Hobbyist VTuber

A Mischievous Senior, Nael’s Introduction to Chaos

The moment Nael first met her senior, she was bombarded with quirky commands and bizarre questions. It wasn’t surprising coming from a spirit whose favorite pastime was teasing viewers. Known for her unique, exceptional gaming skills, the youngest member of Illusionary Realm had built a reputation so infamous that even the senior members of the agency were wary.

And then.

“Um, since Nael is technically a junior, I was thinking of using informal speech during the stream. Would that be okay with you?”

“Y-Yes, of course!”

The person sitting across from Nael was none other than the multi-talented genius actress who had won the Best New Actress award for her debut film The Neighbor Next Door. She had starred in hit dramas like The Moonlight That Parts the Clouds and The Sunshine. Her debut album had skyrocketed up the music charts, earning her widespread acclaim as an artist nurtured directly by Double Lee Entertainment.

The sheer difference in image between the two of them left Nael momentarily speechless. Until recently, this was someone she’d only ever seen on TV, and now here she was, sitting directly in front of her.

Regardless of Nael’s ability to believe it or not, one fact remained unshaken: in just two hours, Nael’s first cooking stream was set to begin. The stream announcement was already live, complete with the addition of “with Diah” at the end.

“By the way, does your mom know about today’s stream?” Ha-eun asked gently.

“Uh, she just knows that... a coworker is visiting,” Nael stammered.

“Well, in that case, I think it’d be better if you gave her a heads-up.”

And so, Nael found herself in a position where she couldn’t escape a one-on-one conversation with a real celebrity. Calling a celebrity as her guest was one thing, but ghosting said celebrity would have been an even bigger disaster.

Resolute in her situation, Nael nodded enthusiastically at everything Ha-eun said, hanging on her every word with rapt attention. She still couldn’t bring herself to meet Ha-eun’s gaze directly, but she focused on her calm voice with every ounce of concentration she could muster.

That’s when it hit her like a soap bubble popping.

‘Wait a minute. Aren’t they supposed to be friends?’

The fact had temporarily slipped Nael’s mind in the shock of meeting Ha-eun in person. Her head, which had been slightly bowed, lifted for the first time as realization dawned.

“Uh... can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“That person we talked to on the phone last time—Hida. Did the agency tell you who they are?”

Ha-eun flinched slightly before her slender eyes trembled faintly. After a moment, she nodded cautiously.

“Yes...”

“Oh... so you know.”

Nael finally understood why Diah had asked Hida such mischievous questions during their stream—questions about personal topics, like the size discrepancy between their virtual avatar and real body. It was because they were actual friends, and such candid exchanges came naturally to them.

However, the unexpected revelation that Hida didn’t know Diah’s real identity caught Nael off guard. When Ha-eun quietly pleaded for her to keep her identity as Diah a secret, Nael couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

“Da-yeon is a huge fan of Diah. If she finds out it’s me, she’ll be devastated.”

“And I’ll never hear the end of it,” Ha-eun muttered under her breath. Nael could only offer an awkward smile in response. After all, an ordinary person like her meddling in the affairs of famous actresses felt like a shrimp caught in the middle of a whale fight.

The time to head to Nael’s house for the stream preparation arrived. After bidding farewell to Ji Hye-min, who had another engagement, Ha-eun and Nael walked side by side.

Before long...

“Shouldn’t we hold hands?” Ha-eun’s curious voice and tentative gesture reached Nael.

“Me? Hold hands with you?” Nael blurted, her voice dripping with disbelief.

The suggestion stemmed from Nael’s stream announcement, which had cheekily promised, “I’ll make sure to hold their hand so they don’t run away.” Ha-eun, wanting to bridge the gap between them, had taken the comment a bit too literally.

“Are you sure you’re okay with that? I mean, really?”

“Why not? Holding hands isn’t going to kill anyone...”

And so, Nael’s trembling fingers hesitantly interlocked with Ha-eun’s.

But the moment their hands fully met...

Thud.

Nael’s knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground. Her heart felt like it was about to burst as she confessed in a shaky voice, “I’m really a big fan of yours. I wanted to hold your hand, but if I’m being honest, I might actually faint right here on the sidewalk...”

