Hobbyist VTuber

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Chapter

A long red carpet.

Cameras of celebrity reporters filled both sides.

The photo wall visible beyond.

‘…How many years has it been?’

All of this was quite a long-awaited sight for Ha-eun.

It had been a while since she attended any award ceremony, since she had been there as the young Han Yoo-hwa in “You Who Came from the Stars” at the UBS Acting Awards.

The memory of receiving the Youth Acting Award on the vast stage at the UBS is now faint.

She didn’t even remember what acceptance speech she gave.

It was simply because she had returned to the scenery she encountered in her childhood.

Walking the red carpet not as a child actor, but as a full-fledged leading actress, she slowly started to realize her new status.

-Swish.

After arriving at the photo wall with Yoo Sung-jae, she paused for a moment and gently waved her hand towards the cameras ahead.

Somehow, a calm smile of an actress graced Ha-eun’s face.

The confusion from Daya’s Diah keyring had completely vanished.

Maybe that’s why.

“…Hmm.”

Yoo Sung-jae, who noticed Ha-eun’s overall change in mood, briefly turned his gaze towards her.

In response to his gaze, Ha-eun’s voice was filled with curiosity.

“Did something get on my face?”

“No, just… you look okay now.”

Nothing was actually on her face.

As Yoo Sung-jae’s gentle voice rang out, Ha-eun’s doubts began to dissipate.

Almost simultaneously, another familiar voice was heard.

“You look pretty today. The dress suits you well, Ha-eun.”

“Ah… you’re pretty too, Sung-jae.”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t the first time she had been told she was pretty.

Of course, the makeup artist who did Ha-eun’s makeup had said so.

Her manager, Joo Jung-yoon, also mentioned that Ha-eun looked especially lovely today.

Hearing it from Yoo Sung-jae didn’t feel particularly burdensome.

Ha-eun couldn’t deny that today’s appearance was more actress-like.

However, the soft murmur that followed from Yoo Sung-jae.

“…■■■■.”

-Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap─!

The sound of camera shutters filling the air made it hard to hear.

That was why she understood the need to speak to Yoo Sung-jae quietly again.

“Um, Sung-jae.”

“Yeah?”

“What, what did you say earlier outside?”

A brief moment of silence followed.

But the words that came next were not what Ha-eun had been curious about.

“I said you look pretty today.”

“Ah, no… the words after that.”

“That the dress suits you well?”

“…A little further back.”

“Oh, that was just me talking to myself… No, it wasn’t exactly that, was it?”

About ten seconds of Yoo Sung-jae’s contemplation followed.

But ultimately, Ha-eun wasn’t able to get the words she was curious about right now.

“I’ll tell you later. It might be a long story.”

“Oh, okay.”

Finally, Ha-eun and Yoo Sung-jae stepped toward the seats on the other side.

Soon they arrived at their seats, each labeled with their names, ‘Lee Ha-eun’ and ‘Yoo Sung-jae.’

Voices from people who had already arrived at the award ceremony echoed right after.

“How is it?”

A question followed that asked if Daya didn’t look different when she dressed properly.

Ha-eun briefly shifted her gaze towards Daya and spoke the same words Yoo Sung-jae had said to her earlier.

“You’re pretty.”

Daya’s overall white-toned dress—soft makeup layered over her strong features.

From head to toe, she looked no less than Ha-eun.

Of course, Ha-eun just spoke the truth as it was; she had never compared herself to anyone specifically.

However, personally, Daya seemingly wanted Ha-eun to lift her up a little more.

“How pretty are you?”

Without even glancing at Yoo Sung-jae, Daya persistently pressed on Ha-eun.

Ha-eun, unsure of how to respond, could only show a shy expression.

Yet, Daya’s persistence did not come to an end.

After struggling with deep thought after deep thought…

“…You’re as pretty as you.”

It was a compliment that Daya herself would find odd to deny.

It was Ha-eun’s clever way of navigating her way out of Daya’s stubbornness.

However, Daya’s expression turned out to be different from what Ha-eun had anticipated.

“What… what does that mean?”

Her cheeks were slightly flushed.

Her eyelids were trembling subtly.

Ha-eun’s expectations were turned upside down in various ways.

“Just that, Daya, you’re as pretty as you… why?”

“Ah, no… um… thank you.”

After that, there were no more questions regarding Daya’s appearance.

For some reason, Daya had become very quiet.

