ââ¦Letâs just pretend we donât know each other until this filming wraps up.â
This moment came right after the script reading for *Moonlight Drawn by Clouds* had ended.
Ha-eun was left speechless by Da-yeonâs unusually serious suggestion to keep some distance between them. No matter how hard she tried, Ha-eun couldnât think of anything she might have done wrong to deserve it.
But more than anything elseâ¦
"You promised that if *To Busan* surpassed seven million viewers, youâd do things my way. Keep your promise."
That familiar voice reminded Ha-eun of a long-ago pledge to compete in an acting duel, choosing *Moonlight Drawn by Clouds* as their stage. And Da-yeonâs expression was more serious than ever.
ââ¦Alright.â
This made it impossible for Ha-eun to try and hold on to Da-yeon any longer.
However, it wasnât Ha-eun who held Da-yeon back from leaving; it was someone else entirely.
âExcuse me, Da-yeon, could I get your contact information?â
With a clean-cut look, a bright smile, and a gentle voice, Yoo Sung-jae, another lead actor in *Moonlight Drawn by Clouds*, approached Da-yeon, explaining he was creating a group chat for the cast and asking for her number. Naturally, he then asked Ha-eun for her contact information too.
It was right after Ha-eun gave her number to Sung-jae that she noticed Da-yeon slipping away. She silently watched Da-yeonâs retreating figure for a moment.
"Uh, Ha-eun? I think you have a call," Sung-jae mentioned, bringing her back to reality.
Ha-eun quickly reached into her pocket and took out her phone.
**Missed Call: Ji (CEO)**
âHuh?â
The only "Ji CEO" in her contacts was Ji Hye-min, who only ever contacted her about matters related to *Fantasia*.
Soâ¦
âI⦠I should get going, too,â she stammered, saying a quick goodbye to Sung-jae before stepping out of the KBC building.
After glancing around to make sure no one was nearby, she called Ji Hye-min back.
"[The avatar is ready!]"
"â¦!"@@novelbin@@
It was the news she had been waiting forâthe *Dia* virtual avatar was complete, and the debut schedule for *Fantasia* was set.
However, unlike the other members, who were adults with flexible schedules, Ha-eun was a high school student and an actress with a packed timetable.
"[Weâre planning to come over to your place for the setup and to run a few tests. Is that alright?]"
Since Ha-eunâs schedule wouldnât allow her to visit, Hye-min and her team from the MCN offered to handle the setup at her home. Ha-eun saw no reason to refuse.
"[Alright then, weâll stop by around noon tomorrow!]"
With a small, excited smile, Ha-eun ended the call. Only then did it dawn on herâ
ââ¦What am I going to tell Mom and Dad?â
Tomorrow was Sunday, meaning both of her parents, Sung-yoon and Na-yeon, would likely be home unless they had other plans.
Which meant they might witness the setup of her VTuber streaming equipment.
Just then, her phone began to ring.
[Hello?]
âMom, I wanted to let you know⦠someone from my company is coming over tomorrow around noon.â
She vaguely explained that someone from the company would visit to discuss some important, confidential work. She also mentioned that theyâd likely only need to speak with her.
Technically, she wasnât lyingâHye-min and her assistant were indeed company employees from the MCN, and setting up her streaming equipment as *Dia* was critical.
[Hmm, I think your dad has plans tomorrow.]
âWhat about you, Mom?â
[I donât have any plans. Why? Do you want me to leave, too?]
âOh, no, not really⦠but since itâs work-related, I thought it might be better to keep it privateâ¦â
This was tricky. While it wouldnât be a major issue if her mom found out about her VTubing, sheâd prefer to keep it a secret.
When she was younger, Ha-eun had imagined confidently telling her parents about her VTubing aspirations and patiently explaining the concept to them. Howeverâ¦
âVTubing isnât embarrassing, but⦠itâs kind of awkward to bring up.â
Now that she was actually about to start VTubing, she realized it would take a lot more courage to tell her family than she had anticipated.
If her parents discovered *Diaâs* identity, theyâd likely tune into her streamsâor at the very least, watch some clips.
