Hobbyist VTuber

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Eyes trembling slightly.

Gaze naturally dropping downward at the murderous intent in front.

A voice clearly laced with fear.

‘Hmm… So it’s Min Dayeon after all.’

To Director Kim Hongseong, Dayeon’s acting felt incredibly real.

It was the kind of immersive performance that perfectly conveyed how an ordinary person would feel when faced with an unpredictable character like Yi Yeseo.

“S-sorry, Director. I’ll make sure this never happens again…”

“Don’t just say it. Show it through your actions if you want to regain trust.”

Right after, Ha-eun’s left hand landed on Dayeon’s shoulder with a light thud.

At the slight pressure from Ha-eun’s hand, Dayeon flinched, bowing her head deeply while showing a thoroughly frightened expression.

Of course, to Director Kim Hongseong, this was also excellent acting.

He was grateful that Dayeon, despite her brief cameo, immersed herself so deeply into the role.

However, Dayeon herself was genuinely afraid of the hand gripping her shoulder.

And for good reason—it was the same hand that had crushed a VR controller with sheer grip strength just a few days prior.

‘…Does she already know?’

As the saying goes, a thief feels guilty. Dayeon, with plenty to feel guilty about, couldn’t help but fear Ha-eun’s grasp.

It was a physiological fear that came before the emotional line written in the script.

She knew full well this was just filming, but fear was fear.

Why else would people feel scared sticking their hands into a crocodile’s mouth?

“I’ll do my best…”

“Not just your best. Do it well. Please.”

After delivering her final line, Ha-eun finally smiled faintly and let go of Dayeon’s shoulder.

Yet, Dayeon’s face still held traces of fear.

Thanks to Dayeon’s outstanding immersion until the very end, the shoot wrapped up in one take without any NGs.

Only Dayeon herself knew her emotions were real.

Perhaps that’s why.

“Are you two close? You really match well in the same frame. There’s great synergy in your acting.”

“Yeah, well…”

Dayeon didn’t refute Director Kim Hongseong’s mistaken assumption.

There was no need to explain the truth.

However, even after her cameo shoot ended, Dayeon kept an eye on Ha-eun.

Because she had faintly sensed Ha-eun’s sincerity during the shoot, she couldn’t help but suspect Ha-eun already knew about Hida’s identity.

“…I thought my shoulder was going to break.”

“Ah, sorry.”

To be honest, even Ha-eun couldn’t say she had no ulterior motives during the acting.

Memories of the days she’d suffered because of Dayeon kept resurfacing.

But due to Ha-eun’s firm belief that Hida and Dayeon were separate entities, she tried not to let her feelings for Hida spill over to Dayeon.

‘This has to be thorough.’

Hida is Hida.

Dayeon is Dayeon.

If she denied this absolute truth (?), Ha-eun wouldn’t be in a position to feel righteous either.

In the end, thanks to Hida and Dia’s collaboration, Hida’s stream had grown significantly, so it was better to just let it go as a good thing.

That’s why Ha-eun complimented Dayeon’s neat outfit later.

“Office wear suits you well.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah.”

A crisp white blouse.

A tight pencil skirt.

It was a new fashion Dayeon hadn’t worn before.

In a good way, it suited her cameo role.

Ha-eun’s evaluation was somewhat natural.

After all, the name Min Dayeon didn’t quite fit a minor role.

This was her first time appearing in such a minor role with no significant weight.

So, Dayeon’s ordinary office wear felt slightly refreshing.

“Hey, Lee Ha-eun.”

“?”

“Can I change now? There’s no more scenes to shoot, right?”

Dayeon, finding the outfit uncomfortable, quickly changed back into her original clothes.

Seeing this, Ha-eun blurted out a question without thinking.

“Dayeon, did you gain wei—”

“No.”

“Uh, okay.”

For a brief moment, Dayeon’s sharp glare made Ha-eun retract her question.

Of course, Dayeon, still feeling guilty about many things, quickly averted her gaze.

It was after this that Ha-eun asked Dayeon if she was heading home.

But since Dayeon responded with the same question instead of answering…

“What about you?”

“I still have more to do.”

“Then I’ll just wait for you. I don’t have anything to do at home anyway.”

In the end, Ha-eun agreed to let Dayeon watch her shoot.

Honestly, Ha-eun wanted to tease Dayeon about why a high school senior had nothing to do, but she had decided to cut back on the teasing.

Meanwhile, Dayeon was too preoccupied with gauging Ha-eun’s mood to think about her high school senior status.

She wanted to figure out if Ha-eun knew about Hida’s identity and if Ha-eun’s cold demeanor was directed at her.

And so, time passed.

By the time preparations for the next scene were complete…

-Clack.

Ha-eun, who had disappeared into the makeup room earlier, reappeared in a different kind of suit.

Dayeon’s eyes widened slightly at Ha-eun’s more imposing outfit.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing… You look like a mafia boss.”

“Ew.”

For some reason, the high-end blouse and vest.

The neatly tied black tie.

And most notably, the oversized suit jacket draped over Ha-eun’s shoulders.

