The setting of Scene #145 was the same forest where Lee Hyun and Yeong-wol first met in Scene #1. Even their outfits closely mirrored those from that earlier scene.
However, unlike Scene #1, which was devoid of any romance, Scene #145 was saturated with mutual affection between Lee Hyun and Yeong-wol from start to finish.
The intense romantic atmosphere, driven by Yeong-wolâs unusually proactive behavior, stood in stark contrast to the light-hearted tone of Scene #1, further amplifying the emotional impact. The identical location and costumes from Scene #1 made the difference in their gazes and expressions all the more striking.
What stood out most was Yeong-wolâs ever-changing demeanor.
âI knew she could act, but I didnât think she could go this farâ¦.â
As Yeong-wolâs presence built to a crescendo with her alluring smile directed at Lee Hyun, Yoo Sung-jae found himself completely captivated, momentarily losing himself in the scene. It wasnât until Jin Gyu-sung gave his âokayâ sign that Sung-jae finally exhaled the breath he didnât realize heâd been holding.
But while Yoo Sung-jae remained immersed in the lingering emotions of Scene #145â
âAre you not going to monitor the scene?â
âYou⦠go ahead, Ha-eun. Iâll check it later.â
Ha-eun, who had effortlessly returned to her usual calm self, left Sung-jae at a loss for words. She seemed like a completely different person from the one who had exuded an irresistible, seductive aura just moments ago, captivating everything around her.
It had been four months since filming for The Moonlight That Parts the Clouds began. By now, Yoo Sung-jae thought he would be used to Ha-eunâs remarkable acting, yet he still couldnât fully adjust to how seamlessly she controlled her emotions on command.
As he silently watched Ha-eunâs retreating figure, he felt the spell she had cast on him in the scene gradually wear off. Only then did he manage to rise to his feet.
âDo you want to reshoot any parts?â Jin Gyu-sung asked.
Sung-jae shook his head slightly and replied that the shoot had been flawless, leaving him with no regrets.
Howeverâ
âSung-jae.â
âYes?â
âThereâs⦠something on your right shoulder. It looks like a grasshopper.â
Jin Gyu-sung, who had been tilting his head curiously for a while, finally revealed what Sung-jae had unknowingly been carrying.
And with that, for an entirely different reason than during Scene #145, Sung-jaeâs heart began racing uncontrollably.
***
The day after Yoo Sung-jae nearly fainted from the tiny, uninvited grasshopper perched on his shoulderâ
âCut! Great job, everyone!â
The final scene of The Moonlight That Parts the Clouds, set against a backdrop of a crimson sunset and a vast flower field, ended with Jin Gyu-sungâs satisfied âokayâ sign. With that, filming for The Moonlight That Parts the Clouds was officially complete.
As the set began to wrap up, Ha-eun headed to the dressing room to change back into her regular clothes. However, just as she was about to head straight home as usualâ
âThereâs no way you can skip the wrap party for the final episode,â
Yoo Sung-jae appeared with some familiar supporting cast members, blocking her way. Inevitably, this led not only to Ha-eun attending the nearby barbecue restaurant but also to Da-yeon, who had come to meet her, joining in as well.
It wasnât long before Ha-eun was faced with the unusual sight of The Moonlight That Parts the Clouds cast and crew filling every seat in the restaurant. It was the result of Yoo Sung-jaeâs extraordinary sociability and his quick calls to everyone after encountering Ha-eun.
To be honest, it wasnât a particularly burdensome gathering. As the lead actress and a key player in the showâs success since the first episode, her attendance at the wrap party was only natural.
However, due to her other commitmentâa VTuber livestreamâ
âWell, we were planning to watch Episode 9 together before wrapping up the nightâ¦â
âIâm sorry. I have an important prior commitment.â
Not only was Ha-eun unable to stay late to watch Episode 9 with Sung-jae and the other cast members, but she also had to leave the party midway. What surprised her, though, was that Da-yeon, seated beside her, also began to prepare to leave.
âHuh? Why are you leaving?â
âThat stream I showed you last timeâitâs starting soon.â
Frankly, Ha-eun was stunned. When Da-yeon sent her a link to Diahâs channel, Ha-eun felt her heart drop as if plummeting from a great height.
Still, Da-yeon added cheerfully,
âItâs fun! You should check it out if you can.â
âUh⦠yeah, Iâll try if I have timeâ¦â
It was an incredibly odd suggestion for Ha-eun to watch her own stream. Stunned, she could only stare blankly as Da-yeon left in Jin-suâs van, unable to even mutter a proper goodbye.
