Chapter 128: Chapter 127

What does it mean to be significant to others?

What is necessary to carry meaning for people whose names, faces, and lives are all entirely different?

“Think about it. The answer is already decided.”

First and foremost, memory is required.

What you see, hear, and feel becomes embedded as memories, constructing the meaning of one’s existence.

Thus, the singer on stage captivating countless gazes at this moment...

The pure, clear tone emanating from her black hand microphone...

The vivid presence she exudes so naturally...

“Remember the past. Who astonished everyone back then?”

All of it was more than enough to become an unforgettable memory.

Not even a single intrusive thought could interrupt.

The sharp, unwavering gaze directly meeting the camera operated by the performance staff...

That unshakable look was displayed on the screens at both sides of the stage, meeting the eyes of each and every audience member.

Her light footsteps that followed...

The effortless grace radiated naturally as she moved freely among the dancers.

“End the question. Haven’t I proven myself enough?”

A white jacket barely hanging from her arms down to her elbows.

A soft dance line emerged from her exposed shoulders.

At times, her movements matched the rhythm of the melody precisely.

At other times, they broke the tempo, piercing through the beats with syncopation.

“Now you know. Doubt is a waste of time.”

The choreography that left the audience speechless with silent admiration continued throughout the performance.

Even so, her breath remained steady, never faltering.

The confidence that seeped out of her solemn expression transformed into an aura that spread throughout the audience.

Her unique, weighty atmosphere completely dominated the flow of the performance.

“Dear my world, don’t be confused anymore─♪”

The intense high note resonated again.

The clear voice that filled the vast concert hall once more captivated the ears of countless people.

The skillful techniques woven into her high-pitched tone drew spontaneous cheers.

The explosion of applause and shouts from the crowd was overwhelming.

Even as she moved along the route she had rehearsed countless times, her gaze was drawn to the fervent eyes directed at her.

And at the same time...

Perhaps even a few minutes before Ha-eun’s performance began...

Or maybe since the very first screen test when they met Ha-eun as a person...

‘...Seriously.’

A fleeting chuckle lingered on Da-yeon’s lips as she unconsciously found herself admiring that brilliance.

It wasn’t jealousy.

She had never thought of such a grand stage as her domain, even at the camera fronts on a film set.

Nor was it rivalry.

What Da-yeon had competed with Ha-eun in so far was strictly limited to acting as an actress.

It was simply absurd.

The same girl who would lose her composure and panic just at the mention of “Diah”...

“─────♪”

Was now singing as if she were enjoying herself before a crowd so vast it was impossible to count.

“Wow… Isn’t Ha-eun just incredible?”

“...Now you’re saying that as if it’s surprising.”

Da-yeon lingered in thought about how such vastly different images could belong to the same person.

What lay before her was a spectacle that left her speechless just by watching.

What she heard was a voice unwaveringly alternating between head voice and chest voice, responding to the crowd's cheers.

What she felt was a greedy aura that had begun to engulf everything around it once more.

All of these sensations were sure to remain unforgettable for a long time.

Perhaps, even until the day she died.@@novelbin@@

‘...Forgetting would be stranger.’

Deep in her chest, where her heart had begun to race, lay a meaning she had realized long ago.

Now, that significance of “Lee Ha-eun” was something others besides Da-yeon could clearly feel as well.

By the time the T.R.E.N.D. performance had concluded, Ha-eun had undoubtedly become a meaningful existence to those who faced her.

This undeniable truth left Da-yeon, as her friend, feeling both proud and slightly troubled.

‘Haah…’

She had thought she had always been by Ha-eun’s side.

Both physically and emotionally, she had believed she was close.

And it wasn’t an incorrect thought.

Since those childhood days she could barely remember, Ha-eun had never once pushed her away.

The child waving to the audience from the stage had always known how to reach out her hand, but never to let go.

Even when Da-yeon wanted some space, Ha-eun would loosen her grip temporarily but never fully release her.

Yet the distance that seemed to grow with each passing moment...

The vague sense of longing for someone becoming increasingly unreachable...

These feelings were something Da-yeon couldn’t control.

“When we were in middle school, you couldn’t even wear a swimsuit properly.”

Poke.

“And now you’re baring your stomach on stage.”

Poke, poke.

“Lee Ha-eun’s gotten bold. At this rate, she might even do a bikini photo shoot.”

Poke, poke, poke.

“Ah, that tickles. Stop it…”

Finally, curiosity got the better of her.

How far could the person who had reverted to the familiar Ha-eun with just a few words of hers soar?

And how far could Da-yeon herself follow?

“...Lee Ha-eun.”

Her voice grew more serious as she called out.

Then, she asked.

“What’s your dream?”

She wasn’t asking about the kind of job listed on an elementary school career survey.

What she wanted to hear was a clearer, more definitive answer.

Yet the response she received was something as innocent as a child’s answer.

