"I think I'll need some more help," daeyeol whined, staring into the camera of his managers phone while looking at the scrolling comments of his vlive. Sentences of enthusiasm scrolled by faster than his own eyeballs could read, emojis cluttering the little feed. He couldn't help but to crack a small grin as he glanced back between the screen and the video playing from his phone.
"So do I do this like this? Hang on," he stood himself up, backing up into the empty practice room while he stretched out his hands. He started singing the cute Japanese song he had seen on Tiktok, apparently it had been a dance that some of the Japanese and Korean fans wanted him to cover. So why not make a vlive about it while they're gearing up for their next big concert. Plus, he was finding out that he liked it a lot more than he wanted to admit. It was all the right amounts of cute and despite Daeyeol trying to pretend he didn't enjoy being cute, he couldn't resist it. Not with how sweet the song was.
So he ran through it again, blocking out the motions again before running back and grabbing his phone, only to run back into position. He placed his phone on the floor, right in front of him (in case he needed to cheat and look at the moves) and replayed the short video.
With a grin, he started dancing, following the moves as best he could for someone who had only been live for the last half an hour. Surprisingly, it hadn't been as difficult as it was and Daeyeol found himself really enjoying it! He was actually having fun but being cutesy and just dancing along to a fun and simple dance.
Once he was done, he walked back over to his managers phone, looked into the screen and spoke.
It was more than just a little surprising that sphere actually gave her access to the group’s vlive channel right after debuting. Hopefully she wouldn’t say anything wrong, but she did take notes on things that she wasn’t allowed to talk about. Very general ones, so in case the notes reflected on something, no one would be able to make any sense of them. Probably unnecessary, but she’d always been a careful person.
As Luda set up the stream and waited for everything to load, it suddenly felt like there wasn’t enough oxygen in the room. Her hands were shaking a little, as she pulled a strand of hair back, out of her face and she took a deep breath. She’d never done this before, so she had no idea how it would turn out. Of course she’d tried to prepare herself as best as possible, watching other idol’s streams and such, but the practical experience was still missing. Maybe she should’ve asked Minhee to do this together.
She took deep breaths until it seemed to have loaded, her face immediately lit up, the corners of her mouth pulling into a big grin and her eyes scanning the screen to see if everything was as it should be or whether there was any kind of notification that the sound or any such thing wasn’t working properly. Luda bowed and waved at the viewers that already joined the stream, but those that watched from the very beginning would have caught her confused expression before she’d realised that the stream had already started.
She’d posted the link to her social media on the previous day, but had still worried if anyone would show up at all. Her smile only widened as the viewer’s numbers went up and her eyes went big once the counter hit 2.000. Maybe not a big number overall, but definitely to her.
“Hello! I’m Heartz’ girl of the month of July, Lee Luda!” she introduced herself, bowing politely again. “Should I introduce myself a little bit more, first?” she asked a little awkwardly once she was sitting up straight again and put attention to her posture being properly straight. “I’m currently 23 years old and grew up in Seoul as an only child, but my mum makes the best cakes in the world!” she chuckled, “Ah! And if you have any questions, please ask! I will do my best to answer as much as possible~” she was still smiling at the camera and looked at the comments section, until her eyes briefly switched to the camera again, “Of course I can’t answer anything about future debuts or plans, though!” she noted, her face looking more serious just for a moment.
Not sure if she should say anything more as she looked at the comments section, she started to hum “I’ll Be There”, so there wouldn’t be complete silence as she was reading.
“Oh,‘white, milk, or dark chocolate?’ someone wants to know, hmm,” she pondered, her index finger covered her lips and her eyes looked up to the side, in thought. Probably, she was taking this more serious than she needed to, but better this, than the opposite. She didn’t want anyone to think that she wasn’t taking them serious enough. “This is a really tough question, I love chocolate, but I think white has to be my favourite! Now, I know that white chocolate isn’t technically chocolate, but it’s delicious, especially with whole hazelnuts in it!” Luda chuckled. “I love other chocolate as well though, and- Ah! Do you guys know Tiramisu? My mum sometimes made it when I was a child, so she changed some ingredients up. She uses chocolate and cocoa powder! If you haven’t yet tried it, you definitely should! It’s also really easy to make!” she mentioned briefly about the coffee and alcohol free version she grew up with.
“Hmm~“ she hummed scrolling further and stopped at a random one, closing her eyes until she stopped at a random comment and read it aloud, “ Sangkeumyuzu says ‘Eonni, I love you~’ “ she chuckled, holding one hand in front of her face, a little embarrassed, “Aaah, thank you! Eonni loves you too~“ she said, blushing, her thin layer of makeup unable to hide it. Not sure how to properly react, she shyly went on to the next comment.
“What else do we have~~ Ah, KingKiwi97 asked: “Who are your role-models? Please sing us a song from your favourite artist!’ that’s easy!” she was grinning again, happy to have gotten a question that asked her to sing. There were two artists she had in mind and the first artist’s song she’d heard and sung so often, it came quite naturally to her. She took a sip of water, turned to the side of the frame, before she started.
