Min Da-yeon had no ulterior motive—she swore to the heavens. She was simply amazed that Ha-eun, at just eleven years old, already had faintly visible abs. That alone was the reason she had poked the spot right next to Ha-eun’s navel with her index finger. There was no other reason, none at all.

    "So, please stop being mad at me. I said I was sorry."

    "...I''m not mad."

    Ha-eun’s tone was calm, as usual, but her ears were bright red, almost the color of a tomato.

    Having been by Ha-eun''s side for nearly four years now, Da-yeon knew that her sudden action had rattled Ha-eun. Despite having finished their bath and dinner, Ha-eun still hadn’t fully recovered from the embarrassment. Honestly, Da-yeon couldn’t quite understand why Ha-eun was so flustered; they were the same age and both girls, so what was the big deal about a little poke?

    But it was such a rare, unfamiliar expression on Ha-eun’s face that even the self-centered Min Da-yeon found herself paying attention.

    ‘How long has she been working out to already have abs...?’

    Da-yeon’s ambitious plan to uncover Ha-eun''s acting secrets had momentarily taken a backseat.

    Soon enough, Na-yeon brought in a plate of fruit, reminding them not to stay up too late. Ha-eun, still speaking awkwardly, pulled a few books off her shelf for Da-yeon to read, casting quick, shy glances at her.

    ‘...This is awkward.’

    Da-yeon felt an urge to set the books aside and do something—anything—to break the tension, but she found herself holding back when she saw Ha-eun sitting at her desk, writing something that looked like a diary.

    But just then, Da-yeon noticed something.

    “Alright, now it’s exactly 9 p.m., so if you haven’t already, please hit that like button~.”

    Realizing that the video on Ha-eun’s monitor wasn’t just any YouTube video but a livestream, Da-yeon’s curiosity grew. Not only was Ha-eun watching a livestream, but she was also jotting down notes as she watched.

    Da-yeon leaned in, curious. “Hey, Ha-eun, what... are you doing?”@@@@

    Standing on her tiptoes, she peeked over at Ha-eun’s notebook, which was filled with densely written notes. Ha-eun hesitated, almost stammering as if unsure of what to say. Da-yeon’s mind raced with a theory.

    ‘Could this be... Ha-eun’s secret acting method?!’

    Not long after, Joo Jung-yoon arrived at Ha-eun’s home with news worth celebrating.

    “Ha-eun, you’ve been officially cast as young Han Yoo-hwa! Filming begins in two weeks, so from now on, you’ll need to...”

    Jung-yoon proceeded to discuss everything Ha-eun would need to know before starting the shoot for *My Love From the Stars*. But as a seasoned actress with experience in lead roles, Ha-eun felt confident about the new project. She had already familiarized herself with many key scenes from the script.

    “Double Lee has been busy filming *Infinite Challenge* and *Don’t Stop the People*, so it might be better to take a break from vocal lessons for a while—”

    “Oh, Jung-yoon unni. Can I still keep the vocal lessons? Even if we cut it down to once a week, or once every two weeks?”

    Unlike the filming for *The Neighbor Uncle*, Ha-eun was determined to continue her vocal lessons with Double Lee, even if it meant reducing their frequency.

    ‘Ha-eun, can you lower the pitch just a bit this time? And don’t always rely on your chest voice; try mixing in some head voice occasionally.’

    ‘Joon, we don’t want to strain her voice. She’s too young to be pushing herself so hard.’

    ‘I can’t help it. She corrects herself with every single piece of feedback we give her.’

    Ha-eun wanted to keep seeing the two members of Double Lee together in their studio. In her memories, an unfortunate incident would soon tear them apart, but that event hadn’t happened yet.

    In other words, there was still a chance to prevent it.

    She valued her relationship with Double Lee dearly and wanted to do whatever she could to help preserve it.

    Of course, Ha-eun had no idea what ripple effects this decision might have in the future, but she figured it was better to act now than regret it later.

    “Alright then, I’ll talk to them and see what we can arrange.”

    “Thank you, Jung-yoon unni. Also, could I ask you one more favor?”

    “Yes? What is it?”

    “Um... could you possibly get me the contact information for Joon and Gun-yeol’s managers?”

    As always, Ha-eun was determined to give it her best shot. She had no intention of doing any less.