The short but impactful message from her homeroom teacher—"Go to sleep already."—left Ha-eun turning in for the night an hour or two earlier than usual. Whether it was due to the renowned effects of the hotel’s open-air bath or simply the carefree fun of spending the day with friends without worrying about acting, academics, or streaming, she couldn’t say for sure.

By 6 a.m., Ha-eun found herself wide awake.

“Breakfast probably hasn’t started yet... What should I do?”

Her mind was unusually clear for someone who had just woken up, and she felt refreshed rather than groggy. The other girls, who had gone to bed even earlier than she had, were still deep in their dreams, sprawled across the crisp white sheets of their hotel beds. Outside, the sky still clung to the soft blue hues of dawn, not yet fully embracing daylight.

Going back to sleep wasn’t an option. The drowsiness was long gone, leaving Ha-eun restless but energized.@@@@

After mulling it over for a while, she decided to make the most of her early rise.

Creak.

Step, step.

Leaving her room quietly, Ha-eun set off on a stroll around the hotel grounds to pass the time until breakfast. It was her first experience of a Japanese morning, and the cool, crisp air felt invigorating.

“The morning air here is so fresh....”

She walked leisurely, savoring the tranquility of the dawn. The stillness around her made it easy to sort through her thoughts and clear her mind.

A small dandelion blooming by the roadside caught her attention.

Click.

Unconsciously, she pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the perfectly framed flower. Soon after, she noticed the sun beginning to rise over the horizon and took another photo.

For quite some time, Ha-eun wandered around, filling her phone with snapshots of serene, picturesque moments. When she finally felt satisfied, she reviewed her collection, finding herself drawn into the calm, sentimental mood of the early morning.

“So this is what ‘morning vibes’ are all about....”

About ten minutes later, Ha-eun uploaded several of her photos to her Instagram. She didn’t forget to include a few timer selfies that captured both her face and full-body shots, following the advice of her manager, Ju Jeong-yoon.

"Even if it’s just selfies, post them to show that you’re enjoying your trip."

After realizing her follower count had surpassed a million, Ha-eun had started taking her Instagram more seriously. Ju Jeong-yoon, who had noticed the shift, took the opportunity to coach her on how to make the most of her account, sharing tips for crafting posts with the coveted "Instagram aesthetic."

Thanks to his guidance, the photos Ha-eun uploaded this morning carried a distinct aesthetic charm. The reactions in the comments were overwhelmingly positive, brimming with admiration.

The simple act of sharing snippets of her day-to-day life and receiving such warm responses left Ha-eun feeling unexpectedly happy. “So this is why people love social media....”

However, while Ha-eun found joy in her new pastime, her fans were far less subdued. In her fan communities, such as the "Ha-eun Fan Cafe?" and "Ha-eun Gallery," her new posts sparked an uproar:

“Ha-eun’s recent updates.jpg”

“[Instagram] Ha-eun’s dawn in Tokyo”

? “As expected from the famous early bird.”

? “Did she take that dandelion picture herself?”

? “Her ‘V’ pose in front of the flower is so cute lol.”

? “Her skin looks flawless even at dawn. T_T”

(Image-heavy) What’s with this dawn aesthetic?

? “This is basically a photo album.”

? “I wish she’d release an actual photo book. T_T”

? “Agreed x2.”

? “Same here. I’d sell it out immediately.”

“Today’s Ha-eun outfit breakdown”

“Looks like she’s enjoying a relaxing trip in Japan.”

“Her updates are so frequent these days, and I love it!”

? “Totally agree.”

? “She’s really gotten into Instagram lol.”

? “If only she could fix the backlight a bit....”

? “It’s fine. Ha-eun’s face outshines any backlight.”

? (Nods in agreement emoji)

With each new post, Ha-eun’s fan community grew increasingly lively, their enthusiasm far outpacing what Ha-eun might consider “modest.”

Even after breakfast and during their trip to Disneyland, her fans were still buzzing with activity. The excitement reached a fever pitch when Ha-eun arrived at one of the attractions, Western Hunter, which offered a shooting game experience.

“Her shooting stance alone looks professional!”

“Breaking news: Ha-eun scores a perfect 20/20 in Western Hunter.”

? “Wait, 20 points are possible?”

? “It’s possible if you hit everything, but the last target pops up out of nowhere. How did she nail it lol?”

“Disneyland staff applauding Ha-eun.gif”

“She absolutely has to join next year’s Idol Sports Championship.”

? “Wait, Ha-eun’s an idol?”

