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[Female Actresses Going Head-to-Head With No Titles to Hide Behind LOL — Who Won the Holy Grail War?]

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-I don’t know about anything else, but I seriously never expected Hong Suryeon to lose like this...  T_T

↳ For real. I never thought Han Yeoreum would steal the rom-com queen spot from her after bringing in a rookie male lead.

↳ LOL stop glazing Han Yeoreum so much. If it had been a Hwang Boseok script, Hong Suryeon would've absolutely crushed her.

↳ Hehe, Hwang Boseok personally chose Han Yeoreum though, so why are people still talking about alternate-universe what-ifs...

-I’m just so happy Eun Baekhap finally seems to have found her acting style. I was seriously terrified she'd end up in another scandal this project. Double the thrill.

↳ Same. Honestly, I can finally admit it now... I thought Lee Eungyu would be the one causing trouble...  T_T Sorry for doubting you...

-I should've watched DongRo from episode one. I wasted time on <Dear Judge> and only now started binge-watching it LOL.

It had only been this morning that the final ratings for all three dramas were released, yet videos were already pouring out as if everyone had been waiting for the moment.

“Ah...”

I once again recited the magic spell.

“Who am I?”

The woman who, in the fiercest female-actress Holy Grail War in Korean drama history, became the only one to break 20% ratings; who received a heartfelt thank-you from the nation's top rom-com writer thanks to her perfect interpretation of the character; who elevated even her rookie male co-star's immersion to its absolute peak; who was currently receiving an insane flood of advertising offers; whose previous projects were continuously booming again; and who had successfully defeated the Rom-Com Queen Hong Suryeon to firmly establish herself as the next generation's Rom-Com Queen...

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

I was in the middle of reading comments under one of the clips when the front door shook violently.

“Who is it?”

It was already past eleven at night. Who pounded on someone else's door like that?

‘Don't tell me...’

A fan who couldn't control their excitement and came all the way to my house? If they lived in this apartment complex, they'd obviously know where Han Yeoreum lived.

I appreciated the sentiment, but I'd have to give them an autograph and send them home.

‘No, if it's not that...’

Could it be a writer or director having an anxiety attack over news of Han Yeoreum's next project? I couldn't even imagine how fierce the underground war over an actress of my caliber must be. Had they finally come all the way to my house to secure me first—

“Hey! Open the door already!!!”

Before I could even turn on the intercom, a voice came from outside. The pronunciation was absurdly precise, and for some reason it carried a resonance that made my heart flutter.

I hurried over and switched on the intercom.

“Huh?” 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

On the screen was a man's chest.

No, wait. What was wrong with his clothes? He looked unbelievably suspicious.

“Who is it?”

At my question, the man on the other side bent down to show his face.

The man looking for me possessed a face that somehow remained handsome even from the worst possible angle...

“Ah! She's going to rip all my hair out!!!”

It was Yoo Jiuk.

Wait.

Why was there a white hand above his head?

Too shocked to think properly, I immediately opened the door.

The real, actual Yoo Jiuk was standing outside.

“Whaaaaaah...”

With Hong Suryeon slung over his back.

The white hand gripping Yoo Jiuk's hair belonged to Hong Suryeon.

Staring at the unbelievable sight, I stammered.

“No... you two... I have so many questions, but first of all... how on earth did you find my house?”

Not just °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° the building—even the exact apartment number.

“With my beauty, there's no information in this world I can't find... Waaaaah...!”

I couldn't help admiring the sheer Hong Suryeon-ness of that answer.

Even while speaking, her emotions surged again, and she violently yanked on the fistful of Yoo Jiuk's hair.

“AAAAAH! Stop pulling my hair! Aah!”

Yoo Jiuk staggered into my apartment and set Hong Suryeon down.

I could practically picture the journey they'd taken to get here.

His hair was a complete disaster.

And that wasn't all.

The round-knit sweater that had probably looked perfectly normal when he'd first put it on had been stretched so badly that the neckline hung like an off-shoulder top.

“Why'd you take so long to open the door? I almost went bald because of you.”

