No matter how you looked at it, Da-yeon was the first Noeuli to uncover Diah’s red pill.
The shock of finding out that the VTuber she’d grown attached to without realizing it was actually her closest friend... was indescribable.
Sure, the other Noeulis had gone wild when they found out Diah was actually celebrity Lee Ha-eun. But to Da-yeon, Ha-eun wasn’t so distant idol—she was a friend. So the red pill hit her in a very different way.
“As if she wasn’t already a scarily good actress...”
The whole “red pill” terminology in VTubing ca from the cognitive dissonance between the avatar and the person behind it. In Diah’s case, her red pill was so flawlessly executed, it was nicknad the “blue pill” instead, with people actually loving it.
“...What? Is there sothing on my face?”
‘Yes, it’s the face of my husband~’
“N-no, nothing at all...”
To Da-yeon, Diah’s red pill wasn’t sothing as simple as a “blue pill.” It had far more complex aning.
She was the one who felt the starkest contrast between Diah and the real person behind her—Ha-eun. The tone, the phrasing, the vibe, even the emotional temperature—everything was absurdly different.
Even Da-yeon, a lifelong actress, hadn’t realized for a long ti that it was Ha-eun. That’s how perfect the performance was.
She’d always known Ha-eun was a great actress since they were kids, but when Ha-eun beca Diah, it was like her very soul changed. That, Da-yeon thought, was the true definition of thod acting.
“I know my husband’s face is adorable and all, but if you keep staring like that, you might fall for ~.”
See? She’s doing it again. Just monts ago, she was the calm, composed Ha-eun Da-yeon knew well. And then—bam—Diah's persona would co bursting through.
Every ti Diah's "personality" surfaced like this, it stirred Da-yeon up. She didn’t show it, but she was conflicted. Maybe that’s why she suddenly reached for a tal spoon from the utensil jar.
—Clink!
“Yowch.”
“Keep playing around and I’ll keep hitting.”
“This is dostic violence...”
“Hah.”
Even after getting whacked with a spoon, Ha-eun stayed fully committed to their couple RP. Did she notice how conflicted Da-yeon was feeling?
Da-yeon furrowed her brow at Ha-eun, who remained an enigma.
They had co to a soba restaurant known for its sharp dipping sauce, but Da-yeon had no ti to appreciate it.
anwhile, Ha-eun was blissfully nibbling away at an added shrimp tempura—and sohow that only irritated Da-yeon more.
‘Bet she’s not even thinking about anything...’
She’d ssed up Da-yeon’s feelings and now she was just playing with her food. The unfairness of it all stung.
Unlike Da-yeon, who only found out later that Diah was Ha-eun, Ha-eun had known from the beginning that Hida was Da-yeon.
Whether it was Hida or Da-yeon, all Ha-eun had to do was treat her the sa.
But Da-yeon was still floundering—struggling with the gap between Diah and Ha-eun. That constant shift left her all stirred up inside.
“Thank you for the al, boss.”
“Oh, thanks. Actually... could I ask for a quick photo? With Ms. Min Da-yeon, if that’s okay?”
“Ah, sure. I can take it for you.”
See?
One minute she’s calling herself her husband and teasing her nonstop, the next she’s switched cleanly into celebrity mode again.
Does she have so kind of internal on/off switch?
—Whisper whisper.
“Smile, honey. If you smile, maybe the boss will give us extra next ti we co.”
At this point, Da-yeon was just dumbfounded. Was confusing her so kind of twisted entertainnt?
“Lee Ha-eun, if you keep calling honey, I’m stamping those divorce papers.”
“Gasp!”
After enduring wave after wave of Ha-eun’s honey-bombing, Da-yeon finally threw down the nuclear option: taphorical divorce papers. It was the only way she felt she could regain control of the conversation. Not that there were any actual marriage docunts to begin with...
‘Was I too harsh?’