Even after she climbed into Ju Jung-yoonâs black van a short while later, and even as Jung-yoon bombarded her with questions about her intimate performance in Episode 9â
âSo, did you actually kiss Yoo Sung-jae?â
ââ¦Youâll find out when the episode airs.â
When Ha-eun finally arrived home, she practically bolted out of the van to escape Jung-yoonâs relentless questioning.
ââ¦Should I just ban her?â@@novelbin@@
Ha-eun seriously debated adding Da-yeonâs username, ekdus7, to Diahâs blacklist. The thought of Da-yeon, her closest friend, watching her streams made her feel like sheâd never be able to stream comfortably again.
However, having spent so much time with Da-yeon, especially since her 18th birthdayâ
âItâs just an internet streamer⦠right? Why does she like it so much?â
âBecause sheâs cute, her streams are fun, and⦠well, Iâve gotten pretty attached.â
Sheâd come to realize that Diah held a significant place in Da-yeonâs life.
-Click.
[Battle Islandâ (First time playing)]
In the end, Ha-eun couldnât bring herself to blacklist Da-yeon, even as she started her stream.
Diah!
Battle Island? Is this real?
Letâs stream-snipe! Stream-snipe! Stream-snipe!
Should we⦠abduct her?
Diah, go to the new map! Thereâs even a polar bear there!
[67889 has donated 10,000 won!]
Message: Do you even know what a supply drop is?
[ExclusiveJetRatul has donated 10,000 won!]
Message: First win = 50,000 won bonus!
Todayâs stream title, and the game Diah would be playing, was Battle Island, an FPS battle royale game. Its reputation for being âeasy to stream-snipeâ had already turned the chat and donation alerts into a chaotic frenzy.
Technically, this wasnât Ha-eunâs first time playing Battle Island. But it was Diahâs first time, soâ
âHow do I start the tutorial~?â
In keeping with Diahâs roleplay as an innocent spirit newly arrived in the human world, she planned to begin with the mundane tutorial.
It was then that her phone buzzed repeatedly.
-Bzzt.
-Bzzt.
ââ¦Whatâs this?â
Turning off her mic, she unlocked her phone to check the source of the buzzingâa flurry of messages in the Fantasy Land group chat.
[Lee Yena (Yuna)] - (Screenshot of Lee Hyun & Yeong-wolâs kiss scene)
[Lee Yena (Yuna)] - This brat⦠doing what even I havenât done yetâ¦!!
[Park Mi-so (Mile)] - Oh my⦠oh my⦠oh my⦠(embarrassed lion emoji)
[Kim Eun-hye (Ria)] - Our youngest looks so pretty!!
[Jung Maria (Cream)] - Ha-eun, were those tears real or artificial drops?
The group chat was filled with reactions from the Fantasy Land members who were watching Episode 9 in real time. Just as Ha-eunâs embarrassment peaked, the emoji spam began.
[Lee Ha-eun (Diah)] - (Otter emoji kneeling and begging)
[Lee Ha-eun (Diah)] - (Otter emoji kneeling and begging)
[Lee Ha-eun (Diah)] - Please donât post those screenshots.
[Lee Ha-eun (Diah)] - Iâm begging you.
[Lee Ha-eun (Diah)] - Iâm streaming right now.
[Lee Ha-eun (Diah)] - Ask me questions after the stream.
Her ears were burning red, and her face paled by the second.
Even soâ
-Bzzt.
[Lee Yena (Yuna)] - (Another screenshot of the kiss)
[Lee Yena (Yuna)] - (And another)
[Lee Yena (Yuna)] - I canât tell if your lips actually touched!!
[Lee Yena (Yuna)] - Did you and Yoo Sung-jae go âsmack smackâ or not?!
With the reactions escalating, Ha-eun finally gave in.
[Lee Ha-eun (Diah)] - There was no tint on his lips.
[Lee Ha-eun (Diah)] - We didnât âsmack smackâ or whatever.
[Lee Ha-eun (Diah)] - It was just an angle trick.
[Lee Ha-eun (Diah)] - Satisfied now?
[Lee Ha-eun (Diah)] - (Enlightened otter emoji)
Reluctantly, she dredged up an embarrassing memory sheâd rather have buried to explain the truth.
Even so, her shattered composure remained far from recovered, even after resuming the stream.