Chapter 33: Chapter 32

*“The teaser will air at around 8 PM, so if you can, try to watch it, Ha-eun.”*

A few days prior, PD Hwang Min-soo had called Ha-eun specifically to inform her of the teaser’s airtime, adding that it would be something worth looking forward to. In response, Ha-eun had assured him that she would definitely watch it.

“Ha-eun! Your dad says he’ll be here in about ten minutes!”

“Oh, okay. I’m almost ready.”

Ha-eun was packing a small yellow suitcase, filled with clothes and now adding some stationery and her diary. This would be her very first family trip in her eleven years of life.

Of course, Ha-eun hadn’t forgotten her promise to PD Hwang; she was still curious about the teaser for the drama she’d worked so hard on.

However, during her interview with Heo Joo-eun after her first day of filming for the drama…

*“So, have you had any special trips or events with your family lately, like maybe a trip abroad?”*

*“Um… no, nothing like that.”*

Her straightforward answer had weighed on her parents, Seong-yun and Na-yeon. They realized just how little they’d gone out together as a family. This pang of guilt eventually led them to make a decision: to gift their always-responsible daughter with a memorable family vacation. Ha-eun had only learned about their plan the night before.

“Huh? A cottage?”

“Yes! Once we arrive, we’ll have a barbecue, and then the next day we’ll head to a traditional activity center for some hands-on experiences.”

Na-yeon had added, just like PD Hwang, that it would be something to look forward to. Ha-eun had felt a sudden tightness in her chest but maintained her usual expression, acting as if it hadn’t deeply affected her.

That night, she drifted off to sleep, her mind filled with excitement about her first family trip instead of the drama’s first teaser. The next day, she went through her usual routine, then added her personal items to the bag Na-yeon had prepared.

She soon found herself in Seong-yun’s white sedan instead of the usual black van driven by her manager, Joo Jung-yoon. With a pamphlet for the traditional activity center in hand, she passed the time reading about the experiences she could look forward to.

After several hours, they arrived at the cottage, grilling crimson-colored meat over a glowing red charcoal fire. The next morning, they set off early to the traditional activity center. Everything was as wonderful as expected—perhaps even better than she had hoped.

She had missed the teaser for *My Love From the Stars*, but by the time they got back, she figured it would already be uploaded to the drama’s website. For now, she was happy to fully enjoy her first family trip.

But then, something unexpected happened when she entered the traditional activity center. Specifically, during her first archery attempt at the *Traditional Archery* station.

*Thwonng!*

“Uh… it shouldn’t be that easy to draw the bowstring, right?”

A staff member, who had assumed Ha-eun’s bowstring had come loose, came over and took her bow. But all he found was that the bow was perfectly fine.

Then, with a slightly puzzled expression, he returned the bow to Ha-eun, who once again drew it smoothly, aiming a perfect shot at the bullseye 30 meters away.

One after another—*thwonng!*—each arrow Ha-eun fired hit dead center on the target.

*What… what on earth…*

The fact that this eleven-year-old could draw the stiff bowstring with ease was surprising enough. But when every arrow she released struck the bullseye, the astonished staff member was left speechless.

Meanwhile, Ha-eun, oblivious to the amazement around her, continued to pose at her mother Na-yeon’s request, who was snapping photos excitedly nearby.

“Hmm, try pulling it back a little slower this time, Ha-eun?”

*Thwonng…*

“Like… this?”

“Yes, just like that. Hold that pose for three seconds; I’m taking a photo.”

With a soft *click*, Na-yeon looked at the captured image with a smile of satisfaction.

Leaving the stunned staff at the archery station, Ha-eun moved on to the *Stone-Throwing Game* area. And as expected…

*Thwack!*

*Thwack, thwack!*

Each stone she threw knocked down every single target without fail. Finally noticing something was a bit odd, Seong-yun remarked that she seemed to be hitting them a bit too accurately.

