Chapter 22
At the end of the meeting, PD Han Young-jun asked for Ji-hyun’s autograph — saying he was actually a fan.
And judging by how genuinely happy he looked, he really meant it.
While walking to the parking lot afterward, Sung-han muttered quietly beside her.
“So when he said he wanted to work with you, he really meant it.”
“Huh?”
“I’m talking about PD Han Young-jun. He’s not usually this gentle or friendly.”
“Ah…”
Come to think of it, Ji-hyun had heard that name before — Han Young-jun of YTB.
At the end of every year, during award shows or music festivals, his name would often pop up in acceptance speeches from idols he’d worked with.
Things like:
“He was strict but taught us so much.”
“He was like a father figure to us.”
That was the usual kind of praise he got.
‘Which probably means he’s tough but incredibly skilled.’
And since the idols who worked with him often ended up winning awards, that said a lot — not just about their talent, but about how good he was at producing great shows.
‘Anyway, I’m glad it all went smoothly… huh?’
“Something wrong? Did you forget something inside?”
Sung-han glanced at her from the driver’s seat.
Ji-hyun blinked blankly before shaking her head quickly.
“No, it’s nothing. Maybe I’m just a bit tired.”
“Then you’d better rest as soon as we get back.”
“Yeah, I think I will…”
Her voice trailed off as she looked down toward the bottom right corner of her vision —
where a new glowing Event Quest window had appeared.
⚠️ Notice!
Synchronization with Ahn Ji-hyun has reached a certain level.
From now on, some quests will provide rewards.
“Rewards…?”
That word immediately caught her attention.
Until now, the system had only threatened her with death if she failed a quest — not once had it offered her a reward.
‘So it does give out prizes too, huh?’
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
‘But what does synchronization mean?’
Judging by the phrasing, it probably meant her “sync rate” with the real Ahn Ji-hyun had increased — maybe reaching the next stage of progress.
She couldn’t be completely sure, but that seemed like the most logical guess.
Still—
“Wait, but… there’s no description for the reward?”
“Reward?”
Oops. She’d said that out loud.
Ji-hyun laughed awkwardly and made up an excuse about thinking of a mobile game,
then quickly looked back at the quest window.
[Event Quest]
Someone is waiting for you behind the annex.
They seem to want to avoid being seen,
so go there quietly and check it out.
Reward: ???
***
The “annex” probably referred to her dorm or private lodging.
‘If it’s just an event quest, it’s optional… but if there’s a reward involved, that changes everything.’
When they arrived, she decided she’d send Sung-han away first,
then check behind the building to see who was waiting.
Ji-hyun leaned back and closed her eyes.
She wanted to nap for a few minutes before whatever was coming next —
because who knew what kind of trouble might be waiting this time.
And she still had practice with A-young later.
‘Speaking of which… what time is it?’
It was only 11 a.m.
The meeting had ended earlier than expected,
so there was still plenty of time before her scheduled practice with A-young.
As long as this event quest didn’t take more than an hour, she’d be fine.
***
“How have you been?”
Just as she was about to drift off, Sung-han spoke up again.
“What do you mean?”
He glanced at her through the rearview mirror, smiling softly.
“I just mean… how are you feeling these days?
I was a little worried you might feel empty or lonely.”
His tone sounded kind, but something about that smile made her uneasy.
It wasn’t the warmth of genuine concern —
it felt more like he wanted her to feel that emptiness.
“You don’t seem too troubled, though,” he added cheerfully. “That’s a relief.”
“…Thank you.”
She said it politely, but the uneasiness lingered all the way back to the dorm.
When they finally arrived, Ji-hyun got out of the car and waved.
“I’ll head in now.”
She didn’t relax until she saw his car completely leave the parking lot.
Only then did she exhale deeply in relief.
Was she overreacting?
Maybe.
But her instincts told her something wasn’t right.
***
‘Anyway… who could be waiting for me?’
Someone behind the annex.
It couldn’t be A-young — she didn’t even know where Ji-hyun was staying.
And Sung-han had already left.
So who else could it be?
‘Don’t tell me… a sasaeng fan?’
The memory hit her —
the time she’d nearly died trying to stop one from harassing A-young.
The thought made her tense up.
She turned back inside, went to the kitchen, and rummaged through a drawer.
A moment later, she pulled out a small multi-purpose knife.
‘I know this is probably overkill, but still… better safe than sorry.’
Stuffing the knife into her back pocket, she took a deep breath and stepped outside.
***
“Ah—Unnie!”
“Eh?”
Someone’s silhouette appeared near the back of the annex —
and to her surprise, she recognized it immediately.
“You’re… Ye-seo?”
“Shh!”
Ye-seo put her finger to her lips, warning Ji-hyun to stay quiet.
The girl — at least ten centimeters shorter —
looked around nervously, her serious expression completely at odds with her adorably soft features.
The contrast was so cute that Ji-hyun momentarily forgot about the “quest,” the “reward,”
and even why Ye-seo was there.
She just couldn’t help but smile at the sight.
‘She’s so pretty… and cute.’
While Ye-seo carefully scanned the surroundings,
Ji-hyun quietly studied her face.
She hadn’t gotten a good look back at the company cafeteria,
but now, up close, Ye-seo looked pure — almost untouched by the world.
‘She’s sixteen, right?’
Sixteen.
At that age, Ji-hyun — or rather, Jang Se-hee —
was just a normal student, staring at the cafeteria menu in one hand
and secretly fangirling with her phone in the other.
Compared to that, this girl…
She might look innocent, but her eyes told a different story.
They were gentle yet strong.
Cute — but firm.
How much effort had she put in, how many hardships had she endured,
to protect her dream with that quiet determination?
‘And she really is beautiful, too.’
Even with a hint of nervousness, her voice carried natural sweetness —
the kind that instantly melted hearts.
When paired with her clear, bright eyes,
it was obvious how much love she’d been surrounded with.
“U-Unnie… it’s been a while!”
She probably didn’t even realize it,
but everything about the way Ye-seo spoke made her sound effortlessly lovable.
Yes, Ji-hyun thought. This is what an idol should be like.
At that moment, she finally understood —
MOA wasn’t just about Ahn Ji-hyun.
It was a group built by all of them together.
“Yeah… it’s been a while,” Ji-hyun said.
But as soon as the words left her mouth,
Ye-seo froze like she’d just heard something unbelievable.
Her eyes — big and round — began to glisten with tears.
‘Did I say something wrong?’ Ji-hyun thought in alarm.
But before she could ask,
Ye-seo’s eyes filled completely and tears started to fall.
Ji-hyun instinctively reached out and pulled her into a hug.
Of course. She was only sixteen.
No matter how mature she seemed, she was still just a kid.
And somehow, that made Ji-hyun feel relieved.
Maybe she didn’t understand everything yet,
but at least she knew now that Ahn Ji-hyun — the original —
hadn’t been some terrible person to her groupmates.
Whatever had caused the current rift between MOA’s members,
there had to be a reason behind it.
Still… this felt like the beginning of healing.
“Feeling better now?”
As Ji-hyun drifted in thought, Ye-seo’s crying slowly stopped.
The younger girl nodded and sniffled a few more times,
still clinging to her for comfort.
Then, after a long pause, Ye-seo whispered softly,
her cheeks flushed red.
