âItâd be great if Ha-eun could join too.â
Just a few days ago, that was the extent of the 2nd-year, Class 2's interest in casting Ha-eun.
Strictly speaking, everyone in Class 2, including class president Gong Hye-yeon, knew well that Ha-eun was an exceptional actress.
She was also the first to be recommended for the lead female role in the fall festival performance, Shall We Fall Together.
However, the tone of Shall We Fall Together leaned heavily into a somber atmosphere.
This meant that if Ha-eun were to play the female lead, Empress Aria, there would be a problem.
âHonestly, wouldnât Ha-eun completely overshadow everyone else?â
âHmm...â
If Ha-eun took on the role of Empress Aria, the other characters might become dull and lifeless in comparison.
Gong Hye-yeon herself, along with the rest of the class, felt that Ha-eunâs performance could overwhelm everyone else.
Given that the teamwork and harmony section carried a significant portion of the evaluation score, this presented a clear issue.
Additionally, the final scene required Empress Aria to perform a kiss scene with the male lead, Knight Kyle.
"Asking someone with a boyfriend to do that feels... awkward, right?â
It was already difficult to ask Ha-eun, who was rumored to be in a fresh new relationship, to play Empress Aria.
If she did participate in Shall We Fall Together, they had intended to cast her in a role other than the female lead.
But then.
âMy dearest, Moonlight.â
The highlight of Episode 9 of The Moonlight That Parts the Clouds was the kiss scene between Lee Hyun and Yeong-wol.
More precisely, it wasnât just the kiss itself but the single tear streaming down Yeong-wolâs left cheek as the kiss began.
âLetâs just ask Ha-eun.â
âWhat if the other kidsâ acting ends up looking like bad performances in comparison?â
âWeâll just have to practice more. Itâd be such a waste to give up on Ha-eun for something like that.â
âThatâs... true.â
In the end, they decided to cast Ha-eun as Empress Aria.
They judged that the bonus points her impactful performance would bring would outweigh the deductions for any acting disparity.
Ultimately, the most important thing was leaving a strong impression with Shall We Fall Together.
Creating a performance that was, without question, the best.
With that, on Monday morning, they approached Ha-eun, pleading more desperately than ever.
They whispered about the festivalâs hidden secrets, trying their hardest to persuade her.
âDirectors and casting agents sneak in to watch the performances. Donât you think itâd be great to leave a strong impression on them?â
âHmm...â
âIf you play Empress Aria, weâll definitely win first place. Please, just this once!â
Ha-eun, who seemed to waver slightly at Gong Hye-yeonâs persuasion, stayed silent for a while, deeply considering the matter.
Finally, she broke her silence.
âIf we win first place at the festival, we get to go to Japan for the school trip?â
She started asking about the first-place prize: a trip to Japan.
âI confirmed it with the vice principal. The winning class definitely gets a trip to Japan.â
âDid you ask where in Japan?â
âTokyo. They said weâd decide the tourist spots through a survey later.â
Another pause.
About ten seconds later, Ha-eun finally spoke again.
âI want to visit Disneyland. What do you think the others would say about that?â
Her one condition for playing Empress Aria was for Disneyland to be included in the itinerary.
With Gong Hye-yeon confidently assuring her that everyone else would want to visit Disneyland as well, Ha-eun finally agreed to the role.
Moments later, she was added to the Shall We Fall Together group chat, and her name was officially added to the cast list.
A Glimpse at the Script
Shortly afterward, Gong Hye-yeon sprinted toward the teacherâs office with the updated cast list in hand.
Watching her dash off, Ha-eun thought for a moment, âSheâll hurt herself if she falls like that...â
However, she soon returned to reading the script for Shall We Fall Together, which she had set aside earlier.
Performing in a musical with her classmates wasnât entirely a bad thing for Ha-eun.
With her schedule becoming busier, the time she could spend at school had been dwindling recently.
Even though the kiss scene in the finale lingered in her mind,
She knew that delivering a realistic performance would earn high marks.
After all, it wasnât like they would be kissing for real.@@novelbin@@
However, this was her first time performing a musical that required both acting and singing.
She realized she would need to prepare thoroughly for her first musical debut.
For the next several days, Ha-eun immersed herself in watching videos related to Shall We Fall Together.
"Raise my head high with your sword. Become the hero of all. This is... the only way for you to survive.â
âIt feels... a bit different from a drama.â
The character of Empress Aria was a puppet tyrant.
Manipulated by corrupt nobles, she became a symbol of hatred for her people.
Only her knight, Kyle, knew the truth: that she was merely a puppet.
Even Empress Aria clung to Kyle, trying to maintain her sanity as her world fell apart.
âItâs been a while since I had to channel such heavy emotions. Will I be okay?â
The emotions she would need to portray were overwhelmingly negative.
Even the lyrics of Empress Ariaâs songs were far from uplifting.
Though confident, Ha-eun felt slightly apprehensive about playing such a dark character after so long.
âI should probably hold back a bit during practice.â
If she gave her all during rehearsals, it might make things harder later.
She also needed to match the emotional intensity of her classmatesâ performances.
Just as she was memorizing Empress Ariaâs lines for rehearsal one day,
âThe Sears commercial schedule is finalized. Itâs tomorrow at 4 PM.â
Ju Jung-yoon, as usual, delivered the news while driving Ha-eun in her van.
***
A suburban advertising studio.
In just 30 minutes, filming for Sears' new bed commercial was set to begin.
"Itâs been a while since I worked with a kid."
"Sheâs 18. Thatâs not a kid anymore; sheâs practically an adult."
"Personality-wise, sheâs probably still a kid. I just hope she doesnât throw a tantrum..."
The staff was busy speculating about Ha-eun, who had recently been chosen as Sears' new advertising model.
This would be the teamâs first time meeting Ha-eun in person.
Perhaps because of that, they had preconceived notions about her personality. With her skyrocketing popularity, some assumed she might be arrogant.
Strictly speaking, Ha-eunâs public appearances so far had shown her to be anything but arrogant.
"Itâs probably just image management. Weâve been fooled before."
Many had dealt with models who acted differently off-camera. After several bad experiences, they had mentally prepared themselves for the worst.
It didnât help that young celebrities like Ha-eun often developed less-than-ideal attitudes, thanks to their early success.
Exactly 10 minutes later, Ha-eun emerged from the dressing room, her makeup finished.
"Hello, Iâm Lee Ha-eun."
Elegant features.
A composed voice.
Casual autumn-inspired attire exuding warmth.
But most striking of allâ
Her presence carried an air far more âregalâ than anyone had anticipated.
"â¦Is she really 18?"
All predictions about her being a typical high schooler were shattered.
If anything, it felt as though a queen had entered the room.
The combination of her sharp gaze and commanding aura created an atmosphere of extreme caution.
No one dared disturb the delicate balance.
Even as the shoot began, the studio remained eerily quiet, everyone too intimidated to disrupt the mood.
Ten minutes into filming, the first take was finally completed.
Director Bae Ho-yeon leaned over to review the footage on the monitor.
"Huhâ¦"
Unintentionally, a soft gasp escaped his lips.
On the screen, Ha-eun smiled languidlyâa smile so poised, so noble, it seemed to exude an unspoken authority.
With her slightly tilted head and mesmerizing eyes, she managed to create the illusion of a profound status differenceâ
A kind of elegance that made it hard to believe she was just a teenage actress.