Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Translator: Penny
Chapter 26
Even when Ha-eun's first lead movie, The Man Next Door, recorded a huge box office success of 7 million viewers.
Even when she beat out several prominent actresses at the year-end awards ceremony and won the Best New Actress award.
Min Da-yeon hadn't really seen Ha-eun's proper acting since the Kim Jia role screen test a few years ago.
Well, Min Da-yeon was still a minor, only 11 years old.
Because The Man Next Door was rated R, 11-year-old Min Da-yeon couldn't watch Ha-eun on screen even if she wanted to.
The only thing Min Da-yeon could do was replay the short trailer, which was only about two minutes long.
Of course, unlike a few years ago when she looked down on Ha-eun as a rookie, she now recognized Ha-eun as a full-fledged actress.
She already knew that Ha-eun, who already had excellent acting skills, had been working hard by attending acting school separately.
Nevertheless, the reason she decided to compete with Ha-eun once again was because Min Da-yeon hadn't been just playing around either.
Unlike Ha-eun, who only filmed minor commercials after The Man Next Door and eventually went on hiatus for a while.
She thought that Min Da-yeon would have a chance to win to some extent, as she had been gaining practical experience by continuously appearing in various dramas and movies.
To put it bluntly, it was a misjudgment.
"What are memories? What are recollections? Just what, exactly, is…."
'...How can I beat that?'
An acting performance that made her resent the earlier version of herself who had made Ha-eun audition first.
It was such a Han Yu-hwa-like performance that it made her wonder if she even needed to watch the other child actors.
After that, the auditions for the next and the next child actors continued.
In the end, Min Da-yeon's audition was somehow finished as well.
However, it was already decided which of the four actors who attended the final audition had given a performance that was suitable for Han Yu-hwa.
Otherwise, there was no reason why Ha Yoon-sung and Yoo Seong-ah, the two lead actors of You Who Came From the Stars, would only show interest in Ha-eun.
"It feels like just yesterday that I saw you in The Man Next Door. You've grown up so much~."
Ha Yoon-sung soon said that Ha-eun's current hanbok attire was also quite beautiful.
Almost at the same time, Yoo Seong-ah muttered that she was likely to make several boys her age cry.
When you think about it, Min Da-yeon's fame was several times higher than Ha-eun's.
But it seemed like a meaningless indicator right now.
In that way, the final audition for the role of young Han Yu-hwa ended in a similar form to the screen test from a few years ago.
As she walked out of the audition room with a bitter feeling in her mouth.
"Oh, Da-yeon. How was the audition?"
Kim Jin-soo, Min Da-yeon's manager, whose sense of tact seemed to have been eaten with his rice, tickled her ears with his voice.
Almost at the same time, a strawberry-flavored latte was handed over.
Min Da-yeon also knew that Kim Jin-soo from just now was only asking because he was genuinely curious.
Because she knew that there was no malice, she didn't even get annoyed or angry and just silently got into the car.
However, even if she kept drinking the strawberry-flavored latte that Kim Jin-soo handed her.
No matter what, even if she reminded herself that the performance Min Da-yeon showed at today's final audition was Min Da-yeon's best.
'...Just what's so different about that bitch and me? Why is there such a big difference?'
Ha-eun's acting, which had a different level of immersion from her own, wouldn't leave her head.
Apart from acknowledging Ha-eun's acting skills, she continued to wonder why Ha-eun possessed such outstanding acting skills.
What on earth had happened that allowed her to act so naturally and with such high perfection?
What kind of time had she spent that had widened the gap even more than it was a few years ago?
During the past four years that she had been sticking with Ha-eun, 7-year-old Min Da-yeon had also tried to observe Ha-eun in her own way in order to uncover the basis of the acting skills that she had been overwhelmed by.
It was because she thought that if Ha-eun had her own know-how, and if Min Da-yeon learned that know-how, Min Da-yeon would also be able to perform the same kind of acting as Ha-eun.
However, the more time she spent with Ha-eun.
Far from finding out any particular know-how, the thought that she was just an ordinary girl with slightly better looks only grew stronger and stronger.
In the end, she had the foolish thought that her 7-year-old self had overestimated Ha-eun too much.
That she might be able to beat Ha-eun in this audition for the role of young Han Yu-hwa.
Nevertheless, Min Da-yeon's pride wouldn't allow her to accept it and move on with the explanation that it was simply a difference in talent.
From the beginning, Min Da-yeon had heard countless times that she was more talented than anyone else.
And so, she returned home.
At that moment, as she laid her body down on the soft mattress.
'...This is really the last time. I won't be obsessed with that bitch anymore from now on. I won't be obsessed….'