‘Why is she acting this way?’

To be honest, it wasn’t that Ha-eun didn’t care at all, but…

Not long after, the KBC Acting Awards finally began, and the timing to talk to her had passed.

Soon, two middle-aged actors appeared on stage.

With a brief comment, the lights in the award hall began to gradually focus on the stage.

“It is an honor to be here with all of you at this festival.”

“There are some amazing people sitting before me~.”

Soon the discussion moved to various dramas from KBC.

The influence of KBC’s dramas, notable famous scenes, and many actors who became famous through KBC were mentioned.

“Now, let’s begin the KBC Acting Awards with these wonderful people who have graced this occasion!”

Following that, loud cheers and applause erupted.

For Ha-eun, it had been a while since she had heard such loud sounds, bringing back fading memories.

It had been 11 years since “The Man Next Door” and 7 years since “You Who Came from the Stars.”

The time it took to return to this splendid spectacle filled with actors all around was long—yet not too long.

But Ha-eun could assure herself that there would be more events to come than the things that happened in the past.

In this moment, she would do her best to ensure it wouldn’t be the last award ceremony for her.

“Now, it’s the Youth Acting Award first.”

Ha-eun didn’t feel awkward or strange about everything unfolding before her.

Like Daya on her left and Yoo Sung-jae on her right, like many actors surrounding her.

She wanted to become part of the KBC Acting Awards, merely carrying the title of ‘Actress.’

The award ceremony continued afterward.

Out of many actors, only a select few deemed worthy went on stage to receive their trophies.

As she sincerely applauded the actors stepping on stage,

“Now, next is the Best Supporting Actress Award!”

When the middle-aged actor’s comment about the award ceremony was spoken, a familiar face appeared on the screen.

A sense of tension lingered around as the winner’s name was finally read.

“…Congratulations! It’s Min Da-yeon from ‘The Moon Divided by Clouds!’”

-Switch.

Instead of clapping as usual, she lightly nudged the frozen Daya.

Thus, Daya had no choice but to go on stage.

The acceptance speech she gave started with, “I really didn’t think I’d win this.”

However, as Daya started to thank each of the people who had helped her, she suddenly broke down in tears.

“Ha-eun. No, I truly thank you, Ha-eun…”

Daya, overwhelmed with her feelings, burst into tears as she recalled past memories.

When Daya returned to her side, her eyes were slightly swollen.

“Are you okay?”

“…It’s your fault.”

“What, what did I do?”

“Because you, Lee Ha-eun, kept avoiding me… I had to suffer, *sniff* do you know how hard it was?”

To put it plainly, Ha-eun felt it was unjust.

It was originally because of Daya’s request that she started avoiding Daya.

Of course, now for Daya, those ‘trivial’ things didn’t matter.

Even though she knew Daya’s words were strange, she stubbornly pursued Ha-eun.

“If you keep avoiding me, I’m not going to let it go…!”

‘…Why is she acting like this today?’

Could it be a second puberty is hitting?

Or perhaps, the aftermath of overwhelming emotions hadn’t worn off yet.

Daya currently seemed quite immature in many ways.

It had been a long time since she uttered the word ‘senpai’ again, and that was the reason.

“It’s not over yet, senpai. This is live, so calm down~.”

“……”

Fortunately, after that, there were no more whining from Daya.

Though the piercing gaze towards Ha-eun didn’t disappear, it was still manageable.

Thus, more time passed.

The award hall’s screens continued to replay various KBC dramas.

“This time, it’s for the Best Couple Award. Wow, really great couples are everywhere~.”

The presenter’s voice sounded slightly excited.

The pleasant enthusiasm didn’t fade even while they called out the award nominees.

However, since one of the names mentioned was also very familiar to Ha-eun,

Not long after, the names of the winners included hers.

“Min Da-yeon from ‘The Moon Divided by Clouds,’ and Yoo Sung-jae and Lee Ha-eun! Congratulations!”

-Clap clap clap clap─!

Once again, she had to rise from her seat amidst the applause filling the room.

Walking in step with Yoo Sung-jae, they reached the stage.

“Congratulations~.”

Another presenter handed them a bouquet and a golden trophy.

Afterwards, Yoo Sung-jae began his acceptance speech.

“First, thank you to everyone who loved ‘The Moon Divided by Clouds.’ Thankfully, I was able to work with truly amazing actors—”

Up till then, Ha-eun was focused on what to say during her acceptance speech.

