Hobbyist VTuber-Chapter 261

It turned out to be impossible to finish the interview with Song Hyun-min during the break.

All because they kept getting bloopers.

“There’s no such thing as a blooper in an interview!”

“Well, you keep joking around. This channel’s for international fans too, so if you keep slandering me, it’s going to be a problem.”

“Don’t they have the right to know, too?”

“...I think we picked the wrong guest.”

Even now, getting saddled with some weird human weapon image was far from welcome.

There are things you just don’t say to a 19-year-old actress.

Sure, technically she’d be twenty soon, but it didn’t really change anything.

Since Ha-eun and Song Hyun-min had gotten close enough, she wasn’t planning on scolding him for light teasing.

She just wished he’d respect the weight of ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ the word “interview” a little more.

“I’m not joking, seriously. I’m being really sincere right now.”

“You seem especially tired today. You keep saying weird things.”

And so the question about Ha-eun’s first impression was brushed past awkwardly.

They decided to save that one for when Song Hyun-min was a bit more serious, and moved on to questions about the music video currently being filmed for “Num0.”

The next few questions were about the general feel of the song and the music video for “Num0.”

“What kind of mindset did you have when making the song?”

“Um, is there a scripted answer for this?”

“There’s no such thing as a scripted answer in interviews. Just say what you honestly think.”

“...I did just say what I honestly think.”

—Beep.

—Tap tap tap. freewёbnoνel-com

—...Beep.

“Alright, let’s shoot again. What kind of concept does this ‘Num0’ song have?”

“This is such a trap question, seriously...”

Anyway, after hearing a rough explanation of the concept from Song Hyun-min, who had both composed and written lyrics for “Num0,”

they continued with the rest of the pre-approved questions from PD Lee Da-hye.

The unexpected part came during the interview—someone floated a new promotional idea for “Num0.”

“How about uploading a challenge on Ha-eun’s YouTube channel too? Maybe around the time of the official release?”

“A challenge?”

“Yeah. A short 20-second clip of the highlight choreography with the dancers—”

It was a promotional method commonly referred to as a shorts challenge.

A brief video combining the song’s highlight section with choreography, already a widely used promo strategy among idols.

Compared to long and laborious music video shoots, it was relatively easy.

Even non-celebrities could learn the moves and film the challenge, so it was highly accessible.

“How about filming the challenge right here on set while we’re at it?”

“Hmm...”

Technically speaking, the highlight choreo was part of the music video shoot anyway.

Since Ha-eun had already memorized the choreography for “Num0,” she accepted Song Hyun-min’s suggestion.

And so, together with a few dancers, she filmed the “Num0” challenge clip in a corner of the set.

‘I’ll just upload it later with the behind-the-scenes footage.’

The vlog of the “Num0” music video shoot was scheduled to go up after the official release, so the challenge video would be uploaded then too.

Uploading a challenge video for a song that hadn’t even been released yet felt a little off.

Still, because of the nature of challenge videos—

the more they went viral, the more effective they became, exponentially.

“Let’s do it, Da-yeon. The choreography looks harder than it actually is. Once you learn it, it’s easy.”

“...You want to film a challenge at a dog café.”

“Why not?”

Ha-eun decided to film the challenge video with her friends as well.

That’s why, right after finishing the music video shoot, she went straight to meet Da-yeon.

The fact that they met at a dog café near Ha-eun’s house wasn’t all that meaningful.

Da-yeon had been the one who asked to come to the dog café with Baekseol, saying she wanted to see the dog anyway.

“So, here you lower your arm slightly, and at the same time, step your foot just a little back—”

“L-Like this?”

“Yep.”

And so, she ended up teaching Da-yeon the choreography for “Num0.”

After a few takes and some bloopers, they finished filming the challenge video.

‘She’s better at this than I expected.’

Ha-eun had never really seen Da-yeon dance before, so she was a little surprised by how smooth her movements were—not like a total beginner.

Of course, she still had a long way to go compared to Ha-eun.

After sending the finished challenge video to Da-yeon, Ha-eun took out her action cam.

Since she was meeting Da-yeon anyway, she decided to film a vlog together too.

“Hello, Min Da-yeon. How have you been lately?”

“...What is this now?”

“A vlog. I’m a YouTuber now.”

“What are you even talking about? You’ve been doing YouTube for a while alrea—”

—Beep.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“You’ve been doing YouTube, huh. What a strange thing to say...”

“Oh, right. I meant vlog.”

“Please be careful, Min Da-yeon. Avoid making misleading statements.”

“Yes, understood.”

—Tap tap tap.

—...Beep.

“Okay, hello Min Da-yeon. How have you been lately?”

“Just, you know... hanging in there.”

—Beep.

“There’s no sincerity in that answer.”

“...Why are you so annoying lately?”

***

“This is the last ad, right?”

“Yes.”

Time passed and passed, and by Saturday evening, episode 10 of God and the Goblin was set to air.

The drama department staff at OTV, as always, were waiting eagerly for the live broadcast of God and the Goblin.

That included Assistant Director Hwang Seong-guk, who had just been editing the making-of footage.

He had been cutting clips from the first script reading, the poster shoot, and other behind-the-scenes moments from the set—and soon turned to ask if episode 10 had begun.

“Has episode 10 started?”

“Yes. Episode 9 just finished airing.”

Since episode 6, when Baek Jin disappeared for the first time, Baeksulhwa had been searching for him.

Technically, it wasn’t like she hadn’t seen him at all since then.

But every time they did meet, Baek Jin would vanish again without any real explanation—again and again.

