It had been three months since Ha-eun started kindergarten. A short period for some, but a long one for others. And during this time, Ha-eun’s daily life had changed in ways she hadn’t quite anticipated.
Strictly speaking, her routine outside of kindergarten hadn’t changed much. After getting home, she still spent time doing light exercises like jump rope, just as she always had.
Two or three times a week, she played catch with her father, Lee Seong-yoon, and right before bed, she would jot down ideas in her notebook for future content for her VTuber broadcasts. These things stayed the same.
However, her life inside kindergarten was, ultimately, a little different.
"Ha-eun, Min-seo took my toy!"
"Si-woo, you took my crayons too!"
Whenever conflicts or arguments broke out between the kids, they would almost always run to Ha-eun, eager to hear what she thought. And whatever Ha-eun said was regarded as a kind of final judgment, accepted with the authority of a judge’s ruling.
This unique kindergarten life of hers was due to various reasons, but the most decisive one was her unchildlike calmness.
Since her first day at kindergarten, Ha-eun had never had even a minor argument. Sometimes misunderstandings would lead other kids to say mean things to her, but even then, it was nothing more than childish antics.
Ha-eun had never once truly gotten angry over such petty squabbles. Instead, she would simply smile calmly and say, "I see," letting it pass without pointing out their flaws.
Ha-eun’s main goal was to maintain harmonious relationships with everyone, nothing more. After all, the only thing her parents had asked of her when they sent her to kindergarten was to get along with her friends.
However, since she always stayed calm and never lost her cool, no matter how unreasonable the other kids were, her image among them gradually evolved from "a pretty girl" to "an angel descended among mortals."
In this way, the idolization of Ha-eun among the innocent kids, untouched by the world, eventually transformed her into an untouchable presence.
In the end, the children found they didn’t need to go to the teacher when conflicts arose. Just bringing Ha-eun over was enough to settle any dispute with her serene voice.
The teachers at the kindergarten were also deeply impressed by Ha-eun, who never caused any trouble.
"Ha-eun from Dalnim Class is such a sweet child, isn’t she?"
"So polite, and she doesn’t even fuss over food. Ha-eun’s mother is so lucky."
Since Ha-eun started attending kindergarten, the frequency of classroom disruptions gradually decreased. In other words, the teachers’ workloads also began to lighten.
As kindergarten teachers, it wasn’t ideal to favor any child, but with Ha-eun, they couldn’t help it. She was simply too endearing to resist.
For her part, Ha-eun could only sense that something seemed a bit off. Having never attended kindergarten before, nor formed friendships with peers, she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was unusual.
And so, her kindergarten life continued, filled with attention from both classmates and teachers, even as the fall leaves turned to snow.
Around that time, Ha-eun found herself drawing attention outside of kindergarten as well.
"Hey, Ha-eun. Do you remember Director Kang Eun-tae? I didn’t know, but one of his friends is─"
The following story involved the famous hip-hop crew, Double Lee. Shortly after, Ha-eun received news that they wanted her to appear in the music video for their new song, *Matchstick*.
Although, naturally, this wasn’t something she had anticipated either.
"If you feel uncomfortable, you can turn it down, Ha-eun. No one will be upset."
"No, I want to give it a try."
In the end, she didn’t reject the offer.
Of course, the substantial appearance fee was certainly a factor, but more than that, the chance to work with a well-known group like Double Lee was an incredible opportunity for her.
After all, a VTuber’s most compelling trait is their voice, and like Double Lee, a singer’s career thrives on vocal appeal.
Ha-eun felt that just by appearing in a music video with successful artists, she would gain something valuable. Plus, being featured in a Double Lee music video would make for a great story in itself.
All things considered, experiencing something she hadn’t before was something Ha-eun wanted.
At last, Ha-eun arrived at Double Lee’s studio, where many hit songs had been born, entirely by her own choice. She was soon introduced to two individuals who were, in every sense of the word, “celebrities.”
"The guy in the cap is Gun-yeol. You can just call him ‘uncle’ if you want."
"And the chubby guy in front of you is Lee Jun. You can just call him ‘pig.’"
Despite the casual atmosphere and playful banter, there was a distinct aura around them that was different from what she’d felt with Kim Min-jun, her partner in the children’s vitamin CF months earlier.
Not long after, Ha-eun received the storyboard for the *Matchstick* music video. However, with such a complex concept, some parts of it were difficult for a young child like her to understand.
Seeing this, Lee Jun decided it would be easier to explain by drawing on a whiteboard he’d prepared in advance.
But as he watched Ha-eun closely study the storyboard with a serious expression, he grew curious. Pointing to one particular scene, he asked if she could tell what it was about.
Surprisingly, her answers were closer to correct than not.
"It looks like the matchstick girl is completely abandoned by people."
"Why do you think she’s abandoned? She’s smiling, isn’t she?"
"Well… to me, it looks like she’s trying not to cry. Smiling actually makes it feel even sadder."
At that, Gun-yeol, who had been quietly watching their conversation, let out a small breath of surprise.
Ha-eun’s interpretation matched over 80% of their intended meaning.
As Ha-eun continued to unravel various intentions hidden within the storyboard, they were reminded why they’d wanted to cast her in the first place. Even though her CF appearance had been less than a minute, she’d left a lasting impression.
Her emotional depth was far beyond that of her peers, and the range of emotions she could express exceeded what was typical.
In hindsight, they felt foolish for even considering alternatives. After all, who could possibly replace Ha-eun?
"When did you say the snow would start, Jun?"
"The 19th. Exactly one week from today."
Almost in unison, Gun-yeol reached out and placed his hand over Ha-eun’s small hands resting on the storyboard.
"You’ll play the matchstick girl for us, won’t you, Ha-eun?"
His gaze was a mixture of earnestness and expectation.
At this point, with her careful review of the storyboard, it was almost as if she’d already agreed to appear in the music video.
Ha-eun nodded slowly, confirming her role in the music video.
"But… do I really have to wear these bright red clothes for the shoot?"
"Yes. Our goal is to convey the contrast between fairy tales and reality."
The conversation then turned to Ha-eun’s costume measurements. They planned to try on several versions of the matchstick girl’s outfit to find the one that suited her best.
However, much to their surprise, Ha-eun then hesitantly asked if she could make a request.
They immediately agreed to hear her out. They were unwilling to let her slip away over a request that could be easily fulfilled, as long as it wasn’t something overly difficult.
Thankfully, Ha-eun’s request wasn’t at all demanding. It was actually quite different from what they’d expected—nothing like an increase in appearance fees or a request for a signed limited-edition Double Lee CD.
"If it’s okay, I’d like to learn singing from you two… even just once a month."
In the end, no one voiced any objections.
Ha-eun’s face lit up, a hint of childlike excitement shining through.
It was the first time that Lee Jun and Gun-yeol witnessed a truly childlike side of Ha-eun.