Chapter 116: Chapter 115

Chew, chew.

“Hmm, it doesn’t taste like melon at all. I got tricked!”

After taking a big bite of the melon bread, Ha-eun placed it back on the desk. Her voice, describing the taste, sounded slightly disappointed.

“Maybe it’s because it didn’t meet my expectations? It’s sweet and tasty, but something’s… off.”

Still, for some reason, the chat window suddenly sped up, prompting her to pause the review and glance at the messages.

“Dia, if you’re not going to finish that melon bread, give it to me.”

“It looks brown inside, so maybe it’s chocolate flavor.”

“Selling half-eaten melon bread by Dia—starting bid, anyone?”

“Don’t waste good food! Share it with us, please!”

Seeing the Noeul's intense interest in her leftover melon bread, Ha-eun couldn’t resist. A mischievous smile crept across her face as she picked up the bread and slowly moved it toward the camera.

“Alright, open wide~ Here comes a bite!”

“Aaaaaahhhhh!”

“AAAA!”

“Back off, it’s mine!”

“This is practically an indirect kiss!”

“First time getting such a close-up of melon bread.”

Just as the bread was about to touch the camera, Ha-eun swiftly pulled it back and took another bite herself. Chewing the not-so-melon-flavored chocolate bread, she teased, “Did you really think I’d give it to you?”

“Ha! Fooled you! I’m eating it all by myself!”

“WHAT!?”

“MINE!”

“Give me back my melon bread!!!”

“This is controversial behavior!”

“Even during a trip recap stream, Dia’s out here trolling her fans.”

“You can’t give and take away like that!”

“Stop eating, you greedy pig!”

“Dia is officially the greediest VTuber.”

As she watched the entertaining reactions flood the chat, Ha-eun couldn’t suppress a growing grin. The satisfaction of trolling her fans—just like during her Battle Island streams—was exhilarating in its own way.

Of course, there were still plenty of souvenirs from her Japan trip left to review. After finishing the melon bread, she brought out an array of puddings and spread them across the desk.

For quite a while, she sampled the various treats she’d brought back, tasting and commenting on each one. Occasionally, she’d tease her viewers by holding a pudding up to the camera.

“Doesn’t this look so delicious? Bet you’d love to take a big bite of this, huh?”

“Dia’s having way too much fun.”

“Just one bite, please!”

“Why do you enjoy teasing us so much?”

“If you keep this up, I’ll leave the chat and never come back!”

“You call yourself a boyfriend? All you do is mess with us!”

“Keep this up, and we’re breaking up for real!”

The chat, predictably, was on fire, filled with exaggerated protests and playful threats. Though their reactions were amusing, Ha-eun knew better than to push things too far.

“Alright, time for a surprise event!”

Swipe.

Clunk!

“This time, it’s a real gift for my Noeul!”

She placed a small maneki-neko figurine on the desk, its shiny gold surface gleaming under the camera. The sudden appearance of an actual gift sent the chat into a frenzy of question marks.

“What did she just say?”

“A gift???”

“?????”

“Is this for real?”

“If this is another lie, I’m done with you, Dia!”

“What’s with the surprise event??”

Seizing the moment while her fans were distracted, Ha-eun switched the camera view to her monitor and began typing a new announcement on the Hyangsang fan café.

“When I was in Japan, I bought gifts for my boss and the older girls, but it didn’t feel right to leave out my Noeul.”

Click, click, click.

“So, as a thank-you for waiting while I was away, I prepared something for you all!”

Ding!

!!Special Return Gift Event!!

Dia Diah | 20:10

Write an acrostic poem using “Dia” in the comments!

I’ll pick the top three poems based on my completely subjective judgment, and…

(Photo of the maneki-neko)

I’ll send you this cute maneki-neko I bought myself!

Winners will be announced in two weeks, so join in and have fun~

(Meme of a famous pirate saying, “If you want treasure, I’ll give it to you.”)

(Edited meme: “Welcome to the Great Acrostic Poem Era!”)

After posting the announcement, Ha-eun switched back to the camera view, gently stroking the maneki-neko.

“Isn’t it adorable? They say this little cat brings good luck. I wanted to bring back more, but my suitcase could only fit three. Sorry!”

“Alright, fine… just this once.”

“I’m so touched, I might cry.”

“Hand-deliver the gift, and all is forgiven!”

“So, we’re getting a 24-hour no-break stream as an apology, right?”

“Get your keyboards ready, heroes! It’s time for the Great Acrostic Era!”

“Dia always thinks of her fans. Truly a treasure.”

Thankfully, the surprise event was a hit. Judging by the rapid updates to her fan café, acrostic poems were already pouring in.

With the maneki-neko review complete, Ha-eun decided it was time to wrap up the stream.

“Thanks for tuning in today, even though it’s been a while! Don’t forget to check the updated schedule, and I’ll see you next time. Bye-bye!”

“Noooo, it’s too soon!”

“Dia, don’t leave us!”

“Why are you ending so early???”

“I’m still hungry for more!!!”

“Hands off the end-stream button!!!”

Ignoring the protests, Ha-eun ended the broadcast.

Though part of her wanted to continue, she remembered Ji Hye-min’s advice: pacing herself was key to a long, successful career.

