-Ding.

[ekdus7 has donated 50,000 KRW!]

: Enjoy some delicious cotton candy worth 50,000 won.

A significant donation amount.

The requested reaction was nothing unusual—one she had performed several times before.

As a VTuber who received such affectionate gifts from her viewers, this kind of request was naturally something she could grant.

It was something she should grant.

Yet, because the donor’s username was so incredibly familiar...

“Uwuh, yum-yum~~~! This cotton candy is so huge and tasty─! Thank you~.”

-Click.

“...Ugh....”

The moment she finished the requested reaction, she quickly muted her microphone and covered her flushed face with both hands.

The urge to ban Da-yeon’s account was stronger than ever before.

She could easily perform reactions as Diah for the other supportive viewers who expressed their affection through donations.

But she couldn’t lump the username ekdus7 together with the rest.

She understood that the donation was for Diah, not Ha-eun.

Still, it seemed like Da-yeon didn’t yet know Ha-eun and Diah were one and the same.

‘No way someone who figured it out would stay this quiet....’

Even so, performing a cute, sugary voice for someone she had been sitting across from at the same table just hours earlier was far from easy.

‘I can’t exactly tell her to stop donating. What on earth should I do?’

For a long time after, the warmth in her ears wouldn’t subside.

No matter how hard she tried to collect herself, the thought of having acted cutesy specifically for Da-yeon kept swirling in Ha-eun’s mind.

She realized—just as VTubers dread exposing their "red pill" (real identity), VTubers also dread being exposed to their viewers’ identities.

As a result, she spent most of the night struggling to sleep.

Time passed, and when Ha-eun found herself reunited with Da-yeon at the bustling snack shop of Narae High School, she couldn’t help but glare at her slightly.

“What’s with the look?”

“...Nothing. It’s nothing....”

Seeing Da-yeon act no different from usual, Ha-eun had no choice but to soften her narrowed eyes.

There was nothing to gain from bringing up the donation from ekdus7.

The conversation eventually shifted to the day’s topic: the filming of The Sunshine, which began today.

“You’re shooting with Baek Tae-hoon, right?”

“Yeah. We’ve already worked out the details.”

“Wait, you worked it out with Baek Tae-hoon?”

“Oh, no. Senior Baek approached me first. I just asked him to drop the formalities since it felt more awkward.”

Technically, Baek Tae-hoon was even more of a senior than Da-yeon.

However, since their paths rarely crossed, Da-yeon referred to him casually by name.

She wasn’t the type to maintain excessive formality in someone’s absence, anyway.

Ha-eun briefly considered calling Da-yeon out on this but decided to let it slide, continuing their conversation.

Most of their discussion revolved around the scenes Ha-eun, as Kim Jung-hyun, would be filming.

“You’re wearing hanbok again?”

“Not all the time. I’ll also wear western-style outfits, like suits.”

“You’re playing the role of a rich lady from the late Joseon era, right? Why would a lady wear a suit? Are you playing a collaborator or something?”

“N-no! I’m not a collaborator.... Anyway, if I say more, it’ll spoil things.”

Ha-eun shared what she could about her character’s look for The Sunshine without giving away spoilers.

“Oh, right. I heard you helped judge the child actor auditions for The Sunshine?”

Da-yeon’s comment, a mix of truth and teasing, made Ha-eun recall the children’s auditions.

“At first, I thought I was just there to observe. But somehow, I ended up sitting next to Senior Baek and evaluating them.”

“Weren’t they too childish for your taste? Knowing you, they must have all seemed below average.”

“Not really.”

Not all the child actors at the audition had been stellar.

However, some, including those Ha-eun had assisted, showcased performances so exceptional that it was hard to pick the best.

Ha-eun honestly replied that staying in the waiting room felt boring, so she came to watch the set instead.

Since no one told her she wasn’t allowed to be there, she carefully took a seat on an empty chair in a corner of the set.

There, she watched as scenes she had witnessed during the child actor auditions came to life on the expansive set, more vivid than before.

What unfolded was the heart-wrenching cry of Young Park Joo-ho, even more realistic than during the auditions.

“P-please, milady, save them! They’ll die if this keeps up!!”

The guilt of causing his parents to be brutally beaten due to his mistake.

The frustration of knowing his parents’ lives were considered worth less than a small scratch on Kim Jung-hyun’s hand.

The desperate plea to save his parents’ lives.

Every emotion was delivered without awkwardness or hesitation. Even from a distance, Ha-eun could fully grasp the intensity of Park Joo-ho’s feelings.

“Milady! I beg you!!”

The sight of Young Park Joo-ho desperately resisting the hands of the servants trying to pull him away from Young Kim Jung-hyun.

The raw despair visible in his already reddened eyes.

Yet, the relentless beating of his parents continued.

No mercy was granted to mere servants, not even at the bitter end.

Not long after, the scene concluded with the image of Young Park Joo-ho breaking down in despair, his parents lying motionless.

“Cut!” Director Kwon Jae-hyup’s voice signaled the end of the take, and the set buzzed with activity once more.

Cameras and lighting were meticulously adjusted by the staff, while others scurried about the set performing various tasks.

Though such sights were nothing new to Ha-eun...

Step. Step.

‘...Where is he going?’

Her gaze fell on Kim Min-seong, who began walking off alone to somewhere.

Without much thought, Ha-eun found herself following him.

A short while later, Kim Min-seong came to a halt.

Looking around briefly, he sat down in the empty tiled house set, his breaths quick and labored, soft groans escaping his lips.

It was then that Ha-eun noticed his hands trembling uncontrollably.

“Ugh... huff...”

Ha-eun didn’t know why Kim Min-seong was struggling alone like this.

However, she couldn’t leave him to bear the emotional aftermath of the scene on his own.

Instead of continuing to watch silently, she approached him cautiously.

Rustle.

Ha-eun’s shadow fell over Kim Min-seong’s pale, trembling face.

She knelt slightly, lowering herself to meet his gaze.

“Close your eyes. Breathe slowly,” she said in her usual calm voice.

Taking his small, trembling hands gently in hers, she continued,

“Don’t think about anything. There’s no need to worry about anything right now.”

She carefully pulled Kim Min-seong out of the emotional mire he had unintentionally fallen into.

Having once sunk herself to the bottom of such a pit, Ha-eun understood his current state all too well.

“You’ll be okay. I promise.”

She had many questions she wanted to ask the boy struggling alone.

And many things she wanted to say to those who had allowed him to struggle like this.

“It’s okay to be okay.”

But for now, what mattered most was something else entirely.

Instead of asking about the tears pooling in his youthful eyes, Ha-eun gently wiped them away.@@@@