Hobbyist VTuber

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I must have gone to bed an hour or two earlier than usual because of my homeroom teacher’s short but impactful message: “Get some sleep.”

Or maybe it was because I had soaked in the renowned open-air bath at the hotel.

If not that, perhaps it was due to the fact that I had spent the day just playing with friends, not caring about schoolwork, acting, or my VTuber streams.

“The breakfast probably hasn’t even started yet… What should I do?”

I found myself awake at the unholy hour of 6 AM.

I was surprisingly alert for just waking up.

Meanwhile, my friends, who had gone to sleep even earlier than I did, were still drowned in a deep sleep on their pristine white beds, traveling in dreamland.

The sky outside the hotel window barely escaped the soft blue hues of dawn.

Yet, at this point, I couldn’t lay back down; the remnants of sleep had completely vanished.

Thanks to the relatively well-rested state I fell asleep in after the broadcast, I felt no fatigue at all.

“Hmmm.”

After some thought, I decided—

-Squeak—

-Squelch—

-Squelch—

Since I was up early, I might as well step outside and take a stroll around the hotel until breakfast time arrived.

Regardless, walking in the morning in Japan was a new experience for me.

Plus, taking a walk is a good way to sort out my thoughts.

“It must be the early morning, the air feels refreshing.”

I slowly walked on, savoring the moderately chilly dawn air.

It was easy to organize my personal conundrums since the surroundings were quiet without any significant noise.

Not long after, I spotted a tiny dandelion blooming in a corner by the roadside.

-Swish.

I couldn’t help but pull out my phone and snap a photo of the dandelion that was perfectly blooming for a picture.

Then I noticed the sun just beginning to rise and took another snap.

I continued taking all sorts of photos for quite a while, filling my photo album, and only when I felt I had snapped enough did I start to appreciate the somewhat unfamiliar vibes I had captured.

Was this what dawn feelings were like?

About ten minutes later, the photos I took were uploaded to my Instagram account.

I also made sure to upload a picture of myself with my entire body included, maintaining the 10-second timer.

This was strictly following Jo Jung-yun’s advice and encouragement.

“It’ll be good to take selfies and show that you’re having a good time!”

Since learning that my follower count had surpassed a million, I had started paying attention to maintaining my Instagram.

And with Jo Jung-yun noticing this change in me quite early on, he had shared tips along with how to use Instagram.

As a result, my freshly uploaded photos exuded what folks coined as “Instagram vibes.”

Every comment on my posts reflected positive reactions, making me feel quite good about sharing my daily life.

Is that the thrill everyone gets from social media?

Meanwhile, unlike me, who considered this newfound social media activity a simple joy…

Fan communities like “Lee Ha-eun Fan Cafe” and “Lee Ha-eun Gallery” were buzzing.

– Lee Ha-eun’s recent photo.jpg

– Lee Ha-eun’s Insta) Dawn in Tokyo

ㄴ Always the famous early bird

ㄴ Did she take the dandelion herself?

ㄴ So cute doing a V in front of the dandelion, haha

ㄴ Gorgeous from dawn

ㄴ Look at that fair skin, ugh!

– (Caution: Storage limit) What’s with the dawn vibes?

ㄴ It’s practically a photo collection

ㄴ I wish she would release an actual photo book, ugh!

ㄴ 22222

ㄴ 3333 I bet I could sell out immediately

– Today’s Lee Ha-eun outfit info

– Looks like she’s healing nicely in Japan?

– I’m happy that frequent photos are being posted these days

ㄴ Agreed

ㄴ She’s definitely getting into Instagram, haha

ㄴ It’d be great if they could reduce the backlight a bit

ㄴ It’s okay; our Ha-eun’s face shines right through backlighting

ㄴ (Nods emoji)

Every time Lee Ha-eun’s Instagram was updated, the fan community grew noticeably lively.

The so-called “small” buzz certainly didn’t fit the scene, which turned chaotic with each upload from Ha-eun.

Even after returning to the hotel and finishing breakfast before heading to Disneyland.

From the moment we arrived at Disneyland and began exploring the crowded attractions with friends.

Interest in Ha-eun’s photos from the fan community showed no signs of slowing down.

The vibrant atmosphere surged once Ha-eun reached the attraction called “Western Hunter,” where you could experience shooting.

Specifically, it was when footage of Ha-eun mastering the “Western Hunter” game shot up on Ko Hyun’s and other friends’ social media.

– The shooting stance is already impressive, right?

