Three hours before the reenactment of Episode 8 of The Moon That Hid the Sun was to begin.

    Park Jung-woo had just arrived, and the staff were busy with the shoot.

    "Joo Seoyeon."

    Lee Ji-yeon handed Seoyeon a hanbok, the traditional Korean dress.

    It was the "Princess Yeonhwa" hanbok that the staff had given to her earlier that morning.

    "Put it on."

    Seoyeon looked at the hanbok with a slightly troubled expression. The reasons were complicated.

    There were memories from middle school, when she had been known as Princess Yeonhwa, and the close calls that had come with it.

    Then there was the fact that this role was given to Lee Ji-yeon, not her. And there was the worry that something might go wrong during the performance.

    All these reasons made Seoyeon hesitate.

    "Lee Ji-yeon, I..."

    "I know what you''re thinking."

    Ji-yeon interrupted. They had known each other for ten years now. In the past, it had been hard to read Seoyeon''s expressionless face, but not anymore.

    Though there were still times when she couldn''t tell what Seoyeon was thinking, in situations like this, it was clear.

    "You have your reasons. But above all, this is an amazing opportunity for me."

    It was a chance to shoot with Park Jung-woo, a top-tier young actor. If you were a fellow actor of the same age, you''d be burning with determination to seize such an opportunity.

    Low viewership?

    Park Jung-woo’s presence would more than make up for that. Even if the show didn’t become a hit, the online articles alone would boost her recognition significantly.

    She knew everything.

    "I know you want to do something with the play."

    Seoyeon surely had a plan. But Ji-yeon didn’t like the idea of Seoyeon’s first comeback performance being just a regular play.

    A comeback performance. The first stage after her return. It felt like throwing away a once-in-a-lifetime premium opportunity.

    "You said you wanted to become a top actor."

    Ji-yeon thought that if Seoyeon didn’t like an ordinary stage, she could make it special. This variety show was a great opportunity for that.

    "This is a chance. You know that, right?"

    From the moment she was given the role of Princess Yeonhwa, Ji-yeon had imagined this scenario many times.

    Princess Yeonhwa was Seoyeon’s role. From long ago, from the moment Ji-yeon had seen her on TV.

    From the moment she witnessed that starlight, her heart hadn’t wavered.

    "......"

    Seoyeon quietly looked at Ji-yeon. Calmly, and silently.

    After a moment passed, Seoyeon slowly nodded.

    "Alright."

    She made up her mind. Ji-yeon was right. Seoyeon’s participation in "Eyes Closed" was a stepping stone for her next move.

    But there was nothing wrong with making that stepping stone more special. To hesitate now would be an insult to Ji-yeon, who was speaking while giving up her own opportunity.

    "I’ll do it."

    With Seoyeon’s resolute answer, the transformation began. Ji-yeon had brought a makeup artist and manager to assist.

    Everything proceeded quickly. It was all prepared in advance by Ji-yeon.

    The makeup artist. The manager who would help with the costume change.

    With their help, Seoyeon began to get into character. To become Princess Yeonhwa Lee Hye-wol once again, after ten years.

    "Please lift your arms."

    She put on the multi-layered rainbow skirt and wore the jeogori, the short jacket.

    "Seoyeon, lift your head, please."

    They tied her long black hair. Looking in the mirror, the artist carefully applied makeup, decorating her face.

    The reflection in the mirror was Princess Yeonhwa.

    A grown-up version of the young Lee Hye-wol appeared in the mirror.

    "Ji-yeon? What’s going on here...?"

    Just then, the director Ji-yeon had called, PD Jeong Min-jae, arrived. The moment he saw her, he froze with a sour look on his face.

    ''Ji-yeon?''

    He rubbed his eyes. He had looked at Ji-yeon’s photo several times before the shoot.

    But the woman in front of him now... who was she?

    Long black hair, slightly upturned eyes. A graceful figure with a calm demeanor.

