Birthday.
The day of birth.
However, for Ha-eun, it wasn’t just any birthday.
It was a "rebirth" day, making it a little more special than others.
It was the day she could truly feel that she was living a life different from her past life.
Unlike her previous life, which had been uneventful, today was a day she could look forward to.
Birthday cake.
Gentle candles.
Happy birthday song.
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People to spend it with.
A day when she could expect all of that.
‘...Am I still young?’
Of course, nothing particularly extraordinary happened on her birthday.
However, just being celebrated by others, like everyone else, made her feel emotional.
The most significant moment was the surprise birthday party thrown by the The Sunshine staff and actors.
‘I never expected I’d be blowing out candles on set.’
As always, Ha-eun had a tendency to be deeply affected by things she didn’t expect.
For example, the sudden appearance of Shirooni.
Or the unexpected twist in Sea Butterfly.
The things that were different from what Ha-eun had thought ultimately lifted her emotions.
The surprise birthday party just a few minutes ago made Ha-eun feel even more emotional.
Perhaps that’s why.
"Looks like you really enjoyed studying abroad in Tokyo."
"...Why do you think so?"
"Because you stopped sending me letters. Honestly, I was a little hurt."
Today, Kim Jung-hyun felt more like a friendly girl than a noble lady.
She treated Hwang Tae-seong not as her betrothed but as her childhood friend, showing a side of her that was far from the usual dignified self.
There was an air of youth about her.
The atmosphere of their conversation was also not much different from their childhood days.
"So, did you really come back to Joseon because of me? Were you that worried about me?"
"Isn’t it weird not to worry if someone gets shot?"
It felt like Ha-eun was talking to the young Kim Jung-hyun.
The gaze, expression, and voice that Ha-eun directed at Hwang Tae-seong showed no distance at all.
Even her graceful eyes seemed a little more excited, as if she was genuinely happy to see him.
Today, Ha-eun looked very youthful in many ways.
It would be a complete lie to say that Ha-eun’s acting didn’t fluster Ba Jin-hyeok even a little.
Ha-eun’s voice tone, which was unexpectedly friendly, led to several small NGs from Ba Jin-hyeok.
"Ah, sorry for laughing. I just can’t help it, you remind me of my niece."
"It’s... fine."
Although Ba Jin-hyeok still didn’t fully understand why, the boundary between Ha-eun’s acting and her true self felt particularly blurry today.
That’s why Ba Jin-hyeok’s voice tone kept wavering.
However, in the script, Kim Jung-hyun saw Hwang Tae-seong not as a lover but as a comfortable friend.
So Ha-eun’s friendly acting tone wasn’t wrong.
Hwang Tae-seong, whom Ba Jin-hyeok had to portray, saw Kim Jung-hyun as more than just a friend—he saw her as his fiancée.
Therefore, Kim Jung-hyun couldn’t laugh and treat Hwang Tae-seong like a friend.
What needed to be captured by the camera was the duality of Hwang Tae-seong, his outside and inside not matching.
"Well, it looks like you weren’t seriously injured."
"Well, it wasn’t a small injury."
"Then why did you get involved in dangerous things like hunting? You
used to cry so much even when you stumbled."
"C-Cried? When?"
"Remember when you were seven? You cried so loud, your voice echoed."
Hwang Tae-seong acted like he was treating Kim Jung-hyun as a casual friend, but inside, he was still deeply concerned about what to do with her.
His feelings toward Kim Jung-hyun were conflicted, and this needed to come through in his acting.
Hwang Tae-seong’s desire was for the promise made years ago to be fulfilled.
He wanted to see the bond of marriage that he and Kim Jung-hyun had made as children come to life.
The real reason Hwang Tae-seong had returned to Joseon after finishing his studies in Tokyo was to marry Kim Jung-hyun.
The news that she had been shot was enough to make him impatient.
He couldn’t wait any longer.
He had fallen in love with her at first sight as a child, and just being near her made his heart race. He wanted to be with her somehow.
But, he knew that revealing his feelings immediately might make Kim Jung-hyun feel burdened.
So, for now, he decided to focus on making her see him as a man, not just a childhood friend.
"I’ll make sure to visit you often. Take good care of yourself."
With those words, Hwang Tae-seong left, knowing that their relationship was still in limbo.
Not long after, he arrived at his accommodation, where he could finally open the small ring case.
Click
"...I wonder when I’ll be able to show it to her."
The expensive ring case was different from the others, and inside, two neatly placed rings were visible.
His attachment to Kim Jung-hyun, which had become clear after leaving her, was now evident.
Hwang Tae-seong’s feelings for her had never faded, not even for a moment since childhood.
That was why he was so curious about who Kim Jung-hyun had feelings for.
He wondered who she liked and why she couldn’t see him as a romantic partner.
His gaze moved to a newspaper on the table in front of him.
Setting the ring case down, Hwang Tae-seong began reading an article about an unsolved case.
But the more he read, the more a bad feeling settled in.
The date of the assassination of one of the government officials and the date Kim Jung-hyun was shot seemed too coincidental to be mere chance.
"She said it was a mistake... But can someone really accidentally get shot in the shoulder?"
