An unexpected gift: a new body, a new life, a new name, a new... family.
As all these novelties gradually became familiar, the aspect I focused on most was my health.
I knew I was completely different from my previous life, but just in case.
Whether I became a model in the future, an actor, or a VTuber, poor health would render all those dreams mere fantasies.
Still, if someone were to ask why a mere six-year-old was so concerned about health, I wouldn't have a good answer.
Regardless, determined never to repeat the mistakes of my past life, I enrolled in the General Hospital before even considering the neighborhood kindergarten.
Just to be safe, I insisted on undergoing every minor test, even those that wouldn't normally be necessary.
"Um, Doctor, am I okay?"
"Well..."
The doctor trailed off, and my heart pounded.
My mother, standing right beside me, froze as well.
I felt my mouth drying out second by second as I waited for the doctor to speak again.
Finally, his lips parted slowly, and he continued:
"Apart from slightly poor vision, you're perfectly healthy. So healthy, it's almost a waste of money to have run these tests."
This was the kind of absurdity that would drive a six-year-old to decide to run away early.
A deep sigh, too heavy for a child, escaped my lips involuntarily.
The doctor's cheerful smile, after having completely fooled us, seemed utterly infuriating.
Still, it was a relief to know I didn't have some complicated, incurable disease.
I'm not very good at handling this kind of teasing, so it's hard to keep a straight face.
"Bye~"
"...Goodbye."
I gave a childlike bow, simultaneously praying to every god I knew by name to never let me meet that mischievous doctor again.
It wasn't just his cheeky personality; the very idea of having to see a doctor at a general hospital again was something I wanted to avoid at all costs.
Whether it was because of that or not, from that day on, I dedicated three to four hours each day to exercise for health maintenance.
To be honest, calling it "exercise" was a bit of an exaggeration. At most, I'd do jump rope or use a child-sized hula hoop. But it was better than nothing.
I just brushed off my father's teasing about how exercising too much would stunt my growth.
Still, seeing him occasionally play catch with me for exercise and fun, I knew he was definitely one of the good fathers.
Even when he teased me with a soft "pfft" and a chuckle whenever I missed a catch, it was nothing compared to the people from my past life.
It was only when I began to feel myself gradually getting healthier as time passed that I started thinking:
"...What should my name be?"
I began brainstorming various settings and broadcast content I would need to live as a VTuber in the future.
After all, a VTuber was still an entertainer.
To succeed as an entertainer, you had to be different, unique, and, most importantly, offer a distinct kind of fun that only you could provide.
There was a way to perfectly mimic the VTubers I remembered, but I decided to keep that as just a reference for now.
After all, VTubers were essentially the epitome of uniqueness. If I could stand out even more with my own distinct style, that would be ideal.
The best way to showcase a VTuber's personality was undoubtedly through their voice.
While the visual aspect of the virtual avatar was important, that fell under the domain of the avatar creator, not me.
"Ribbit, ribbit, the frog sings...!"
"Alright, that's enough. My score is 8 out of 10."
"Huh? Why...?"
"7 points seemed too low, and 9 points seemed too high."
"...What kind of logic is that?"
There were times when I nearly gave up, crushed by my father's utterly incomprehensible grading criteria. But I clung to the consolation that he had never told me I couldn't sing, and I barely managed to continue practicing my voice.
Truthfully, I longed to practice singing or vocal exercises in secret, away from my parents' eyes.
But I had learned early on that it's nearly impossible for a kid my age to hide anything from their parents, so I abandoned the idea of sneaking around.
Still, when I thought about it, to others, it would just look like I was practicing singing—nothing more, nothing less.
And maybe even my father's playful feedback, however absurd, might actually help me improve, even if just a little.
"Baby shark, doo...!"
"Hmm, I've never heard that song before. Who sings it and where are they from?"
"Oh, that's... it's my own composition."
"Yi Haeun's song, performed right before my eyes. Very well. You have a talent for composition."
I continued to submit my songs for review to the poker-faced judge, still unsure whether he was being sincere or teasing.
Whether it was thanks to his feedback or not, I managed to score a 96 on a karaoke test run.
The song I chose was the popular children's song "Delicious Cotton Candy."
As time passed, I devoted myself to honing my voice until real flowers began to bloom instead of snowflakes.
I knew how a child who chose a book of children's song lyrics over dolls and "playing singer" over house would be perceived by others.
There was definitely a calculated element to it.
