Chapter 275: Chapter 275
Her head kept drooping.
At some point, her head had gotten heavy.
Her eyelids slowly lowered.
They were undeniable signs that Ha-eun was drunk.
It was a relief that familiar people like Kang Sun-woo were seated nearby to take care of her.
“Wouldn’t it be better to get some air outside?”
“She looks like she can’t even walk properly. Better than her falling and getting hurt...”
“Let’s just have her lean back until her manager gets here. Anyone got a jacket? Let’s cover her with something.”
Even as the familiar faces around her discussed what to do, Ha-eun just sat there, blank.
The only thing she managed to do of her own will was chew on the side dishes that looked good for her health.
But even that didn’t last long. Thud.
Her consciousness reached its limit, and even the tiny bit of strength needed to hold chopsticks was gone.
With a soft clatter, the metal chopsticks slipped from her hands and fell to the floor.
Staring blankly at the chopsticks on the ground, Ha-eun slowly bent down.
She was trying to pick them up, nothing more.
But being so drunk, she couldn’t judge the distance properly.
Her head kept dipping lower—not toward the floor, but toward the edge of the table.
Her depth perception was a mess.
Just as her forehead was about to crash into the sharp corner of the table—thwack.
Kang Sun-woo, who had realized the danger a split second too late, caught her forehead with his palm.
“Jeez... that could’ve been really bad.”
“My hand... won’t... reach... Why does it keep getting further away...”
Ha-eun, held up by Kang Sun-woo, flailed her arm weakly through the air.
She mumbled that no matter how far she reached, she couldn’t grab the chopsticks.
“Misterrr... the chopsticks keep running away...”
“Maybe they’re scared of you.”
Kang Sun-woo replied lightly to her slurred muttering, then gently lifted her forehead.
Her vision slowly lifted with it.
Then, once he helped Ha-eun sit upright again, he covered her with a thick padded ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) coat, telling her to lie down sideways instead of forward.
To that, Ha-eun responded with a warning that lying down after eating was bad for digestion.
“Esophagitis... it causes esophagitis... You need at least three hours after eating...”
After that, Ha-eun clung to the last scraps of her consciousness and tried to sit upright.
But the drowsiness kept making her blink.
Eventually, without realizing, her eyes slowly closed.
When she came to, she was lying down on a long leather bench, just like Kang Sun-woo had said.
And from somewhere far off, she could hear her own voice—maybe it was just her imagination.
“Where... did you go... Misterrr...”
Ha-eun, who had even forgotten this was the God and the Goblin wrap party, pricked her ears.
But soon, the voices faded.
Her mind still foggy, she couldn’t understand a single word coming from the TV.
A few seconds later, her eyelids dropped again.
And Ha-eun slipped into another deep sleep.
She still had no idea what she was using as a pillow.
“Sunbae Kang, aren’t your legs numb? Maybe using the coat as a pillow would be better.”
“If I move, she might wake up. It’s fine. Let her sleep.”
Right now, Ha-eun was using Kang Sun-woo’s lap as a pillow.
Saying his legs weren’t numb would be a lie, but since her manager would be there soon, he decided to let her rest until then.
“...She’s still just a kid.”
Maybe it was because she looked so different from her usual calm and composed self.
Kang Sun-woo looked down at the sleeping Ha-eun, a soft smile playing on his lips.
Her faintly flushed face.
The pink hue spreading to her cheeks.
The breaths slipping out from her slightly parted lips.
Even the strand of hair stuck at the corner of her mouth.
“Hair’s not for eating.”
From the very first time they met, Ha-eun had always seemed so mature.
This was the first time she’d looked like a child.
If he said it out loud, she’d probably pout and remind him she was a full-fledged adult now.
He gently pulled the strand of hair out of her mouth.
And only when she settled back down again, did he finally lift his head to start watching the final episode of God and the Goblin.
God and the Goblin—a drama that rewrote the history of Korean TV.
A star writer’s script, deeply immersive acting, and an emotional OST gained it a massive fanbase.