In the meantime, her memories from a past life were becoming more vivid, making Baeksulhwa’s desire to find Baek Jin even more desperate.

That emotional tension reached its peak in episode 9, which had aired just yesterday.

“...Are you planning to leave me again? Just like that day, centuries ago?”

At the sound of Baeksulhwa’s voice, coming from behind, Baek Jin froze in place.

And Baeksulhwa stared at his back with trembling eyes.

Episode 9 had ended with that exact moment—Baeksulhwa’s desperate plea making Baek Jin stop—and so episode 10 opened with noticeably higher ratings.

Even social media and community forums were buzzing with posts about the long-awaited reunion between the two leads.

— They’re finally meeting

— Baeksulhwa tragic flag ON

— Stop disappearing already

ㄴ But... if she’s with Baek Jin, she’s definitely going to die

ㄴ That’s not official yet though

ㄴ You didn’t see that creepy smirk from Park Chasa??

— Gotcha, you bastard

From the very first scene, the atmosphere was different compared to past episodes, where she had failed to even hold on to him.

Even though nothing was officially resolved, something in the air suggested change—conveying a subtle certainty through the screen.

Baeksulhwa’s shadow slowly approached the still-standing Baek Jin.

The broadcast audio even emphasized her footsteps, making it even clearer that she was walking toward him.

“I thought it would fade with time.”

—Step.

“But it only gets clearer.”

—Step.

“No matter how hard I try to forget, I just can’t. Not for a single moment.”

Step by step, the distance between them shrank.

And at last, when she stood close enough to reach out and touch him—

“In your world, I do not exist. That is the law of the dead, and the reason of the living.”

Baek Jin’s voice came from his back, laced with both coldness and resolve.

And at almost the same time—

—Rustle.

Baeksulhwa’s arms slowly wrapped around Baek Jin from behind.

And a small voice followed.

“Baek Jin. That name... it’s the name of my whole world. Don’t say it doesn’t exist.”

Her face, struggling to hold back tears, pressed gently against his back.

And then—for a long time.

A very long time—they stayed there, silently embracing.

At some point, Baeksulhwa’s shoulders began to quiver.

Her voice, when it returned, was already soaked.

“I try to forget, but I remember. I try to see, but I can’t. What do you expect me to do...?”

Then—thud.

Her trembling fist began tapping lightly against Baek Jin’s back.

As if truly resentful. As if blaming him.

Or if not that, then just heartbreakingly, helplessly pleading.

“You’re supposed to be my guardian spirit, right? A guardian spirit! What kind of guardian spirit does this...!!”

She both lamented and clung to Baek Jin, who kept trying to leave.

She’d thought through all the things she wanted to say if she ever saw him again.

But now, in front of him, all she could offer was a voice filled with sorrow.

At the very peak of Baeksulhwa’s feelings toward Baek Jin—

for the first time, he began to turn.

Until then, she had only ever seen his back.

“I’ll ask you this.”

“Your happiness. Your despair.”

“Were they truly things I gave you?”

“Was I... everything to you?”

Quiet eyes looked down on tear-filled ones.

And those emotional eyes looked back up.

For the briefest moment, time stood still.

“...Yes.”

That one-word answer left Baeksulhwa’s lips as she looked into Baek Jin’s eyes.

Then her arms gently pulled his face down toward hers, drawing in the only warmth left on that cold winter street.

— Uh

— Wow

— Officer! Over here, officer!

— Holy—

— I’m losing it LOL

— How are we supposed to wait a week now LOL

In that slow-motion moment, a single snowflake drifted down from the sky.

It softly landed right between their lips, heightening the aching atmosphere with perfect timing.

And finally, Baek Jin and Baeksulhwa’s feelings reached each other.

The affection that had taken ten episodes to surface became crystal clear—and with it, the viewership rating spiked dramatically.

“Forty point nine percent... Is that even possible?”

One of the God and the Goblin staff murmured quietly.

No one said anything for a long time—neither agreement nor disbelief.

Because that moment wasn’t just about breaking a record.

“Loving someone means you’re willing to walk the path to death. Did you think that road would be beautiful?”

“I don’t regret it. Without you, I might as well be dead.”

Her eyes, reddened with tears.

But still, she looked only at Baek Jin.

At the crossroads between life and death, her eyes didn’t waver in the slightest as she chose him.

And when his long-missed face came slowly down to meet hers again, she closed her eyes gently.

Then came the scene of two overlapping shadows, reflected on the ground.

It was the moment that captured the attention of every viewer.

And it also marked the peak of public interest in the drama and its cast.

Just seconds later, new news reached Ha-eun.

—Ding!

[From Jung-yoon Unnie] – Holy crap

[From Jung-yoon Unnie] – (screenshot of Lee Ha-eun’s channel)

[From Jung-yoon Unnie] – Ha-eun, you hit a million!!

[From Jung-yoon Unnie] – (fireworks emoji)

‘...Diah’s still at 620k, though.’

Should she laugh or cry?

Lee Ha-eun’s channel had hit a milestone in two days that Diah’s hadn’t reached in two years, and her expression turned oddly complicated.

***

OTV’s ‘God and the Goblin’ kiss scene sets another record... ‘Lee Ha-eun’ YouTube channel hits 1 million

‘God and the Goblin’: Was the kiss scene the reason Lee Ha-eun’s YouTube hit a million subscribers overnight?

“S-sue them. I should sue.”

“For what? Defamation by stating facts?”

“Not facts—false information!”

“False, my ass. Just film a thank-you video.”

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