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Chapter

What does it mean to be a meaningful presence to others?

What is needed for people, each with their own names, faces, and lives, to hold significance for one another?

“Think about it. The answer is already decided.”

First and foremost, what is required is memory.

The things we see, hear, and feel become memories that shape the meaning of our existence.

Thus, the performer on stage, captivating a sea of gazes at this very moment…

The pure voice emanating from the black handheld microphone…

The vivid presence that is naturally felt…

“Remember the past. Who shocked everyone?”

It was enough to become a memory that would not be forgotten for a long time.

Not a single moment allowed for unnecessary distractions to enter.

In due time, the clear gaze that met the performance staff’s camera head-on.

An unwavering look that was displayed on screens flanking the stage, meeting the eyes of each spectator.

The light, dancing steps that followed.

The ease that flowed from freely traversing among the dancers gave off a natural confidence.

“End the question. I’ve proven enough, right?”

The white jacket that hung precariously down to her forearms.

Soft dance lines emerging from her fully exposed shoulders.

Sometimes in sync with the melody.

Other times playing with off-beat tempos.

“Now you know. Doubt is a waste of time.”

Choreography that made viewers gasp in silent admiration continued throughout the performance.

Yet her breathing remained perfectly composed.

The confidence emanating from her serious expression morphed into an aura that seeped throughout the audience.

The distinctly heavy atmosphere led the performance entirely.

“Dear my world. Don’t be confused anymore─♪”

Once more, sharp high notes reverberated through the air.

Her clear voice filled the expansive venue, capturing countless ears.

The high notes, infused with skilled techniques, naturally elicited cheers.

It was as if the air was bursting with the audience’s shouts, intertwining all emotions.

Even while moving along the practiced routine, she could not tear her eyes away from the passionate gazes directed at her.

And simultaneously…

No, perhaps even from a few minutes before her performance began…

Or perhaps from that moment they first met during the screen test…

‘…Good grief.’

A brief chuckle formed on Dayan’s lips, unconsciously longing for that brilliance.

It wasn’t jealousy.

It’s not as if she’d ever considered such a colossal stage her own, let alone in front of the camera on set.

It wasn’t competition either.

Thus far, her rivalry with Haeun had been limited to their acting.

Simply put, it was ridiculous.

That girl who would lose her composure over just hearing the name “Dia”.

“─────♪”

It was absurd she was singing joyfully in front of countless, uncountable fans.

“Whoa… isn’t Haeun totally amazing?”

“…Are you still surprised?”

The two drastically different personas being identified as the same person kept her in thought for quite a while.

The spectacle she was witnessing left her speechless, merely from watching.

What she could hear was an unwavering voice fluttering between different tones, met with fervent cheers.

What she felt was the greedy aura that began to engulf everything around her once again.

All these elements were sure to be memories that wouldn’t be forgotten for a long time.

Perhaps even a memory she would never forget until her last breath.

‘…Forgetting would be the strange part.’

What settled in her gradually racing heart was a meaning she had sensed long ago.

It was the significance of ‘Lee Haeun’ that was now vividly perceivable even to others besides Dayan.

Finally, as the performance of 『T. R. E. N. D.』 concluded, Haeun became a meaningful presence to those who faced her.

This undeniable fact was both a delight and a burden as Haeun’s friend.

‘Haa…’

She thought she had always been there.

She thought they were close, both physically and mentally.

It wasn’t a wrong assumption.

From their childhood, which she could barely remember, there was never a time she felt pushed away from Haeun.

The girl waving to the audience across the stage didn’t know how to pull back her hand, only understanding how to extend it.

Respecting Dayan’s feelings, she would hold on loosely, but never let go completely.

Yet the growing sense of distance seemed to pull away further and further.

That vague longing made her feel like someone destined to be unreachable.

“I can’t believe it. Back in middle school, you couldn’t even wear a swimsuit properly.”

-Kok.

“And now you’re exposing your stomach?”

-Kokkok.

“Lee Haeun has become bold. At this rate, you’ll do a bikini photo shoot for sure.”

-Kokkokkok.

“I-it tickles. Stop that…”

Curiosity became too much to bear.

She needed to know how far someone so accustomed to Dayan’s words could soar.

She wondered how far Dayan herself could go in keeping up.

“…Lee Haeun.”

She called out with a more serious tone.

And she asked.

“What’s your dream?”

This wasn’t just asking about the sorts of jobs mentioned in her elementary school future career survey.

What she wanted was a clearer, more defined answer.

Despite that, the response she received was as innocent as what a little child might say.

The expression on Haeun’s face was adorned with a soft smile.

“A superstar.”

If it had been the old Dayan, she would have laughed it off as childish.

