Chapter 39
If I had to pick the most talked-about drama right now, it would undoubtedly be “[You Who Came From The Stars].”
From the very first episode, it smashed through a 20% viewership rating, showing signs of something extraordinary, but in just five episodes, it exploded to a staggering 35%!
“[The beautiful rising star that took over the summer cinemas five years ago, now conquering the winter living rooms]”
“[The shocking twists of 'You Who Came From The Stars' that no one saw coming, even the child actors are phenomenal—viewership keeps soaring!]”
“[Rival dramas on Wednesdays and Thursdays are now a thing of the past… MBS's 'Face Queen' is on a downward trend]”
As expected, articles about You Who Came From The Stars flooded online and offline alike.
The sight of entertainment reporters writing about You Who Came From The Stars made Heo Joo-eun, who was also an entertainment reporter, think for the first time,
‘…I’m glad I got my foot in the door early.’
Thinking back on how she managed to exclusively interview Ha-eun, who was completely ignored on the first day of filming for You Who Came From The Stars, she felt triumphant.
Truth be told, Ha-yun-seong and Yoo Seong-ah were the only two main leads authorized for interviews that day.
“Seriously, is it that hard to interview a 12-year-old kid?”
If you think about it, the person currently getting all the attention is not Yoo Seong-ah or Ha-yun-seong, but Ha-eun.
Disguising herself as a crew member and sneaking into the set to finally meet Ha-eun was truly a masterstroke.
Technically, Heo Joo-eun’s first interview piece didn’t garner much attention and got buried.
It was a pretty ordinary article with nothing standout about it.
However, now that Ha-eun has the drama in her grasp, the situation has completely flipped.
Even though Ha-eun has always shied away from media exposure, this is the one interview she agreed to after all.
The stunned reporter Park sitting next to her, the gobsmacked reporter Kim across the table, and the editor in the corner must surely think that Heo Joo-eun is the only one close to the star Lee Ha-eun.
Of course, they still hadn’t received any replies to their interview request from Luna Entertainment, Ha-eun’s agency.
“Hey, Ms. Heo, any more news from Lee Ha-eun?”
“Well, let’s see?”
“Oh, come on. You watched the fifth episode of You Who Came From The Stars too, right? Even posting just photos of her would get crazy views, you know that!”
“Hmm… well, actually, I didn’t bring a camera during Ha-eun’s first interview. So I don’t have any update photos.”
The likelihood that someone else knows more about Ha-eun is slim.
Still, the one who is most likely to get an exclusive with Ha-eun is undoubtedly Heo Joo-eun.
Even fellow reporters who have never even met Ha-eun gave her teasing remarks.
And just as the saying goes, “speak of the devil!”
Before a few seconds could pass, Heo Joo-eun’s phone began buzzing with a familiar name on the screen.
No, to be precise, the name on that contact was
[Lee Ha-eun, Actress]
“…Huh?”
The very name that could take the breath away from both Heo Joo-eun and the colleague reporter standing next to her.
In a flash, Heo Joo-eun grabbed her phone.
“Y-Yes, hello?”
[…Hello, this is reporter Lee Ha-eun. I want to keep the promise we made last time, could you tell me when you’re available—]
After that, she couldn’t quite recall the details.
Because honestly, Heo Joo-eun never expected Ha-eun would be the one to keep that promise first.
Especially not even a week after the fifth episode aired!
In this twist of fate, she ended up getting another exclusive interview appointment with Ha-eun.
While her colleague reporter sat there dumbfounded, blinking, “Could you tell me the lottery numbers too, Ms. Heo?”
Joo-eun found herself being treated like a fortune teller.
Yet, she didn’t feel offended at all.
Though she never thought Ha-eun would gain this much attention, what did that even matter?
While other reporters were scrambling to gather intel on Ha-eun, Heo Joo-eun was set to meet her directly tomorrow morning!
“Normally, it’s risky to go blabbing about the future, so I’m really sorry~.”
And so she could laugh off the mix of envy and jealousy in her colleague’s voice.
Afterward, it was just an endless flutter of anticipation.
Waiting to meet Ha-eun felt like a rose waiting for a little prince at three o’clock, even though he was only coming at four.
Finally, the momentous reunion with Ha-eun came 18 hours later.
To be frank, she hadn’t changed much since that very first interview months ago, but somehow this time, it felt like there was an aura surrounding Ha-eun.
“It’s been a while, reporter!”
That brief greeting seemed to overlap with Han Yoo-hwa’s image, making her wonder if it was just a fleeting illusion.
