In This Life, I Will Die As An Actress, Not As A Villainess [EN]: Chapter 106

Practice Room.

“When you get slapped, turn your head sharply. It hurts less that way.”

While I was sharing my 101 villainous know-how tips, my mentees were gaping at me in surprise.

“It’s so old-fashioned to just put all your energy into your eyes and body when playing a villain. Be natural when you do bad things.”

“Wow, it’s like seeing Yoo Ji-an in real life.”

Lee Hyo-seo said, her eyes wide and captivated.

“Uh-oh, can’t have a villain looking so surprised, can we? Now, shall we all start practicing together?”

A script was provided for this Villainous Chronicles.

It was a short and concise script that allowed actors to uniquely interpret and express their characters.

Instead of stage acting, it was conducted as recording acting, and all teams were scheduled to reveal their recorded VCRs [Video Cassette Recordings] at once on the 2nd round competition day.

The main characters were four people: a loan shark, a contract killer, an adulteress, and a pimp.

The four mentees had to take on one character each through consultation.

In our team, Lee Hyo-seo decided to play the loan shark, Kim Young-yi the contract killer, Yoon Haneul the adulteress, and Min So-hyun the pimp.

You could change the tone of the lines as much as you wanted, as long as the content didn’t change.

“Listen, get the money from that man’s wife. Why are you coming to me and causing a fuss? Did I commit adultery alone?”

As soon as Yoon Haneul finished interpreting her character calmly, she transformed into a person who seemed to have no common sense at all.

Indeed, she’s talented….

If she just filled in the details, she could be put in front of a camera right away.

“If you want to take this girl, get my permission. I paid off all her debts and I’m keeping her.”

“Anyone who doesn’t want to die, give me my money.”

Min So-hyun’s acting was still excellent, but her interpretation of the character was a bit flat, and Lee Hyo-seo hadn’t yet immersed herself in the character itself.

As expected, Lee Hyo-seo raised her hand and requested an SOS.

“Mentor, I don’t know how to approach the loan shark….”

Seeing Lee Hyo-seo, who had kind eyes and was sweating profusely, made me a little embarrassed as well.

I was lost in thought during the brief silence.

“Hyo-seo, I think the problem is that you’re trying to imitate a loan shark you’ve seen somewhere.”

“…Yes.”

“In my opinion, if Hyo-seo were a loan shark, she would be very scary. She would have a nice face and ask for money while smiling.”

“Huh?”

Then the team members who were listening next to her burst out laughing.

“Wow, that’s so true.”

“I suddenly got goosebumps.”

Lee Hyo-seo scratched her head at those words.

“Hyo-seo, try smiling when you say your lines.”

“Ah, how….”

I smiled leisurely, looking at Lee Hyo-seo.

“Give me my money. I’ve waited a long time.”

“…….”

Lee Hyo-seo’s eyes widened as if she was flustered.

“I don’t like hitting people, burying them…. Don’t make me do things that upset me. Just give me the money.”

As I spoke the lines in a calm voice as if I was fed up with everything, the atmosphere instantly turned grim.

At that moment, I took a step closer to Lee Hyo-seo and said quietly.

“Are you deaf?”

I lowered my eyes and made a face as if I was about to devour Lee Hyo-seo.

Then Lee Hyo-seo looked up at me with a terrified face.

There was a moment of silence in the practice room.

After a while.

I smiled brightly again and patted Lee Hyo-seo on the shoulder.

“How was it? It’s scary even when I smile, right?”

The mentees finally came down from the ice rink and stuttered.

“Amazing….”

“Mentor, you’re scary….”

The staff was focused on filming me with several cameras.

There were two reasons for showing this demonstration directly.

First, to directly help Lee Hyo-seo understand the character interpretation.

Second, to play the bold mentor role that the PD [Production Director] had ordered.

This would still be produced as an impressive scene.

Lee Hyo-seo, who had been watching me quietly, opened her mouth.

“I’m going to go practice right away.”

She seemed to have caught on to something.

I smiled brightly as I watched Lee Hyo-seo head to the corner of the practice room.

* * *

‘Are you deaf?’

“Wow, that’s crazy. How could she do that with just those three words.”

In a certain home.

A woman was sitting in front of the TV with ‘V-Actors’ on, slurping ramen and making a fuss.

“Ugh, seriously. Shut your mouth and eat.”

Her younger brother rebuked his sister as if he was annoyed.

Then, the scene where Han Sae-na was directly demonstrating the 1-person 4-role began to play.

‘Hey, did I commit adultery alone?’

‘Well, why did you live like that? You shouldn’t have done anything so bad that you would get killed by someone.’

Soon, the younger brother was also captivated and focused on watching Han Sae-na’s acting scene.

“Wow, how can she do that….”

“The fan cafe must be going crazy today.”

The woman immediately accessed the ‘Geunboni’ fan cafe on her phone.

[Han Sae-na ‘V-Actors’ Real-Time Thread]

– Wow, is this crazy? Did you just see that?

– I came on a pilgrimage. Please let our sister play a villain one more time.

– Let’s include Han Sae-na’s villainous acting content in the next fan meeting.

– The haters will be keeping their mouths shut this week. That’s what a mentor is. She doesn’t just talk, she shows you directly.

– Honestly, I would have been so touched that I would have cried if I were her.