But there was no sense of impossibility lurking in her thoughts.

And about two months later…

“─KBC Acting Awards, the winner of Best Actress is… Congratulations. The moonlight piercing through the clouds, Lee Haeun!”

As Haeun returned as an actress sporting a beautiful black dress, standing before countless people once again…

More precisely, when she approached the microphone on the podium alongside the trophy shining gold.

“I will work hard in the future. …No, I will work even harder.”

The calm tone she always maintained and her typical acceptance speech sounded a little different to Dayan.

It was her intuition grasping that Haeun’s pace was about to accelerate.

Thus, to avoid falling behind Haeun,

Dayan decided to slightly shift her heart and thoughts.

Just as she had said a long time ago.

Instead of just standing still, applauding like everyone else, she aimed to follow Haeun in whatever way possible.

Dayan hadn’t yet begun to imagine what kind of outcomes her determination would bring in the future.

She hadn’t even grasped that the height and distance Haeun was looking toward were beyond her imagination.

***

As the performance of Lee Haeun & Yoon Si-hyuk’s 『T. R. E. N. D.』 marked the culmination of <Infinite Challenge Music Festival>…

– Infinite Challenge Music Festival Lee Haeun fancy cam

– Highlights of the Infinite Challenge Music Festival

Even though the official broadcast had not yet aired, videos of <Infinite Challenge Music Festival> performances were circulating online.

With audience-captured footage, a massive wave of spoilers for Haeun’s performance spread.

Photos, GIFs, shorts, videos, and all sorts of materials were uploaded to the community.

Although a large portion was met with the hammer of copyright infringement…

It was nearly impossible to completely erase the news that had already begun to spread.

And so eventually…

– Whoa, Lee Haeun’s live is ridiculously good, lolol

– The national hip hop top is now sorting out idols too.

– I witnessed Lee Haeun’s live performance

ㄴ Block those deceivers, please

ㄴ Aren’t those who couldn’t make it the true losers of the era?

ㄴ Cancel that…!!

– Is this really the body of a high school student?

ㄴ Even during the 2-night, 3-day event, she was already wow, but in clothes like this…!

ㄴ Hey, do that more and you might get sued.

– Why does the live sound better than the studio version?

– feat. Pinocchio isn’t just an audio chart dominator for nothing, lol

ㄴ Hey, please call out the WINNER of Shit on the Money since it’s an important feature!

ㄴ Yeah, Lee Haeun’s bus was almost failing the final performance until it carried it through~

Even before the official airing began, reviews of Haeun’s performance of 『T. R. E. N. D.』 appeared across various communities.

A staggering amount of footage capturing Haeun’s performance was analyzed second by second from myriad angles and positions.

To be precise, there were numerous kinds of reactions Haeun hadn’t particularly wished for…

However, regardless of everything, Haeun had fully achieved the goal of participating in <Infinite Challenge Music Festival>.

[Lee Yeena (Yuna)] – (Captured image of the flower bouquet gift scene with Yoo Sung-jae)

[Lee Yeena (Yuna)] – Our maknae received a dome performance!!!

[Park Miso (Myle)] – ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ

[Jeong Maria (Cream)] – …I wish I could get a bouquet from Yoo Sung-jae too…

[Kim Eun-hye (Ria)] – Me too…

[Lee Yeena (Yuna)] – Hmm, if you get a dome performance from Yoo Sung-jae, is it a win-win?

Once again, the lively group chat of Fantasy Town could be observed without any significant burden.

This was mainly due to the fact that reactions of “Real singers are different” have been transmitted.

However, since the performance of 『T. R. E. N. D.』 had impacted aspects Haeun hadn’t thought of…

It significantly elevated her value as a model compared to before.

“Winter… photoshoot?”

“Yes. Haeun really wants to shoot with you as the model.”

Once the schedules related to <Infinite Challenge Music Festival> had come to a complete end, there was another schedule to undertake immediately.

The youth model Gong Hye-yeon brought Haeun to the company she was signed with, assisting her in the meeting.

In other words, Gong Hye-yeon was also looking forward to Haeun’s photoshoot.

Haeun’s photoshoot was expected to include a collaborative shoot between Haeun and Gong Hye-yeon partially.

However, just as all the singers participating in <Infinite Challenge Music Festival> had experienced…

“Is it really your first time shooting? Your posture is so professional.”

“I-I just copied Hye-yeon…”

“No lie, you’re better than my daughter. Is it because you’re an actress?”

Ultimately, Gong Hye-yeon had to witness her lifeline as a model being threatened due to Haeun’s winter photoshoot.

By the time she felt that something was wrong, it was far too late.

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