– Urgent news) Ha-eun’s Western Hunter score 20/20

ㄴ Was it possible to get 20 points?

ㄴ It’s doable if you hit all, but

ㄴ I could never hit the one that pops up suddenly at the end, how did she do that? Haha

– Lee Ha-eun getting applause from Disneyland staff.gif

– Ha-eun should definitely participate in the Idol Star Athletics Championships next year

ㄴ Is Ha-eun an idol?

ㄴ She sings better than idols

ㄴ I saw the behind-the-scenes of GUGUDAN, she dances well too

ㄴ I wish she’d come out as a solo act, OMG

ㄴ 22222 She could clearly sort all the idol rankings just by showing up

The fan community became even more animated.

It was as if the word “admiration” had leaped straight into reality.

*

First of all, Ha-eun was confident in her physical abilities.

She believed she could excel at most physical activities.

The mere fact that she had completed the curriculum at Kim Kyoo-tae’s action school without much difficulty was proof of that.

Her continuous participation in an array of sports since childhood was no trivial matter.

Perhaps due to that, at Disneyland, her interest leaned more towards interactive attractions than ride-type ones.

Not that she exclusively chose interactive ones, though.

To be precise, she enjoyed various ride attractions comfortably.

She even got addicted to the rush from a particular roller coaster famous for its speed and thrill, riding it repeatedly.

Leading her friends, who had become exhausted from the previously unexperienced adrenaline, she rode over and over again.

At a specific spot where a commemorative photo was automatically taken, she managed her facial expressions smoothly and collected mementos from each shot.

However, when she arrived at the “Western Hunter” attraction, themed around the American West.

More precisely, when she saw the notice that said you could win a rare souvenir by scoring well in the shooting game, she felt an extra thrill.

‘This looks fun!’

I started feeling a bit more hyped.

“Whoa? What’s this, are you going to play too?”

“Yep.”

Thus, I joined the mixed group of male classmates from class 2 as they entered the Western Hunter.

The friends I had been with up to that point opted to watch instead of participating in the shooting game.

Soon facing the gang figures that appeared riding on horseback, their mouths covered with black scarves.

In no time, Ha-eun joined the other participants, aiming at targets located in various places with her revolver-style toy.

– Three, two, one…! Star—t!!

With the start signal from the staff member, the shooting began immediately.

Ha-eun unleashed a barrage of bullets starting from the gang figure right in front of her to the gang leader figure way off in the distance.

-Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud—!!

Her eyes, sharp as a hawk.

Her stance unwavering with not a hint of hesitation.

And lastly, her reaction speed was quick enough to hit every time a new gang figure popped up.

“Whoa, hey, look at Lee Ha-eun! She’s insane!!”

“Wow, no way. Did she hit them all?”

The boys next to her were so amazed they couldn’t help but gather around to watch Ha-eun’s impressive shooting skills.

The girls filming from the sidelines near the Western Hunter boundary buzzed with amazement, sharing exclamations of awe.

Finally, the first round of shooting, which allowed for ten shots, came to an end.

Just like the first, the second round also allowed for ten shots but was significantly tougher.

– kkk…! I got yo─!

– Thud!

– It’s high noo─!

– Thud thud!

Every target that appeared fell victim to Ha-eun’s expert marksmanship in the second round, just like the first round.

Even the quick outlaws popping up unexpectedly at the very end were immediately hit and fell to the ground.

Thus, Lee Ha-eun’s game score ended up being a perfect 20/20.

The shocked reactions to the score displayed on the nearby scoreboard were not only from Ha-eun’s friends.

– Squelch.

“Um, excuse me. Just a little $¤%@#@%@#$~.”

Soon, a staff member approached Ha-eun with a slightly flustered expression.

After arriving right in front of her, he spoke in rapid-fire Japanese that Ha-eun couldn’t comprehend while checking her revolver and the target setup.

But no matter how many times he checked, everything about Ha-eun was just fine.

Finally, he exclaimed, “Amazing! I’ve never seen anyone hit all the targets!”

Ha-eun was presented with a special souvenir only given to those who hit every target, along with the genuinely impressed staff member.

Though she was briefly startled by his unexpected Korean, Ha-eun blinked as she received the coveted special souvenir— a sheriff badge embossed with gold patterns— and gave a slight smile of joy.

A short while later, click.

Having taken a photo with a piece of paper reminiscent of a certificate brought by another staff member, Ha-eun was immortalized on the official Instagram of “Western Hunter.”

