The meeting with the dog shelter run by Na-yeon’s acquaintance didn’t take long to arrange. From the shelter’s perspective, there was absolutely no downside.
Finding someone willing to adopt a stray dog was already a blessing. But having the adopter be a rising star in the entertainment industry, willing to promote dog adoption at the same time?
"Thank you so much, Ha-eun. Truly, thank you."
To the shelter director, Kwon Hong-eun, Ha-eun’s arrival felt like a miracle. She held Ha-eun’s hands tightly, expressing her gratitude repeatedly.
For Ha-eun, however, the formal tone felt a bit uncomfortable, especially coming from someone who was a close friend of her mother.
"Um, you can speak casually with me," Ha-eun suggested awkwardly.
"Yeah, Hong-eun, it’s weird for you to use formal speech with Ha-eun while you’re so casual with me," Na-yeon added.
"Ah… should I? Okay, I guess I will."
Before the meeting officially began, they sorted out their dynamics. Just like when Na-yeon and Kwon Hong-eun warmly exchanged greetings earlier, a more casual tone felt natural.
Once that was settled, they proceeded with the meeting. Ha-eun had already chosen the dog she wanted to adopt after browsing the shelter’s blog in advance.
"The puppy has had its vaccinations, but you should still take it to the vet, just in case. Since it’s still young, you’ll need to soak its food in water before feeding it," Kwon Hong-eun explained.
They discussed the dog’s current health, care instructions, and its backstory.
"This one had been adopted once before, but unfortunately, the adopter had an accident and couldn’t take care of it anymore, so it was returned."
"That’s… unlucky," Ha-eun said sympathetically.
"Still, it’s lucky in a way—it’s going to your family now. That’s a happy ending for it."
After completing the necessary paperwork, Ha-eun signed all the adoption forms herself.
The puppy, which had been cradled in Kwon Hong-eun’s arms the entire time, was finally handed to Ha-eun. Unlike the lion cubs she had met a few days ago, this Pomeranian was much smaller and lighter, prompting Ha-eun to handle it with extra care.
"Wow, it’s just sitting quietly in Ha-eun’s arms," Na-yeon observed.
"This one doesn’t shy away from strangers. Honestly, it’d probably greet a burglar with wagging tails," Kwon Hong-eun joked.
"Um… let’s hope it doesn’t do that," Ha-eun replied, laughing nervously.
After a brief conversation about the three-month-old Pomeranian in Ha-eun’s arms, the assistant director returned to the shelter, signaling the start of a meeting about the adoption promotion.
"I’ll send you the shelter’s promotional images via text. You just need to post them on your Instagram," Kwon Hong-eun explained.
"Wait, seriously? That’s all I have to do?"
"Do you know how powerful Instagram is? You’ve got, what, 7 million followers?"
Kwon Hong-eun’s surprised expression emphasized just how impactful Ha-eun’s post could be. She even thanked Ha-eun for her willingness to do more, though it wasn’t necessary.
However, Ha-eun couldn’t help but feel uneasy about one thing: her role as Yoon Seung-jae in Veterans.
‘What if this backfires…?’
She worried that promoting a shelter while playing a villain—particularly one who had filmed a scene with a fierce Doberman—might hurt the shelter’s image.
Even though the Doberman was used to intimidate Yoon Seung-jae’s victims rather than being mistreated, Ha-eun couldn’t shake her concern.
She decided to express her worries honestly to Kwon Hong-eun, who dismissed them with a reassuring smile.
"Movies are just movies. If anything, the stronger your on-screen presence, the better the promotion will work."
"Do you really think so?"
"Of course! There’s a saying—‘no publicity is bad publicity.’ Though this isn’t even that. Honestly, your involvement alone is more than enough for us."
Kwon Hong-eun stroked the Pomeranian still resting peacefully in Ha-eun’s arms before standing up to conclude the meeting.
"I’ll make sure to watch Veterans when it comes out. You’re helping us for free, so watching your movie is the least I can do."
"Thank you," Ha-eun replied gratefully.
With everything wrapped up smoothly, Ha-eun returned to the car with Na-yeon, the Pomeranian nestled gently in her arms.
‘It hasn’t barked even once. They said it didn’t have vocal cord surgery… maybe it’s just really calm.’
As she pondered this, Na-yeon’s question pulled her back to reality.
