Hobbyist VTuber-Chapter 197

「H-how do I get the swelling down? My face is twice its /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ normal size...」

Go wash up at the valley, it’ll go away.Nah, you need to go to the hospital, get treated, and take medicine.Wow, look at everyone giving false hope. That effect is permanent.Not a single honest answer here, lmao.Just make a new character, easy fix.「W-wait, what? I have to remake my character? Seriously!?」

“Pfft, it just disappears over time. Idiot...”

While Ha-eun was stifling her laughter at Hida’s obvious panic, Song Hyeon-min—who was sitting one seat away—was listening to the song he’d be performing at the busking session.

「─────♪」

‘...Hmm...’

He even had his eyes closed, fully focused on the song.

Which meant that, for now, he had no idea what Ha-eun was doing.

But after the four-minute track ended, he opened his eyes to check how much longer they had left until their destination—

“...Pfft...”

‘Huh?’

That was when he noticed Ha-eun, also wearing earphones, watching something with an amused expression.

Naturally, curiosity sparked.

Her eyes had a slight curve to them, her lips tugged into a smile as she tried to suppress her laughter.

It was a sight that struck Song Hyeon-min as strangely fascinating.

And so—

-Tap, tap.

His hand lightly touched Ha-eun’s shoulder, and almost at the same time, he spoke up.

“What are you watching?”

Of course, he hadn’t actually peeked at her screen.

He was simply curious—nothing more, nothing less—about what had Ha-eun so entertained.

“A-ah! Uh, um... I, uh...”

“?”

Why was she so flustered?

Did he ask something he shouldn’t have?

Seeing her open her mouth, hesitate, then close it again multiple times, Song Hyeon-min started feeling a little awkward himself.

So he quickly reassured her, saying that if it was something she didn’t want to share, she didn’t have to.

“N-no, it’s just... It’s a gaming stream, so... I figured you wouldn’t really be interested...”

‘...Gaming?’

That was an unexpected answer.

Publicly, Ha-eun had the image of a model student.

The kind who had boldly declared on a university festival stage that she’d be enrolling as a freshman.

She had even gone as far as making her report card public.

Of course, it wasn’t like watching game streams was a crime or anything.

There was nothing wrong with it.

It was just... interesting.

That someone as self-disciplined as Ha-eun—who already had clearly defined abs at nineteen—also watched gaming streams.

And, more than anything—

Song Hyeon-min was a gamer himself.

“So... It’s called Animal Village... Do you know it?”

“Oh, yeah! I used to play Animal Village! The villagers were adorable... Damn, now I miss it.”

Somehow, they ended up engrossed in a conversation about Animal Village.

And, almost shyly, Ha-eun tilted her phone screen toward him.

“This streamer just started playing Animal Village for the first time. And, uh... they just got stung by bees. Now they’re jumping in and out of the river, trying to get rid of the swelling. Total newbie, it’s adorable—”

‘Ha-eun talks a lot when it’s about something she likes, huh...’

Realizing this, Song Hyeon-min kept up with the conversation, matching her energy.

He still had no idea who the streamer on her screen was.

But chatting about Animal Village like this somehow made them feel closer.

While Yoon Seung-jae from Veterans had left a strong impression, he already had a good impression of Ha-eun herself.

There was no downside to getting along with a talented singer who had already proven herself in the industry.

That said, neither Song Hyeon-min nor Ha-eun—

“Oh, this angle’s good.”

—realized that Kim Jung-hyun PD had taken note of their little exchange.

It was only about twenty seconds of footage.

A brief, fleeting scene filmed just as the bus entered a tunnel, plunging the outside into darkness.

But—

-Wait, isn’t that Hida???

-No way, is this real??

-Come to think of it, didn’t Min Da-yeon watch Diah?

-Are VTubers getting popular among actresses now??

-Illusionary Realm’s influence is insane.

-Lux stock is about to skyrocket, lmao.

Even though the Start Again production team hadn’t specifically filmed Ha-eun’s phone screen—

That one frame, which the editing team had overlooked, set off a chain reaction.

And with that, the long-hidden truth about Diah slowly started to unravel.

***

By the time the Start Again cast’s bus finally arrived at the parking lot near the busking venue, Ha-eun and the other cast members had begun filming scenes of them carrying performance equipment like music stands and keyboards.

However, unlike the other singers, who could also play instruments like drums, piano, or guitar—

Ha-eun didn’t play any instruments.

“Hmm... I’m the only one empty-handed. Maybe I should’ve brought a recorder or something?”

“Ha-eun, your vocals are already a cheat code. If you played an instrument too, that’d be straight-up unfair.”

Since she couldn’t help with tuning instruments or checking sound levels like the others, she had no choice but to watch from the sidelines.

That was why she found herself absentmindedly fiddling with the microphone in front of her.

It was only after about twenty minutes that everything was finally set up.

The park they were performing in had a fairly high foot traffic, and by now, a sizable crowd of passersby had gathered in anticipation of their performance.

“Ah, ah. Mic test, mic test.”

Leo’s voice came through the speakers on the ground.

