Hobbyist VTuber Chapter 4

The children’s vitamin comrcial wasn’t sothing I had to do—it was sothing I chose to try.

Yes, the unexpectedly large fee played a part, and seeing my parents even more surprised than I was made feel a strange, ticklish sensation in my chest. But that wasn’t all.

This was my first experience where the outco could be significantly affected by my own will and effort. The ti could end up as either sothing I’d regret or sothing I’d gain as an experience, depending on how I handled it.

I wanted it to be a aningful ti, sothing I could look back on without any regrets.

“Um, Director, may I ask you sothing?”

“Go ahead, ask anything you’re curious about—except for my bank account password.”

His voice was encouraging, willing to answer whatever he could. So, I asked him about his vision for the comrcial and exactly what he wanted to convey.

The director had already said I didn’t need to act out any particular emotions, that I should just run naturally on the track. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was sothing more he wanted.

“I’d like to understand your thoughts a bit better,” I ventured, aware that it might sound like a bold request.

Thankfully, he wasn’t annoyed or dismissive. Instead, he offered a more detailed explanation of his vision, which helped get a clearer sense of what he had in mind.

The main problem, though, was still the lack of an opportunity to et with Kim Min-jun, my co-star, before the shoot. Even just a day with him would help.

“Ha-eun, why are you so eager to et Mr. Kim Min-jun?” my mom asked.

“I have sothing I want to ask him directly,” I replied, though I didn’t share the full reason with her. It was hard to explain in words—it felt vague even to .

Since there wasn’t much I could do other than wait for the chance to et Kim Min-jun, I spent my ti studying the comrcial storyboard after the eting ended.

After all, this was also part of my preparation for my future streaming career. Filming a comrcial with a national athlete isn’t exactly an everyday experience.

If I could weave unique experiences like this into my broadcasts, I thought I could create content that would stand out. Of course, if I shared everything verbatim, it might reveal too much, so a little creative adjustnt would be necessary.

Ti passed, and finally, about four days before the shoot, I got the chance.

“This Saturday? Yes, that’s fine.”

Finally, I would get to et Kim Min-jun in person.

***

“Oh, so you’re Ha-eun! The genius girl who throws better than the starting pitcher!”

“…...”

His eyes sparkled with curiosity and friendliness, and he extended a strong handshake. Our eting that early morning was a bit more lively than I had anticipated.

But I achieved my main goal of eting him, so all that remained was to spend the day observing him and figuring out how to keep my presence in the comrcial from being overshadowed.

“Hmm, won’t you get bored just watching train all day?” he asked.

“No, really, just showing your usual routine is enough.”

Like , Kim Min-jun wasn’t used to acting, so his scenes in the comrcial didn’t require him to act much either. He just had to run on the track, pass the baton to in the middle, and that would be it. He had a few lines to record, but they wouldn’t appear on screen.

Since he was a national athlete, his presence would naturally shine through even in a simple running scene. If viewers ended up focusing on him instead of , the essence of a children’s vitamin comrcial could get diluted.

So, my goal was to find a way to make my presence stand out.

I observed his entire routine, from basic stretches to warming up, altis, and even as the red sunset faded and the sky turned completely dark. I didn’t show any signs of boredom the entire ti.

“Thank you. I think I’ve figured it out,” I said, bowing politely to him.

“…Figured it out?” he echoed.

He seed a bit taken aback by my serious tone and mature language, but he smiled and said, “Well, I’m glad I could help. It was nice eting you, Ha-eun.”

“Sa here,” I replied.

He saw and my mom off with a friendly smile. Nowadays, kids tend to mature quickly, after all.

I was only six years old, but, well, there are always exceptions.

There was nothing wrong with him showing his training routine, and I thought he’d answered all my curious questions with sincerity. When I t him again on the shoot day, he even greeted with a polite nod, so it seed he didn’t think I was any trouble.

Still, one thing stuck with .

“What? You want to run with ?”

“Yes. Can’t I…?”

Before the shoot, he was warming up to prevent any interruptions due to breath control, and I had asked him to jog a lap with . Maybe I wanted to shake off the tension.

“Well, let’s start with so stretching, then.”

“Yes.”

After helping loosen up, we jogged slowly around the track together, just as I had requested.

As one of the crew mbers called out that they were about to start, he patted on the shoulder for encouragent, giving a friendly “Go get ’em.” I nodded, then returned the sentint with, “Good luck to you too, Mr. Min-jun,” in a completely adult-like manner.

**‘So this is the kind of kid they cast for comrcials,’** he thought, taken aback.

Ha-eun was, in every sense, an extraordinary kid. He couldn’t help but be impressed.

A short while later, the shoot began.

With the balanced, steady stride I had practiced for days, I ran toward Ha-eun and handed her the baton. Instantly, the caras shifted focus, trailing after Ha-eun as she continued on.

But then, halfway down the track—

*Thud.*

In an unexpected stumble, Ha-eun’s feet got tangled, and she fell to the ground—a mistake captured by all the caras.

Instinctively, one would expect Director Kang to call “cut” imdiately. But instead, he stopped anyone who rushed over to help and said urgently, “Zoom in on Ha-eun’s face.”

Fortunately, there were no tears, but continuing to shoot seed baffling to everyone but Director Kang.

Following his command, the caras focused on Ha-eun’s expression as she slowly got up and jogged to the finish line, maintaining her composure.

It wasn’t until she reached the end of the track that Director Kang finally called, “Cut.”

He then walked over to Ha-eun himself, checking to make sure she was alright—a gesture that surprised the crew, who knew him as an unyielding presence on set.

“Get the first-aid kit and clean up her scrape. Young-tae, explain the situation to her mom,” he instructed.

“Oh, uh… yes, sir.”

After leaving Ha-eun’s care to another staff mber, he returned to his chair and began reviewing the footage he’d captured without the usual NG sign.

**‘…Interesting.’**

All he could feel was a sense of déjà vu.

In the footage, Ha-eun’s posture and the way she held her head mirrored Kim Min-jun’s style.

But in that one critical mont when her feet stumbled and the set fell into silence…

**Flash.**

Her gaze, fixed steadily on the finish line with complete determination, filled the cara fra. The initial sense of familiarity transford, emphasizing her unique aura.

The contrast between her previously steady stride and the stumble only served to heighten the effect. With each step she took toward the finish line, her small fra rose steadily back to its original stance, her expression calm as if nothing had happened.

It perfectly encapsulated the essence of the comrcial concept Director Kang had pitched a few days ago:

**“I want to express Ha-eun’s calm confidence as a result of taking the vitamin, the kind that makes her ready to face any challenge.”**

**‘I had a good feeling about her.’**

Seeing this first take align so closely with his vision, a slight smile crept up on Director Kang’s lips.