Hobbyist VTuber-Chapter 323

They say dawn is the hour of emotion. Someone said that once. What Da-yeon recalled as she looked at Ha-eun, who seemed to be having a sad dream, were memories like that.

Maybe that’s why. Eyes slightly damp in her sleep. A strangely subdued voice. Things you wouldn’t normally find in Ha-eun—Da-yeon couldn’t take her eyes off them.

...Should I ask?

What had Ha-eun, with that bitter expression a few hours ago, been trying to say? In the quiet of dawn, Da-yeon’s emotions were stirred, and it led her to questions like these.

Already groggy from the medicine, seeing that vulnerable side of Ha-eun only made something inside Da-yeon twist. She couldn’t stop thinking.

“...What kind of dream could it be...”

Thinking about it, it had always been like this. Someone who didn’t always seem so wise would suddenly look so foolish in unexpected moments. Someone who always seemed unshakable would, at times, appear on the verge of collapse.

Maybe that was why it got to her even more. Because Ha-eun had always seemed strong in so many ways. Because she was someone Da-yeon found herself leaning on, someone she could always depend on, without even realizing it. She just couldn’t look away.

—Slide...

—Pat, pat.

Staring quietly at the sleeping Ha-eun, Da-yeon gently reached out and lightly patted her back. She hoped it wasn’t just her imagination when she saw that faint darkness on Ha-eun’s expression begin to fade.

Still, I hope someday you’ll be able to say it.

“You could just say it, you know. What’s so hard about that...”

With the early morning emotions and her foggy head from the cold meds, Ha-eun looked pitiable. Instead of crying like this in her sleep, couldn’t she just say it outright when she’s awake?

It’s not like I’m just anyone to you. It’s you and me. The words Da-yeon murmured silently to herself as she patted the sleeping Ha-eun made her heart ache a little.

She wasn’t even sleepy anymore, having slept the whole day. So she spent the whole night comforting Ha-eun with her hazy mind.

“...Haa...”

Whether it was because she wasn’t feeling like herself—so unusually sentimental—or because her body and mind were already in chaos, now made worse by medication—

For some reason, Ha-eun looked more like a child than ever today. Every time Ha-eun let out a low, whimpering sound in her sleep, Da-yeon instinctively held her tighter.

But, to get to the point—she shouldn’t have. She should’ve stopped after a little bit of comforting.

—Slide.

—Squeeze!

“...Huh.”

Ha-eun’s left arm, which had just been resting lightly at Da-yeon’s side, slid around her back. Her right arm snuck between Da-yeon and the bed, joining the left.

And just like that, Da-yeon was locked into an embrace like a giant doll being squeezed. Sure, until just a moment ago, Da-yeon had been hugging Ha-eun too.

—CRRRACK!

“Hiiek?!”

But Ha-eun hugging with force was a whole different story. Why was she only now remembering that Ha-eun had a habit of grabbing things in her sleep?

“W-wait... Hey, hey...!”

—CRUNCH!

“──!──!!!”

A sound that should not have come from a spine rang out. With her face buried in Ha-eun’s chest, even breathing became a challenge.

At least Ha-eun wasn’t squeezing with her full strength, or it could’ve been worse. Feeling faint, Da-yeon weakly struggled with her sick and aching body.

But for unfortunate Da-yeon—she couldn’t escape from Ha-eun’s hold until Ha-eun actually woke up. Until then, she was stuck, crumpled like a pro-wrestler locked in a submission hold.

“...Yaaawn...”

Looking completely refreshed, Ha-eun even yawned like she’d had the best sleep of her life. And when she shamelessly asked Da-yeon if she slept well, Da-yeon didn’t even have the energy to be angry.

“Pain relief patch... Bring me a patch... You psycho....”

“...??”

Her back was, quite literally, gone. She couldn’t even get out of bed.

So Ha-eun had to personally stick a patch on Da-yeon’s tailbone. And Da-yeon lay facedown in bed, deeply regretting ever sleeping in the same bed with Ha-eun.

***

“Hey, Da-yeon. I... I’m gonna go now, okay?”

“G-go. Just... go already....”

—Tweak!

“──!──!!!”

With another cry of pain, Da-yeon grabbed her lower back and slumped to the floor again. Watching Da-yeon struggle to even walk properly, taking crooked steps, Ha-eun hesitated. Was it really okay to leave someone that hurt alone?

Looking closer, there were even tears in Da-yeon’s eyes. She was patting her back like she really had become a 600-year-old grandma.

“This is all your fault!”

“W-what did I do...?”

So Ha-eun couldn’t go closer, and she couldn’t quite leave either. She kept hovering in place, unsure what to do—until she heard that Da-yeon’s parents would be coming home in a few hours. Only then did she finally take a step.

“Your mom’s coming soon anyway, so just go.”

“Y-yeah. Still... you should go to the hospital, seriously.”

“Just go.”

“Yessir.”

The moment she met Da-yeon’s deadly glare, she immediately left the house and caught a taxi back to her place. As soon as she opened the front door, she could hear Baekseol scampering over.

—Thump-thump-thump.

—Lick lick.

—Lick lick.

“Yeah, Seol-ah. You really missed noona, huh?”

With Baekseol in her arms, Ha-eun walked into the living room and was immediately met by Na-yeon. Na-yeon asked about Da-yeon’s condition almost the moment they locked eyes, and Ha-eun instinctively looked away—guilt bubbling up.

“Is Da-yeon feeling a bit better?”

“Ah, um... ...Kind of? I think she’s gotten a little better....”

Technically speaking, the cold symptoms had improved. But saying Da-yeon was “better” didn’t feel quite right. Especially since the very reason her condition was now questionable... was Ha-eun herself.