Nael was one of them. She had bawled her eyes out at the God and the Goblin premiere.
“...Did everyone turn on the TV?”
– Didn’t you say you weren’t gonna watch it lol
– Your Baek Jin is already in the US~ He’s never coming back~ (User has been banned.)
– Nael’s about to get tricked again
– You have to watch the final episode, 100%
Nael had claimed she couldn’t watch anymore after Baek Jin and Baeksulhwa separated in episode 14—too heartbreaking.
But she ended up watching episode 15 yesterday and now the final episode today.
That was because she held onto a tiny sliver of hope that maybe the two leads would reunite in the finale.
But since Baek Jin had been confirmed trapped in the past several hundred years ago in episode 15... there was this sinking feeling it would end in a sad ending after all.
“...If they betray us again, I swear... haaa...”
Even so, she had to see how Baek Jin and Baeksulhwa’s story would end.
She’d followed this story from the beginning.
“Why was I... growing this again...?”
The final episode opened with Baeksulhwa’s monologue.
Living in Baek Jin’s apartment without remembering him, she finally felt something off when she saw a potted plant.
It was the zinnia she’d received from Park Chasa—a gift to commemorate becoming lovers with Baek Jin, a flower that meant “destiny.”
But now, all her memories of Baek Jin were erased.
She had no recollection of receiving the flower.
So Baeksulhwa just tilted her head, staring at the red bloom in front of her.
That strange feeling prompted her to reach out toward the zinnia’s petals.
Caressing the soft petals, she tried to remember why this flower was in her room.
But all she felt was a dull, foggy pressure in her head, like a mist clouding her thoughts.
Eventually, she let go of the flower, having remembered nothing, and turned around to leave the room.
It was dinnertime, so she thought she’d go make dinner.
Before she even left the room, a single tear rolled down her cheek for no reason.
A tight, painful pressure in her chest.
Her eyes wavered wildly at the sound of her own heart pounding in her ears.
It was suffocating—she couldn’t even breathe properly.
On top of that, she felt overwhelming anxiety.
The dizzying sensation of having forgotten something important.
“Haah, haah... ugh...!”
In the midst of the sudden whirlwind of emotions, Baeksulhwa turned back to the flowerpot.
No—toward the windowsill where it was placed.
She thought she’d open the window and get some air.
If she didn’t, she felt like she might suffocate.
She threw the window open.
And just then, a cool breeze rushed in as she gasped for breath.
One of the zinnia’s red petals flew in on the wind and brushed her cheek.
Then, it began to turn yellow.
“Did you know, Miss Seolhwa? Zinnias have different meanings depending on their color.”
Why was it now, of all times, that she could hear the florist’s voice from long ago echoing in her ears?
Her eyes trembled violently at the fragile feeling like the ground might collapse beneath her.
“Red zinnias mean ‘destiny.’ But yellow zinnias mean... ‘I won’t forget the one I love.’”
“Please remember. Stories only continue to exist because someone remembers them.”
“At the very least, the one who started the story should know... shouldn’t they...?”
She hadn’t understood those words at the time, so she let them slip by.
But now that her memories of Baek Jin were returning like a miracle, they were unbearably painful.
All the memories Baek Jin had erased began to flood back like a panorama.
Playing together at the amusement park.
Him giving her a bouquet as she walked alone after her exams.
Her sobbing at his voice telling her to live.
“...White ‘baek’ and advance ‘jin’...”
“...That’s... my name.”
“Call it out loud. So I can hear. So I can come to you. Anytime.”
“I won’t leave you—this Seolhwa—alone in sorrow and tragedy. I swear it.”
She fully remembered now.
Her lip, clenched tight from all the rushing emotions, trembled.
“Oh, no. She remembered...”
– What’s the point of remembering? He’s already dead (User has been banned.)
– My chest feels heavy...
– Lee Ha-eun’s acting is insane
– Crap, Nael’s crying again
– Don’t call it forced emotion, seriously (User has been banned.)
– There’s still 30 minutes left. Don’t go yet.
