Hobbyist VTuber-Chapter 208

In the end, this episode of Friendaholic was a complete success.

A 12.8% viewership rating.

Considering the recent decline in TV variety show ratings due to the rise of OTT services and YouTube, this was an exceptional result.

At the same time, Start Again—which had recently wrapped up—also recorded strong ratings.

Although its numbers gradually dipped over time, the impact of Start Again's first episode had been unprecedented.

Simply put, Ha-eun was a blue chip.

Having already made a successful comeback through The Moonlight That Parts the Clouds,

she had now turned another drama, The Sunshine, into a hit.

On top of that, Veterans, the film marking her return to the movie industry after ten years, had drawn ten million viewers,

causing ripples throughout the entire entertainment industry.

"The market is shifting."

Watching this string of successes unfold, Rev’s executive Hwang Yu-cheon knew—

Ha-eun had successfully caught the wave of the industry’s evolving trends.

Of course, her natural knack for variety shows certainly played a role.

But having an eye for choosing the right projects wasn’t something just anyone could do.

Regardless of everything else, Ha-eun was, at her core, an actress.

An actor’s reputation is built on the impact they leave in their projects—

on the success of their films and dramas.

In a capitalist society, fame is value.

An actor’s name is the clearest indicator of how much value they hold.

That was precisely why, in the past, when Hwang Yu-cheon had chosen Ha-eun as Rev’s CF model,

he had been absolutely certain it was the right decision.

"Come to think of it, Naikayon already reached out, didn’t they?"

Ha-eun’s influence as an actress was evident even in the commercials she filmed.

New novel chapters are published on freewёbn૦νeɭ.com.

Her past CFs had resulted in a significant sales increase for Sears,

and Rev had experienced nationwide sellouts due to her endorsement.

The brand of "Lee Ha-eun" was solidifying.

She had become one of the biggest blue chips in the entertainment industry,

and the flood of offers from major brands proved it.

Thus, Hwang Yu-cheon made a decision.

Ha-eun was not one of those stars who soared in popularity only to disappear without a trace.

No, she was a different breed.

And so, he needed to ensure that his connection with Ha-eun lasted as long as possible.

"We can’t afford to lose her. No matter what."

Rev had every intention of securing the momentum Ha-eun had built.

That was why, at a meeting held a few days later,

Hwang Yu-cheon strongly pushed for an extension of their contract with Ha-eun.

However—

What he didn’t know was this:

There was another company.

A corporation even larger than Rev.

One with far more power and influence—at least, within South Korea.

And they had been watching Ha-eun very, very carefully.

"What do you think?"

A cold hospital room.

The sharp scent of disinfectant.

The monotonous beeping of medical machines.

And—

A frail young man, seated neatly on a stark white hospital bed.

Opposite him, standing with an imposing presence, was an elderly man.

This elderly man was the chairman of SL Group—

one of the most powerful corporations in the country.

He was also the young man’s grandfather.

And now, he was asking his grandson yet another question.

"What do you think of this woman?"

He gestured toward the file he had just handed over.

A document filled with details about Lee Ha-eun.

"How far do you think she can go?"

Hearing this, the young man responded in his usual dull tone.

Predicting such things is meaningless, he said.

There had never been a case like this before.

"However..."

"I do believe she’s worth reaching out to."

"You think so as well?"

"Yes."

The elderly man—who had been standing—slowly sat down on the edge of the hospital bed.

And then, he began to speak.

Sharing information only someone in his position could have access to.

"So, she personally sought out Kang Sun-woo... and convinced him."

"In the end, she brought him back in front of the camera."

This man, who stood at the very top of the corporate food chain, spoke in a level voice.

"This new drama, where Ha-eun and Kang Sun-woo reunite... it will cause a massive impact."

"The story between them... their history... their reputation... none of it can be ignored."

"That’s why we proceeded with multiple sponsorships—"

"—But you think it’s not enough?"

"As always, you see right through me."

"Yes. Sponsorships alone aren’t enough."

The conversation shifted to an upcoming film—

A Parasite Family.

The director behind it was a genius—a man who had mastered the balance between mass appeal, creativity, and artistic value.

"He’s already been to the Berlin Film Festival."

"And he personally chose Lee Ha-eun for the role."

"A meeting of two people with exceptional instincts."

