At first, he had wanted to kick open the agency doors and walk out. They had promised to let him focus on runway work, but their real intention to shift his career toward acting was painfully obvious.
Shoving him into so childish web drama as a test case felt like they were trying to ruin his model career entirely.
“Thanks.”
But the web drama shoot opened an unexpected world for Joo Junseo. Even though it wasn’t a runway, it made him feel as if he were walking on a stage. Han Yeoreum’s eyes, her voice, the way she looked at him....
“Everyone-! Ice cream is here-!”
But maybe her voice had been too soft. Whether Yeoreum hadn’t heard it or not, she suddenly yanked the door open and ran inside.
Left alone outside, Joo Junseo opened the door again and walked toward Yeoreum, who was waving him in. The ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) mont he stepped inside, staff mbers sward him like a pack of dogs and snatched the ice cream bag from his hands.
“Ah!!! My lona!!!”
“I told you I need to eat soft stuff now that I’m older!”
“Chocolate flavor! Chocolate is mine!”
It was ridiculous. So Joo Junseo laughed. Not acting—an actual laugh that ca naturally. Jang Director gazed at the two with a deep, thoughtful look.
* * *
Inside the JC ENM Center building in Mapo District, the cable editing room was playing the teaser for 〈ParCheHi〉.
–Ah, should I drop out....
On the monitor, a dead-fish-eyed Yeoreum was appearing. Then, with a sparkling effect, Gaeul appeared. The scene was dizzyingly flashy.
–Humans can never live alone!
–Friends... that’s sothing where all you have to do is reach out to each other.
–Hey, do you want to join a club with ?
Then, above Gaeul’s image, a tablet pen moved.
Scritch-scritch—.
With the sound of soone drawing a comic, Gaeul’s figure was replaced by a manga-style image. The edited video that mixed actual footage with drawings had little bubbly popping sound effects sprinkled in.
Caption: I ended up inside a shoujo manga.
–What kind of school uniform is this.
–What kind of class ti is this.
–What kind of... storage room door is this!
Yeoreum, sighing at the ridiculous school uniform design. Yeoreum, taking notes alone while extras around her weren’t studying or doing anything. Yeoreum, trapped in a storage room but calmly pressing the 119 button. The scenes played in sequence.
Caption: The problem is—
–Pi Chaewon! If you can hear , answer!
–...
–Pi Chaewon!
–Hello. Is this 119? I’m trapped inside the school building right now. Ah. The staff room phone. That thod.
Then ca soone’s desperate voice from outside the door, again with bubbly sound effects. But instead of asking that person for help, Yeoreum continued speaking with the firefighters.
Caption: I’m not the heroine.
Next, scenes Jang Director had fild with special care appeared—shots of the school that were beautiful enough to be called a perfect “school-drama aesthetic.” Flyers for club recruitnt fluttered down from the sky as if poured out of nowhere, completely detached from reality.
–A club you have to do for three years~ I really have to think about this a lot. Hng.
And then Yeoreum appeared, now completely changed. Styled similarly to Hina, the shoujo-manga heroine, she had gone from dead-fish-eyes to lively ecosystem-eyes.
Caption: I beca an extra who disappears unless I gain presence!
Yeoreum was now putting up a bold face to beco the sunshine heroine. Completely different from her apathetic, lethargic self. She ran with a slice of bread in her mouth.
Caption: Can an extra beco the protagonist?
Every scene of Yeoreum struggling ca with a heart-shaped CG effect.
Caption: The Cherry on the Parfait Belongs to the Heroine
A cute-font title appeared, and behind it, Yeoreum’s small voice played once more.
–...I can’t do this shit.
Then the rooftop scene reappeared—Joo Junseo and Han Yeoreum alone together. Over it, the release date was written.
Jang Director felt chills run over his entire body. Even from the teaser alone, it ca out well.
“Of course, the full episodes are even more fun!”
He already anticipated how subscribers would react after watching the final episode. Jang Director sent the video stored on his hard drive to JC ENM’s PR team. It was ti to fan the flas of anticipation with press releases.
Bzzz— Bzzz—.
