Small cameras were set up all around the tidy studio.
The production staff of Infinite Challenge had transformed the adjacent room into a monitoring station, busily preparing for the shoot.
“So, this is how they film observational variety shows... Interesting.”
Ha-eun had just arrived at Hwang Ji-hyuk’s studio and was curiously taking in the bustling scene. It wasn’t long before her assigned writer approached and fitted her with a microphone for the shoot.
Thanks to an early morning visit to the makeup studio for on-camera makeup, there was no need for additional touch-ups. Strictly speaking, the makeup she’d received was minimal—just a quick fix of her bangs and eyebrows.
“Yoon Si-hyuk said he’ll be here in about 15 minutes.”
The voice belonged to PD Lee Seung-hwan, who was in charge of filming today’s Infinite Challenge Song Festival segment featuring Ha-eun and Yoon Si-hyuk. After listening to his instructions attentively, Ha-eun found herself waiting with Hwang Ji-hyuk in the inner part of the studio.
However, PD Lee had a special request: he wanted the cameras to capture some casual small talk between Ha-eun and Hwang Ji-hyuk.
“Hmm, why do you look so stiff?”
“P-public broadcast is a first for me... I’m really nervous.”
“You’ll get used to it. Or, would you like to go wash your face real quick?”
Noticing how nervous Hwang Ji-hyuk appeared—more so than during the SIT ON THE MONEY live finals—Ha-eun struck up a lighthearted conversation.
After all, the smoother things went with Hwang Ji-hyuk, the easier it would be for her and Yoon Si-hyuk to work on the song. Since they’d be meeting frequently to prepare for the Song Festival performance, making a good first impression was essential.
Continuing in that spirit, Ha-eun asked him to share some of the melody sketches he had already worked on. Keeping him focused on his craft seemed like the best way to ease his nerves.
“You mentioned Yoon Si-hyuk enjoys your music, so don’t worry too much.”
“He does? Yoon Si-hyuk?”
“Yes, he said your style suits him perfectly.”
Engaging him in conversation, Ha-eun listened to the melody sketches, which varied widely in mood and emotion, offering plenty of options to choose from.
Gradually, Hwang Ji-hyuk’s nervous demeanor faded as he busied himself with the studio’s equipment. By the time Yoon Si-hyuk arrived, he was able to greet him with the composure of a seasoned musician rather than that of a nervous rookie on a variety show.
“Hello, I’m Hwang Ji-hyuk. We spoke over the phone before.”
“Ah, great to meet you! I really enjoy your music.”
After exchanging pleasantries, Yoon Si-hyuk turned his attention to Ha-eun, showing clear excitement at seeing her again.
“How long has it been since we last met on TV? Seven, eight years?”
“Yeah, about that long.”
“Wow, time flies. I first saw you when you were in elementary school, and now you’re in high school.”
His voice carried a touch of nostalgia, and he soon added with a smile:
“You were adorable back then, but now you’re a full-fledged queen. Kids who stand out early definitely grow into something special.”
“Thank you. Oh, and congratulations on your new baby boy!”
Their conversation naturally drifted into catching up on life events. Since it had been a while since their last meeting, there was plenty to talk about.
From reminiscing about Don’t Stop People to Yoon Si-hyuk’s thoughts on Moonlight Divided by Clouds, they shared their stories. It wasn’t until after all this that they finally began discussing the Song Festival performance.
As the discussion kicked off, the studio filled with the melodies that Ha-eun and Hwang Ji-hyuk had sketched out in advance.
After playing all the sketches, Ha-eun turned to Yoon Si-hyuk with a question.
“So, which one do you like best?”
“Can I be honest?”
“Of course.”
“They’re all amazing. I want to do all of them!”
He let out a small sigh, muttering to himself, “This is such a tough choice...” Then he asked to hear the melodies again, prompting Hwang Ji-hyuk to queue them up for replay.
It took about 20 minutes before a final decision was made.
“Personally, I think the second one would work best. What do you think, Ha-eun?”
“I think it’s a good choice. The tempo feels just right.”
In truth, Ha-eun wasn’t too concerned with which melody was chosen. She was confident in her ability to perform any of them, and Yoon Si-hyuk was a skilled singer in his own right.
Her priority was to finalize the melody quickly and dedicate more time to the next stage: lyric writing.
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“I don’t want it to be overly comedic. I’d like the lyrics to have at least some meaning.”
After all, Infinite Challenge was one of Korea’s most popular variety shows, and the Song Festival special drew massive attention.
The venue, Gocheok Sky Dome, could accommodate nearly 20,000 people, meaning not only the live audience but also countless viewers at home would hear her song.
“I’d like to avoid overly humorous lyrics. Is that okay?”
“Of course.”
Ha-eun personally wanted the lyrics to convey her aspirations as an artist aiming for stardom.
“To write meaningful lyrics, it’s important to settle on a central theme first. Why don’t we decide on a working title for the song?”
Following Hwang Ji-hyuk’s suggestion, Ha-eun brainstormed for a while. Yoon Si-hyuk, sitting across from her, also pitched ideas, but it was Ha-eun’s proposal that won him over.
