A Mischievous Senior, Nael’s Introduction to Chaos
The mont Nael first t her senior, she was bombarded with quirky commands and bizarre questions. It wasn’t surprising coming from a spirit whose favorite pasti was teasing viewers. Known for her unique, exceptional gaming skills, the youngest mber of Illusionary Realm had built a reputation so infamous that even the senior mbers 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 Entertainnt.
The sheer difference in image between the two of them left Nael montarily speechless. Until recently, this was soone 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 announcent 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 stamred.
“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 et 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 eting Ha-eun in person. Her head, which had been slightly bowed, lifted for the first ti as realization dawned.
“Uh… can I ask you sothing?”
“Sure.”
“That person we talked to on the phone last ti—Hida. Did the agency tell you who they are?”
Ha-eun flinched slightly before her slender eyes trembled faintly. After a mont, 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 ca 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 agreent.
“Da-yeon is a huge fan of Diah. If she finds out it’s , 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 ddling in the affairs of famous actresses felt like a shrimp caught in the middle of a whale fight.
The ti to head to Nael’s house for the stream preparation arrived. After bidding farewell to Ji Hye-min, who had another engagent, 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.
“? Hold hands with you?” Nael blurted, her voice dripping with disbelief.
The suggestion stemd from Nael’s stream announcent, 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 comnt a bit too literally.
“Are you sure you’re okay with that? I an, 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 mont their hands fully t…
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 seed a bit extre for just holding hands.
‘What if this happens at a fan eting 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 ho. As the door lock beeped and clicked open, the sound echoed through the quiet hallway.
For the second ti in her nineteen years of life—the first being a visit to Da-yeon’s house—Ha-eun stepped into soone else’s ho. 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, rember?”
“Oh, right. Of course.”
And so, with a chi of the elevator, Nael successfully sent her mother away, leaving her and Ha-eun alone in the now eerily quiet apartnt.
Looking around, Ha-eun took in the ordinary yet cozy ambiance of Nael’s ho—the family photos on the wall, the five-seater sofa in the living room. It was all so normal yet oddly refreshing.
‘A normal ho… 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 so ti, Nael’s refrain of “I’ll take care of this” filled the room. It seed she was determined to ensure that even the tips of Ha-eun’s hair wouldn’t be hard, taking on almost all the work herself.
“So, uh… what am I supposed to do then? It looks like there’s nothing left for ,” Ha-eun asked, her tone light but tinged with disappointnt.
Realizing her mistake, Nael froze for a mont before awkwardly suggesting, “Oh, um… maybe you could just watch?”
“Hmm…”
“Or, uh, let know if the pancakes look like they’re burning?”
Though she was trying her best to assign sothing 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 ,” Ha-eun proposed.
“I’ll definitely pay for your laundry expenses later!” Nael exclaid, her voice filled with worry.
“You don’t have to.”
“But still…”
“This is just a normal hoodie. It’s not so 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 cara 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 rember.’
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 ti. Should I… start the stream?” Nael stamred nervously.
Her flustered deanor felt entirely different from the playful Nael Ha-eun rembered.
Not wanting to back out now, Ha-eun gently encouraged her. “Trust , 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 Beca My Boss ]
‘What kind of title is this?’ Ha-eun thought, internally groaning.
But then again, it was just like Nael to co 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!”
😂😂😂
Why’s the boss so nervous?
Nael, be confident!
Ti to teach Diah a lesson!
Her nerves got the better of her, causing Nael to fumble over her words. Clearly, making eye contact with Ha-eun was still too much for her.
Seeing this, Ha-eun stepped in. After all, Nael was her junior in Illusionary Realm and, more importantly, a fan of hers.
“I’ve been captured by a strange person…! Help , Sunsets!”
Finally caught!
Evil overlord Nael strikes again!
This is karma, rookie!
Nope, not saving you. Live with your boss forever.
“I-I’m rembering all your usernas! I’m dragging you all into the Room of Truth!” Nael retorted, trying to regain so control over the chat.
Wait, what?
OMG, terrifying!
From WWE to UFC real quick.
Despite the chaotic chat and Nael’s flustered reactions, the cooking stream itself progressed without major issues. They introduced the various baking tools they had prepared and inford viewers of the recipes they would be making.
The first dish was pancakes. As Ha-eun mixed the batter, Nael fretted over the possibility of the batter splashing on Ha-eun’s clothes. Still, the process went smoothly.
“Tada! The batter’s ready. Should I pour it now?” Ha-eun asked.
“Y-yes. Slowly, please.”
The liquid batter spread evenly in the pan, and tiny bubbles began to rise. Then, in one swift motion…
“Yap!”
The thick pancake flew through the air and landed perfectly back in the pan.
“Ah! Senior!! I thought flipping was my job─”
“But it worked, didn’t it? Look.” Ha-eun gestured proudly.
“Well, yes, but…”
“Then it’s fine,” Ha-eun concluded confidently.
Ti passed, and the stream captured more of Ha-eun’s deft movents as she flipped another pancake.
Clap!
“How’s that? I’m good, right?” Ha-eun bead at the cara.
😂😂😂😂
Look at her smug face!
Perfect wife material.
Marry , Diah!
Why is she flipping pancakes like a wok chef at a Chinese restaurant?
“It looks delicious, right? But only Nael and I get to eat it~,” Ha-eun teased.
Of course, typical.
Sigh.
Stop hogging all the good food, Diah!
Please burn it for karma.
Guess you’re staying single forever, Diah.
Watching Ha-eun from the side, Nael was completely stunned. The person she had seen re minutes ago was now unrecognizable.
‘…Jekyll and Hyde?’
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