Ha-eun realized she might have rushed things a little. Even so, Nael’s reaction seemed a bit extreme for just holding hands.

‘What if this happens at a fan meeting too?’

Would she need to have an ambulance on standby? Watching Nael struggle to stand back up, Ha-eun couldn’t help but worry.

Ten minutes later, they finally arrived at Nael’s home. As the door lock beeped and clicked open, the sound echoed through the quiet hallway.

For the second time in her nineteen years of life—the first being a visit to Da-yeon’s house—Ha-eun stepped into someone else’s home. A few seconds later, she politely greeted the middle-aged woman standing before her.

“Hello.”

“Oh my, it’s really Lee Ha-eun...” Nael’s mother muttered, clearly in disbelief.

Before any further words could be exchanged, Nael urgently ushered her mother out of the house. “Mom, you said you’d step out for a bit so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable, remember?”

“Oh, right. Of course.”

And so, with a chime of the elevator, Nael successfully sent her mother away, leaving her and Ha-eun alone in the now eerily quiet apartment.

Looking around, Ha-eun took in the ordinary yet cozy ambiance of Nael’s home—the family photos on the wall, the five-seater sofa in the living room. It was all so normal yet oddly refreshing.

‘A normal home... It’s a strange feeling.’

As Ha-eun found herself enveloped in an unexplainable mix of emotions, Nael returned from the kitchen carrying a large machine and several baking tools.

“Um, Ha-eun, this is a cotton candy machine. Since it might be dangerous and you could burn yourself, I’ll take care of making the cotton candy, okay?” Nael offered cautiously.

“Ah, sure,” Ha-eun replied.

“And this is a piping bag. It could get frosting on your clothes, so I’ll handle this too─”

For quite some time, Nael’s refrain of “I’ll take care of this” filled the room. It seemed she was determined to ensure that even the tips of Ha-eun’s hair wouldn’t be harmed, taking on almost all the work herself.

“So, uh... what am I supposed to do then? It looks like there’s nothing left for me,” Ha-eun asked, her tone light but tinged with disappointment.

Realizing her mistake, Nael froze for a moment before awkwardly suggesting, “Oh, um... maybe you could just watch?”

“Hmm...”

“Or, uh, let me know if the pancakes look like they’re burning?”

Though she was trying her best to assign something to Ha-eun, the actress couldn’t help but feel a little let down. She had genuinely been looking forward to this cooking stream with Nael.

“How about I make the batter at least? It’s okay if it splashes on me,” Ha-eun proposed.

“I’ll definitely pay for your laundry expenses later!” Nael exclaimed, her voice filled with worry.

“You don’t have to.”

“But still...”

“This is just a normal hoodie. It’s not some luxury brand or anything.”

Only after Ha-eun repeatedly reassured her did Nael reluctantly agree. To compromise, Ha-eun donned an oversized apron before they headed into the room for the broadcast.

Soon enough, click.

Then another soft click.

‘So this is what the setup for a stream looks like from behind.’

Nael, who was adjusting a camera on the streaming table, finally powered on the broadcast computer. The familiar desktop background that appeared brought a faint smile to Ha-eun’s lips.

‘It’s just like I remember.’

She had seen Nael’s desktop background in a previous life. That’s why it felt so familiar now.

However, collaborating with Nael for a stream was a new experience for both of them.

“W-we’re almost out of time. Should I... start the stream?” Nael stammered nervously.

Her flustered demeanor felt entirely different from the playful Nael Ha-eun remembered.

Not wanting to back out now, Ha-eun gently encouraged her. “Trust me, you’ll do great. Just relax.”

“Y-yes...!” Nael responded, her voice shaky.

Guiding Nael’s hand to the mouse, Ha-eun helped her click the start stream button.

Click.

[ Spilling the Tea: How Diah Became My Boss ]

‘What kind of title is this?’ Ha-eun thought, internally groaning.

But then again, it was just like Nael to come up with such a bold and quirky title. After all, it was no secret that Nael had earned a free pass to collaborate with Diah.

“Hello, everyone! It’s Nael~!” Nael greeted cheerfully.

Her energetic introduction proved why she had beaten out fierce competition to join Illusionary Realm’s second generation of VTubers.

But then...

“T-today, we have a special guest!”