If there was a drama currently stirring up the most buzz, it was undoubtedly *My Love From the Stars*. Starting with over 20% viewership from episode 1, the drama had only reached higher peaks, hitting 35% during episode 5—a remarkable feat.
*"The beautiful star who dominated theaters five years ago now conquers the winter TV screens."*
*"The stellar child actors in *My Love From the Stars* continue to drive record-breaking ratings with unexpected twists."*
*"Former rivals on Wednesday-Thursday slots no longer stand a chance… MBS's *Face Queen* continues to decline in ratings."*
As expected, the media was flooded with articles about *My Love From the Stars*, online and offline. Watching her fellow entertainment reporters rush to publish stories about the drama, reporter Heo Joo-eun thought to herself:
"...Good thing I secured that early interview."
She felt relieved she’d been the first to spotlight Ha-eun on the day of the drama’s initial shoot, back when no one had been paying her any attention. Strictly speaking, only the two lead actors, Ha Yun-seong and Yoo Seong-ah, were supposed to be the focus of coverage that day.
"What’s with this? Interviewing a twelve-year-old is like reaching for the stars!"
Now that Ha-eun, not the main stars, was in the spotlight, her undercover approach on set, posing as a staff member just to get to Ha-eun, had indeed been a masterstroke.
Truth be told, Heo Joo-eun’s first interview article hadn’t garnered much attention back then. It was, after all, a simple piece with nothing particularly newsworthy. But now that Ha-eun was seen as a major force in *My Love From the Stars*, the situation had completely changed.
In a twist of fate, Heo Joo-eun was the only reporter Ha-eun had granted an interview to—a fact that left her colleagues in disbelief.
"Reporter Heo, do you have any other scoops on Lee Ha-eun?"
"Come on, Reporter Heo! You watched episode 5 of *My Love From the Stars* too. You know a single recent photo of Ha-eun would be an instant hit."
"Well… the truth is, I didn’t bring a camera to our first interview, so I don’t actually have any recent photos."
Her fellow reporters, who hadn’t even managed to meet Ha-eun, were probing Heo Joo-eun for any scrap of information.
Then, as if to prove the adage about speaking of the tiger and it appears, her phone started ringing. When she looked at the screen, the name displayed was:
**"Actress Lee Ha-eun"**
The name was enough to shock Heo Joo-eun and the colleague beside her. She picked up her phone almost faster than light.
[Hello, Reporter Heo. This is Lee Ha-eun. I’d like to follow up on the promise I made last time. When would be convenient for you—]
The rest of the call was a blur. She hadn’t expected Ha-eun to reach out first, let alone so soon after episode 5 had aired.
Somehow, she managed to arrange a second exclusive interview with Ha-eun, leaving her colleagues slack-jawed, listening to the conversation in stunned silence.
"...Can you tell me the winning lottery numbers too, Reporter Heo?"
One of her colleagues muttered, treating her like a fortune teller. But she didn’t mind at all.
After all, while she hadn’t anticipated Ha-eun’s rise to stardom, tomorrow morning, she’d be meeting Ha-eun in person.
"Well, you know how it is with the future—you don’t talk about it too openly, or it might change," she replied, laughing off her colleague’s envy.
Her heart pounded with excitement as she counted down the hours, much like a rose eagerly waiting for the Little Prince’s arrival.
Finally, after 18 long hours, she was face-to-face with Ha-eun again. Though she looked much the same as during their first interview months ago, this time, Heo Joo-eun felt as if there was a subtle glow behind her.
"It’s been a while, Reporter Heo."
For a moment, Heo Joo-eun almost saw the image of Han Yoo-hwa overlapping with Ha-eun. Even after the second interview began, she found it hard to separate Ha-eun from her character.
Perhaps it was only natural. After all, Ha-eun and young Han Yoo-hwa from *My Love From the Stars* shared many similarities.
While she had encountered actors fully immersed in their roles before, she’d never met one who seemed to experience the same trials as their character.
Maybe it was destiny that Ha-eun had been cast as young Han Yoo-hwa.
"One last question: what’s your dream, Ha-eun?"
It was a standard question to wrap up the interview, one where she expected the usual answer about aspiring to be a great actress like her character, adult Han Yoo-hwa.
But Ha-eun’s answer left her dumbfounded.
"I want to be the world’s greatest liar."
Taken aback, Heo Joo-eun tilted her head in confusion. Hesitantly, she asked what kind of liar she wanted to be.
"There’s one dream I haven’t achieved yet. And to fulfill that dream, I need to be really good at fooling people."
"Can you tell me the name of that dream?"
"Ah, well… it’s a dream that’s still a little too difficult for me to share with others."
The ambiguous answer only puzzled her more. For a moment, she wondered if Ha-eun had some unusual ambition, but then realized how far-fetched it seemed for a twelve-year-old girl to be dreaming of such things.
Regardless, the hour and ten-minute conversation was enough to make for a sensational article on its own.
"Thank you so, so much, Ha-eun. Thanks to you, I won’t need to worry about what to write for a while."
With heartfelt gratitude, she thanked Ha-eun. It was rare indeed for an actress to offer an interview proactively, especially one that promised such exclusive insight.
Returning to the office reluctantly, she sifted through dozens of photos taken by the junior reporter who’d accompanied her, carefully selecting the best shots. This article was sure to make waves, so she wanted Ha-eun’s images to be as beautiful as possible.
"*Don’t Stop People*? Me?"
Lee Gun-yeol’s steady gaze held no hint of playfulness, and the stack of broadcast scripts on the table added weight to his proposal.
"Of course, you won’t have to play intense games like name-tag chase. Just a few on-screen challenges."
Gun-yeol continued explaining the details of the program, but Ha-eun’s attention drifted to the filming date rather than the content.
‘...Maybe he’ll come with me if I ask after the shoot.’
Coincidentally, the shoot date aligned with a major event she remembered vividly. Strictly speaking, it would also be a critical day for Gun-yeol.
Revealing the future to him would only make him think she was crazy. The best approach would be to handle it naturally, without raising his suspicions.
After all, sticking close to Gun-yeol would make it easier to resolve the situation.
"What do you say, Ha-eun? Want to film *Don’t Stop People* with me?"
In the end, she agreed to appear on *Don’t Stop People*. Besides the incident, it was a show she had wanted to experience, so it felt like perfect timing.
She wondered if it might be a bit excessive to include this in her VTuber stream topics, but it would still be a worthwhile experience.
"Well, I’m not sure about everyone’s name tag, but can I try to drop Dong-gook’s name tag? If I ask nicely?"
"Dong-gook is great with kids. Don’t worry."
For now, she decided to focus on anticipation rather than worry. If she handled both the show and the upcoming incident well, she’d have peace of mind.
"Will he give me an autograph if I ask?"
"Of course. But I bet Dong-gook would want your autograph first."
"You wouldn’t believe how much he enjoys *My Love From the Stars*. When he found out you were the girl in our old music video, he was starstruck."