Chapter 37

– This really makes my heart ache. On the other hand, I’m relieved that the two of them ended up together.

– Ha Yoon-seong is one thing, but the child acting is truly amazing.

– Past Han Yu-hwa and present Han Yu-hwa are definitely the same actor, but why do they feel different?

– Maybe it’s because they were a couple who have already lost someone once. There’s something more affectionate about this drama compared to others.

As soon as the broadcast of episode 5 ended, numerous impressions filled the broadcast station bulletin board.

The number was so great that each time I refreshed the page, a new one appeared.

Of course, there were sites with more unfiltered impressions, but for Min Da-yeon, who is still in elementary school, the UBS broadcasting station bulletin board was the only place to check the public opinion on the drama.

– Click.

– Click click.

I continued to look at the bulletin board, reading countless posts one by one.

Strictly speaking, this was something I would never normally do.

However, with my mind more complicated than ever at this moment.

Even the opinions of people whose names and faces I didn’t know seemed to help me organize my thoughts.

It was about 20 minutes later that something that could be called a conclusion arose in Min Da-yeon’s mind.

Almost simultaneously, Ha Eun, who had just finished taking a bath, entered Min Da-yeon’s room, looking full of moisture.

What I faced was the familiar face as always.

To be fair, the fact that her hair still had a slight dampness or her slightly rosy cheeks weren’t that familiar, but overall, she looked no different than Ha Eun I had seen for the past four years.

“What were you looking at?”

“…I wasn’t looking at anything.”

However, despite Ha Eun’s completely intentionless simple question, I answered in a voice more curt than usual.

And I even turned off the monitor to hide from Ha Eun that I had been observing the responses from “You from the Stars” right up until she came into the room.

‘The truth is, sleeping over at a friend’s house was something I always wanted to try.’

‘Isn’t that too ordinary for a wish? What’s so special about that?’

‘It used to be special. There was a time I asked Santa Claus for a gift to be able to sleep at a friend’s house instead.’

‘What? How childish.’

Just a few days ago, every word Ha Eun had brought up at a cafe near the elementary school felt like an excuse.

Whether today was Ha Eun’s birthday as she had said, or her wish to spend a night at a friend’s house with a friend.

I believed there was actually a real reason Ha Eun was covering herself with the same blanket as Min Da-yeon in the same room right now.

For example, to again brag about how Ha Eun had snatched the role of young Han Yu-hwa away from Min Da-yeon.

More precisely, it was because Ha Eun wanted to show off the scenes that could be filmed because she had claimed the role of young Han Yu-hwa instead of Min Da-yeon.

“…I dare to ask with a sinful body, please… may you have peace.”

Among them, I thought it was to see Ha Eun’s eyes directly when Min Da-yeon reacted in surprise after watching the scene that left the most lingering impression.

“Hey, Lee Ha-eun. Be honest. Your birthday is just an excuse, right?”

“…It’s really my birthday today.”

“No, what I mean is… what’s the real reason you asked to sleep over at my place?”

Afterward, I kept making eye contact with Ha Eun, not letting even a little gap for her gaze to escape.

As if I was determined to hear the dark secrets Ha Eun had been hiding until this moment.

However, no matter how much I made eye contact with Ha Eun, all I saw in her responding gaze were only big and small question marks.

Moreover, Ha Eun’s surprised voice soon followed.

“Um, Da-yeon… are you asking because you want to have a staring contest with me?”

It instantly shattered Min Da-yeon’s efforts to maintain a serious expression.

In a voice much weaker than before, I asked again.

“Lee Ha-eun, you wanted me to be intimidated, right? You wanted to make sure I would never think of competing with you in acting again…”

Thus, finally admitting that there was no way I could surpass Ha Eun’s acting became a burden I could no longer carry.

Only a few minutes ago, when Ha Eun was still in the bath, that heavy and bitter conclusion began to echo within the room.

“I know you’re good at acting too. I know it to the point where it’s frustrating. But why do you keep… with me?”

Somewhere along the way, my breath started trembling.

As a bit of moisture filled my eyes, my vision gradually became blurry.

The gears of reason began to creak from the moment I made eye contact with Ha Eun.

Thus, I could no longer hide what I had kept hidden throughout the past four years.

“When Kim Ji-a failed the screen test or when Han Yu-hwa failed the audition, everyone said it was unavoidable because of the other party. They told me that I was just unlucky and that chances would come to me later…”

I knew these comforting words were only meant to console a heartbroken Min Da-yeon.

I also knew better than anyone that in any competition, there had never been a moment when I didn’t give my best.

Yet, I could no longer endure it.

I felt foolish for having considered Ha Eun my rival in the past.

“Do you know, Lee Ha-eun? Everyone says you’re amazing. They’ve never seen such acting before, and it makes their hearts ache…!”

“…Da-yeon…”

“Should I also say you’re amazing like those people? Should I stand still and clap instead of trying to keep up?”

I was swept away by feelings that were nothing more than useless inferiority and felt my eyes begin to redden.

To be precise, the only thing Ha Eun did wrong was to simply be in front of me at that moment.

“Why do I always have to lose? Why should I always be behind you? Why…?”

As if that was all there was.

The misery and emptiness I felt at this moment, along with all the bitter emotions, seemed entirely Ha Eun’s fault.

“I also want to win. I want to hear that I’m better than you….”

The feelings I had never once shown to anyone, the truth I had never been able to reveal to anyone, the breathless struggle of bringing it out, and my tear-filled eyes.

Even the trembling shoulders and the tears flowing down after just a few seconds ended up being something Ha Eun would have to bear completely alone.

