she wanted to prevent Ha-eun from facing unnecessary misunderstandings ahead of time.

Thus, Ha-eun was seated right next to Ji-hye-min to begin the broadcast titled .

The unfamiliar title, not usually seen, drew quite a number of viewers to join the stream, not just the regular audience of the channel.

Hence, they were faced with an astonishing total of 34,000 viewers.

Once again, Ha-eun felt the weight of Ji-hye-min’s esteemed reputation with the formidable name of Daramji.

It was shortly after that Ji-hye-min began sharing the announcements related to Dia’s broadcast.

“My youngest is going to travel to Japan for a bit. She’ll probably need to take a break for about four days.”

– Another trip?

– What’s she gonna do if she’s sick and still traveling?

– Four days? Are you telling us to freeze to death, Ramji?

– Can’t she do a stream from Japan?

“Streaming is out of the question. She’s going there to rest. She needs to relax so she can keep streaming hard in the future.”

What followed was a discussion about Dia’s grueling broadcast schedule.

If she kept maintaining a tight schedule, it might negatively impact Dia’s health.

“You guys want to see our youngest for a long time, right? So please bear with it a little.”

– Is her health really that bad?

– It sounds like she’s streaming while getting IV drips.

– Sickly cute girl? Whoa..!

– As long as you don’t make her graduate, I’m good.

“Adjustments are being made to prevent Dia’s health from declining. For now, she’s healthier than me, so no need to worry too much.”

After about 10 minutes of announcements regarding Dia’s adjusted broadcasting schedule followed.

The new schedule considering Ha-eun’s filming for [The Sunshine] and the recording schedule for [Infinite Challenge Music Festival] was relayed through Daramji’s broadcast.

After answering several questions about the new schedule for Dia alone, Ji-hye-min fulfilled her responsibility as the leader of Fantasy Realm.

– Tap-tap.

Ha-eun received a touch from Ji-hye-min, meaning if she had something to say, now was the time.

With a slight hum and clearing her throat, Ha-eun moved a bit closer to Ji-hye-min’s broadcast microphone.

“I’ll definitely do a travel recap stream after coming back from Japan. Just wait a little─☆”

She announced her travel plans in Dia’s signature high-pitched voice.

As Ha-eun, who sounded like she was addicted to streaming, made that statement, Ji-hye-min pretended not to see her facepalm.

Thus, once they wrapped up Dia’s farewell, they switched to the second part of the broadcast, Battle Island.

Technically, Ha-eun no longer had to sit next to Ji-hye-min.

But for the reason that she wanted to watch Ji-hye-min’s broadcast, she continued to stay right next to her.

From Ji-hye-min’s perspective, there was no real reason to push Ha-eun away.

However…

– Tatatatata─!

[Only searching for flare guns>>>☠Daramji]

“Ah, man! I had it in the bag.”

At the moment Ji-hye-min’s avatar was shot down after an ongoing shootout with an opposing player.

“Ummm, that’s not how you shoot a double-barrel…”

Ha-eun’s cryptic mumble was picked up by the broadcast microphone.

In the subsequent second and third rounds, after getting taken down helplessly by other players, she completely changed her posture.

– Tu-tuta-tata─!

– Boom!

– Bang!!

[Shotgun to the head>>>☠Daramji]

“Whoa, boss, you really suck at this─! Are you sure you’re even aiming?!”

“D-Dia, can’t you be quiet?”

“Why should I be quiet when someone who can’t even manage a supporting role is saying so~?”

– Hahaha!

– Now you’re even teasing the boss, Dia!

– The youngest is going toe-to-toe with the boss!!!!

– Right? Just because you can’t do support doesn’t mean you have to be quiet.

– Ramji’s teeth are grinding in real-time ㄷㄷ

– The funny thing is, Ramji knows Dia’s skill and can’t say anything.

No matter what anyone said, Ha-eun was an avid fan who had watched Ji-hye-min’s broadcasts for over ten years.

