"Wow, our maknae is brave. What would you do if one of the Noeulis made it into Illusionary Realm's second generation?" "Wouldn't it be amazing if someone from Noeulis got in? That would be quite impressive, wouldn't it?"
Diah's voice had no hint of nervousness at all. She confidently added that if any Noeulis made it through the competitive Illusionary Realm audition, she would gladly give them the "free-use pass."
Of course, this statement had been made without thinking about the consequences. However, Diah's bold remark went unchecked because, from Ji Hye-min and LUX's perspective, there was no downside to it.
âA legal rebellion... This could be fun?â
From Ji Hye-min's perspective, Diahâs free-use pass pledge was a form of motivation for the Illusionary Realm second generation auditions. It was also an opportunity for the new faces of Illusionary Realm to receive help from Diah.
The "free-use pass" item from Diah would be a huge help for the second generation members, who were newcomers to broadcasting, and it would help them establish themselves in the industry. The content where the younger members could interact freely with Diah, a senior, would undoubtedly create a buzz.
As one of the most experienced broadcasters in Illusionary Realm, Diah would surely have great chemistry with her juniors, and a future show labeled "With Diah" would likely be a great help in attracting new viewers to Illusionary Realm's second generation.
Not long after, Ha-eun watched in real-time as the official announcement for Illusionary Realmâs second generation auditions was edited.
Tap tap.
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Title > Illusionary Realm 2nd Generation Recruitment Notice
Illusionary Realm (M) | 16:30
Hello, this is Illusionary Realm.
We are looking for new members to join Illusionary Realm, and auditions will be held starting from mid-February.
Please check the application form for detailed instructions.
(Application Link)
We appreciate your interest and participation!
Illusionary Realm members from the Spirit Kingdom will receive a free-use pass from Diah (new!)
ââââââââââ
"Now itâs official, Diah. Better brace yourself~."
With Diahâs free-use pass now firmly written in the official announcement, the speed of the chat skyrocketed. As Ha-eun faced the messages filled with enthusiasm to "educate" Diah, she couldnât help but feel a hint of anxiety.
"Starting tomorrow, Iâm signing up for a vocal academy."
"Aww, Diah is in for some punishment, lol."
"A lot of black history for Diah coming up."
"If you pass the audition, Diah comes along? This is a huge deal."
"24-hour MMORPG King, let's go!"
"We have to do a maid cafe broadcast, everyone is clueless."
â...Hmm.â
What had started as a light joke now seemed like it had gotten out of hand. There was no way to deal with it if the second-generation members insisted that they were Diahâs fans.
Well, still⦠The second-generation members were mostly kind, so Ha-eun hoped that the playful Na-el wouldnât take it too far.
And so, in the end, Ha-eun pretended to be nonchalant and said, "If youâre confident, go ahead and apply~." After all, Diahâs free-use pass was meant to be a content-based thing.
Using Diah's free-use pass as a way to get closer to the second generation of Illusionary Realm wouldn't be a bad thing either, Ha-eun thought. Of course, she would have to ensure that the second-generation members kept their mouths shut.
It wasnât long before the topic shifted away from the second-generation members to something else.
"Iâm working on a fairly big project, but should I say something about it or not~."
At the mysterious tone of Ji Hye-minâs voice, the chat suddenly exploded with excitement. It was revealed shortly after that Illusionary Realm's first-year anniversary would feature a 3D avatar project.
"Weâre going to debut the 3D avatars right on the first anniversary of our membersâ debuts."
"What?"
"3D?"
"Is this for real???"
"If this is a lie, Iâll cut off my hand, Ramji."
"So all the 3D avatars of the Great Mage, Slime King, and Gryphon will move around?"
"Yes, itâs the 3D youâre thinking of. But if itâs just about revealing 3D avatars, thatâs not enough."
"What else?"
"Great Ramji."
"Thatâs so epic, lol."
"Are we getting something big? Something big?"
"How much are they spending on this, damn."
Then, the next secret project was revealed. While the exact title hadnât been decided yet, it was announced that Illusionary Realmâs first-generation members would release their first group song.
"Of course, weâll perform on stage with our 3D avatars! So, everyone, look forward to it!"
"This is crazy."
"Iâm already full."
"Whatâs going on with Illusionary Realmâs style?"
"Great Ramji King, now just marry already (message deleted)."
Soon after, Ha-eun and the other members chimed in with their excited responses. Technically, they had only learned about the project a few days ago, but in any case, it wasnât a bad thing.
Ha-eun was particularly happy to hear that she would get to use her dancing skills, which she had practiced for a long time. A full-tracking broadcast that she had only imagined before would soon become a reality.
"This company really takes good care of us."
Shortly after, Ji Hye-min murmured about the budget for the project. She joked that if the 3D avatar project failed, they might all end up on the streets.
"Weâre all in this together, guys. So, we need to practice dancing hard?"
"Yes~."
"President, youâre the best! Youâre amazing, Daramji!"
After the members of Illusionary Realm expressed their gratitude and praise for Ji Hye-min, the final segment of the Year-End Party broadcast, the "Rolling Paper," began.
The first message was from Illusionary Realmâs overall leader, Daramji.
