Hobbyist VTuber-Chapter 173
Whether she liked it or not, her debut as a singer had started with featuring on Doublely’s 10th album.
Before the album was released, Ha-eun had been more worried than excited.
‘At least it didn’t become a dark chapter of my life.’
In the end, she was relieved to confirm that the long years spent learning from Doublely hadn’t gone to waste.
However, despite performing on live stages like the final broadcast of SIT ON THE MONEY with Hwang Ji-hyuk or at the Gocheok Sky Dome during Infinite Challenge Song Festival alongside Yoon Si-hyuk...
“I’ve never performed 『Tunnel』 live before.”
“Don’t you think it’d be nice to perform with the old-timers?”
Ha-eun had never stood on stage for Doublely’s 10th album, which could be considered her debut.
Strictly speaking, the plan was to perform not only the 10th album’s tracks but also others. Lee Jun and Lee Gun-yeol believed that with just a few days of practice, Ha-eun would have no problem covering the parts originally sung by another female vocalist.
“University festivals are so much fun.”
“There’s a ton of food stalls too!”
The two of them continued to persuade Ha-eun to attend a university festival.
“Oh, by the way, if you perform, you could also sing 『One Day in Spring』 and 『Not at All』 from your album.”
Lee Jun’s suggestion included two songs from Ha-eun’s first album that had featured Doublely. Unlike Doublely’s other hit tracks, Ha-eun’s album songs didn’t require much additional practice on her part.
This tipped the scales of Ha-eun’s decision from declining to accepting, and she opened her mouth to ask a few personal questions she’d been curious about.
For example, how long the entire performance would be.
Or,
“Which universities are we going to?”
Her curiosity wasn’t entirely innocent. The main reason for Ha-eun’s questions was that visiting a university fit within her bucket list of experiencing a normal academic life.
“We’ve received offers from a lot of universities, but we can’t go to all of them. We’re narrowing it down to about five.”
“Y University and H University are known for their great facilities and crowd energy, so we’re planning to include those two.”
Shortly after, the list of universities that had invited Doublely was handed to Ha-eun. Naturally, she expressed a desire to prioritize schools she was interested in applying to herself.
‘It’s basically like a university tour, right?’
For Ha-eun, the upcoming university festivals were a rare opportunity to visit campuses she wouldn’t otherwise have time to see. After accepting Doublely’s offer, she began watching videos of various festivals to get a feel for the atmosphere.
Time flew by, and finally, the festival schedules for Doublely and Ha-eun were set to avoid overlapping with Ha-eun’s filming for Veterans.
Ha-eun listed as a performer at Y University Festival?
ㄴ Really?
ㄴ What even is this; why did this happen?
Breaking News: Ha-eun and Doublely to perform together
Pinocchio’s Festival Lineup.jpg
Ha-eun posts teaser video on Instagram
ㄴ Already practicing? Whoa.
ㄴ Is it true she’s performing songs from her own album too?
ㄴ Why are you asking me?
This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.
News of Ha-eun and Doublely appearing together at various university festivals began to stir online communities. This wasn’t surprising, as celebrity performances were often the highlight of university festivals.
It’s a well-known joke that university tuition fees are most effectively spent on these performances. In other words, depending on the lineup, students might feel their tuition is either worth it or completely wasted.
Ultimately, this was the first time Doublely’s 10th album would be performed live in full, with Ha-eun completing the lineup.
Can outsiders enter Y University’s festival?Does K University allow non-students? Asking seriously.If I miss this, it’s the end for me.Will performance videos be uploaded later?Interest in the festivals featuring Ha-eun continued to skyrocket. The fact that both Doublely and Ha-eun were already known for their strong live performances added to the buzz.
Meanwhile, Ha-eun herself was more interested in experiencing the campus atmosphere than the performances.
During a casual livestream, she called out to her college-age fans among the Noeulis.
“Raise your hand if you’re currently a college student!”
