Was it because she’d stayed up late talking with Ha-eun? Or maybe because she’d finally let out feelings she’d kept bottled up for so long?

"Da-yeon, Da-yeon... wake up… Breakfast is ready."

"Just… ten more minutes…."

As usual, Ha-eun had been up bright and early, but no matter how much she tried to wake Da-yeon, she just wouldn’t budge.

On any other day, Ha-eun would have persisted, but after Da-yeon had shared her deepest feelings last night, Ha-eun found herself more considerate than usual, not wanting to disturb her friend.

"...If even eating instant ramen wouldn’t make your eyes this puffy."

In the end, she gently placed a soft blanket over Da-yeon’s swollen eyes instead of waking her up. She then carefully suggested to Da-yeon’s parents that they let her sleep a bit longer.

After that, breakfast began without Da-yeon. Sitting across from someone else’s parents and having breakfast together felt uncomfortable, but skipping a meal was bad for one’s health, and Ha-eun valued health above a little awkwardness.

So, she quietly ate the healthy dishes in front of her.

"My, Ha-eun, you’re such an easy eater... Your mother must enjoy cooking for you."

Da-yeon’s mother, Jung Go-eun, commented softly, admiring Ha-eun’s open attitude toward food. Her father, Min Jung-woon, added a short wish directed at Da-yeon.

"I don’t ask for much, but I wish Da-yeon would at least pick up Ha-eun’s good habits."

"...Good thing I didn’t wake her up."

Already feeling stressed from being compared to Ha-eun, Da-yeon would have surely blown up if she’d been awake to hear her parents comparing even her habits.

But Ha-eun couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy as both parents kept glancing in her direction. While their gazes weren’t hostile, she felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles.

"I feel like I might get indigestion…."

About fifteen minutes later, breakfast finally came to an end. Just then, she received a message from her manager, Joo Jung-yoon, letting her know they’d be arriving soon, so she began to prepare to leave.

Since Da-yeon was still deep in sleep, she had no choice but to say her goodbyes to her parents only.

"Thank you very much for having me."

"Oh, please. You’re welcome anytime."

After politely bowing, Ha-eun stepped outside Da-yeon’s house.

"Lady Han Yoo-hwa! I’ve missed you so much!"

"...She didn’t say Mom would be coming too."

To her surprise, her mother Na-yeon had come along with her manager, and she immediately ran over to give Ha-eun a tight hug. Almost at once, Na-yeon started pouring out her reactions to Episode 5 of *My Love From the Stars*.

"Do you know how much I cried after watching you last night? You should’ve told me in advance that Han Yoo-hwa was going to die!"

‘...I can’t breathe….’

Even after they got into Joo Jung-yoon’s van, and later when they arrived at her acting academy instead of home, Na-yeon continued showering her with heartfelt praise.

It was, to put it bluntly, overwhelming. It felt even more suffocating than breakfast with Da-yeon’s parents.

Even at the academy, Ha-eun’s day took unexpected turns.

"The director says he has nothing left to teach you, Ha-eun. You’re free to graduate."

"...But I just got here."

Even the head of the acting academy, with his prominent mustache, seemed different today. The young actors, who usually kept their distance, looked at her with new eyes and treated her differently.

Ha-eun’s confusion, which had begun with Da-yeon’s tearful words last night, had now lasted over twelve hours.

Of course, the scenes in Episode 5, which had aired the previous night, were ones Ha-eun had poured her heart into. But was it really enough to cause such a drastic shift in how everyone saw her?

‘...Is this some kind of hidden camera prank?’

Lost in uncertainty, Ha-eun awkwardly passed the unusually slow-moving hours.

After the acting class ended, she went to her usual training spot to work out. By the time she finally arrived home, it was evening.

As she entered, Na-yeon, who referred to her as "Lady" once again, had prepared a dinner spread with far more dishes than usual.

"...It’s too much."

"Think of it as a late birthday feast."

With that, they finished a belated birthday party, complete with a cake Na-yeon had bought in advance. Drained, Ha-eun then headed to a warm bath, recalling her conversation with Da-yeon the previous night.

