Hobbyist VTuber

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Was it because Ha-eun was originally an actress?

There was no particular noise during the first music video shoot for Pinocchio.

Her gaze handling was perfect.

She was also skilled at posing according to the camera angles.

However, for Ha-eun, this was her first time doing a pure and innocent acting.

“Really, all I have to do is just stare quietly?”

She had various doubts about the script for the music video “One Day in Spring.”

After all, there were no lines, just instructions to slowly look up at a cherry blossom tree.

It didn’t quite sink in that simply staring could be considered innocent acting.

The outfit was just a regular school uniform.

Still, Lee Joon and Lee Geon-yeol reassured her that there was no problem.

“Adults can’t even pretend to be innocent if they try.”

“Why bother acting like a high school student when you’re a high school student?”

When asked if she was showing off her youth, she slightly avoided eye contact and remained silent.

Looking back, it felt a bit like she was deceiving someone.

Anyway, since a professional who had done many music video shoots said so, she didn’t ask any more questions.

‘It feels more like an ad shoot than a music video shoot.’

So, she stood in front of the camera for quite a long time, feeling like she was taking so-called “emotional photos.”

Although the “One Day in Spring” music video wasn’t just outdoor scenes, they also had to shoot several scenes in an indoor studio.

By the time all the shooting was done, the sky was starting to get dark.

However, they had to choose the takes that Ha-eun liked from the various takes.

“…It’s already midnight.”

“But it turned out okay, right?”

“Well, it’s better than not turning out well at all.”

For the first time in her 19 years of life, Ha-eun returned home at dawn.

She had told Na-yeon in advance that she would be late, so she didn’t get scolded, but she still felt a bit guilty.

‘…Will I have a curfew later?’

It’s common for parents to set a curfew for their daughters.

In her previous life, she hadn’t experienced it, so she was a bit curious about how it would feel.

‘It’s not like I’ll have many reasons to come home at dawn.’

Anyway, next year she would be a 20-year-old adult.

She had heard that once she entered university, there would be many drinking parties.

But at least for now, it felt unnecessary.

For Ha-eun, alcohol was tasteless and bad for her health.

Especially for celebrities like Ha-eun.

The probability of undesirable controversies arising was slightly higher compared to ordinary people.

‘The one I drank in Japan was tasty, but seeing how I blacked out… it’s dangerous.’

She had no intention of drinking alcohol in the future.

Partly because she thought Na-yeon, who was now sleeping soundly in the living room, would scold her severely.

Thinking about turning 20, Ha-eun’s eyes slowly closed.

When her eyes fluttered open, it was already morning.

A slightly later wake-up time compared to her usual dawn awakenings.

Perhaps that’s why.

She made eye contact with Na-yeon, who had just entered the room to wake her up.

And almost simultaneously.

-Crack.

“Our daughter, let’s text in advance what time you’ll be coming home from now on, okay?”

Na-yeon’s index finger and thumb grabbed Ha-eun’s nose and slightly pulled.

Thanks to that, Ha-eun realized that Na-yeon wasn’t too pleased with her coming home late at night.

‘…A curfew is definitely going to happen.’

However, coincidentally, she had to come home late again today.

Because she had to attend the 1st-anniversary live rehearsal for Fantasy Land.

Thus, the courage she had to muster.

“Um, Mom. I think I’ll be coming home late again today…”

“What?”

“Well, this time, there’s a late-night shoot at the company.”

“Isn’t today the shoot for ‘The Sunshine’? There’s another shoot?”

“Well, it just happened to come up.”

Facing suspicious eyes.

Feeling like she would be interrogated further, she eventually had to flee to school.

While Ha-eun was at school, Na-yeon found a business card.

She didn’t know that the owner of the card was Ji Hye-min, the CEO of LUX.

-Ring.

-Ring.

-Ring.

-Ring… Click.

[Hello?]

“Hello~. Is this CEO Ji Hye-min’s phone?”

[Ah, yes. It is. But, who is this…?]

“Ah, I’m Ha-eun’s mother. My daughter said she has a late-night shoot today, so I wanted to ask a few things.”

[Ha… Ha-eun’s mother?! Ah, hello!]

***

“Good work, everyone~.”

By now, it was after the final shoot for <The Sunshine>.

Familiar faces approached Ha-eun amidst the lights and cameras being packed up in the set.

“We’re having a wrap party later, you’re coming, right?”

The words of Ha-eun’s assigned writer.

Her face showed a bit of expectation, as if she didn’t consider the possibility of Ha-eun refusing.