Sky that pours light
(I) stand under it
Fly as if I’m dreaming
My life is a beauty
She sang a few lines, with her eyes closed, before she stopped and looked into the camera again. She wasn’t sure how much she should sing, not wanting to bore anyone, but wanting to follow through with the request as well. “Chi Chi’s Nara has such a beautiful voice, right? I’ve been a fan of hers for a really long time. And as for my favourite group…”
I shouldn’t have let you go like that
What was so great about my pride that I couldn’t hold onto you?
I can’t believe that I won’t ever see you again
When you were all I knew
This night is still following you
No matter how hard I try, I miss you so much
This night is passing
I hate myself for not being able to sleep without you
No matter how much I wait, you’re not here
And I can’t sleep
When will I get over you and fall asleep comfortably?
I just can’t help it, I’m just waiting for morning to come
“Sorry, I know it’s a bit sad,” she smiled after doing her best to sing, again, sounding calm but befittingly sad. They both were songs she’s sung over and over again, so she was pretty confident in having done well. “But Melody Day is one of my favourite groups as well, they all sing sooo well, right? Their osts are always great… but really, there are so many great artists, I could list them all day!” she chuckled. “Let me know if I should sing you something more, okay?”
“Notice me? I’ve officially noticed you!“ she laughed, though she wasn’t sure if that was really such a great thing. “Oh, but Sangkeumyuzu aren’t you the same person as earlier? Then I’ve already noticed you!“ she said.
“My favourite sport?” she hummed, thinking for a moment as she tilted her head to the side, her index finger toughing the bottom of her chin. “I’m not sure if this counts, but I like doing Yoga, it’s relaxing, but it can also be quite difficult! I like jogging too and if I can manage to go, I love swimming! I heard it’s very healthy to swim, yet not as exhausting on the body, for example on the ankles and joints in general!” she started losing her trail of thoughts a little and just went rambling on for a moment, until she caught herself soon after. “Is there any type of sport you can recommend to me?” she added.
The next question made Luda chuckle, it just sounded too adorable. “Hm… mini_bunny asked '5 minhees or a 5 year old minhee?’ That’s a tough question… Minhee-unnie is a great person you know? If you haven’t yet you should watch her music videos!! It’s a very fun song and video, and she did just perfectly! And she always works so hard!” she wasn’t only smiling brightly as before, but the admiration for her friend was quite evident in her expression and choice of words. However, that didn’t make the question any easier. “Minhee is great, but 5 Minhees would be 5 times as great right? Then again, there can only be one real Minhee…” she said with furrowed brows, taking the question much more serious than it was probably intended to be. “But Minhee as a five year old must be sooo adorable, I’d like to see that! She always takes great care of me, of anyone around her honestly, so I’d like to be the older one for once and give back all the kindness!” Luda nodded to affirm her statement.
“Let’s see what the next one says... Oh?” she said, grinning widely, recognising the handle. “It’s from user Sangkeumyuzu again! Thank you for dedication!” she said, bowing politely, not really having expected anyone to keep commenting like this. And she wasn’t going to lie, it made her happy, which her smile showed quite obviously. “ ‘I’m your biggest faaaaan’ “ Again, she wasn’t sure how to react and again, she hid behind her hands, chuckling and blushing. “Thank you very much, this makes me very happy to hear!” She finally said, sincerely looking at the camera as she did so.
There were many more comments than she’d expected. Surely not as many as someone popular would have, but that was fine, she was just happy that some people cared at all. It was crazy to think about how she was actually officially debuted now, but she couldn’t concentrate on that, shouldn’t let herself be distracted so easily.
“Hmm, there’s a few of you asking what my favourite animal is, but can you guess?” she returned the question and chuckled reading the comments section. “Dogs, cats… and sheep? That’s an interesting answer, I do like sheep, they’re so fluffy, round and soft! But they’re not quite my favourites… Bumblebees? They’re also cute and so round! I never would have guessed you’d answer so creatively, I fear my answer will be really boring compared to that~” Luda paused for a moment, for some added 'suspense’ if one could call it that. “Those saying cats were right! Though dogs are a close second. I love how determined cats are! They know what they want and they work hard to get there! For example with those toys that hide treats inside of them. And when a cat shows affection once in a blue moon… that feels super special, right?”
Scanning the messages again, her lips were quickly pulled into a cute pout, “Ah, I told you my answer wouldn’t be as interesting, don’t be too disappointed, okay~~?” she asked of the viewers that indeed seemed to have expected a more interesting answer. “But I was very lucky, because I got to film with cats! There were so so many cats in the music video! Have you seen it yet? I hope that if you haven’t, you will~~ The staff and I put a lot of effort in, to make it the best it can be! But I promise to learn more and do better in the future as well!” her eyes were clear as she looked at the camera. She was still nervous, but not shaking anymore and Luda was almost surprised at how much fun she had while streaming. It was a great feeling, really.
