Chapter 29

Star.

A term that refers to those who captivate the world with their talent and charm.

Among the people to whom this term “star” fits well was Yu Seong-a.

At this point in time, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that there wasn’t a single female actress who was more successful than Yu Seong-a.

And there, Ha Eun found himself seated at the same table in the same café as this popular star by sheer coincidence.

– Click.

– Click, Click.

– Click, Click, Click, Click…

“Excuse me, are you Yu Seong-a? If you don’t mind, could I just get an autograph—”

“If you don’t mind, could I also have a photo—”

It was already quite chaotic.

Ha Eun hadn’t even had the chance to understand why Yu Seong-a had asked him to spare some time, let alone share a proper word, and yet…

Of course, there were also people who recognized Ha Eun.

It was just that the number of people who recognized Yu Seong-a was overwhelmingly large, making Ha Eun’s presence somewhat overshadowed.

The atmosphere didn’t become suitable for Ha Eun and Yu Seong-a to converse until about 20 minutes had passed.

And the first words that came out of Yu Seong-a’s lips were…

“It would be good for Ha Eun to get used to this kind of attention. After all, you’re bound to go through similar situations in the not-so-distant future.”

Though it had little to do with the filming of *You Who Came from the Stars*, it was still closer to a compliment than an insult, so Ha Eun appropriately thanked Yu Seong-a.

It wasn’t long after that when Ha Eun started to learn the reason why Yu Seong-a had arranged this meeting.

“I’ve been watching your acting for a while now… It really felt like seeing my younger self performing in front of the camera.”

More opinions and praise about Ha Eun’s acting followed from Yu Seong-a afterward.

But, it seemed unlikely that Yu Seong-a had brought Ha Eun to the café just to shower him with compliments.

Ha Eun patiently sat there, making eye contact with Yu Seong-a, waiting for her to reveal the real purpose hidden beneath her words.

“I called Ha Eun here today because of the filming of the past scenes starting next week.”

Finally, the real conversation Yu Seong-a wanted to have with Ha Eun was about to begin.

“Until now, Ha Eun has seemed overly fixated on the Han Yu-hwa character I have been portraying. Of course, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but somehow… It feels like you’re limiting the scope of your own acting.”

No one on the set or in the production crew of You Who Came from the Stars would call Ha Eun’s performance incorrect. Yet, the acting Ha Eun had displayed in the movie *Mr. Neighbor* years ago left a slightly different impression.

“Personally, I hope that the Han Yu-hwa from the Joseon era will be a little different from the modern-day Han Yu-hwa. Rather than continuing to show the same exact image to the viewers, it would be better to present some differences between the past and the present.”

Unlike the modern-day young Han Yu-hwa, who inevitably shares some similarities with my portrayal, I hope the Han Yu-hwa from hundreds of years ago will show a markedly different image from what Ha Eun has displayed so far.

This advice or request was all based on Yu Seong-a’s personal sense.

Since no one can predict the future, it was uncertain whether her words would benefit Ha Eun or lead to problems down the line.

But if that something—something that only Ha Eun had among the numerous child actors Yu Seong-a saw at the cinema years ago—were to be reignited…

“Ha Eun knows this already, but episodes 2 to 5, featuring the past sequence, are your solo stage.”

Not only will the anticipation built by the astonishing performances of Yu Seong-a and Ha Yoon-seong since the first episode not be interrupted, but also because I believe Ha Eun can create another reason for viewers to immerse themselves in the drama *You Who Came from the Stars*.

“Therefore, I want you to make the audience entranced solely by the charm of child actor Ha Eun—not the charm of the young doppleganger.”

Rather than merely imitating Yu Seong-a, she advised Ha Eun to show something that only he can bring to the camera.

To put it strictly, it was like asking Ha Eun to come up with a completely new answer to replace the excellent model answer that is Yu Seong-a.

Though this was a request that couldn’t be described as simple or easy, even in passing,

“I don’t go around saying things like this to just anyone. I only do this when I truly believe that Ha Eun can pull it off.”

“No… I didn’t think of it as nagging at all. Absolutely not.”

“In that case, I’m just grateful.”

So far, Yu Seong-a’s incredible intuition, which had an impressive track record, was telling her that Ha Eun would succeed.

At the same time, it was also affirming that her first instinct, the one that made her choose Ha Eun for the role of young Han Yu-hwa without even seeing the auditions of other child actors, hadn’t been wrong.

“Well, we should get going now. Sorry for keeping you so long.”

And so, with that, they left the café.

As they stepped onto the street, coincidentally at that moment, people passing by began to recognize Yu Seong-a once again.

“Ah, Ha Eun, how about we take a photo together? We can use it as a promotional piece on SNS under the title, ‘A Meeting Between Young Han Yu-hwa and Adult Han Yu-hwa.’”

She deliberately drew Ha Eun toward her in front of the many people passing by and pulled out the phone she had recently received as a sponsorship.

However, just a few seconds later, Yu Seong-a heard Ha Eun’s voice, slightly cautious this time.

“Um, Senior Yu Seong-a… is it really okay to post this on SNS?”

