Hobbyist VTuber

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“Has it been a few months since the CF shoot?”

Or perhaps it was because I had never seen the final version of the CF beforehand.

“Anyone can stumble sometimes and feel overwhelmed by the trials ahead.”

It was a bit… no, a lot different from what I had imagined when I first saw my CF on the TV across the living room.

It’s not that it was edited completely differently from the concept Director Kang Eun-tae had shared with me.

Facing my own reflection in the TV screen rather than in a small hand mirror required even more courage than I had anticipated.

Thanks to that, I spent my first sleepless night.

Of all days, the day after the CF aired was also the first day of kindergarten, and I couldn’t even take a nap, let alone sleep in.

“Haeun~. You can’t be late on the first day of kindergarten~.”

“…I know….”

I struggled to lift my eyelids, feeling heavier than the children’s dumbbells that I could only use at breakfast, and began to get ready to go out.

It wasn’t until ten minutes later that I finally looked the part of a kindergartener.

However, the entrance ceremony for the kindergarten I would be attending had already taken place six months ago.

My mother, who was slightly more enthusiastic about my education than the average parent, kept searching for the perfect kindergarten for me, and by the time she found one, it had already turned to autumn.

“Since it’s the first day, everyone might feel a bit awkward, Haeun. But if you muster up some courage and say hi first, you’ll make friends quickly.”

I found myself in a position where I had to somehow wedge myself into the already somewhat friendly group of kids.

Having become younger in body but not in mind like a high school detective from another country, I didn’t think I’d be particularly upset about not befriending six-year-olds.

However, I could guess that if my parents heard that I was having trouble fitting in with my peers, they would probably worry about me.

“Friends… the more, the better, right?”

“Of course. If you get along well with your friends, Haeun, you’ll have fun.”

For now, I decided to put in effort to get close with as many kids as possible, just as my mother wished.

I felt it wouldn’t be right to spoil the efforts of someone who had tirelessly compared various kindergartens over the past six months to create the best environment for me.

So, I finally arrived at a private kindergarten located a bit farther from home.

“Go for it, our daughter!”

“…Go for it.”

I managed a light fist pump in response to my mother, who was encouraging me with both fists clenched.

I was then taken to a classroom called “Dalling Class” by a teacher who had been waiting for me with prior notice.

“Okay, kids. We have a new friend in our class today.”

At the gentle voice of the teacher, all the kids turned to look at me.

It was a bit strange to have a good twenty pairs of bright eyes staring at me.

“Hmmm… there are more than I thought.”

This was my first time going to kindergarten, both in this life and the last, and it felt somewhat amazing.

Looking back, I had missed more school days than I had actually attended in elementary, middle, and high school.

To say this was my first experience of school life wouldn’t be misleading.

But now, I’d never have to go to the hospital instead of school again.

I thought it wouldn’t be too bad to blend in with the vibrant children, even just a little bit.

I would need to think about what kind of expression would help me approach the kids more friendly, though.

“The new friend’s name is Lee Haeun. Since she’ll be with us from now on, let’s welcome Haeun with a round of applause!”

-Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!-

The applause of the kids echoed through the classroom.

Exactly three seconds later, one kid raised his hand enthusiastically.

“Teacher! I think I’ve seen her somewhere!”

“Really? Where did you see her, Siwoo?”

“Um… I can’t remember. But I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere.”

It seemed the CF that aired yesterday had left a vague impression on him.

However, it felt a bit embarrassing to admit that I was the one in the CF, so…

I decided to play dumb for now.

If I boasted about being on TV, I felt I would be seen as someone with a sort of celebrity syndrome.

“Alright, let’s go to Haeun’s seat now. You can sit by the window over there.”

So, following the teacher’s pointing finger, I walked over.

Soon, during playtime that started shortly after, I tried my best to strike up conversations with as many kids as I could.

Due to the difference in mental ages, I couldn’t instantly understand what the kids were trying to say or what kinds of interests they had in me.

“Hey, Haeun. Want to play doctor with me?”

“Sure.”

