Free Web NovelThe staff at the counter recognized only Do Gyeoul, and the people around them recognized Do Gyeoul as well. Feeling the familiar stares, she went into the room.
“Um... Gyeoul, thank you.”
Choo Gaeul, who had been holding the drink placed in front of her with both hands without touching it, finally spoke.
“I was really lacking today. It must have been frustrating, but you were the one who spoke to me first and said we should get to know each other.”
It was a familiar display of goodwill. To Do Gyeoul, it was a line she was sick of. It was a boring scene she had seen hundreds, thousands of times in her life, but she pulled up the corners of her mouth and responded with acting.
“No, it’s just that I debuted at such a young age, so I don’t really have many friends my age....” ƒгeewebnovёl.com
Do Gyeoul offered fan service to Choo Gaeul, who was looking at her with eyes full of admiration and excitement. Then she guided the conversation, opening her mouth in a way that fit Choo Gaeul’s use.
“You must’ve been surprised since the atmosphere was so different. How was the web drama? When you first shot <ParCheHi>, the spin-off was a lead role, but that was still your debut, right?”
“...Gyeoul, you know my entire filmography?”
The filming set of <ParCheHi>, the feeling she had when she saw Han Yeoreum’s acting right in front of her back then, the NGs and the behind-the-scenes stories. Do Gyeoul asked questions as if she were digging up everything she wanted.
‘As expected. It was the right call to grab her.’
Choo Gaeul, who had been tense for hours just moments ago, started spilling what she wanted to hear after just a little bit of coaxing.
Between the sentences pouring out, Do Gyeoul held onto only one name, as if gripping it in her hand.
“Did you see Yeoreum in <The Fuse> this time too?”
She threw out the question she was most curious about. At Do Gyeoul’s question, Choo Gaeul hesitated.
“Not exactly, but I know she’s in it. Yeoreum said she’d send a coffee truck? When we go, you can come along too....”
Who asked about that crap? Gyeoul barely swallowed the words she couldn’t spit out. She wasn’t curious about some coffee truck.
‘Did Han Yeoreum read the script, how did she interpret Jang Huibin. That’s what I want you to talk about.’
Gyeoul exercised her patience and steadied her breathing.
“You didn’t read the script? It would’ve been nice if you’d done the script analysis together with Yeoreum.”
At that, a red flush spread across Choo Gaeul’s face.
‘Embarrassment, maybe?’
Gyeoul stared straight at Choo Gaeul, who was trying hard to look calm. It reminded her of how she herself had looked earlier.
“Come to think of it, I’ve been talking about Yeoreum too much since earlier. How about the two of us analyze the script together?”
“You and me?”
“Yeah. If the two of us really understand the script, I think we could make an even better character....”
“How?”
Gyeoul asked back, looking genuinely curious. Her gaze, filled with doubt, swept over Gaeul.
“There aren’t that many scenes where we face each other. If a supporting role is too strong, the firepower gets dispersed, you know.”
She lost interest in Choo Gaeul. What she wanted was Han Yeoreum’s perspective, not Choo Gaeul’s pointless ambition.
“I understand how you feel, but shouldn’t we prioritize the quality of the work? Gaeul.... So many people are putting in effort.”
“Ah, right.... Still, I’m one of Jang Huibin’s rivals. I want to make up for my mistake today. It’s not that I want to stand out. I’m thinking about how I can better support the lead.”
Continuing the conversation was a waste of time.
‘If she’s not talking about Han Yeoreum, she’s useless.’
Choo Gaeul herself had no impact on Do Gyeoul whatsoever. She didn’t even feel annoyed.
One supporting role in a web drama, one lead role, a few photo walls for beauty and fashion brands, two appearances in Han Yeoreum’s vlog, the same <Law-Faster-than> premiere, and a few episodes as a panelist on a cable variety show. A rookie with a pitiful filmography.
‘That’s all.’
There was so little to find that it was almost surprising. To the point where she faintly wondered how Choo Gaeul had even gotten into <The Fuse>.
“I kept you too long, didn’t I? You must be busy too.”
Even though she knew Choo Gaeul wasn’t busy, Gyeoul deliberately used the other person’s excuse and dragged her chair back.