And since *Dia*âs personality, tone, and voice were the complete opposite of hers, the idea of them seeing her as *Dia* was mortifying.
Soâ¦
[I canât skip out on hospitality altogether. Iâll just leave some fruit and then step out. Howâs that sound?]
Relieved by her motherâs offer to make herself scarce, Ha-eun breathed a sigh of relief.
She thought she might have heard a little chuckle from her mother, but decided to let it slide.
---
"Make sure to pour them some juice, too!"
âUh, yeah⦠Take care!â
Just a few seconds later, the front door lock clicked as her mother left.
Hye-min and her assistant arrived about 20 minutes later.
Maybe it was because Ha-eun had never invited anyone to her house other than Da-yeon, but after offering them the pre-sliced fruit and juice her mother had left, she found herself unable to say a word. Her nerves bubbled up from somewhere deep inside.
That might have been whyâ¦
âHey, Ha-eun, where did you get this microphone?â
"Oh, um, wellâ¦"
Even a simple question about the microphone in her soundproof booth left her struggling for words. It didnât help that Hye-minâs expression was unusually intense.
Was the microphone not suitable for streaming? Or was there an issue with the settings that Double Lee had done for her long ago?
The tension of having a guest in her room was making her mind spiral toward worst-case scenarios. But contrary to her worriesâ¦
âThis is the kind of equipment you canât buy even if you have money! Itâs practically a collectorâs item.â
From Hye-minâs perspective as an audio enthusiast, Ha-eunâs soundproof booth was a treasure trove. The headset and headphones on her desk were top-quality as well.
âUm⦠a friend gave it to me.â
âA friend just *gave* you something like this?â
âWell, they upgraded to better equipment and were going to throw the old stuff out, so I just asked if I could have it.â
âIs this some modern-day *The Giving Tree* scenario?â
Hye-min had forgotten all about the initial purpose of setting up Ha-eunâs streaming equipment and continued marveling over her collection.
Of course, her assistant didnât share Hye-minâs enthusiasm.
âIf you donât get back to work, Iâll tell Dong-jin. Stop distracting her and come out here.â
With that, Hye-min was finally dragged out of the soundproof booth, allowing the setup for *Dia* to begin.
About 20 minutes later, the basic setup for her streaming equipment was complete.
âHa-eun, could you take a seat and give it a try?â
They started a test stream for her virtual avatar, then gestured for her to try speaking into the microphone.
At that moment, they expected her to say something simple like âHelloâ or âNice to meet youââand certainly didnât expect her voice to be so different from the calm tone they were used to.
Soâ¦
"Streaming on Christmas? Hmm, maybe~â"
â?!â
Her unexpected voice and phrase left them momentarily questioning their ears. But Ha-eun, unfazed, continued.
âWhy do you keep asking? Who doesnât have plans on Christmas⦠Or maybe I shouldnât say that?â
The experienced tone Ha-eun displayed seemed out of place for someone who hadnât even started VTubing yet.
---
"Looks like we canât leave *Tunnel* out of the producer performance."
"Yeah, but figuring out Ha-eunâs part is the tough part⦠Her actually singing would be best."
"Sheâd probably give us a death glare at just the mention of performing. Guess weâll have to rely on the backing track."
It was around the time Double Lee confirmed their appearance on *SIT ON THE MONEY*, a famous hip-hop survival show. Planning for the producer performance that would kick off the show, Lee Geon-yeol and Lee Joon inevitably discussed Ha-eun.
However, given that Ha-eun was determined to conceal her identity, they doubted sheâd agree to stand on stage with them. Ultimately, their plans for a joint stage with âPinocchioâ fell through.
âI really hope we can perform with her one day.â
âSheâll probably retire before that happens.â
ââ¦Canât argue with that.â
But regardless, she still occasionally visited their studio to practice singing with a different voice.
For now, their focus was on honoring the promises theyâd made to her in the past. After all, Ha-eunâs voice had already been recognized by so many people.
Rather than forcing her, they decided to wait for the day theyâd finally share a stage.
Neither Geon-yeol nor Joon knew that day would come in just two months. And they certainly couldnât predict the impact when âPinocchioâ revealed her true identity.