Ha-eun stepped out of her soundproof booth, picked up the golden sheriff badge she’d earned at Disney’s Western Hunter attraction, and headed to the living room to share stories from her trip with Na-yeon.

“This is only given to people who hit all the targets. I was the only one who got one.”

“Really? Wow! I should’ve signed you up for shooting competitions!”

The two laughed as Ha-eun recounted her adventures, cherishing the shared moment.

Finally, she turned to her mother with a heartfelt request.

“Mom, can I ask you and Dad to come to the Infinite Challenge Song Festival? It’d mean a lot to me.”

“Of course, sweetie. We’ll be there.”

With her heart lighter, Ha-eun smiled, ready to face whatever came next.

Looking intently at Na-yeon, who had long been one of the most important people in her life, Ha-eun finally opened her tightly closed lips to speak. She asked for just one day, to spend it together with another cherished person, Seong-yoon.

“I’d really like it if you and Dad could come to the Infinite Challenge Song Festival performance.”

“Whose performance is it? Of course, we’ll come.”

Na-yeon immediately asked for the exact date and venue of the Infinite Challenge Song Festival. Ha-eun pulled out her phone once more and searched for the event’s details, showing her mother the location.

“Oh? Gocheok Sky Dome? You’re really performing there?”

“Yes. You and Dad will be seated in the specially prepared guest section.”

During the live finale of SIT ON THE MONEY, Ha-eun had chosen not to invite them, worried their presence might make her too nervous. However, her determination to become a major star meant she could no longer let stage nerves hold her back.

“You’ll make time to come, right?”

Ha-eun asked Na-yeon to attend the Infinite Challenge Song Festival performance, explaining that it would be a stepping stone for her to reach even greater heights. This concert wasn’t just any event; it was taking place at Gocheok Sky Dome, a venue that had been pivotal in Ha-eun’s early steps into the entertainment world. Years ago, as a child, she had appeared there as a ceremonial first pitcher. Now, she was returning as one of the industry's rising stars.

“Well, if it’s my daughter’s performance, I’d go as many times as you’d ask... but are you sure you can perform in such a huge venue?”

“Yes. I’m confident I can do it. It’s not like it’s my first time there,” Ha-eun replied, resolutely reaffirming her determination in front of Na-yeon.@@novelbin@@

She asked her mother to look forward to the show, to replace any concerns with pure excitement.

“Please, just have high expectations. I’ll exceed them—I promise.”

Unconsciously, Ha-eun found herself wishing she could face Na-yeon and Seong-yoon on the day of the performance as the proudest version of herself. There wasn’t a single ounce of insincerity in her hope. After resting during her trip to Japan and finishing the final tune-ups needed to move forward, she felt ready to soar.

As Ha-eun’s vision for her future became crystal clear, elsewhere on the internet, the buzz about Diah’s return broadcast was growing louder.

Diah’s broadcast feels unusually polished since her break. Is it just me?

It’s the way she shifts from jokes to a surprise event to calm her audience—it’s just veteran behavior at this point.

For real.

Her skills at handling her fans are leveling up.

I made ChatGPT do an acrostic poem about Diah. Solid or nah?

If you’re glad Diah doesn’t seem sick, smash that like button.

Smashed.

Special exception this time, liked!

Diah went to an onsen, but no onsen selfies? What’s the deal?

HEY HEY HEY!

Wasn’t Diah supposedly one year old?

This weirdo...

Let’s just leave it.

This guy knows too much.

Well, he’ll soon learn how cramped prison bars can feel.

The community’s chatter about Diah’s broadcast wasn’t unusual. However, unlike past breaks where the reason was vague, this time, her trip’s location and timing were more concrete. This led to more targeted speculation about uncovering Diah’s true identity.

Title: Isn’t Diah a High Schooler?

Author: BigBigDiah | 23:11

Isn’t it high school trip season?

Her itinerary matches a school trip route. Wouldn’t you think it’s weird to visit a car museum on a personal trip?

Title: But didn’t Diah’s souvenirs exclude beer?

Author: Don’tSayAnythingBadAboutRia | 23:47

All my friends buy Japanese beer when they go, but there was none in her haul. She might be underage.

Title: If Diah’s Really a High Schooler, Here’s How to Expose Her

Author: BlameItOnMe | 23:59

(Screenshot of an article about Korea having around 2,000 high schools)

Go through school websites and find permission slips for trips. Cross-check the itineraries with hers. Then scour social media for matching hands. Boom—case closed.

While no definitive conclusions had emerged, some speculations were growing closer to the truth. The dominoes were trembling, with Diah’s secret poised to tip over at any moment.

But this shift in the online world was beyond Ha-eun’s control. Her focus was elsewhere—on her work as an entertainer.

Maybe that’s why, by the time the second recording session for the Infinite Challenge Song Festival approached, her thoughts were solely on her partner, Yoon Si-hyuk.

“All you need to do is think of it as filming a casual reality show in Hwang Ji-hyuk’s studio. Just relax and chat naturally,” the production staff reassured her.

As she nodded in response, Ha-eun mulled over her plan.

‘Should I start by talking about that one time during the Don’t Stop People shoot?’

Her mind was occupied with preparing the perfect conversation topics, leaving no room for the storm brewing online.