I didn’t push away the kids who wanted to do something with me or were curious about me.

Seeing the kids approach me first like this, it seemed that my flawless appearance, which was a trait of being reborn, was effective even on kindergartners.

From then on, the time passed peacefully without any significant issues, but there was one unexpected thing.

“Doctor, how long can I live?”

“Oh.”

“Five years?”

“Five, four, three, two, one, zero. You are dead.”

‘…Am I in a morning drama?’

The kids were surprisingly ruthless compared to what I had imagined.

Before I knew it, the doctor play quickly morphed into a funeral play.

“Oh no, Haeun! What if a dead person opens their eyes!”

“…Sorry.”

Keeping up with the kids’ flow of consciousness was not an easy task.

Since this was improvised acting without even a script unlike during the CF shoot, the difficulty level was even higher.

*

“What brings you to contact me first? Is something wrong?”

“Is there something wrong? I just wanted to see you after a long time.”

The moment Eun-tae Kang walked into the beef restaurant right in front of him, his high school friend Lee Joon said this while linking arms with him.

After being guided by the staff, they arrived at a seating area that resembled a room surrounded by partitions.

The reason for the private space was simple.

Lee Joon was not only a popular hip-hop artist but also a fixed member of a major public entertainment program.

“If you get recognized and someone finds out, you won’t be able to eat.”

“Hmmm, so that belly fat could potentially cause a problem?”

As light banter continued back and forth, the atmosphere slowly relaxed.

As they filled their bellies with glistening beef, the topic shifted to Eun-tae’s recent CF.

“Your CF you shot this time has a nice vibe to it.”

They began to discuss the CF that had captured a lot of attention as a new initiative in the advertising world.

The topic of the new music video for Lee Joon’s hip-hop crew, “Double Lee,” gradually came up as well.

To be factual, CFs and music videos are inherently different in their feelings.

Yet, one could argue that a music video was essentially a type of CF that introduced a music product to consumers.

“I have a storyboard, but could you take a quick look at it?”

“Can’t hurt. Hand it over.”

It made sense for Lee Joon to seek advice from Kang Eun-tae, a quite skilled CF director.

So, after receiving about ten pages of the storyboard from Lee Joon, Eun-tae began to carefully review the details of the new song “Matchstick” music video.

“This one also has a great concept, doesn’t it?”

“Really?”

“Yep! It’s just as I expected; there’s a reason why you’re so successful.”

Eun-tae felt that the storyboard Lee Joon handed over had no areas needing revision.

In other words, it meant that there wouldn’t be any particular problems if they proceeded to shoot the music video as it was.

However, for some reason, when Lee Joon insisted that he had to see through to the last page, Eun-tae, feeling a bit suspicious, managed to finish reviewing the last page of the storyboard.

It was right after he discovered that the name of the actress playing the main character, the matchstick girl, was left blank.

‘…No way.’

Gradually, Eun-tae’s gaze drifted away from the storyboard and headed toward Lee Joon sitting across the table, and sure enough.

“Hey, the girl from your ad, her name was Lee Haeun, right?”

-Smirk.-

“Give me Haeun’s contact info, Eun-tae. I’ll treat you to everything today in exchange.”

With a natural smile, Lee Joon revealed his true reason for inviting Eun-tae out.

I can’t believe he said he just wanted to see me after a long time.

“Seems like becoming a celebrity has made you a bit scary, Joon.”

“Come on, help me out. Gun-yeol and I searched high and low, but we couldn’t find anyone better suited for our music video than Haeun.”

Eun-tae could easily perceive the earnest look in Lee Joon’s eyes.

When it came to music, Joon was a person who wouldn’t settle for anything less.

“So, should I order more meat?”

It didn’t take long for Eun-tae to notice that he and Joon were feeling the same certainty he had on the first day he saw Haeun.

“Sure, order whatever you want to eat. I still have a long way to go before I’m full.”

Not long after, thick sirloin cuts were placed on the heated grill.

Just like the meat gradually turning brown on the grill, the butterfly effect of Eun-tae bringing Haeun into the screen world was steadily becoming clearer.