“What’s your favourite item?” again, she didn’t need to think for very long. Her instinct was to jump up and get the little device, but instead she decided to stay and search the item on the internet. “This little thing right here, does anyone know what it is?” Luda asked, holding her phone in front of the camera, not considering that she could’ve gotten a message from someone, saying something that wasn’t meant for the public eye. Luckily nothing happened. Her eyes widened a little, her mouth forming the appropriate “o” to go with it and she chuckled, glad that the little mini-heart attack she just got was easy to distract herself from. “Of course you guys are smart! You’re right, it’s a galaxy projector! A dear friend gave it to me as a birthday gift! It’s very nice to just turn the lights off and look at the projected galaxy on the ceiling! Very calming and a little… mysterious? I like it very much.”
The stream had been going on for a while and she started to suppress the yawns that crawled up on her. “It’s getting late, so I’ll choose one last question!” she announced, smiling softly. Her eyes moved over the words written by complete strangers, something she’d never thought she’d get to do. Especially not this soon.
“Can you sing me a lullaby?” she repeated aloud. “That sounds like a good way to end the stream, right? Hm… Ah!” she looked directly at the camera again, after looking to the side to think, her index finger pointing up as her mind spontaneously formed a plan. “I’ll sing you two lullabies, okay? The first one is a little bit more upbeat and called 'Night Moon’ by SBGB the second one is a little more sad but also calmer, making it easier to fall asleep to, it’s called 'How are you, my dear’ by Saevom~”
She played both song’s instrumentals over her phone, one after the other, and sang softly. Sometimes she looked off to the bottom/side, but more often than that Luda looked at the camera, a soft smile on her lips here and there, but she was concentrating on singing well first and foremost. Her voice was clear and she realised what a perfect fit “Around You” really was for her… maybe she should’ve sung that instead? But she didn’t want to look like she was shamelessly promoting her own song either.
The second song ended and she quietly looked at the camera for a moment, still smiling softly. “What do you think?” She asked, whispering, “Next time I will sing 'Around You’ for you, so be sure to watch again, okay?” she decided on the spot, wanting to point out that she hadn’t forgotten her own song at all. “Good night, everyone, and I hope you can sleep a little easier tonight. Don’t go to sleep too late, alright?” she continued whispering, having heard about asmr recently. After waving at the camera and making finger hearts with both hands, accompanied by a cute face, she ended the stream. Luda was weirdly happy but also felt somehow empty. It was hard to grasp and describe.
But after this she decided she wanted to be to fans what lullabies were to her. A comfort, giving the feeling of calmness and making it easier for people to sleep, so they could get a good night’s rest to start afresh on a new morning. She wanted to be the voice people heard before they sunk into a deep, comfortable sleep, dreaming about whatever it was they most wanted to dream about.
“Hello everyone!” she smiled at the camera. “I'm Moon Ahra and excited to bring you one of my favourite fall recipes! It's one I've learned from my mum and it should be fairly easy! It does take a long time to rest, so I would suggest you make it the night or evening before. Because of that, I can only show you up until it goes into the fridge, but that shouldn't be a problem at all!”
“You may have already guessed, but I'm making Tiramisu!” she grinned, lifting a shallow dish to show the viewers, “ Wherever you make it in, doesn't need to be very high, I wouldn't advise doing more than two layers each. So, depending on how much you want to make, you may need a rather wide dish.” Her hand then moved over to the eggs.
“First, you separate the egg and egg yolk. Whisk the egg-whites until stiff, while gradually adding half of the sugar. Then beat the egg yolk with the rest of the sugar until creamy.” Ahra explained, looking at the camera as much as she could while not wanting to look away from what she did in fear of making any mistakes. She'd done this so often, she could probably do it in her sleep, but the camera and watching eyes of the staff made her nervous.
“Now we'll mix the mascarpone with the beaten egg yolk and sugar mix,” she continued, fully in her element. It surely was a plus to have a confectioner as mother for this type of situation. But also just in general. “Now gently fold this mixture into the whipped egg whites and I'll be adding cinnamon powder, for an extra autumnal feel!” the girl said, lightly biting her lower lip as she concentrated on the task at hand.
“We're almost done! I promised it wouldn’t be too difficult, right?” she smiled again, lifting the back of the bowl a little, so the camera could pick it up better. “We'll just have to make the mixture to dunk the ladyfingers into now! And that's where the autumn really comes to shine! For a child-friendly version, I'm using cocoa instead of coffee! You can use whatever type you'd like, I'm mixing cocoa powder with water and then with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cardamom!” she explained while demonstrating.
“And here comes the a bit messy part! Let the ladyfingers soak up the cocoa for a bit, but don't let them get mushy either. Now we can lay half of them at the bottom of our dish... like so! And grab our mascarpone-egg mixture. Half of it on top and then repeat. Now it's got to go in the fridge for a while. Some say 4 hours are enough, but I like to let it sit overnight. I can't time travel to show you, but before serving, dust with more cocoa powder!” Putting her full attention back to the camera, Ahra tilted her head a little to the side and smiled.
“Thank you very much for watching me cook and I hope you enjoyed yourself! Have a nice day, night, or whatever time it is for you, bye-bye!” she waved with both hands and was a little bit sad that it was already over. The girl felt like she may not have looked quite as unsure and nervous as she’d felt, but it probably helped to make something that she’d build a routine for already. Either way, she could only hope anyone who would watch it, would like the vlive.