"Indeed. The results will be unprecedented. She will soar to heights beyond anything we’ve seen so far."

To an outsider, the old man’s words might have sounded like baseless speculation.

But considering who he was—

A man who had built SL Group from the ground up.

A businessman who held the reins of South Korea’s media industry.

His words carried immense ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ weight.

"Knowing that her value is about to skyrocket..."

"What kind of businessman would just sit back and watch?"

Not one person in the room could dismiss what he was saying.

Not even his grandson.

"Before it’s too late, I intend to bring her in."

"May I ask how you plan to do that?"

"There’s a drama currently in production. One about our family’s history."

The conversation took a turn toward legacy.

The chairman wanted Ha-eun to be the face of the drama The Chairman’s Granddaughter—

a story based on his own father’s life.

"If she does well, your great-grandfather will be remembered once more."

A man who had once stood at the forefront of South Korea’s economy.

A man who had shaped history.

And now, his son wanted that legacy to live on.

"For me... there is another reason."

"What do you mean?"

"She reminds me of you."

A strange feeling.

The chairman had felt it before when looking at Ha-eun.

And now, he voiced it aloud.

"Get well soon. There are many things I need to tell you before I leave this world."

His voice carried a quiet sadness.

Directed toward the sharpest, most intelligent of his descendants—

A boy who had been confined to a hospital bed for his entire life.

"...I’m sorry."

"I’m not blaming you. I’m blaming fate, twisted beyond repair."

With a light pat on the young man’s shoulder, the chairman turned and left.

Only the monotonous beeping of the machines remained.

After a long pause, the young man slowly lay back down.

Then, he picked up the file on Lee Ha-eun.

"...He thinks I resemble her?"

His dull gaze lingered on her photo.

A girl who, as of last year, had begun rising again at a terrifying speed.

A child prodigy who had been called a genius since her early days.

What exactly did they have in common?

At the time, he didn’t know.

Except for one thing.

Something that had aired during Start Again.

"She's a total newbie. It's kinda cute—"

"C-Cute, huh..."

"...I didn’t expect someone like her to watch VTubers."

Rewatching Start Again on his phone, the young man let out a small chuckle.

Because he was absolutely certain—

His grandfather’s reasoning had nothing to do with VTubers.

"I wonder what she’s doing right now...."

***

"H-Ha-eun, what did you just do?"

A beach in Jeju.

Ha-eun had just wrapped up a commercial shoot for Naikayon,

when she suddenly heard a voice filled with shock and confusion.

The reason?

She had not only surfed the waves flawlessly—

but had also jumped mid-air in the process.

"I just... did what I was taught."

"The instructor... taught you how to jump?"

"Uh, well... the waves were stronger than I expected. The jump kind of... happened on its own?"

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

Ha-eun trailed off, still unsure why the director was so stunned.

The silver lining was that the take had been good enough to be used in the final cut.

Technically speaking, it was completely different from the storyboard she had originally received.

But since Naikayon was a sports brand, Ha-eun’s spectacular surfing scene fit the advertisement perfectly—

if anything, it made the commercial even better.

Of course, she still filmed a short, more standard surfing scene afterward, just to match the original concept.

But in the end, when the marketing team later reviewed the footage,

everyone agreed—the first take had the strongest impact.

With that, the Naikayon commercial shoot was finally done.

Ha-eun headed to the nearby showers, peeling off her rash guard.

After washing away the salty seawater and sand,

she changed back into her regular clothes.

Then, she returned to where Ju Jung-yoon was waiting.

"I’m back."

"Oh, done already?"

Two hours later, Ha-eun was on a flight back to Incheon.

By the time she arrived at Incheon Airport, got in Ju Jung-yoon’s van, and headed home—

"You worked hard today! Get some rest~."

"Ah... ...Yeah."

Her schedule should have been over.

She had told Jung-yoon she would rest.

But today... was Diah’s streaming day.

More importantly, tonight’s stream was a collab with the second-gen members.

And as the only first-gen member participating, Diah had to be there.

To be honest, Ha-eun had been looking forward to this collab.

The only problem?

She had arrived home later than expected.

"Crap, I’m late...."

Hurriedly, she rushed into her apartment, heading straight for her room.

Dropping into her streaming chair, she quickly logged into the collab’s Discord channel.