Despite meeting me for the first time today, Yoo Jiuk spoke casually as if we'd known each other forever.

I immediately understood where his popularity came from.

The smile he wore made it feel like we'd been friends for years.

‘But with your clothes looking like that...’

One side of your sweater is literally off-the-shoulder...

“Anyway, I delivered her. Big brother's leaving.”

“Wait, at least have some water before you go?”

He looked far too exhausted to just send away.

Did Han Taeyang have any clothes that would fit Yoo Jiuk?

That was when—

Yoo Jiuk laughed and ruffled my hair.

One of the Three Legends indeed.

He possessed a natural-born male-lead talent for making people misunderstand things.

“Seriously, you little brat. I get how you feel, but you don't just invite a man into your house at this hour.”

I knew exactly what he was thinking.

And honestly, I appreciated the concern.

But sir... please look at yourself right now.

“Big brother's leaving.”

Unable to even fix his slipping sweater properly, Yoo Jiuk headed out.

Hong Suryeon was still collapsed on the floor, sobbing.

“Whaaaaaah... no way... no waaaay...”

Wait.

‘The more I look at this, the more it seems like he dumped her on me because he couldn't handle her anymore.’

Reality finally dawned on me.

I looked down at Hong Suryeon.

She lifted her head from the floor.

Huge tears filled her large eyes before rolling beautifully down her cheeks.

The image looked so much like a scene from a drama that all I could do was stare.

There should've been background music playing.

“You... don't feel anything seeing a beautiful woman like me crying on the floor?”

“Um... it seems like you've had quite a lot to drink, so I do feel bad...”

“The floor is cold! So what should you do about that?”

At Hong Suryeon's sharp scolding, I hurriedly handed her the nearest floor mat.

“Whaaaah! This is a diatomite mat! It's cold! It's cold! Bring me something else!”

“J-just a second!”

* * *

Han Taeyang, who normally went to sleep at ten every night, felt like he was dying from exhaustion these past two months.

Today was Friday.

Not just any Friday—the first Friday after exams had ended.

And yesterday, the Female Actress Holy Grail War had finally come to an end.

Attendance at tonight's drinking gathering was mandatory.

There was something he needed to confirm.

“Hey. Why are you so out of it today?”

“Huh? I'm listening. Go on.”

Inside a crowded university drinking spot, Han Taeyang automatically started counting.

There were Han Yeoreum Son Minsoos everywhere.

‘Seven Han Yeoreum hairstyles...’

A woman with Nam Pyeonghwa's hair.

A woman wearing Nam Pyeonghwa's jacket.

A woman wearing Nam Pyeonghwa's necklace.

A woman wearing Nam Pyeonghwa's shoes.

A woman carrying Nam Pyeonghwa's bag.

As he scanned them one by one, Han Taeyang subtly raised the corner of his mouth.

“What's wrong with him today?”

“Judging by how his eyes keep wandering, he's probably half asleep.”

Twenty percent ratings during the most brutal competition period imaginable was not a number anyone could casually call a moderate success.

Under normal circumstances, the drama might've even pushed past thirty percent.

That was why the popularity felt so tangible.

“Seriously, Seo Eden is so freaking cute... My husband...”

“You need a guy like that. Not trash like my ex.”

At the next table, a heated discussion about <Dongdaemun Romance> was underway.

Han Taeyang folded his arms and listened carefully.

“But his personal color is Han Yeoreum. When Seo Eden's by himself, it just doesn't hit the same.”

“Facts.”

“Isn't it because he seems smarter when he's alone?”

“Do you think she's some kind of idiot collector? That's not it.”

While his eyes remained elsewhere and his ears seemed detached from reality, Han Taeyang looked at Park Sumin sitting diagonally across from him.

She was practically the physical embodiment of Nam Pyeonghwa.

Nam Pyeonghwa hair.

Nam Pyeonghwa headband.

Nam Pyeonghwa sweater.

Nam Pyeonghwa skirt.

Nam Pyeonghwa shoes.

Even her phone case was the matching couple case from last week's finale episode, complete with a grip holder.

