Hobbyist VTuber-Chapter 204

Scene #8 – Café

This was the scene where God and the Goblin’s two protagonists, Baek Jin and Baeksulhwa, met for the first time.

A moment of stark contrast—Baek Jin, who had never once forgotten Baeksulhwa since their farewell centuries ago. And Baeksulhwa, who had no recollection of Baek Jin at all.

He had already ceased to live as a human.

Yet, cursed with immortality by the gods, he had been unable to die, wandering through countless ages.

Meanwhile, Baeksulhwa had lived as an ordinary girl, doing her best to get by.

From her student years, she had juggled multiple part-time jobs, including working at a café, striving for a life more human than anything else.

Their very existences were so different that the way they perceived each other could only be different as well.

Most of all—while Baek Jin remembered every single moment they had once shared, Baeksulhwa had completely forgotten him.

—Tap.

"...Your hands are rough."

"W-what do you think you’re doing?!"

To Baeksulhwa, the current Baek Jin was nothing more than a strange middle-aged man looking at her with a sorrowful gaze.

A man who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was speaking cryptic nonsense—of course, she was going to be wary.

On the other hand, to Baek Jin, the current Baeksulhwa was someone he could only look at with a deep sense of longing and sorrow.

Because centuries ago, when she was still human, Baeksulhwa had been the most precious person in his life.

"L-let go of me!"

—Smack!

"Why are you doing this to me? Do I know you?"

"...Of course, this must be confusing. I understand."

That was why their gazes upon each other carried such a stark contrast.

And why this scene was deeply intertwined with their real first meeting later in the drama.

‘The audience’s perspective is already decided.’

Director Kwon Jae-hyeop, who had long since envisioned the full blueprint of God and the Goblin, was certain of this.

The gap in their memories would naturally guide the viewers toward sympathy—whether for Baek Jin’s sorrow or Baeksulhwa’s confusion.

At the same time, Scene #8 had to be crafted in a way that allowed viewers to fully understand both perspectives.

The backstory of these two protagonists—their lives centuries ago—would be revealed early on in the drama.

Because of that, by the time the audience reached Scene #8, they would already know who Baeksulhwa was to Baek Jin.

And in turn, they would sympathize with him.

"I'm sorry for suddenly appearing like this. But... until we meet again—don’t forget me."

"Huh...?"

The key to the scene was Kang Sun-woo’s sorrowful performance and Ha-eun’s bewildered reaction.

As the pivotal meeting between the two leads, Scene #8 was directly tied to the drama’s core themes.

Life and Death

To Baek Jin, who had lived only because he could not die, meeting Baeksulhwa again was destiny.

To Baeksulhwa, who had struggled through life just to ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) survive each day, meeting Baek Jin was coincidence.

That was why Ha-eun’s portrayal of Baeksulhwa carried the uncertainty of someone rooted in the present—

While Kang Sun-woo’s Baek Jin was weighed down by the past.

Their gazes, meeting over the meeting room table, felt unbearably heavy.

‘It’s been over ten years since the movie came out... and yet, it’s the same. Just like back then.’

It reminded Kwon Jae-hyeop of The Neighboring Uncle—of Jin Kang-sik and Kim Ji-ah.

Especially in the way Kang Sun-woo approached Ha-eun, while she instinctively shrank back in wariness.

It wasn’t just a vague similarity.

The way Ha-eun’s gaze lifted slightly toward him, the subtle retreat of her shadow—

Every little movement echoed a scene from The Neighboring Uncle.

‘Is this intentional? Or is it just happening naturally...?’

Even the weight in the air between them was the same as it had been ten years ago.

For the first time, Kwon Jae-hyeop truly understood why Ha-eun had insisted on casting Kang Sun-woo.

"I'll be going now."

"Wait, hold on!"

A man who had defied fate—

And a girl who wanted nothing more than to escape hers.

Their encounter was not only the beginning of God and the Goblin—

It was the very essence of the drama itself.

—Whoosh!

"...Huh?"

And just like that, Baek Jin vanished like a mirage, leaving Baeksulhwa staring blankly at the empty space where he had been.

Scene #8 ended there.

The room filled with quiet murmurs of admiration.

"That was great. Really great."

"Sun-woo hasn’t lost his touch at all, and Ha-eun’s gotten even better. Honestly, I thought we’d need to tweak a few things, but... it’s already perfect."

Even those who had remained silent nodded along in agreement.

If this had been an actual shoot, they would have nailed it in a single take—no retakes necessary.

Even the staff members who had been worried about Kang Sun-woo’s return to acting now found themselves looking forward to the first day of filming.

If anything, his synergy with Ha-eun wasn’t just intact—it had only gotten stronger.

Now, the only thing left was to shock the world.

‘This is kinda nerve-wracking.’