From there, it was one heartbreaking scene after another.
Right after remembering Baek Jin, Baeksulhwa collapsed on the spot, staring blankly into space.
Then she barely stood up and ran through the streets, shouting his name.
But all that came back to her were the confused stares of passersby.
In the end, Baeksulhwa sank in the middle of the street and cried hopelessly.
“Where... did you go... Mister...”
“Ah... sob... this is too sad...”
– First time hearing Lee Ha-eun’s voice break like that
– Was her voice actually hoarse?
– Nael got fooled again
– Don’t call it forced crying. That’s not fair (User has been banned.)
– Still 30 minutes left, don’t log off
And so, time kept passing.
She entered college in the spring. Worked in a uniform under the blazing summer sun.
Walked through fallen leaves in autumn, recalling memories of Baek Jin.
And in winter, she stood under snowy skies, eyes red, feeling his absence.
No matter how much time passed, her feelings for Baek Jin never faded.
Nael wiped her tears again at Baeksulhwa’s soft murmuring as she curled under a thick blanket.
As the time in the show moved forward, Baeksulhwa slowly grew into an adult.
And eventually, the timeline reached the point where she had graduated and entered the working world.
“Miss Baek, do you have a moment?”
Now an adult, Baeksulhwa worked as a teacher at an elementary school.
Though her longing for Baek Jin hadn’t changed, she stayed alive in the present for the sake of his only wish.
That’s why she chose to become a teacher.
She couldn’t ignore the words that were essentially Baek Jin’s dying wish.
She had to keep living, no matter what.
So, she smiled kindly in front of her students.
Greeted parents politely.
And offered her own kind of warmth to her fellow teachers.
“Ah, Miss Baek. Heading home?”
“Yes. See you tomorrow.”
One ordinary day, like any other.
After finishing up all her work, Baeksulhwa left the teacher’s office and headed to the nearest bus stop.
The sky was already dark.
Because it was rush hour, the roads were packed with cars.
It was only after that that Baeksulhwa’s eyes drifted across the street toward the academy building.
『...I bet the kids are still studying...』
Even though it was late, the lights in the academy were still brightly on.
Staring up at the building, Baeksulhwa naturally thought of her students.
She found herself picturing their young faces.
When some of the kids behind the window noticed her, she gave them a light wave.
And then, just as she was about to board the arriving bus—
At that moment, something red flared up from inside the academy.
All the building’s windows shattered at once, and a wall of flames surged upward.
The stares of all the pedestrians turned simultaneously.
Some people called 911.
Others recorded the fire with their phones.
Some stepped back in fear, unsure of what might happen next.
Baeksulhwa’s eyes took it all in.
But more than anything—
Inside that burning building were several students Baeksulhwa personally knew.
Her body moved before her mind.
Having lost her parents in a fire long ago, she couldn’t think at all in that moment.
Waiting for the firefighters would’ve been the wise thing to do, but Baeksulhwa’s sprint didn’t stop.
Even saving just one student would be enough.
– She’s seriously trying to die
– Those are Baeksulhwa’s students in there
– Reuniting with Baek Jin in 1 minute;
– She’s gonna die saving those kids
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
As panic and dread filled the viewers like Nael, Baeksulhwa entered the burning building and stumbled through thick smoke to evacuate the children.
『Hyunseong’s... still inside?』
『Y-yes... he didn’t make it out earlier...』
She was told that one of the students who had waved at her through the window was still trapped inside.
Her body moved again before she could think.
『Hyunseong! Hyunseong!』
At last, Baeksulhwa found the missing child and lifted him onto her back.
Covered in dust, she ran for the emergency exit—
But the emergency exit collapsed in flames, leaving her and the student trapped inside.
Concrete rubble fell everywhere.
Thanks to Baeksulhwa shielding the child with her body, he was unharmed.
But the debris pinned her down, leaving her unable to move.
『T-teacher... Teacher!』
『You have to go, Hyunseong. I’m fine... Just go! Hurry!』
The fire loomed ever closer.
