From the start, she was different.
This sentence aptly described Ha-eun’s presence in the entertainment world, particularly in variety shows like Infinite Challenge.
Her talent in variety shows had been evident since her first appearance, when she was just a fourth grader in elementary school.
Becoming the highlight of almost every scene she was in wasn’t something just anyone could pull off.
Clips from the Don’t Stop People: Stars from Another World special featuring Ha-eun were still widely shared online years later.
One legendary moment, in particular, had Ha-eun scaling a wall to escape a fake antagonist.
The quick thinking and fiery determination she displayed had yet to be surpassed by any guest since.
However, that scene hadn’t come without controversy.
“Lee Ha-eun! Hands up straight!”
Her mother, Na-yeon, had been furious, her heart sinking at the sight of her young daughter taking such a dangerous risk.
Na-yeon scolded her relentlessly, making Ha-eun kneel in apology and even write a reflection letter afterward.
Her father, Seong-yoon, tried to mediate, but his attempts only made things worse.
Ha-eun’s talent for variety shows was long-established.
In her most recent appearance on Two Days, Three Nights, her ability to steal the scene was on full display.
Perhaps that’s why, on the day of the Infinite Challenge Song Festival, producer Jeon Yoon-seop took a moment to speak directly to Ha-eun.
“Do your best to score high! That way, you can pick your ideal performance slot. Give it all you’ve got!”
He encouraged her to approach the recording like she was playing around with close friends rather than trying to navigate the awkwardness of other guests.
As the person who had cast Ha-eun for this high-profile special, Jeon had high hopes for her.
He wanted to see her replicate the energy she’d shown on Don’t Stop People and Two Days, Three Nights.
Jeon had intentionally included several physical mini-games in the schedule, knowing they would highlight Ha-eun’s athletic prowess.
It was a departure from the usual interview-heavy format for female celebrity guests on the show.
The primary goal, of course, was entertainment.
With Ha-eun’s popularity rising steadily, her active participation in the games was sure to make for engaging television.
Jeon’s instincts were right.
In every mini-game he had prepared, Ha-eun shone.
The hammer game, conducted as a tournament, proved particularly memorable.
“Alright, rock-paper-scissors… go!”
One by one, the other participants revealed their nerves, even stammering slightly as they faced Ha-eun.
Her swings with the toy hammer were faster and harder than those of most grown men.
Winning against her in rock-paper-scissors meant you could attack her first—though her quick reflexes ensured she blocked every attempt.
But losing? That was a different story entirely.
Those who lost to Ha-eun quickly found themselves at the mercy of her hammer. The impact was so strong it left their heads spinning.
If they didn’t manage to don their protective bowls in time, Ha-eun would hold back slightly—though not much.
But when the stainless steel bowls were in place, she went all out.
The sound of her hammer hitting the steel reverberated through the set, accompanied by groans of pain and exaggerated cries.
“Ha-eun! Do you have something against us?!”
Popular idols found themselves completely outmatched, leaving their peers in shock.
Though their reactions were partly exaggerated for comedic effect, there was a kernel of truth in their terror.
Ha-eun could only offer an awkward smile, repeatedly saying, “It’s just a game, you know!”
But until she was declared the ultimate winner of the hammer game, the set echoed with a cacophony of screams.
By the end, Ha-eun’s hammer was thoroughly dented, and even five backup hammers had been broken.
“What a force to be reckoned with….”
Jeon Yoon-seop quietly resolved never to include any more physical mini-games if Ha-eun was involved in the future.
The next game, a high jump challenge, began shortly afterward.
“Everyone, try to jump as high as possible and stick your stickers on the wall!” announced MC Sung Yoo-seok.
Participants were handed stickers and told that the height at which they placed them would determine their points.
Ha-eun’s run-up alone was impressive, and her sticker ended up on the very top of the makeshift wall.
“Ha-eun, were you an athlete in a past life?”
One after another, the other contestants murmured their astonishment.
No one else even came close to matching Ha-eun’s height.
Once again, she emerged victorious.
Despite attempts to catch up in subsequent games, including a speed quiz, none of the other contestants could surpass her score.