Screeech-.
The chair let out a sharp discordant sound against the smooth floor.
“Ah, right.... Let’s meet again next time.”
Gaeul, who had been spacing out for a moment, gripped her bag tightly and stood up. Unlike before, she couldn’t meet Gyeoul’s eyes and hurriedly tried to leave. She seemed embarrassed, as if she thought her actions might have looked like she was aiming for the lead role.
‘Well, I don’t really know.’
And she didn’t care.
“Take care. See you on set.”
Gyeoul gave her shoulder a friendly pat. Watching Choo Gaeul disappear with quick steps, she turned her back without hesitation.
Gyeoul stepped into the elevator as the doors opened.
“This is boring.”
An excessive weariness surfaced on her face reflected in the elevator mirror.
“I’d been looking forward to today for days....”
She wanted to properly hear what Han Yeoreum had been like on the <ParCheHi> set, the NGs and behind-the-scenes stories.
Even if it was through someone else’s perspective, she wanted to absorb even the parts of Han Yeoreum she hadn’t known. All the way home, she thought about Han Yeoreum.
‘If only it had been Han Yeoreum instead of that.’
She wanted to see Han Yeoreum acting like she was running wild on set. What had happened at the <The Great Garland> audition had already spread through the industry like wildfire.
The more it did, the more curious she became about Han Yeoreum.
Thunk-.
Gyeoul opened the front door and stepped inside. The place she headed straight for was the home theater at the very back of the house.
Sinking into the recliner, Gyeoul stared at Yeoreum frozen on the screen.
“Choo Gaeul....”
A spin-off scene from <The Cherry on the Parfait Belongs to the Heroine!> was paused there. She had already watched Choo Gaeul’s acting several times over while replaying <ParCheHi>, enough for it to be etched into her eyes. It was no different from her performance at today’s script reading.
“And yet.”
Choo Gaeul, who failed to meet expectations, irritated her. Gyeoul’s plan to listen to stories about Han Yeoreum and add them to her interpretation of Jang Huibin had gone off track.
“I don’t like it....”
Gyeoul gauged when she would meet Choo Gaeul on set.
A sadistic urge stirred within her to turn the fact that <The Fuse> existed in Choo Gaeul’s filmography into misfortune rather than luck.
* * *
Yun Hyeonjo had to block one ear the moment he arrived at the airport.
“Yeoreum—!!!”
Han Yeoreum’s name was being shouted from all directions. There were about twice as many fans gathered as the crowd seen in the real-life Taiwan video of Yeoreum that had circulated on SNS.
It was thanks to the surge in favorability after Yeoreum’s Ruel interview aired last time.
“Hey, you little colt! This is insane!”
Kwak Cheolsik, who was walking beside Han Yeoreum like a guard despite being an actor himself, exclaimed in admiration. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
“Oh, come on, why make such a fuss over this. Once Yeon Huijae really takes off, it’ll be hard to even set foot anywhere....”
“You’re saying something completely un-humble in an extremely humble tone, you colt.”
As <Law-Faster-than> was getting an overseas release in Taiwan, a sudden additional schedule had been arranged.
‘A GV and interviews.’
After a Taiwanese investor decided to come on board for <Law-Faster-than 2>, the scale changed entirely. Yun Hyeonjo looked at Han Yeoreum anew, faced with this unexpected reinforcement.
‘When I first met her....’
He had never expected her to grow this fast. Yeoreum, who had gone from Influencer 1 to someone with a proper character of her own, now had her name echoing through the ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) Taiwan airport.
“Unni!”
A hand suddenly reached out beside Yun Hyeonjo. With the surroundings so noisy, Yeoreum seemed not to hear.
From the girl holding a camera in one hand and a letter in the other, Yun Hyeonjo accepted the letter in Yeoreum’s stead.
“You’re popular.”
Then he placed it into Yeoreum’s hands, which were already full of letters. Even then, Yun Hyeonjo had no idea that he would end up being called “Letter Brother” in Taiwan.
* * *
“What is this?”
Aetami, as usual, was scrolling through her SNS feed when she spotted a post with a surprisingly high number of RTs.