A strange feeling of foreboding began to fill his mind.
Hwang Tae-seong had a hunch that there was some kind of connection between the assassination of the official and Kim Jung-hyun’s injury.
The black ring case and the newspaper article about the assassination were placed on the table.
While they appeared unrelated, Hwang Tae-seong felt an eerie connection between them.
As he stared at both the ring case and the newspaper, the scene faded to a close, signaling that something involving Kim Jung-hyun was about to unfold.
"Good work today."
The bustling sounds of the set followed as staff began cleaning up the lights and cameras.
Not long after, Ha-eun headed toward the dressing room.
But even after changing back into her original clothes, she couldn’t shake off the giddy feeling she had.
"Is it because it’s my birthday? You seem extra excited today."
The writer who had organized Ha-eun’s surprise birthday party approached her and commented on how happy she seemed.
It was clear from Ha-eun’s mood that she was in a good place.
"Did you get a lot of presents?"
"Yeah, the fans sent me so much."
They kept talking about the events of the day, and eventually, as they arrived at the parking lot of the set, the writer wished her a final happy birthday.
Ha-eun returned the thank you and mentioned how touched she was by the surprise.
"Someone throwing me a surprise birthday party, this is the first time. Thank you."
"Of course, it’s your special day. You deserve it."
Soon after, Ha-eun climbed into Ju Jung-yoon’s van, and the farewell was heard.
"Good work today~. Make sure to enjoy the seaweed soup your mom made when you get home."
Ha-eun waved goodbye lightly in response to the writer’s parting words.
Before long, the van set off toward Ha-eun’s home.
"Jung-yoon, Mom says you should eat too."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
And so, Ju Jung-yoon followed Ha-eun into her house.
The sound of a familiar, warm voice greeted them.
"Ah, Jung-yoon! You worked hard until late!"
Nayeon said the birthday table was already set.
Not long after, Ha-eun’s final birthday party for the day began.
"Happy birthday to our beloved Ha-eun~."
The birthday song sung by three people sounded as pleasant as usual.
The gentle light of the candles was blown out, and the sound of clapping followed.
"........"
It was the familiar sound she had heard every year, but for some reason, Ha-eun found herself unable to speak.
She felt a strange yet complex emotion.
But still, it wasn’t a bad or unpleasant feeling.
"The seaweed soup... it’s delicious."
"Of course, isn’t it?"
They chatted casually, eating the meal Nayeon had thoughtfully prepared.
It was just light conversation about the events of the day.
But it was fine.
Just talking at the same table, in the same house, was enough for her.
However, as dinner came to a close, Nayeon shared something unexpected.
"Da-yeon called Mom and said Happy New Year."
"She did? She told me to tell you Happy New Year too."
The conversation shifted to Da-yeon.
And then came more surprising news.
"Oh, by the way, Da-yeon wants to hang out to celebrate your birthday."
From Nayeon’s perspective, it wasn’t a bad thing for her daughter to take a break and hang out with her friend Da-yeon instead of just working.
She had even lightly fabricated the fact that Da-yeon had asked when Ha-eun had a day off.
Of course, Ha-eun had no real reason to refuse, as rest was important.
And so, barely a week after Ha-eun’s birthday, she met up with Da-yeon.
The first place Da-yeon wanted to go was a nearby comic cafe.
‘...Did she like comics?’
Ha-eun had often gone to that comic cafe during her middle school days, but this was the first time Da-yeon had shown interest in comics.
"Hey, Ha-eun. Recommend me the most popular one."
It was a bit of an unfamiliar sight.
Ha-eun recommended some bestsellers, but after that, Da-yeon didn’t say a single word and just stared at the comic book.
‘Hmm...’
In the end, Ha-eun sat quietly beside Da-yeon, reading a comic herself.
The only conversation they had was when ordering snacks and smoothies.
But it was fine.
Once you get into a comic, you don’t pay attention to anything around you.
But when the time at the comic cafe ended, Ha-eun asked where to go next. Da-yeon unexpectedly chose a PC bang.
"PC bang."
"...Really?"
"Why? Can’t we?"
"No, it’s not that it’s not allowed... just didn’t expect it."
Ha-eun was once again confused.
And when they arrived at the PC bang and sat down in a two-person seat, Ha-eun was even more surprised.
This proud Da-yeon was asking Ha-eun to teach her how to play a game.
And not just any game—Battle Island, Diah’s main game.
‘...Is she trying to target me?’
Ha-eun couldn’t refuse, though.
She logged in with her old sub-account, not Diah’s ID, just in case.
But just a few minutes later,
"Ha-eun, people keep throwing apologies at me!"
"It’s fine. Even if you get hit, you won’t die."
The noise in the Battle Island waiting room gave Ha-eun a bad feeling.
Unlike Diah, who pretended to be a newbie, Da-yeon was a real newbie.
But her desire to win was immense.
"Ah! I got hit!!"
When she got hit for the first time, she screamed as if she had been shot.
At the same time, Ha-eun pulled her baseball cap down lower.
"...Should we start the tutorial again?"
It was a little embarrassing.
Ha-eun had no idea why Da-yeon was suddenly so interested in comics and games.