"Thanks to the president, I can eat rice and soup. Thank you so much~. â¦Yuna, donât use that northern dialect againâ" "No, no nicknames allowed!"
"I couldnât even eat rice or soup in the North, lol."
"Wait, was the King that King?"
"Oh, no, not in that way, donât turn red."
"So thatâs why the King concept fits so well, huh?"
After reading the other membersâ messages, the next one was from the eldest member of Illusionary Realm, Mile. Then, it was Yuna, Cream, and Riaâs turn to read their Rolling Papers in age order.@@novelbin@@
That meant Diahâs Rolling Paper, as the youngest member of Illusionary Realm, was read last.
"âReally, really amazing person~. What can our maknae not do?â Even so, I canât catch up to Ria unnieâs drawings."
"How did you know it was me?"
"Just by looking, itâs obvious~."
And so, Ha-eun read Diahâs Rolling Paper messages, reading through them one by one. She could tell which member had written each message just by their handwriting, and the messages directed at Diah felt especially touching.
Perhaps thatâs why...
"âIâll call you more often in the future! Always LV.Uâ. Ah... thank you..."
When she read the last part of the message from Cream, Ha-eunâs breath and voice shook for a moment.
Sure enough, the chat exploded with comments.
"Whatâs that sniffle?"
"Aww, is she crying?"
"Haha, sheâs crying ã ã ã "
"Hmm, where did that come from?"
"I donât know who it is, but can they call me too?"
After reading Diahâs Rolling Paper again from the start, Ha-eun only took a few moments since this time she read it silently. But reading the messages from the Illusionary Realm members and Ji Hye-min made her feel a lot of emotions, something she hadnât expected.
Then, Ji Hye-minâs calm voice could be heard.
"Now, weâve had the Illusionary Realm Year-End Party with everyone here. It seems like everyone had fun."
"No, donât end the broadcast yet!"
"President, stay!"
"What about Part 2? Part 2? Part 2?"
"The chicken hasnât arrived yet, wait!!!"
"Is it already over?"
"Anyway, itâs been a year full of many things. But we still have a long way to go~."
Click.
"Iâm going to take a break now! Please take care of me next year~."
And so, the Illusionary Realm Year-End Party broadcast finally ended. Ji Hye-minâs gaze shifted to the food left on the table.
"No one can leave until all this is eaten. So, letâs eat first, Ha-eun."
"Yes."
She then handed Ha-eun a soft Castella. After that, they all stayed seated until the food was finished.
The conversation continued, but it was just casual chatter. It was an ordinary meal, but the fact that Ha-eun was sharing it with people she never thought sheâd be with made it feel special.
ââ¦I hope we have a Year-End Party next year.â
Ha-eun had a feeling that this moment would stay in her memory forever. The scene in front of her, the voices she heard, everything felt special.
***
Time passed after the Illusionary Realm Year-End Party broadcast, and finally, December 31st arrived.
The winter vacation for Narae High School had already begun, so there was no need to go to school early in the morning.
The only scheduled activity for the day was the filming of The Sunshine.
Normally, this would mean a somewhat leisurely morning, but...
âMom, Iâm going out for a bit.â
âOkay~.â
A phone call early in the morning required a brief outing.
[Do you have a bit of time today? I want to tell you something I couldnât say last time.]
Click.
[Itâs fine until lunchtime, right? Then letâs meet at the cafe near the station, around 11.]
Click, click.
[Oh, and could you wear something like a suit? Or a school uniform is fine too.]
Click.
Squeakâ.
[I thought about it, and it might be better to wear something with charisma, rather than comfortable clothes. Iâll tell you the reason when we meet.]
ââ¦Iâm here.â
âOh, Ha-eun! Welcome.â
There was Yoo Sung-jaeâs familiar face, and right next to him, a strangerâs face.
âWho is this...? A manager?â
With a slightly puzzled expression, Ha-eun sat across from Yoo Sung-jae. The stranger, who had been carefully observing Ha-eun, spoke to him.
âYou really look different in a school uniform.â
âItâs the same, right, Director?â
Not long after, an unexpected self-introduction followed. But perhaps it was because the name that was mentioned was so familiar to Ha-eun.
âNice to meet you. Iâm Kim Hong-seong, the director of Veterans.â
Ha-eun, momentarily stunned and blinking her eyes, eventually extended her hand. After the brief handshake, Yoo Sung-jae got to the real reason for their meeting.
âWe were hoping Ha-eun could play the antagonist in Veterans. Would you be interested?â
A sense of certainty followed, as if Yoo Sung-jae was sure Ha-eun could perform well as the villain. An explanation of the antagonistâs character in Veterans was provided as well.
However, Ha-eun already knew about the movie.
She was familiar with the character.
âItâs a third-generation chaebol, with a bit of a psychopath streak? The character is someone whose way of thinking and emotions are completely different from an average person.â
The thin script for Veterans was handed over to Ha-eun as the conversation continued.
Ha-eunâs gaze lingered for a moment on the characterâs trait of being a âthird-generation chaebol.â
â...A psychopath, huh.â
In a way, that seemed accurate.
Ha-eun whispered something in her mind that she couldnât say aloud to others. She then turned the script page again.