If a child who had always been quiet and reserved suddenly announced their intention to become a VTuber—a job no one had ever heard of—it would lack credibility.
It was far better to portray myself as someone who had always loved performing and singing.
Therefore, I could understand why people might mistake my future aspirations for becoming a singer or entertainer.
Thanks to my daily routine of various minor exercises, I rarely ran out of stamina while singing.
It wasn't surprising that I was often mistaken for someone with natural stage presence.
However, even with all that...
"Honey, why don't you try throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game?"
I never expected my mother to suggest increasing the audience for our catch sessions—which had always consisted solely of her—by nearly two thousandfold.
"Our Haeun is going to be a star."
"Already thinking of turning a child who hasn't even started elementary school into a star... No, I'm just joking. Just joking."
The father, Yi Seongyun, hastily retracted his previous statement, his eyes momentarily turning fierce. Even if it was a joke, there were jokes you could make and jokes you shouldn't.
Only after Yi Seongyun clearly declared that he cherished Haeun as his most precious daughter did Song Nayeon, Haeun's mother, resume speaking.
"For Haeun's future, I think we should give her as many diverse experiences as possible."
They couldn't know exactly what career their daughter would pursue later in life.
A determined voice, vowing to do everything possible as parents to broaden their daughter's options, filled the air.
Seongyun sensed an almost resolute tone in his wife's voice and tilted his head, thinking, Is she really going that far?
But since it was natural for a loving mother to feel such fervent devotion, he decided to let it go for now.
The conversation took a turn that couldn't be dismissed with a simple nod immediately afterward.
"Isn't our Haeun pretty?"
"Yeah, she's pretty."
"Objectively speaking too?"
"Well, she's definitely not unattractive."
Up until that moment, Seongyun had assumed it was just the usual love-struck chatter.
Exactly three seconds later:
"The girl who was supposed to throw the first pitch got appendicitis?"
"Yeah. Apparently, she's in no condition to do it. They're scrambling to find a replacement."
After Nayeon started talking about her acquaintance who works in professional baseball—or rather, after I realized the conversation had already been underway for some time—
"So, the first pitch thrower is chosen that easily?"
"Well, they saw Haeun's photo and immediately said yes."
What a chaotic operation.
I couldn't help but wonder if throwing the first pitch on such a big stage would be a good or bad thing for Haeun.
A situation where neither wholehearted support nor opposition was possible.
In a way, the experience of throwing the ceremonial first pitch was a special one, not something everyone could do.
And it was an event that would last no more than five minutes at most.
"It's been a while since we played catch together. If Haeun throws the first pitch, wouldn't her pretty face and surprisingly skilled throw both draw attention?" Nayeon suggested.
As Nayeon pointed out, Haeun's pitching skills undeniably surpassed those of her peers.
This was due to Haeun's consistent and systematic training in various sports, far more rigorous than what other children her age typically did.
The question remained: could Haeun withstand the immense pressure from the gazes of countless spectators?
Even Seongyun, who had always avoided seriousness, couldn't easily make a definitive statement.
"Haeun, why don't you try throwing the ceremonial first pitch?"
So he asked Haeun directly.
To his surprise, Haeun, whose eyes had momentarily gone blank, unexpectedly agreed to give it a try.
42 kilometers per hour. A perfectly clean fastball! Textbook pitching form.
Her expression is as composed as any adult's. She's overflowing with charisma.
The commentary team's voices, praising Haeun's polished pitching form, boomed from the stadium's giant speakers. Seongyun felt a sense of relief.
He couldn't help but feel proud of Haeun for performing so well.
"Our Haeun is so cool!!"
As expected, Nayeon was cheering wildly for Haeun, who had just finished her pitch flawlessly.
Her complete disregard for the surrounding attention made Seongyun feel a little embarrassed, but there was no real reason to stop her.
Click.
He found himself alternating between taking photos of Haeun and Nayeon in the distance with Nayeon's digital camera, which had somehow ended up in his hands.
After all, today was shaping up to be quite a memorable day.
However, the day ultimately became memorable for Seongyun in a way he hadn't anticipated.
The reason?
"My name is Kang Euntae, director. I'd like to cast your daughter, Haeun, as the model for a children's nutritional supplement commercial—"
The snowball effect from Haeun's pitch had begun rolling in an entirely unexpected direction.
Just as the family was about to head home, Kang Euntae appeared before them. Question marks slowly began to form above Seongyun's eyes.
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