NoveLight ™
Moonlit Divide was a drama structured around two distinct narrative arcs, each with a beginning, rise, climax, and conclusion.
The filming for the conclusion of the first arc, “The Union of Lee Hyun and Yeong-wol,” had just wrapped up.
With about a month left until its first broadcast,
the early episodes of Moonlit Divide had already been edited and were ready for airing, so there were no major issues.
“Hmm… the casting for Lovers of the Full Moon still bothers me.”
“Honestly, we’re at a disadvantage. Over there, even the minor roles are filled with veteran actors.”
The problem lay in the flood of new articles about Lovers of the Full Moon, a competing drama airing in the same time slot on MBS.
The two leads of Moonlit Divide, Yoo Sung-jae and Ha-eun, were considered “fresh blood.”
Both were undoubtedly talented actors, but neither had much experience as main leads.
In contrast, most of the cast in Lovers of the Full Moon were “proven” actors.
To exaggerate a little, one might even worry about the budget of MBS’s drama division.
Just as KBC’s drama division had poured its heart into Moonlit Divide,
MBS had also sharpened its blade for this showdown.
Given KBC’s string of failures over the past three years, it was inevitable that they felt the pressure.
However, when it came to desperation for success, KBC wasn’t about to lose.
“MPN News asked for our promotional dance footage!”
“MPN? Isn’t that a cable channel?”
“So what if it’s cable? They came, interviewed citizens, and even filmed!”
“Alright, alright, calm down, Writer Kim. You’re way too excited right now.”
Efforts to aggressively promote the drama, such as the special dance video featuring the main and supporting male actors, were now in full swing.
Moonlit Divide had to succeed, no matter what.
This was the year KBC was determined to break its three-year slump.
For the sake of Moonlit Divide’s success, they were willing to pull out all the stops.
This is why, less than a week after the release of the special dance video,
a large-scale production showcase was held.
The goal was to use the buzz generated by the dance video and amplify it with articles about the showcase.
“Alright, Sung-jae and Ha-eun, strike your signature poses!”
“Perfect. Now, turn to the right~.”
And so, Ha-eun found herself facing a crowd of reporters,
enduring endless requests for poses,
and relentless flashes from their cameras.
‘…Hope this doesn’t ruin my eyesight.’
Nothing about this was easy or comfortable, though she kept her composure outwardly.
The photo time stretched on for quite a while.
Since it was part of the production showcase, she had no intention of phoning it in.
‘How long do I have to stay linked arm-in-arm like this?’
Striking couple-like poses with Yoo Sung-jae, who played the Crown Prince Lee Hyun, was no easy feat.
Perhaps it was because she maintained a calm demeanor outside of filming.
Though her relationship with Sung-jae wasn’t awkward, it was hard to create the lovey-dovey atmosphere or sweet gazes that the reporters seemed to expect.
If framed positively, it could be called a poker face.
Negatively, it was plain dry.
Standing right next to her, Sung-jae couldn’t help but notice Ha-eun’s demeanor.
Five minutes later, he cautiously whispered to her.
“…Ha-eun, are you not feeling well today?”
“…No, I’m fine.”
“…If anything’s bothering you, let me know right away.”
“…What’s bothering me is you whispering to me like this.”
“…Sorry.”
After his failed attempt to check on her, Sung-jae fell silent again.
Judging that continuing the couple shots wouldn’t be productive, the organizers shifted to solo shots.
When it was Ha-eun’s turn to stand alone in front of the cameras, things became much easier.
While couple shots required her to exude a romantic energy fitting Yeong-wol’s feelings for Lee Hyun,
solo shots only needed her to showcase Yeong-wol’s weighty, commanding presence.
‘She really shines when she’s alone.’
‘Wow, she’s still in high school, but that charisma….’
‘She’s intense.’
The burden on Ha-eun’s mind began to lift little by little.
Though the camera flashes were still blinding, she managed to endure.
Her solo photo time ended after about three minutes.
Afterward, she stepped down from the stage, leaving Sung-jae to take his solo photos.
Once Sung-jae’s session concluded, the Q&A with reporters began.
“Make sure to drink some water, just in case,”
“Thanks, unnie.”
Taking a few sips of water from the bottle handed to her by Jung Yoon,
Ha-eun mentally prepared for the questions she might be asked.
When she reunited with Jin Gyu-seong, who had stepped away for a bit, she was greeted with—
“As expected, dressing properly makes you look like a completely different person.”
“…You look great too, Director.”
“I don’t mind. At events like these, it’s the actors who should stand out.”
Jin Gyu-seong added that directors like him should purposely dress plainly to fit the role.
Unable to tell if he was joking or serious, Ha-eun could only offer a sheepish smile.
By the time the brief, slightly awkward exchange ended, Sung-jae’s photo time was over as well.
The microphones and table for the Q&A were set up, and Ha-eun, along with Jin Gyu-seong, took the stage to answer the reporters’ questions.
Over the 30-minute Q&A session, there weren’t any particularly difficult questions.
Most focused on Ha-eun’s portrayal of Yeong-wol.
