"There's Something Different About Her"
From the moment Nael first met Ha-eun, the thought struck her: there was something unmistakably different about this person.
Of course, she was already aware of Ha-eun’s striking beauty. But seeing her in person revealed qualities that went far beyond her appearance—her presence, aura, and overall atmosphere were in a league of their own.
Particularly striking was the transformation Nael witnessed when the stream began. Ha-eun’s previously calm and composed demeanor shifted subtly but surely. A playful glint appeared in her expression, and a youthful energy colored her composed voice.
“Now, all we need is to drizzle the maple syrup... And voilà! Pancakes are ready!”
Even as the first dish of the cooking stream was completed, Nael was still in awe. Could someone really change so drastically in just a few seconds?
‘Is it because she’s an actress...?’
It wasn’t just a matter of heightened energy. It felt as though an entirely different personality had emerged. The weighty charisma unique to a celebrity was replaced by a bright, lively aura—something carefree and approachable.
“Nael, say ah~. I’ll feed you.”
“N-no, no! I can eat it myself!” Nael protested, flustered.
“Ah, but you see, there’s a mission involved.”
“E-even so...!”
“There’s no such thing as rejecting a mission in my book! Now, ah~~.”
Ha-eun smiled mischievously as she held out a forkful of pancake, her youthful playfulness making her seem more like a child on a playground than the accomplished actress she was. Nael, reluctantly opening her mouth, couldn’t help but marvel at how genuine it all seemed.
It didn’t feel like an act. Ha-eun wasn’t forcing her tone or mannerisms into the mold of "Diah." She was simply being herself, and yet, it was undeniably Diah.
“How is it? Does it taste good?”
“Yes... It’s soft and perfectly cooked.”
“Great~!”
With a satisfied grin, Ha-eun stabbed another piece of pancake with her fork and brought it up to the camera, teasing the audience.
“Doesn’t it look delicious? But too bad~ Only Nael and I are eating this!” she taunted playfully.
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
“Ah, well... It’s just... you’re beautiful.”
“Aha.”
As the pancake feast continued, so did Ha-eun’s playful teasing of the audience. The chat buzzed with messages at twice the usual speed for Nael’s streams.
Nael, overwhelmed by the rapid flow of comments, tried to keep up, but her focus was quickly redirected.
“Ah, I’m done with the pancakes. What’s next?”
“Next... we’re making cotton candy.”
“Cotton candy?! Yes!” Ha-eun’s eyes sparkled as she eagerly encouraged Nael to set up the machine.
Not long after, the round cotton candy machine was placed on the cooking table.
“I preheated it earlier, so all you have to do is add the sugar, senior,” Nael explained.
“Let’s make it super big!” Ha-eun exclaimed.
“How big, exactly?”
“As big as the moon!”
“...I’ll do my best.”
Soon, the white sugar began to heat up in the center of the machine. Thin threads of sugar started to form, and Nael expertly spun a stick inside the machine, gathering the threads into a large, fluffy cloud.
When the cotton candy was finally complete, it was so massive that even the stream camera couldn’t fully capture its size.
“It’s done, senior.”
“Wow... It’s huge,” Ha-eun gasped in amazement.
Then...
Plop.
Another equally massive cotton candy appeared in Ha-eun’s other hand, courtesy of Nael. Now holding one in each hand, Ha-eun couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Wow... With a master like this, I wouldn’t mind being held captive forever!”
“E-eh?!”
This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.
“Nael, I want to live with you forev─”
Ding. Ding. Ding.
[ Hida has donated 50,000 won! ]
: No way.
[ Hida has donated 50,000 won! ]
: You still owe me a collab, senior.
[ Hida has donated 50,000 won! ]
: I have a free pass with Diah too, remember~?
Hida’s sudden donation cut Ha-eun off mid-sentence, and the chat erupted once more, this time with messages about the new "rival."
Knowing Da-yeon’s schedule, Ha-eun realized Hida was watching the stream from the filming location’s waiting room. Alarmed, she quickly backpedaled.
“Senior? What were you saying just now?”
“Ah, um... nothing. Forget it.”
Ha-eun knew better than to push her luck with Da-yeon, who adored Diah to an extreme degree. The idea of Nael “stealing” Diah, even as a joke, was bound to rub Da-yeon the wrong way.
