Hobbyist VTuber-Chapter 207

The healing variety show Friendaholic, where close celebrity friends go on a two-day, one-night trip together.

It was a long-running favorite among viewers who enjoyed travel as a hobby or preferred healing variety shows.

However, the fanbases of the celebrities appearing on Friendaholic also played a significant role in the show’s ratings.

The highest-rated episode was the one featuring famous Hallyu stars who had been known for their close friendship since their trainee days.

On the other hand, episodes featuring lesser-known, obscure singers tended to have significantly lower viewership.

Because of this, the production team of Friendaholic naturally leaned toward casting more famous celebrities.

That was precisely why there were no objections when it came to casting Ha-eun and Da-yeon.

"Honestly, I was just testing the waters... I didn’t expect them to accept so quickly."

From the perspective of Friendaholic's PD, Shin Dong-woo, Ha-eun was akin to winning the lottery.

Not only did she have an excellent sense of humor for variety shows, but she was also best friends with Min Da-yeon, a well-known actress.

However, Shin Dong-woo wasn’t the only one eager to cast Ha-eun.

Moreover, with Ha-eun’s schedule packed due to filming a newly launched drama, her availability was uncertain.

If she agreed to appear, it would be a guaranteed jackpot, but the chances of securing her were slim.

In the broadcasting industry, Ha-eun was viewed as a lottery ticket—something immensely valuable but difficult to obtain.

That was why, in the past, Shin Dong-woo had not placed much hope in getting Ha-eun on the show.

But now that Ha-eun had not only agreed to appear on Friendaholic but had already finished filming—

Shin Dong-woo had to make the most of the lottery ticket that had somehow fallen into his lap.

There was just one thing that weighed on his mind.

"It’s something really personal... I don’t think I can share it. I’m sorry."

“Hmm...”

The reason Da-yeon had shed tears toward the end of the Friendaholic shoot.

And the reason Ha-eun’s eyes had reddened slightly at the same moment.

Only the two of them knew.

After filming ended, Shin Dong-woo had cautiously asked what kind of conversation they’d had.

But the answer he received was a firm no.

Though their words were polite, their refusal was resolute.

"I really didn’t expect them to take off their microphones."

In a healing variety show like Friendaholic, there was nothing more compelling than a scene where the cast cried.

If handled well, it could even become an emotional highlight.

Letting such a moment go to waste felt like a huge loss.

And so, Shin Dong-woo made a final decision—to salvage at least some of the lost audio.

"I can’t hear what they’re saying very clearly, but I should be able to capture the nuance at least."

Instead of the pin microphones Ha-eun and Da-yeon had removed, he decided to use the boom mic that had been set up at the campsite.

That was why he reached out to Ha-eun and Da-yeon’s agencies once again.

He couldn’t just discard the footage, but revealing something too personal on air was equally problematic.

The best approach was to ask the two of them directly about what could be aired.

After receiving Ha-eun and Da-yeon’s final approval on what could be included in the broadcast,

Shin Dong-woo worked to maximize audience intrigue within the boundaries they had set.

This content is taken from freёnovelkiss.com.

With that, the teaser for Friendaholic was complete.

"Min Da-yeon and Lee Ha-eun are appearing on Friendaholic!?"

"Wait, why are they crying?"

Online discussions about the upcoming episode of Friendaholic started to gain traction.

The teaser, in particular, sparked debate due to the censored dialogue and heavily edited scenes.

"Aren’t they best friends? Why does it look like they’re fighting?"

"Honestly, I’d be scared too if the Terminator was right in front of me."

"Did one of them confess and get rejected?"

"Please stop with the fanfiction."

"They’re both minors. Enjoy your lawsuit."

"Min Da-yeon crying is absolute gold."

"For real;; Better get the tissues ready."

"Who is this guy lmao?"

"Sir, please hold your breath for 12,849 years, I beg you."

The fact that Ha-eun and Da-yeon were best friends was well-known.

Having both been active as actresses since childhood, they even shared a portion of their fanbase.

Even if someone only supported one of them, nearly all fans were aware of their close bond.

That was why Ha-eun and Da-yeon’s fans were so focused on this episode of Friendaholic.

The teaser had shown them having fun all day, only for the scene to end with unexpected tears.

And since there were no clear clues as to why, Shin Dong-woo’s carefully planned intrigue was working like a charm.

Time passed.

Finally, Friendaholic aired.

"I’ll pull from the front, so you push from behind, Da-yeon."

"...? Why?"

"It’s too heavy for me to pull alone."

"Too heavy??"

"...Just hurry up."

Ha-eun, grunting as if she couldn’t pull the cart, and Da-yeon, staring at her in disbelief, filled the screen.

As expected, viewers immediately caught on to Da-yeon’s frustration.

"Look at Min Da-yeon’s face lmao."

"(Ha... sht... just follow the script...)" <<< Lee Ha-eun’s inner thoughts*

"Ha-eun, if you’re lying, say goodbye to your wrist."

