BB cream, skin lotion, and lip balm to prevent chapped lips.
That was the extent of Ha-eun’s makeup experience.
Anything beyond that was uncharted territory for her.
Even the few products she could use were only thanks to her mom, Na-yeon, teaching her how.
"Oh, I know how to apply sunscreen too."
"...Wow, impressive."
Da-yeon instinctively pinched the bridge of her nose at Ha-eun’s pitiful admission.
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Was this girl really the same high school senior as her?
As she glanced at Ha-eun, Da-yeon sighed again at the sight of a face that was, by any measure, undeniably beautiful.
Technically, Ha-eun didn’t need makeup to look pretty.
But then again, there was no reason not to wear makeup either.
Makeup could enhance her already beautiful face—why wouldn’t she take advantage of that?
‘I just don’t get it....’
From what Da-yeon had observed, Ha-eun wasn’t the type to dislike dressing up.
Still, the undeniable truth was that Ha-eun was a complete novice when it came to makeup.
"Did you have a grudge against cosmetics in your past life or something?"
Da-yeon asked bluntly, curious why Ha-eun was so bad at it.
But then—
"Uh, no... I don’t think I held a grudge...?"
Ha-eun stammered, looking flustered.
Was this something Da-yeon shouldn’t have asked?
Puzzled by Ha-eun’s awkward reaction and avoidance of eye contact, Da-yeon decided to focus on the task at hand.
She picked up a toner and started explaining the basics.
After going over the different products step by step, Da-yeon wiped Ha-eun’s face with cleansing tissues and began applying makeup.
"Are you sure you’re doing this right...?"
"You’re the one who asked me to teach you."
"Well, yeah, but still..."
Ha-eun felt strangely self-conscious as Da-yeon’s hands moved across her face.
There was something about Da-yeon’s touch that tickled much more than any professional makeup artist’s ever could.
Nevertheless, Da-yeon’s hands didn’t stop until the final step—powder.
Finally, Ha-eun looked in the mirror and saw the "basic everyday look" Da-yeon had been talking about.
It wasn’t a drastic transformation.
The most noticeable change was her eyeliner, which was now more defined than before.
However—
"Huh? What’s going on? Ha-eun, do you have a shoot today?"
From her homeroom teacher to her classmates, everyone seemed to notice something different about Ha-eun.
Their slightly surprised reactions caused Da-yeon’s shoulders to lift with pride.
"See? I told you. Not wearing makeup is your loss."
"...Hmm..."
Of course, Ha-eun had her reasons.
Basic makeup had always been enough for her daily life, and there were professional makeup artists on set to handle the rest.
She also had a lingering misconception that all makeup products were bad for her skin.
But now she was starting to see how much of a difference makeup could make.
"And wait, is it true you’re the new CF model for Rev?"
"Uh, yeah, something like that..."
As the new face of Rev’s cosmetics, Ha-eun realized she would need to use and promote their products regularly.
In the end, she even jotted down notes from Da-yeon’s "makeup lecture," determined to remember every step.
But that evening—
As Ha-eun tried practicing the techniques she’d learned from Da-yeon, something unexpected happened.
"...Sweetheart, do you have a boyfriend now?"
"So... Ha-eun finally has a day like this..."
Her parents, Seong-yoon and Na-yeon, cautiously approached her, looking a bit stunned.
They seemed ready to start a conversation about relationships.
"Can’t I just wear makeup?"
Ha-eun’s voice was half frustrated, half bewildered as she asked if her wearing makeup was really that shocking.
Their immediate responses came almost simultaneously:
"No, no, it’s not that you can’t. Of course not..."
"It’s just... you suddenly started putting on all these things, so as your mom and dad, it’s a little surprising."
Seong-yoon, seemingly convinced that Ha-eun was now dating someone, asked, "So, how long has it been?"
Ha-eun stayed silent for a moment.
She knew better than anyone that no matter what she said, they’d take it as an excuse.
"...When I send you a wedding invitation, just accept that the time has come."
"What... what?!"
With a single comment, Ha-eun left both of them speechless.
She figured it was better to go on the offensive than to exhaust herself explaining.
Truthfully, Ha-eun felt a little hurt.
Unlike her parents, most people’s parents wouldn’t jump to conclusions about a boyfriend just because their daughter started wearing makeup.
‘Sometimes it feels like they think I’m a completely different species....’
Ha-eun just wanted to be treated like an ordinary daughter.
She didn’t appreciate having to endure misunderstandings about boyfriends just to do something as normal as wearing makeup.
Later, as her parents were still frozen by her "wedding invitation" remark, Ha-eun carefully followed the steps Da-yeon had taught her.
Once she achieved a look similar to what Da-yeon had done earlier, she got up and headed toward the door.
"Uh? Where are you going?"
"Just to the convenience store."
She quickly added, "I’m not going to meet a boyfriend," before stepping out.
Judging by the way Seong-yoon closed his mouth with a sheepish expression, he had been about to ask just that.
"Why does Dad keep... Do you want me to get a boyfriend?"
