Hobbyist VTuber

“Hmm, you look worried about something.”

“Almost accidentally broke my friend’s tooth.”

“…High school girls these days fight so viciously.”

“It wasn’t a fight, really.”

“There’s always someone who got hit, but never someone who did the hitting.”

“…Baek Sunbae.”

“Alright, I’ll stop teasing you.”

“Is the target of that accident Min Dayeon?” Baek Taehoon’s question came right after.

Haeun silently nodded her head.

“Oops. Did you apologize?”

“I did right away. But, she keeps avoiding my eyes…”

“She must still be angry.”

“Or maybe she’s scared of you now.”

For some reason, Baek Taehoon’s casual remark sounded convincing.

‘Shouldn’t have played that prank.’

Since it was Haeun who started the cookie prank, she scratched her head awkwardly.

She thought she should buy Dayeon some strawberry milk later to cheer her up.

If Dayeon holds a grudge, it’s going to be a big problem.

To suffer less in future collaborations with Dayeon, she needs to be careful.

Regretting the prank she played in response to Dayeon’s cookie gesture.

“Haeun, I’m going to get my makeup done~.”

Hearing a familiar voice from the waiting room, she got up.

Saying a temporary goodbye to Baek Taehoon, who had already finished makeup and costume setup.

After a few steps, she arrived at the familiar dressing room.

But the look she needed for today’s shooting wasn’t so familiar.

‘Is this what they call modern girl?’

A mid-length hat with a pink ribbon.

A white high-neck blouse.

A light blue long skirt.

This outfit, neither a lady’s beautiful hanbok nor an assassin’s black suit, was that of a woman from the enlightenment period.

Strictly speaking, this was also a disguise.

Disguised as a common sight from the late Joseon period, Kim Junghyun was heading to Japan.

Her goal was to assassinate a Japanese bureaucrat planning to invade Joseon, hiding her true identity.

‘A Joseon person assassinating a Japanese in the heart of Japan…’

In a way, it was naturally much more dangerous than the righteous army activities Kim Junghyun had been involved in.

That’s why people like Hwang Taeseong fiercely opposed her.

Yet, the scene to be filmed today was her departure to Japan.

The final step towards the grand event at the end of <The Sunshine>.

“Alright, all done.”

With the final makeup completed, Haeun slowly got up.

Soon, Joo Jungyoon’s admiring comments followed.

“This style is new, isn’t it? It’s quite unique, Haeun.”

A request to slowly turn around for an Instagram photo followed.

After turning around as requested, she heard an additional prop request.

“Wait a bit, Haeun. Holding a parasol in that state would look really pretty.”

“A parasol?”

Shortly after, Joo Jungyoon brought a pure white parasol, and Haeun posed for more photos.

If Kim Junghyun had been a Joseon-style lady before, now she was a Western-style lady.

With a completely different outfit and holding a parasol, she looked like a noble lady from medieval Europe.

Though her true identity as an assassin filled her with various thoughts.

‘…A lady sniping from rooftops.’

After taking a few more photos for Instagram uploads.

She headed towards the set, where preparations were in full swing.

Not long after, she encountered a scene with a modest tram on a makeshift railway, resembling a museum.

She also met Bae Jinhyeok, who played Hwang Taeseong, with whom she would film a scene alone.

“Oh, Haeun’s outfit… It’s more vibrant than I thought?”

“…Does it not suit me?”

“No, no. It suits you well. It’s just a bit different from when you wore hanbok, so I was slightly surprised.”

Following was a discussion about Hwang Taeseong’s costume.

As Hwang Taeseong was set as a rich young master who studied abroad in Tokyo, his outfit didn’t change much.

Perhaps that’s why.

Bae Jinhyeok expressed envy over Haeun’s colorful costumes.

“I’ve been wearing similar outfits from episode one to the last.”

“Even if they’re similar, they suit you well. It doesn’t feel clichéd at all.”

“Ahaha. Thank you.”

A kind smile.

Having faced him as a rich young master throughout <The Sunshine>‘s filming, he naturally exuded elegance.

However, since the scene to be filmed shortly was the farewell scene between Kim Junghyun and Hwang Taeseong.

Instead of chatting casually like now, they needed to capture the emotions of parting.

That’s why, until the filming started, she didn’t talk to anyone.

As all the scenes to be filmed today were leading up to the climax of <The Sunshine>.

There could be no mistakes in portraying the emotional line.

Thus, firmly grounding Kim Junghyun’s emotions within herself.

She waited and waited for the first filming of the day to begin.

“Alright, if both of you are ready, we’ll start. 3, 2, 1… Action!”

Finally, at Director Kwon Jaehyeop’s signal, she stepped forward.

Soon arriving inside the tram.

“…Sigh.”

Perhaps because Kim Junghyun herself knew best how arduous the journey ahead would be.

A deep sigh naturally escaped her elegant lips.

However, having started her journey towards Japan.

She already knew there was no turning back.

“…………………….”

Sitting quietly in the rattling tram with only a simple bag.

Thus, time, which had never stopped, seemed to flow slower today.

-Thud.

“I thought it might be you. It’s the woman I know well.”

“…How did you get here?”

“A coincidence. The kind of amazing coincidence that happens once in a lifetime.”

From the moment the familiar voice approached, it felt as if everything had completely stopped.

The following conversation started with ordinary small talk.

“That outfit, I thought I’d seen it somewhere. It’s from a tailor I know well.”

“The fabric is good. I thought I might need one like this, so I bought it.”

Then came cautious questions.

“Unusually, you’ve packed a suitcase. Are you going on a trip?”

“A trip… Yes, you could call it that.”

Finally.