"Are you seriously saying this is too heavy?"

"Oh no... you must be new here."

"Go watch from Season 1, Episode 3, and then come back."

"This is the same girl who pulled a cart full of watermelons with one hand. She’s obviously lying lol."

While Ha-eun’s act wasn’t fooling anyone, she and Da-yeon finally managed to haul the camping cart to the campsite.

Then, the two began setting up their tent.

At first, most viewers simply watched without reacting.

The only real surprise was that they were both more skilled at pitching a tent than expected.

But once the large tent was fully laid out,

and it was time to hammer in the tent pegs—

"Hmm..."

The camera zoomed in on Ha-eun as she studied the tent pegs and a large rock in her hands.

She glanced between Da-yeon and the objects in her grasp several times.

"Is it just me, or does this feel ominous?"

"She looks like she’s calculating the angle to hit Da-yeon."

"You know rocks can kill people, right?!"

"No worries, she’s done this before."

"Do you really think you can’t kill someone with a tent peg?"

"Wait, is Friendaholic actually a thriller?"

Finally, Ha-eun called Da-yeon over.

She asked for help hammering in the pegs.

She insisted it was too difficult to do alone.

"You have to hammer them deep so the tent doesn’t fly away later."

"Yeah, I know that."

Da-yeon’s expression twisted in pure disbelief.

The viewers, already convinced that Ha-eun was acting, wasted no time in roasting her.

"Lee Ha-eun, you could hammer those pegs in with your bare fists."

"LOL"

"Min Da-yeon, speaking the truth."

"That’s real friendship right there."

Da-yeon’s hushed whisper spread through the speakers.

And right after, Ha-eun leaned in and murmured:

"...Be quiet before I hammer you in instead."

"Lee Ha-eun, I am afraid."

"Why does this actually sound serious?"

"Look at Min Da-yeon shrinking back lmao."

"Ha-eun, you’re not joking, are you...?"

"Lee Ha-eun / Controversy / Murder Threats."

The power of editing zoomed in on Da-yeon’s trembling pupils.

Ominous background music played.

These two elements, combined, did nothing to improve Ha-eun’s image.

Of course, in reality, it was just a comedic edit meant to enhance the variety show’s atmosphere.

But sitting at home watching Friendaholic, Ha-eun could do nothing but bury her face in her hands.

Regardless, with the tent now fully secured, the episode continued.

Scenes of Ha-eun and Da-yeon shopping for groceries and cooking their own meals played back-to-back, restoring the signature peaceful atmosphere of Friendaholic.

Viewers gradually settled into this calm mood, commenting on how delicious the food looked or how beautiful the camping site was.

Ha-eun and Da-yeon’s fans, in particular, enjoyed seeing them having fun together.

"What do you think? Pretty, right?"

"Yeah. It came out really nice."

The scene of Ha-eun and Da-yeon playing with sparklers and taking pictures came to an end.

More precisely, as they sat on their folding chairs, the atmosphere shifted—

Now, they were about to have a more honest conversation.

"That... that's me."

"H-Huh? What... is?"

"Lee Ha-eun, you’re ■■■■■...."

The audio played, censored and distorted, sounding noticeably different from the rest of the recording.

Naturally, the online communities exploded with question marks.

The poor sound quality, combined with abrupt cuts and censorship beeps, left viewers scrambling to fill in the blanks with their own interpretations.

And the biggest clue guiding their speculations? Ha-eun and Da-yeon’s expressions.

"■■... sorry. I thought if I ■■■, it would only make things harder for you."

"...I was scared. ■■■■... I didn’t think I could stay friends with you anymore."

A lowered head.

Tears falling, one by one.

Two trembling hands clutching onto Ha-eun’s, refusing to let go.

And then, Da-yeon’s shoulders began to shake as she silently sobbed.

Viewers, completely unaware of the actual context, wasted no time coming up with wildly inaccurate theories.

Some suggested that Da-yeon had made a huge mistake and was apologizing.

Others speculated that Ha-eun was blackmailing her over some deep, dark secret.

"Did Min Da-yeon borrow money from Lee Ha-eun or something?"

"I thought they were best friends, what’s going on??"

"This atmosphere is way too serious;;"

"Why are their lines getting cut off so much??"

⤷ They took off their mics earlier, remember?

⤷ And some parts were censored since they weren’t TV-friendly.

In the end, not a single viewer was able to guess the truth.

The furthest they got was a vague, “Something must’ve happened between them.”

However, among the few people who actually knew another side of Ha-eun and Da-yeon,

a troubling suspicion began to take root.

Because no matter how they looked at it,

there was only one thing that could make those two have such a serious conversation.

"No way... Did Da-yeon...?"

"Let’s call Ha-eun first, unni. We don’t know the full situation yet."

And so, at that very moment, as LUX’s Ji Hye-min and Lee Dong-jin watched Friendaholic with serious expressions,

The scene shifted—

Ha-eun and Da-yeon, with the campfire burning brightly behind them, slipped into their tent.