“You look like you’re about to light up a cigar. No, a cigarillo.”

“…Cigarettes are bad for you.”

“It’s just the vibe.”

Dayeon couldn’t help but feel the outfit exuded power.

The more properly dressed Ha-eun seemed to radiate twice the charisma.

Perhaps because she already knew Ha-eun’s character, Yi Yeseo, was a villain.

There was even a faint sense of intimidation.

This was the same for supporting actress Seo Narin, who would soon face Ha-eun.

As Yeseo’s high school classmate in <Veterans>, Narin couldn’t help but feel nervous about Ha-eun’s imposing presence.

‘This is awkward. I’m older than her.’

It was as if Ha-eun’s aura made people shrink unconsciously.

That was the kind of atmosphere Ha-eun had now.

“Alright, let’s begin. …Action!”

-Clap!

With Director Kim Hongseong’s cue, the sound of the slate filled the set.

Seo Narin, playing Song Minhwa, nervously entered Yeseo’s office and cautiously sat on the guest sofa.

“Hey, Yeseo. Why did you… call me?”

The question directed at Ha-eun, seated at the head of the table.

Since Yeseo and Minhwa weren’t on the best terms, Minhwa was puzzled as to why Yeseo had summoned her.

What followed was a sip of coffee.

After setting down her cup, Ha-eun placed a small recorder on the marble table.

“Minhwa, you’ve been saying some interesting things at the reunion.”

“M-me? At the reunion? About what?”

“You’ll know when you hear it.”

With that, *click*.

The small recorder began playing an audio file.

-Yeseo’s so annoying. She looks down on people like they’re beneath her—

-It’s not like she’s flaunting her wealth. But covering herself head to toe in luxury brands? What’s the point—

Minhwa’s voice, filled with complaints about Yeseo, filled the office.

Minhwa’s face gradually turned pale.

“Y-Yeseo, this is just…”

“Don’t say it’s a misunderstanding.”

“…Ugh…”

Yeseo’s cold, emotionless face.

Her sharp gaze fixed solely on Minhwa.

Minhwa, trembling, picked up the coffee cup in front of her and took a few sips.

She felt like she wouldn’t be able to endure the murderous aura otherwise.

After a brief, hellish silence, Minhwa, unable to bear Yeseo’s silent waiting, finally spoke.

“So what, are you going to sue me? Over some petty gossip at the reunion!”

“I won’t sue. I was just curious.”

“About what? Why I criticized you?”

No answer came to Minhwa’s hostile voice.

Only Yeseo’s icy, unflinching gaze.

Minhwa, disgusted by Yeseo’s complete lack of reaction, stood up abruptly.

“Thanks for the coffee. I’ll be going now.”

With that, *clack*.

Minhwa hurriedly got up from the sofa and left Yeseo’s office.

Even then, Yeseo didn’t stop or call her back.

Yet, Minhwa’s footsteps couldn’t leave the office.

-Stagger.

“…Huh?”

Minhwa’s vision spun for a moment.

She found herself collapsed on the office floor.

“The new drug we developed works well, huh?”

“Y-you… What did you put in the coffee…?”

“A narcotic anesthetic.”

“Y-you… crazy b*tch…!”

Yeseo’s shadow slowly approached Minhwa.

As her consciousness faded, Yeseo’s calm voice flowed in like a stream.

But the content of her words was anything but calm.

It was something Minhwa, with her common sense, couldn’t comprehend.

“I’ve never killed a friend before. I want you to tell me how it feels.”

Almost simultaneously, *thud*.

Yeseo’s gloved hand began mercilessly striking Minhwa’s face.

Sometimes pressing down from above.

Sometimes slapping her cheek fiercely.

Sometimes smashing her face head-on, as if to break her bones.

Yeseo, using every possible way a person could hit another, finally picked up a blade at the very end.

And, facing Minhwa’s pained expression head-on, *stab*.

Yeseo’s black dagger plunged deep into Minhwa’s chest.

“…Ugh…”

Minhwa’s weak groan echoed.

Soon, the focus in her eyes disappeared entirely.

Yet, Yeseo looked somewhat disappointed.

For some reason, her eyes were slightly red.

Not even a few seconds later, *plop*.

A warm tear streamed down Yeseo’s face, washing away Minhwa’s blood.

“What… It’s the same. I was expecting more.”

After stabbing Minhwa a few more times, Yeseo finally let out a faint sigh.

Almost simultaneously, she set the dagger down with a *clatter*.

Yeseo then grabbed Minhwa’s hair and dragged her across the floor.

She threw Minhwa into a corner of the office and began stomping on her body.

“…In the end, friends aren’t any different.”

From start to finish, it was a scene Dayeon couldn’t comprehend with her common sense.

And because she couldn’t understand, it felt even more chilling.

Most importantly, the thought that this could be her future lingered in her mind.

If that emotionless gaze ever turned toward her, how long could she endure?

‘I should ask Jinsu oppa to buy some cake.’

It was for this reason that Dayeon called her manager to order snacks for Ha-eun and herself.

To avoid that murderous aura, she felt she had to offer some kind of bribe, even if it was just snacks.

 

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