Even her expression carried a faint smile as she replied:

“A superstar.”

Da-yeon, who would have called such an answer childish in the past, fell silent for a moment.

Perhaps because it didn’t seem impossible anymore.

And roughly two months later...

“The Best Actress Award goes to... Congratulations, The Moonlight That Parts the Clouds, Lee Ha-eun!”

When Ha-eun, having returned to her role as an actress, stepped in front of the crowd once more, clad in an elegant black dress...

More specifically, when she approached the podium microphone holding a golden trophy...

“I will continue to work hard. No, I’ll work even harder from now on.”

Her usual calm voice and straightforward acceptance speech sounded slightly different to Da-yeon.

She could sense that Ha-eun’s pace was accelerating.

Thus, to not be left behind...

Da-yeon decided to change her mindset and approach.

Just as she had said long ago, Da-yeon resolved not to stand still and applaud like everyone else but to do everything she could to follow Ha-eun.

What results this determination would lead to in the future, Da-yeon had yet to imagine.

Nor did she realize that the place Ha-eun was aiming for was far higher and farther than she had thought.

***

By the time Lee Ha-eun and Yoon Si-hyuk's team wrapped up their T.R.E.N.D. performance, marking the official conclusion of the Infinite Challenge Song Festival...

Infinite Challenge Song Festival Lee Ha-eun Fancam

Infinite Challenge Song Festival Highlight Compilation

Despite the official broadcast not yet airing, videos of the Infinite Challenge Song Festival performances were already circulating online.

Footage taken directly by audience members had led to a flood of spoilers about Ha-eun’s performance.

Photos, GIFs, shorts, and videos were uploaded across various communities.

While many of these materials were swiftly taken down under the guise of copyright enforcement,

it was practically impossible to erase the news once it had begun spreading.

And so, inevitably:

Wow, Lee Ha-eun’s live performance is insane, lol.

The queen of K-hip-hop is now establishing dominance over idols too.

Proof I saw Lee Ha-eun perform live.

ㄴ Block this braggart.

ㄴ Isn’t the real loser the one who couldn’t attend?

ㄴ Take that back...!!

Is that seriously a high schooler’s body?

ㄴ She already had that aura during the “2 Days & 3 Nights” broadcast, but her outfit here just elevates it.

ㄴ Careful, any more and you’ll get sued.

Why does her live performance sound better than the studio version?

Feat. Pinocchio didn’t dominate the music charts for nothing, lol.

ㄴ Hey, don’t just call her “feat”; she’s the winner of Sit on the Money!*

ㄴ Nope, Lee Ha-eun carried the finals. The performance would’ve bombed if not for her.

Before the official broadcast even aired, reviews of Ha-eun’s T.R.E.N.D. performance were popping up across online communities.

Videos of her performance, shot from every conceivable angle and position, were being analyzed down to the second.

To be fair, many of the reactions were not the kind Ha-eun had particularly sought.

Nonetheless, her primary objective in participating in the Infinite Challenge Song Festival had been fully achieved.

[Lee Ye-na (Yuna)] - (Screenshot of Yoo Sung-jae gifting a bouquet)

[Lee Ye-na (Yuna)] - Our youngest got a dome performance!!!

[Park Mi-so (Mile)] - OMG OMG OMG

[Jung Maria (Cream)] - ...I want Yoo Sung-jae to give me a bouquet too...

[Kim Eun-hye (Ria)] - Me too...

[Lee Ye-na (Yuna)] - Hmm, is getting a dome performance from Yoo Sung-jae a blessing?

Even the Illusionary Realm group chat was abuzz with excitement, though Ha-eun could watch it all without much pressure.

The reactions mostly conveyed admiration for her as a "true singer."

However, Ha-eun’s T.R.E.N.D. performance also had an unexpected impact in areas she hadn’t anticipated—

particularly in elevating her value as a commercial model to levels previously unimaginable.

“A winter... photoshoot?”

“Yeah. They said they absolutely want you as the model.”

Once her schedule related to the Infinite Challenge Song Festival had fully concluded, Ha-eun had to dive straight into another project.

Kong Hye-yeon, a teenage model, personally took Ha-eun to her own agency for a meeting, assisting her throughout the process.

In other words, even Kong Hye-yeon was eager for Ha-eun’s photoshoot to happen.

This was because the photoshoot also included partial collaborative shots featuring both Ha-eun and Kong Hye-yeon.

But just as with the other singers who had participated in the Infinite Challenge Song Festival...

“Are you sure this is your first time doing a photoshoot? Your poses are so professional!”

“I-I was just imitating Hye-yeon...”

“Honestly, you’re better than my daughter. Must be the actress in you.”

As a result, Kong Hye-yeon had to witness her own livelihood as a model being threatened by Ha-eun’s winter photoshoot.

By the time she realized something was amiss, it was already far too late.