I Want to Be a VTuber-Chapter 242: This Is No Joke (3)

What Stella witnessed when she first arrived at the forest was nothing short of a disaster.

Honestly, at first glance, she thought they were corpses.

Who wouldn’t, seeing people sprawled out asleep in the grass like that?

The real question was how they’d even managed to fall asleep like that.

Wait, isn’t that a tent?

What shocked Stella the most wasn’t the four women lying down—

It was what they were lying on.

At first, she thought it was just a tarp,

but on closer inspection, it turned out to be an actual tent.

A tent—spread out on the ground instead of being set up properly.

“Couldn’t you just sleep inside the tent?”

Normally, Stella would’ve smiled and laughed at the absurdity of the situation.

But today, she couldn’t even muster the energy to act amused.

This went so far beyond common sense that she couldn’t even keep up appearances.

“No one knew how to set it up.”

“...You mean assembling a tent?”

Stella stared blankly at the girls.

They looked like they’d never even heard of camping before.

Surely, setting up a tent wasn’t that difficult—

or at least, Stella had always thought so.

Was this normal in Korea?

“Anyway, food.”

“Food?”

“Make us food.”

Seoyeon sounded desperate.

And it wasn’t just her.

Stella suddenly remembered something the Japanese PD had requested before filming began.

『For realism, limit food the day before filming.』

Apparently, since the show only lasted three days, they’d wanted the contestants to start hungry.

It was supposed to be no big deal—

But after two days of this, exhaustion was written all over their faces.

No wonder they’d given up on setting up the tent.

They were too tired and hungry to care.

Watching their reactions, Stella blinked, then smiled sweetly.

“No.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because this is more fun. I ate a big meal before coming here, so I can go a bit longer without food.”

Teasing them was definitely more entertaining.

As Stella kept smiling, clearly enjoying herself—

『Reika, grab her.』

Jo Seohui pointed at Stella, and without hesitation, Goto Reika crept up behind her and grabbed her firmly.

“Wait, who—who is this?!”

Stella, who was notoriously bad at recognizing faces,

had vaguely guessed that the three girls huddled together were Seoyeon, Jiyeon, and Seohui.

But the fourth one?

She hadn’t even noticed her until now.

She’d assumed the girl sneaking closer was part of the staff—

not that she’d suddenly hug her from behind.

Reika? Goto Reika?

Stella finally connected the dots.

Reika—the actress her father, Asher Baldwin, had been pushing as the next lead.

Which meant Reika was desperate to get on Stella’s good side.

『What are you doing? Aren’t you trying to befriend me?』

『I don’t care anymore! Survival first!!』

『You’re not going to die from this. What are you even saying?』

Flustered, Stella tried to reason with her,

but by then, the other three had closed in.

Seeing their faces up close, Stella started to recognize them.

“W-What are you doing?”

Panicked, Stella tried to back away—

but the three girls each placed a hand on her sides and neck.

And then—

“Ahahaha! S-Stop! Stop it! Don’t tickle me—! Okay, okay! I get it! I get it already!!”

Tickling—an ancient and highly effective form of torture.

After five agonizing minutes, Stella had no choice but to surrender.

*****

...I shouldn’t have come here.

Stella sincerely regretted appearing on this variety show.

Even though she wore her usual bright smile, she couldn’t help but feel that way when she glanced at the three women lying nearby.

“First, we’re setting up the tent.”

“Okay.”

“Hold this part and secure the top. Then drive the stakes into the ground.”

“What’s a stake?”

“It’s like a nail.”

“Do I just push it down with my hand?”

Jiyeon held up a long, nail-like peg as she spoke.

“How are you supposed to do that with your hand?”

Stella’s voice dripped with exasperation. Jiyeon simply smirked and called out—

“Hey, Ju Seoyeon! Come press this down for me.”

“Wait, there’s no way you can push that—”

Seoyeon approached and casually pressed the stake into the ground with her palm.

It sank in with a firm thud.

Was that even possible?

While Stella gawked in disbelief, Jiyeon grinned like she’d done it herself.

“Hmph. See? Just push it in.”

