“…Let’s just pretend we don’t know each other until this filming wraps up.”

This moment came right after the script reading for *Moonlight Drawn by Clouds* had ended.

Ha-eun was left speechless by Da-yeon’s unusually serious suggestion to keep some distance between them. No matter how hard she tried, Ha-eun couldn’t think of anything she might have done wrong to deserve it.

But more than anything else…

"You promised that if *To Busan* surpassed seven million viewers, you’d 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-yeon’s expression was more serious than ever.

“…Alright.”

This made it impossible for Ha-eun to try and hold on to Da-yeon any longer.

However, it wasn’t Ha-eun who held Da-yeon back from leaving; it was someone else entirely.

“Excuse me, Da-yeon, could I get your contact information?”

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-yeon’s 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)**

‘Huh?’

The only "Ji CEO" in her contacts was Ji Hye-min, who only ever contacted her about matters related to *Fantasia*.

So…

“I… I should get going, too,” 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!]"  
"…!"

It was the news she had been waiting for—the *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.

"[We’re planning to come over to your place for the setup and to run a few tests. Is that alright?]"

Since Ha-eun’s schedule wouldn’t 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, we’ll stop by around noon tomorrow!]"

With a small, excited smile, Ha-eun ended the call. Only then did it dawn on her—

‘…What am I going to tell Mom and Dad?’

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?]  
“Mom, I wanted to let you know… someone from my company is coming over tomorrow around noon.”

She vaguely explained that someone from the company would visit to discuss some important, confidential work. She also mentioned that they’d likely only need to speak with her.

Technically, she wasn’t lying—Hye-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.]  
“What about you, Mom?”  
[I don’t have any plans. Why? Do you want me to leave, too?]  
“Oh, no, not really… but since it’s work-related, I thought it might be better to keep it private…”

This was tricky. While it wouldn’t be a major issue if her mom found out about her VTubing, she’d 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. However…

‘VTubing isn’t embarrassing, but… it’s kind of awkward to bring up.’

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 *Dia’s* identity, they’d likely tune into her streams—or at the very least, watch some clips.

And since *Dia*’s personality, tone, and voice were the complete opposite of hers, the idea of them seeing her as *Dia* was mortifying.

So…

[I can’t skip out on hospitality altogether. I’ll just leave some fruit and then step out. How’s that sound?]

Relieved by her mother’s 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!"  
“Uh, yeah… Take care!”

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 why…

“Hey, Ha-eun, where did you get this microphone?”  
"Oh, um, well…"

Even a simple question about the microphone in her soundproof booth left her struggling for words. It didn’t help that Hye-min’s 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 worries…

“This is the kind of equipment you can’t buy even if you have money! It’s practically a collector’s item.”

From Hye-min’s perspective as an audio enthusiast, Ha-eun’s soundproof booth was a treasure trove. The headset and headphones on her desk were top-quality as well.

“Um… a friend gave it to me.”  
“A friend just *gave* you something like this?”  
“Well, they upgraded to better equipment and were going to throw the old stuff out, so I just asked if I could have it.”  
‘Is this some modern-day *The Giving Tree* scenario?’

Hye-min had forgotten all about the initial purpose of setting up Ha-eun’s streaming equipment and continued marveling over her collection.

Of course, her assistant didn’t share Hye-min’s enthusiasm.

“If you don’t get back to work, I’ll tell Dong-jin. Stop distracting her and come out here.”

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.

“Ha-eun, could you take a seat and give it a try?”

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 “Hello” or “Nice to meet you”—and certainly didn’t expect her voice to be so different from the calm tone they were used to.

So…

"Streaming on Christmas? Hmm, maybe~☆"  
“?!”

Her unexpected voice and phrase left them momentarily questioning their ears. But Ha-eun, unfazed, continued.

“Why do you keep asking? Who doesn’t have plans on Christmas… Or maybe I shouldn’t say that?”

The experienced tone Ha-eun displayed seemed out of place for someone who hadn’t even started VTubing yet.

---

"Looks like we can’t leave *Tunnel* out of the producer performance."  
"Yeah, but figuring out Ha-eun’s part is the tough part… Her actually singing would be best."  
"She’d probably give us a death glare at just the mention of performing. Guess we’ll 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 she’d agree to stand on stage with them. Ultimately, their plans for a joint stage with “Pinocchio” fell through.

“I really hope we can perform with her one day.”  
“She’ll probably retire before that happens.”  
“…Can’t argue with that.”

But regardless, she still occasionally visited their studio to practice singing with a different voice.

For now, their focus was on honoring the promises they’d made to her in the past. After all, Ha-eun’s voice had already been recognized by so many people.

Rather than forcing her, they decided to wait for the day they’d finally share a stage.

Neither Geon-yeol nor Joon knew that day would come in just two months. And they certainly couldn’t predict the impact when “Pinocchio” revealed her true identity.