Hobbyist VTuber-Chapter 239

Diah's streaming schedule had undeniably become less frequent compared to the past.

As Ha-eun's schedule grew busier, the time she could dedicate to streaming naturally decreased.

In a way, this was inevitable.

The longer time passed, the greater the fame and popularity of actress Lee Ha-eun grew.

Streaming almost daily like in the early days was simply no longer realistic.

‘If only I could use shadow clones or something... but I’m not a ninja.’

Of course, her current streaming schedule wasn’t exactly rare either.

The decrease in frequency was only in comparison to Diah’s past, relatively speaking.

Compared to other members of Fantasia, the difference wasn’t significant enough to matter.

Except for one thing.

Whenever she happened to take a break, the duration was strangely long.

Ding![ An anonymous user has donated 50,000 won! ]

: You didn’t end up hospitalized after your trip, did you?

[ eternalyg has donated 50,000 won! ]

: You said nothing serious happened, nothing serious happened, nothing serious happened, nothing serious happened—

Thanks to Nael’s concerned tone—agitation and exaggeration included—the rumor about Diah’s supposed poor health had spread.

Now, the long gaps in Diah’s streaming were being linked to hospitalization.

"Uh... um... I’m not really sure what you’re all talking about...."

It was only natural for Ha-eun to be flustered at the sudden rumors about her health.

If there was one thing Ha-eun had always been confident about, it was her physical condition.

She had no reason to be sick, and she certainly wasn’t hiding anything.

However, people tend to hear only what they want to hear.

The confusion in Diah’s voice was misinterpreted as the pitiful denial of someone trying to hide an illness.

To make matters worse, around this same time last year, Daramji had made an announcement about adjusting Diah’s streaming schedule due to health issues.

Diah, please stay healthy!Take care of your voice, Diah!We don’t mind if you stream less often, just stay with us for a long time! ㅠㅠㅠDon’t overdo it!You have to stay healthy so you can stream forever!Nael’s propaganda of ‘She’s pushing herself even though she’s struggling’ had completely taken effect.

"I- I told you I’m fine! It’s weird, so just act normal! Like always!"

ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠA frail beauty, gaspIt feels like my heart is breaking...(crying emoji) x8I’ll behave, I’m sorry, I won’t leave leftovers anymore, I’ll finish all my homework!We love you, Diah!Take a good rest, we’ll be here!For the first time since she started streaming as Diah, Ha-eun found herself faced with an overwhelmingly warm and affectionate chat.

Compared to the usual teasing and mischievous remarks, this was a complete transformation.

The shocking (and false) news that the always-smiling Diah was actually struggling in silence had been enough to discipline the Noeuls.

A stark contrast effect.

[ Senpai, mute your mic for a second and check your messages. ]

"Ah, okay."

The news that Diah had collapsed during her trip stood in direct contrast to her usual bright and cheerful demeanor, creating a wave of sympathy among the Noeuls.

It was exactly the kind of reaction Nael had seen in countless—mainly romance—novels before.

So, at this moment, she decided to ask Ha-eun to play along.

It was also the perfect opportunity to turn the increasingly unruly Noeuls into more well-behaved and gentle fans.

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - Here’s what’s happening right now.

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - Ah, there’s already a clip.

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - (Link to a clip of Nael talking about Diah’s health)

[ Lee Ha-eun (Diah) ] - Isn’t this about a drama, not me??

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - Collapsed during a trip? ✅

Coughing in front of me? ✅

Looked seriously unwell? ✅

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - I didn’t lie!

[ Lee Ha-eun (Diah) ] - (shocked otter emoji)

After quickly explaining what had happened while Ha-eun was away, Nael went on to elaborate on the scenario she had in mind.

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - (Screenshot of an article about the press screening for God and the Goblin)

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - (Zoomed-in part of the article with the phrase ‘evokes sympathy’)

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - We should subtly play up the ‘frail beauty’ angle from time to time!

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - Even Noeuls won’t joke about health matters.

[ Lee Ha-eun (Diah) ] - But I’m really healthy...

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - You don’t have to fake being sick.

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - Just be vague when Noeuls ask about your health.

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - (Link to TreeWiki article explaining the ‘frail beauty’ trope)

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - This kind of thing works well.

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - It’s an absolute win.

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - Trust me.

‘...Hmm....’

A brief moment of hesitation.

Adding a ‘frail health’ trait to Diah’s RP was an idea she’d never considered before, so she wasn’t sure if it was the right move.

However, looking at the chat now, most of the messages were overwhelmingly kind.

She’d never been able to get this kind of warmth from them, no matter how much effort she put in before.

And so, in the end...

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - The key is to stay vague.

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - Not a Yes or No, just something like

[ Lee Ji-hye (Nael) ] - ‘I’ll take care of my health’ as a promise.

"Ah, I’ll do my best to stay healthy. So, let’s stop talking about it now~."

She followed Nael’s advice on how to steer the conversation.

And almost immediately, the response was—

YesㅇㅇEveryone, quietNo more health talkListen to DiahGoodNo need to push yourselfLet’s keep streaming for a long time!(Noeul waving glow sticks emoji) x6The chat had transformed into an oddly wholesome atmosphere.

It was both baffling and ridiculous how easily the vibe had changed.

Why couldn’t they just be this nice all the time?

‘I don’t like being fussed over, but... hmm....’

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Ha-eun had never been comfortable with people worrying about her, whether in the past or now.

But no matter how she looked at it, the Noeuls had softened up because they were worried about Diah.

Well, in any case.

Right now, she needed to finish judging the acrostic poem contest.

"Alright, let’s take a look at the next one."

She went back to reading through the event submissions in Fantasia’s official cafe.