There was just one variable neither of them had accounted for.

Inside the tent, hidden among the camping gear, were additional recording devices.

Including—

A microphone.

And the biggest variable of all—

"You... don’t hate me, right?"

"...I’ve never hated you. Not even once."

The footage showed the two of them curled up under a shared blanket inside the tent.

Da-yeon, burying her face against Ha-eun’s back as she quietly sobbed.

Ha-eun, eventually turning around to hold her, gently rubbing her back to comfort her.

Everything—

Every last bit of it—

Was broadcasted on national television.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

Flap flap!Flap flap!And that was why, at that very moment, Min Da-yeon was furiously kicking her blankets in bed.

She was mortified.

Quite literally dying of secondhand embarrassment.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Min Jung-woon and Jeong Go-eun continued watching TV,

subconsciously comparing their daughter to her friend once again.

"Ha-eun has always been so mature."

"Our Da-yeon really found herself a good friend."

"...I CAN HEAR YOU!!!!"

"Oh my."

With that, Da-yeon’s bedroom door slammed shut.

And on TV, the show transitioned to the next morning at the campsite.

Ha-eun was the first to wake up, stepping out of the tent.

At first, nothing seemed unusual—

She stretched, did some light morning exercises, and sat by the now-extinguished campfire.

Viewers watched absentmindedly, showing little reaction.

But then—

Rustle rustle.Rustle rustle."...Found it."

The moment Ha-eun began rummaging through the cooler box next ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) to the tent,

and more importantly, when she started handling the frying pan and pot with an extremely serious expression—

The chat erupted.

"What is she doing?"

"Her egg-frying technique is no joke."

"Lee Ha-eun, officially wife material."

"She just made a textbook-perfect breakfast."

"Since when did she know how to cook?"

⤷ They teach this in middle school nowadays.

"Damn, that miso soup looks amazing."

"I’m actually drooling;;"

A new image of Ha-eun was beginning to form in viewers’ minds.

Technically speaking, most of the breakfast had been pre-prepped meal kits.

But—

"Da-yeon, breakfast is ready~."

The way she finished setting the table and even woke up Da-yeon—

There was something about it that felt new.

It was... sweet? Unexpected, maybe?

"Mmm...."

"Oh, oh...? Mmm... wait, hold on, Da-yeon, you cannot go outside like this."

"...Why noooot...?"

"It’s bad. In every way. Your face is way too swollen."

And so, sunglasses were forced onto Da-yeon’s face.

Meaning that she had to eat the entire breakfast Ha-eun had prepared—

While wearing sunglasses.

Shortly after, the show aired a brief interview segment.

Every celebrity who had appeared on Friendaholic had done one,

but this time—

"It was fun. I finally get why people go camping with friends."

That was all Ha-eun had to say.

Short and simple—

Just that it had been a nice experience.

Da-yeon, however, still wearing the sunglasses—

"She... was my goal."

"I’ve never beaten Ha-eun at anything, not even once. Maybe that’s why... I got jealous. Did some dumb things."

A surprisingly serious answer.

"Even now, I still see her as a rival when it comes to acting. But as a person, Lee Ha-eun is... hmm."

"If she were a guy, I probably would’ve had a crush on her. That’s how much she means to me. She’s amazing. And I’m grateful for her. In many ways."

“...Wow.”

As Friendaholic finally came to an end, Ha-eun let out a quiet exclamation.

Her hand naturally reached for her phone.

-♪

-♪

-♪

-♪... Click.

[ Hello? ]

"Hey, Da-yeon. Since when?"

[ ...What? Since when what? ]

"Since when have you been in love with me?"

[ ......Oh. My. God. ]

"Come on, spill it. When did you fall for me?"

[ WHAT—No, listen, that’s not what I meant—!! ]

"Sorry, but I can’t date old ladies. Dating a 600-year-old granny is way out of my league. Let’s just stay friends."

[ LEE HA-EUN YOU LITTLE—!!! ]

"Bye~♪"

[ HEY!!!! ]

-Click.

"...I think my eardrums almost burst."

After hanging up, Ha-eun stared at her phone for a moment.

Predictably, Da-yeon’s messages were already pouring in.

[ Min Da-yeon ] - HEY.

[ Min Da-yeon ] - HEY.

[ Min Da-yeon ] - Seriously, listen to me.

[ Min Da-yeon ] - The first part of what I said got cut off. It was about middle school.

[ Min Da-yeon ] - Back when you helped me.

[ Min Da-yeon ] - You remember, right???

[ Lee Ha-eun ] - Why are you so clingy?

[ Lee Ha-eun ] - Do you like me that much?

[ Lee Ha-eun ] - I respect your taste, but... I’m not ready yet...

[ Lee Ha-eun ] - (Crying otter emoji)

[ Min Da-yeon ] - ?

[ Min Da-yeon ] - EXCUSE ME.

With another flood of messages incoming, Ha-eun casually flipped her phone over.

She could practically see Da-yeon screaming on the other end.