Who's the Real Heroine?
Team Leader Seong spoke up in the reading room, where the cast had all assembled.
"Hello, everyone, and thank you for gathering for the reading of The Cherry on Top of the Parfait Belongs to the Heroine. I'm Team Leader Seong, in charge of the production team. We won't spare any support in getting this work made."
And she wasn't wrong about the casting. Every single one of them looked like they'd stepped straight out of the original manga.
"I'm Director Jang, directing the series. You're welcome to just call me Director Jjang. And don't go doubting me — 'that old geezer is making a cutesy drama?' I've read my fair share of shoujo manga, believe me. So trust me and follow my lead, all right~!"
From the male lead Ju Jun-seo, whose face had frozen solid, to the female lead Han Yeo-reum sitting calmly in her seat, and then Chu Ga-eul, cast as Hina, the shoujo heroine herself.
"Let's make something wonderful we'll all remember for a long, long time. Fighting, everyone!"
The JC ENM web content team members gathered inside exchanged whispers with the PR team.
"This is going to do well, right?"
"Who knows... Only one way to find out."
"Well, on the surface, it's a pass. Their chemistry looks decent."
Once the introductions from production, directing, and writing were over, it was time for the actors to introduce themselves.
The camera found its first focus on the male lead, Ju Jun-seo.
"I'm Ju Jun-seo, playing the male lead. This is my first drama, so I know I'll fall short in a lot of ways, but I'll... do my best to learn."
Yeo-reum clapped for Jun-seo while quietly scanning the room.
Oh, there's a camera set up for InTube footage too.
It was a small web drama, but it had every bell and whistle.
I guess the big house really does things differently.
JC ENM had clearly spared no care in the details. The vibe was on another level from your average MCN.
If they put out behind-the-scenes videos just like they do for regular dramas, that's nothing but good for me.
Yeo-reum subtly angled her face toward its most flattering side for the making-of camera.
"So what's the character you're playing like, Ju Jun-seo?"
Director Jjang asked it like an interview, probably checking it as an editing point.
"A cookie-cutter bad boy, straight from the playbook. Doesn't pay attention in class, doesn't bother making friends."
"Oooh~ so cool! And how about you, Ju Jun-seo — are you anything like your character?"
To the teasing director, Jun-seo shook his head.
Pfft. Funny, considering how often he kicks chairs over.
But it would probably come out adorable in the edit. A startled boing sound effect and all. A rough sketch of the making-of video assembled itself in Yeo-reum's head.
"And now~. Next up, our leading lady!"
So it's my turn to stand up now? I cleared my throat and pressed down the corners of my mouth, which kept trying to curl upward.
My heart kept trying to lift off — this was my first time on a proper, professional reading set.
Looking like you're having way too much fun isn't a good look.
Ladies and gentlemen, direct your attention to me. A rising star worthy of Chungmuro is starting her journey right here, right now, and she is—
"Yes! Hello, everyone! Playing the heroine, Hina — I'm Chu Ga-eul! Hina means 'chick' in Japanese, you know. What do you think? Does it suit me? Please watch Hina — a girl you can't help but love — all the way to the end!"
...Why are YOU standing up?
For a moment I just stared, dumbfounded, at Chu Ga-eul, who had sprung up from the seat beside mine and was busily working her aegyo.
"Ah, Ga-eul! Eager is one thing, but come on. The female lead is Yeo-reum, surely."
"Oh no...! Sorry about that. I thought I was the female lead of the original. I guess I was nervous."
Chu Ga-eul stuck out her tongue with a cute little laugh, and for all the world she seemed fused into one with her character.
"Yeo-reum! Get up, quick! You're about to have the female lead stolen right out from under you!"
Chu Ga-eul cupped her face in both hands, the picture of embarrassment. Something felt off.
There's no way she did that on purpose... right?
The spotlight had been snatched away in an instant, but I didn't let it show. I stood up briskly, all confidence.
One flicker of annoyance on my face and it's over.
A drag-article stitched together from making-of footage began playing in my head.
Controversy from day one is absolutely not an option.
I could feel the lens of the making-of camera pointed my way. I steadied my voice.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Han Yeo-reum, playing the female lead. This is my first drama too, so I'll give it everything I've got."
The moment my bright introduction ended, applause spread through the reading room. Director Jjang had a question for me too.