“This tram is so wide, but the only passengers are you and me. Isn’t that strange?”

“…That must also be a coincidence.”

“No, I bought all the tickets for this tram. From now on, the only passengers will be you and me.”

The real reason Hwang Taeseong appeared before Kim Junghyun, pretending it was a coincidence.

He revealed that he already knew Kim Junghyun’s destination.

“The servants of the Kim family have loose lips.”

“…I never told them.”

“Kim Junghyun is trying to travel alone without a single attendant, how could it stay a secret?”

Followed by a faint sigh.

Soon, Hwang Taeseong, sitting next to Kim Junghyun, tried to stop her steps.

“Whatever you plan to do in Japan. The moment you step on Japanese soil, your life is as good as gone.”

“…I don’t regret my life now.”

“I regret it. I regret your life so much that I want to turn this tram around right now.”

Then, a hellish silence filled the space.

The quiet between Kim Junghyun and Hwang Taeseong heavily pressed down on the surrounding air.

However, the tram’s wheels kept rolling.

And the moment to send Kim Junghyun off was gradually approaching.

-Swish.

A ring case, unseen for a long time, was presented before Kim Junghyun.

Hwang Taeseong’s true feelings began to be confessed thereafter.

“Stop now, please. I can’t bear to see the woman I love going to her death.”

“The woman I love, you say…”

“Don’t say you didn’t know. I’ve resented enough already.”

The resentment that had piled up towards Kim Junghyun, equal in weight to his love.

The bitterness towards a woman walking a path where the chance of death far outweighed survival.

However, the conclusion reached after continued conversation was painfully bitter.

Ultimately tearing Hwang Taeseong’s heart to shreds until the very end.

“You’re going to die after all. In a foreign land.”

“I’m just going to do what needs to be done.”

“…Cruel. Truly… cruel.”

Unable to reach out and hold her, nor turn his back and ignore her, he just sat beside her.

“If I hold you, will you stay?”

“Probably not.”

“…I thought so.”

As silence began to swirl again, making it hard to breathe.

“Answer me one last thing. Was I the only one you loved?”

Sensing he might never see Kim Junghyun again, Hwang Taeseong asked the question he feared most.

The reply was neither denial nor affirmation, just a calm and composed answer.

“I never hated you. Not even for a single moment.”

However, ultimately.

“The opposite of love isn’t hate. It’s ‘abandonment’.”

It was clear he was never chosen.

The thread of lingering attachment Hwang Taeseong had barely held onto slipped away.

“I wanted to walk with you. Forever.”

“…Our paths were different from the start.”

“You’re clumsy. If you’re going to push someone away, do it more decisively.”

Just, until the very end.

Because being hated by the woman he loved his whole life was worse than death.

“Have a good trip. Make sure to write letters now and then.”

“…Alright.”

Ultimately, he had to step back with a promise of no return.

Even though he sensed he might never see her again, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Thus, Kim Junghyun eventually got off the tram.

In stark contrast, Hwang Taeseong sat silently in the empty tram.

However, Hwang Taeseong didn’t stay put either.

There was still something he could do for Kim Junghyun.

“…It must be my sin for harboring such a cruel woman in my heart.”

Not long after, the tram stopped at another station.

Hwang Taeseong immediately got off and headed to the post office, sending a telegram to someone far away.

After quite some time had passed.

“Hey, you there!”

As Kim Junghyun arrived at the port and was about to board a ship to Japan.

Japanese soldiers, suspicious of Kim Junghyun wandering alone, called her to a halt.

The dull sound of military boots followed.

The footsteps, exuding a hostile atmosphere, slowly approached Kim Junghyun.

Just as things were about to go irreparably wrong.

-Thud.

“Do you have business with my wife?”

Whether Korean or not.

At least for this moment, Park Jooho, walking as an American, stood in front of the Japanese soldiers.

“Your wife? This woman?”

“Watch your mouth. She’s not someone you can treat carelessly.”

While Park Jooho dealt with the Japanese soldiers, a hand reached out from behind.

Park Jooho’s hand, waiting only to hold hers, gently shook as if urging Kim Junghyun.

Finally, with a rustle.

The calloused hand of an American and the small hand of a Korean intertwined from fingertip to fingertip.

“How did you…?”

“There was a man who wished you luck on your journey.”

With their steps past the Japanese soldiers and towards the ship’s entrance, cut.

Kim Junghyun’s face, mixed with various emotions, was the last to be captured by the camera.

The foundation for the climax of <The Sunshine> was thus completed.

***

The day before the final filming of <The Sunshine>.

Also, the day before the rehearsal for the 1st anniversary performance of Fantasy Land.

“I’m here.”

“Oh, wearing a school uniform really makes you look like a student.”

“Good timing, good timing~.”

Haeun, in her school uniform, had to head to a certain park.

Because today was the first music video shoot for Pinocchio.

“Then, stand right there for now. The director said that tree has the best composition.”

“Ah, okay.”

Thus began Pinocchio’s first music video shoot.

And, not long after.

-Rustle.

The wind brushed past, and cherry blossoms began to scatter.

Almost simultaneously, the filming director’s pupils slightly dilated.

Caught off guard by the unexpected angle, he was momentarily speechless.

No wonder, as the sight of Haeun he had just encountered was pure innocence.

Perhaps that’s why.

“This photo would be really good for the album cover. What do you think?”

The filming director shared the captured moment with Double Lee and Haeun, asking for their opinions.

He also added that such moments are hard to stage intentionally.

To cut to the chase, no one opposed.

The serendipitous moment perfectly matched the album’s concept.

“Haeun, the album’s going to be a hit, isn’t it?”

“Right. The signs are already good.”