If she could, Ha-eun would have wanted to erase the two characters Diah from Da-yeon''s mind completely.

If only she could.

‘This is the first time I’ve felt this powerless...’

As is often the case when you find yourself thinking, If only I could...,

the thought came because it was something that simply couldn’t be done. Ha-eun was overwhelmed by the bitter reality of facing an issue she couldn’t solve.

No matter how much she wracked her brain, there was no solution.

There was no way to prevent the disaster of Diah’s voice pack playing through Da-yeon’s pristine white earphones.

The fact that Da-yeon would end up owning and enjoying a compilation of Diah’s cute voice lines was already a problem in itself.

But the greater issue was the potential for an even worse disaster to occur.

What if, just what if...

“Hey, Ha-eun... you should listen to this... It’s so cute and soothing...”

If Da-yeon ever said those words and played Diah’s cheerful voice for Ha-eun,

there was no doubt that Ha-eun would be faced with the ultimate humiliation when Da-yeon’s earphones were inserted into her ears.

In the end, all Ha-eun could do was politely decline Da-yeon’s suggestion to also buy Diah’s merchandise.

She had no choice but to fear the disaster that would unfold in the future. The crushing reality was that she was helpless.

Sigh...

Ha-eun couldn’t hold back a groan as she buried her face in her hands.

She slumped her head low.

“Ugh...”

Upon hearing Ha-eun’s sudden change, Da-yeon’s voice, full of confusion, came through.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?”

“...It’s because of you.”

Ha-eun’s response was a whispered thought, hidden behind her now-closed eyes.

She could almost hear a trace of laughter in Da-yeon’s confused voice, though it could have been a momentary misunderstanding.

After a few moments of shuffling around, Da-yeon pulled out her phone again to browse the promotional post for Diah’s merchandise.

“And I’ll put the acrylic stand on my bed’s shelf. The keychain should go on my wallet.”

Right next to Ha-eun, as if to make sure she could hear, Da-yeon murmured a list of the items she intended to buy.

Her voice wasn’t meant for Ha-eun, but the timing made it impossible not to hear.

“Hm, it would’ve been nice if they had character cushions. Why isn’t there a cushion?”

“...Maybe they just didn’t offer it...”

Ha-eun knew she had to keep a poker face no matter what Da-yeon said if she wanted to protect her identity.

But at that moment, the best she could do was show no interest in the Diah merchandise.

Soon, the lunch hour was nearly over.

Ha-eun quickly stood up, citing the excuse that it was time to prepare for her fifth class, and quickly walked away, heading toward her classroom.

And as Ha-eun left, Da-yeon, still sitting on the bench in the hallway, let out a quiet chuckle.

“...Pfft.”

Ha-eun didn’t hear the meaningful laugh, unaware of Da-yeon’s amusement.

***

“Hey, Ha-eun, did something happen at school?”

The moment Ha-eun stepped into Ju Jung-yun’s van, she was greeted with her manager’s curious voice.

In response, Ha-eun muttered vaguely, brushing it off with, “It’s nothing.”

Afterward, she shifted the conversation to the upcoming final recording session for Infinite Challenge Music Festival, scheduled for the following week.

“Next week, do we need to go to the broadcasting station instead of the studio?”

“Yes, and we’ll stop by the makeup shop first.”

The next recording was a final gathering of all the festival participants at the Gocheok Sky Dome before their big performance.

Unlike previous sessions where everyone worked individually with their partners, this time, all the participants would come together at the studio. They’d discuss their expectations and excitement for the performance.

However, as Infinite Challenge was an entertainment show, not a documentary, the day’s recording would also include filming for various mini-games, with rewards related to the performance.

‘I think they said we’d determine the performance order during this session.’@@@@

She recalled that among the mini-game prizes was the right to choose the order of the performances.

In other words, to secure her preferred slot, Ha-eun needed to give her best and win the games.

Ha-eun reached out to Illusionary Realm’s general manager with her plan.

[Ha-eun, based on what you’re suggesting, it seems like the stream might go on for quite a while. Will your schedule allow it?]

“Yes, I don’t have any other commitments on the day of the cover song release.”