To change the subject, Ha-eun took a big bite of the cotton candy and offered some to Nael. “Mmm~! It’s so good! Here, try it.”
“Ah, yes.”
Meanwhile, at the filming location far from Nael’s house, an ominous aura filled the waiting room.
“Why is Nael feeding her the part she already bit? If you’re going to give cotton candy, break off a new piece!”
“Da-yeon...?”
“And why is Nael wiping cotton candy off her nose?! Oh, they’re having such a great time, aren’t they?!”
“...Can I go to the restroom now?” someone muttered timidly.
“Are you a baby? Do you need permission to pee?” Da-yeon snapped.
“...But you told me to ask first...”
***
By the time the cooking stream wrapped up with the final dish—cream puffs—completely devoured, Nael was already tidying up the area. It was during this cleanup that she hesitantly brought up an idea for a second segment.
"Um, senior? Ha-eun?"
"Yes? What is it?"
"Well... I was thinking we could do an Ideal Type World Cup for the second half of the stream."
At first, Ha-eun saw no issue with the plan. A casual discussion about personal preferences between Nael and Diah sounded entertaining enough.
But the moment Nael elaborated on her theme...
"Wait, you mean... The Sunshine Best Scenes World Cup?"
"Y-yeah. Since you took a break last time because of The Sunshine, I figured you liked it as much as I do..."
Ha-eun froze. She hadn’t anticipated this at all.
"Are you... okay with this?" Nael asked cautiously.
"Uh... um..." Ha-eun hesitated, unsure how to proceed.
But with the second segment's start time quickly approaching, she resigned herself to the inevitable.
"Let’s just do it."
And so, Ha-eun found herself in the awkward position of evaluating her own performance alongside Nael. There weren’t many other options for content, and today’s stream was, after all, Diah’s "all-access pass" stream.
Still, Ha-eun couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry. What if Nael noticed the similarity between her voice as Diah and as Kim Jung-hyun, her character in The Sunshine?
But Nael’s reassurances quickly dispelled her concerns.
"I’ve rewatched The Sunshine over seven times, and not once did I think of you as the same person," Nael declared proudly.
"Maybe it just sounds different to other people," Ha-eun mused, unconvinced.
As Nael switched the stream microphone back on and transitioned from the cooking camera to her usual broadcast screen, she launched into her introduction.
"Okay, everyone! For the second half, Diah and I will be doing an Ideal Type World Cup—featuring scenes from The Sunshine!
"Y-yeah..." Ha-eun mumbled, a weak smile on her face.
"Great! So, how many rounds should we do?"
Nael, who had been too nervous to even look Ha-eun in the eye earlier, now seemed to have transformed. She was brimming with excitement, her energy infectious.
‘Should I just tell her I’m sitting right next to her?’ Ha-eun thought but wisely kept quiet.
Watching Nael engage with her viewers, Ha-eun decided to leave the choice to her.
"What do you want to do?"
"Well, as much as I’d love to do 256 rounds, that would take forever. Let’s compromise with 64."
And thus, the Best Scenes of The Sunshine World Cup officially began.
Ha-eun initially intended to play along with as much composure as she could muster. But her plans were quickly derailed by Nael’s impassioned commentary.
"‘Can I entrust my fleeting life to you for a moment...?’"
"This scene is so intense! It’s when Park Joo-ho tells her that she can live or die by his decision. Knowing what kind of person Park Joo-ho is, she says it out of guilt for his parents. But later, when she realizes he saved her life, she silently remembers him—such a brilliant moment! Especially because she feels even more grateful knowing he spared her despite being her enemy. Absolute masterpiece—"
Nael’s heartfelt analysis exceeded anything Ha-eun had expected. Her ears grew hot as she listened to the live commentary of her own performance, filled with unabashed admiration.
‘This is way more embarrassing than I thought it’d be...’
"‘Why are you standing still? Don’t tell me your feet are frozen.’"
"This scene! It’s when Hwang Tae-seong speaks casually to her, like when they were kids. But it subtly hints that they’re walking different paths now. Every time I rewatch this, I’m blown away by how layered this moment is—"
‘I should’ve suggested something else,’ Ha-eun thought, silently regretting her decision.