    She was the living embodiment of Princess Yeonhwa.

    She looked exactly like what he imagined the grown-up version of the young Lee Hye-wol from ten years ago would look like.

    "Huh?"

    This is why it flopped, lolI haven’t been able to sleep lately, but this is putting me to sleep already...I''d rather go home and play a game. That would be a thousand times more fun.What is this, a pterodactyl???I was about to fall asleep, but now I''m wide awake, damn it.Please please please... (repeated)Wake me up when it''s over...Even Park Jung-woo can’t save this.Hmm...???????What’s going on?That’s not Lee Ji-yeon, right?Who’s playing Princess Yeonhwa??? Her face is insane????She looks familiar... Isn’t she the child actress who played Princess Yeonhwa?Are you serious, old man? Come on, be reasonable.That’s Joo Seoyeon. I’m sure she’s the child actress who played the young Princess Yeonhwa.Seriously???How does that make any sense????

    Her playful red eyes and softly curved lips. That expression was warmer and more dazzling than in the past.

    "Seoil?"

    He couldn’t even act.

    "You, you!!"

    When he grabbed Seoyeon’s arm in panic, confusion flickered in her eyes.

    "The line is wrong."

    "Is this really the time to talk about that? You’re really Joo Seoyeon, right? Are you...?"

    Why are you here? No, where is Lee Ji-yeon, and why is the real Princess Yeonhwa here?

    Without realizing it, Park Jung-woo grabbed both of Seoyeon’s arms and was about to blurt it out.

    "...Oh."

    Only then did he realize that the auditorium had fallen silent. How did he look just now?

    Park Jung-woo squeezed his eyes shut.

    She was a bit surprised.

    She never expected Park Jung-woo to suddenly grab her arms and shake her like that.

    Was there such a scene?

    She thought for a moment, but of course, there wasn’t.

    "Let''s take a short break!"

    The filming paused briefly, and the camera captured Seoyeon and Park Jung-woo. It seemed they intended to keep this on film.

    Seoyeon thought so as she spoke.

    "I made an NG."

    "You... seriously."

    Park Jung-woo held his head in his hands. His head throbbed. It felt like all the exhaustion he had felt just moments ago had vanished.

    "...Why are you here?"

    "Of course, because this is the high school I attend."

    "This... this can’t be real."

    His heart was still pounding. He glanced at Seoyeon for a moment and then turned his head away. It was difficult to look at her properly.

    It was awkward. In so many ways, it felt strange.

    "...Are you making a comeback?"

    Park Jung-woo’s quiet words were captured by the camera. Naturally, everyone in the auditorium—students filming, teachers watching—focused their attention on the two.

    Seoyeon felt it.

    Now was the time.

    "Yes."

    "Do you have a project lined up? If not, I could..."

    "I already have one. A play."

    "A play?"

    That was an unexpected answer for Park Jung-woo. Why would Seoyeon choose a play as her comeback?

    "What’s it called?"

    "Well..."

    Seoyeon’s lips moved. And those words echoed clearly in everyone’s ears. The title of the comeback project for Joo Seoyeon, who had made waves as Princess Yeonhwa ten years ago.

    "But what’s important right now is this performance, isn’t it?"

    All eyes in the auditorium were on her. Seoyeon glanced at them, then turned her gaze back to Jung-woo.

    And then...

    The atmosphere shifted.

    The relatively calm aura around Seoyeon changed to the playful yet graceful demeanor of Lee Hye-wol.

    Everyone watched, completely engrossed, forgetting that this was just a variety show.

    "Seoil."

    Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Hye-wol.

    The scene of her reunion with the grown-up Yoon Seoil.

    The iconic scene that fans of The Moon That Hid the Sun had been longing for.

    "Have you been waiting long?"

    At her words, Jung-woo chuckled.

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    And so, the reenactment of Episode 8, which began after ten years, brought about tremendous repercussions.

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