Finally, the time came to decide the order of performances.
“Alright, Lee Ha-eun and Yoon Si-hyuk’s team, you get to pick first. What spot would you like?” asked MC Sung Yoo-seok.
Yoon Si-hyuk suggested they go third or fourth to ease their nerves.
But Ha-eun had other plans.
“Wait… Ha-eun? Are you really choosing the last slot?”
“Yes,” she replied with a smile.
Her decision left Yoon Si-hyuk visibly flustered.
“Ha-eun! That’s not what we agreed on!”
Even as Yoon’s panicked voice filled the set, Ha-eun responded with a calm and confident smile.
“Performing last leaves the strongest impression, doesn’t it?”
“Do you have any idea how nerve-wracking it is to go last?!”
“We’ve got this. Let’s do our best.”
Resigned to his fate, Yoon Si-hyuk could only despair, while the other contestants burst into applause and laughter at the scene.
From a variety show perspective, the interaction was pure gold.
Watching the chaos unfold, Jeon Yoon-seop couldn’t help but marvel at Ha-eun’s instincts.
“She knows exactly what makes good TV.”
He had to admit, Ha-eun’s on-screen presence exceeded even his high expectations.
Her boldness and confidence were undeniable.
And while the last performance slot was indeed a daunting choice, Jeon trusted that Ha-eun had the self-assurance to pull it off.
A few days before the airing of the first episode of the Infinite Challenge Song Festival,
a post appeared on an online community speculating about Ha-eun’s participation in the variety show.
Initially, the post went unnoticed.
However, once the opening moments of the episode aired, featuring a mysterious female singer with a breathtaking voice, things began to shift.
The reveal of the singer’s identity as Ha-eun sent shockwaves through the audience.
Suddenly, the internet was abuzz with discussions about Ha-eun's transformation into a singer.
Her voice was powerful enough to stand out among established female vocalists.
The buzz grew even louder when her festival partner was revealed to be Yoon Si-hyuk.
And just as excitement peaked, the preview for episode two teased yet another unexpected twist:
The reveal of Hwang Ji-hyuk as Ha-eun’s additional partner brought an unprecedented level of excitement.
Their past collaboration during the finals of SIT ON THE MONEY had left a lasting impression.
Ha-eun and Ji-hyuk: A Pairing That Dominated
Ha-eun, who had once dominated the music charts as the featured singer for Double Lee under the alias “Pinocchio,”
teaming up again with SIT ON THE MONEY champion Hwang Ji-hyuk was more than enough to ignite discussions across forums.
The combination of their skills and chemistry was a testament to why producer Jeon Yoon-seop had been so determined to cast Ha-eun for the Infinite Challenge Song Festival.
A Commercial Success Beyond Expectations
But the ripple effect of Ha-eun’s Infinite Challenge appearance wasn’t limited to online communities.
“P-Park Team Leader!”
In an office at Sears, a mid-tier furniture company, an employee rushed to Park Hwan-soo, the team leader of their advertising department.
They had been monitoring the performance of Sears’ latest mattress commercial, which had started airing just a few days earlier.
The employee handed over reports showing a sudden spike in ad views and an increasingly steep sales trajectory.
“This... might be something big,” the employee ventured.
“…Let’s keep watching for now. It’s still a long way to the autumn peak season,” Park replied cautiously.
In the furniture industry, fluctuations in sales were not uncommon, especially around seasonal campaigns.
As such, Park urged patience, continuing to monitor the situation.
However, it didn’t take two weeks for the situation to escalate further.
“Team Leader, the IT department just called. Our website has crashed from the traffic….”
The sales trajectory was no longer just an upward curve; it had transformed into a near-vertical surge.
Sears’ website, overwhelmed by the influx of customers, was completely paralyzed.
When Park had initially planned the commercial, his goal had been modest: to bring some life back to Sears’ stagnant sales.
Yet the company’s new model—Lee Ha-eun—was achieving results far beyond anyone’s expectations.
The meteoric rise of Sears’ mattress sales, fueled by Ha-eun’s soaring popularity, marked the beginning of a commercial phenomenon.