The reason was simple: there had been scenes in *You Who Came from the Stars* where Han Yu-hwa was put in difficult situations because of SNS.

Yu Seong-a, who had just been blinking silently at this comment, chuckled softly a while later.

“I may look like this, but I did graduate from K University. No matter how it may seem, I wouldn’t mistake cotton seeds for coffee beans like Han Yu-hwa.”

This was almost the first time Yu Seong-a had encountered what she found to be the innocent charm of Ha Eun’s young self, which she simply found cute.

***

“Excuse me, Ha Eun. Though unlikely, please be careful not to fall. There are really only a few sets of this costume left…”

Ha Eun nodded twice in response to the anxious gaze from the staff member responsible for costume management.

His entire outfit, from the jeogori (jacket) to the skirt, was purely white, so even a little dirt could instantly ruin the aesthetics.

This outfit was different from the colorful hanbok he had worn while filming the scene where he was exploring the market with Park Do-jun.

Though, strictly speaking, that colorful hanbok also couldn’t get dirty, but regardless…

Thus, with noticeably careful steps, Ha Eun proceeded to the filming location.

“Oh, Ha Eun, that outfit suits you well too! As expected, good genetic stock really makes a difference; anything looks good on you.”

“Ah, thank you…”

He had bumped into Ha Yoon-seong, who was already dressed and waiting.

Ha Yoon-seong’s slightly exaggerated tone of admiration still hadn’t quite clicked with Ha Eun.

The compliments Ha Eun had been receiving mostly came from women like his mother, Na-yeon, or makeup artists.

However, words from people like Kang Seon-woo during the filming of *Mr. Neighbor* years ago or Ha Yoon-seong now while filming *You Who Came from the Stars*—men with both remarkable acting skills and handsome looks—were different.

“Hmm… Could I ever get used to things like this?”

They left Ha Eun feeling strangely awkward.

It took his brain, which had momentarily gone idle, a bit of time to return to normal.

Well, one way or another,

The filming was about to start soon.

“All right, we’ll start filming on the dot at 8 o’clock! Everyone, please head to your positions!”

Ha Eun, too, moved towards where he needed to be.

As expected, Ha Yoon-seong, who played the role of Park Do-jun—Ha Eun’s costar—headed in the same direction.

“I’m the one who feels nervous right now. Ha Eun doesn’t look very nervous, does he?”

However, Ha Eun wasn’t interested in this casual pre-shoot chat from Ha Yoon-seong.

Currently, Ha Eun was focused on the advice Yu Seong-a had given him the other day.

Although he had yet to watch *Mr. Neighbor*,

He at least understood the part where she said he didn’t need to rigidly stick to her portrayal and should show the Han Yu-hwa that only Ha Eun could portray.

“All right, everyone ready? Then, 3, 2, 1… Action!”

Instead of the modern-day young Han Yu-hwa that Ha Eun had been observing and imitating from Yu Seong-a,

Ha Eun started to project an unfamiliar image solely based on his interpretation and analysis.

“-There are those who have witnessed peculiar beings hiding along the riverside. Find them at all costs!”

The scene began with the terrifying voice of the Commander of the Wine Brigade, his eyes red with veins.

The eerie force-wielding Park Do-jun and the Han Yu-hwa who hung around with him were to be treated as demons to be exterminated, leading to the involvement of dozens of soldiers to capture them both.

Adding to the tension, the moon hanging in the sky was a full moon.

In other words, today was also the day when Park Do-jun’s powers were greatly weakened.

“‘Please retreat, my lady. I’ll try my best to buy you some time to escape.’”

Park Do-jun let go of Han Yu-hwa’s hand, realizing that they would definitely both be captured if they did nothing.

At the moment when Park Do-jun was about to stand before the soldiers,

“‘No, absolutely not. Not at all.’”

Han Yu-hwa stepped in front of Park Do-jun to block him, her urgent movement causing Park Do-jun’s eyes to begin trembling slowly.

“‘Didn’t you say there was a place for you to return?’

‘That our time together would only be brief, that we could never walk together forever?’”

To the Han Yu-hwa, abandoned by everyone, including her parents, Park Do-jun was her only haven.

Without Park Do-jun, Han Yu-hwa’s life would surely not be considered a life—only a bitter and lonely existence.

“‘Therefore, do not frivolously discard your path. Don’t you already know what is truly important…?’”

In Han Yu-hwa’s view, losing Park Do-jun would be akin to losing her own life.

She might as well offer Park Do-jun, her benefactor and beneficent lord, the only chance to repay him.

“‘Do you not know, my lord, the reason why the reluctant flowers bloom? You have already told me enough yourself, haven’t you?’”

As such, finally, a resolve uncommon in such a young and innocent girl came to be.

A decision that Park Do-jun didn’t wish for at any moment came to pass.

“‘You, my lord, only need to remember. As the reluctant flowers earnestly wished for….’”

The same elegant smile that was always present.

At the same time, its contrast was marked by the red rims around her eyes.

“‘A long, long time ago, there was this one flower that was happy to have been held in your embrace, my lord (有花).’”

This signified the moment the charming flower named Han Yu-hwa was destined to wither.

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