The Great Holiday of the People, Chuseok.
Originally, this holiday was a time to hold rituals in honor of ancestors to show gratitude after the fall harvest. However, in modern times, the focus has shifted to the significance of the entire family gathering together.
“Oh, Jung-yoon’s here.”
“Oh my, why did you bring so much stuff?”
“If I didn’t bring anything, you’d complain, wouldn’t you?”
“Hey, you brat. You’ve eaten enough rice just from what I fed you while raising you─”
During the holiday, family members gathered together to catch up, and the children would receive some pocket money.
All in all, it was a leisurely time.
During these relaxed days, it was common to set aside busy routines and instead pick up a remote control or phone.
That’s why TV ratings and OTT usage rise significantly during the holiday period.
As a result, many broadcasters create special holiday programming to capture the attention of those gathered in their hometowns.
Currently airing MBS’s Star Athletics Competition was one such program.
“Now, we will have the athlete's oath.”
For holiday specials like Star Athletics Competition, it’s common to air shows that the whole family can enjoy, such as variety shows or sports.
It’s hard to secure good ratings for content that might cause strong disagreements across generations.
“One, the athletes participating in the Star Athletics Competition will abide by the rules of the competition.”
“Hey? Isn’t that Jung-yoon’s girl?”
“Uhh... I’m not sure what that means, but yeah, that’s Ha-eun.”
The reason Ju Jung-yoon and her family were watching Star Athletics Competition was that it was a perfect program to watch together.
Though it was also influenced by the fact that Ju Jung-yoon was Ha-eun’s manager.
“Wow, Ha-eun is on the Star Athletics Competition.”
“Why are you so surprised?”
“Isn’t it unexpected? She’s an actress, not an idol.”
“...Our Ha-eun also works as a singer, you know.”
Meanwhile, Ju Jung-yoon’s middle school nephews were also watching Star Athletics Competition in front of the TV.
At the same time, Ha-eun’s appearance on the show started trending on social media and various communities.
Her name and face were well-known, but she still had a stronger image as an actress.
However, because Star Athletics Competition involved athletic events,
Those who knew Ha-eun more personally, especially her fan community, welcomed her appearance on the show.
But since Ha-eun’s fans weren’t particularly interested in idol variety shows,
Many didn’t know that Ha-eun would be appearing unless they had read the ticketing announcement.
Regardless, most of Ha-eun’s fans, who were also resting at home for the holiday,
Immediately grabbed the remote and switched to MBS’s channel as soon as they heard about the show.
Then, the opening performance of the famous idol group Ignite aired on Star Athletics Competition.
Since Ignite was widely known, not just in Korea but internationally, the program's viewership skyrocketed in an instant.
The most successful idol group of the present era, Ignite, finished their opening performance successfully.
Then, news spread that Song Hyun-min and his team would participate as special judges for Star Athletics Competition, keeping the ratings steady.
Thanks to that, the ratings of the program showed no signs of dropping.
The presence of Ignite, whose full lineup kept appearing, was a cheat code that guaranteed viewership.
The commentators in the booth introduced the athletes and picked their favorites.
“The six athletes in Group A are all participating for the first time this year. Is there a particular athlete you’re keeping an eye on?”
“Well, personally, I’m excited about Line 2’s Yerim. She has this sleek look to her.”
“Ha-eun, from Line 5, has her hair tied up. She’s already showing a different level of energy.”
Soon after, all the athletes, including Ha-eun, lined up at the starting line.
The camera briefly showed each athlete’s face.
Ha-eun waved lightly, greeting the viewers across the TV screen.
The responses in the community were still fairly normal.
Regardless of the race results, fans of Ha-eun were just happy to see her. Their reactions were similar to fans of other idols.
On the other hand, fans who had followed her from variety shows like 2 Days & 1 Night or Start Again had a different reaction.
After all, Ha-eun always managed to create memorable moments on every variety show she appeared on.
And so, all the preparations for the race were completed.
Ha-eun and the other athletes placed their feet on the starting blocks, ready to begin.
“Alright, the athletes are getting ready.”
“Let’s see what kind of records the new faces of Star Athletics Competition will set!”
The voices of the announcers, full of anticipation, filled the broadcast audio.
Then came the sound of Ignite’s flag swiftly rising.
“The athletes are off─!”
“Wait, what? Ha-eun from Line 5 is incredibly fast! She’s already opened up a significant lead!”
The camera captured Ha-eun running ahead of everyone.
Her neatly tied hair. Her calm expression.
Her running form was stable and composed, standing out compared to the other athletes.
“Go, finish! Ha-eun makes it to the finals!”
“7.13 seconds! A new Star Athletics Competition record!”
The sight that satisfied those who had high expectations for Ha-eun was broadcasted.
The surprised voices of the announcers quickly turned into a kind of reaction.
Her extraordinary performance was enough to spark discussions all over the internet.
By the time the women’s 60-meter final was approaching,
The camera clearly captured Ha-eun holding up her phone with a suspicious message.
[ I’ll become a cheetah ]
With those strange words written, Ha-eun’s figure was clearly visible on camera.
Then, during the final race, she showed an even more overwhelming performance.
“Ha-eun! She suddenly takes off─!!”
“Go... goal! Ha-eun wins!!”
“It looks like Ha-eun hit the mat pretty hard, is she alright?”
“Oh, she’s giving a thumbs up. Congratulations on your gold medal, Ha-eun!”
When Ha-eun’s victory was finally confirmed, the community erupted in celebration.
Especially since her record was an unprecedented 6.97 seconds.
In a certain household in Seoul,
More precisely, the home of someone who had once raced against Ha-eun long ago.
“Hey, Ye-jun. You barely lost to someone like her. You should be proud of that.”
“...Why would I be proud of something like that?”
They were praising Park Ye-jun, who had had a close race with Ha-eun during a kindergarten sports day.
However, Park Ye-jun, still feeling the PTSD from that day, awkwardly avoided it.
“Hehe, looks like your team lost~. Well then, I’ll be going ahead!”
“...What kind of confidence was that back then?”
Park Ye-jun, an ordinary 19-year-old high school boy, only remembered Ha-eun as a classmate from their kindergarten days.
He knew that Ha-eun had become a famous actress now, but even at the age of seven, Ha-eun had been a competent actress.
He didn’t think much had changed from then to now.
Just, she hadn’t changed much.
That was all he could think.
However, what Ye-jun didn’t know at the time was...
[ I’ll become a cheetah ]
The clips from the channel Ye-jun subscribed to,
The person who was the star of the collection of clips he had found amusing—was none other than Ha-eun.
This was something he could never have imagined.
“Ugh, look at that face. She looks like a beast.”
“Da-yeon, didn’t you tell me to run seriously...?”
“...Seol-ah, ask her!!”