While Ha-eun, the pickpocket, and the surrounding commotion created an awkward standstill, Kim Jung-hyun, the PD of Start Again, noticed the situation and approached to ask what was happening.
After getting a quick rundown, his eyes widened in shock, and he was momentarily speechless.
First, the fact that a cast member had been pickpocketed was startling enough.
But then, another cast member—Ha-eun—not only chased the thief down but actually subdued him and dragged him back?
‘Is this some kind of hidden camera prank?’
It was such an unexpected situation that the thought naturally crossed his mind, even though the odds of it being true were practically zero.
Even so, his instincts as a broadcast producer led him straight to Ha-eun’s assigned VJ.
“…Did you get it on camera?”
“I did, but Ha-eun was way too fast… I’ll have to check how much of it is actually usable.”
“Well, good job. You’ve got some insane reflexes.”
With that, they confirmed that Ha-eun’s chase and takedown of the pickpocket had been recorded.
Afterward, Kim Jung-hyun PD began discussing the situation with the local guide they had met just minutes earlier. No matter what, the most important thing was ensuring the shoot could proceed as planned.
“Of course, the person affected should have the final say. But personally, since he’s already got his wallet back thanks to Ha-eun…”
“Oh, no, I’m fine with it.”
And so, in the end, they decided to let the pickpocket go without calling the police. The main reason was that even if they did, it would be difficult to press any serious charges.
Only after that was settled did Start Again finally begin filming in earnest.
“Alright, let’s go catch a taxi first~.”
Acting as if nothing had happened, ‘Leo’ cheerfully led the cast out of the airport.
A singer-songwriter known for his love of travel, he took the lead as the group’s designated mood-maker, raising the energy levels for the shoot.
“I heard Leni was really looking forward to the hotel we’re staying at this time.”
“Oh, yeah. I heard the spa there is incredible.”
The cast for this season of Start Again consisted of four members, including Ha-eun.
Leo and Leni, who had just been chatting, were two of them.
Following behind them were Ha-eun and another cast member, who still eyed her cautiously. These four were the main cast for the shoot.
Their taxi’s destination was a five-star hotel where they would be staying for the duration of the trip.
It also happened to be one of the most scenic accommodations in Lisbon.
“Ha-eun, even you think it’s amazing, right?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s incredible.”
Even though Ha-eun had already looked up pictures of the place beforehand, she was still taken aback by how stunning it was in person.
Leo, feeling oddly proud of the reaction, grinned.
“Alright, everyone, let’s unpack first. See you all in a bit~.”
The first day of their Portugal trip was focused more on relaxation than sightseeing.
After all, they would be traveling across various parts of Europe for busking performances, so they needed to conserve their energy.
The only scheduled outdoor activities were dinner at a restaurant and a visit to Eduardo VII Park, a well-known Lisbon landmark.
Since it was the location where they would be busking the next day, the plan was to take a brief walk around and familiarize themselves with the area.
On the other hand, the schedule inside the hotel was quite packed.
In addition to unwinding in the luxurious spa facilities, the cast was set to film scenes bonding at the hotel’s expansive pool around 4 p.m.
By 3:30 p.m., Ha-eun had just returned to her room after wandering around the hotel with Leni.
In about 30 minutes, she needed to head to the pool.
Which meant she had to change into the swimsuit she had bought with Ju Jung-yoon the other day.
However, just as she was holding up the swimsuit and hesitating, an unexpected piece of news reached her ears.
“…I don’t have to swim?”
“Yeah. Unnie checked just in case—”
The conversation that followed was about a discussion Ju Jung-yoon and Kim Jung-hyun PD had a few days ago.
If Ha-eun wasn’t feeling up to it, she could simply wear casual clothes and show up at the pool without actually swimming.
“I got the feeling you were a bit uncomfortable with it, so I even talked it over with your mom. She agreed that you should do whatever makes you feel comfortable.”
On top of that, they had already sorted things out with the sponsors.
Since there were other cast members in the shoot, they had no intention of forcing Ha-eun to do anything she wasn’t comfortable with.
In the end, though, Ha-eun grabbed her swimsuit and headed for the bathroom.
“It’d be a waste to just sit out. I heard the pool here is amazing.”
She still wasn’t entirely comfortable with wearing something so revealing.
But she was already here on this trip, and she wasn’t the only one in a swimsuit.
Everyone else would be having fun in the pool without a care in the world—she didn’t want to be the only one sitting off to the side, wrapped up in layers.
This trip was supposed to be about having fun, after all.
After finishing a few light stretches, Ha-eun turned to look at herself in the mirror.
The swimsuit that looked good even to her own eyes.
A small chuckle escaped her lips.