"No, it’s not that..."
"Good. Then don’t."
With that, Ha-eun disappeared beyond the front door as it slowly closed.
Watching her leave, Na-yeon smacked Seong-yoon on the back, scolding him for his teasing.
"Your constant talk about boyfriends has made Ha-eun mad."
"I was just..."
"If a dad and daughter become awkward, that’s the end. Don’t expect me to fix it."
"...Hmm..."
***
A few days had passed since the small commotion over Ha-eun’s makeup.
Now, with about an hour left until Rev’s cosmetics CF shoot began—
"Will this be okay? She’s 19—still a kid."
"Come on, she’s an actress for a reason."
"But during The Sunshine, she had that totally natural, youthful look. Even in that One Spring Day music video, she didn’t look like an adult."
"Well, I’m sure the higher-ups know what they’re doing."
At the CF shoot location, which had just finished setting up, the staff were discussing Ha-eun, Rev’s new model.
Most of the conversation revolved around her youthful appearance.
While it was undesirable for a CF model to look too old, looking too young could also backfire, creating the opposite of the intended effect.
Especially since today’s concept was less about freshness or cuteness and more about elegance and allure.
"Still, didn’t she look pretty intense wielding a sword in Moonlight That Parts the Clouds?"
"Yeah, but she’s not holding a sword here. It’s bare hands and a dress, remember?"
"Even so, the ad performance has been stellar. I heard she’s been exceptional from the start, with a great personality too."
"...Well, having a good personality is a relief."
As the staff waited for Ha-eun to arrive, the sound of the studio door creaking open drew everyone’s attention.
All eyes turned to the door, eager to catch a glimpse of the actress who had recently made waves with The Sunshine and its unforgettable, bittersweet ending.
But within seconds of her arrival, question marks began to rise in the staff’s minds.
"...Is that really Ha-eun?"
"There wasn’t any news about the model being replaced..."
"Wow... she looks completely different."
Her long, elegantly flowing hair.
Her sharper, more defined eyes.
And most strikingly, her pale, moonlit skin.
"...Hello, I’m Lee Ha-eun. I look forward to working with you today."
Ha-eun’s polite greeting momentarily silenced the staff.
The youthful image they had been discussing earlier had all but vanished.
Though actors are often said to have "a thousand faces," Ha-eun’s current appearance was a far cry from what they remembered from The Sunshine or the One Spring Day music video.
Especially her face—
"She’s 19...? That’s 19?"
Even compared to adult models, her aura was strikingly mature.
Her beauty radiated with an intensity that was impossible to ignore.
Truthfully, her look was a perfect match for the CF’s concept.
The staff had simply been caught off guard by how different she seemed from their memories.
‘...Well, no need to worry about the makeup.’
Until she arrived, they had considered tweaking her makeup to make it more dramatic.
After all, the ideal makeup for the concept often differed between the artists and the on-site staff.
But seeing Ha-eun bow in front of director Jeon Sang-min, she was already exactly what they had envisioned.
Her captivating appearance perfectly suited Rev—a brand whose name, meaning "dream" in French, aligned seamlessly with her allure.
"It’s a pleasure to work with you."
"Ah, yes. Likewise, Ha-eun."
And so, the CF shoot began, with the staff’s expectations raised higher than ever.
The result was impressive, leaving a strong impression that the enchanting advertisement would make waves for months after its release.
Two Weeks Later
Roughly two weeks after the CF shoot, Ha-eun found herself dressing in a similar style again.
This time, it was for her first fan meeting rehearsal.
Set to take place at a live hall in Seoul, the rehearsal involved Ha-eun trying on various outfits, including dresses, while standing on an empty stage.
"What do you think? Is this too much?"
"Since the back seats are far away, brighter colors tend to stand out better."
"It’s your fan meeting. Just wear what you like."
The challenge was that her two guest participants, Yoon Seung-jae and Da-yeon, were also present for the rehearsal.
As a result, Ha-eun had to practice hosting the fan meeting while being watched by both of them.
About 20 minutes into the rehearsal, Seung-jae finally spoke up.
"Ha-eun, why are you so good at hosting? Have you been practicing in secret?"
"...Maybe. It’s something you wouldn’t know about."
"???"
Seung-jae’s puzzled expression only made Da-yeon smirk triumphantly.
Her look was that of someone who had just claimed victory in a private competition.
"You’ll probably never figure it out."
"So what is it, then?"
"If I were going to tell you, I wouldn’t have brought it up."
The simple fact that she knew something about Ha-eun that Seung-jae didn’t made Da-yeon feel like she had won.
Whether it was a victory worth claiming was debatable, but she certainly didn’t feel like she had lost.
"...How childish."
"Who’s the one still milking last year’s drama? Whose idea was it to show up in royal robes for fan service?"
"Hey, that was purely for the Moonlight That Parts the Clouds fans! Are you disrespecting them—"
-Step.-
"Are you two fighting right now?"
"They started it—!" / "It’s Da-yeon’s fault~."
"...You’re both acting like kids."