Afterwards, we moved to one of the restaurants inside Disneyland.

This included Hyun, along with the girls and even the boys who had been marveling next to her, all heading to the restaurant to share a meal.

‘… I’m glad I played as the Aria Empress.’

It was fun.

So much so that I was thankful that Ha-eun had starred as the Aria Empress in [Will It Fall Together?].

In a way, it was because of Ha-eun’s stellar performance in [Will It Fall Together?] that this delightful trip was made possible.

She felt she deserved to savor every moment of this journey.

Thus, the second day of our school trip packed with the Disneyland itinerary concluded in a wonderfully fulfilling manner.

The very next day’s schedule of exploring Tokyo’s sightseeing spots also passed without any incidents.

However, when I was led by my friends not wanting to waste the last night of the school trip and found myself sitting on the hotel room floor.

For some reason, the odd premonition I felt on the first day of the trip resurfaced.

– Glance.

Unknowingly, I started slightly bracing myself to catch my friends’ subtle moods.

It was because thoughts of hiding adult magazines in secret and pranking Ha-eun flooded my mind again.

About ten minutes later, Gong Hye-yeon, who had briefly stepped out, returned.

As soon as she announced that she had checked whether our homeroom teacher was asleep, a feast of late-night snacks was laid out before us.

No sooner had those snacks arrived than the truth game began.

Right when the bottle cap spinning on the floor randomly pointed at Ha-eun first, she had to answer.

“Honesty only, no lies allowed.”

“Ugh, okay.”

“Then, first question: Among the actors you’ve shot with so far, was there someone you wanted to date?”

“Or maybe you fell in love at first sight!”

In the end, Ha-eun had no choice but to realize that the strange premonition she’d felt earlier was no coincidence.

Questions rained down upon her, a student in Class 2 from Na-rae High, living the most celebrity-like life.

The problem was that some questions tiptoed the line of being too mature for a minor.

It wasn’t solely because they were directed at Ha-eun.

“…If we say #####,”

“Uh, um, I’m really tired. I’m gonna head to bed!”

Ha-eun hastily shot up and bolted to her bed, as the questions got progressively harder to answer.

Yet even after her escape, the heightening of these risqué discussions didn’t cool down one bit.

Only mere hours before, those friends had been joking and having normal conversations, but now they seemed downright terrifying.

The 18-year-old high school girls’ conversations were unbridled and wilder than Ha-eun could ever have imagined.

*

– Ding dong.

“…I’m back.”

Ha-eun’s greeting as she returned home.

Moments later, she was warmly welcomed by Na-yeon, and after saying she would take a break, Ha-eun headed to her room.

It was after that that Ha-eun began pulling out the souvenirs from her black suitcase.

Once she sorted her present-like souvenirs and a few other keepsakes, Ha-eun headed to the kitchen to grab a pair of white cooking gloves.

After returning to her room, she spent quite a while in her soundproof booth, continuing various tests until finally…

Click.

[Japan Travel Review☆]

As soon as the usual broadcast time arrived, Dia began the storytelling broadcast she had promised to the fans a few days ago.

Of course, until then it was no different from her usual streams.

“I got that famous melon bread too! Just wait a moment~.”

At the moment she finished describing the photos taken at Skytree for her fans.

Her broadcasting camera had finally started working, set up in the optimal position and angle after several trials and errors.

Not even a second later, two hands adorned in fairly large white cooking gloves filled the broadcast screen.

And the various souvenirs arrayed on her desk.

– Wow, look at those slender fingers

– Kyahhhhh

– Such a great Dia

– I believed in you..! I believed in you..! I believed in you..! I believed in you..! I believed in you..!

– “Accepted to Oshi, accepted to Oshi, accepted to Oshi,”

– Her skin’s so baby-like

The chat began buzzing louder when Ha-eun made the V-sign with both hands, asking if they could see clearly.

What can I say? The fans’ reactions felt incredibly sincere, I suppose.

While she understood what they liked, she still found it hard to fully comprehend the depth of their excitement.

After all, it was just her gloved fingers; why all the hype?

‘Well, it’s better than not being liked at all. At least the stream seems to be fine.’

Whatever the case.

Dia was starting her first-ever cam stream for the promised travel review with her fans.

“So, we’ll start with the melon bread! Let’s see if it really tastes like melon~.”

She tore open the packaging of the melon bread in the center of the desk and kicked off her review of the souvenirs from her trip to Japan.