Chapter 212: I Met the Person Who Wrote the Hate Posts!

R​ead on Kat​Rea​din​gCafe​

Da-jeong was resting at home on a rare day off when she suddenly received a call.

This story goes back about three hours earlier.

“So, I’m confident! I’m really looking forward to interacting with fans personally too.”

“I see… Good, I’ve heard enough. You may leave now.”

“Yes! Thank you!”

The applicant bowed at a 90-degree angle and walked out. Kang Ha-neul watched her retreating figure and let out a small sigh only after she had disappeared.

So far, none of the candidates had truly stood out to her.

“You’ve been sighing a lot since earlier.”

“Hmm, I just haven’t found anyone who feels right. They’re all too… uniform, I guess?”

The employee sitting next to her, observing her expression, cautiously spoke up. Ha-neul gave a bitter smile and nodded.

It wasn’t meant as criticism. It was just that what she was looking for was uniqueness—an indispensable quality for surviving in the already oversaturated domestic VTuber market.

Whether it was in personality or talent, she needed someone who could leave a strong, unforgettable first impression.

But so far, not a single candidate had given her that feeling.

‘Am I comparing them too much to the first generation?’

This was something Ha-neul had been agonizing over. Was she failing to see things objectively because she had witnessed the first generation’s massive success and experienced their distinct charms firsthand?

But in a way, this also meant one thing:

To become a second-generation member, they had to at least match the potential of the first generation. Otherwise, they’d just be trailing behind, doomed to fade into obscurity.

For someone who cherished and loved Blue LUV as a whole, that was unacceptable.

“Alright, call in the next interviewee.”

“Yes, come on in.”

At her instruction, the employee waiting by the door ushered in a woman.

“Ah, hello. My name is Jang Ji-won. Nice to meet you.”

The woman introduced herself with a slightly nervous demeanor, a stark contrast to the confident air most interviewees had carried so far.

Given how important self-confidence and self-promotion were in the VTuber industry, many had tried to put on a strong front—even if it was forced. But Jang Ji-won didn’t do that.

“Nice to meet you, Jang Ji-won. It’s hot out—you must’ve had a tough time getting here.”

“Not at all. I actually like the heat.”

“Oh? How did you get here?”

Since the subway station was a bit far, Ha-neul wondered if she’d driven. But the answer she got was completely unexpected.

“Huh? Oh, I ate ice cream on the way.”

“…Pfft!”

“Cough—!”

Everyone, including Ha-neul, burst out laughing at the absurd reply. Instead of mentioning her mode of transportation, she’d talked about what she’d done while coming here. The mental image of Ji-won happily licking an ice cream cone all the way to the company made it even funnier.

“Well, ice cream is delicious. Alright, let’s move on to the actual questions.”

Thinking she was an entertaining person—assuming this wasn’t an act—Ha-neul skimmed through the details on her application. Nothing particularly stood out, except for the hobbies and skills section.

“Under hobbies, you wrote ‘fangirling over Blue LUV’… Are you a Star Piece?”

“Ah, yes! I’m a Star Piece!”

Despite her timid demeanor earlier, her eyes suddenly sparkled at the question. Ha-neul smiled faintly.

‘She reminds me of Da-jeong.’

But since this was a common pre-prepared answer, Ha-neul decided to dig deeper.

“Do you have a favorite member?”

“I love them all, but my ultimate bias is Lulu. She’s the reason I wanted to become a VTuber.”

“Wow…! Picking Lulu, huh? You’ve got taste.”

“This is an interview, Jae-hyun.”

One of the male interviewers couldn’t resist fangirling over her choice, earning a light scolding from another. Meanwhile, Ha-neul simply nodded. Their policy was to keep interviews from being too stiff anyway.

“So you like cute types, then?”

“No, it’s not just because she’s cute—I mean, she is cute! And adorable! But that’s not why I became a fan!”

“Oh? Then what was it?”

Most people who named Lulu as their favorite gave similar reasons, so Ha-neul propped her chin on her hand, intrigued.

“Well… Lulu changed my life. And while she seems endlessly cute and lovable on the outside… how do I put this? She’s like the epitome of ‘soft on the outside, strong on the inside.’ She’s more mature and composed than anyone, and I really admire that. That’s why I love her.”