She decided to properly dig into who Lee Ha-eun was, spending time with Ha-eun in the times that Min Da-yeon hadn't been able to be with her.
Just like she had analyzed and interpreted the scripts of various dramas and movies in the past.
"You want me to stick with you 24 hours a day…? Why…?"
"You don't need to know why. Just tell me whether you'll grant my request or not."
Ha-eun then faced Min Da-yeon, who was slightly embarrassed but trying not to show it.
When you think about it, it wasn't that difficult of a request.
In the worst case, it wasn't like she was doing something secretive that shouldn't be heard by others.
In addition, she heard that if she didn't grant her request, she wouldn't care about Ha-eun (acting) anymore from now on.
Ha-eun's expression turned serious for a moment, as she misunderstood this as meaning that she would cut off her relationship with Ha-eun.
However, she didn't know if she could show Min Da-yeon acting classes or singing classes, as she was from a different agency, let alone the minor exercises that she did every single day without fail.
"...I'll give you an answer tomorrow. There's something I need to find out."
"Whatever."
First, she contacted the acting school and Deobeulli and asked in a careful voice whether she could bring Min Da-yeon to the classes.
However, unexpectedly, both the acting school and Deobeulli.
[If it's Min Da-yeon, are you talking about child actress Min Da-yeon? Of course, you can bring her. No, please bring her!]
[Ha-eun, you had a friend named Min Da-yeon? I wanted to meet her sometime, so this is great.]
Instead of saying that it would be difficult to grant Ha-eun's request, they answered in a tone that seemed to welcome Min Da-yeon.
In response, she belatedly realized that Min Da-yeon's name value was higher than Ha-eun had thought.
However, at that moment when she asked Na-yeon, the last person she needed to get permission from, whether she could bring Min Da-yeon to her house.
"Hmm, my daughter's first friend is Min Da-yeon. Aren't you being too picky with your friends?"
For some reason, she spoke as if she hadn't had a single friend until now.
Ha-eun, who had been diligently practicing Na-yeon's words that the more friends you have, the better, from the first time she went to kindergarten a few years ago until this very moment.
"...I have a lot of friends."
For the first time in her 11 years of life, Ha-eun contradicted Na-yeon's words.
Strictly speaking, she didn't really have a friend like Min Da-yeon with whom she could confide her trivial worries.
But she could be proud of the fact that she was maintaining a fairly good relationship with others.
She got along with everyone, regardless of whether they were in the same class as her in elementary school or in a different class.
But for Ha-eun to be told that she was too picky with her friends.
"I really do have a lot of friends."
It was definitely a statement that had to be corrected.
There wasn't a single child whom Ha-eun couldn't befriend, except for the child actors at the acting school.
"Not just friends you know the name of. A real~ friend who you can have sleep in your room."
However, as a result, no further rebuttal was possible.
For some reason, Min Da-yeon was the only one who came to mind as a candidate for the real~ friend that Na-yeon was talking about.
Well, whatever.
In any case.
She was able to grant Min Da-yeon's strange request.
The very next day, as soon as she met Min Da-yeon, she told her the news that she had received all the permission.
Min Da-yeon, who didn't seem surprised or happy and just said that she understood.
And so, for today at least, she was stuck with Min Da-yeon even after school.
There was a minor incident in which Ju Jeong-yun was startled by the sight of Min Da-yeon getting into the van with Ha-eun so naturally, but whatever.
And so, until they went to the acting school and Deobeulli's studio in turn.
Until she took Min Da-yeon to the vacant lot near her house that had become Ha-eun's personal gym.
"Hello, Da-yeon~."
"Ah, hello."
After that, there were no particular problems until they arrived home and Na-yeon greeted Min Da-yeon with a friendly tone.
The thing that could be called a problem started right after that.
"Then, I'm going to go wash up. Da-yeon, you can read a book in my room or—"
"I, I want to wash up with you too. I sweated a lot from following you around."
Only then did she realize that the meaning of the request to stick with her 24 hours a day was really meant literally.
After that, by Na-yeon, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation between Ha-eun and Min Da-yeon since some point.
-Swish….
"………………."
Somehow, as a result, she ended up in the bathtub with Min Da-yeon.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't that strange of a thing to happen that it couldn't be explained at all….
'…What's that? Is that…muscle?'
From Min Da-yeon's point of view, the faint outline of the eleven abs that she had only seen in the pictorials of adult models was showing on Ha-eun's stomach.
In response, she unknowingly reached out her hand as if possessed and finally poked Ha-eun's firm stomach once.
“…What are you doing…?”
Eyes that were half embarrassed and half flustered turned to Min Da-yeon.
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny