If the name suggested as Diahâs real name had been utterly ridiculous, there would have been no need for Ha-eun to feel embarrassed. If it had been a name completely unrelated to Diah, she could have just ignored it.
After all, the message asking if Diahâs real name was Min Da-yeon wasnât a serious inquiry. Usually, the idea that a famous actress was the real identity behind a VTuber was met with complete disbelief.
However, unfortunately, Ha-eunâs case was one where the "normal case" didnât apply.
"Mi⦠Min Da-yeon? Isnât she an actress?"
Even as she pretended not to recognize the name "Min Da-yeon," Ha-eunâs heart raced. There wasnât really any way to prove that Diah wasnât Da-yeon, which made her feel uncomfortably awkward.
Anyway, continuing to discuss Diahâs real name was pointless. Ha-eunâs voice, slightly flustered in response to what was likely just a joke in a donation message, was causing the chat to feel increasingly awkward.
So, Ha-eun decided to end the topic of Diahâs real name altogether. After quickly checking her tone, she returned to her usual bright, cheerful voice.@@novelbin@@
"So, youâre saying Iâm as pretty as an actress, right? Thanks~."
Her usual sunny voice followed by a question about Diahâs keychain appearing in the KBC Acting Awards photos.
"By the way, was I really wearing my keychain?"
"Yep."
"You were hanging it from your Chanel bag."
"That keychain design can only be Diah."
"Aww, live broadcast exploring~."
Technically, Ha-eun had seen the photo of Da-yeonâs handbag with Diahâs keychain attached over ten times before, but she continued to act as if she had no idea about the handbag photos until today.
With her face covered in blatant confidence, Ha-eun quickly searched for photos of Da-yeonâs handbag while manipulating the broadcast computer.
It wasnât long before she found the images again.
"Uh, uh? It really is my keychain? This isnât a composite, right?"
"I thought it was a composite at first too, lol."
"Itâs in internet articles too, the same one."
"That bag is super expensive."
"Damn, how famous is she getting?!"
For the next five minutes, Ha-eun pretended to be fascinated as she looked at different angles and shots of Da-yeonâs handbag, thankfully with other members on her side, making it hard for anyone to notice any awkwardness.
"Our maknaeâs really made it~." "Did Diahâs keychain show up well?" "Oh, here too, itâs Diah! Looks like she kept carrying the handbag around."
And so, Ha-eun managed to navigate the Da-yeon-related commotion. She passed the baton to Ji Hye-min, who had been waiting for the "Year-End Party" portion to begin.
Shortly after, the broadcast started to feel more like a proper year-end show.
"Now, letâs take a moment to reflect on the year~." "Wowâ!" "Clap clap clap~."
The screen soon filled with a compilation of famous clips from the VTubers of Illusionary Realm. The highlight moments from all the broadcasts since the membersâ debut began to play slowly.
The video had been edited to include clips from every member, but some of the more famous clips occasionally exceeded the designated time for each member. Since the atmosphere and situations in each clip were so varied, reactions to the clips also varied.
As a big fan of Illusionary Realm, Ha-eun was already very familiar with the famous clips from the other members. When their clips played, she could instantly guess what was happening, butâ¦
"Piano. The third key from the right..."
[ Screech! ] [ Kyaaa!! ]
"?! She hasnât pressed the key yet, hasnât pressed it!!"
"Hahaha"
"That voice sounds so helpless."
"Diah was the first one to react like this to Shirooni."
"Shirooni was fun."
But when Diahâs famous clips played, Ha-eun couldnât even look at the monitor directly. She still couldnât bring herself to watch her own broadcast, and her face kept heating up.
Of course, Ji Hye-min and the other members were too busy commenting on the clips to notice. The comments were mostly teasing Ha-eun, which was the real issue.
"In Battle Island, she slaughtered everyone without batting an eye, but when it comes to Shirooni, she freezes up~." "I wasnât that scared of Shirooni. Was she really that scary to you, when you were one year old?" "I heard she fainted during that scene. Is that true, Diah~~~?"
Literally, Ha-eun was being bombarded with playful attacks from all directions. While these people had always teased her, for some reason, they seemed even more persistent today, digging into her weaknesses.
The main reason why Ha-eun was receiving such relentless teasing, apart from the usual fun, was because they were enjoying the moment.
"How could you suddenly pop out like that!" "Would Shirooni come out and say, âIâm coming nowâ?" "Oh, thatâs why you called me crying before~." "? When did I?!"
It was as if Ha-eun had become the perfect punching bag with made-up stories.