“Well, that’s all thanks to years of playing catch with you, right?”

*…Is it really just because of playing catch?*

Na-yeon, busy capturing Ha-eun’s beaming face on her digital camera, didn’t think too much about it. After all, they’d been playing catch for over five years now, so her daughter’s impressive aim seemed reasonable.

In any case, they were achieving their goal of creating unforgettable memories for Ha-eun. Eventually, Seong-yun set aside his surprise and focused on letting her enjoy as many activities as possible.

As the day passed, evening began to settle, and they ended their trip with dinner at a family restaurant, making sure her first family trip was filled with joyful memories.

And perhaps because of this, not long after they were back in the car, Ha-eun dozed off, leaning against Na-yeon.

*...Well, well. Didn’t she say she wanted to watch the teaser together as soon as we got home?*

Seeing her asleep in the rearview mirror, Seong-yun couldn’t help but smile. She looked like any other young child her age, frowning occasionally and snuggling closer into her mother’s arms as if dreaming. To him, even that was endearing.

By the time they arrived home, Ha-eun was still fast asleep, so instead of waking her, Seong-yun carefully lifted her out of the car and gently laid her in bed.

Checking the teaser could wait, he thought. But unlike Seong-yun, Na-yeon was just as excited to watch it as Ha-eun had been.

“Honey, should we go watch it ourselves?”

“Hmm, wouldn’t she feel left out if we watched it without her?”

“But… I’m so curious!”

And so, Seong-yun found himself sitting with Na-yeon at the computer in the living room, each sharing a single earbud.

They accessed the official site for *My Love From the Stars.*

“This one, right? The teaser Ha-eun mentioned?”

“Yes.”

They hit the play button on the teaser that occupied the center of the website. For about twenty seconds, only Ha Yoon-sung and Yoo Sung-ah appeared on the screen, leaving them slightly disappointed.

It made sense that the network would focus on the two main actors, given their popularity, but they’d hoped Ha-eun would have a little more screen time.

*“You know, Mister, I always get this… strange feeling when I look at you. Like I’ve met you somewhere before.”*

But as soon as Sung-ah’s voice ended, her gaze filled with curiosity as she looked at Yoon-sung, the scene started to shift, rewinding several hundred years into the past. The shift in the scenery gradually widened the eyes of both parents.

*Step.*

A shadow, different from Sung-ah’s, began to appear, filling their gaze with a deepening intensity.

Then, an expansive view of a wide field of reeds filled the screen, and there, standing alone in the middle, was a serene silhouette.

*“...My lord.”*

The face that Seong-yun and Na-yeon saw was Ha-eun’s, a faint smile on her lips.

But there was also a hint of sadness in her expression that made them pause. Then, in that moment, as if Ha-eun was staring directly at them from within the screen…

*A single tear traced down her cheek.*

And then, the screen went black.

At that moment, they heard her voice, layered with a complex mix of emotions impossible to categorize into just one feeling.

*“Just… please, remember me.”*

With that, the title *My Love From the Stars* appeared, signaling the end of the teaser.

The view counter on the monitor was already surging past 300,000, nearing 400,000 views, but Seong-yun and Na-yeon’s focus was on each other instead.

“Honey… that was… that was our daughter, right?”@@novelbin@@

“Yeah… the same one who’s sound asleep in her room right now.”

The performance they had just witnessed was so hauntingly intense that even the two people who had raised Ha-eun couldn’t help but feel a chill. Her performance had been utterly captivating, holding their gaze without wavering for even a moment.

But what they had seen was only a brief teaser, barely a minute long. Ha-eun’s actual screen time had been less than ten seconds.

Which meant that Ha-eun’s full performance in *My Love From the Stars* had yet to be truly unveiled.

“Our daughter is… really incredible.”

“...Yeah.”

Both Seong-yun and Na-yeon decided, without question, that they would watch *My Love From the Stars* live when it aired in four days.