Even after leaving the soba restaurant, Da-yeon still wore a stiff expression. Only then did Ha-eun start to think she might’ve gone too far.
She had teased her more and more because it was cute how flustered Da-yeon got every ti she called her honey.
But now...
“...I’ve got class. What about you, Lee Ha-eun?”
“Free until 2.”
“Okay then. See you tomorrow.”
Ha-eun silently watched Da-yeon’s back as she walked away.
Then she headed to a nearby café.
She had a shoot later in the afternoon for The Youngest Son of the Chairman, so she figured she’d use her break ti to go over the script one more ti.
‘So this is what they an by campus romance.’
Studying at a campus café during a break between classes—glasses perched on your nose, sitting by the window with a good view. It was one of the few monts that matched the fantasy Ha-eun once had of college life.
...Even if the “studying” was actually just speed-reading a drama script.
There were a few other custors in the café, and while so eyes widened slightly in recognition, they didn’t really react beyond that.
Maybe it was because it had already been over a month since Ha-eun started attending Yeryeo University. People no longer found her presence shocking.
But then—while flipping through the Youngest Son script—her phone buzzed on the table.
‘Maybe it’s Hye-min unni?’
Even as she picked up her phone without thinking, she blinked when she noticed the ssage wasn’t from KakaoTalk—but from LINE.
Her eyes widened slightly again when she saw who it was from. The sender wasn’t Korean.
[Goto Yu (Lucid)] – Ha-eun-san
[Goto Yu (Lucid)] – You've been playing Minecraft lately, right?
[Goto Yu (Lucid)] – I want to join too.
[Goto Yu (Lucid)] – Could you ask for ?
“...Huh...”
With her brain going a little fuzzy, Ha-eun quickly packed up her things and left the café. It was a quiet place, after all. And this wasn’t exactly the kind of conversation you wanted people to overhear.
[ Hye-min unni ]
[ 010 - **** - **** ]
—♪
—♪
—♪
[ Hello? Ha-eun? ]
“Code red! We have a situation! Incoming strike alert—!”
[ ...Are you drunk in the middle of the day? ]
***
Later that afternoon.
Filming set for The Youngest Son of the Chairman.
“For the scene where I’m resting my elbows on the table, would it be okay if I leaned in a little slower? I want to emphasize a more relaxed feel.”
“Hmm... I think that sounds good.”
Ha-eun nodded affirmatively in response to Yoo Seong-jae’s question. A typical mont of collaboration between lead actors over blocking and expression.
‘I wonder how the eting went...’
‘Nael said she pulled a special invite ticket. Does that an Lucid can be invited now?’
Even as she sat on a folding chair on set, her mind kept drifting. Which wasn’t surprising—after all, sothing that had never happened even in her past life had just begun a few hours ago.
Still, nothing was certain yet. And when she was on set, she wasn’t a VTuber. She was an actress.
So she did her best to keep her thoughts in check.
—Tap tap!
Focus. Focus.
She shook her head lightly, trying to snap herself out of it. She was the lead actress, after all.
Her role in the drama was massive. So was her responsibility.
She had to stay sharp.
—Tap tap.
—Tap tap.
“...Is sothing wrong?”
“Ah... I’m just... having trouble focusing.”
“Should I flick your forehead? Might help you concentrate.”
“No thanks.”
After that, Yoo Seong-jae glanced longingly at Ha-eun’s forehead, as if disappointed he didn’t get to flick it. Ha-eun’s eyes narrowed just slightly. A man wanting to hit a woman? She had thought he was better than that.
“You hit last ti too, Ha-eun.”
“...That was because you asked to.”
Co to think of it, Ha-eun wasn’t really in a position to judge, so she let it slide. Besides, dividing everything by gender for trivial things like this felt strange. And... there was sothing oddly unfamiliar about naturally thinking of herself as “the woman” in this kind of situation.
