Hobbyist VTuber

A trip to Europe.

There was no real reason to dislike it.

For starters, the accommodations were at a five-star hotel.

I wasn’t sure where the Start Again production crew would be staying, but the cast, including myself, had been assigned private rooms.

The facilities looked amazing.

When I looked up the hotel, I saw that even the gym was fully stocked with state-of-the-art equipment.

Which meant I could keep up with my workout routine while in Europe.

Jet lag might be a minor issue, but I’d adjust soon enough.

As far as lodging was concerned, there wasn’t a single downside.

“Should I buy a high-end camera?”

“Probably a good idea.”

The filming locations for Start Again.

Basically, the itinerary for our European tour—it was perfect.

Every single destination listed in the program’s plan was a famous landmark.

Which was why Jung-yoon unni was fired up about getting a new camera, determined to capture every moment of our trip.

No matter how I looked at it, this was a great opportunity.

In my past life, a trip to Europe would’ve been a pipe dream.

So, I planned to take my time, explore every tourist attraction, and finally see in person the places I’d only ever seen on the internet.

“But will foreigners even understand my songs?”

“They won’t fully understand since they’re in Korean. But that doesn’t matter. Apparently, even if they don’t get the lyrics, they’ll still clap like crazy if it sounds good.”

Lastly, the core of Start Again—busking.

I had a positive outlook on it.

After all, I wouldn’t be performing alone.

Sure, singing in front of a foreign audience was a little nerve-wracking.

But as always, practice would take care of that.

I should brush up on my pronunciation for the pop songs I’ll be singing...

In the end, Start Again was practically all upsides for me.

Being on TV would help me get closer to my dreams, too.

The only thing that concerned me was the fact that I wouldn’t be able to stream while traveling.

But like a doctor once advised me years ago, taking breaks—traveling, for instance—was important for mental well-being.

If I refreshed myself now with this trip to Europe, I’d be able to prevent burnout.

And avoiding burnout was my top priority if I wanted to keep streaming for a long time.

I should let Hye-min unni know in advance, too.

It was a good opportunity. A great program.

I had no reason to deny that.

But—just one thing.

Out of all the fun and exciting parts of Start Again, there was one particular scene.

Just one segment that made it impossible to look forward to the departure date with nothing but pure excitement.

“All right, Ha-eun. Try this on.”

“...Pick something else. Absolutely not this one.”

“Huh? It’s cute, though. Why not?”

“Do... Do I really have to say it out loud...?”

Right now, I was in a swimsuit shop with Jung-yoon unni.

One of the show’s sponsors was this brand, and the store had an endless selection of swimsuits.

The problem?

Some of these swimsuits made me question whether they were even clothes.

And the bigger problem was—

“You have to pick one eventually, Ha-eun. Just try it on.”

“This isn’t wearing something! It’s draping something!!”

“It’ll feel different once you put it on. Come on, hurry up!”

The swimsuits Jung-yoon unni handed me were enough to make my head spin.

I started seriously worrying about whether something like this could really be broadcasted on TV.

I knew I’d have to wear a swimsuit eventually.

The scene wasn’t anything provocative—just relaxing at the hotel pool.

Still.

“U-unnniiii....”

“What?”

“I-It’s hard to breathe... I think I need a bigger size....”

“...Wow. Just wow.”

Putting it on was already a challenge.

Wearing it afterward was another one entirely.

“Hmm... Since this is going to be on TV, let’s try something even cuter.”

“T-This is already too much...!”

“You’re only thinking that because you’re overanalyzing it. It’s just a swimsuit.”

“...Ugh....”

If Da-yeon ever found out I had to wear this on camera, she’d never let me live it down.

She’d probably tease me forever, calling me a shameless little flirt.

The thought of my swimsuit-clad self airing on television made my vision go dark.

Was I really overthinking this?

Creak.

Step.

“U-um... How does it look...?”

“It’s sexy and gorgeous. Absolutely.”

“...Thanks....”

It took a lot of courage just to step out of the dressing room.

At least neither Jung-yoon unni nor the store staff said it didn’t suit me.

“That’s great! Now, onto the next one.”

“...Another one?”

“We have to find the perfect one for you. It’s a pain now, but you’ll thank me later.”

And so, I became a living mannequin for Jung-yoon unni’s enjoyment.

Honestly, wearing something that suited me wasn’t a bad thing.

But every time I stepped out of the dressing room in another swimsuit, my ears and cheeks burned.

After what felt like an hour, I finally picked one.

I made sure to choose the least revealing one possible.

And yet, it still felt way too bold.

Not long after, I heard Jung-yoon unni muttering to herself again.

“I definitely need to buy a high-end camera.”

The words were exactly the same as before.

But this time, they sounded completely different.

I unconsciously took a step back from her.

Then, her true intention was revealed.

“My dream is to take romantic photos at a sunset-lit hotel pool.”

Which meant—

She wanted me to cooperate.

Not only was she planning to take pictures of herself, but she also intended to photograph me.

I facepalmed.

“Just imagine it, Ha-eun. The sun setting in the distance, the pool glistening, and you lazily drifting in the water. Can’t you feel the aesthetic?”

“...Anyone overhearing this would think we’re planning a honeymoon.”

Honestly, though, it did sound romantic.

I’d seen plenty of similar pictures on Instagram.

But the thought of me being in one of those pictures...

I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that yet.

As I stared down at the pristine white shopping bag containing my swimsuit, I found myself deep in thought.

***

By the time Veterans surpassed nine million viewers, Ha-eun was browsing through news articles about the film on her computer when her phone suddenly rang.

“Hello? Maria unni?”

[Oh, Ha-eun! Are you free to talk right now?]

“Ah, yeah. What’s up?”

She was using her personal phone, not her streaming phone.

In other words, this wasn’t a call during a broadcast, so she could speak in her natural voice instead of Diah’s.

Still, what Jung Maria had to say was related to Illusionary Realm.

[So, I’m planning to have everyone gather for my birthday. Of course, we’ll stream it, too.]

“Oh, right! It’s already your birthday, huh?”

Long story short, Ha-eun agreed to join the offline collab as Diah.

Jung Maria—her Cream—was an incredibly important person to her.

There was never even a possibility that Ha-eun wouldn’t be there to celebrate Cream’s birthday.

So, when Maria asked if she was available, Ha-eun answered without hesitation.

“Happy birthday, my dear Cream~!”

Clap clap clap clap!

And so, when the day finally arrived, all the first-generation members of Illusionary Realm gathered at Jung Maria’s apartment.

More precisely, they were celebrating with countless viewers in chat, cheering as Cream blew out the candles in one go.

Slide.

Since she was the youngest, Ha-eun picked up the knife to cut the cake and share it with the others.

At that moment, every single member—except for Ha-eun—visibly flinched.

Blinking, Ha-eun slowly started to feel like something was off.

Still, the most important thing right now was making sure her unnis got to enjoy the delicious cake.

So, she ignored the strange reactions and began slicing neatly with the cake knife.

“D-Diah, normally the birthday girl does this!”

“Y-Yeah! I can cut it myself just fine!”

For some unknown reason, before she could even finish, the cake knife was yanked from her hands.

Only after she was empty-handed again did the other members let out relieved sighs.

...?

Ha-eun had no idea what they were thinking, which left her even more confused.

Then, almost immediately after—

Ding-dong~.

“Oh, that must be the food. I’ll go grab it.”

She retrieved the plastic bags of takeout from outside Maria’s apartment and started setting up the table with the others.

Everything was going smoothly until—

Slide.

The moment she picked up a small paring knife to cut open the vacuum-sealed food containers—

“U-Uh, I’ll do it! Hand me the knife.”

Once again, a knife was snatched away from her.

Even though this was Cream’s birthday, it felt like the others were actively preventing Ha-eun from helping in any way.

And because their voices were picked up by the stream’s microphones—