Hobbyist VTuber-Chapter 183

The first teaser trailer for Veterans was predominantly composed of scenes from the detectives' perspectives.

It showcased a sequence of action-packed moments, featuring Detective Jeon Jae-han and Detective Kang Chan-seong taking down criminals like gangsters and thugs in contrasting styles. Jeon Jae-han, a seasoned middle-aged detective, moved with precision and elegance, while the younger, zealous Kang Chan-seong executed flashy and chaotic moves to subdue offenders. The overall tone was more lighthearted and upbeat than heavy or intense.

Lee Ye-seo, the villain of the story, was briefly shown in only a few fleeting glimpses. Even in those moments, she appeared more like an ordinary corporate executive than the decadent, third-generation chaebol heiress she was rumored to be.

"I’m sorry, but... is something wrong? Is there something on my face?"

"No, I was just wondering—what does it feel like to be a cop? I’m personally curious about a few things."

The scene where Detective Kang Chan-seong and Lee Ye-seo finally crossed paths portrayed her as nothing more than an innocent young woman.

"Wait... did I just get a confession?"

"Hmm... not quite the kind of confession you’re thinking of."

Even as Lee Ye-seo smiled faintly, it was hard to think of her as a villain. There was no hint of the extravagant, reckless aura often associated with chaebol heirs, nor did she exude an unsettling atmosphere.

However, when people connected to Lee Ye-seo started to disappear, and the teaser transitioned to an isolated house in the countryside, everything changed in the last ten seconds.

"Hey... Mister."

Gone was the subtle smile from before. Lee Ye-seo’s expression turned cold and emotionless as she looked downward. Gripping a small dagger beside her, she passed by the camera.

"Don’t make this harder than it has to be for me."

—Shhhk.

With her body blocking the camera’s view of the victim, she slightly raised the dagger in her hand.

"Cleaning up CCTV footage is honestly such a pain. Let’s keep this neat and simple."

—Thunk!

—Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

Even without showing the act directly, her silhouette made it clear she was killing someone. The teaser ended with a shot of Lee Ye-seo brushing her blood-soaked hand through her disheveled hair.

The final ten seconds of the teaser, which flipped the mood entirely, sparked a frenzy online. Despite the teaser being 80% focused on the detectives, the last scene with Lee Ye-seo was all anyone could talk about.

Her true identity revealed in those final moments left viewers reeling.

"Chills... this is insane.""So you’re saying that’s the same Kim Jung-hyun? Seriously?""The atmosphere is terrifying.""She’s cutting through everyone—literally!""Why does she become a completely different person when she holds a knife? LOL.""This is the first time someone’s face has genuinely scared me."Social media and online communities were abuzz, and all the chatter revolved around Lee Ye-seo. Her detached expression in that brief scene was unrecognizable, far removed from the Ha-eun fans knew.

Even Ha-eun’s fan community, which had already been excited by her Job People appearance and the release of her Rev CF, erupted in discussion. This was a cold, ruthless side of Ha-eun that no one had ever seen in her previous works.

"Give me back my Han Yoo-hwa!!!"

ㄴ "Park Do-joon from Stars is sobbing right now LOL."

ㄴ "Han Yoo-hwa reincarnated and is going on a killing spree."

"Ha-eun, I’m scared of you now."

"Where did the girl crying at the fan meeting go?"

"Kang Seon-woo, are you watching? Look how much our Ha-eun has grown."

ㄴ "What’s he even up to these days?"

ㄴ "I heard he’s farming now."

"Am I the only one who found her disdainful expression thrilling?"

ㄴ "You have good taste."

ㄴ "She’s still a minor, you creeps!!!"

ㄴ "Uh... doesn’t that make it better?"

ㄴ "What’s wrong with you?"

As the buzz surrounding the impactful teaser of Veterans dominated the internet, Rev, the brand behind Ha-eun’s CF, reaped the greatest benefits.

Typically, playing a villain like Lee Ye-seo could negatively impact an actor’s brand image in commercials, but this was an exception. For Rev and Director Hwang Yu-cheon, who had spearheaded Ha-eun’s CF campaign, this scenario was part of their calculated plan.

"If she were an unknown actress, it’d be a different story."

But Ha-eun was already an accomplished actress whose reputation and career were well-established. The weight of her past roles and accumulated experience was far from insignificant.

While even Hwang Yu-cheon acknowledged the intensity of Lee Ye-seo’s character, he believed that a single movie wouldn’t overshadow the legacy of the young star known as a "divine talent."

This was why Hwang Yu-cheon viewed Ha-eun’s villainous role as an opportunity. He saw Lee Ye-seo not as a figure that would define Ha-eun as a villain, but as one that would bring her unprecedented attention.

Unfamiliar yet striking transformations tend to linger in people’s memories, and this aligned perfectly with the ultimate goal of a CF: to leave a lasting impression.

There was no need to nitpick or justify his judgment; the sales reports piled on his desk were proof enough that he had made the right call.