So she listened carefully to Yoo Sung-jae’s exemplary speech, but…

-Whoosh, whoosh.

For some reason, the atmosphere below flared up.

Surprisingly, Daya also wore a slightly flustered expression.

Then, Daya’s wavering gaze caused Ha-eun to shift her own gaze too.

And at that moment, they both met various iconic scenes from ‘The Moon Divided by Clouds’ suited for the Best Couple Award.

“My lord… please become my lord…”
“Willingly.”

Of course, sounds didn’t reach them, but the faces of Yeong-wol and Lee Hyun getting closer could be seen.

At the moment they couldn’t get any closer, Ha-eun could clearly meet the eyes that were fully shut.

“Now, let’s hear from Lee Ha-eun’s acceptance speech~!”

When her turn came, and she stood before the microphone, all sense of calm was obliterated.

Because various kissing scenes, other than the one she had stared at intensely, unfolded all over the screen in the award hall.

Most importantly, all the actors before Ha-eun were people who were famous in their own right, watching her and Yoo Sung-jae’s kissing scenes right in front of them.

“Um, I think I’m lucky to act with a person like Sung-jae.”

Ha-eun’s thoughts stumbled over her premeditated lines.

As her earlobes flushed bright red.

Ultimately, she hurriedly left the stage without properly finishing her concluding remarks.

The issue was that Daya’s eyes grew narrow after watching the various kissing scenes on the screen.

“…You’ve done everything with Yoo Sung-jae, haven’t you?”

“?! Ah, no!”

“Doesn’t matter if you say it’s not true. You clearly looked dazed during the kiss in the last episode.”

“Ah, I wasn’t, it was acting!”

“Ah, okay~.”

Ha-eun would wager her life that everything Daya said was a misunderstanding.

The kiss scenes, which appeared even more realistic than the real thing, were thanks to the mood in the drama and the editing team’s skills.

The only part that actually came in contact with Yoo Sung-jae were their fingers.

They had never touched any other part.

However.

“Please, Sung-jae, say something too…!”

“Um… Your Majesty, I hope you don’t mind the love actions between husband and wife~.”

“?!”

Somehow, Daya’s gaze narrowed further due to Yoo Sung-jae’s playfully teasing remarks.

Ultimately, Ha-eun was caught awkwardly stuck between Yoo Sung-jae and Daya.

To put it another way, it felt like sitting on a bed of nails.

“Stand tall, my lady. What is there to be embarrassed about?”

“H-h-m’lady? M’lady?”

“How rude, Your Majesty. If you’re envious, just say it.”

Even Yoo Sung-jae, who had been caught up in a childish back-and-forth with Daya, couldn’t raise his head.

Ha-eun wanted to hide, even if it meant finding a mouse hole.

Yet, for the award ceremony that continued on.

The continuous applause.

The continuing acceptance speeches.

In the end, escape was never a choice.

The last portion of the award ceremony also featured Ha-eun’s name amongst the nominees for ‘Best Actress.’

But she had no particularly high expectations.

Having already won the Best Couple Award, and the other candidates were also outstanding actresses with remarkable talent.

While there was no doubt that “The Moon Divided by Clouds” was a massive success.

She had never really thought that she could stand out and surpass many great actresses.

“─At the KBC Acting Awards, the winner of the Best Actress Award is… Congratulations. Lee Ha-eun from ‘The Moon Divided by Clouds!’”

“…Huh?”

The grand screen at the award ceremony began to flash scenes gradually.

“…I will kill them all.”

Ha-eun slaughtered the assassins invading the palace in every direction.

“Die──!”

“…!! Your Highness!!”

Now, it was this very woman—not anyone else—who risked her life to protect her beloved.

In the end, once again, she had to get up and go to the stage.

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap─!

Loud applause rippled through the hall as she received the golden trophy handed to her by the presenter.

Emotions surged as Ha-eun grasped the trophy, one she could only have.

The acceptance speech that began after this was much calmer than the one she had given for the Best Couple Award.

“Hello. I am Lee Ha-eun, playing Yeong-wol in ‘The Moon Divided by Clouds.’”

As always, she was composed.

She stated what she had to say and what she wanted to say in a calm manner through the microphone.

However, a distant memory began to take shape in her mind and posed a question to herself.

And at this moment, she felt she could answer sufficiently.

