Hobbyist VTuber

From the first meeting with Nael, a mischievous senior who only picked tricky questions to ask.

A spirit whose hobby is teasing viewers.

The youngest, infamous even among the sisters of Gensokyo for her uniquely bizarre yet exceptional gaming skills.

And.

“Um, since Nael is my junior. I want to speak comfortably on the broadcast, is that okay…?”

“Yes, yes!”

A child prodigy who won the Best New Actress award from her debut work <Next Door Uncle>.

A rising star who followed her first lead drama <The Moonlight Split by Clouds> with the hit <The Sunshine>.

An artist nurtured by Double Lee, whose first album soared to the top of the music charts.

The fact that these two completely different images were the same person left Nael speechless.

It was hard to believe that someone she had only seen on TV until recently was now sitting in front of her.

But whether Nael believed it or not didn’t matter.

Because in two hours, Nael’s first cooking broadcast was destined to begin.

The broadcast notice had already been posted—with the addition of ‘with Dia’ at the end.

“Do your parents know you’re doing a cooking broadcast today, Nael?”

“They only know that a colleague is coming over.”

“Then maybe you should contact your mom first.”

Thus, Nael couldn’t escape the situation of having to talk one-on-one with an actual celebrity.

Bringing a celebrity as a guest was already a mistake.

But standing up a celebrity you invited is an even bigger mistake.

So Nael nodded vigorously and listened intently to everything Ha-eun said.

Though she still couldn’t look Ha-eun straight in the eyes.

As she listened to Ha-eun’s calm voice with the utmost concentration.

‘Wait a minute. Weren’t they friends?’

A fact she had momentarily forgotten in the shock of meeting Ha-eun in person bubbled up like a soap bubble.

That’s why Nael’s head, which had been slightly bowed, turned to face forward for the first time.

“Um… Can I ask you something?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Um, that Hida I talked to last time. Did you hear from the CEO who she is…?”

In the brief moment that followed, Ha-eun flinched.

Her almond-shaped eyes also trembled slightly.

Then, she nodded.

With a slightly frightened expression, Ha-eun finally affirmed Nael’s question.

“…Yes.”

“Ah… So you know.”

Only then did Nael understand why Dia had been asking Hida such tricky questions in the past.

Since they were actually friends, Dia could ask sensitive questions—like the difference in chest size between her virtual avatar and real self—without hesitation.

However, the unexpected news that Hida didn’t know about Dia’s true identity.

Followed by Ha-eun’s request to keep Dia’s identity a secret, made Nael nod involuntarily.

“Da-yeon really likes Dia… If she finds out it’s me, she’ll be shocked.”

“And I’ll be haunted for the rest of my life.”

Nael could only awkwardly smile at Ha-eun’s muttered words.

After all, getting involved in the affairs of famous actresses was like a shrimp getting caught in a fight between whales.

Anyway, since it was time to head to Nael’s house to prepare for the broadcast.

After saying goodbye to Hye-min, who had another schedule, Nael and Ha-eun started walking side by side.

And not long after.

“Can I… not hold your hand?”

Ha-eun’s puzzled voice and cautious hand reached out to Nael at the same time.

The response was, “How dare I?” a reply that came from the depths of Nael’s heart.

But Ha-eun’s sudden question was solely because of what was written in Nael’s broadcast notice.

It clearly said, ‘I’ll hold your hand tightly so you can’t run away.’

Honestly, Ha-eun also wanted to close the distance with Nael.

If this state of not being able to look Ha-eun in the eye continued, it would affect the upcoming cooking broadcast.

“R-really, is it okay? Can I hold your hand?”

“Well, it’s not like holding hands will kill you…”

Thus, eventually, with a rustle.

Nael’s trembling fingers slowly intertwined with Ha-eun’s fingertips.

But the moment Nael fully grasped Ha-eun’s hand.

-Thud.

Nael’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.

Followed by Nael’s honest feelings that her heart might burst.

“I-I’m really a fan… Of course, I want to hold your hand… Honestly, I feel like I might faint on the street…”

Ha-eun had to admit that she had tried to close the distance too abruptly.

Though the reaction seemed a bit excessive for just holding hands.

‘…What if this happens at a fan meeting?’

Should she call an ambulance in advance?

Ha-eun’s worries, seeing Nael struggle to get up, were roughly along these lines.

Finally, they arrived at Nael’s house about 10 minutes later.

The sound of Nael’s door lock beeping echoed quietly down the hallway before fading away.

Thus, for the second time in Ha-eun’s 19 years—the first being Da-yeon’s house—she entered someone else’s home.

After politely greeting the middle-aged woman she encountered just seconds later.

“Hello.”

“Oh, my. It really is Lee Ha-eun…”

That was all Nael’s mother could say.

Nael, noticing Ha-eun’s discomfort, hurriedly urged her mother away.

“Ha-Ha-eun, just wait outside for a bit, okay?”

“Uh, yeah. That’s right.”

Thus, with a ding-dong.

Nael finally sent her mother out, leaving only Ha-eun and Nael in the house.

Only then could they take in the scenery of Nael’s house, which had become noticeably quieter.

The family photos on the living room wall and the five-seater sofa gave off a cozy, ordinary vibe.

In a way, Ha-eun’s house was similar, but there was something slightly new about being in someone else’s house.