– Is it because she’s a cold beauty? She’s really cool and suits the villain role well.

– Is Lee Hyo-seo the heroine this week? It seems like Han Sae-na tries to make her team members stand out one at a time. She’s such a brain.

The woman put her hand on her chest as if she was overwhelmed as she looked at the comments.

“Ha, brother. I really, why do I like Han Sae-na so much.”

“Why do you like the same woman so much.”

“Do you think women only like men?”

“I only like women?”

The woman looked at her younger brother for a moment and made a face as if to say, ‘Okay, never mind.’

And then she said again.

“She’s cool. Even when a woman looks at her.”

“I heard Han Sae-na is trending among women in their 20s and 30s these days.”

The woman smiled faintly at her brother’s lukewarm agreement.

“Yeah, how could she not be? Just looking at the way she confidently walks makes me feel vicariously satisfied. I want to live like that too.”

* * *

At the same time, in the dark Room 302 of the dorm.

‘You’re pushing it too much. You seem to think I’m letting you off the hook because I really like you, right?’

Do Chang-hyun was sitting alone in front of the TV, watching Han Sae-na’s appearance as if he was completely immersed in it.

How many times had he replayed the same line?

“Where does that momentum come from….”

‘Straighten your shoulders. A lack of confidence is a minus in this industry.’

Do Chang-hyun recalled the words he had heard from Han Sae-na during their first mentor-mentee meeting.

That one word that Han Sae-na threw felt like a spell for some reason.

Do Chang-hyun gathered his legs and hugged them with his arms.

Since the first day he learned acting, low self-esteem and lack of confidence had always been holding him back.

He didn’t know why.

Since he was young, he always felt like he was worse than others, and his stomach was twisted.

The compliments that others gave him for doing well sounded like flattery, and only the words that pointed out his shortcomings without any special meaning always remained in his heart.

‘It would be nice to have a place to rely on.’

Then his phone rang.

‘AK Yang Ui-cheol Manager’

Do Chang-hyun smiled brightly and answered the phone.

“Yes, Manager! Hello! Ah, are you watching the show? Thank you. Yes, yes.”

* * *

One week later.

“A reverse transformation has occurred! The contestant who took first place in individual scores this week is none other than, Yoon Haneul!”

After the VCR was revealed, the on-site voting ended.

I jumped up from my seat and applauded Yoon Haneul.

Yoon Haneul got up from her seat in a daze and received congratulations from her team members.

However, the ace of this mission was Lee Hyo-seo, no matter who said what.

This was because Lee Hyo-seo raised the team’s average score by receiving scores exceeding 90 points.

“However, La Dolce Vita unfortunately remained in 2nd place this week as well. The Glory team is fiercely rising as if to repay last week’s humiliation, taking first place in the team average!”

Amid the cheers, Hwang Yu-sun crossed her arms and smiled contentedly.

It was felt that this Hwang Yu-sun team had completely sharpened their knives.

There were even afterwords that the mentor and mentees had all slept less than five hours a day for a week.

Hwang Yu-sun set Do Chang-hyun as a homosexual adulterer and pushed the play with a unique character.

It was a great strategy.

In addition, she covered the teamwork problem with harsh practice and reduced the gap with the remaining mentees.

However, our team was continuing to grow.

There was no need to pay attention to other things.

But then.

“Now, the mentor of the team that wins first place in this 2nd round will be given a secret benefit. I hope everyone will look forward to it.”

A secret benefit, huh.

For some reason, I felt a little uneasy.

‘This is starting to feel like a battlefield.’

I tried to bury my anxiety and smiled slightly as I looked at Hwang Yu-sun, who was in the spotlight.

It’s going to be more fun.

I looked at the audience seats where the mentees were sitting in the distance.

But at that moment, I had the illusion that I had made eye contact with Do Chang-hyun.

Do Chang-hyun stared intently at me, not his mentor who was receiving attention, and then turned his head.

I must be imagining things.

I sighed secretly while looking at the back of Do Chang-hyun’s head.

Really… to have such good talent.

It would be nice if he didn’t do drugs.

I was worried, but anyway, he’s someone else’s mentee.

I didn’t have time to care.

“Now, viewers. We’ll see you again next week with another terrifying mission. This has been ‘V-Actors’!”

The MC’s closing remarks filled the studio.

* * *

So, immediately after the end of the 2nd round mission.

‘Forced event occurrence. Forced event occurrence. A trade will begin.’

“What?!”

While I was sharing my mission impressions with my team members in the waiting room, a siren sounded from the hallway speaker.

“Trade…?”

Everyone froze as if they had heard the devil’s revelation and looked at the staff.

Then the staff remained silent.

Before I could even grasp the situation, the next voice came from the speaker.

“Mentor Hwang Yu-sun has nominated mentee Yoon Haneul of La Dolce Vita!”

“?!”

Everyone looked at Yoon Haneul with surprised faces.

Yoon Haneul looked at me with the most shocked face among them.

“Mentor…?”

“…….”

No way.

A brief thought flashed through my mind.

Is this the benefit of the 1st place team mentor that the MC was talking about?

Then a trade explanation appeared on the practice room screen.

‘No right to refuse the trade. Must select a mentee from the opposing team’

This life, I’ll die as an actress, not a villain.