"All that’s left now is for the movie to do well."

With a light smile, Hwang Yu-cheon glanced at the screen, which displayed the Veterans teaser surpassing ten million views and climbing further.

"I wonder what kind of storm this movie will bring...."

The upcoming release of Veterans was bound to have a positive ripple effect on Rev’s sales. The collision between the veteran Seo Jin-tae and the rising star Lee Ha-eun had produced a work that promised nothing less than excellence.

"Let’s hope it breaks ten million viewers."

***

A few months ago, Ha-eun had come to a conclusion: the roles she played in her acting career had a significant impact on her school life.

Naturally, the teaser for Veterans that was released a few days ago was bound to affect her school environment as well. After all, the reactions in the fan communities she had secretly checked out were dominated by comments about how frightening her portrayal as Lee Ye-seo was.

Ha-eun figured that her classmates and juniors at school would react in the same way, if not more intensely. Therefore, the scene currently unfolding before her eyes was well within her expectations.

Sure, she had anticipated this. Given the stark contrast between Lee Ye-seo's image and her usual demeanor, it wasn’t even that surprising.

But then why was it bothering her so much?

Murmur murmur.Whisper whisper.Even though the students were avoiding approaching her directly, leaving her in peace to study, the constant whispering grated on her nerves. Perhaps it was because she knew that the interest in her hadn’t decreased; it had actually grown.

“...I mean, is it really necessary to whisper every time I walk by?”

“It’ll get worse once the movie premieres. This is just the beginning.”

“‘Beginning’... You mean like the snack?”

“...Sometimes, Ha-eun, you really do sound like an old grandpa.”

“Don’t ever make a joke like that again.”

Da-yeon, looking as though she had just witnessed something unspeakable, harshly criticized Ha-eun’s sense of humor.

‘Was it really that bad?’

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

Honestly, Ha-eun felt wronged. After all, the joke Da-yeon had just dismissed was entirely a product of her past life.

The sole source of fond memories in Ha-eun’s previous life had been her grandfather, who had a considerable influence on her current self. The occasional old-fashioned expressions and "grandpa jokes" she spouted were all his doing.

‘Not that anyone would believe me if I told them....’

In any case, Ha-eun felt it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t like she wanted to have such a dismal sense of humor.

She decided to let it slide, mainly because Da-yeon was deeply engrossed in “studying” something right next to her. While Ha-eun wasn’t sure exactly what it was, it was clear that Da-yeon was hard at work.

‘Did she get offered a new role or something?’

To Ha-eun, Da-yeon’s current demeanor resembled how she looked when researching for a new role. So, Ha-eun assumed she was studying a script.

However, what Da-yeon was actually studying turned out to be college entrance material—specifically, information about the admissions process for the prestigious university where Ha-eun had delivered her freshman speech.

‘I was told there’s a chance with the talent-based admissions....’

Strictly speaking, Da-yeon’s grades weren’t as good as Ha-eun’s.

But her determination to not fall behind Ha-eun, and her vow to stay by her side, drove her to diligently prepare for the only feasible option: talent-based admissions.

Even at home, this new side of Da-yeon moved her parents, Min Jung-woon and Jeong Go-eun, to tears. Their daughter, who had previously shown no interest in college, was now working hard on her own initiative.

“This is all thanks to Ha-eun, dear. She’s doing this because she wants to go to the same university as Ha-eun.”

“Hah, they say you follow your friends even to Gangnam....”

Min Jung-woon, looking mildly impressed, murmured as he gently closed the door to Da-yeon’s room.

But neither of them knew that less than an hour later, their daughter would lock the door.

And at almost the exact same time—

“I’m here~!”

She would transform into the subtly unhinged witch Hida, chatting away with her fans, the "Hansels."

"Hihi!""Welcome, Witch!""Let’s play Minecraft today!""Hida, did you know your house decor changed a little?""Don’t tell her Diah did it, though."“Hm, I have a bad feeling about this....”

Logging into the collaboration server for the streaming platform Fantasy Online came a little later. The server, built in the popular game Minecraft, also included other VTubers from the Illusionary Realm agency.

Both Diah and Hida had been building their respective houses, farming items, and carrying out various activities in the server. However, Hida’s neatly constructed and aesthetically pleasing home was now covered with graffiti:

[Hida’s Mid <<< Diah’s Mid]

[Nursing Home for a 100-Year-Old Grandma]

Because of this, Hida’s expression darkened.

“Hmm, where did Diah-senpai say her house was? Was it in the mushroom forest?”

"Uh, what’s that lava in your hand for?""Where’d you get a blindness potion?!""If that hits someone, it’s permanent, Hida!""Your housewarming gift is a bit extreme, don’t you think?""Oh no, it’s war!!!""Invade the Spirit Kingdom! Let’s gooo!"All nine slots in Hida’s inventory were filled with explosives and weapons. Every single item was chosen for one purpose: revenge on the reckless spirit who dared to vandalize her house.