Chapter 34: Chapter 33

At some point in the early hours, Ha-eun's eyes opened. She was already an early riser, but even by her standards, this was very early.

Once awake, she found herself completely alert and without any lingering sleepiness.

“…I’m thirsty…”

Rather than lying around aimlessly, she decided to get up and do something. She wandered into the empty living room.

-Plop…

She blankly watched the water dispenser as it poured lukewarm water into a glass cup. For some reason, she felt a vague sense of having forgotten something important, but it was just a fleeting thought.

Still in a half-dazed state, she couldn't quite pinpoint what was missing.

Holding a half-filled cup, she sank into the sofa and spaced out again. Being a Sunday, there was no need to get ready for school like on weekdays.

‘…What should I even do?’

She was genuinely at a loss for what to do. No one would mind if she did nothing, but she couldn’t shake the sense of duty ingrained over the past five years to make every minute count.

The first thing she did was write a quick note for her parents.

**

Although she planned to return before the usual breakfast time, she left the note just in case.

She didn’t like worrying others, so leaving a note brought her a sense of reassurance.

Changing into more comfortable clothes and grabbing a jump rope from the corner of the shoe cabinet, she headed to an open area near her home.

In truth, an empty space nearby was the only place an 11-year-old could really go this early in the morning.

From there, she began her usual light exercises. It was an amateur’s routine with no formal coaching, but it was effective.

‘I hope I don’t go bald from this.’

Every time she glimpsed the faint beginnings of her toned abs, a sense of doubt filled her. Was it okay to look like this at her age?

No one had ever told her that her abs were gross or ugly, but the sight had left Min Da-yeon staring in amazement.

‘...What are you doing…?’

‘Oh, uh, I… It’s just… amazing. It’s like the abs of those bodybuilder ladies.’

Da-yeon’s gaze lingered on her stomach, confirming that her appearance was indeed unusual. It wasn't anything embarrassing, but it still left her feeling oddly self-conscious.

After going through her usual routine, it was finally time to head back home. The morning workout left her a bit thirsty.

She decided to stop by a convenience store to grab a sports drink.

-Tinkle.

“Ah, welcome…”

The clerk greeted her with mild surprise, likely because a child entering a convenience store alone this early in the morning was an uncommon sight.

She didn’t dwell on the clerk's puzzled look, though; her attention was on the sports drinks placed on a shelf she could barely reach, even on her tiptoes.

‘Why’d they put them so high up?’@@novelbin@@

After contemplating for a moment, she called over to the clerk who was stocking onigiri.

“Excuse me, could you grab that sports drink up there for me?”

The clerk immediately retrieved the drink she requested, and she thanked him politely.

When she placed the blue sports drink on the counter to pay, the clerk suddenly looked at her with a curious expression.

“Excuse me…”

“?”

The clerk held out his phone toward her.

“Is this you?”

The question was just three words long, but she understood immediately.

“Oh, yes… That’s me.”

“Wow, really? No wonder you looked so familiar.”

The clerk’s energy surged, a stark change from the quiet demeanor he’d displayed moments earlier. He resembled the people who had recognized Yoo Sung-ah at the café a few weeks back.

‘Getting used to this attention would be good for you, Ha-eun. Soon enough, you’ll be dealing with it regularly.’

‘…Seems like “soon” really was soon.’

Watching the flustered clerk, she suddenly remembered that the teaser for *My Love From the Stars* had just been released yesterday. That ambiguous feeling she’d woken up with earlier? It was from that.

“Um… could we take a picture together?”

“Oh, sure.”

Moments later, a click, and he asked if she could give him an autograph as well. She nodded, even though her “autograph” was simply her name with a generic “Be happy!” written underneath.

But the clerk thanked her profusely, and for the first time in her life, she felt a new, warm sensation filling her chest.

She left the store, sipping her blue sports drink as she walked back home. The sensation lingered until she entered her house and keyed in the door code.

But…

-Beep.

“I’m home─”

“Oh, my lady, why have you returned from your morning stroll alone, without an attendant?”

“?”

“The air is so chilly these days, my lady. Next time, wear a thicker coat, not just a windbreaker.”

“???”

Her parents had somehow adopted speech straight out of a historical drama, instantly erasing the pleasant feeling in her chest and replacing it with utter bewilderment.

***

- So, when’s our Jia’s scene?

ㄴ“Our” Jia? She’s your daughter now?

ㄴShe’s my wife, actually.

ㄴTeacher, please, hold your breath for one hour.

ㄴAnother one who should get shot by Kang Sun-woo.

ㄴWho’s Jia?

ㄴShe’s the girl Kang Sun-woo saved in *The Neighbor Uncle*. The actress is Lee Ha-eun.

It was around the halfway point of the first episode of *My Love From the Stars*. Even though Ha-eun hadn’t appeared yet, her brief teaser appearance had created a buzz. Various posts about her flooded drama community sites.

- They said she’s playing young Han Yoo-hwa.

ㄴYoo-hwa and Park Do-joon are at each other’s throats right now. How is her younger self even relevant here?

ㄴMy thoughts exactly.

- Isn’t this supposed to be a rom-com? Why is Lee Ha-eun wearing a hanbok like it’s a historical drama?

ㄴIt was a rom-com in the teaser. The historical part was only in the last ten seconds.

ㄴExactly. Why is there a historical scene in a rom-com anyway?

ㄴHow would I know?

ㄴIf you don’t know, find out.

Despite the first episode’s strong plot, which had already generated significant buzz even before airing, the ratings were promising: 21.2% for the first episode alone.

Compared to the previous show’s peak of 28% in its final episode, this was a remarkable start.

“Yoo Sung-ah is still Yoo Sung-ah, I see. Even after a ten-year break, her ability to pull in viewers hasn’t faded.”

The assistant director marveled at Yoo Sung-ah’s screen presence, echoing the sentiment that director Hwang Min-soo’s plan seemed to be working.

However, the pivotal moment for ratings lay ahead, with the release of the second episode and its brief preview still to come.

“It’s too early to pop the champagne.”

“But we could at least prepare the corkscrew.”

“You never miss a chance to argue, do you?”

Director Hwang Min-soo and the production team decided to keep a cautious stance.

The first episode of *My Love From the Stars* slowly drew to a close, and soon enough, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived. The scene of Ha Yoon-sung dressed as a Joseon scholar and Ha-eun as an elegant noblewoman aired.

Not only at the UBS broadcast station, nor in drama communities brimming with fans theorizing about Ha-eun and Ha Yoon-sung’s relationship, but even in a few homes across a distant continent, where the Korean wave of *Hallyu* had taken hold.

“Shu-ran! Did you see this?”

“Huh? What’s this?”

“This is a new drama from Korea that just started airing─”

The Korean wave had begun to ripple across distant shores, bringing the kind of “butterfly effect” that only true cultural phenomena could create.