"What are you going to name the puppy?"
Ha-eun seriously mulled over a list of potential names until Na-yeon, glancing at the white furball, made a suggestion.
"It’s white from head to toe. How about Cream?"
The suggestion was all too familiar, and Ha-eun couldn’t help but clear her throat awkwardly.
"Uh, it just… sounds like food."
Lowering her gaze, Ha-eun looked into the Pomeranian’s eyes and proposed the name "Baekseol," meaning "white snow." The nickname would be "Seol."
"It’s easier to call it Seol, but naming it just ‘Seol’ feels too short. So its full name will be Baekseol."
Na-yeon had no objections to the name, and once they arrived home, Ha-eun began introducing "Seol" to the house.
-Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter-patter.
"Wow, Ha-eun, look at Seol. It seems curious about the house."
"Yeah, it’s exploring every corner."
Luckily, Seol didn’t seem uncomfortable or overwhelmed in the new environment.
However, as an untrained puppy, certain incidents were inevitable.
"Uh… Ha-eun, grab some tissues!"
"…At least it didn’t happen in the car."
Amid the brief chaos caused by Seol marking its territory, Ha-eun began using pee pads and a spray to guide its behavior.
"Seol, when you need to go, you do it here."
"Here, on this white pad, okay?"
"You understand what I’m saying, right?"
It was only natural that Ha-eun received no verbal response from Baekseol’s fluffy face as the puppy stared blankly at her. Instead, the little Pomeranian scratched insistently at Ha-eun’s foot, as if asking to be picked up.
‘Didn’t they say it takes about five months?’
Ha-eun recalled the typical duration for potty training puppies. Knowing this, she wasn’t in any rush. Even the next day, when she took Baekseol to a nearby animal clinic for a health checkup and future care consultation, she remained calm and unbothered.
Meanwhile, the Instagram post Ha-eun had made promoting shelter dog adoption was receiving great feedback. Surprisingly, most comments weren’t about the adoption itself but rather about Ha-eun’s kindness. It wasn’t something she could control, so she let it slide.
The real curveball came from an entirely unexpected direction.
"Ahhh! I fell again!"
This happened during a Going Up High stream, where Diah—Ha-eun’s VTuber persona—was trying to complete the notoriously frustrating "pot game." A single misstep sent her avatar tumbling back to the starting point, prompting an involuntary scream.
-Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch.
Suddenly, the sound of scratching came from the soundproof booth’s firmly shut door. Ha-eun muted her mic, stood up from her gaming chair, and peeked out.
"Seol? What’s wrong?"
Baekseol wagged its tail and scratched at Ha-eun’s foot again, clearly wanting to be picked up. So, Ha-eun scooped up the tiny puppy and settled back into her chair, holding Baekseol in her arms.
The stress from Going Up High had triggered Ha-eun’s instinct to calm herself by hugging and petting Baekseol.
Thus, with the puppy nestled peacefully in her lap, Ha-eun continued her stream.
"Nooo! Why did I fall again?!"
-Diah, I’m off to eat again.
-Might as well take a nap at this point.
-Diah, stop falling! I’m tired of eating three meals a day just waiting for you to progress!
As her avatar fell once more, a groan of genuine despair escaped her lips. The sound startled Baekseol, who began trembling on her lap.
"Oh, sorry, Seol. I scared you, huh?"
Ha-eun immediately began soothing the puppy, looking into its eyes as she spoke.
The moment was captured by her viewers, and the chat exploded.
- Diah, are you cheating on us with someone else??
- Who is he? Spill it, Diah.
Panicked by the rapid influx of chat messages, Ha-eun hastily clarified that she was talking to a dog. She even brought Baekseol’s panting closer to the mic as proof.
"Listen to this. You hear that panting? It’s a dog, okay? Stop jumping to conclusions about hidden boyfriends!"
- Since when did you have a dog?
- People can pant too, you know.
"How could a person pant ? Stop with the nonsense!"
- Given the chance, I’d prove it for you.
- If Diah pets me, I’d bark a thousand times, no problem.
- Bark bark oh, owner, I’ll—(User has been banned).
- I never thought I’d be jealous of a dog, yet here we are.
- Time to raise the stakes—(User has been banned).
Forum Thread: "Why Diah = Lee Ha-eun"
Posted by: StuckInTrafficToday | 19:32