Chapter 105: Chapter 104

The J-pop Ideal Type World Cup.

A content segment where the participants select and eliminate J-pop songs to narrow down their favorites until only one remains.

When a solo broadcaster does this, the focus is usually on discussions between the broadcaster and the audience. However, when two people, like Diah and Cream, participate, the primary dynamic shifts to debates between the two.

And so—

“Number one in J-pop views! What more needs to be said?”

“Views aren’t everything! What matters most is how good it sounds!”

"Gasp."

"Diah, are you saying Lemon doesn’t sound good?"

"Oh boy, this is gonna be controversial."

"Honestly, if it’s just about views, what’s the point of doing a World Cup?"

"But to be fair, Lemon got big without any anime tie-ins—it’s pure music."

"Okay, but do you even know the artist of Samurai Heart?"

Diah and Cream’s fierce, head-on clash of opinions spilled into the chat, dividing the audience. Every statement the two made ignited waves of support and opposition, creating a lively and chaotic atmosphere.

At some point, the chat and donations about Diah’s real voice completely disappeared. As Ha-eun had anticipated, the audience's curiosity about her real voice dwindled during this polarizing "like or dislike" content.

Regardless of whether Ha-eun’s strategy worked or not, her focus for now was singular: to protect her favorite J-pop song from being eliminated by Cream.

“J-pop started with rock! Where’s the rock in Lemon?!”

She presented every argument she could think of, attempting to overwhelm Cream with logic. Yet, Cream’s stance remained unshaken.

In the end, they had no choice but to settle the dispute with a spin-the-wheel program to decide which song would survive.

When the spinning wheel finally stopped, the song selected to move forward was, much to Diah’s dismay, Lemon.

“And there it is~. Lemon wins! Samurai Heart is out!”

“Ugh, what a noob! Cream unnie, you’re a total J-pop noob!”

Diah’s voice, filled with despair, echoed through the mic as Samurai Heart was eliminated from the list.

Not long after, their next disagreement erupted with even more fervor as Diah’s pitch rose again.

“I’ll never give up Zenzenzense! Never!!”

“It has to be The Reason I Thought About Dying!”

"Oh, Diah’s an otaku!"

"You have to admit Zenzenzense is amazing, people."

"Why are they so desperate, LOL."

"The Reason I Thought About Dying beating Zenzenzense? Really?"

"Why is every matchup a battle of giants?"

"This World Cup is already way too intense, LOL."

The broadcast featured endless heated debates between Diah and Cream until the very end of the segment. Even after the final surviving song was chosen, the energy between them remained high.

However, the broadcast end time was fast approaching.

“After the stream, I’ll have a serious talk and educate her on J-pop properly! Bye-bye~!”

Diah signed off with her usual high-energy farewell, her voice filled with her trademark enthusiasm.

As soon as the broadcast ended, though—plop.

“Haah…”

Completely drained, Ha-eun let out a faint groan as she slumped over onto the desk.

For Jung Maria, this was the first time she had ever seen Ha-eun like this. Alarmed by Ha-eun’s sudden change, Maria quickly asked if she was feeling unwell and scanned her face anxiously.

“If you weren’t feeling well, you should’ve told me earlier!”

“I’m just a little tired… I’ll be fine after a short break, so don’t worry too much.”

Ha-eun then asked Maria to grab the chocolates from her bag. Maria wasted no time and returned with the chocolates, gently helping Ha-eun down onto the floor of the streaming room. She explained that staying slumped over the desk might cause stiffness.

Even after ensuring Ha-eun was in a more comfortable position, Maria’s worried expression didn’t fade. Her concerned gaze, directed at Ha-eun, felt oddly unsettling.

Eventually, Ha-eun broke the silence.

“Don’t just stand there like that. Unnie, sit next to me.”

Ha-eun gestured for Maria to sit beside her on the floor. Reluctantly, Maria complied, leaning against the wall like Ha-eun.

The moment Maria sat down, Ha-eun shifted closer to her, eventually curling up entirely into Maria’s arms.

“H-Ha-eun?”

“Just let me lean on you for a bit. Just for a moment….”

Unable to refuse, Maria held Ha-eun in her arms. Though surprised, Maria couldn’t deny that Ha-eun seemed more at ease nestled against her.

The faint rustling of a chocolate wrapper followed. Maria picked up one of the alphabet-shaped chocolates Ha-eun had asked for and gently placed it into her mouth.