“Oh-ho…”

Ha-neul let out an impressed sound at the detailed, heartfelt answer. While many saw Lulu as just a sweet, cuddly member, Ha-neul agreed completely with Ji-won’s assessment.

Despite her fragile-looking frame and childlike appearance, Lulu had a depth and maturity few could match. The fact that Ji-won recognized this made Ha-neul believe she was a genuine fan—not just someone pretending for the interview.

“I was lucky enough to get into her birthday café event too. I bought all the merch.”

“A true fan, huh?”

Nodding, Ha-neul flipped the page and moved on to the next question—standard ones she’d asked all the candidates.

What kind of content did they have in mind?

What kind of streams would they want to create as part of Blue LUV?

What unique charm did they think they could bring to their broadcasts?

“Well, personally, I’ve been thinking about…”

Unlike her initially timid demeanor, her answers were surprisingly detailed. Most importantly, she didn’t exaggerate—she laid out a clear vision within what she believed she could realistically achieve. Ha-neul liked that.

‘Finally, a real candidate.’

As Ha-neul listened to the answer with satisfaction, she mentally circled Jang Ji-won’s application in her mind.

Of course, she couldn’t outright declare her as accepted yet—not when there were still more candidates to interview. But among those she’d seen so far, Ji-won was the only one who deserved a passing grade.

The other interviewers also exchanged glances with Ha-neul, their eyes smiling as if to say, “Should we wrap this up?”

Ha-neul was about to agree when something Ji-won had mentioned earlier suddenly resurfaced in her mind.

“Come to think of it, Jang Ji-won, you said something earlier—that Lulu changed your life. Do you mind sharing why? This isn’t part of the interview, so feel free to answer casually.”

Ji-won’s demeanor shifted slightly, as if the air around her had grown heavier. Unlike her earlier quick responses, this time, she hesitated before speaking.

“Actually… there’s something I wanted to confess today.”

“Confess?”

The word confess carried a weight, like a sinner preparing to repent. Ha-neul’s eyes widened slightly as she studied Ji-won.

“Yes. The truth is… I was the one who left hate comments about Lulu’s streams before.”

Ji-won forced herself to meet Ha-neul’s gaze, her voice steady as she laid bare her past mistake.

For a moment, time in the interview room seemed to freeze.

***************

Meanwhile…

Arriving at the company after the CEO’s sudden summons, Da-jeong found So-eun waiting at the entrance.

“Da-jeong, could you come this way?”

“Sure…”

The atmosphere felt heavy, but Da-jeong had a rough idea why. Silently, she followed So-eun’s lead.

“The CEO wanted me to apologize for calling you in so suddenly, especially on your day off.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine! I was just chatting with the others anyway…”

Today had been lazy, with little work and overlapping breaks—so much so that Da-jeong almost felt guilty admitting it.

“You’ve already heard about the situation from the CEO, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why did you agree to meet?”

“I don’t know. I just felt like I had to.”

“That’s so like you.”

So-eun smiled and led her down the hallway, stopping in front of a door labeled “Content Meeting Room.”

Knock, knock.

“CEO, I’ve brought Lulu.”

“Ah, come in.”

The door creaked open, revealing the CEO and a woman Da-jeong didn’t recognize sitting across from her.

“Sorry for calling you in on your day off.”

“N-No worries! But… is this…?”

Da-jeong’s voice trailed off as she studied the stranger. The pieces clicked—this was the person the CEO had mentioned over the phone.

“Ah, hello. I’m Jang Ji-won. It’s nice to meet you. And…”

Ji-won’s voice faltered, her words caught between hesitation and guilt.

“…I’m the one who left hate comments on your streams before. The one who apologized during your broadcast.”

Her head bowed, as if she couldn’t bear to face Da-jeong.

So this was her.

The person who had once written cruel words about Da-jeong’s charity post—only to later become one of her most dedicated viewers.

Da-jeong had wondered what kind of person she was.

But now, standing here, emotions tangled in her chest, she wasn’t sure what to say.

Should she greet her warmly? Should she reassure her?

The words wouldn’t come. Their relationship was more complicated than she’d realized.

Even if she had accepted the apology back then, facing the person behind those words was different.

“This might take a while, so let’s sit. So-eun, could you get us some tea?”

“Of course.”

As So-eun left for the break room, silence settled over the meeting room—leaving only the three of them and the weight of unspoken words.

LegoMyEggo