After introducing themselves in English, he kicked off the busking session with a well-known pop song.

「And tick tack tick, It ain't stop~♪」

Leo’s light vocals accompanied by his acoustic guitar.

Leni’s piano playing beside him, and Song Hyeon-min’s steady beat on the drums.

And finally—

-Swoosh.

「──♪ Run after our destiny─♬」

Ha-eun’s crystal-clear voice filled the air, seamlessly completing the female vocal part.

With some of Korea’s finest musicians performing together, it wasn’t long before the crowd erupted into applause.

-Clap clap clap clap clap─!

-Wow~♪

-Korean singers? Aw~.

As the sound of applause gradually died down, Leo picked up the mic again.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

This time, he announced that they would be performing a Korean song and gestured toward Ha-eun.

A familiar song title followed.

“One day in spring. Korean name is 봄의 어느날 (One Day in Spring).”

In that instant, every eye turned to Ha-eun.

And moments later, as Leo, Leni, and Song Hyeon-min began playing the rearranged band version of One Day in Spring—

-Swoosh.

-Click, click!

-Ding!

Most of the onlookers pulled out their phones, eager to capture the performance.

「You and I─♪ Someday, will we be able to believe that everything will be okay─♬」

There weren’t many in the crowd who could understand the Korean lyrics.

And yet—

No one moved a step until Ha-eun finally lowered her microphone.

As the last lyric of One Day in Spring echoed from the speakers, a wave of enthusiastic applause followed.

The sound came from strangers—faces she had never seen before, voices she didn’t recognize.

Ha-eun lowered her head slightly in gratitude.

I’m really glad I learned how to sing.

Somewhere deep in her chest, a pleasant warmth spread.

It was such a fulfilling feeling that even when the performance came to an end—

She didn’t feel tired at all.

***

“Great job, everyone~!”

“Wow, time really flew by...”

With their long journey through Europe finally over, the Start Again production team returned to the familiar land of Korea.

After taking a final commemorative photo, the cast members gradually began to part ways.

Just like during the previous 2 Nights, 3 Days shoot, the cast had exchanged phone numbers.

Thanks to that, Ha-eun’s phone now had the contact information of some of the most famous artists in Korea.

“Ha-eun, make sure you answer my calls~. We have to release a song together before the year ends~.”

“Oh, of course. I’ll be waiting.”

And with the usual parting pleasantries exchanged, she said goodbye to the artists she had grown close to.

Then, as always, she hopped into Ju Jung-yoon’s van and headed home to rest.

However, in the end—

Her time to recover from travel fatigue was very short-lived.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay going alone?”

“Yes, it’s fine. I’ve already memorized the route.”

Before returning to Noeulis, there was something she absolutely had to do.

Or rather, someone she had to visit.

That was why, despite Ju Jung-yoon’s concern, she made her way to the train station.

Taking the van wasn’t an option, as Ju Jung-yoon had personal matters to attend to.

Besides, she had also been traveling with Ha-eun the whole time—she deserved a break, too.

And so, for the first time in her life, Ha-eun boarded a high-speed train.

As the scenery outside the window changed with each passing second, she sorted through her thoughts.

“...It’s been years.”

In her hands was the finalized script for God and Goblin.

The scriptwriter, Hong Soo-eun—whom Ha-eun had formed a connection with through The Sunshine—had personally handed it to her.

If you can convince him, I really think... this could become an incredible drama.

And now, that script was on its way to someone who held a very special place in her heart.

It hadn’t been easy to reach out, given how much time had passed.

But after some effort, she had finally managed to arrange a meeting.

With her heart pounding ever so slightly, she forced herself to stay calm.

By the time she arrived at a quiet countryside station, she had more or less gotten her nerves under control.

Her destination was a vast field on the outskirts.

More specifically, the small house nestled right beside it.

-Ding-dong—♪

The doorbell’s clear chime rang softly in the still air.

And before long—

-Creak.

The black iron gate before her swung open from the inside.

And standing there—

A face both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

“...Ahjussi.”

I need you.

With the same composed expression as always, Ha-eun reached out toward the man she had once made a promise to.

The person who had first introduced her to the world of acting.

The one who taught her that acting wasn’t just pain.

And the very first person she had ever met on set.

“You remember our promise, don’t you? That we’d meet again in front of the camera.”

“...You’ve grown. In more ways than one.”

“It’s all thanks to you.”

Star.

Among all the people Ha-eun had met, the one who shone the brightest—Kang Sun-woo—lightly took her hand.

“Well, either way, I can’t just leave a ten-million-ticket actress standing outside. Let’s talk inside.”

“Okay.”

-Swish.

As she followed Kang Sun-woo inside, her hair swayed lightly in the breeze.

A clear wind was blowing.

A wind that, in the near future—

Would become a massive storm, sweeping through Korea, all of Asia, and even the United States.

“God and Goblin, huh...”

“It’s going to be unforgettable. I know it.”

In the quiet countryside, the beginning of something extraordinary was slowly taking shape.

“Let’s start again. Together.”