And so, under Stella’s lead, they finally set up the tents they’d struggled with the day before.

Once the tents were done, Stella gathered the leftover ingredients that had been reduced to a mess.

I guess I’ll just make some kind of meat stew.

Judging by what was left, that was the best she could manage.

As she moved around with the pot in hand, she locked eyes with the bear—

the one that had been watching her with round, innocent eyes.

When she first saw it, Stella had nearly fallen over in shock.

“Uh, Seoyeon.”

“Yeah?”

“That... that bear. Is it part of the filming crew?”

“Yup. I brought it.”

“?”

Seoyeon’s confident answer only made Stella more confused.

What °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° did she mean by she brought it?

Did she go pick it up from a zoo or something?

Still, no matter how she looked at it, the bear didn’t seem like it had been trained.

“Anyway, we need to start cooking... Is anyone going to help?”

At Stella’s question, everyone averted their eyes—including Reika.

Weren’t you trying to get on my good side?

Stella wanted to scream.

Reika, of all people, was supposed to be trying to win her favor—

especially since Asher Baldwin had been pushing her as the next lead actress.

Yet here she was, looking just as defeated as the others.

What do they call this in Korea? Dooly?

Stella recalled something she’d seen while studying Korean culture online—

a green dinosaur scratching its butt and saying, Give me food, while a man exploded with rage, yelling, I can’t take this anymore!

Right now, Stella felt like that man.

And the three women staring at her looked exactly like that green dinosaur.

Her signature cheerful smile began to crack.

“If... if you cook for us,” Seoyeon suddenly spoke up,

“I’ll do one favor for you later.”

Her voice was apologetic, as if she knew how ridiculous the request was.

The crack in Stella’s smile smoothed out, returning to its usual form—

though this time, it held a hint of mischief.

“Hmm, really? That doesn’t sound so bad.”

Her smile now carried an ominous undertone.

Noticing this, Seohui narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“That’s a rather meaningful smile.”

“Oh? It’s nothing big.”

Stella stirred the pot, adding vegetables and meat.

“I mean, I’m going back to America in two days.

How big of a favor could I possibly ask?”

“Hmm... I guess that’s true.”

Seohui fanned herself elegantly with a folding fan,

her expression thoughtful.

Did she really need a fan just to think?

Must be a habit.

Seoyeon tilted her head, vaguely recalling Seohui acting the same way at the high-society party they’d attended.

Seeing this, Reika—who had been slouched nearby—suddenly sat up straighter and pulled out her own fan to cover her face.

Apparently, she wasn’t willing to lose the noblewoman act.

“...”

When Seoyeon shifted her gaze back to Stella,

she noticed Stella watching her with an almost probing look.

Sometimes, Stella looked at her like this—

as if she was trying to see straight into her soul.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Hm? Oh, no reason.”

Stella smiled like an angel,

her confidence fully restored.

“I’m just looking forward to tomorrow.”

Tomorrow—when the filming ended.

For the first time, Stella genuinely looked forward to that day.

*****

Anyway, the shoot wrapped up surprisingly smoothly, as if the earlier chaos had never happened.

That said, the footage didn’t quite match the production team’s expectations.

“We thought Stella would act a bit more clueless.”

“Right? That’s what we expected.”

The public image of Stella was that of an angelic, innocent star.

Even the staff hadn’t noticed any rough edges in her demeanor.

But no one could predict how people might behave around peers—

especially in extreme situations like Aokigahara.

They’d assumed she’d be the type to act like a clueless noblewoman.

And yet—

“She’s surprisingly... competent?”

“Hmm.”

Cooking decent meals with limited ingredients,

setting up tents,

and even sleeping soundly in rough conditions—

It was an unexpected side of her.

Thanks to that, the shoot, which had teetered on the edge of disaster, pulled itself together.

“We can start assigning new missions now.”

The camera panned to Seoyeon and Stella standing together.

No matter what, the two of them were visually striking—

especially in Japan.

Just being in the same frame made for great footage.

While the staff admired the five women, one of them suddenly asked—

“So... what are we doing about the bear?”

“Oh.”

Realizing their oversight, they rushed to deal with the issue.

