"Wow, our maknae is brave. What would you do if one of the Noeulis made it into Illusionary Realm''s second generation?" "Wouldn''t it be amazing if someone from Noeulis got in? That would be quite impressive, wouldn''t it?"

Diah''s voice had no hint of nervousness at all. She confidently added that if any Noeulis made it through the competitive Illusionary Realm audition, she would gladly give them the "free-use pass."

Of course, this statement had been made without thinking about the consequences. However, Diah''s bold remark went unchecked because, from Ji Hye-min and LUX''s perspective, there was no downside to it.

‘A legal rebellion... This could be fun?’

From Ji Hye-min''s perspective, Diah’s free-use pass pledge was a form of motivation for the Illusionary Realm second generation auditions. It was also an opportunity for the new faces of Illusionary Realm to receive help from Diah.

The "free-use pass" item from Diah would be a huge help for the second generation members, who were newcomers to broadcasting, and it would help them establish themselves in the industry. The content where the younger members could interact freely with Diah, a senior, would undoubtedly create a buzz.

As one of the most experienced broadcasters in Illusionary Realm, Diah would surely have great chemistry with her juniors, and a future show labeled "With Diah" would likely be a great help in attracting new viewers to Illusionary Realm''s second generation.

Not long after, Ha-eun watched in real-time as the official announcement for Illusionary Realm’s second generation auditions was edited.

Tap tap.

──────────

Title Illusionary Realm 2nd Generation Recruitment Notice

Illusionary Realm (M) | 16:30

Hello, this is Illusionary Realm.

We are looking for new members to join Illusionary Realm, and auditions will be held starting from mid-February.

Please check the application form for detailed instructions.

(Application Link)

We appreciate your interest and participation!

Illusionary Realm members from the Spirit Kingdom will receive a free-use pass from Diah (new!)

──────────

"Now it’s official, Diah. Better brace yourself~."

With Diah’s free-use pass now firmly written in the official announcement, the speed of the chat skyrocketed. As Ha-eun faced the messages filled with enthusiasm to "educate" Diah, she couldn’t help but feel a hint of anxiety.

"Starting tomorrow, I’m signing up for a vocal academy.""Aww, Diah is in for some punishment, lol.""A lot of black history for Diah coming up.""If you pass the audition, Diah comes along? This is a huge deal.""24-hour MMORPG King, let''s go!""We have to do a maid cafe broadcast, everyone is clueless."

‘...Hmm.’

What had started as a light joke now seemed like it had gotten out of hand. There was no way to deal with it if the second-generation members insisted that they were Diah’s fans.

Well, still... The second-generation members were mostly kind, so Ha-eun hoped that the playful Na-el wouldn’t take it too far.

And so, in the end, Ha-eun pretended to be nonchalant and said, "If you’re confident, go ahead and apply~." After all, Diah’s free-use pass was meant to be a content-based thing.

Using Diah''s free-use pass as a way to get closer to the second generation of Illusionary Realm wouldn''t be a bad thing either, Ha-eun thought. Of course, she would have to ensure that the second-generation members kept their mouths shut.

It wasn’t long before the topic shifted away from the second-generation members to something else.

"I’m working on a fairly big project, but should I say something about it or not~."

At the mysterious tone of Ji Hye-min’s voice, the chat suddenly exploded with excitement. It was revealed shortly after that Illusionary Realm''s first-year anniversary would feature a 3D avatar project.

"We’re going to debut the 3D avatars right on the first anniversary of our members’ debuts."

"What?""3D?""Is this for real???""If this is a lie, I’ll cut off my hand, Ramji.""So all the 3D avatars of the Great Mage, Slime King, and Gryphon will move around?""What else?""Great Ramji.""That’s so epic, lol.""Are we getting something big? Something big?""How much are they spending on this, damn.""This is crazy.""I’m already full.""What’s going on with Illusionary Realm’s style?""Great Ramji King, now just marry already (message deleted).""I couldn’t even eat rice or soup in the North, lol.""Wait, was the King that King?""Oh, no, not in that way, don’t turn red.""So that’s why the King concept fits so well, huh?""What’s that sniffle?""Aww, is she crying?""Haha, she’s crying ???""Hmm, where did that come from?""I don’t know who it is, but can they call me too?""No, don’t end the broadcast yet!""President, stay!""What about Part 2? Part 2? Part 2?""The chicken hasn’t arrived yet, wait!!!""Is it already over?"

"I’m going to take a break now! Please take care of me next year~."

And so, the Illusionary Realm Year-End Party broadcast finally ended. Ji Hye-min’s gaze shifted to the food left on the table.

"No one can leave until all this is eaten. So, let’s eat first, Ha-eun."

"Yes."

She then handed Ha-eun a soft Castella. After that, they all stayed seated until the food was finished.

The conversation continued, but it was just casual chatter. It was an ordinary meal, but the fact that Ha-eun was sharing it with people she never thought she’d be with made it feel special.

‘...I hope we have a Year-End Party next year.’

Ha-eun had a feeling that this moment would stay in her memory forever. The scene in front of her, the voices she heard, everything felt special.

***

Time passed after the Illusionary Realm Year-End Party broadcast, and finally, December 31st arrived.

The winter vacation for Narae High School had already begun, so there was no need to go to school early in the morning.

The only scheduled activity for the day was the filming of The Sunshine.

Normally, this would mean a somewhat leisurely morning, but...

“Mom, I’m going out for a bit.”

“Okay~.”

A phone call early in the morning required a brief outing.

[Do you have a bit of time today? I want to tell you something I couldn’t say last time.]

Click.

[It’s fine until lunchtime, right? Then let’s meet at the cafe near the station, around 11.]

Click, click.

[Oh, and could you wear something like a suit? Or a school uniform is fine too.]

Click.Squeak—.

[I thought about it, and it might be better to wear something with charisma, rather than comfortable clothes. I’ll tell you the reason when we meet.]

“...I’m here.”

“Oh, Ha-eun! Welcome.”

There was Yoo Sung-jae’s familiar face, and right next to him, a stranger’s face.

‘Who is this...? A manager?’

With a slightly puzzled expression, Ha-eun sat across from Yoo Sung-jae. The stranger, who had been carefully observing Ha-eun, spoke to him.

“You really look different in a school uniform.”

“It’s the same, right, Director?”

Not long after, an unexpected self-introduction followed. But perhaps it was because the name that was mentioned was so familiar to Ha-eun.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Hong-seong, the director of Veterans.”

Ha-eun, momentarily stunned and blinking her eyes, eventually extended her hand. After the brief handshake, Yoo Sung-jae got to the real reason for their meeting.

“We were hoping Ha-eun could play the antagonist in Veterans. Would you be interested?”

A sense of certainty followed, as if Yoo Sung-jae was sure Ha-eun could perform well as the villain. An explanation of the antagonist’s character in Veterans was provided as well.

However, Ha-eun already knew about the movie.

She was familiar with the character.

“It’s a third-generation chaebol, with a bit of a psychopath streak? The character is someone whose way of thinking and emotions are completely different from an average person.”

The thin script for Veterans was handed over to Ha-eun as the conversation continued.

Ha-eun’s gaze lingered for a moment on the character’s trait of being a ‘third-generation chaebol.’

‘...A psychopath, huh.’

In a way, that seemed accurate.

Ha-eun whispered something in her mind that she couldn’t say aloud to others. She then turned the script page again.@@@@