It would have been strange if she refused.

She was the lead of <The Sunshine>, after all.

In other words, Ha-eun, who played the female lead Kim Jung-hyun, couldn’t miss the wrap party for the final shoot.

However.

“Ah, well… I have another appointment after this. I’m really sorry.”

The answer she ended up giving was a refusal.

Baek Tae-hoon, who was right next to Ha-eun, was also surprised and asked if she really wasn’t coming.

“Is it an appointment you can’t reschedule? The director will be there too.”

“Well, it’s an appointment I already rescheduled once. I don’t think I can make it to the party.”

Thus, when it was confirmed that Ha-eun wouldn’t attend the party, disappointed voices could be heard from all around.

After all, these were people who had spent a long time with Ha-eun from last fall to this spring.

They had grown fond of Ha-eun, who always greeted them first without any distance.

They had believed without a doubt that she would participate in the final farewell.

However, it’s common for celebrities to have busy schedules with little to no free time.

They could understand that Ha-eun, who was currently popular as Kim Jung-hyun, would be busy even after the shoot.

But still.

“You have to take a group photo before you go.”

They couldn’t let her miss the group photo with all the actors and staff of <The Sunshine>.

So, still in her outfit, she had to stand in the middle of the set, surrounded by numerous people, and strike a V pose.

Still, it didn’t feel forced.

There was nothing bad about taking a commemorative group photo for <The Sunshine>.

They wanted to finish the long journey that had lasted over half a year on a good note.

That was Ha-eun’s self-defense for being 30 minutes late to the Fantasy Land 1st-anniversary performance rehearsal venue.

“…Honestly, the traffic was a bit bad.”

“During recording, you came 3 hours early~. But for rehearsal, you’re late because you don’t want to wear tight clothes~.”

“That’s not it. Really.”

“Then why can’t you make eye contact with your unnie?”

“Well, honestly. The way you look now…”

It’s so funny.

Ha-eun burst out laughing, causing Lee Ye-na’s eyes to narrow even more.

However, Ha-eun didn’t notice this at all.

“You guys look like the grunts from Power Rangers.”

Adding that final blow.

Eventually, Lee Ye-na and the other members firmly decided to punish Ha-eun cruelly.

-Tickle tickle.

-Tickle tickle tickle tickle.

“Ahah, ah! I’m sorry, ahahah!!”

“Grunt? Grunt?”

“Do you think you’re any different, Ha-eun? Huh?”

In the end, she was different.

Especially in the chest area.

Strictly speaking, tight clothes are supposed to cling to the body.

But somehow, the absolute truth of “perfect visuals” also applied to the motion capture suits.

“…I feel like I’ve seen that look somewhere before.”

“Huh? Today’s the first time you’re wearing that suit, right?”

“There is. You just can’t see it, Ha-eun…”

“Pfft.”

“Ugh, Eun-hye, are you crazy? Ha-eun’s still a minor!”

A misunderstanding that Ha-eun couldn’t comprehend arose.

She couldn’t understand what the members’ laughter-filled jokes about whips and such meant.

Anyway, the reason they were gathered here in such strange outfits—according to Ha-eun’s extremely subjective evaluation—was solely for the rehearsal.

Shortly after, they each went to their positions and had to practice the choreography diligently to the song “Illusion.”

All members, including Ha-eun, were wearing what is commonly called an “idol mic.”

In other words, they had to rehearse while singing and dancing.

“…The end of the first verse was a bit off. Let’s do it again.”

Minor mistakes popped up here and there from the other members.

That’s why Ha-eun kept going back and forth to the monitoring room in the corner of the studio.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t that strange.

After all, this was the first time the Fantasy Land members were doing a live performance.

It would have been strange if there were no mistakes.

Thus, the rehearsal ended much later than scheduled.

The time made the promise from Lee Dong-jin to finish as early as possible seem meaningless.

Of course, Lee Dong-jin and Ji Hye-min hadn’t planned for the rehearsal to take this long.

They just couldn’t stop Ha-eun, who was striving for perfection.

“…I promised her mother I’d get her home as early as possible.”

“What can we do…”

As Ha-eun was checking the rehearsal footage—not the actual studio scene but the 3D avatars—Ji Hye-min, after some hesitation, finally approached Ha-eun and revealed that she had spoken to Na-yeon.

“Uh, my mom… called you?”

“Well, she still doesn’t know you’re broadcasting. I did my best to cover for you.”

“…My mom is really sharp…”

 

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