Chapter 9: Viral Vibes and Unexpected Endorsements
ㅇㅇ: Selfie fan service? That’s a first.
ㅇㅇ: The organizers played it smart.
ㅇㅇ: Nah, that was Ruti’s spur-of-the-moment performance.
ㅇㅇ: You could tell by how freaked out the security was lol.
ㅇㅇ: Wonder how the fan who got the selfies felt.
ㅇㅇ: So jealous.
+99 comments.
The fan service video went viral, and the comment section exploded. The live performance clip on V-Tuber had already surpassed a million views.
The fans’ reactions were beyond enthusiastic—they were electric. Our comeback stage was a massive success.
A satisfied smile spread across my face. As I sat at my desk, quietly basking in the moment, I noticed a girl in the classroom wearing the same expression.
It was Gayoung.
She’d been staring at her phone, lips twitching upward. The screen was playing my performance video.
She looked even happier than I was.
Good thing she enjoyed the show. She must be grateful to me for the tickets.
Hopefully, as a thank-you, she’ll stop bothering me. That’s why I gave her the tickets in the first place.
“Hey.”
Speak of the devil. Gayoung was suddenly beside me.
I looked at her, full of expectation.
“What?”
“…Thanks for the tickets. I made a precious memory because of you.”
She clutched her phone to her chest with both hands, thanking me sincerely.
I scratched the back of my head, playing it cool.
“No big deal. Glad you had fun.”
Inside, I was relieved. Maybe now I could have a peaceful school life again.
But then, instead of returning to her seat, Gayoung sat down in front of me. The original occupant of the seat, who’d stepped out to the bathroom, stood awkwardly in the distance.
“Did you do your math homework?”
“Uh… no?”
As if I had time. I was performing late last night.
“Take it out.”
“Take what out?”
“Your math textbook. I’ll teach you.”
Normally, I’d snap back, but it felt like her way of showing gratitude.
I appreciated the gesture but decided to politely decline.
“It’s fine. I’ll just take the penalty like usual…”
“You’ll regret slacking on your grades like that. Take my help while I’m offering.”
She forcibly opened my math textbook and pointed out the homework problems.
This is uncomfortable. All I wanted was for her to leave me alone.
“This problem’s easy if you use the quadratic formula. Try it.”
“…”
“Why aren’t you solving it?”
“I don’t know…”
“Don’t know what?”
“Everything…”
Gayoung was beyond shocked—she was horrified at my math skills.
How embarrassing.
Between my schedule and school, I’m already stretched thin.
When would I have time to study?
“Even middle schoolers can solve this… Aren’t you giving up on academics too much? You’re not even in the arts track.”
She stared at me, her eyes filled with concern and pity.
“Let’s start learning now. We’re only in our first year, so it’s not too late.”
“You don’t have to…”
“It’s fine, don’t refuse.”
No, I’m not fine.
If she’d just been pushy like before, I could ignore her. But this kindness? I can’t brush it off.
Today, I learned that kindness can be scarier than hostility.
“So tired…”
Thanks to Gayoung’s excessive attention, I didn’t get a wink of sleep at school today.
Sure, you’re not supposed to sleep at school, but still.
I’m mentally and physically drained.
The silver lining? No performance today.
“I’m home.”
I dragged my tired body into my apartment. This isn’t the dorm I share with the members—it’s my personal place.
On days without schedules, I come here to rest. My little hideout.
I dropped my bag and sank into the sofa. Since it’s usually empty, the place is spotless, like a new house.
I relaxed on the sofa, enjoying the quiet. How much time passed?
Suddenly, my stomach growled.
I went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Nothing but a few water bottles rolling around.
Forgot to go grocery shopping. I don’t have the energy to go now either.
Guess I’ll order delivery for dinner.
…Calories are a bit of a concern, though.
Since I skipped breakfast and lunch, I should be just within the limit. If I’m worried, I can do some push-ups before bed.
“Decision made!”
I opened a delivery app and scrolled through restaurants. Then I found a tempting tteokbokki place. Nothing beats spicy food when you’re exhausted.
I ordered a tteokbokki-sundae-fried set and went to shower. When I came out, the food was at the door.
How long has it been since I had street food? Today, I’d eat without worrying about calories. As I picked up my chopsticks—
Ring♪
My phone rang. It was my manager.
“Hello?”
“Siyeon, you ready for the live stream?”
“…Huh?”
“Oh, I knew you’d forget!”
I grabbed my schedule notebook. At the bottom, in tiny letters: “Live stream.”
Oh, it’s today.
Idols do regular live streams for image management.