The child hesitated, frozen in front of Baeksulhwa, who lay pinned under rubble.
She scolded him again and again, pushing him to escape somehow.
But Baeksulhwa herself... was slowly dying.
In that final, final moment—just as the child she saved met the rescue team—
The name that had kept her alive all this time left her lips in a whisper.
And in that same instant, a figure in black robes approached.
『The deceased shall answer the call of the reaper.』
A different grim reaper than Park Chasa, wearing similar attire, called for Baeksulhwa.
He had come to guide the soon-to-be-deceased Baeksulhwa to the afterlife.
But before he could finish his task—swish.
A man’s silhouette appeared in midair, blocking the reaper’s path.
The reaper’s expression twisted in confusion.
And then, in an instant, both the man and Baeksulhwa disappeared.
All that remained in their place was a burning registry scroll.
『I won’t fall for it again... This is just a dream... You’re... not real...』
『...I am. Right here. In front of you.』
『I’ve never lied to you. Not once.』
『I missed you. Baeksulhwa.』
『...I missed you too...』
『I missed you, missed you... so much...』
“Hngh... hnnn... ahh...”
– Why am I crying during a happy ending
– You’re supposed to cry 😭😭😭😭😭
– That acting is insane
– Finally found the timeline where Baeksulhwa lives
– They said viewership hit 44%, holy crap lol
It was around the time the final episode of God and the Goblin ended.
“Ha-eun, Ha-eun. Your manager’s here.”
Having received word that Ju Jung-yoon had arrived, Kang Sun-woo gently woke her up.
Ha-eun blinked her eyes open, still dazed.
“Mister...? Why are you... on my bed...?”
“We’re still at the barbecue place. This isn’t your room.”
Still caught in deep sleepiness, Ha-eun looked up at him with half-lidded eyes.
But then Ju Jung-yoon appeared before her, yelping in shock and shaking her awake.
“How much did you even drink?!”
In the end, Ha-eun had to be dragged out in a daze by Ju Jung-yoon.
She never found out that she’d been using Kang Sun-woo’s lap as a pillow the whole time.
Almost carried out of the barbecue place, Ha-eun left just as the God and the Goblin epilogue began.
『...Sir. Do you know me?』
『I did. Once, I even loved you. In the end... I couldn’t forget you, and so I came.』
『Oh, I see. Well, wait right there. I think I should call the police.』
When a scene from the first script reading of God and the Goblin aired in the form of a making film, everyone remaining at the restaurant turned to watch.
Kang Sun-woo and Ha Yun-seong included.
『Hello? I’ve got some dude here with a full-blown chuunibyou ruining my work—』
“We should’ve watched the making film with Ha-eun too. What a shame.”
“Yeah, well. Nothing we can do now.”
The staff and actors who remained at the restaurant raised their glasses again, celebrating the full conclusion of God and the Goblin.
The same was true on social media and online communities.
– The afterglow tonight is unreal
– I can’t stop crying
– This drama’s on another level
ㄴ Eh, is it that good?
– God and the Goblin broke 44% in peak ratings, insane
– So when’s God and the Goblin 2 happening
ㄴ Looking at it now, that cast lineup was stacked, lol
God and the Goblin remained incredibly popular right to the end.
Online, discussion about the drama wouldn’t stop.
Communities were flooded with reactions and reviews.
『What kind of scenes are you filming these days?』
『The past timeline, I think? It’s been a while since I wore hanbok, so it feels a bit awkward. Haha.』
『Wait—you’re not the scary unnie, are you?☆ Don’t cry with such a pretty face~』
『Ah, sorry, my niece started crying. Just a sec.』
Even the epilogue that followed the finale drew massive attention.
Behind-the-scenes clips from the script readings, poster shoots, and production sets helped prolong the emotional high of the drama.
And then, just as the talk of God and the Goblin continued to circulate everywhere...a new post appeared on a completely unrelated community forum.
Title > What is this?