"If you had to describe the female lead's character briefly?"
"She's basically the audience members watching from the real world, dropped straight into the story. Practical, a little blunt. And very much a model student."
"And you, Yeo-reum? Are you similar to your character?"
Ju Jun-seo had answered with a silent headshake earlier, so I figured I'd go the same route.
I drew a big, exaggerated circle above my head.
"Huh? Did everyone agree not to say anything?"
"Team solidarity already—!"
A warm, cheerful atmosphere bloomed between Director Jjang, Team Leader Seong, and even the writer.
Yes. That's going to make an adorable cut.
Having safely finished my turn, I was listening to the introduction of the second male lead when—
"...Pfft."
From beside me, I caught the faint sound of Chu Ga-eul scoffing.
What was that?
Did I imagine it? Startled, I glanced over at her — and it was Ga-eul's turn again before I could tell.
Chu Ga-eul hopped up from her seat with a cute little bounce and introduced herself once more.
"Playing the heroine, Hina! I'm Chu Ga-eul. The original's female lead — a perfect match for the parfait."
She seemed to put particular emphasis on the words "female lead."
Hold on. Could this be—
"Ga-eul, you're obviously just like your character at a glance. Oooh~. You're naturally full of aegyo, aren't you?"
"Oh no, not at all~!"
Chu Ga-eul denied it adorably, raising her hands above her head.
...No "could this be" about it.
Then, just like I'd done, she drew a circle above her head — and turned it into a heart.
"Not at all, my foot~! We've got a certified aegyo technician on our hands."
"The casting is just plain perfect! I can already tell our parfait heroine is going to be a hit!"
Laughter burst out among the staff and production team.
I was able to define the source of that unsettled feeling right away.
She's starting to push.
It meant that she was the real leading lady of this drama — as far as she was concerned.
Chu Ga-eul sized up Han Yeo-reum seated beside her with a sidelong glance.
Did you see that? The mood?
In the beginning, Chu Ga-eul had auditioned for the female lead role of Pi Chae-won too.
But she'd been cut on the spot — not even a few days' grace period.
"Ga-eul, let's prep for the next audition."
"Why? I literally just came out of one."
"I hear the female lead got cast directly. On the spot."
"What?! That's absurd! Unless someone pulled strings to get in!"
Because that day, the lead role had been decided right then and there.
I don't know what kind of connections you crawled in through, but I won't let it go down like that...!
That Han Yeo-reum had gone straight to the audition without even an agency meant one thing.
A parachute hire.
Han Yeo-reum was clearly a parachute. And when Chu Ga-eul dug around here and there for information, it turned out she was a complete rookie with zero experience.
Is that supposed to make sense? What could anyone possibly accomplish in a measly six months?
Chu Ga-eul had climbed the ladder to becoming an actress step by careful step.
"Sweetie, the girl I told you about! Our academy's ace. Did you watch the video I sent?"
"Ohh~ so this is her? Still has that audition-prep stink on her... but not bad, I'll admit."
"That's because she works so incredibly hard. She's the best at our prep academy. Stop cutting me off and just take her on!"
How many years had it taken her — from a prep academy teacher's recommendation all the way to signing with an agency?
Even I, the top of the prep class, couldn't land a lead role easily... and a six-month rookie dares?
She was in the middle of methodically stacking up her rage toward Han Yeo-reum, trembling as she went, when it happened.
"Ga-eul, Pachehi got back to us. How about a supporting role? The character's not bad. You're a rookie, so let's take it one step at a time."
She wasn't the lead, admittedly, but they said she suited the original heroine well and offered her the chance to read for a different role instead.
"...Fine. I'll do it."
Chu Ga-eul accepted without a second thought.
She wanted to teach the parachute, Han Yeo-reum, a lesson.
Take a good, hard look at who the real lead is.
She had the advantage over a bland, forgettable female lead. With skills honed at acting academies since childhood, crushing the likes of Han Yeo-reum should have taken a single stroke.
"You're too loud."
Somehow the script reading had already come around to Han Yeo-reum's turn.
After Ju Jun-seo's half-hearted line, Han Yeo-reum finally opened her mouth.
"What now? How long have you been there?"
And at that one simple line, Chu Ga-eul was thrown into disarray.
We're using the same mic... aren't we?
Her voice came out so clean it was as if Han Yeo-reum alone were using a completely different microphone.