Chapter 33

One early dawn, I woke up from the sleep that had been enveloping me for some time.

I was already someone who typically woke up early, but even considering that, it was quite early.

However, once I opened my eyes, the drowsiness completely vanished.

“…I’m thirsty….”

Rather than lying there absentmindedly, I decided to just get up and do something.

So, I went out to the empty living room.

– Clink…

I stared blankly at the water dispenser pouring lukewarm water into a glass.

For some reason, I felt a vague sensation that I was forgetting something important after that.

However, perhaps still slightly groggy, I couldn’t pinpoint anything concrete.

Holding a glass half-filled with water, I plopped down on the sofa and stared blankly once more.

Coincidentally, it was Sunday, so there was no need to prepare for school like a weekday.

‘…What should I do?’

I was truly at leisure.

Of course, nobody would say anything if I did nothing like this, but…

This obsession, which had persisted for over five years, where I couldn’t waste a single minute or second, prodded me back into action.

The first thing I did was write a note to my parents.

<I'm going out for a short walk.>

I intended to return before the usual breakfast time, but just in case.

Most of all, I didn’t really like the idea of someone else worrying about me, whether in the past or now.

Leaving a note made me feel relieved.

Soon after, I changed into more comfortable clothes than what I had been wearing and grabbed the jump rope left in the corner of the shoe cabinet, heading towards the vacant lot near my house.

In fact, there wasn’t really anywhere else that an 11-year-old kid like me could go at this early hour except for a vacant lot.

As always, I repeated my usual light exercises.

Although it was merely the routine of an amateur who had never received proper coaching, the effects were certainly there.

‘Isn’t this gonna make me bald?’

However, every time I caught sight of the 11-line abs that were starting to show their outline, I found myself thinking, is this okay?

Of course, no one had ever told me that my stomach looked disgusting or hideous up to now.

<'…What are you doing…?'

<'Ah, um, it’s just... it was... interesting. It looks just like those bodybuilder sisters' stomachs, so I couldn’t help it.’

Reflecting back on the times when Min Da-yeon couldn’t take her eyes off my stomach, it seemed that my appearance wasn’t really ordinary.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t embarrassing enough to be something that one couldn’t let others see, but I couldn’t help but feel slightly conscious about it.

Continuing my routine, before I knew it, it was time to return home.

Just that, since it was my first time working out in the morning today, my throat felt a little dry.

I decided to stop by the convenience store I could see in the distance and buy an electrolyte drink.

- Ding.

“Ah, welcome…”

The cashier, who had just started stocking the new products, greeted me with a somewhat puzzled expression.

Well, when you think about it, it wasn’t that common for a young child to visit a convenience store alone at such an early hour.

I decided not to give too much significance to the cashier, who even tilted their head for some reason.

The problem was, the shelf where the electrolyte drinks were displayed was at a height that was barely reachable even on my tiptoes.

‘Why did they put them up so high?’

After mulling it over for about 20 seconds, I eventually turned to the cashier, who was just arranging triangular kimbap.

“Um, could you please take that Powerade up there for me?”

I asked them to fetch the electrolyte drink instead.

Luckily, they came right over and handed me the kind I mentioned, to which I politely thanked them.

However, then came the moment.

As I put the blue electrolyte drink on the counter to settle the bill.

“Um…”

“?”

The cashier, still with a look full of suspicion, addressed me.

Almost simultaneously, a smartphone screen was thrust in front of me.

“Is this you?”

The question that followed was just three characters long.

Even so, I immediately understood its meaning.

“Ah, yes… that’s me.”

“Wow, really? I thought I’d seen you somewhere!”

The person who had just a moment ago carried the typical quiet demeanor of a convenience store worker suddenly became energized.

It was reminiscent of how Yu Seong-a had recognized me a couple of weeks ago when we sat in a café and came to talk.

‘It would be better for Ha Eun to get used to this kind of attention. Surely in the not-too-distant future, Ha Eun will also experience similar situations.’

‘…It really was the not-too-distant future, huh.’

As I silently glanced at the flustered cashier, I suddenly remembered that just the day before yesterday was the first teaser release date for "Your Star From the Sky."

That hazy feeling I had upon waking up a few hours ago was indeed due to the teaser.

