Ha-eun couldn’t help but be excited about the unexpectedly high quality of her 3D avatar.

She was also genuinely curious about just how much could be accomplished with the 3D avatar.

That’s why she tried out the deep bow she had been secretly practicing.

From start to finish, everything she did was meant as preliminary practice for Diah’s full-tracking broadcast.

"Couldn’t someone have warned me that someone was coming...?"

"How was I supposed to know Dong-jin would walk in at that exact moment?"

Having someone catch her in a circus-like pose was embarrassing enough.

The fact that it was a male senior in her workplace made it even worse.

"...How am I supposed to face Kang-jung now...?"

"The more you dwell on it, the weirder it gets. Just forget about it—it’ll be easier for both you and Dong-jin."

The embarrassment and shame were overwhelming, far beyond what Ha-eun could handle.

That’s why she ended up crouching in a corner of the studio instead of continuing her personal practice.

Of course, Diah’s 3D avatar still functioned perfectly.

As a result, Diah on the screen was also crouching, her face buried in her knees.

"At least you weren’t wearing something skintight. If you’d been in a bodysuit, it would’ve been way worse than what just happened."

"Is... is that supposed to comfort me?"

"Probably?"

The suggestion to grab lunch came shortly after.

Ji Hye-min added that she’d treat Ha-eun to something delicious as thanks for her hard work on the 3D avatar test.

Since it was already past noon, Ha-eun accepted the invitation.

However, as it turned out, Lee Dong-jin, who had been outside the studio, ended up joining them for the meal.

-Step, step.

-Step, step.

‘...This is so awkward I could die....’

On the way to a restaurant near the LUX office, Ha-eun couldn’t bring herself to say a single word to Dong-jin.

It wasn’t as if Dong-jin was any less uncomfortable around her.

However, he was adamant about separating personal and professional matters.

"Um, Ha-eun?"

"Y-Yes?"

"So, about the rehearsal schedule for the one-year anniversary performance..."

Sitting across from Ha-eun at the table, Dong-jin forced himself to speak.

He needed to sort out the schedule issues first and foremost.

"It seems there’s a delay in the delivery of the motion capture equipment we ordered from overseas. Because of that, we’ll likely need to push the rehearsal dates back a bit."

What followed was a discussion about Ha-eun’s packed schedule.

Since she had to attend school in the mornings and head to filming sets in the afternoons, an alternative plan for the postponed rehearsals was suggested shortly after.

"I believe you have a The Moonlight That Parts the Clouds shoot scheduled on this day, correct?"

"Oh, yes."

"In that case, could you come to the studio after the shoot? It seems like the only time available will be later in the evening."

For Dong-jin, who had to coordinate the schedules of five people, this was the best solution.

While it was essential to prioritize Ha-eun’s schedule, the other members’ commitments also had to be taken into account.

Fortunately, Ha-eun’s response was positive.

With that, they were able to finalize a new rehearsal schedule.

"You’ll probably be tired after filming The Moonlight That Parts the Clouds, so we’ll try to wrap things up as quickly as possible."

Dong-jin’s visibly relieved expression made it clear how stressed he had been.

Only after resolving the scheduling issue did he finally pick up his utensils to eat.

Once the atmosphere at the table became more relaxed, and Ha-eun managed to push the memory of her earlier embarrassing moment out of her mind, she brought up Diah’s full-tracking broadcast.

"What do I need to do for a personal broadcast using the 3D avatar?"

"Oh, we’ll show you how to link the avatar later. Alternatively, we can set it up remotely for you─"

The discussion about 3D avatar setup continued for quite some time.

They also talked about potential content ideas for Diah’s full-tracking broadcast.

In conclusion, there were no significant issues with the content Ha-eun had planned.

Considering Ha-eun’s excellent physical abilities, everyone felt confident she would handle the full-tracking broadcast with ease.

However, there was one concern regarding future plans.

"Hmm, Ha-eun?"

"Yes?"

"Our next major project after the one-year anniversary performance is Illusionary Realm’s second generation debut."

The concern was indirectly tied to Diah’s full-tracking broadcast.

To be more precise:

"Whenever she gets the chance, she talks about you, Ha-eun."

According to Dong-jin, most of the small talk during Nael’s debut preparations revolved around Ha-eun and her character, Kim Jung-hyun.

However, for some reason, every time Nael brought up Ha-eun, Da-yeon’s mood would noticeably shift.

When Nael first mentioned collaborating with Diah, Da-yeon’s demeanor became especially sharp.

"She doesn’t openly show that she’s upset, but... how should I put this? There’s this subtle glare."

"...Why do you think that is?"

Dong-jin, perplexed by Da-yeon’s pointed reactions, asked Ha-eun to let him know if she ever figured out the reason behind them.

***

"Lee Ha-eun."

"?"

"Don’t ever accept snacks or anything like that from someone you don’t know."

"Only take what I give you."

Da-yeon, sitting right next to Ha-eun, said this as she handed over a cookie she’d bought at the school store.

Her words sounded like the kind of safety lecture you’d hear as a child—‘Don’t follow strangers, okay?’—so Ha-eun naturally found them odd.

When she asked why Da-yeon was saying this, she replied:

"I-I saw it on the news. Someone spiked coffee with drugs and then kidnapped people."

Da-yeon, looking slightly flustered, insisted that she was just worried about Ha-eun.

Ha-eun blinked in confusion but decided to go along with it and said she understood.

She had no idea that all of this stemmed from Da-yeon’s concern about the upcoming cooking collaboration with Nael.

After all, Da-yeon wasn’t supposed to know Diah’s true identity.

So Ha-eun took her words at face value.

She didn’t think the cookie in her hand carried any deeper meaning.

However, seeing Da-yeon acting uncharacteristically protective sparked a playful streak in Ha-eun.

"Should I not eat what Jung-yoon unnie gives me either?"

"M-Manager unnie is fine."

"What about the food my mom makes?"

"...Give me the cookie back."

Ha-eun teased her relentlessly until Da-yeon finally snapped.

As Da-yeon reached out to grab the cookie from Ha-eun’s hand, Ha-eun quickly bit into it with a mischievous grin.

"Snatch it if you can~."

But when Da-yeon actually tried to snatch it right out of her mouth, the cookie broke clean in half.

In the end, Ha-eun only managed to eat half of it.

The other half? Straight into Da-yeon’s mouth.

When Ha-eun, impressed by how sweet the cookie was, asked for another one, Da-yeon...

-Swoosh.

-Chomp.

"Snatch it if you dare."

...mimicked Ha-eun’s earlier teasing exactly.

Ha-eun, quick with her hands, tried to swipe the cookie from Da-yeon this time.

-Snap!

But just as her hand was about to reach, Da-yeon shut her mouth and swallowed the cookie whole.

As a result, Ha-eun’s hand inadvertently struck Da-yeon’s lips.

"Ow, ow, that hurt...!"

"I-I’m sorry."

Ha-eun hastily apologized, brushing at the tint mark now smudged on her hand while glancing nervously at Da-yeon.

The faint tears forming in Da-yeon’s eyes suggested she really had been hurt.

What Ha-eun didn’t notice, however, was that Da-yeon wasn’t looking at her face but at her hand.

Nor did she catch the subtle tremble in Da-yeon’s gaze.