Is my sleep habit really that bad...?

She’d only heard vaguely that Da-yeon’s back had gone out because of Ha-eun’s sleep habits. But she didn’t know the full details. So she cautiously brought it up with Na-yeon—asking about her sleeping habits. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

And the answer that came back:

“Every day was a crisis.”

Na-yeon went on to explain how hard she’d worked to train Ha-eun to sleep alone.

“Your dad had to get acupuncture in his back every time he slept with you.”

“...Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

If she didn’t believe it, Na-yeon suggested ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) she try asking Seong-yoon later that day—to say she wanted to sleep in the same room as her dad. So Ha-eun waited for Seong-yoon, who had stepped out earlier, to return.

Then, just like Na-yeon told her, she said:

“...Dad, can I sleep with you tonight?”

To which Seong-yoon responded in pure horror:

“...Did I do something wrong?”

He muttered to himself—more like a prayer than a joke—that maybe he should sleep over somewhere else tonight.

“I still want to live, you know. I haven’t even turned sixty yet. I don’t want to die.”

“Wh-where are you even going...?”

It wasn’t like she was anyone else—it was just his daughter! Why such a dramatic overreaction? Seeing Seong-yoon hiding behind Na-yeon’s back, peeking his head out in fear, made Ha-eun narrow her eyes.

So that night, she seriously considered sharing a room with her dad. But after wrapping up her Sunday livestream and stepping out of the soundproof booth, she tiptoed toward the master bedroom—

—Click.

—Click click.

“...Huh.”

The door, which had never really been locked before, was now locked. Is my sleep habit really that bad?

Sure, she could force the door open if she really wanted. But if she broke the doorknob, Na-yeon would definitely scold her. So, in the end, she had no choice but to go to bed with her teddy bear like usual.

“...Is she gone?”

“Pretty sure she is.”

“...You know I can hear everything, right?”

***

Time passed, and soon there was only about a week left until the 3D debut of the second-gen Illusionary Realm members. It was also the day before Diah’s two-year debut anniversary.

“...I’m heading out.”

“Just take a few pics and come right back, okay? It’s rush hour—super crowded right now.”

Ha-eun, having spent the entire afternoon filming The Youngest Son of the Chairman, wasn’t at home. She was headed to Samseong Station. Because starting today, Diah’s birthday ads were being displayed there.

Not just inside on the station’s digital billboards, but also on the massive outdoor display boards—

Literally, it was Diah everywhere. Ha-eun had to see it with her own eyes.

Despite Ju Jung-yoon’s attempts to stop her, she still made her way to Samseong Station. She wanted to leave a thank-you message and a proof shot for the Noeulis who had raised a large amount of money for Diah’s birthday ads.

—Murmur murmur.

—Murmur murmur.

...Yeah, there’s a lot of people.

Her face was well hidden with a baseball cap and mask, so no one recognized her just yet. Even so, she was cautiously glancing around—because she wasn’t the only one there to see Diah’s birthday ads.

Inside the station, outside along the main road—

People from all walks of life were taking photos and proof shots of the ads. ...There were even couples.

They both look like college students... Hmm...

Come to think of it, how should she refer to a female Noeuli? It felt weird calling her the boyfriend.

Actually—

Wasn’t that cheating? Whether they were a male Noeuli or a female Noeuli, getting into a relationship while worshipping Diah was clearly cheating. ...How was one supposed to handle this kind of situation?

“Hmmm...”

Lost in these random thoughts as she watched the Noeulis in real life instead of through a screen, she decided to just start taking pictures. One way or another, she had to preserve this moment.

First, the indoor billboard inside Samseong Station. Next, the massive outdoor ad display.

—Slide.

《HAPPY DIAH DAY》

《Diah: Happy Birthday》

Illustrations of Diah cycled across the enormous billboard, and Ha-eun stood frozen, watching. A strange mix of emotions—one hard to describe and honestly, a little embarrassing—filled her.

And yet she kept staring. Because just looking at it made her feel good. If she could, she wanted to scream. Of course, she already knew exactly what would happen if she actually did scream.

Anyway, just as she was admiring the giant billboard of Diah’s illustration with proud eyes... She was about to head back to Ju Jung-yoon.

—Tap tap.

Someone touched her shoulder. Almost at the same time, a familiar voice rang out.

“Um, excuse me... Are you Ha-eun?”

“...Uh....”

She turned around to find someone very familiar looking back at her in shock. Surrounded by about four or five VJs.

“...Mr. Yoo-seok?”

One of the few people she still called “mister”—Seong Yoo-seok, who’d known her since Don’t Stop People, was standing right there. The problem was, she instantly realized why he was talking to her.

“Wow, I didn’t expect to see you here, Ha-eun. How’ve you been?”

—Shake shake.

—Shake shake.

“Ah, y-yes. I’ve been, uh... good.”

They shook hands—very enthusiastically, even. And then came the question: would she be willing to spare a moment for an interview? In short—an impromptu scouting.

“We’re shooting Seongterview right now. Any chance you’d do a quick interview, Ha-eun?”

“Oh, um...”

Technically, there was no reason she couldn’t. She didn’t have anything else scheduled.

But then the crew quickly set up some portable chairs for Ha-eun and Seong Yoo-seok. They clipped a mic onto her blouse.

“What brings you here today?”

The standard Seongterview street interview question landed—and it was a huge problem. Because the reason she was here... was something she absolutely couldn’t say.

And behind her, playing in clear view, was still Diah’s birthday ad. The spot they chose for the portable chairs was just too perfect.

“Uh, I... just had some errands nearby...”

She managed to mumble through an excuse—but even then, she was already dreading the day Seongterview: Lee Ha-eun aired. This was the textbook example of wrong place, wrong time.