Anyway, the more important thing right now was the shoot. The conversation between her and Yoo Seong-jae gradually shifted back toward The Youngest Son of the Chairman. These days, Seong-jae had been very engaged—asking questions, putting in effort, studying the script.
Another round of filming started about ten minutes later.
“Alright then... Let’s begin.”
At Director Cha Seon-ho’s cue, Ha-eun and Yoo Seong-jae, now in character as ul-seo-ah and Shin Do-hyeon, looked each other dead in the eye.
“The mayor too, and several others... It seems quite a few have been switching sides with impressive speed lately.”
ul-seo-ah’s warning, aid at Shin Do-hyeon and the rapidly rising Cheonseong Group. She slowly traced the rim of her teacup with her fingertip, watching closely to see how he would respond.
And what t her gaze... was a calm, relaxed smile.
“Must be spring coming soon. The winds keep changing.”
Lifting his cup almost simultaneously and taking a sip, Shin Do-hyeon’s eyes dimd, his tone deepened. He continued the conversation with subtle determination—a clear ssage that he wasn’t about to be intimidated by ul-seo-ah or her power base.
“We already know who's been stirring that ever-changing wind.”
“Is that so.”
“...You’re not calling it a rumor this ti?”
“Rumors... tend to be truths that arrive late. Especially when they’re aningless to hide.”
Lifting his gaze to ul-seo-ah, he gave a subtle but unmistakable smile. She responded with the slightest twitch of her eyebrow. Her hand, which had been raising her teacup to her lips, lowered back to the table.
A montary hitch in ul-seo-ah’s breath. The two actors' ticulously controlled micro-expressions collided on cara with razor-sharp tension.
“People really are amazing. And at the sa ti, incredibly pitiful.”
She leaned forward slightly, voice lowering as well. Her icy stare locked straight on Shin Do-hyeon’s.
In response, he didn’t move his body, just tilted his head faintly. A soft smile blood. No more words followed—only silence.
And then—
“...Cut! That’s a wrap~.”
Scene #19 in the lounge had wrapped.
The tightrope tension of the set, which hadn’t even rustled during filming, slowly began to ease.
“You two lately—your acting is just—”
“Watching from the side, it’s like you’re having a full-blown stare-down—”
“The atmosphere’s even more intense than I expected—”
Murmurs from the «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» crew reached their ears. Lights and cara angles were being adjusted again in the background.
Maybe it was because she had been so fully imrsed in the role of ul-seo-ah. Or maybe it was because she’d been matching the weight of Seong-jae’s increasingly grounded performance lately. Or perhaps it was the fact that this scene had no flashy movent—only tone and expression—that made it feel so heavy.
Maybe she’d overexerted herself trying to keep her performance balanced with Seong-jae’s.
“...Ugh—”
Her whole body felt sore and sluggish. She stretched instinctively.
“I don’t rember feeling like this two years ago... What’s changed?”
She had thought she was used to acting with Seong-jae, but lately, it felt different. Out of curiosity, she asked if he’d been getting any special training.
“Lately, I’ve been taking calming pills. So I don’t get nervous in front of you.”
“...Calming pills?”
“Yeah. They really work wonders.”
A very unexpected answer.
She hadn’t expected performance-related... doping.
Apparently, Seong-jae was more dedicated to acting than she’d realized.
“Then maybe I should try one too—”
“Ah, no no. I like you just the way you are.”
“...Mm.”
What did just the way you are even an? Was she easy to deal with like this...?
‘Am I still getting distracted?’
She tilted her head slightly. Then decided she needed to fine-tune her acting. The guy who used to find acting with her hard now seed to think he could hold his own.
Maybe it was just in her head.
‘Ha... Ha-eun’s gaze has gotten scarier lately...’
Yoo Seong-jae felt a slight chill run down his spine as he watched Ha-eun’s quiet, focused resolve. He was starting to wonder if maybe he’d said too much.
***
“Great work today~.”
“You too, unni. Thanks for everything.”
