Chapter 39

If we were to name the most talked-about drama currently, it would undoubtedly be [You Who Came From the Stars].

From the very first episode, the drama showed signs of extraordinary success by surpassing a 20% viewership rating, and just five episodes in, it skyrocketed to an incredible 35% momentary rating.

[Five years ago, the beautiful rising star that took over the summer cinemas is now conquering the winter living rooms]

[The child actor in ‘You Who Came From the Stars’ continues a surprising rise in ratings with twists no one anticipated]

[The rivalry over Wednesday-Thursday dramas is now a thing of the past… MBS’s ‘Face Queen’ is on a steady decline]

As expected, articles about You Who Came From the Stars flooded both online and offline. Watching the entertainment reporters, including herself, all writing articles about You Who Came From the Stars, Heo Ju-eun’s first thought was.

‘…It was a good idea to make my mark early.’

She felt glad about successfully conducting a solo interview with Lee Ha-eun, who went unnoticed on the first filming day of You Who Came From the Stars. Technically, the only parts that were allowed to be reported that day were about the two lead actors, Ha Yoon-seong and Yu Seong-a.

“Is it really that hard to get an interview with a 12-year-old kid?”

Considering that the most notable person right now is not Yu Seong-a or Ha Yoon-seong, but Lee Ha-eun, sneaking into the filming set disguised as a staff member and finally meeting her was nothing short of a divine move.

Strictly speaking, Heo Ju-eun’s initial interview article didn’t garner much attention and got buried. After all, it was a rather mundane article without much substance.

However, the situation completely turned around now that Lee Ha-eun was literally dominating the drama You Who Came From the Stars. The only interview Ha-eun agreed to, despite being hesitant about media exposure, had become that one instance.

It was likely that the only connection Heo Ju-eun had with the star Lee Ha-eun, who was kneeling in front of the editor-in-chief, was due to her. Of course, Heo Ju-eun hadn’t received a response from Ha-eun’s agency, Luna Entertainment, regarding her interview mail yet.

“Hey, Heo Reporter. Do you have any more sources on Lee Ha-eun?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

“Come on, please. You watched episode 5 of You Who Came From the Stars too, right? You know that even posting a picture of Lee Ha-eun without any content would go viral.”

“Hmm… The thing is, I didn’t bring a camera during Ha-eun’s first interview. So, I don’t really have any recent pictures.”

There was a possibility that someone might know more about Lee Ha-eun. At the same time, no one else was better poised to report on her than Heo Ju-eun. Even fellow reporters who had never met Ha-eun were poking fun at Heo Ju-eun.

And then, as if to prove the saying that ‘when you speak of the devil, he appears,’ Heo Ju-eun’s phone began to ring within seconds. The name attached to the contact made her gasp.

[Lee Ha-eun]

“…Huh?”

It was a name capable of startling not just Heo Ju-eun but also her fellow reporter standing beside her. She almost grabbed her phone in the speed of light.

“Hello?”

[…Hello, Reporter. This is Lee Ha-eun. I want to keep the promise we made last time. Is there a good time for you?]

After that, she couldn’t quite remember what happened. After all, Heo Ju-eun never imagined that Ha-eun would reach out first to fulfill their promise made at the café.

Especially not so soon, just a week after the airing of episode 5.

Thus, she inadvertently ended up securing another exclusive interview with Ha-eun. Her fellow reporter, who had been blankly blinking while listening to the conversation, finally said.

“…You could give me the lottery numbers, Heo Reporter.”

Heo Ju-eun didn’t feel the least bit offended by the remark. Though she never thought Ha-eun would attract this much attention, what difference did it make?

Unlike other reporters who were tirelessly searching for leads on Ha-eun, Heo Ju-eun would be meeting her in person the very next morning!

“It’s a bad idea to boast about the future to others, you know. I’m sorry~.”

Thus, she could smile through the mixture of envy and jealousy from her fellow reporter.

After that, it was a continuous rush of excitement. Just like a rose waiting happily for the Little Prince to arrive at 4 p.m. while being excited since 3 p.m., she spent her time eagerly anticipating the meeting with Ha-eun.

Finally, after 18 hours, she was to reunite with Ha-eun.

Strictly speaking, Ha-eun looked much the same as she did during their first interview a few months ago, but for some reason, this time there seemed to be a halo appearing behind her.

“It’s been a while, Reporter.”

That brief greeting reminded her momentarily of Han Yu-hwa, blurring the lines between the two in Heo Ju-eun’s mind.

Even after their second interview began, Heo Ju-eun still struggled to distinguish between Ha-eun and Han Yu-hwa.