I do one monthly, and today’s the day.
“Do I have to…?”
“Of course. So many fans are waiting. We already posted the announcement.”
If the announcement’s out, there’s no backing out. Neglecting promises to fans is the worst thing an idol can do.
“Got it. I’ll prepare now.”
“What’s the stream’s theme?”
“Since I’m home, something casual…”
My eyes landed on the delicious food in front of me.
Nothing’s more casual than this.
“How about a mukbang?”
“…Mukbang? Hmm, sure, let’s do it. You eat so well, Siyeon. Call me when you’re ready.”
“Okay.”
I threw on some casual clothes and sat at the computer. My manager handles the streaming program remotely, so I just need to sit and broadcast.
Soon, my face appeared on the screen. The active chat was buzzing with messages.
ㅇㅇ: Hi, noona!
ㅇㅇ: Tteokbokki?
ㅇㅇ: Mukbang today, huh?
ㅇㅇ: Should’ve ordered chicken.
ㅇㅇ: Tteok-sundae-fried combo? Good taste.
ㅇㅇ: One bite, please.
“Hi, everyone. Sorry for keeping you waiting—the food arrived late…”
ㅇㅇ: Bet you just forgot while eating.
ㅇㅇ: Her face froze lol.
ㅇㅇ: Nailed it.
ㅇㅇ: That panicked look is adorable haha.
“No, really, I haven’t eaten a bite. Look.”
I started chatting naturally with the fans.
Live streams are, in some ways, more nerve-wracking than performances.
Pros of live streams: Anyone can join.
Cons: Anyone can join.
99.9% of viewers are my fans, so most comments are kind, but occasionally, someone says something unhinged.
The key is maintaining composure. My manager handles chat moderation.
I kept my cool and continued the stream.
ㅇㅇ: Your hair’s kinda wet?
ㅇㅇ: Fresh out of the shower, huh?
ㅇㅇ: I can smell the shampoo through the screen.
ㅇㅇ: What shampoo do you use?
With so many viewers, the chat scrolled fast.
I picked a couple of notable comments to answer.
“I dried my hair, but I guess I rushed it. As for shampoo… it’d sound like an ad, so I’ll keep it a secret.”
ㅇㅇ: Aww, I wanna use the same shampoo.
ㅇㅇ: When’s your next performance, unnie?
ㅇㅇ: You said you just showered, so is that your bare face?
ㅇㅇ: No way that’s bare.
ㅇㅇ: Doesn’t look like makeup, though.
ㅇㅇ: Probably just light makeup.
ㅇㅇ: If that’s bare, lol.
ㅇㅇ: No way.
The chat erupted over whether I was wearing makeup.
Some viewers even started arguing. If this kept up, the conversation could derail.
I quickly stepped in.
“Please don’t spam. And yes, I’m bare-faced right now.”
That only made the chat burn hotter.
ㅇㅇ: Really bare-faced?
ㅇㅇ: No way.
ㅇㅇ: If it’s Ruti, maybe it’s possible.
ㅇㅇ: Gotta have at least some foundation.
ㅇㅇ: BB cream counts as makeup, you know.
ㅇㅇ: Prove it.
5% believed me; 95% didn’t.
That sparked a bit of defiance in me. I’m not the kind of idol who lies to fans.
I grabbed a cleansing wipe from the table and returned.
“If you don’t believe me, I’ll prove it.”
I carefully wiped my face. As expected, nothing came off, and my face stayed the same.
ㅇㅇ: It’s really bare!
ㅇㅇ: I believed you lol.
ㅇㅇ: Told you it was bare.
ㅇㅇ: Where’d the non-believers go?
ㅇㅇ: Reality check…
[ㅇㅇ has left the stream.]
[ㅇㅇ has left the stream.]
[ㅇㅇ has left the stream.]
Some viewers suddenly dropped out. It wasn’t many, but it bothered me. Did I mess up somehow?
The next day.
My phone rang urgently early in the morning. It was my manager, sounding thrilled.
“Siyeon! Was that live stream planned!?”
“…What’s with you this early?”
I rubbed sleepy eyes and got out of bed. Half-asleep, I couldn’t make sense of her excitement.
“Calm down and explain. What about the stream?”
“Your live stream went viral online!”
“…What?”
I swallowed hard, worried it was bad news.
But her next words were the opposite of my fears.
“Two big cosmetic companies sent ad model offers at once!”
“Huh?”
Completely unexpected. I just proved I was bare-faced because they asked.
I never dreamed it’d lead to this.
…Live streams are kind of amazing, huh?