(Fan channel upload: God and the Goblin epilogue Shorts)
(Zoomed-in screenshot from poster shoot)
You can hear Diah’s voice right when Lee Ha-eun briefly appears behind Kang Sun-woo on the left.
I kept replaying it thinking I misheard, but it’s definitely Diah.
ㄴ That’s some fast editing
ㄴ I was watching the broadcast too and went WTF, this is 100% Diah
ㄴ No but seriously, that really sounds like Diah
Diah’s voice, not from YouTube, but from TV.
Just when all the noise surrounding Ha-eun had finally started to die down, someone poured gasoline on it.
– No, like, that’s just Diah
– WHO TF IS THIS "Goryeo Rice Cooker" dude??
– You better bring a protractor, this is a real celebrity
ㄴ Stop with the angle cope
ㄴ The evidence is literally right there
– That’s not an edit?? It’s really her voice???
Louder, hotter, and bigger than ever.
– Official: Diah’s red pill
– Illusionary Realm red pill hierarchy OVER
: Diah >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> everyone else
– How did we not notice???
ㄴ How would we? Her voice is totally different
ㄴ Honestly, I still can’t believe it LOL
ㄴ My brain just exploded, bro
– So Diah was a celebrity this whole time?
: A million-ticket actress, amazing singer, straight-A student, athletic, perfect figure, S-tier donation magnet high school girl <<< That was real???
ㄴ Not a high schooler anymore, she’s 20
ㄴ Bro shut up, that’s LEE HA-EUN
– I can’t even breathe right now
– HOW IS THIS REAL???
– Why was Lee Ha-eun doing VTubing <<< We don’t know either, man
– My dopamine is maxed out holy shiiiiiit
– There’s no official statement tho
ㄴ You think they’re gonna issue one, dumbass?
Title > So you’re telling me, every night at 10pm
(Photo of Yeong-wol in full makeup)
(Photo of Kim Jung-hyun in beautiful hanbok)
(Photo of Ha-eun at the Gocheok Dome concert)
(Photo of Ha-eun in swimsuit on Start Again)
(Photo of Baeksulhwa from the past arc of God and the Goblin)
(Photo of Baeksulhwa in casual clothes from God and the Goblin)
(Screenshot of Ha-eun in Rev commercial dress)
She told me she loved me?
She told me to dream of her?
(Photo from Diah’s channel)
(Screenshot from Diah’s eating + facecam stream)
(Photo of Diah bowing in full kneel during collab with Lucid – 3D avatar)
(Photo of Diah striking a cute pose with Lucid – 3D avatar)
「Hehe, I got Lucid’s autograph! Jealous~?」
This is supposed to be Lee Ha-eun?????
Ugh, Noeulis are gonna lose it...
ㄴ WTF even looking at this now, it doesn’t make sense
ㄴ Damn, that’s what being an actress is... how’d she pull this off
ㄴ Lee Ha-eun did a full bow in front of 20k people, you kidding me???
– So I’ve been waking up to a Diah remix alarm every morning?
ㄴ It’s my wake-up alarm
ㄴ Why does that exist
– So that’s why the gen-1 girls kept calling her a goddess even before debut LOL
ㄴ She really was a goddess
ㄴ She’s literally from another dimension;;;
– Diah stream hiatus and Ha-eun schedule sync.jpg
ㄴ It all lines up perfectly
ㄴ How did we not notice??
ㄴ How do you even add VTubing to that schedule
ㄴ Turns out it was possible???
– Wait hold up so Lee Ha-eun’s been watching Squirrel Channel since she was 7
ㄴ Built different from the seed stage LOL
ㄴ That’s the kind of prep it takes to become an actor
– I still don’t get it—why VTubing? She’s a top-tier actress/singer/model, why VTubing
– Diah’s CSAT score report.jpg
ㄴ Holy shit that’s insane
ㄴ Has Lee Ha-eun always been this smart?
ㄴ Man, I suddenly feel worthless
– Official: VTuber GOAT confirmed
: Lucid? Aqua? Renea? Shone? Who even are these losers
So you think anyone <<< can beat “Lee Ha-eun”?