Of course, it wasn’t as simple as sending the bear away immediately.

In the end, the bear remained until the filming was completely finished.

“Its ribs are fractured.”

“...”

“There are also signs of severe trauma on its face and forelimbs.”

“...”

“It was probably driven out by stronger bears during a territorial fight.”

“I... I see.”

“We were lucky. Its injuries likely kept it from moving properly.”

“That’s... a relief.”

Afterward, the bear was taken away by police and special teams.

They couldn’t just release it back into the wild in its condition.

Hearing the details from a Korean-speaking staff member,

Seoyeon nodded mechanically.

So it had been calm and obedient because it was injured.

Still, it hadn’t been too badly hurt—

and judging by how well it ate, it had fit in surprisingly well with the group.

Seoyeon, who had ridden the bear until the end of the shoot,

couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed to see it go.

“They say it might be sent to a zoo. Apparently, it’s a rare species.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. Since it appeared on TV—and since Seoyeon even rode it—it’d be a waste to just release it.”

Oddly enough, the bear had no trouble following instructions from people with black hair.

This made its treatment and care much easier.

“Haah, at least the shoot’s over.”

Jiyeon sighed as they left Aokigahara.

Stella’s arrival had smoothed things out,

but from an entertainment perspective, the shoot had lost its chaotic edge.

The first day had bears, tents, and ruined meals.

The second day?

Nothing but boredom.

If Stella hadn’t shown up,

they probably would’ve spent the next two days lying around doing nothing.

Looking back, it was a little terrifying.

“By the way, Seoyeon’s really bad with scary stuff, huh?”

Seohui’s curious remark came as they rode the bus back.

She was recalling their final mission—

retrieving the red ribbon hidden in Aokigahara.

Seoyeon had barely been able to look her in the eye the whole way there.

Do I really look that scary?

Seohui couldn’t shake the thought.

After all, people had started jokingly calling her Tomie online.

Hmph. I don’t look like her at all.

When she’d looked up the character,

the woman had been both terrifying and gorgeous.

What a nasty-looking girl.

“When does the episode air?”

“It’ll take about a month for editing and post-production.”

Seoyeon nodded at the staff member’s response.

A month felt like a long time.

By then, filming for Kyungsung Lady will be finished. We can watch it together.

Still, once Kyungsung Lady wrapped,

Seoyeon had another big project lined up—

Director Jo Bang-woo’s Seoul Escape.

The audition was set for December.

I hope I get the part.

If she did,

she’d have to squeeze in filming for Mine beforehand.

If the two projects overlapped,

it would be a nightmare.

I can’t miss Seoul Escape. It’s too important.

“We’re here.”

They had finally arrived in Tokyo.

As the cast and crew stepped off the bus, they exchanged polite farewells.

“That was exhausting.”

“I’m going straight to bed.”

『Same here.』

『...Wait, you speak Korean?』

『Uh, no. I just guessed based on context.』

Updat𝓮d from frёewebnoѵēl.com.

Reika thought to herself—

Forget Asher Baldwin’s movie. I’m just going home to sleep.

She’d deal with her agency later.

“So Stella’s leaving here too— Wait, what are you doing?”

“Hmm?”

Jiyeon and Seohui blinked as Stella casually sidled up next to Seoyeon.

“Didn’t I tell you yesterday?”

Stella grinned.

“You promised to do me a favor if I cooked.”

“...And?”

“I’m asking for it now.”

“What?”

Stella turned to Seoyeon with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Seoyeon’s expression remained neutral—

neither friendly nor hostile.

Stella liked that.

She also liked how clearly Seoyeon’s face stood out.

“You know I’m leaving for America tomorrow, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well then—”

Glancing briefly at Seohui and Jiyeon, Stella smiled playfully.

Seohui narrowed her eyes immediately.

And then Stella said—

“Spend the day with me.”

“What?”

Seoyeon stared at her, momentarily unsure if she’d heard correctly.

Stella leaned in slightly and repeated—

“I’m asking you out on a date.”

One step closer.

“Don’t you want to?”

Stella’s voice was soft,

her angelic smile dazzling.