“How about Trend? It means ‘fashion’ or ‘fad.’”
“Trend? Like, you and I are leading the world’s trends?”
“Um, kind of. Something like that?”
“I love it! Ha-eun, you’ve got great instincts.”
Thus, the working title for their song was decided: Trend.
With the title set, they spent the next few hours refining the chosen melody. Hwang Ji-hyuk added layers like bass, drums, and guitar, incorporating feedback from Ha-eun and Yoon Si-hyuk to fine-tune the composition.
By the time the second recording session wrapped up, it was a couple of hours later.
“You all did a great job today. See you at the next recording,” PD Lee said, clearly satisfied with the smooth shoot. The small cameras set up around the studio were left in place for future sessions.
Before leaving, Yoon Si-hyuk was added to the chatroom Ha-eun and Hwang Ji-hyuk used to brainstorm ideas.
“Feel free to share any punchlines or lyric ideas you come up with!”
“Got it~.”
After bidding farewell to Yoon Si-hyuk, Ha-eun turned to Hwang Ji-hyuk with a request.
“I need to record something personal. Would it be okay if I used the recording booth for a bit?”
“Of course. I’ll monitor it for you.”
“Thank you.”
She stayed in the studio for another 30 minutes to record a guide vocal for Lee Ye-na’s upcoming cover song.
The only hitch came when Hwang Ji-hyuk, listening from outside the recording booth, asked her about the purpose of the recording. Thankfully, he had no idea it was for a VTuber cover song.
“Are you appearing on King of Masked Singer? Or maybe Immortal Songs?”
“No, nothing like that. Just helping out a friend.”
She couldn’t reveal that the song would eventually be released as a cover by Ha-eun, the VTuber from Illusionary Land.
***
With the second recording session for the Infinite Challenge Song Festival as the starting point, Ha-eun’s schedule began to pick up pace once again.
Days when she would either leave school early or head straight to the set of The Sunshine after classes became increasingly frequent.
This was due to the varied time settings of the scenes featuring her character, Kim Jeong-hyun, in The Sunshine.
Some scenes took place in the late evening, just before sunset, while others were set at midday, when the sun was at its highest point.
Of course, she had no complaints about this process, especially since it was all part of creating a drama that would eventually be hailed as a masterpiece.
Regardless of the timing, she gave her best effort to portray Kim Jeong-hyun.
The filming of The Sunshine was proceeding smoothly, without any major delays.
The quieter, early stages of the drama were nearly completed, paving the way for the more dynamic middle portion.
The middle part of the drama saw Kim Jeong-hyun evolving from a stereotypical “wealthy young lady” into a more multidimensional character.
To deliver a more immersive performance, Ha-eun arranged a meeting with The Sunshine’s scriptwriter, Hong Su-eun.
“I know the scenes well enough.”
Ha-eun had seen the drama’s scenes on TV before, and while she could follow the lines and actions from memory,
she couldn’t capture the underlying intentions and meanings hidden within them.
To better understand the motivations behind Kim Jeong-hyun’s many choices, Ha-eun wanted to hear directly from the person who created her character.
The day of the meeting arrived. Much like her first visit to Ji Hye-min’s home, Ha-eun carried a small gift in hand as she rang the doorbell.
Ding-dong.
Creak.
“Oh, Ha-eun. I’ve been waiting for you. Come on in.”
Following Hong Su-eun inside, Ha-eun was greeted by a neatly organized home.
Despite the absence of luxury items or famous artworks, the house exuded an understated elegance.
The destination was Hong Su-eun’s personal study.
The wooden table and black-painted chairs lent a refined atmosphere to the room.
As Ha-eun was about to ask the questions she’d prepared about Kim Jeong-hyun, something caught her eye.
“Huh, what’s that...?”
On the scriptwriter’s desk lay a notebook with the title Gods and Goblins written on the cover.
Instead of starting with her prepared questions about her character, Ha-eun couldn’t resist asking about the notebook.
Hearing her tentative question, Hong Su-eun picked up the notebook and began to explain.
What Hong Su-eun revealed matched Ha-eun’s memories exactly, from the title to the details.
This meant that the story within the notebook also aligned with what Ha-eun remembered.
“The protagonist is a high schooler like you, Ha-eun. Would you mind sharing some thoughts from a high schooler’s perspective?”
When Hong Su-eun asked if she could help complete the still-unfinished story, Ha-eun nodded without hesitation.
Gods and Goblins was one of the works she absolutely wanted to appear in someday.
More importantly, in Ha-eun’s memory, the impact of Gods and Goblins on society was monumental, almost a cultural phenomenon.
If she wanted to achieve her dream of becoming a superstar, grabbing the opportunity to be part of Gods and Goblins was essential.
Thus, Ha-eun’s initial goal of deepening her understanding of Kim Jeong-hyun was joined by a new objective: pursuing Gods and Goblins.
As a result, her return home was delayed by several hours, but she didn’t mind.
She couldn’t afford to let either of these opportunities slip through her fingers.
Having faced death once, Ha-eun understood better than anyone that opportunities didn’t come easily.