She knew better than anyone what words would get to Ji-hye-min, and what advice would push her buttons.

Above all, Ha-eun felt she shouldn’t let go of this precious opportunity of a real-life collab with Ji-hye-min.

“Just a walking golden goblin. No, a golden squirrel~.”

She chose remarks that would gradually shake Ji-hye-min’s mental state.

At the same time, she picked comments that would ramp up the ruckus in the chat even further.

But then, at the moment when Dia’s teasing reached its peak.

– Crack.

Ha-eun subtly tugged on her own cheek with her hand while signaling an ‘OK’ with the other.

Naturally, Ji-hye-min, taken aback, was expected to react as such.

– Crack!

Before long, she realized what Ha-eun was thinking and slightly tugged on Ha-eun’s cheek.

Then, almost simultaneously, the microphone picked up Dia’s youthful scream.

“Ow ow ow! The aim in Battle Island is shaky, but why is your finger aim so accurate─!”

Another shockwave rippled through the chat as it marked the first time in Dia’s streaming life that she was gravely punished by someone else.

– Dia(1st Generation): I’ll speak my mind even if I get hit.

– At this rate, I really feel like she’s gonna get hit for real, lol.

– Traditionally, the words of a loyal subject who can’t tell a lie are death sentences ooo.

– Looks like today’s gonna be Dia’s last day ㅠㅠㅠ

– Rest in peace, dear departed.

– She was a great VTuber…

From the moment Ji-hye-min delivered her playful punishment, it was the same repetitive situation.

The audience flooded the chat with ‘hahaha’ as they fully enjoyed the charming moments of Dia’s devilish antics.

“Seriously, if you pick up a double-barrel, you should think about getting home safe while waiting it out. Why do you keep going out─”

– Swish.

“Ah! I messed up! I won’t say anything bad like I think I’m better than the boss when I use my feet!”

As usual, Dia teasing Daramji ended with her quickly backpedaling and apologizing for her mistakes at the intimidating gesture from Daramji.

A few seconds later, she resumed her not-so-supportive comments and started to tease Daramji again.

As a result, the broadcast ended up recording even more support and view counts than usual.

Most of the donations and chats were in support of Dia challenging Daramji, but it didn’t matter much.

Time flew by.

At the moment Ha-eun, who thought today’s collab broadcast was meaningful in many ways, finished packing up to head home.

“I, um, representative.”

“?”

“Um, if it’s alright with you, could you drop the formalities? It feels a bit awkward since we only speak formally during broadcasts…”

This request from Ha-eun, who had just come to see Ji-hye-min off, revealed her personal wish to get a bit closer to her.

Of course, Ha-eun was aware that Ji-hye-min’s formality was a way to show her respect.

However, it felt awkward to slip back into formality after dropping the formalities during the broadcast.

After all, Ha-eun had been a fan of Ji-hye-min for over ten years.

She didn’t want the relationship with Ji-hye-min to become strictly formal.

If possible, she wanted a more friendly relationship.

“I understand. But there’s one condition.”

“A condition? What is it?”

“Not representative, but sister. Call me Hye-min unnie. I’ve wished for a younger sister like you for a long time.”

“Ehhh, looking at the age difference, you’d more likely be my aunt…”

“What did you say?”

– Chills.

“Ah, nothing, Hye-min unnie.”

Was that momentary shiver a fleeting illusion due to a fleeting malice?

Unconsciously avoiding Ji-hye-min’s gaze, Ha-eun immediately referred to her as unnie, cautiously observing Ji-hye-min’s reaction.

Then, a brief silence followed.

– Snicker.

“Enjoy your trip.”

Unable to hold back her laughter at Ha-eun’s awkwardness, Ji-hye-min finally treated Ha-eun like a little sister.

After Ji-hye-min extended her hand toward the door behind Ha-eun, the entrance opened shortly thereafter.