“Could I take a picture with you?”

“Ah, sure.”

Just a few seconds after that, click.

Following that, I slowly nodded when they asked if I could sign it if it wasn’t too much trouble.

In fact, saying that it was a signature was merely writing my name elaborately and scribbling ‘Stay happy’ right underneath.

Yet, seeing the cashier repeatedly express their gratitude filled me with a sensation I had never felt before.

After leaving the convenience store, drinking the blue electrolyte drink while walking home,

Even when I finally reached my door and entered the door lock password, that tingling sensation lingered on.

However…

- Ding-dong.

“I’m back—”

“Oh dear, young lady. Why is someone as precious as you taking a walk all alone without any attendants?”

“?”

“It has been said that the air outside is rather chilly nowadays, young lady. Next time, please wear something thicker than that thin windbreaker.”

“???”

For some reason, my parents spoke as if they had regressed a few hundred years.

The tingling sensation that had filled my chest moments ago disappeared in an instant, leaving only bewilderment in its place.

*

- So when is our Jia coming out?

ㄴOur Jia? Is Jia your daughter?

ㄴWhy?

ㄴThere’s another guy here who should be shot by Kang Seon-woo.

ㄴSo who is Jia?

ㄴIt's the name of the girl that Kang Seon-woo saved from the next-door uncle, her actress name is Lee Ha-eun.

At the time, the first episode of "Your Star From the Sky" had aired halfway through.

Despite only having a ten-second appearance that captured attention, Ha Eun didn’t actually appear at all in the first episode, which led to various discussions about her on drama-related communities.

- The article mentioned she would be appearing as young Han Yu-hwa.

ㄴRight now, Han Yu-hwa and Park Do-jun are in a fierce fight, so why would there be a flashback to young Han Yu-hwa?

ㄴExactly.

- Isn’t this typically a rom-com? But why is Lee Ha-eun appearing in traditional clothing like it’s a historical drama?

ㄴShe appeared as a rom-com in the teaser, but the historical drama vibe was only in the last ten seconds.

ㄴThen why are there historical scenes in a rom-com from the start?

ㄴHow would I know?

ㄴFind out if you don’t know.

Of course, the content of the first episode alone was enough to capture people’s attention, and considering it was a drama that had garnered various topics even before airing, the current viewership rating was quite good.

It had a remarkable 21.2% for the premiere episode.

Considering that the highest viewership for "Successors," the previous show from "Your Star From the Sky," was 28%, and that was only due to a spike in the last episode, it was certainly an impressive result.

“Indeed, Yu Seong-a is still Yu Seong-a. Even after a ten-year hiatus from drama, her ability to raise viewership is still intact.”

As I admired the aura of Yu Seong-a on the television, it seemed that the plan of PD Hwang Min-soo was working well for now.

However, since the second episode, which could be the turning point for future success, and its short preview hadn’t aired yet,

“It’s too early to pop the champagne.”

“Well, can’t we at least get the corkscrew ready?”

“You really don’t say a word off.”

With PD Hwang Min-soo and several other production staff maintaining a watch-and-see stance,

The first episode of "Your Star From the Sky" gradually began to wrap up.

Before long, the moment when Ha Yoon-seong transformed into a Joseon-era scholar and Ha Eun into a beautiful noblewoman filled the broadcast.

Even though it was already late in the evening, the UBS broadcasting station was brightly lit, and drama communities speculating on the relationship between Ha Eun and Ha Yoon-seong were buzzing.

“Shuran! Have you seen this?”

“Huh? What is this?”

“It’s the new drama that just started in Korea—”

In several homes on the vast continent that could only be reached by crossing the Yellow Sea,

Due to the people recently swept up in the hallyu wave showcasing its power,

“The male lead is really handsome.”

“Isn’t it just so? No matter what anyone says, a man looks best in a well-tailored suit.”

“What are you talking about? I was talking about that traditional outfit that appeared in the preview.”

“Oh? Traditional outfit?”

“Hanbok, you know, hanbok. The girl’s clothes are so colorful and pretty. Seeing them together makes them look like a close father and daughter.”

A chain reaction worthy of the term 'butterfly effect' began to unfold.