Once the second interview commenced, Heo Joo-eun still struggled to differentiate between Ha-eun and Han Yoo-hwa.
In fact, it might be rather natural.
The young Han Yoo-hwa from You Who Came From The Stars and the current Ha-eun had so many overlapping traits.
One thing’s for sure: Present-day Ha-eun, just like the young Han Yoo-hwa, is now a rising star in the entertainment industry.
The confidence subtly emanating from her mirrored the feelings Heo Joo-eun experienced while watching You Who Came From The Stars in the past.
Throughout her career as an entertainment reporter, she’d seen a few actors who embodied their characters perfectly.
But she had yet to meet any actor who found themselves in the same situation as their character.
Perhaps, it was truly destined that Ha-eun would portray the role of young Han Yoo-hwa.
“Then, I’ll just ask you one last thing before we wrap up. What is Ha-eun’s dream?”
And so the routine question about future ambitions was posed to Ha-eun.
Joo-eun expected an answer about working hard to become a great actress like the adult Han Yoo-hwa.
But what Ha-eun replied was, “Liar. I want to be the greatest liar in the world.”
The response took Heo Joo-eun by surprise, causing her to tilt her head instinctively.
When she cautiously followed up, asking what type of liar she wanted to be, Ha-eun replied, “I have a dream I haven’t achieved yet, and it’s a dream that requires me to deceive people well, like an actress.”
“Could you… possibly tell me what that dream is?”
“Oh, um, it’s a dream that’s a bit hard to share with others right now.”
Ha-eun’s answers became even more cryptic than before.
For a moment, Heo Joo-eun suspected Ha-eun might be a little strange or have odd aspirations, like being a con artist.
But come on, she was just a 12-year-old girl.
It was hard to conclude that anyone could be having such dark dreams at her age, in so many ways.
Well, whether it was this or that,
The one hour and ten-minute conversation with Ha-eun was already juicy enough to be a scoop on its own.
“Thank you so, so much, Ha-eun! Thanks to you, I won’t have to worry about articles for a while.”
She expressed her gratitude to Ha-eun in a sincere tone more heartfelt than ever.
It was indeed rare for an actress to propose another interview after just one exclusive.
Thus, dragging her reluctant feet back to the office, she began to sort through dozens of photos captured by her junior reporter who accompanied her to the interview.
Undoubtedly, this would turn into a big article.
She hoped to showcase Ha-eun’s most charming side.
*
“[Don’t Stop People]? Me?”
“Yeah.”
Ikon Yeol’s unwavering gaze was nothing short of serious.
To top it off, the few sheets of paper with broadcast details in front of him added credibility to Ha-eun’s proposal.
“Of course, I won’t be doing anything strange like name-tag games. Just a few filming missions together.”
Continuing his explanation, Ikon Yeol went on.
But the real deal that captured Ha-eun’s heart wasn’t the show’s concept or the missions she’d have to undertake—it was the recording date of Don’t Stop People.
‘…I wonder if they’ll want to join me after the recording?’
Coincidentally, that day was the same one where a significant event etched into Ha-eun’s memory would occur.
To be precise, it was a matter that would also greatly affect Ikon Yeol, who stood right in front of her.
Of course, if Ha-eun openly discussed the future she knew, she would be dismissed as delusional.
Ultimately, the best course of action was to resolve this naturally without Ikon Yeol thinking anything unusual about her.
After all, it would likely be easier to solve the case with Ikon Yeol by her side.
“So, what do you think, Ha-eun? Want to film Don’t Stop People with me?”
“Yes!”
Finally, she decided to appear in Don’t Stop People.
Even aside from the incident, it was a show she’d always wanted to be part of, so she felt like it was a win-win situation!
Although, now that she thought about it, was this a tad excessive as a story for a vTuber broadcast?
Regardless, it was bound to be a good experience.
“I mean, I definitely want to drop a name tag, especially on Jung Dong-guk’s tag. Do you think he’d do it if I asked?”
“Dong-guk is really good at kids’ requests. Don’t hesitate.”
For the moment, she chose to focus on looking forward rather than worrying.
If they could tackle both the shooting of Don’t Stop People and whatever events awaited afterward smoothly, she’d be set for peace of mind.
“Do you think he’d even sign my name if I asked?”
“Of course. But truthfully, I bet Dong-guk would want your autograph even more.”
“Really?”
“That guy enjoyed watching You Who Came From The Stars so much. Plus, when he found out you were the little match girl from our old music video, his eyes practically popped out!”