Whether these comments were true or not, it didnât matter; they all banded together simply because they could tease Diah.
"As expected, the baby is still a baby."
"So Diah cried during Shirooni~? Called Ria crying~."
"Just sneaking up behind and scaring her was enough to make her cry."
"Diah is famous for being a coward, yeah."
"So when will you do a pizza delivery skit?"
"Itâs a miracle she didnât get sent to 119, lol."
For a long time, the teasing about Diah continued from the members and the viewers. When Diahâs debut clip playedâ¦
"Helloâ!!"
Ha-eun immediately lowered her head. Her hands, which had been hiding her face for so long, were now tightly covering it.
"Huh? How old are you to want to be friends with me? Iâm oneââ"
Maybe it was because only the best moments from Diahâs debut broadcast were chosen, but hearing the moments where Ha-eun herself had gotten too excited made her shiver with embarrassment every time they played.
And finallyâ¦
"Iâm Noeulisâ! Noeulis are mine!"
Thudâ!
The most embarrassing line from Diahâs broadcast played, and Ha-eun immediately fell off her chair. She crawled under the table, curled up, and could only groan.
Tears were even gathering in her already-red eyes. The power of her embarrassing moments being revealed in front of the people Ha-eun had long admired was stronger than she had imagined.
But since the Illusionary Realm Year-End Party broadcast still had a long way to go, Ha-eun couldnât stay hidden under the table forever. She had only just finished the "clip reaction" part.
Not long after, Ha-eun finally emerged from under the table.
At that moment, food for the year-end party arrived.
Knock knock.
"Iâm here~."
Sori, the general manager of Illusionary Realm, entered with several wrapped food items. As Ha-eun crawled out from under the table, Sori stared at her in surprise.
Ha-eunâs not-so-subtle self-recrimination started right then.
"The president and the unnieâs have been really hard on me, manager. Please scold them for me...!"
Ha-eun shot a sly glance at the other members and Ji Hye-min, who were nearby. Of course, everything was being captured by the broadcast microphone.
Therefore...
"Our maknae, whoâs been treated so badlyâ!"
Sori switched to a broadcast tone and grabbed what they called the "switch."
What followed was a discussion of the members' past embarrassing moments.
And so, Ha-eunâs first and last counterattack came via Sori.
"Cream, when we did Biohazard Big City, you cried a lot more than Diah did!" "Ah, wait a second, that wasnât...!" "You kept running away from the broadcast, and I had to stop you. Canât even think of your own past, huh?!"
Sori's uncontainable mode activated
The truth must be told, Coca-Cola
Itâs been a while, huh?
Diah awakened the demonâ¦!
Once the attack on Cream was over, Ha-eunâs expression finally returned to normal.
And then, Ha-eun raised her thumb in Soriâs direction.
"Of course, only the manager could do that."
Back at her seat, Ha-eun grabbed a piece of cake from the food set and put it on her plate.
The squishy sounds made by the broadcast mic followed.
"Diahâs cake ASMR~. It must be delicious~. I want to eat it~. But I canât~."
Stop eating already;;
I want cake, I want cake, I want cake, I want cake, I want cake.
Stop doing that and youâll get scolded!!!!!!
Why is it only you? Why only you? Why only you? Why only you? Why only you?
Diahâs teasing wasnât really teasing. The chat began to explode with activity.
Seeing the viewers getting so fired up over Diahâs annoying voice, Ha-eun smiled with satisfaction. She wanted to focus on her own enjoyment right now, even if she knew this would come back as karma later.
Perhaps thatâs whyâ¦
"The recruitment period is until February next year, so please show a lot of interest~."
At that moment, Ji Hye-min, who had opened her mouth again, was announcing the recruitment for Illusionary Realmâs second generation.
Ha-eun slowly walked over to Ji Hye-minâs side and quietly whispered:
"If any Noeulis from the second generation pass, theyâll do whatever I tell them to do for a day~."
She casually dropped this bomb into the broadcast microphone.
Knowing there was no one in the Noeulis group who would make it into the second generation, Ha-eun teased them again.
In fact, thanks to her past lifeâs memories, Ha-eun knew who would be selected for the second generation, and she had never expected a Noeulis to be in it.
And so, this comment was just another playful jab at them. But, unbeknownst to Ha-eun, one of the Noeulis would indeed end up applying for Illusionary Realmâs second generation.
She had no idea what would come back to haunt her for this.
At the moment, Ha-eun was too busy filling the broadcast with her teasing voice.