‘Well, if I were a viewer, I wouldn’t believe it either.’

No one had expected the two actors who had parted ways ten years ago to reunite like this.

The story between Kang Sun-woo and Ha-eun would, in itself, become a topic of conversation.

And if they could seize that attention—

If they could captivate audiences with a masterpiece of heartbreak and beauty—

Then this drama could become something truly extraordinary.

As the staff and actors looked toward the future of the drama with confidence,

Ha-eun sat quietly, deep in thought, flipping through her script.

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‘How do you even... work a part-time job?’

The character she had to play, Baeksulhwa, was a girl burdened with financial struggles, constantly juggling jobs.

Which meant that at some point, Ha-eun herself would have to film scenes working in a café or restaurant.

The problem was—Ha-eun had never done any part-time work in her life.

She didn’t even know how to operate a coffee machine, let alone serve customers.

Of course, there had never been a need for her to work before.

But even so, the details of the role kept nagging at her.

‘Ugh....’

If Baeksulhwa was supposed to be someone who had done all sorts of part-time jobs, yet didn’t even know how to work a counter properly, it would definitely raise questions.

God and the Goblin receiving criticism over such minor details was something Ha-eun wanted to avoid at all costs.

Maybe that’s why—

Even after the first script reading session went smoothly, she kept thinking about it.

So much so that, for the first time in her 19 years of life, she decided to try doing the dishes.

"You... want me to teach you how to wash dishes?"

"Yes."

"...Are you planning to move out on your own?"

"Ah, no. It’s just that I have a part-time job scene in the drama, so I figured I should practice in advance."

And so, Ha-eun finally attempted to do the dishes.

Following what she had observed over Na-yeon’s shoulder, she scrubbed the plates carefully, making sure they were squeaky clean.

The problem was...

They weren’t actually getting clean.

No matter how much she scrubbed, faint stains still lingered, catching her eye.

And then—

The biggest problem of all.

**—Crack! **

"...Ah."

For a brief moment, she misjudged the pressure.

The spot she had been scrubbing vigorously with the soapy sponge suddenly gave way, leaving a gaping hole.

Seong-yoon, who had been watching Ha-eun with a curious expression, approached right after.

"Sweetheart, when you get married, just make your husband do the dishes."

"...It was an accident."

"Accident or not, it’s not easy to put a hole in a plate like that."

Shaking the ruined plate in front of her face, Seong-yoon smirked.

Ha-eun’s hands trembled.

But he paid no mind, laughing about how she had been raised far too delicately.

"She’s never touched a drop of water in her life, and now she’s out here murdering innocent plates."

"M-murdering?!"

"You put a huge hole right through its heart. Do you still think it’s alive, Ha-eun?"

So that’s why Seol always whines when I bathe her...

Seong-yoon, wearing a victorious expression, scooped up Baekseol in his arms.

Then, making sure Ha-eun was watching, he gently stroked the dog’s fur.

"Poor Seol, you weren’t getting baths—you were being tortured. From now on, Daddy will bathe you~."

That was the final blow.

Just as Ha-eun’s eyelid twitched—

Baekseol, held lightly in Seong-yoon’s hands, bapped her shoulder with a tiny paw.

‘Just you wait...!’

Ha-eun held back her anger for Baekseol’s sake.

But she swore—if Seong-yoon provoked her again, it wouldn’t be a plate she put a hole in next time.

"I’ve always known your dad was a prankster, but wow."

"People can break plates sometimes. I don’t know why he had to make such a big deal out of it."

Wearing a sulky expression, Ha-eun grumbled to Ju Jung-yoon about Seong-yoon’s antics.

But before she could keep complaining, an interesting offer came her way.

"Job People is doing a café part-time job episode this time. Want to guest on it?"

"Oh.... Yes!"

And just like that, the conversation shifted from ranting about Seong-yoon to discussing Job People.

Since it was a variety show about experiencing different jobs, appearing on an episode about café work would be perfect for adding realism to God and the Goblin.

Perhaps thanks to her enthusiastic participation in the previous zookeeper special, the Job People production team had a good impression of her.

So, her guest appearance was quickly confirmed without any objections.

Which led to her reunion with Na Jae-hyuk, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.

In a way, he was the reason she had met Baekseol in the first place.

"I saw your movie, Ha-eun. That was seriously terrifying."

"Ahaha... Thank you."

Chatting about recent events was easy enough.

But once filming for the café part-time job segment began—

More specifically—

"Order #189, your drink is ready!"

Ha-eun stood at the counter, looking slightly nervous.

And the moment she locked eyes with the customer approaching to pick up their drink—

"Oh, oh...!"

**—Wobble! **

The man flinched so hard that he nearly stumbled backward.

For a split second, there was fear in his eyes.

And it definitely wasn’t her imagination.

"...Are you okay?"