Hobbyist VTuber

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When my eyes, which had been closed for an unknown amount of time, finally opened, it was early morning.

I had always been an early riser, but even considering that, it was quite a bit earlier than usual.

However, once I was awake, the grogginess completely faded away.

“…I’m thirsty….”

Rather than lying around in a daze, I decided to get up and do something.

So, I made my way into the empty living room.

-Roll roll…

I stared blankly at the water cooler as it poured lukewarm water into a glass.

For some reason, I felt a vague sense that I was forgetting something important.

Yet, perhaps because I was still slightly dazed, nothing specific came to mind.

I plopped down on the sofa while holding the cup half-filled with water and stared off into space again.

Coincidentally, it was a Sunday, so I didn’t have to prepare for school like I would on a weekday.

‘…What should I really do?’

I was, quite literally, at a loss for ideas.

Of course, no one would scold me for doing nothing, but…

That nagging compulsion to not waste even a minute or a second, a leftover from the past five years, kicked in and got me moving again.

Eventually, the first thing I did was write a note for my parents.

[I'm going for a little walk outside.]

I planned to be back home by the time I usually had breakfast, but just in case.

Above all, I never liked the idea of someone else worrying about me, whether in the past or now.

Leaving this note eased my mind.

After changing into comfortable clothes, I grabbed a jump rope that had been sitting in the corner of the shoe cabinet and headed to an open area near my house.

Honestly, there wasn’t really anywhere else a mere 11-year-old like me could go at this early hour.

From there, I did the usual small exercises as I always did.

It was, after all, an amateur’s routine without any proper coaching, but it was definitely effective.

‘Am I going to end up bald like this?’

Still, every time I glanced at the outlines of my developing six-pack abs, I couldn’t help but think, “Is this really okay?”

Of course, no one had ever said my stomach looked gross or hideous until now.

​

-Took.

‘…What are you doing…?’

‘Oh, um, it’s just that… I was curious. It looks just like the bodies of those bodybuilder sisters, so I couldn’t help it.’

Thinking back to the days when Min Daya couldn’t take her eyes off my belly, it seems I definitely didn’t have a typical appearance.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t exactly something embarrassing or shameful that had to remain hidden, but I was still slightly bothered by it.

As I continued my usual workout routine, before I knew it, it was time to head home.

It was just that since this was my first morning workout, I felt a bit thirsty.

I decided to stop by the convenience store I could see in the distance to buy an electrolyte drink.

-Ding.

“Ah, welcome…”

The somewhat puzzled greeting from the part-time worker who was just starting to put out various products.

Well, when you think about it, it’s not really common for a kid to come to a convenience store alone at this early hour.

So, I decided not to put too much thought into the part-timer’s tilted head.

The problem was that the shelf where the sports drinks were displayed was so high that even if I stood on my tiptoes, I could barely reach.

‘Why did they put it up there?’

After about 20 seconds of pondering, I finally turned to the part-timer who was just setting out triangle kimbap.

“Excuse me, could you get the Power Drink on the top shelf for me?”

I asked them to grab the electrolyte drink on my behalf.

Fortunately, they quickly came over and handed me the drink I had mentioned, to which I politely thanked them.

But then, at that moment when I was placing the blue electrolyte drink on the counter to pay…

“Um….”

“?”

The part-timer, still looking skeptical, spoke to me.

Almost simultaneously, a phone screen was thrust in front of me.

“Is this you?”

The question was succinct, just three words.

Nevertheless, I immediately understood its meaning.

“Ah, yes…. That’s me.”

“Wow, really? I thought I’d seen you somewhere before.”

The person who had seemed to carry a quiet atmosphere typical of convenience store part-timers suddenly perked up.

Just like those who recognized Yuseong Ah, who had sat with me at a café a few weeks ago.

​

‘You should get used to this kind of attention; it’ll be good for Haeun. Surely, she will experience similar things in the not-so-distant future.’

‘…That future really is not far off.’

So, as I watched the part-timer, who was clearly flustered, I suddenly remembered that just the day before was the first teaser release for “You Who Came from the Stars.”

The vague feeling I had when I woke up a few hours ago was indeed related to the teaser.

“Um, could you take a picture with me?”