Tadadadak.[Scrap Metal Hunting with Juniors☆]

Diah?!Look at this senior showing up late lol.Where were you? Where were you? Where were you? Where were you? Where were you?Are you asserting dominance over the juniors, Diah?I was so cold, I was so cold, I was so cold, I was so cold, I was so cold...Just let it slide, she’s the senior lol.Stay confident, crybaby."Ah, ah? Can you hear me? Sorry for being late—!"

(Arms crossed emoji) x5Is that all? Just words?!If ‘sorry’ was enough, why do we have laws?!Dogeza... is the only answer...MY CHICKEN GOT COLD!!!Thought you weren’t coming today;;After greeting Noeulis, who had been waiting for her,

Ha-eun switched to the collab voice chat

and finally greeted the second-gen members.

"Sorry, guys! There was so much traffic today!"

[ It’s okay! It’s really okay!! ]

[ Why is Nael suddenly so excited~? You sure you’re not a Noeuli~? ]

[ ...Welcome. ]

Today’s collab members:

NaelOceanHidaOriginally, they had planned to have all five second-gen members join.

But due to personal circumstances, two had to drop out.

With the stream already past its scheduled start time,

they quickly logged into tonight’s game—

Lethal Walking.

Before long, the screen showed a huge helicopter hovering over an island.

Diah and the other three avatars took their seats one after another.

"Is everyone in?"

[ Yes! ]

[ Wow, my first time in a helicopter! This is kinda cool~. ]

[ Uh... is it just me, or is the helicopter shaking every time we talk? ]

Lethal Walking was a game where players scavenged scrap metal on deserted islands to sell for profit.

The reason they were all on a helicopter?

They were headed to one of those islands.

The problem was—

scrap metal wasn’t the only thing there.

The bigger problem?

The islands were home to wild beasts and bizarre experimental creatures.

And the biggest problem of all?

"Alright! Let’s each collect scrap for ten minutes, then regroup at the helicop—"

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud."...Huh?"

The monsters... had zero patience.

And the moment the team set foot on the island—

They were attacked.

[ B-Big one incoming!! ]

[ Oh my gosh. It’s like an elephant fused with a gorilla! ]

[ RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!! ]

The sudden appearance of the giant monster sent the collab members into a full-blown panic, scattering in all directions.

But somehow—

- Thud!

[ "H-Huh...?" ]

Right behind Diah, Hida’s avatar tripped over a rock and faceplanted onto the ground.

[ "S-Senpai, save me!!" ]

Ha-eun instantly recognized the shrill, desperate voice coming through Diah’s stream.

And as expected, the chat reacted accordingly—

- Oh no

- He’s about to get stomped LOL

- Yeah, Diah, that one’s done for

- Leave him, save yourself

- R.I.P in advance

- He’s a goner, 100%

Diah glanced between Hida, sprawled helplessly on the ground, and the massive creature charging toward them.

After a brief moment of deliberation—

She made her choice.

The living must go on.

"You’ve lived long enough, Grandma!! Sorry!!!"

[ "H-Huh?! Where are you going!!" ]

- LOLOLOLOL

- Respecting elders? Never heard of it

- 600 years old is a pretty solid lifespan, tbh

- Look at Hida freaking out

- THIS is a senpai? THIS is what a senpai looks like...

- What were you even expecting from Diah LMAO

Before long, Hida’s life signal went flat.

And Diah, playing up her grief, let out a dramatic sigh as she “mourned” her fallen junior.

"We played cops and robbers together... sniff... we played horror games... maid roleplay too... sniff..."

But then—

"...Wait, now that I think about it, wasn’t Hida the only one having fun?"

"Well then. Good riddance!!!"

- Gasp

- Plot twist??

- Now that I think about it, he really was a menace LMAO

- Revenge is best served cold

- Should we, uh... start making money now?

Ultimately, Hida’s funeral was short-lived.

Because just a few seconds later, Diah stumbled upon a high-value piece of scrap metal—

And immediately dropped the act, her voice turning bright and cheerful.

"Oh hell yeah, a 1,000-coin find!"

- Ohh

- She got a pipe on the first round

- Hida’s definitely watching from the afterlife, seething

- Live footage: Hida staring blankly into the void

- 1,000 coins is actually pretty good, ngl

- The baby VTuber is rich now