Reading Between (the line)

Scene 12

A/n: I don't have much photos of NoonPraewa. Please peeps send me some or tell me where to get. Google is not googling -_-


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Despite my reluctance, I can't help but fixate on the two people in front of me. I recognize her face instantly, but the burning question remains—what is she doing here?

"So, you two already know each other?" P'Tam inquired, her voice filled with curiosity. P'Tam is a renowned director, famous for creating the first popular girls' love themed TV series years ago. She directed her question at Praewa and the person she was giggling with—Mai.

These visitors were the ones Ms. Pram had mentioned earlier. They were here for a reason that hadn't been discussed yet, as these two in front of us were too engrossed in their conversation.

I rolled my eyes when Mai chose not to answer the question directly and instead smiled shyly. Praewa stepped in to answer, "Her younger sister is a co-artist here and also a close friend, P'Tam."

P'Tam appeared unconvinced but chose to nod. She then started to discuss the reason why she and Mai were looking for Praewa and me. It was during her day off that she stumbled upon a popular web novel online. Intrigued by the plot and the overall story, she decided to adapt it into a series.

She didn't specify the details but did mention the challenges she faced when proposing this story to the producers. Fortunately, it was approved, and that's when she sought out the writer of the web novel, who turned out to be Mai.

"You're a writer?" Praewa asked Mai, her voice filled with awe. I raised an eyebrow at her reaction. What's so special about that?

"Y-yeah. Just as a hobby, though. I never expected it to catch the attention of 'the' director Tam," Mai responded, her tone modest.

So, it was just a stroke of luck.

"Well, no one can deny how good the story is, Mai. It was actually the plot that convinced the producers, of course, fueled by my persuasive skills, too." P'Tam said. "And now, I think you have an idea of why we wanted to see you two." She looked at Praewa and me.

"We were having difficulty selecting the actresses for the main roles in the series. To be honest, you two weren't on my list. You're both rookies, and this will be your second series together, and it's the main roles right away. So, I never considered you initially. I hope you understand my reasoning."

Praewa and I nodded. She was right. We lacked the experience, and we knew that.

"But when we did the look test with the actresses I had picked, something was missing. I wasn't satisfied. Don't get me wrong, they were good, but they just didn't fit the character profiles I had in mind." P'Tam glanced at Mai. "So, I sought Mai's help."

"Right. I got P'Tam's call, and we decided to meet. She told me about her predicament, and I helped her find the main roles she was looking for. During our discussion, she suddenly asked me who I had based my main character on..." Mai paused and looked at Praewa.

My brows furrowed. Don't tell me...

"And I told her that it was Praewa," Mai finished.

I knew it!

"So, upon hearing that, I quickly watched your videos together and saw my main characters in you two. Especially you, Noon," P'Tam said, looking at me.

I didn't understand what she meant, so I asked, "Me? Shouldn't it be Praewa?"

"Well, Mai told me that despite basing the main character on Praewa, the opposite partner of that character was not based on you. And even now, she won't reveal who it was," P'Tam explained.

I turned my gaze to Mai, noticing her ears and cheeks turning a vivid red while she stole glances at Praewa. I scoffed. It's pretty obvious who it is, though.

"I think I have an idea who it was, P'Tam," I said without thinking. As a result, everyone's eyes turned to me. "Well, I might be wrong. So, please forget what I said," I quickly retracted my words.

Thankfully, no one pressed further, and P'Tam continued. She explained why she thought I fit the character of Praewa's lover, emphasizing that it didn't matter who Mai had based the novel on. What mattered was that I fit the character profile she had in mind.

And I was so glad I did, or else Praewa might have been partnered with someone else—I mean, I was glad I landed the main role, too. After all, we're partners in show business, so she should only be partnered with me and no one else. Tsk.

Minutes later, the sudden meeting ended on a positive note, and we were scheduled to meet again officially with the producers and other cast members. Everyone left the conference room with a smile, except for me.

How could I, when the sight of two people walking side by side, happily conversing, blocked my view and irritated me for some unknown reason?

---

Days fly by so quickly when you're busy every single day.

All I knew was that I woke up every day to practice our dance for the new song, made promotional videos, attended promotional events for our sponsors, and then went home utterly exhausted.

However, I couldn't and wouldn't complain. On the contrary, I felt ecstatic and fulfilled. This was the dream I had yearned for since I was a kid, and now I was living it.

I threw myself onto my bed, too tired to shower after just getting home.

*Buzz*

My phone vibrated, and it took me five seconds to pick it up and check. It was a notification for tomorrow's schedule. It was supposed to be my only day of rest, but apparently, I had somewhere to be? I cleared my mind and read the notification again.

Script-reading day!

I closed my eyes in frustration. Damn that writer! Instead of feeling excited about my new series, where I played one of the main roles, I no longer enjoyed it as much as I had imagined.

Why did she always have to be there? And why is she always sticking Praewa? It was so obvious that she was coming because of her, not because she was working on the series. Such a clever fox!

"Oh, damn it!"

I sat up on my bed and messed up my hair in frustration. "What is wrong with me? No. What is wrong with her? With both of them? If you act so damn sweet all the time then why not just date? Or whatever!" I yelled before throwing my phone onto the bed.

In anger, I grabbed my towel and headed to the shower. I needed to wash off these crazy thoughts in my head with some cold, freezing water!

Right. Freaking. Now!