Virtual Reality (VR).
As the name suggests, Virtual Reality is a technology that allows you to experience a virtual world as though it were real.
VR games, which use VR technology, provide an even more immersive experience compared to regular games.
It feels as though you are physically inside the world of the game.
‘Maybe it’s because it’s expensive, but the performance is definitely impressive...’
Ha-eun, who had just logged into the popular VR game Beat Saber, felt more immersed than she had expected.
She was definitely benefiting from having bought a good VR device.
The VR screen and sound had no noticeable lag, allowing Ha-eun to truly feel the immersion of the virtual world.
However, it was the sponsorship message from Da-yeon about VR horror games that had just arrived that made her rethink things.
‘...Why is she doing this to me?’
Ha-eun truly resented Da-yeon, who was behind the screen.
The virtual world in front of Ha-eun could easily turn into a haunted mansion, with monsters jumping out at her. The thought alone made her shiver.
A horror game with VR that felt even more real than reality?
Ha-eun was certain she could faint while playing.
‘This is definitely going to cause a broadcast accident.’
However, she couldn’t directly criticize ekdus7, who had donated.
After all, if she showed any fear of VR horror games, it would only backfire on her.
So, for the moment, Ha-eun chose to ignore Da-yeon’s sponsorship message.
Mentioning the existence of VR horror games wouldn’t bring any benefit.
Not long after, Ha-eun started playing Beat Saber instead.
“Hmm, I wonder what song would be good?”
Blocks named "notes" would fly toward the player, and the player would slice them with two lightsabers to score points.
To be honest, it looked fun.
Ha-eun was especially intrigued by the part where you slice the blocks with the lightsabers to score points.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve used a sword.’
Perhaps it was because of the memories of wielding a sword like an extension of her body during the filming of The Moonlight That Parts the Clouds.
Even though the music hadn’t started, her hands moved instinctively.
In that fleeting moment, a sword dance from Yeong-wol unfolded before her.
The two laser swords in her hands traced smooth arcs as they floated in the air for a brief moment.
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As the beats of the song started, the map of Beat Saber began to change, shifting to a steep cliffside.
Soon, a wind effect was added around the cliff, making it feel like a scene from a martial arts comic.
The bamboo forest on either side of the cliff only enhanced that feeling.
With a swift motion, Ha-eun’s right-hand sword was lifted, facing forward.
At the same time, she muttered a famous line from a sword master.
“Ahh, this chilling and heavy sensation. It’s been so long─!”
After cleanly slicing the first block, she moved with even more flair.
What followed were countless sword strikes.
The swords in Ha-eun’s hands whirled around like a violent wind, slicing through colorful blocks.
“Hinokami Kagura─! ...So fast, cutting!”
Perhaps it was because she had deliberately swung her swords in such a dramatic way, but the responses from Noeulis were generally positive.
Finally, the last block appeared.
Ha-eun adjusted her stance slightly and aimed at the red LED block flying toward her.
“Kaminari no Koku, Ichino Kata─.”
As expected, the chat was flooded with 'hahaha'.
Not long after, the final score, marked as an A, appeared in the center of the screen.
Diah’s high-pitched voice rang out in victory.
“If you don’t listen, Noeulis, I’ll slice you all with my sword~. Be well-behaved~.”
Ha-eun subconsciously realized that playing Beat Saber had a bit of a workout effect.
“Well, haah. See you later~. Bye, this...!”
But, just as usual, she didn’t leave the broadcast booth immediately after finishing.
After all, the horror game sponsorship message from Da-yeon, which she had seen a few hours ago, still lingered in her mind.
‘...I’m definitely going to have to play the horror game.’
If she didn’t prepare now, she would definitely suffer when the time came.
She couldn’t just wait for Diah’s free-use pass to be used.
And so, Ha-eun eventually logged into the VR horror game community.
She started browsing through the popular posts to figure out which VR horror game was the scariest.
‘For now, I’ll exclude the 19+ ones. Also, exclude the ones that might be awkward for broadcasting....’
After searching for a while, Ha-eun finally found a zombie apocalypse-themed game, bought it, and made the purchase.
She took a deep breath afterward.
‘...Let’s just get a feel for it today.’
With that, she placed the VR headset back on her head, which had been sitting on her broadcast desk.
The eerie menu screen greeted her.
The background music was spine-chilling.
𓂃𓂃𓂃♪𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃
‘...Ugh...’
However, she knew she had to get used to the atmosphere.
So, for the next few days, Ha-eun focused entirely on practicing VR horror games.
Of course, she spent far more time trembling and ripping the headset off than actually wearing it.
She had to cover her mouth to stifle her screams so Nayeon or Seongyun wouldn’t hear her.
What Ha-eun hadn’t realized was one small detail.
[Diah]
[Online 🟢]
“Oh? Diah is gaming?”
Yuna, who was streaming a regular game broadcast, tried to call Diah.
However, the call didn’t last long.
It was because Diah’s mental state was literally shattered.
[ ...It’s funny, it’s fun, but... I’m scared.]
“Ugh, yeah. Hang in there, Diah.”
Since Diah had asked her not to reveal the name of the game she was playing, Ha-eun didn’t disclose it.
She just told Yuna’s viewers that Diah was playing something she wanted to on her own.
“Everyone keeps saying ‘turn on the stream,’ but how can I always do that? Sometimes, Diah just wants to play a game to relieve stress.”
Ha-eun, who had reached her limits with VR horror games, took off the headset and immediately splashed her face with cold water.
The resentment toward Da-yeon was still fresh in her mind.
Though she would use Diah’s free-use pass for fun,
‘...I’ll deal with this later.’
Ha-eun firmly promised herself that she would never let Da-yeon’s actions go unpunished.
If Da-yeon really became an Illusionary Realm 2nd-gen member, Ha-eun would act as a proper senior and give her a hard time.
The reason Ha-eun had prepared a few secret accounts, ones that no one else knew about, was exactly for this purpose.
Just like how Da-yeon had hidden behind the nickname ekdus7 to harass Diah,
Ha-eun also planned to hide behind anonymous nicknames to make Da-yeon flustered.
***
As time passed, it was already mid-February.
The preparations for the live stage of Illusionary Realm’s first generation’s group song, Illusion, and the recruitment process for the second generation of Illusionary Realm were gradually nearing completion.
However, it wasn’t just the Illusionary Realm-related tasks that were coming to an end.
“The sunlight we faced that day was light yet heavy, and the long shadow held onto my ankles until the end.”
“How is it? The teaser turned out well, right?”
The voice of Director Kwon Jae-hyeop asked for Ha-eun’s opinion on the completed teaser for The Sunshine.
Ha-eun nodded and replied that she thought it was a good teaser.
The long journey of The Sunshine, which had continued for quite some time, was also nearing its end.
Strictly speaking, the filming for the second half hadn’t been completed yet, but the key parts were nearly finished.
‘...Let’s do well until the end.’
Ha-eun, who had been deeply impressed by The Sunshine, wanted to give her best until the very end.
She started to settle her emotions in preparation for the shoot that would begin in an hour.
However, Ha-eun’s subconscious still carried concerns about Da-yeon.
She was worried about how long she could keep Diah’s red pill secret.
“Alright, get ready. ...Action!”
Ha-eun flinched slightly at the question about Kim Jung-hyun’s secret activities as a righteous army, asked by Hwang Tae-seong.
Just like Ha-eun and Da-yeon, Kim Jung-hyun and Hwang Tae-seong had been friends for a long time.
The expressions they wore were also incredibly complicated, which made Ha-eun uneasy.
It felt strangely unsettling to have her secret identity discovered by her closest friend.