Thus, in front of the completely broken Da-yeon, Ha Eun.

After thinking long and hard about what to say to Da-yeon, finally proposed, “Then, let’s play rock-paper-scissors.”

“…What?”

In situations like this, it seemed better to take action than to talk, so I forcibly lifted Da-yeon and shouted the rules of rock-paper-scissors.

After that, Da-yeon unintentionally showed her fist.

The problem was that Ha Eun’s hand was a completely unbent “cloth.”

Immediately afterward, Ha Eun felt an overwhelming shock and literally didn’t know what to do, eventually shouting out the rock-paper-scissors rule again.

So, after about four or five rounds of shouts from Ha Eun’s mouth.

“…I finally lost.”

Da-yeon chose scissors, and Ha Eun had “cloth” as the outcome.

Yet, even though Ha Eun was still glaring at her, it was somewhat understandable.

After all, she had suddenly gotten up without giving any sort of explanation and repeated the game until Da-yeon won.

“What is this… trying to do?”

From Da-yeon’s perspective, still with red eyes, it looked like Ha Eun was just joking with her.

However, the calm voice that came from Ha Eun soon followed.

“You just have to keep playing until you win. Whether it’s rock-paper-scissors or acting.”

It was a type with not even a grain of playfulness.

“I can’t let you win by force, even in rock-paper-scissors or acting. Even if I were to forcefully lose to you, you wouldn’t acknowledge it.”

As I continued to move my lips to argue back, I ultimately couldn’t interrupt Ha Eun’s words.

“Still, someday you will win. That’s how the world works.”

“…You really sound just like my grandfather.”

“Ah, well, actually, I heard that from my grandfather.”

Afterward, Ha Eun continued comforting and soothing Da-yeon.

To be precise, it wasn’t anything significant, but to see the person I always had to look up to, Ha Eun struggling to lighten Da-yeon’s mood, was a bit.

“…Pfft.”

No, it was a lot more different and fun.

Unable to withstand it, Da-yeon ultimately burst into laughter, completely dissipating the serious atmosphere.

And almost simultaneously, Ha Eun’s mouth opened once more.

“Um, Da-yeon. There’s something I want to ask you—”

This was also Ha Eun’s effort to shift the conversation topic.

However, from Da-yeon’s perspective, it was a silly question that didn’t even need to be asked.

“Do you seriously think you can have an ordinary school life?”

“…Does that mean I have to keep being filmed by the kids?”

“Just being filmed would be fine. I know a kid whose textbooks were stolen by others, and he ended up transferring to another school.”

I concluded that it was impossible for Ha Eun to have the ordinary school life she longed for, as it strayed little from that of other kids.

It was right after that when I asked why Ha Eun was so obsessed with having a normal school life.

“…Lee Ha-eun, you’ve been constantly obsessed with being ordinary. Why are you so fixated on it? What’s so good about being ordinary?”

It was purely a question said out of curiosity, without any other intentions.

Having watched Ha Eun obsess over being ordinary for four years, I couldn’t help but feel a bit jaded.

However, the familiar gaze from Ha Eun, when we locked eyes, looked strangely sad even though she was not acting.

“Because it’s a bit regretful. I also wanted to try going on things like camp or school trips.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t go at all. It’s just that you need to be a little more careful than the other kids.”

As a result, I ended up comforting Ha Eun instead.

I wasn’t even sure if it was something worth comforting.

In this way, seeing Ha Eun showing strange behavior in unexpected places made Da-yeon puzzled.

If we were to mention the harmonious family of Ha Eun that Da-yeon had seen before, there was probably no hidden story worth mentioning.

‘…What is this really?’

The more time passed, the more I felt I was getting to know Ha Eun less than more.

***

“Yes, well, it’s about time to appear on entertainment shows.”

“Is that the thought of PD Hwang too? Then, since it’s come to this, how about filming an entire episode with a ‘You from the Stars’ concept? It would be great for promotion.”

Afterwards, PD Choi Soo-hyuk continued to explain the promotional effects that the cast of “You from the Stars” could receive by appearing on “Don’t Stop People.”

However, “You from the Stars” was already recording incredible viewership ratings to the point where there was no need for promotion.

‘Makeup gets ruined. Body gets ruined. Image gets ruined. The drawbacks far outweigh the benefits.’

Although Ha Yoon-seong, who enjoys exercising, might consider it, it was clear that Yu Seong-a, who had been avoiding entertainment shows for some time, would never appear on “Don’t Stop People.”

I pondered on how to send PD Choi Soo-hyuk, who was still explaining eagerly in front of PD Hwang Min-soo.

However, there was one fact that neither PD Hwang nor PD Choi Soo-hyuk could remember.

It was that not long ago, Ha Eun had appeared in the music video of Lee Geon-yeol, one of the fixed members of “Don’t Stop People.”

More accurately, Ha Eun had appeared in the music video of Daulby’s “Matchstick.”

Above all, considering that Ha Eun and Daulby still had a pretty strong relationship, it was likely that Ha Eun would be the one among the various cast members of “You from the Stars” to have the highest chance of appearing on “Don’t Stop People.”

“Geon-yeol, you should talk to her once. But don’t pressure her at all.”

“Of course. If she says she doesn’t want to, I’ll end the conversation right there. I’m not going to cling to her like someone living in another world.”

“…What year are you talking about?”

One of the other fixed members of “Don’t Stop People,” rather than PD Choi Soo-hyuk, was the one who encouraged Ha Eun to consider appearing on “Don’t Stop People.”

---