Chapter 319: Chapter 319

A historical apocalypse drama set in the Joseon era: Dynasty.

With the current meteoric rise in popularity of Jeong-hoon and Da-yeon, both were cast as leads, and the show was gaining massive attention even before filming began.

On top of that, news recently broke that Ha-eun had joined the cast in a supporting role, and mentions of Dynasty steadily increased across social media and fan communities.

One very telling sign? The number of people waiting for the teaser premiere:

[Uflix Teaser Release in 00:10:37]

[ 27,084 people waiting ]

— Only 10 minutes left

— Why are there so many people lol

— Is this the drama with the Sehwa Eagles’ backup pitcher?

— What even is the “historical apocalypse” genre?

— Is she gonna be Joseon’s top swordswoman again?

— There’s a rumor that if Lee Ha-eun wears hanbok, someone dies... and I’m honestly terrified...

— But she wore hanbok in Moonlight That Parts the Clouds and didn’t die?

The number had been climbing since an hour before the premiere, now nearing 30,000.

The first-pitch event from earlier that day with Ha-eun and Da-yeon definitely contributed to the hype.

Still, all that had officially been revealed was that it was a “historical apocalypse” series.

Aside from a single leaked line—“An epidemic has spread across the Eight Provinces of Joseon”—nothing else had been released.

“Oh, it’s starting—it’s starting...!”

Even as the teaser began, Nael still had no clue what Dynasty was really about. She only knew it was a historical drama starring Ha-eun and Da-yeon.

Sure, people had guessed it was a zombie drama just from “apocalypse” and “epidemic,” but Nael wasn’t the type to believe anything unless it was official. She didn’t even know about the leaked plot details.

That’s why she went quiet while watching the teaser.

The “official” she’d been waiting for turned out to be something totally different from what she’d imagined.

—𓂃𓂃𓂃♪𓂃𓂃𓂃♪𓂃𓂃𓂃—

「Your Highness, please—you must flee!」

From the background music alone, the atmosphere was grim. And a few seconds later, the screen showed a mass of corpses infected with the plague.

The graceful palace life Nael had hoped for—

The story of friendship and love between Ha-eun and Da-yeon blossoming amidst court intrigue and class boundaries—was nowhere to be found.

Well—technically, there was a moment of affection between them. The problem was, it was the kind of scene that crushed Nael’s last thread of hope into dust.

「No... you can’t... Ryeon-ah, please...」

Da-yeon held Ha-eun’s hands as she wept. Ha-eun silently, gently pulled her hands away, turned her back, and said:

「...Your Highness... you must live...」

Her shoulder had already been bitten—flesh torn away, blood running down her spine. Her voice was rasping, blood pooling in her throat.

And then she staggered. Staggered again. With a rotting arm, bloodshot eyes, and the expression of the half-dead, she walked straight toward the crowd of corpses.

The scene cut off right as Ha-eun was being swarmed. Whether that [N O V E L I G H T] was a blessing or a curse was unclear. Nael, sucker-punched by the shot, was left speechless.

「The plague has already reached Gaegyeong! If we don’t act now, the royal bloodline—!」

— 😱 (Shocked SD Noeulis emoji) ×7

— 🤯 (Shocked again) ×5

— 😳 (Is this real?) ×11

— 🎉 (Lightsticks cheering) ×8

— 🧟👑 (Zombie Dynasty) ×7

Then, near the end of the teaser—a dimly lit warehouse in the countryside appeared, and Crown Prince Lee Jin, played by Jeong-hoon, looked down with a torch in hand.

A clanging sound—chains thrashing violently. Then came a beastlike growl.

Jeong-hoon stared down with a conflicted look, and on-screen was a woman kneeling, chained up, trying to lunge toward him. Though her face wasn’t shown, something about the blood-drenched court maid uniform made it all too clear who it was.

“W-Wait... Is that... don’t tell me...”

Nael’s voice trembled. Her face looked like she’d seen a ghost. Right then, she noticed the chat—already in total chaos, having figured it out before she even spoke.

— Ruby Ping turned into a zombie 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

— HOLY SHT 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣*

— She got bit in the end

— NOOO RUBY PING 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

— Childhood ruined... it's over

— She’s gone for good

— Ruby Ping has left the building

Even after the teaser ended, Nael couldn’t say a word.

She was stunned. Devastated.

[ LUX_Nael has logged in. ]

She joined Dream Server with a dazed look, but the teaser’s impact hadn’t faded in the slightest. Even when she found out Santa wasn’t real, that had been less traumatic.

Was it because of that photo of Ha-eun and Da-yeon smiling together in hanbok?

Or maybe because Diah’s Minecraft avatar, Ruby Ping the fairy, and zombie Hong-ryeon had all blurred into one?

— ♪ Fınd the newest release on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝·𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚·𝔫𝔢𝔱

[ Hello? Nael? What’s going on— ]

“My... my Ruby Ping... GIVE HER BACK!!”

For a second, Nael couldn’t tell Diah and Ha-eun apart. She sobbed into the mic, voice wrecked, then ran past Diah like her world had collapsed.

Of course, Ha-eun—who had just started the stream—had no idea what was going on. But she figured it out soon enough, thanks to the tsunami of Noeulis pouring in.

— Dding ding ding ding.

: Please clarify what happened to Ruby Ping

[ Anonymous d ₩1,000! ]

: ?? : “No one can defeat the power of love!”

