Was it because she’d stayed up late talking with Ha-eun? Or maybe because she’d finally let out feelings she’d kept bottled up for so long?

    "Da-yeon, Da-yeon... wake up... Breakfast is ready."

    "Just... ten more minutes...."

    As usual, Ha-eun had been up bright and early, but no matter how much she tried to wake Da-yeon, she just wouldn’t budge.

    On any other day, Ha-eun would have persisted, but after Da-yeon had shared her deepest feelings last night, Ha-eun found herself more considerate than usual, not wanting to disturb her friend.

    "...If even eating instant ramen wouldn’t make your eyes this puffy."

    In the end, she gently placed a soft blanket over Da-yeon’s swollen eyes instead of waking her up. She then carefully suggested to Da-yeon’s parents that they let her sleep a bit longer.

    After that, breakfast began without Da-yeon. Sitting across from someone else’s parents and having breakfast together felt uncomfortable, but skipping a meal was bad for one’s health, and Ha-eun valued health above a little awkwardness.

    So, she quietly ate the healthy dishes in front of her.

    "My, Ha-eun, you’re such an easy eater... Your mother must enjoy cooking for you."

    Da-yeon’s mother, Jung Go-eun, commented softly, admiring Ha-eun’s open attitude toward food. Her father, Min Jung-woon, added a short wish directed at Da-yeon.

    "I don’t ask for much, but I wish Da-yeon would at least pick up Ha-eun’s good habits."

    "...Good thing I didn’t wake her up."

    Already feeling stressed from being compared to Ha-eun, Da-yeon would have surely blown up if she’d been awake to hear her parents comparing even her habits.@@@@

    But Ha-eun couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy as both parents kept glancing in her direction. While their gazes weren’t hostile, she felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles.

    "I feel like I might get indigestion...."

    About fifteen minutes later, breakfast finally came to an end. Just then, she received a message from her manager, Joo Jung-yoon, letting her know they’d be arriving soon, so she began to prepare to leave.

    Since Da-yeon was still deep in sleep, she had no choice but to say her goodbyes to her parents only.

    "Thank you very much for having me."

    "Oh, please. You’re welcome anytime."

    After politely bowing, Ha-eun stepped outside Da-yeon’s house.

    "Lady Han Yoo-hwa! I’ve missed you so much!"

    "...She didn’t say Mom would be coming too."

    To her surprise, her mother Na-yeon had come along with her manager, and she immediately ran over to give Ha-eun a tight hug. Almost at once, Na-yeon started pouring out her reactions to Episode 5 of *My Love From the Stars*.

    "Do you know how much I cried after watching you last night? You should’ve told me in advance that Han Yoo-hwa was going to die!"

    ‘...I can’t breathe....’

    The thief who managed to escape, thanks to Squirrel’s sacrifice, responded with an equally familiar line.

    "I swear I shall never forget Lady Squirrel, no matter when that day comes!"

    Ha-eun’s focus on the broadcast instantly sharpened.

    Moments later, the cops found Squirrel and fired their arrows in rapid succession. Within seconds, her avatar looked like a pincushion and died on the spot.

    - "Fake Yoo-hwa, cut down immediately, lol."

    - "The real Han Yoo-hwa didn’t even get hit this much."

    - "It’s like they shot her immediately because she was impersonating Han Yoo-hwa."

    "Come on, don’t you think I look a little like her? Not even a bit?"

    - "Nope."

    - "The real Han Yoo-hwa would never squeak like that."

    - "Also, comparing Gangjeong to Park Do-joon is just... no."

    "What’s wrong with my Jung! I mean, even I admit it’s a bit off."

    - "Oops, your true feelings slipped out!"

    - "Countdown to Gangjeong sulking in 10, 9, 8..."

    - "Please, Squirrel, compare him to someone else. I mean, there’s no way our Yun-seong oppa would ever look at someone like Gangjeong—(Message deleted)"

    - "Anyway, we managed to get the jewel out, so it’s a happy ending!"

    The chat was filled with discussions about *My Love From the Stars* as Squirrel and her viewers continued chatting.

    Given the drama’s national popularity, it wasn’t surprising, but seeing so many people talk about Ha-eun’s performance in such an enthusiastic way felt unfamiliar.

    Finally, the confusion that had clouded Ha-eun’s mind all day lifted, replaced by a warm, pleasant sensation.

    In the small mirror beside her monitor, Ha-eun noticed the corners of her mouth gradually curling upward. The feeling was so good that no stray thoughts could break through.

    ---

    Buzz... Buzz... Click.

    "Hello?"

    [Oh, Manager Joo. It’s Lee Gun-yeol.]

    "Ah, yes, Gun-yeol. What’s up?"

    [Well, there’s something I’d like to discuss with Ha-eun. Is she busy right now?]

    Glancing over, Joo Jung-yoon saw Ha-eun at a nearby table, eating a delicious-looking slice of cake while giving yet another interview across from Heo Joo-eun.

    This time, however, Heo Joo-eun had brought a photographer, so the sound of camera shutters filled the cozy cafe?.

    "She’s in the middle of an interview. I think it’ll be about another 30 minutes. Is it urgent?"

    [No, no, it’s nothing that urgent. I’ll try again a bit later.]

    With that, the call ended, and almost simultaneously, the shutter clicked again, making Joo Jung-yoon realize something.

    ‘...I never thought I’d actually become a star manager.’

    From a complete novice with zero experience as a manager, he had somehow become the manager of a rising star like Ha-eun. The constant inquiries and missed calls from people wanting to reach Ha-eun made this even more surreal.

    ‘Maybe I should ask for a raise...?’