“…This feels like I’m feeding a bird.”

“Birds die if they eat chocolate, don’t they?”

“Oh, really? Is that so?”

As the idle chat continued, their conversation naturally shifted to Cream’s streams.

For some reason, Ha-eun seemed to know a lot about the usual vibe of Cream’s broadcasts.

“How do you know so much? Do you watch other people’s streams on top of everything else?”

Curious about when the busy Ha-eun found time to watch her streams, Maria’s voice betrayed her surprise. Ha-eun hesitated briefly before replying.

“I know someone who’s a big fan of your streams. I’ve learned about them through that person.”

Ha-eun was being truthful, but she couldn’t reveal that the “person” in question was her past self. She figured even if she explained the full truth, no one would believe her.

‘Well, believing that would be stranger anyway.’

Still nestled in Maria’s arms, Ha-eun continued nibbling on chocolates like a baby bird until she finally felt like she’d recovered enough to sit up.

She offered a brief goodbye and added—

“Don’t dwell too much on the past.”

It was her own way of encouraging the person who, in both her past and present lives, remained her favorite VTuber. Ha-eun had noticed Maria glancing at her nervously during their collab stream, so she felt it was something she had to say.

“…Was it that obvious?”

“A little.”

“But Ha-eun, it’s true that because of me, you ended up in a difficult situation….”

“Well, people’s attention seems to have died down for the most part. I think everything will be fine.”

The next day proved otherwise.

“Ha-eun.”

“Hmm?”

“Spend a day with me.”

It was Da-yeon, stopping Ha-eun just as she was leaving school and asking for a day of her time. With Infinite Challenge Song Festival and The Sunshine filming set to begin soon, Da-yeon explained she wouldn’t have much free time after that.

Since there was no particular reason to refuse, Ha-eun thought about her schedule briefly before nodding. The two soon found themselves heading to a nearby cinema.

Both wearing hats and masks, they looked a bit conspicuous, but it couldn’t be helped given their public personas as well-known figures.

The crowded theater lobby only added to the awkwardness of their suspicious attire.

“Get the tickets, and I’ll grab popcorn and drinks. Caramel flavor, please.”

“Got it.”

Splitting tasks to avoid standing around too long, the two moved separately.

Da-yeon didn’t mention what movie they were watching, but Ha-eun didn’t particularly care either way.

At the concession stand, Ha-eun ordered caramel popcorn and two sodas as requested.

“Excuse me, would you like to order the couple’s combo instead? It’s the same price, but with an upgraded size.”

“Couple’s combo?”

“I thought I saw you come in with your boyfriend earlier. It’d be a better deal for the two of you.”

Caught off guard by the cashier’s assumption, Ha-eun glanced toward Da-yeon, who was getting the tickets.

‘Hmm… I guess from a distance, it could be confusing.’

While Ha-eun’s long hair fell to her shoulder blades, Da-yeon’s short bob, paired with a deeply pulled-down hat, could easily make her appear masculine from behind.@@novelbin@@

In the end—

“Alright, I’ll take the couple’s combo.”

“Great choice!”

Instead of correcting the cashier, Ha-eun chose the practical option. A small part of her also thought it might be amusing to tease Da-yeon about being mistaken for her boyfriend.

When the cashier handed over the upgraded caramel popcorn and sodas, she smiled warmly and added, “Enjoy your lovebirds’ day!”

Struggling to suppress her laughter, Ha-eun quickly grabbed the snacks and walked back to Da-yeon.

“What’s with the sudden grin?”

“I’ll tell you after the movie. Got the tickets?”

“Yeah. Theater 5, row G, dead center.”

It was then that Ha-eun finally learned the title of the movie they’d be watching.

Strangely, it was a genre Da-yeon didn’t typically enjoy.

‘…Don’t tell me.’

Ha-eun had a feeling she knew why Da-yeon had asked her to spend the day together. After all, the movie Da-yeon had chosen shared one major trait with Sea Butterfly: it was notorious for making audiences cry their eyes out.

Having known Da-yeon for over ten years, Ha-eun could tell right away that there was a hidden agenda behind the movie choice.

“Ha-eun, have you seen Along with the Gods?”

“No, not yet….”

“Perfect. Let’s go; it’s about to start.”

And so, with no room for protest, Ha-eun followed Da-yeon into the theater. The determined look in Da-yeon’s eyes sent a chill down Ha-eun’s spine.