"Wow, our maknae is brave. What would you do if one of the Noeulis made it into Illusionary Realm's second generation?" "Wouldn't it be amazing if someone from Noeulis got in? That would be quite impressive, wouldn't it?"
Diah's voice had no hint of nervousness at all. She confidently added that if any Noeulis made it through the competitive Illusionary Realm audition, she would gladly give them the "free-use pass."
Of course, this statement had been made without thinking about the consequences. However, Diah's bold remark went unchecked because, from Ji Hye-min and LUX's perspective, there was no downside to it.
‘A legal rebellion... This could be fun?’
From Ji Hye-min's perspective, Diah’s free-use pass pledge was a form of motivation for the Illusionary Realm second generation auditions. It was also an opportunity for the new faces of Illusionary Realm to receive help from Diah.
The "free-use pass" item from Diah would be a huge help for the second generation members, who were newcomers to broadcasting, and it would help them establish themselves in the industry. The content where the younger members could interact freely with Diah, a senior, would undoubtedly create a buzz.
As one of the most experienced broadcasters in Illusionary Realm, Diah would surely have great chemistry with her juniors, and a future show labeled "With Diah" would likely be a great help in attracting new viewers to Illusionary Realm's second generation.
Not long after, Ha-eun watched in real-time as the official announcement for Illusionary Realm’s second generation auditions was edited.
Title > Illusionary Realm 2nd Generation Recruitment Notice
Illusionary Realm (M) | 16:30
Hello, this is Illusionary Realm.
We are looking for new members to join Illusionary Realm, and auditions will be held starting from mid-February.
Please check the application form for detailed instructions.
We appreciate your interest and participation!
Illusionary Realm members from the Spirit Kingdom will receive a free-use pass from Diah (new!)
"Now it’s official, Diah. Better brace yourself~."
With Diah’s free-use pass now firmly written in the official announcement, the speed of the chat skyrocketed. As Ha-eun faced the messages filled with enthusiasm to "educate" Diah, she couldn’t help but feel a hint of anxiety.
What had started as a light joke now seemed like it had gotten out of hand. There was no way to deal with it if the second-generation members insisted that they were Diah’s fans.
Well, still… The second-generation members were mostly kind, so Ha-eun hoped that the playful Na-el wouldn’t take it too far.
And so, in the end, Ha-eun pretended to be nonchalant and said, "If you’re confident, go ahead and apply~." After all, Diah’s free-use pass was meant to be a content-based thing.
Using Diah's free-use pass as a way to get closer to the second generation of Illusionary Realm wouldn't be a bad thing either, Ha-eun thought. Of course, she would have to ensure that the second-generation members kept their mouths shut.
It wasn’t long before the topic shifted away from the second-generation members to something else.
"I’m working on a fairly big project, but should I say something about it or not~."
At the mysterious tone of Ji Hye-min’s voice, the chat suddenly exploded with excitement. It was revealed shortly after that Illusionary Realm's first-year anniversary would feature a 3D avatar project.
"We’re going to debut the 3D avatars right on the first anniversary of our members’ debuts."
"Yes, it’s the 3D you’re thinking of. But if it’s just about revealing 3D avatars, that’s not enough."
Then, the next secret project was revealed. While the exact title hadn’t been decided yet, it was announced that Illusionary Realm’s first-generation members would release their first group song.
"Of course, we’ll perform on stage with our 3D avatars! So, everyone, look forward to it!"
Soon after, Ha-eun and the other members chimed in with their excited responses. Technically, they had only learned about the project a few days ago, but in any case, it wasn’t a bad thing.
Ha-eun was particularly happy to hear that she would get to use her dancing skills, which she had practiced for a long time. A full-tracking broadcast that she had only imagined before would soon become a reality.
"This company really takes good care of us."
Shortly after, Ji Hye-min murmured about the budget for the project. She joked that if the 3D avatar project failed, they might all end up on the streets.
"We’re all in this together, guys. So, we need to practice dancing hard?"
"President, you’re the best! You’re amazing, Daramji!"
After the members of Illusionary Realm expressed their gratitude and praise for Ji Hye-min, the final segment of the Year-End Party broadcast, the "Rolling Paper," began.
The first message was from Illusionary Realm’s overall leader, Daramji.
"Thanks to the president, I can eat rice and soup. Thank you so much~. …Yuna, don’t use that northern dialect again─" "No, no nicknames allowed!"