In fact, it was somewhat understandable. The child version of Han Yu-hwa from You Who Came From the Stars and the current Ha-eun had many overlapping qualities.

No matter how you looked at it, the current Ha-eun was drawing attention as a rising star in the entertainment industry, just like the young Han Yu-hwa.

The confidence that lingered in the back of her mind was similar to what Heo Ju-eun had felt while watching You Who Came From the Stars in the past.

Though she had seen several actors merge with the characters they were meant to portray during her time as an entertainment reporter, she had yet to encounter an actor who found themselves in a situation identical to their character’s.

Perhaps, it was truly destiny that Ha-eun was cast to play the young Han Yu-hwa.

“Then, just one last question before we wrap things up. What is Ha-eun’s dream?”

They were nearing the usual question asked during interviews about future aspirations, and Heo Ju-eun hoped for a response indicating that Ha-eun would continue to work hard to become a great actress like the adult Han Yu-hwa.

Instead, what she heard from Ha-eun was a response that made Heo Ju-eun unknowingly tilt her head.

“A liar. I want to be the best liar in the world.”

Curious, Heo Ju-eun carefully followed up, asking exactly what kind of liar she wanted to be.

“There’s a dream I haven’t achieved yet. It’s a dream that also requires one to know how to deceive people well, just like an actor.”

“Um, could you tell me what that dream is?”

“Oh no, not yet! It’s a dream that’s a bit hard to tell others about.”

The answers coming from Ha-eun’s mouth were even more puzzling than the previous ones.

For a moment, Heo Ju-eun wondered if Ha-eun was dreaming of something strange like being a cult leader or a fraud, casting a suspicious glance at the girl.

Yet, she was just a girl who had recently turned 12; it was hard to conclude that she might already be harboring such malicious dreams.

Well, no matter how it went.

The discussion with Ha-eun, which lasted a total of 1 hour and 10 minutes, was more than enough to become a special feature on its own.

“Thank you so, so much, Ha-eun. I won’t have to worry about articles for a while thanks to you.”

She expressed her gratitude with a sincerity she had never shown before.

It was a rare occurrence for someone from the acting side to propose an interview after having just one exclusive interview together.

And so, Heo Ju-eun, with a heavy heart, forced herself to return to the office after the interview with Ha-eun.

She began sifting through dozens of photos in her junior reporter’s camera, looking for the best shots from their time together.

It was undoubtedly going to be a hot topic.

She hoped that the images of Ha-eun published would be the ones where she looked her prettiest.

***

“[Don’t Stop People]? Me?”

“Yes.”

Lee Geon-yeol’s unwavering gaze didn’t carry any hint of mischief.

Additionally, several pages of show scripts laid out right in front helped to validate Ha-eun’s earlier suggestion.

“Of course I won’t be doing the name tag game like an uncle. We’ll just have to do a few filming missions together.”

He continued explaining what the show entailed.

However, what truly captured Ha-eun’s heart wasn’t the general concept of the show or the missions she’d have to complete, but the recording date of Don’t Stop People.

‘…I wonder if they will want me to join them after the filming?’

Coincidentally, that day also marked a significant event embedded in Ha-eun’s memory.

Strictly speaking, it was an event that would significantly impact Lee Geon-yeol right in front of her.

Of course, if Ha-eun were to reveal the future to Lee Geon-yeol right now, he would likely consider it nonsense.

In the end, the best outcome would be to solve the incident naturally without Lee Geon-yeol thinking anything strange about Ha-eun.

After all, being together with Lee Geon-yeol would likely make it easier to resolve the incident than being apart.

“How does it sound, Ha-eun? Would you like to film Don’t Stop People with me?”

“Yes.”

In the end, she decided to appear on Don’t Stop People.

Even aside from the incident, it was a program she had always wanted to feature on at least once, so she thought it was actually a good turn of events.

By this point, it crossed her mind that it might be too excessive for the story she wanted to share in a Virtual YouTuber broadcast.

Nonetheless, it would undeniably be a good experience for her.

“Hmm, I would really like to drop a name tag on Dong-guk uncle, but would you be able to grant that request?”

“Dong-guk is really good at fulfilling kids’ requests. Don’t worry about it.”

For now, she chose to feel excitement rather than worry.

If the recording for Don’t Stop People and the incident that would occur right afterward were to be resolved well, she couldn’t ask for more peace of mind than that.

“Would he grant me a signature if I asked?”

“Of course. But on the contrary, Dong-guk might want to get your signature first.”

“Huh? Really?”

“That guy enjoyed watching You Who Came From the Stars so much. Plus, once he found out you were the little girl from our music video a long time ago, his eyes lit up.”

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