ㄴ Not even joking—no one’s touching her
ㄴ Who can even compare
– Nael <<< now I get why she’s a Diah cultist LOL
ㄴ It’s Lee Ha-eun. Of course you worship her
ㄴ Everything just clicks into place
Title > Everyone who trashed Diah, bang your heads on the wall
「You guys killed me first! This is self-defense!!」
「Noeulis suck at games~~~」
「AAAHH! Wh-why are you already chasing me?! Go away!!」
Taken in context, she was just goofing around
But some sensitive little snowflakes got triggered
(Screenshots of malicious chat messages targeting Diah)
(Screenshot of smear post against Diah)
The bullshit some people spewed is just unreal
They were just too spoiled, seriously lol
ㄴ Now that I know she’s Lee Ha-eun, she’s just adorable
ㄴ Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry
ㄴ I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry
ㄴ Hidden Leaf Village is in shambles
: The ones who got the maneki-neko that Lee Ha-eun personally bought for the Diah acrostic contest
The ones who got the plushie she personally bought for the Noeuli 3-line poem event
(Angry frog meme image)
These bastards need to be found and punished
Who are these assholes getting gifts from Lee Ha-eun??
ㄴ This one’s lost all sense
ㄴ Turning black with rage
Diah’s story spread beyond Illusionary Realm fandoms, infiltrating every kind of community.
And the blaze wasn’t dying anytime soon.
– What if she never streams again now?
– If she goes live it’s gonna be chaos
– Can Diah even keep streaming after this??
– Trending search #1: Lee Ha-eun, #2: Diah
“Ha-eun, Ha-eun. Wake up. Da-yeon’s here.”
Ha-eun sat up in bed, still half-asleep.
She blinked drowsily at Da-yeon, only to hear something bizarre.
“Lee Ha-eun, pack your bags. Now.”
“We’re going into hiding. Maldives.”
After that, she couldn’t remember much.
Still groggy with sleep, she just went along with Da-yeon’s pushing—and somehow ended up with her suitcase and passport ready.
It wasn’t until they entered the VIP lounge at the airport that Ha-eun learned the full story.
Da-yeon filled her in on everything that had happened overnight.
“...So I got found out.”
“That’s all you have to say?”
“I mean... I figured it’d happen someday... Honestly, I still can’t wrap my head around it.”
Would things feel different once it sank in?
She didn’t know—nothing about this was familiar.
“Lee Ha-eun, do you even realize what kind of headlines are gonna come from one sentence—‘Lee Ha-eun is a streamer’?”
“There’ll be every kind of headline imaginable. Journalists will say everything—whether they should or not!”
With Da-yeon pacing in full panic, she was swept right along.
“If you stay in Korea, you’re not going anywhere. Reporters will be swarming you nonstop.”
“Your manager said the agency’s handling everything, so just take a week off. Go somewhere no one will recognize you.”
“If you don’t want to get stressed out, this is the best option. Don’t stay here and run into paparazzi or reporters. Trust me.”
And so, Ha-eun ended up boarding a flight to the Maldives with Da-yeon.
When she heard her schedule was being fully rearranged, she was stunned.
“Think of it as time to figure things out. What you’re going to do moving forward...”
“Phone’s off-limits too. Don’t go searching for articles or anything.”
“Spend that time playing with me. Or sleep.”
Honestly, it was all a bit much.
She knew Da-yeon cared, but this level of coddling felt... extreme.
Was she always this gentle?
...They say when someone starts acting out of character, they might die soon. Wait, no way—
“I-it’s not that! I’m totally fine! I swear I’m fine!”
“Sigh... Lee Ha-eun, seriously...”
So this is what they meant by “so much to say, yet no words.”
Da-yeon clearly had a lot she wanted to say, but was holding back.
“Your swimsuit... uh...”
“...Doesn’t suit me?”
“No, it’s pretty. Really pretty. Just... it’s bolder than I expected.”
“So what? It’s just the two of us here anyway.”