She hadn’t specifically worked out to get abs or anything, but still—
Seeing her reflection felt like proof that she was healthy. And that was a bit reassuring.
“…There’s no way anyone looks better than me, right, unnie?”
“It’d be hard to find someone who does.”
If nothing else, Ha-eun was confident that no one had put in as much effort for the sake of their own health as she had.
You could call it a source of pride.
“Well then, I’m heading out.”
With that, she stepped toward the pool.
Since she had already made up her mind, she might as well enjoy herself to the fullest—embarrassment be damned.
That was the thought lingering in Ha-eun’s mind as she walked away.
“It’s taking a while…”
Oh Sun-young, Ha-eun’s assigned writer, muttered to herself as she glanced back toward the entrance of the pool.
The preparations for filming were already complete.
Strictly speaking, there was still one other cast member who had yet to arrive besides Ha-eun.
But as far as Oh Sun-young knew, Ha-eun was usually quite punctual when it came to filming.
Did she suddenly get an upset stomach or something?
It was puzzling enough that such thoughts crossed her mind.
A moment later, she even considered calling Ha-eun’s manager just to check in.
And yet, just as she pulled out her phone—
The sound of approaching footsteps echoed from a distance.
Then came a calm voice.
“Oh, Ha-eun. I was just about to call your manager…”
Her sentence trailed off. No, it outright stopped.
The sight before her made her question her own eyes.
Her gaze trembled naturally.
No way. This is a nineteen-year-old’s body?
How intense was her training regimen?
Why is her physique this developed? Kids these days are terrifying.
While her mind was spinning with these thoughts, Oh Sun-young found herself unconsciously staring.
Only when Ha-eun spoke again did she snap back to reality.
“…Does it look weird?”
“Oh, no. You look absolutely stunning. The bikini suits you so well, Ha-eun.”
Truthfully, Oh Sun-young even felt a twinge of envy.
With that, she walked alongside Ha-eun toward the pool, where the filming was already in progress.
And the moment Ha-eun stepped into view—
The chatter around them came to an abrupt halt.
Every set of eyes naturally locked onto her.
The conversations that had been buzzing just seconds ago vanished completely.
Of course, everyone had known about Ha-eun’s poolside shoot for a while now.
But seeing her in person?
That was an entirely different experience.
‘No way… A nineteen-year-old…?’
‘What kind of insane training does Luna Entertainment put their celebrities through?’
‘…Swimsuit sales are about to skyrocket.’
Everyone on the staff instinctively understood that today’s shoot was going to have massive ripple effects.
This was supposed to be just a casual vacation segment for Start Again.
It felt like the entire show’s identity as a music variety program might be at risk of changing altogether.
That was how much sheer presence Ha-eun exuded in this moment.
Only after taking all of this in did Oh Sun-young finally find her voice again.
“Leo said he’d be here soon, so for now, just relax and have fun with the others, Ha-eun.”
The smooth sound of water rippling filled the air as Ha-eun stepped into the pool.
With graceful strokes, she swam toward the area where Song Hyeon-min and Leni were.
As she reached them, silence lingered for a moment.
To be fair, given the circumstances, the air between them did feel a bit awkward.
And it wasn’t just Ha-eun who noticed.
Song Hyeon-min and Leni, now face-to-face with her, were just as affected.
It wasn’t just Hyeon-min, a guy, who was thrown off.
Even Leni, a fellow woman, seemed momentarily stunned.
‘This episode… It’s going down in history.’
They were already aware of how much impact Ha-eun had.
The mere announcement of her casting on Start Again had sent online communities into a frenzy.
Now she had gone all out for the shoot.
‘This has to make the teaser.’
Both Song Hyeon-min and Leni had the same thought in that brief moment of silence.
But Ha-eun felt that if no one spoke up, the atmosphere would only get weirder.
“Hyeon-min. Leni unnie.”
She broke the ice first.
Then, without hesitation, she picked up one of the beach balls floating nearby.
“When Leo gets here, do you guys want to play beach volleyball?”
A game as the first poolside shoot.
She even suggested adding a small wager.
“Whoever loses gets thrown into the water.”
“W-wait, what? Thrown in?”
“Oh, that sounds fun.”
Luckily, neither of them outright refused.
Though, for a brief moment, Song Hyeon-min had a flash of himself getting tossed high into the air and landing with a splash.
‘…Nah. No way I’d lose.’
He reassured himself.
After all, no matter how athletic Ha-eun was, height was still an advantage in games .
And as the tallest among them, he had a clear edge over Leni and Ha-eun.
Or at least, that’s what he thought—
Exactly twenty minutes later.
“Alright, one, two, three—!”
With a powerful toss, Ha-eun sent Song Hyeon-min flying through the air.
His height advantage?
It had never mattered in the first place.