Not long after sending the teaser, Jang Director’s phone rang. It was Hong Team Leader from JC ENM PR.
“Oh, Hong Team Leader! You saw what I sent, right?”
–...I saw it.
“Why? What’s with your voice?”
Hong Team Leader’s tone sounded strange.
–The thing is....
“Co on, just say it! Why? What happened.”
–At the rough-cut screening....
When video editing reaches a certain level of completion, the director, PD, and writer gather for an internal screening. It’s to raise editing quality. Jang Director thought Hong Team Leader was bringing it up because he wanted to attend the rough-cut screening.
“Oh, you can co. It’s fun, right? Huh?”
–It’s... Jegal Rok....
Jang Director’s heart slamd against his chest at the ntion of Jegal Rok. Even in an industry full of insane people, JC ENM’s division head Jegal Rok was the apex predator among apex predators.
–He said... he would attend.
Jang Director’s mouth fell wide open.
Jegal Rok—he had only ever heard the na. The thought that Jegal Rok would personally show up at his own work’s screening had never once crossed his mind.
“What??!!!”
This wasn’t just receiving a file for review. Showing up in person carried much greater weight. Jang Director couldn’t even rember how he ended the call.
For Jegal Rok to care this much ant one thing: they were going to push it properly. Jang Director’s mind flashed back and forth between Jegal Rok and Han Yeoreum. And then even the lighting director’s offhand comnt ca to mind.
“She’s... going sowhere really good.”
Jang Director clicked the teaser again. He looked at the rookie actress filling the screen—Han Yeoreum.
“I... way more than I thought....”
Web dramas tended to be considered small-scale, childish, “snack culture,” sothing to kill ti on SNS and InTube.
“I t a way better actor.”
He felt strongly that this web drama might change the landscape. And at the sa ti, Hong Team Leader, who had instinctively read the situation just like Jang Director, released far more polished press announcents than usual.
[The Cherry on the Parfait Belongs to the Heroine! JC ENM presents its first web drama]
[Webtoons to dramas? Is the ‘web drama era’ finally coming?]
[This is the real K-high-schooler. Model Joo Junseo’s first lead role 〈ParCheHi〉]
This was all one week before the teaser went up.
* * *
Tension hovered inside the editing room.
“Do I look okay today?”
“I told you like ten tis already, you look fine! Can you look at instead? The pilling on my clothes is super noticeable, isn’t it?”
It was because of Jegal Rok’s visit. Unless it was a major show, soone of that level never attended a rough-cut screening in person. If it was just file transfer, maybe—but this was different.
Jang Director swallowed dryly. Sixty seconds before the appointnt ti. He gave himself one last affirmation.
‘Good job. Good job! You did well... really well....’
It was the most nerve-racking mont of his directing career. Jang Director recalled the beautifully completed Episode 1. It was entertaining, seamless, not a single boring segnt, no awkward cuts. And above all—Han Yeoreum’s—
Step—. Step—.
From down the hallway ca steady footsteps. Perfectly even rhythm. It was Jegal Rok.
“Hello, sir!!!”
Everyone bowed deeply as Jegal Rok entered the editing room. Polished shoes, perfectly pressed trousers, a clean coat. Anyone could tell at a glance he wasn’t an ordinary person. Dark circles under his eyes, arms crossed, Jegal Rok sat down and said:
“Please play it.”
Gulp.
With the sound of soone swallowing, Episode 1 of 〈ParCheHi〉 began.
* * *
Jegal Rok. To describe him, one line was enough.
No other explanation was needed. Born and raised in a broadcasting family, his eye for content was on another level; his senses were practically part of the mass dia ecosystem itself.
Simply put—if Jegal Rok furrowed his brows, a project was scrapped. If he tilted his head once, that project beca the main title of the season.
He had reached executive level at a relatively young age purely through ability. This was a project he had ordered, and one of the very few rough-cut screenings he personally attended.
“....”
When Episode 1 of 〈ParCheHi〉 ended, Jegal Rok stayed silent for a mont. He didn’t furrow his brows. He didn’t tilt his head. He simply remained with his arms crossed.
Silence stretched on. Then, at long last, the man who had been silent the entire ti opened his mouth.
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