Foot.Wow, investigating Noeulis’ personal details?Is Chicken University considered a college?I’m studying at Harvard. Verification possible.Does grad school count?“No, I just wanted to ask something. Don’t joke around—only those who are really university students, raise your hands~!”
Graduate students don’t even count as students, huh? ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠWhat’s this about?I’m a history major at H University.S University mechanical engineering, handhandhandhandhand.Why is the Noeulis average like this...Suddenly feeling a sense of distance.As the chat filled with mentions of various universities, Ha-eun watched the scrolling names for a while. Then she “kidnapped” one Noeulis who said they attended a university on her performance list into a one-on-one chatroom.
At the same time, with a few swift adjustments to her streaming assistant program, she summoned the Noeulis’s SD avatar into Diah’s arms.
Moments later, the Noeulis’s nickname appeared over their SD avatar.
[qwerasf129] - Gasp
[qwerasf129] - Hug me!
‘...They’re really a college student, right?’
Ha-eun stared at the Noeulis’s SD avatar, which spoke in a way that didn’t quite scream “university student.”
Aren’t you at least 20? Why are you acting like a baby?This is going to cause a controversy.Who’s that, and why’s Diah hugging them???Babe, who is that guy?!!!I’m turning darker, darker, darker, darker, darker, darker, darker, darker.She’s openly cheating now. ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠSeeing the jealousy and teasing flood the chat, Ha-eun quickly spoke up, changing the subject to ask what the best food at university festivals was.
“People say different things. What do you think tastes the best?”
[qwerasf129] - Um.
[qwerasf129] - Personally, last year’s festival had amazing toast.
[qwerasf129] - The quality was insane.
[qwerasf129] - Especially the version with bacon toppings and smoked sauce—absolutely delicious.
“Bacon with smoked sauce....”
After thoroughly grilling the Noeulis about campus hotspots and must-visit festival booths, Ha-eun prepared to let them go free.
But just then, the Noeulis dropped more personal information in the chat while asking if Diah was coming to their school’s festival.
[qwerasf129] - Are you coming to our school?
[qwerasf129] - My older brother’s the student council president, so if you have more questions, just as— (Message deleted)
“Personal info is off-limits! Be careful!”
[qwerasf129] - Sorry.
[qwerasf129] - But are you really coming to our school?
“Yep. I checked, and apparently, visitors are allowed.”
Diah confirmed her plan to visit the festival but avoided sharing any specific dates or times.
As far as Ha-eun knew, the Noeulis’s university festival lasted three days and was open to the public. With so many attendees, the chances of someone spotting Diah were almost miraculous.
‘Well, it’s not like I’ll use this voice there.’
Instead of worrying about being recognized, Ha-eun spent her time enthusiastically discussing with the Noeulis what to eat and which booths to visit at the festival.
However, when the festival day arrived, most of their plans fell through.
The reason?
Rustle, rustle.Whisper, whisper.‘...Why does it feel like everyone’s gathering around me?’
On the day of Doublely and Ha-eun’s joint performance, Ha-eun arrived a few hours early to explore the campus before rehearsal. But as time passed, more and more people began to recognize her.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say all eyes in the vicinity were on Ha-eun. Her baseball cap and sunglasses, which had initially helped conceal her identity, were no longer doing their job.
Thankfully, no accidents like people falling or getting hurt occurred in the crowd swarming around her. Still, the situation felt overwhelming.
“Uh... can I get one cup of tteokbokki, please?”
“Yes, yes!!”
Even as she ordered a small cup of spicy rice cakes, all eyes—and phone cameras—remained fixed on her.
Unable to fully enjoy the experience, Ha-eun decided to cut her exploration short.
While she appreciated the attention, being stared at while eating made her feel like she might choke. She also found herself nervously checking for any tteokbokki sauce stains on her lips or clothes.
Before long, she returned to where Doublely was rehearsing. She figured she might as well practice the songs they’d perform later.
“Oh? Weren’t you checking out the festival?”
“Why are you back so soon?”
“...Too many people crowded around me.”
“Ah....”
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