When asked about her thoughts on playing such a prominent leading role, she responded with a serious tone and expression:
“I acted as a true protagonist. I hope you’ll look forward to it.”
Confidence as a lead actor only added to her appeal.
Even Sung-jae, who had been worried about her condition earlier, visibly relaxed.
Given that they were set to film 2 Days and 3 Nights in two days, Ha-eun’s condition needed to be optimal.
After the showcase ended, Sung-jae asked Ha-eun for a brief meeting about the variety show recording.
“It might be good to share some funny anecdotes from filming during the recording.”
“Like what?”
“Hmm… maybe that time I almost accidentally slashed you during the first episode’s shoot?”
“…It wasn’t intentional, I swear.”
They also discussed the quirky punishments the show was known for.
“What will you do if you have to sleep outside?”
“I’ll sleep outside. A punishment is a punishment.”
“There will be tons of mosquitoes in the mountains, though.”
“…That’s a bit worrying.”
The conversation even touched on 2 Days and 3 Nights’ main MC, Jang Sung-ho.
“Sung-ho hyung said we’ll be harvesting watermelons to make punch this time.”
“Sung-ho hyung? You know him?”
“Yeah, we’ve worked together a few times.”
They concluded that their appearance on the show could greatly benefit both themselves and Moonlit Divide.
Leaving a positive impression on 2 Days and 3 Nights’ audience would naturally draw attention to the drama.
“Let’s give it our all this time too.”
“Alright.”
With a promise to meet again in two days, Sung-jae bid her farewell.
Even so, Ha-eun’s mind remained preoccupied.
‘The recording starts at 8 a.m., right?’
The early start time of 2 Days and 3 Nights was on her mind.
Coincidentally, the night before the recording, Ha-eun had a scheduled collaboration stream with her VTuber group, Phantasm.
As this would be their first official collaboration, skipping was not an option.
‘Maybe I should drink an energy tonic.’
Ha-eun couldn’t shake the thought that she always ended up completely drained after her VTuber streams.
For Moonlit Divide shoots, which usually started at 3 p.m.,
she had enough time to recover her energy and stamina from the streams.
But the recording for 2 Days and 3 Nights was scheduled to begin at 8 a.m.
This meant she had to somehow recover from the exhaustion of the Phantasm collaboration stream in time for the early morning recording.
She was determined to avoid any scenario where the collaboration negatively impacted the variety show recording.
She spent quite some time worrying about it.
But the solution to her dilemma came unexpectedly, on the day of the Phantasm collaboration stream.
-Ding.
<You are the "Murderer." Eliminate all the citizens without being suspected.>
The content of this Phantasm collaboration was a game of “Hide and Seek with a Murderer” within Minecraft.
The premise was a showdown between a murderer, who must eliminate all the other players,
and the citizens, who must deduce the murderer’s identity and apprehend them.
The collaboration featured a total of 9 participants:
the 5 Phantasm members, joined by 4 members from the Daramji Crew, including Ji Hye-min.
The key point? Ha-eun, or Dia, had been assigned the sole role of the murderer.
In other words, from this moment on, Dia had to act and speak as “the murderer.”
“Alright, everyone! Let’s split up and start looking for clues about the murderer!”
As the content officially began, Dia abandoned her usual high-energy tone and cheerful voice.
Even as she wandered around searching for her targets, she kept her voice soft and quiet.
“Footsteps… I need to follow the footsteps…☆.”
As a result, her energy consumption wasn’t too high.
The strain on Ha-eun’s throat was also far less than usual.
Perhaps that’s why—
“Oh, it’s Dia!”
“…Hello, unnie….”
Even when Dia encountered Cream, one of the citizens she had to eliminate, she maintained her low-energy demeanor.
When Cream asked why she was whispering so much—
“…What if the murderer is listening somewhere nearby…?”
“…When you put it that way, that makes sense.”
Dia justified her quiet tone by attributing it to fear of being overheard by the murderer, making her low tension seem reasonable.
After all, the citizens were supposed to be running from an unseen murderer at all times.
As a result, Cream also started whispering, adopting a tone similar to Dia’s.
Since they had run into each other, Cream decided to stick with Dia and look for clues about the murderer’s identity.
“Hey, Dia. There’s a chest over there…!”
But just as Cream discovered her first clue about the murderer—
-Swish.
Dia’s avatar, which had been holding nothing until now, suddenly equipped a small, sharp object.
And just seconds later—
“…Goodbye☆.”
-Slash!
“?!?!?!!?!”
In a swift, clean move, Cream’s avatar was completely eliminated.
“Oh, um… hold on. I got so scared. Let me, um, go get some water.”
Even as Cream got up from her streaming chair and headed to the living room, her hands were still trembling slightly.
Her heart was still pounding.
‘Why does it have to be Ha-eun?’
The chilling voice she had just heard refused to leave Cream’s mind.
Was this what people meant by “a professional moment”?
For someone like Cream, an ordinary person, seeing through Ha-eun’s acting was almost impossible.
She had been completely fooled.
Strictly speaking, there were still seven citizens left, but—
for some reason, it felt like none of them would be able to uncover Dia’s identity as the murderer.