Ha-eun had just stepped down from Manager Jeong Do-cheol’s van and waved goodbye. She headed ho.
But just a few minutes before arriving, she had received so unexpected news—her heart was still fluttering slightly by the ti she entered her soundproof booth.
Click.
[Dream Server – Day 2☆]
– Diah
– Welco, baby
– Minecraft again today?
– You’re 10 minutes late, co over hereee
– Diah
– Did you know Nael’s been going wild?
– Diah
“Ah ah~ Hellooooooo~☆”
With Diah’s cheerful voice ringing through the broadcast mic, the stream began. She logged into Dream Server to see what the new invitees had done to the fields she and Hida had set up.
“Oh, they added a lot!”
Unlike the basic setup from the day before, more fields had been created, and empty plots were now filled with crops. When she asked the Noeulis in chat who had done most of it, one na ca up again and again—Nael.
“Nael worked that hard?”
– Yup
– Yes
– She even bossed Daramsi around lol
– Nael went full workaholic
– Daramsi wanted to keep playing late and Nael had to force her to bed
– Her eyes were glowing. No joke.
“Hmm... Alright. Nael is officially the deputy manager of the Illusionary Realm Dessert Shop!”
[ KyAAA! I’ll work really hard! ]
“W-Wait, Nael? You were here?!”
– LOL
– Diah freaked out
– Nael is losing it lol
– Nael, my left ear is deaf now...
– From slave to deputy manager in one leap
“Hey! Slave?! They’re all my precious daughters~.”
– Daughters??
– What kind of dad calls himself the midwife to his daughters...?
– This... might be problematic
– "Daughters," huh. Sounds like glorified labor
– Yeah, they call it family, but they’re treated like salt field slaves lmao
“‘Salt field slave’?! You’re done. How dare you say that about my lovely girls...!”
Just like always, Diah bantered wildly with the Noeulis in the chat while the stream carried on.
Eventually, it was ti—she opened the special invite ticket Nael had pulled the previous night.
She used it right then.
—Ding!
[ PR몋SM_Lucid has entered the server for the first ti. ]
“Okay, our newest baby~! Welco, welco~!”
[ A-Ah... Hello. Daddy. ]
– ???
– Sa
– ??
– O
– Holy crap, it’s Lucid
– Wait, is this a collab?!
– Welco, senpai
– That really is Lucid’s avatar?!
The Japanese VTuber’s surprise appearance imdiately stirred up the stream chat. anwhile, in-ga chat among other Dream Server players remained oddly quiet—they hadn’t noticed yet.
Lucid, after completing the tutorial, returned with Diah to the fields. Diah began giving her beginner gear.
“First, you’ll need cookies—you don’t want to go hungry. Then, diamond hoe!”
[ Oh! Diamond! Thank you, Daddy! ]
But right after—
“Alright, clear that mountain next. See the one way over there?”
[ U-Um... What did you say, Daddy? ]
“That clear mountain over there. We’re gonna make a strawberry field there, so flatten it out~.”
[ Flatten the mountain...? ]
The stream showed Diah treating Lucid not as a guest, but a full-on worker. And with that ca so... questionable lines.
[ Is this how you treat your senior, Diah-san? ]
“Lucid-senpai’s ancestors did even wor— mm, never mind.”
[ ...What. ]
– ?????
– Sa
– What was that about revenge again
– What did she just say
– ???
– Well you were the master before, so maybe ti to try being the slave~
– Nihonjin!! Hayaku hayaku!!
– Dear Kim Gu, are you watching this...
– Is this even okay LMAOOOO
The stream was chaotic from the very start. Clips of Diah spread all over the internet within hours.
“A-Anyway! Those who don’t work, don’t eat! Get digging!”
[ Ueeeh! Diah-san, you’re so an! ]
“In Korea, our motto is ppalli ppalli! When in Ro, do as the Romans do!”
Reviews
All reviews (0)