Finally feeling at ease, Ha-eun responded with a smile, lightly tinged with amusement, and promised to return safely.

She also didn’t forget to mention that she would bring back a souvenir for Ji-hye-min.

“I want to buy something for the other members too, is that okay?”

“Sure. They’ll all like it.”

With that, waving her hand lightly and saying goodbye to Ha-eun, Ji-hye-min turned slowly.

Then Ha-eun hailed a taxi she had called earlier and departed from Ji-hye-min’s home.

Ha-eun’s contact for Ji-hye-min in her phone had changed from “Representative Ji” to “Hye-min Unnie” somewhere along the line.

*

“Alright, let’s check one last time to see if there’s anything we forgot!”

The voice of the 2nd-year homeroom teacher Narae filled the airport waiting room on a late morning.

Each student in Class 2B checked their belongings as they wrapped up their last checks before heading to Japan.

However…

“Ah, I think we’re about to leave. See you later!”

– Have a safe trip~

– Don’t forget to see Beauty and the Beast at Disneyland!

– (Airplane emoji) x2

– I want to go to Japan too~~

For a moment, while Ha-eun was holding an ‘Instagram live broadcast’, instead of checking her luggage, she waved at the phone camera.

‘…This is fun too.’

Ha-eun had learned about Instagram live broadcasts just a few days ago when she got to know her own Instagram account better.

She also came to understand that other celebrities besides her utilized Instagram live broadcasts as a way to communicate with their fans.

‘From now on, I should do it occasionally.’

Maybe not if she was Dia the VTuber.

But for a while, the actress Ha-eun wasn’t someone who communicated with her fans often.

So, in an experimental attempt before flying to Japan that morning, she tried a brief Instagram live broadcast to communicate directly with fans.

Discovering more viewers and a better reaction than she had expected, she began to feel interested in the platform.

Anyway, now she really needed to get on the plane to Japan.

With that, she pressed the button labeled airplane mode and followed her teacher’s instructions to board the flight to Japan.

Once the plane lifted into the sky, she only felt a slight thrill in her heart; aside from that, everything seemed fine.

After two hours of flight, when they arrived in Japan, there were no incidents or accidents at all.

However, upon reaching the hotel where they would stay for three nights and four days.

More precisely,

“Um, teacher. There was a convenience store right in front, can I go there for a bit?”

“You need to return to the hotel lobby by 2 PM~.”

“Yes!”

As the homeroom teacher granted permission for the outing, Gong Hye-yeon and the other roommates of Ha-eun headed with her toward the convenience store near the hotel.

From the moment they headed toward the convenience store, an odd premonition started nagging at Ha-eun for some reason.

And to prove that this strange feeling wasn’t unfounded…

“Ha-eun, ha-eun! Look at this!”

“Huh? What is it… Aaaah!!”

– Crash─!

An adult magazine was boldly thrust in front of Ha-eun by one of her friends who had taken it from a corner of the convenience store.

Ha-eun lost her balance for a moment and fell to the floor of the convenience store, her scream echoing across the spacious store.

Her heartbeat quickened in rapid succession.

“What, what’s going on?”

“Uh, um, I was just planning to give you a little scare, but it turned out to be a huge surprise instead.”

“Phew, I thought it was something serious… Anyway, that’s inappropriate. Put it down.”

Immediately, without showing any signs of embarrassment, Gong Hye-yeon walked back to the beverage section.

The friend who had just shoved the adult magazine at Ha-eun casually placed it back where it belonged.

To put it plainly, it was more humiliating than any other time.

Whether it was facing the cover of the magazine covered in skin or finding herself as the only one shocked among her friends—it all became an unforgettably embarrassing memory.

Ha-eun’s face, which had turned bright red without her realizing, radiated an expression that was half embarrassment and half shame.

Finding it a struggle to get back on her feet, she inwardly scolded herself for having accompanied her friends to the convenience store just a few minutes ago.