"It’s been two hours now, Ha-eun. You’re still alive in there, right?"

‘...Why does time fly only at times like this?’

Hearing Na-yeon’s concerned voice from outside the bathroom, Ha-eun finally forced herself to get up, though her body felt heavy with fatigue.

After drying her damp hair for what felt like forever, she changed into pajamas adorned with a little bear pattern on the chest. Then, as usual, she logged onto New World TV to watch a stream by Squirrel.

"Alright, now that we have both the thieves and cops, we’ll start the chase in ten minutes!"

Today’s stream theme was a game of cops and robbers. If even one thief managed to escape with the jewel, they’d win. Meanwhile, the cops had to capture all the thieves.

At first glance, it seemed like the cops were at a disadvantage, but they were given special abilities that balanced the game.

For a while, the screen showed Squirrel running away from the cops. Then, as one of the cop avatars appeared in the distance—

"Lord Gangjeong!! I pray for your safety!"

‘...What?’

Squirrel volunteered to act as bait for another thief, loudly announcing her presence to the approaching cops on the screen.

But what caught Ha-eun’s attention was Squirrel’s line. It sounded… oddly familiar.

The thief who managed to escape, thanks to Squirrel’s sacrifice, responded with an equally familiar line.

"I swear I shall never forget Lady Squirrel, no matter when that day comes!"

Ha-eun’s focus on the broadcast instantly sharpened.

Moments later, the cops found Squirrel and fired their arrows in rapid succession. Within seconds, her avatar looked like a pincushion and died on the spot.

- "Fake Yoo-hwa, cut down immediately, lol."
- "The real Han Yoo-hwa didn’t even get hit this much."
- "It’s like they shot her immediately because she was impersonating Han Yoo-hwa."

"Come on, don’t you think I look a little like her? Not even a bit?"

- "Nope."
- "The real Han Yoo-hwa would never squeak like that."
- "Also, comparing Gangjeong to Park Do-joon is just… no."

"What’s wrong with my Jung! I mean, even I admit it’s a bit off."

- "Oops, your true feelings slipped out!"
- "Countdown to Gangjeong sulking in 10, 9, 8..."
- "Please, Squirrel, compare him to someone else. I mean, there’s no way our Yun-seong oppa would ever look at someone like Gangjeong—(Message deleted)"
- "Anyway, we managed to get the jewel out, so it’s a happy ending!"

The chat was filled with discussions about *My Love From the Stars* as Squirrel and her viewers continued chatting.

Given the drama’s national popularity, it wasn’t surprising, but seeing so many people talk about Ha-eun’s performance in such an enthusiastic way felt unfamiliar.

Finally, the confusion that had clouded Ha-eun’s mind all day lifted, replaced by a warm, pleasant sensation.

In the small mirror beside her monitor, Ha-eun noticed the corners of her mouth gradually curling upward. The feeling was so good that no stray thoughts could break through.

---

Buzz… Buzz… Click.

"Hello?"

[Oh, Manager Joo. It’s Lee Gun-yeol.]

"Ah, yes, Gun-yeol. What’s up?"

[Well, there’s something I’d like to discuss with Ha-eun. Is she busy right now?]

Glancing over, Joo Jung-yoon saw Ha-eun at a nearby table, eating a delicious-looking slice of cake while giving yet another interview across from Heo Joo-eun.

This time, however, Heo Joo-eun had brought a photographer, so the sound of camera shutters filled the cozy café.

"She’s in the middle of an interview. I think it’ll be about another 30 minutes. Is it urgent?"

[No, no, it’s nothing that urgent. I’ll try again a bit later.]

With that, the call ended, and almost simultaneously, the shutter clicked again, making Joo Jung-yoon realize something.

‘…I never thought I’d actually become a star manager.’

From a complete novice with zero experience as a manager, he had somehow become the manager of a rising star like Ha-eun. The constant inquiries and missed calls from people wanting to reach Ha-eun made this even more surreal.

‘Maybe I should ask for a raise…?’