‘I will become a person worthy of the prize you have given me…’

“I believe I could become someone suitable for the award you’ve given me, and I’m really thankful for that.”

Like at her first award ceremony, where she bowed her head low, she now held her head high until she finished her acceptance speech.

She knew that it might come off a little arrogant, but frankly, she didn’t care.

“Then, I will work hard… No, I will work even harder from now on. Thank you.”

Thus, with a determined stride,

Ha-eun carefully cradled her golden trophy as she walked down from the stage, returning to her seat once more.

She had returned to her place as ‘Actress Lee Ha-eun,’ the title she’d continue to hold.

There was no doubt that this was Ha-eun’s place.

After all, she had become someone deserving of the place she sat in.

She had no intention of yielding her position to anyone else.

It belonged solely to that one person—Ha-eun.

***

This KBC Acting Awards ceremony was held live from start to finish.

Thus, reactions to the event were all in real-time.

Consequently, community responses began appearing while the awards were still ongoing.

– Lee Ha-eun entering the KBC Acting Awards gif.

ㄴWow, what’s up with that dress?

ㄴThat dress fits her so well, it’s insane ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

ㄴSister, I’m going crazy totally!

ㄴIf Ha-eun is my sister then that can’t be right!

ㄴIf she’s prettier than me, she’s my sister!

– Real-time) Lee Ha-eun & Yoo Sung-jae winning Best Couple.

ㄴLook at the footage of “You Who Came from the Stars”?

ㄴThey really picked only the solid gems for this show ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

ㄴBeing 15 may mean no censorship!

– Ha-eun seems to be feeling a bit out of it.

– She froze up unexpectedly at the kiss scene.

ㄴIt’s so cute that she’s embarrassed, it’s true!

ㄴShe’s not usually a stammering kind of girl, but she’s breaking down now ㅋㅋㅋ

Ha-eun’s fan community was excitedly broadcasting everything she was doing at the KBC Acting Awards in real-time.

To be precise, it wasn’t that unusual, but…

In another community, somewhat distanced from Ha-eun’s fan community…

– Real-time) Min Da-yeon Diah shoutout.

ㄴNo matter how you look at that, isn’t that a Diah keyring?

ㄴYeah, that’s definitely a Diah keyring!

ㄴThat handbag is pricy, but she’s got that Diah keyring on it ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– Who’s got the VTuber rumors now!!!

ㄴOur Diah is world-class..!

ㄴEven working actresses are captivated by Diah’s charm.

– I never thought Min Da-yeon would look friendly like this.

ㄴAh, celebrities are people too~ Not otherworldly beings!

ㄴWhy create ranks among the same colors of sunset? ㅋㅋㅋ

The atmosphere was filled with excitement concerning Ha-eun’s other side.

More accurately, it was Da-yeon’s commotion causing excitement, but as a result, the attention towards Diah also surged.

Maybe that’s why.

– **Click.**

[Year-end group broadcast in the magical realm.]

“Hello~”

“Hello, hello─☆”

During the last week of December, the group live-streaming event held in the magical realm flooded with chats mostly related to Daya and Diah.

– Such a shoutout from a celebrity to a VTuber!

– Is Min Da-yeon still watching now?

– Our precious one has suddenly gone global..!

– Is this broadcast genuinely watched by a famous actress and a high school student???

– Just shout, “Diah GOAT!”

Fortunately, Da-yeon’s acquaintances didn’t draw any attention.

The thing Ha-eun once worried about, that being friends with Da-yeon would shine a spotlight on herself, never happened.

However.

– **Ding.**

[WithCoin has donated 10,000 won!]

: Is Diah’s real name beginning with Min, ending in ‘go,’ and ’Ryeon’?

“What… what kind of nonsense is that…?”

Ha-eun never imagined someone would mistake Diah’s identity for Da-yeon’s.

This unexpected moment left her at a loss for words.

– ?

– Why was she stammering?

– No way, seriously????

– Diah’s not the same as Da-yeon, right?

– Hold on, my head is spinning!

– Speak clearly now!

“Uh, I see some weird comments… I’ll ban anyone spreading rumors, so behave yourself, okay?”

– Ah, let’s not lose our minds.

– The rumor isn’t what it seems!

– Let’s hear Diah’s clarification first!

– So, is Min Da-yeon or not!!!

– Hmm, this is a blue pill scenario ㅇㅇ