[ DiahLovesCottonCandyDog d ₩1,000! ]

: Did you know Ruby Ping became a zombie? LOL

“Ah... well... Ruby Ping is my twin. Please show lots and lots of love to my twin, Ruby Ping.”

— Ohh so you're twins??

— ?? : “Take this~! Love Power─!!”

— So Ruby Ping isn’t her alt, she’s her twin~

— Let’s not say mean things like ‘you should’ve been streaming instead of dubbing kids’ anime,’ okay 💢

“You should probably start getting ready at exactly 9 o’clock.”

With about an hour left until the special concert that would mark the final day of Dream Server, Ji Hye-min came over to speak to Ha-eun, who was mid-broadcast from the streaming room at LUX HQ.

It was because tonight, Ha-eun would be performing as Diah using her 3D avatar.

The performance would be synced with the Dream Server concert venue, meaning she had to use LUX’s motion capture studio.

That’s also why Ha-eun wasn’t streaming from home today.

Members like Cream and Hida, who only had to sing, were still performing from home setups.

“Oh, it’s time. Alright, I’m going to end the stream for now. I’ll turn it back on when the concert starts~.”

— The big one’s coming the big one’s coming the big one’s coming the big one’s coming

— Let’s gooo~ Let’s gooo~ Let’s gooo~ Let’s gooo~ Let’s gooo~ Let’s gooo~

— Dessert shop owner about to drop in

And so, as rehearsal time rolled around, Diah left her Noeulis with a quick goodbye. Beep. She ended her stream, where she’d been taking “orders” at the dessert shop right up until the last second.

[Diah’s stream has ended.]

Probably from streaming late into the evening, Ha-eun stretched the moment she got up from her chair, feeling sore. She joined Ji Hye-min and moved toward the motion capture studio.

“How’s your condition?”

“Honestly... I’m nervous. It feels even more nerve-wracking than a music show stage.”

“Hey, come on, it’s you we’re talking about. Ha-eun! You’re a pro~.”

“...Should’ve taken calming pills.”

“...Wait, that wasn’t a joke?”

Ha-eun had performed at concerts with tens of thousands of people before, but for some reason, the Dream Server special concert felt different.

Maybe because this one had hundreds of thousands of viewers.

Even though it was all online, it didn’t make a difference. For Ha-eun, a full-time VTuber, online audiences were no different from in-person crowds.

Most of all, this would be Diah’s first solo concert. Her 3D avatar would be standing in the center of the concert arena—performing in front of hundreds of thousands of people. That thought alone made her straighten up.

“Alright, let’s begin rehearsal.”

So, instead of the tight full-body suit she’d wear for the real performance, Ha-eun put on a simpler motion capture setup and began moving in sync with the familiar melody.

On the nearby monitor, Diah’s 3D avatar mirrored her every move. That same avatar was about to perform in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers. And Ha-eun began rehearsing the Dream Server concert.

Maybe influenced by Doublely, who had once mentored her, Ha-eun insisted on rehearsing with live vocals, not just backing tracks.

On the monitor, she could see her 3D avatar Diah dancing on a massive virtual stage, surrounded by cheering glowsticks.

More than anything, what mattered was that Diah’s solo stage would leave a lasting impact—that it wouldn’t get overshadowed by surprise performances from Song Hyun-min or Rick Simon. She poured everything she had into it.

She stepped her left foot back slightly and lowered her center of gravity. Tilting her body to the beat, she sharply raised her right shoulder and twisted her torso.

Then came the wave—a smooth flow through her shoulders to her left arm, which she snapped forward like lightning.

And at the exact same moment—

She kicked one leg high and paused midair.

On the monitor, Diah’s 3D avatar was upside down in mid-spin.

Then she dropped to the floor like a falling meteor. Her bent knee bounced up sharply at impact, causing her hips to pop, and her arms flung back like they were weightless.

From palms to forearms, from forearms to shoulders, from shoulders to the side of her back— she created a seamless breakdance sequence that rolled across the floor.

And just as she finished the final beat of the choreography in her head—

From beside Ji Hye-min, who had been quietly watching, came applause laced with awe.

It was Mir—who had snuck in at some point.

No worries about a broadcast mishap, since it was still just rehearsal.

The real issue was...

...Ha-eun was currently upside down.

“Uh... Diah-sunbae, your body is... seriously impressive....”

Her T-shirt had fully fallen down with gravity. And Mir was now completely fixated on Ha-eun’s well-defined eleven-line abs.

Even the awkward silence that followed felt strangely familiar— exact situation had happened before.

Ha-eun dropped one foot to the floor, her face turning red as she tried to hide it—not with her hands, but her leg.

Well, at least they were both girls.

And thank god it was only abs that were visible.

“When... did you get here?”

“Oh, I was watching Diah-sunbae’s stream and heard there was rehearsal, so I came to peek!”

Ha-eun, cheeks now red to her ears, forced a casual expression as she turned to Mir.

Mir responded with a pure, sincere compliment—saying Diah’s dancing was amazing.

Mir glanced around shyly, stepped closer, and whispered something at Ha-eun’s ear.

Something mortifying.

“Um... Diah-sunbae... do I need to get abs too... if I want to debut in Illusionary Realm?”

In the end, Ha-eun had no words. Mir had only asked because she saw Ha-eun as her mentor.

“...I guess people do end up staring at your body without meaning to.”

“Sorry? I didn’t catch that.”

“Oh—uh, it’s nothing. Forget it...”