The lip color and blush were probably products Nam Pyeonghwa had used too.

As Han Taeyang continued staring at Park Sumin, silent glances began passing between the students.

‘Something's going on between them, right?’

‘Didn't you hear Han Taeyang asked her out near the back gate last time...?’

‘The one where Park Sumin screamed...?’

Someone finally worked up the courage to speak.

“Hey. If you're sleepy, go home and sleep.”

Everyone knew Han Taeyang lived a miracle morning lifestyle that involved waking up at four in the morning.

The reason he'd dragged himself to a drinking party despite being exhausted was obvious.

“Park Sumin, you go too.”

“Why me?”

“Just go! Hey, both of you. Leave.”

Without asking a single question, their classmates kicked both of them out.

Completely bewildered, Park Sumin had no choice but to follow behind Han Taeyang.

“Um...”

“What?”

“Nothing...”

Park Sumin—or rather, SweetWatermelon—actually had countless things she wanted to ask him.

‘The aegyo-sal eyeshadow unnie used in episode fourteen... he probably wouldn't know what it was, right? And the hairpin from episode seven still hasn't been identified... maybe it was her personal item...? And her real everyday perfume, not the one she mentioned in interviews... I want to know so badly...’

With Nam Pyeonghwa's style currently dominating trends, her current appearance was close enough to “ordinary person #1” that Han Taeyang probably hadn't noticed.

Still, if she started asking questions this specific, her true intentions might be exposed.

‘Think long-term... think long-term...’

SweetWatermelon tried to hide her feelings.

“I'll get you a taxi. Take it home.”

At Han Taeyang's words, SweetWaterelon's self-control finally shattered.

“Do you even have money for that?! Forget it!”

That was money her unnie had earned through blood, sweat, and war against other actresses.

The thought of it being casually spent on a classmate's taxi fare made her furious.

“? My paycheck came in.”

“The last train hasn't stopped running yet.”

“Taxi's already here. The one across the street.”

Watching the taxi make a U-turn toward them, SweetWaterelon's heart pounded.

Had her long-term project somehow been discovered?

“Get home safe.”

After closing the taxi door for her, Han Taeyang headed toward the subway station.

The moment she was alone, SweetWatermelon immediately changed her phone wallpaper from the ordinary-person version to the Han Yeoreum version.

“Your boyfriend?”

“No! Just a friend from school!”

And the precious stepping stone that would someday bring her closer to Summer Unnie...

She swallowed the rest of the sentence.

Then she hurriedly opened Tretter.

Ever since yesterday's victory in the Female Actress Holy Grail War, the timeline had become incredibly entertaining.

Not a single member of <Summer Day> remained the anxious, insecure, defeated fan they had been when episode one aired.

Everyone had become LV999 and was basking in the joy of victory.

SweetWatermelon was no exception.

‘Can't afford to miss even one thing.’

And then—

“AAAAAAAH!”

“S-Student! What's wrong?!”

SweetWatermelon screamed.

* * *

“What the hell?!”

IP 85.152 screamed as well.

The moment the Female Actress Holy Grail War ended, JC ENM had posted an announcement as if they'd been waiting for it.

The poster featured a previously unreleased photo of Han Yeoreum.

“No way...”

Until now, Han Yeoreum's agency, JC ENM, had done an incredible job.

An unbelievably incredible job.

Every time they released a photo, fans of other actors grew jealous.

And once again, JC ENM had delivered.

“An on-set photo...?”

Normally, fan-meeting posters used specially shot pictorials.

But this one was different.

It felt like a secret glance stolen from everyday life.

As though you had secretly watched her from the corner of your eye during a private relationship.

The edges of the black-and-white photograph were softly blurred.

Only Han Yeoreum remained perfectly clear.

Holding a white whipped-cream cake, she had cute smears of cream on her nose and cheeks.

“Cat... whiskers...”

Her cheeks were puffed up from smiling, cream still clinging to them.

[Always Summer

A Summer Day That Will Last Forever

11.30 (SAT) 6 PM

12.1 (SUN) 7 PM]