? “She sings better than most idols.”

? “She dances well too—check out the behind-the-scenes clips from Moonlit Clouds.”

? “I’d die happy if she joined solo.”

? “Agreed x2. She’d put every idol in their place.”

Ha-eun’s fan community exploded with admiration and excitement, their chatter turning her casual trip into an online spectacle of praise. It was as if their collective amazement had materialized in real-time.

***

Subtly, Ha-eun surveyed her friends, suspecting they might once again try to prank her with hidden adult magazines or something equally mischievous.

About ten minutes later, Gong Hye-yeon returned from stepping out, announcing that she had confirmed their homeroom teacher was asleep. That was the cue for a variety of snacks to be pulled out, and the night’s activities began.

The first event: a game of truth or dare.

The spinning bottle landed on Ha-eun first.

“You can only answer with the truth. No lies allowed.”

“O-okay.”

“Alright, first question: Out of all the actors you’ve worked with, was there anyone you wanted to date?”

“Or someone you fell for at first sight!”

It didn’t take long for Ha-eun to realize her earlier foreboding was justified. As the classmate with the closest ties to the entertainment world, she became the focal point for an avalanche of questions.

Some questions edged uncomfortably close to crossing the line, particularly for someone still a minor. Though not all were directed exclusively at her, she bore the brunt of the attention.

“So, if you were dating someone like ■■■■, how far would you—?”

“S-sorry! I’m feeling really sleepy. I think I’ll head to bed now!”

Before the questions could become even more difficult to answer, Ha-eun made a hasty retreat to her bed.

Even after her escape, the raucous, boundary-pushing conversation among her classmates showed no signs of dying down.

The friends she had been joking and chatting with just hours ago now seemed almost intimidating. Their unbridled 18-year-old energy and lack of filters were more overwhelming than anything Ha-eun had imagined.

***

Ding-dong.

“...I’m back.”

Ha-eun’s voice rang softly as she entered her house, announcing her return. Na-yeon greeted her warmly, but Ha-eun politely excused herself, saying she needed some rest, before heading straight to her room.

The unpacking began soon after. Ha-eun meticulously organized the souvenirs she had brought back, separating gifts for others from those she had bought for herself. Once done, she headed to the kitchen to grab a pair of white cooking gloves before returning to her room.

What followed was a long period inside her soundproof booth, where she conducted various tests. After countless adjustments, she was finally ready.

Click.

[Japan Trip Recap☆]

As soon as her usual streaming time arrived, Ha-eun—now in her virtual persona, Dia—launched her promised “storytime stream,” recapping her trip to Japan for her loyal viewers, the Noeul (Sunsets).

At first, the stream seemed no different from her usual broadcasts. She shared photos she had taken at Skytree and other tourist spots, narrating the stories behind them. Then, she suddenly said:

“I even bought one of those famous melon breads! Hold on a sec~.”

That’s when things took an unexpected turn.

After completing the photo explanations, Ha-eun activated her newly optimized streaming camera.

In less than a second, the broadcast screen displayed an image that caused an uproar: two delicate hands clad in slightly oversized white cooking gloves, positioned neatly over her desk. Arrayed in front of the gloves were the various souvenirs from her trip.

“Wow, look at those slender fingers!”“Kyaaaaaa!!!”“DA-DIAAAAAA!”“I always believed in you!!!”“Oshi confirmed! Oshi confirmed! Oshi confirmed!”“Her skin is so flawless, like a baby’s!”

Ha-eun tilted her gloved hands into a playful V-shape and waved them toward the camera. Her simple gesture stirred the chat into a frenzy.

The reaction was... overwhelming, to say the least. While Ha-eun understood in theory what her Noeul fans liked, she couldn’t quite wrap her head around their level of enthusiasm.

“It’s just my hands in gloves... Why are they so excited?”

Still, excitement was far better than displeasure. More importantly, her new camera setup seemed to be working flawlessly.

“Well, as long as they’re happy.”

Ha-eun adjusted her gloves and shifted her focus back to the stream’s original purpose—fulfilling her promise of a trip recap.

“Alright, let’s start with the melon bread! Let’s see if it actually tastes like melon~.”

She opened the wrapper with deliberate care and began her review of the souvenirs she had brought back.

Thanks to the clarity she had gained over the four-day trip, Ha-eun found herself navigating the broadcast more smoothly than ever before.

For the first time in Dia’s streaming career, she had ventured into a new realm with a camera-enabled broadcast—and it was an undeniable success.