Chapter 77: Chapter 76

Actor.

Singer.

And VTuber.

While these professions are entirely distinct, they share a significant commonality: they influence public opinion as public figures.

Even the mundane daily lives of public figures can affect public sentiment, but the times when public opinion is most impacted are when they actively engage in their respective fields.

That was why Ha-eun used to scour the internet for reactions to her performances in the past. After debuting as a VTuber, she did the same with Diah, diligently monitoring the public’s response to her streams.

Unlike being an actor or a singer, though, VTubers often had detailed metrics showing shifts in public opinion.

[Diah]

[The youngest of Fantasyland | Spirit | Came to the human world because it looked fun─☆]

[Followers: 134,000]

“Wait… wasn’t it just 120,000?”

When Ha-eun noticed that Diah’s follower count had increased by 10,000 in just one day following the Shirooni stream, she immediately realized something had happened while she was asleep.

That’s why she logged into VTuber community forums early that morning, determined to figure out what had caused the sudden spike.

And in less than a minute, she found herself staring at the answer.

Diah Jumpscare Compilation.gif

Summary of Diah’s Stream Yesterday

Diah: First Ever Rage Collapse, Followed by Instant Justice

Before the Run: “Are you sure your wallets are okay?” After the Run: “Your wallets are definitely fine.”

Fallen Diah.jpg

The forums, which usually discussed a variety of VTubers, were completely flooded with posts about Diah. The posts varied in timing, from the moment Diah began her stream to just a few minutes prior.

As Ha-eun scrolled endlessly through the posts, she eventually clicked on the most upvoted one.

Title: Compilation of Diah’s Death Moments

User: SunsetWillFade | 01:28

(Image: Diah’s avatar falling backward five minutes into the stream.)

(Image: Diah looking dazed after dying within one minute.)

(Image: Diah getting eaten while reading a hint.)

...

(Image: Diah fainting during the end credits jumpscare.)@@novelbin@@

Diah<<<Not a spirit, just a fragile fish.

First time seeing someone fail to even reach the annex entrance in two hours.

“…I died that many times?”

Ha-eun was genuinely shocked. There were over 30 screenshots of Diah’s game-over moments in the post.

However, the overwhelming majority of comments on the post weren’t criticizing her but rather expressing excitement for her next stream.

Doesn’t she have a horror game roulette or something?

ㄴ She said she’ll do one if she ever needs to take another break.

If she struggled this much with Shirooni, she’d probably need to be hospitalized after playing a pizza game.

ㄴ Speedrunning the pizza game? Two nights minimum.

ㄴ Two nights? That’s insane.

ㄴ Certified national-level challenge.

I followed her and turned on notifications.

ㄴ Same. Next stream, I’m spamming “Play Poppy Playtime” with 23,521 mentions.

ㄴ Whoa, don’t go full dark mode.

The funniest part was her speedrun in the maze at the end.

ㄴ Wait, really?

ㄴ Yeah, she cleared it in one try without much trouble.

ㄴ But why didn’t you mention her dying while tea-bagging at the end?

ㄴ Anyway, she did make it to the maze collapse scene in one shot.

Ha-eun realized that her decision to use the horror game challenge as a "secret weapon" had paid off. Even the concerns she’d had about alienating her Sunsets seemed unwarranted now.

What surprised her most, however, was the influx of new viewers who weren’t part of her original audience. She hadn’t expected her Shirooni stream to bring in 10,000 new followers just because posts about Diah had flooded the forums.

Of course, there was no guarantee that all 10,000 new followers would watch her streams. But there was no denying that Diah’s newfound buzz had significantly boosted her channel.

While reflecting on the previous night’s events, Ha-eun realized something else: another "big moment" was about to happen.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t VTuber-related. However, it had the potential to generate even more significant ripples.

“If I play this right…”

The fact that singer Pinocchio and actress Lee Ha-eun were the same person was guaranteed to capture public attention.

If Ha-eun could successfully pull off her performance at the SIT ON THE MONEY finals, it would boost the public opinion of both Pinocchio and Lee Ha-eun.

And as a result, that positive reception could spill over to her drama, The Moonlight That Parts the Clouds.

“Hello, Reporter Heo. This is Lee Ha-eun.”

[Oh, hi, Ha-eun. What’s the occasion?]

“I have a favor to ask. Could you cover something this Friday? Are you free?”

Ha-eun reached out to the only journalist she knew, Heo Joo-eun.

She only requested coverage of the finals and didn’t tell Heo that she would be performing as Pinocchio. She simply asked her to write about the most memorable performance.

“Do you have a favorite rapper, reporter?”

“I plan to root for whoever wins. Team winners!”

Ha-eun smiled. She had a good idea of what performance would make the article.

If Heo covered Pinocchio’s performance, the buzz would spill over to Ha-eun’s drama premiere 30 minutes after the live finals ended.

“Every little bit helps.”

The SIT ON THE MONEY finals were scheduled to end at 10:00 PM, and The Moonlight That Parts the Clouds would air its first episode at 10:30 PM. If the buzz about Ha-eun spread fast enough, it could positively impact the drama’s ratings.

As Heo took her seat in the press area, she pulled out an expensive digital camera, taking test shots of the rehearsal.

Suddenly, a singer appeared at the back of the stage. The lighting obscured her features, but her captivating voice rang out.

“Wait… who is that?”

The singer remained at the back of the stage, never stepping into the spotlight. Even as the rehearsal ended, Heo couldn’t discern her face or silhouette clearly.