‘An ordinary house, huh… This feels strange.’

As Ha-eun was engulfed in this inexplicable feeling.

Nael, who had gone to the kitchen earlier, handed her a large machine and several baking tools.

“Um, Ha-eun. This is a cotton candy machine. It might get hot, so I’ll make the cotton candy.”

“Ah, okay.”

“And this is a piping bag. I don’t want anything to splatter on your clothes, so I’ll handle this too—”

After that, Nael’s “I’ll do this too.” continued for quite a while.

She assigned almost all the tools to herself, as if she didn’t want even a strand of Ha-eun’s hair to get damaged.

Thus, a peculiar situation arose.

“Um, then what should I do? There’s nothing for me to do…”

Among the tools Nael brought, there wasn’t a single one Ha-eun could use.

Realizing this belatedly, Nael paused for a moment, acknowledging her mistake.

“Ah, um… Just watch?”

“Hmm…”

“Ah, no. Or maybe let me know when the pancakes are ready to flip.”

She managed to find something for Ha-eun to do.

Honestly, Ha-eun, who had been looking forward to the cooking broadcast with Nael, was a bit disappointed.

“Even if it splatters on my clothes, can’t I at least make the batter?”

“Th-then I’ll pay for the laundry later.”

“You don’t have to. Really.”

“But still…”

“It’s just a regular hoodie. It’s not a luxury brand.”

After much persuasion, Nael finally relented.

Agreeing to wear a very large apron, Ha-eun finally headed to the room with Nael.

Not long after, click.

Then another click.

‘So this is what the broadcast setup looks like from behind.’

Setting up the camera for the cooking broadcast on the broadcast table, Nael finally turned on the broadcast computer.

Facing the familiar desktop.

‘It’s exactly as I remember.’

Strictly speaking, Nael’s broadcast desktop was something Ha-eun had seen in a past life.

That’s why it felt familiar.

However, doing a joint broadcast with Nael was unfamiliar to both Ha-eun and Nael.

“Th-the broadcast time is almost here. So, should I start…?”

Seeing Nael, visibly nervous before the broadcast, gave Ha-eun a new feeling.

Nael’s current demeanor was completely different from the mischievous image she remembered.

But now, canceling the broadcast was something Ha-eun didn’t want either.

“Trust me and relax.”

“Yes, yes…!”

While comforting Nael, Ha-eun guided her mouse to the broadcast start button.

Thus, finally, click.

[The Story of How I Became Dia’s Senior’s Master]

‘…What’s with the broadcast title?’

In a way, it was a very Nael-like broadcast title.

It was already widely known that Nael had obtained Dia’s free pass.

“Hello~. This is Nael~.”

Fortunately, the broadcast started normally.

It made sense, given that she had passed the intense competition to join Gensokyo’s second season.

Just as I thought that.

“Oh, oh, we have a special guest today.”

– LOLOLOLOL

– Why is the master so nervous?

– Be confident, Nael!

– Dia needs some discipline!!!!

She stumbled over her words.

It seemed that making eye contact with Ha-eun was still too much.

Thus, Ha-eun had to step up.

After all, Nael was both a junior in Gensokyo and Ha-eun’s fan.

“I-I’ve been kidnapped by a weirdo…! Save me, Noeul-deul—!”

– Finally caught

– Ah! Starting now, the happy dessert time with Nael junior and Dia!

– Serves you right, baby ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– No, don’t save her, live with Nael master forever

“I-I remember the nicknames of everyone chatting! I’ll drag you all to the Room of Truth!”

– What;

– OMG ㄷㄷㄷㄷ

– What if we switch from WWE to UFC?

Of course, the broadcast remarks were Dia’s, not actress Lee Ha-eun’s.

Thus, Nael’s pupils dilated as if an earthquake had struck.

Still, there were no major issues in the cooking broadcast with Nael and Dia.

They introduced the various baking tools they had set up beforehand and clearly informed the viewers what they would make with them.

Even when making the batter for the first dish, pancakes, no broadcast accidents occurred.

Though Nael was restless, worried that batter might splatter on Ha-eun’s clothes, it was still manageable.

“Ta-da, batter done. Should we cook it now?”

“Yes, yes. Pour it slowly.”

Thus, the thin batter was poured onto the round frying pan.

As bubbles began to rise from the batter, whoosh.

“Yah!”

The thick pancake flew through the air and landed steadily on the frying pan.

“Se-senior!! I was supposed to flip it—”

“But it turned out well, right? Look.”

“It… it did turn out well.”

“Then it’s fine.”

Some time later, Dia’s hand movements were captured again by the cooking broadcast camera.

-Slap!

“How is it? Am I good?”

– LOLOLOLOL

– Look at her being proud ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– Girl power 100%

– Let’s get married, Dia

– Why are you flipping pancakes like you’re stir-frying in a Chinese restaurant?

– Suddenly I’m hungry

– Looks delicious

“Right, it looks delicious~. But only Nael and I will eat it~.”

– Of course

– Sigh

– Dia, stop eating;;;

– Please burn it

– You’ll live alone forever ㅇㅇ;

Of course, seeing Ha-eun like this, Nael was literally stunned.

The current Ha-eun was a completely different person from just a few minutes ago.

‘…Jekyll and Hyde?’