Ultimately, they decided to split the marathon broadcast into two parts:

Part 1 for the release of Diah’s first cover song and Part 2 to showcase Diah’s merchandise.

By combining the two events into a single day, Ha-eun aimed to amplify interest in both.

Plans were also in motion to review other members’ cover songs and merchandise as soon as possible.

In particular, Ha-eun was eager about the broadcast reviewing Yuna’s cover song—a project she had poured her heart into.

“...I can’t wait.”

It was exhilarating to think that the song Ha-eun had loved most in her previous life was something she had now coached and refined to present to the world.

For now, her focus was on Diah.

As the first Illusionary Realm member to release both a cover song and merchandise, Diah’s success would set the tone for the others.

Finally, the day of Diah’s cover song and merchandise broadcast arrived.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!“Is this the ‘Cute Talents Show’ broadcast?”Open the door! Open the door! Open the door! Open the door!FBI OPEN UP!!!!!“At last! Today is the day our Diah sings!”“Diah, I’m dying from anticipation. Save me!”“There are still three minutes left! Aaargh!”

Having completed all her preparations, Ha-eun picked up her phone to replay the version of her cover song she had re-recorded with a calmer vibe.

Without saying a word, she listened, letting the music steady her nerves.

?──??───??─??

Diah’s usual high-energy vibe had been toned down, replaced with a more serene atmosphere.

It wasn’t quite like the dazzling skill and clear timbre of Pinocchio; instead, it was a voice characterized by its composed simplicity.

Ha-eun wasn’t sure how others would perceive it, but to her, it perfectly captured a “serious” side of Diah.

As the countdown began, the chat became increasingly animated.

10!“Finally, 10 seconds left!”999999999“What does a pigeon’s coo sound like?”999998!!!!8888888

Ha-eun slipped on her headset as the Noeulis’ countdown reached its climax.

Click.

The previously empty broadcast screen lit up with the music video for Diah’s first cover song, “Faded Staccato.”

The serene illustrations that filled the screen quickly grabbed everyone’s attention.

“Whoa, what’s this?”“Wow.”“The art is amazing.”“She’s been hiding this gem, huh?”“Is that really our Diah?”

Although Ji Hye-min had suggested releasing the illustrations ahead of time, Ha-eun had kept them under wraps, believing it would heighten anticipation.

Judging by the overwhelmingly positive reactions in the chat, it seemed her decision was correct.

As the instrumental intro faded and the first vocal part arrived, Ha-eun began to sing.

“Disjointed. A mess. So clumsy it was...?”

Instead of the full music video, she streamed the instrumental track (MR) and sang live.

Even though over ten thousand Noeulis were now watching, not a single one realized that what they were hearing was a live performance.

“This brings back so many memories!”“The Korean lyrics are beautifully adapted.”“Wait... why is she singing so well?”“All hail Queen Diah!”“The chat’s gone silent because everyone’s too busy enjoying this!”

No one—not even Ji Hye-min—had been told about her surprise live performance.

While Ha-eun could have simply played the pre-recorded music video, she wanted to momentarily fulfill the dream that had driven her to learn to sing in the first place.

So, she left her microphone on.

Her gaze drifted to the small Diah acrylic stand on the streaming desk.

Behind it, her monitor displayed an overwhelming flood of praise.

“She’s so captivating in this serious mode.”“Who is this? Seriously, WHO IS THIS?”“Was this song always this good?”“Our baby Diah has gained charisma!”“Playlists updated!”

These were all things she had dreamed of for so long.

Her vision blurred slightly as emotions welled up, even though “Faded Staccato” wasn’t a sad song.

Just being able to sing like this felt like a dream come true.

“...How was it?”

“All hail Queen Diah!”“What a vibe. My heart...”“Calm and lovely.”“You’ve clearly practiced a lot!”“She’s got every right to scold Yuna for being lazy, LOL.”“Can we have more singing streams now?”“Who knew our ‘baby’ Diah was the best singer in Illusionary Realm?”

Ha-eun’s lips curled slightly into a small smile as she read the chat, her heart brimming with joy.