“Ah, sure.”

In less than a few seconds, click.

Afterward, when they asked if I could sign something, I slowly nodded my head.

Truth be told, the “signature” was just my name carefully written out, followed by the cliché phrase “Be happy” underneath.

However, even that elicited continuous thanks from the part-timer, filling me with a feeling I had never experienced before.

After leaving the convenience store and walking home while sipping on the blue electrolyte drink.

Not long after, when I finally arrived at my house and was entering the door lock password, that tingling sensation still lingered.

But then….

-Ding dong.

“I’m back—”

“Oh dear, young lady. How could someone as precious as you go out for a walk all alone without any attendants?”

“?”

“They say the outside air is quite chilly these days, young lady. Next time, rather than just a thin windbreaker, wear a thick padded coat.”

“???”

For some reason, my parents spoke as if they had traveled back hundreds of years in time.

The tingling sensation that had filled my chest until just moments ago vanished instantly, replaced solely by confusion.

—

– So when is our Jia coming out?

ㄴOur Jia? Is Jia your daughter?

ㄴWhy, yes.

ㄴTeacher, please hold your breath for just one hour.

ㄴLooks like there’s one more guy here that Kang Sunwoo needs to take care of.

ㄴSo who is Jia?

ㄴThe name of the girl Kang Sunwoo was looking for next door, her actress name is Lee Haeun.

—

At the time, around the mid-broadcast of “You Who Came from the Stars,” with just a brief 10-second appearance that had captivated many, Haeun didn’t even make an appearance in the first episode, leading to a flurry of discussions in drama communities about her.

– The article mentioned she would appear as young Han Yu-hwa.

ㄴRight now, Han Yu-hwa and Park Do-joon are all over each other, so where’s the chance for her childhood to appear?

ㄴExactly.

– Isn’t this supposed to be a rom-com? Why is Lee Haeun appearing in a hanbok like it’s a historical drama?

ㄴIn the teaser, it looked like a rom-com; the historical drama aspect was only in the last 10 seconds.

ㄴSo why is there a historical scene in a rom-com in the first place?

ㄴHow am I supposed to know that?

ㄴIf you don’t know, go find out.

Of course, just from the first episode’s content alone, it was enough to grab people’s attention; what’s more, it was already a hot topic even before airing, so its current viewer ratings were quite good.

In fact, it was already at 21.2% for the first episode.

Considering that the highest rating of its predecessor, “The Heirs,” was 28%, and that spike only came in the last episode, this was a commendable result.

“Yuseong Ah really is Yuseong Ah. Even after a 10-year hiatus from drama, her ability to pull in ratings hasn’t gone anywhere.”

Just like the assistant director, who was unknowingly admiring the aura of Yuseong Ah on the TV, so far, PD Hwang Min-soo’s plan seemed to be working effectively.

However, since the 2nd episode, which could be seen as a pivotal point for future success, and its brief preview hadn’t aired yet,

“It’s too early to pop the champagne.”

“Still, we can at least prepare a corkscrew, can’t we?”

“Good grief, you never back down from a challenge.”

Several of the production team, led by PD Hwang Min-soo, held their stance of waiting to see.

Thus, as the first episode of “You Who Came from the Stars” began winding down, shortly after that moment when Haeun transformed into a Joseon-era scholar’s attire and Hayeon became a beautiful yangban lady, it all aired.

Even though it was already late evening, the UBS Broadcasting Station was brightly lit, and numerous drama communities were abuzz speculating about the connection between Haeun and Hayeon.

“Shurann! Have you seen this?”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Well, it’s a new drama that just started in Korea—”

In several households across the expansive continent only reachable by crossing the Yellow Sea, precisely people being swept up by the current wave of Hallyu,

“The male lead is seriously handsome.”

“Right? No matter how you look at it, a man in a perfectly tailored suit is the most charming.”

“What are you talking about? I was referring to his attire in the teaser with traditional clothing!”

“Oh? Traditional clothing?”

“Hanbok, you know, hanbok. The girl’s clothes are so colorful and pretty too. When you see them together, they really look like a harmonious father and daughter.”

The so-called “Butterfly Effect” began to unfold, more vividly than anything else.