After reading the other members’ messages, the next one was from the eldest member of Illusionary Realm, Mile. Then, it was Yuna, Cream, and Ria’s turn to read their Rolling Papers in age order.
That meant Diah’s Rolling Paper, as the youngest member of Illusionary Realm, was read last.
"‘Really, really amazing person~. What can our maknae not do?’ Even so, I can’t catch up to Ria unnie’s drawings."
"How did you know it was me?"
"Just by looking, it’s obvious~."
And so, Ha-eun read Diah’s Rolling Paper messages, reading through them one by one. She could tell which member had written each message just by their handwriting, and the messages directed at Diah felt especially touching.
Perhaps that’s why...
"‘I’ll call you more often in the future! Always LV.U’. Ah... thank you..."
When she read the last part of the message from Cream, Ha-eun’s breath and voice shook for a moment.
Sure enough, the chat exploded with comments.
After reading Diah’s Rolling Paper again from the start, Ha-eun only took a few moments since this time she read it silently. But reading the messages from the Illusionary Realm members and Ji Hye-min made her feel a lot of emotions, something she hadn’t expected.
Then, Ji Hye-min’s calm voice could be heard.
"Now, we’ve had the Illusionary Realm Year-End Party with everyone here. It seems like everyone had fun."
"Anyway, it’s been a year full of many things. But we still have a long way to go~."
"I’m going to take a break now! Please take care of me next year~."
And so, the Illusionary Realm Year-End Party broadcast finally ended. Ji Hye-min’s gaze shifted to the food left on the table.
"No one can leave until all this is eaten. So, let’s eat first, Ha-eun."
She then handed Ha-eun a soft Castella. After that, they all stayed seated until the food was finished.
The conversation continued, but it was just casual chatter. It was an ordinary meal, but the fact that Ha-eun was sharing it with people she never thought she’d be with made it feel special.
‘…I hope we have a Year-End Party next year.’
Ha-eun had a feeling that this moment would stay in her memory forever. The scene in front of her, the voices she heard, everything felt special.
Time passed after the Illusionary Realm Year-End Party broadcast, and finally, December 31st arrived.
The winter vacation for Narae High School had already begun, so there was no need to go to school early in the morning.
The only scheduled activity for the day was the filming of The Sunshine.
Normally, this would mean a somewhat leisurely morning, but...
“Mom, I’m going out for a bit.”
A phone call early in the morning required a brief outing.
[Do you have a bit of time today? I want to tell you something I couldn’t say last time.]
[It’s fine until lunchtime, right? Then let’s meet at the cafe near the station, around 11.]
[Oh, and could you wear something like a suit? Or a school uniform is fine too.]
[I thought about it, and it might be better to wear something with charisma, rather than comfortable clothes. I’ll tell you the reason when we meet.]
“Oh, Ha-eun! Welcome.”
There was Yoo Sung-jae’s familiar face, and right next to him, a stranger’s face.
‘Who is this...? A manager?’
With a slightly puzzled expression, Ha-eun sat across from Yoo Sung-jae. The stranger, who had been carefully observing Ha-eun, spoke to him.
“You really look different in a school uniform.”
“It’s the same, right, Director?”
Not long after, an unexpected self-introduction followed. But perhaps it was because the name that was mentioned was so familiar to Ha-eun.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Hong-seong, the director of Veterans.”
Ha-eun, momentarily stunned and blinking her eyes, eventually extended her hand. After the brief handshake, Yoo Sung-jae got to the real reason for their meeting.
“We were hoping Ha-eun could play the antagonist in Veterans. Would you be interested?”
A sense of certainty followed, as if Yoo Sung-jae was sure Ha-eun could perform well as the villain. An explanation of the antagonist’s character in Veterans was provided as well.
However, Ha-eun already knew about the movie.
She was familiar with the character.
“It’s a third-generation chaebol, with a bit of a psychopath streak? The character is someone whose way of thinking and emotions are completely different from an average person.”
The thin script for Veterans was handed over to Ha-eun as the conversation continued.
Ha-eun’s gaze lingered for a moment on the character’s trait of being a ‘third-generation chaebol.’
‘...A psychopath, huh.’
In a way, that seemed accurate.
Ha-eun whispered something in her mind that she couldn’t say aloud to others. She then turned the script page again.