Though, by this point, almost all the Noeuls had become obedient yes-men.

Oddly enough, she didn’t really mind it.

About thirty minutes later, the five winners who would receive Diah’s plush dolls had been decided.

"...And that’s the five! Congrats~! Clap, clap, clap~."

ㅊㅊㅊㅊㅊㅊAh, damn it!These are rare Diah plushies she picked herself!I’m so jealous!After noting down the final winners’ usernames in a memo, Diah asked them to leave their addresses in a private comment.

With that, the second part of the stream—Battle Island—began.

Somehow, Nael ended up playing too, but that didn’t really matter.

Games were always more fun with more people.

"Ah, jump, Nael! You need to jump now!"

[ "Y-yeah! Okay!" ]

After landing right in the middle of Battle Island's vast map with Nael, everything went as usual.

Until they finished looting supplies like first-aid kits «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» and rifles, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

Even when enemy players appeared in the distance, clearly lining up a sniper shot at Diah and Nael—

Even when the distant sound of a vehicle approaching made them prepare for an ambush—

Everything seemed just like any other Battle Island stream.

Step, step.Thud.Thud.[ Donation incoming! Please take these, both of you! ]

“...Huh?”

[ Diah, fighting! Nael, fighting! Fantasia, fighting~~!! ]

Instead of attacking them, the enemy players donated all their items.

Then, without firing a single shot, they disappeared off into the distance.

"W-what...?"

[ "I think they’re our fans, senpai." ]

"No way. If they were our fans, they would’ve shot at us the moment they saw us."

[ "Gasp." ]

Excuse me, what did you just say?What do you think we are??We're fans, fans, fans, fans, fans, fans!!!Not all Noeulis are evil, okay?Diah, that hurts...That wasn’t a stream sniper, that was a golden goblin!Today was full of first-time experiences.

Not thrilling enough to make her jump with excitement, but not unpleasant enough to make her scream in frustration either.

Just somewhere in between.

***

After Diah’s return stream— which had somehow turned into a collab with Nael— ended, Nael heard Ha-eun’s voice through the Discord call.

"Good job today."

Immediately, Nael responded in a high-pitched voice, "You too, Ha-eun!"

For Nael, there was absolutely no reason to refuse a collab with Ha-eun.

That was also why she had stayed in the call even after the acrostic poem contest was over.

However, about a week later—

The day before Ha-eun and Lenny’s joint concert—

[ Jeong Hwa-yoon ] - Hey.

[ Jeong Hwa-yoon ] - Are you really not going?

[ Nael ] - I have my reasons...!

[ Nael ] - It’s not like I don’t want to go!!

[ Jeong Hwa-yoon ] - Ugh.

[ Jeong Hwa-yoon ] - You sound like some tragic heroine.

The thought of missing the concert only made her more miserable.

She took out her frustration on an innocent pillow.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!!"Ughhh!!"

Technically, she had already messaged Ha-eun, telling her she wouldn’t be able to make it.

But no matter how much she thought about it, the idea of missing Ha-eun’s concert felt like too much of a waste.

Sure, a full recording of the concert would be released later, but nothing could replace the feeling of actually being there.

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!!"Why... why only meee?!"

It wasn’t that she didn’t understand Ji-haemin’s request to avoid attending events related to Ha-eun.

Nael didn’t want weird rumors spreading about her and Ha-eun either.

Even just being spotted in the same space as Ha-eun could start gossip.

Though, to be honest, the chances of that happening didn’t seem that high...

Still, she couldn’t deny that there was a possibility.

Screeeech—!"If you’re going to lose your mind, at least do it quietly! Don’t ruin an expensive pillow for no reason!"

"You don’t understand my feelings, Mom!!"

"Oh, please."

Unable to suppress her frustration, Nael agonized over it for a while.

And in the end, she couldn’t let it go.

She started searching for any canceled tickets to the joint concert.

Click, click.Click, click."...It’s obviously going to be sold out, but... just in case...."

Realistically, even Nael didn’t expect to find any cancellations.

After all, Lee Ha-eun and Lenny were not minor names.

But then, as if fate was playing a joke on her—

"Wh-what?!"

Somehow, she found a canceled ticket.

And, as if possessed, she immediately booked it.

The only problem was—

"...What do I tell the director?"

Not too long ago, she had gotten scolded by Ji-haemin for attending the press screening of God and the Goblin.

Well, maybe not scolded exactly...

But she had gotten an earful for going up on stage and hugging Kang Sun-woo, Ha-eun, and Ha Yun-seong in succession.

"...Ugh, whatever. Let’s deal with that later."

In the end, she decided to talk it over with Ji-haemin.

She couldn’t just sneak off to Ha-eun’s concert without saying anything.

And so—

♪♪♪♪[ ...Hello? Ji-hae? ]

"Ah, um... Do you have a moment to talk?"

Nael finally made the call to Ji-haemin.

[ Hmm... You don’t sound like someone who just wants to talk on the phone. ]

She got caught before she could even say anything.

[ If you don’t mind, meet me in person. My dinner plans just got canceled. ]

"...Alright."

She had planned to just talk over the phone, but somehow, she ended up meeting Ji-haemin in person instead.

"Ah, Ji-hae, over here!"

Of course, she was nervous.

No matter how much they joked around or streamed together, Ji-haemin was still the company’s director.

That title didn’t change.

But at this moment, her devotion as a Ha-eun fan outweighed everything else.

"Director, do you... want some soju?"

"Hmm... Something’s definitely up. Sure, order it."

Nael was determined to persuade Ji-haemin.

Even if she had to rely on alcohol to do it.

Completely unaware of just how much of a heavyweight Ji-haemin was.