In This Life, I Will Die As An Actress, Not As A Villainess [EN]: Chapter 12

“Are you out of your mind? Did you even memorize the script? How many hours of delay is it because of you?”

Kim Jeong-hoon, the male lead, kept bowing his head in front of the director.

Everyone else was holding their breath, busily finding things to do.

Everyone knew that Director Moon’s hysteria usually gathered like a Spirit Bomb [a reference to the anime Dragon Ball Z, where a character gathers energy from all living things], and once it exploded, it was unstoppable.

Like now.

Everyone knew that the director was currently at his most sensitive since his debut.

All the staff and actors had already received the notice.

With the news of the broadcast airing next week, everyone was feeling the heat.

Usually, they would struggle even after filming about half of the episodes before broadcasting, but now they were taking a gamble close to a live broadcast with only about 3-4 episodes worth of footage.

The article had been released overnight, and the broadcasting station was entirely relying on Director Moon.

The director, burdened with that responsibility, was naturally…

“Are you all not going to pull yourselves together?! Do you all want to lose your jobs?”

Could only be extremely edgy.

The assistant director, watching carefully, hurriedly prepared the next filming set, lest he get caught in the crossfire.

‘Sigh, he must have stayed up all night.’

The assistant director sighed.

The day before, he had briefly heard Kim Jeong-hoon wandering around the filming crew, asking them to go to a club.

In the end, he took all the actors of the same age to the club….

It seemed that other staff members, except for Director Moon, also knew.

They were exchanging conversations in small whispers.

“He’s got guts. I tried to stop him yesterday, but he insisted on going.”

“What’s with this atmosphere? Did all the actors go to the club yesterday?”

“Yeah, except for Ms. Han Saena.”

The whispering naturally focused on Han Saena, careful not to be heard by Director Moon.

The assistant director’s gaze also naturally turned to Han Saena’s waiting room.

When the actors had rushed to the club the day before, he particularly remembered her staying behind to help the staff clean up the set.

And she showed up this morning in perfect condition, as a bonus.

It was inevitable to compare her to Kim Jeong-hoon.

“It’s not like she’s a rookie with too much enthusiasm, she’s just very unique.”

“Her attitude is good, right? She moves chairs, cleans up trash… No matter how much of a rookie she is, who does that?”

Well, she did seem very diligent.

The assistant director nodded to himself and finished setting up the filming set.

As soon as he sent an okay sign to the youngest staff member, Ms. Han Saena quickly walked out of the waiting room.

But….

The assistant director’s face darkened instantly when he saw Han Saena’s face.

Han Saena was wearing full makeup… and she was beautiful.

“I’m screwed.”

The thought came out loud.

This was a scene where she was supposed to look exhausted.

As the assistant director bit his lip, Director Moon shouted from behind.

“Hey, Jung Chaeseong! You idiot, did you not communicate the makeup properly?”

Ugh.

The assistant director closed his eyes tightly and bowed his head.

“I’m sorry! I’ll fix it!”

At that moment, Han Saena looked at the assistant director, who was bowing with a surprised expression.

“…?”

Han Saena carefully examined the face of the assistant director as he raised his head.

“You little punk, how many times did I tell you to quickly inform the actors that the filming order has changed!?”

“I’m sorry!!”

“Do you want to see me die from stress?!”

Han Saena, having recognized the assistant director’s predicament, intervened in the situation where everyone was silently holding their breath.

“Director!”

Everyone’s attention quickly turned to Han Saena.

Han Saena smiled gently.

“If it’s okay, would you listen to what I have to say?”

Director Moon, who had been fuming, looked at Han Saena and sighed deeply.

He was trying to calm down.

“Yes, Ms. Saena. Tell me.”

It was the softest tone he had used all day.

“I had an idea. It’s the scene where the female lead is acting pitiful to the male lead, right? So, how about we start with her removing her makeup?”

“Yoo Jian herself?”

Director Moon listened to Han Saena’s story with a noticeably softened voice.

“Yes. I thought it would bring out the Yoo Jian character and then move on to the scene where she touches the male lead’s guilt.”

Director Moon paused for a moment to think.

And then opened his mouth again.

“Not bad. Let’s film it first. We need to reduce the delay quickly.”

Director Moon frowned again.

“Hey, Jung Chaeseong, Kim Jeong-hoon!”

“Yes, Director.”

The two men bowed their heads.

“Let’s really pull ourselves together.”

“Yes!”

Kim Jeong-hoon immediately picked up the script and began to memorize his lines, and Jung Chaeseong ran off to inform each team of the revisions.

Color finally returned to Jung Chaeseong’s face as he moved.

He was alive….

He almost became a huge victim of Director Moon’s hysteria today.

Jung Chaeseong sighed in relief and glanced back at the director, and Han Saena, who was standing behind him, winked.

Jung Chaeseong was startled, bowed his head, and scratched the back of his head.

And he briefly surrendered himself to the tsunami of emotions that washed over him.

She’s an angel, that person is really… an angel.

* * *

Filming set waiting room.

They got an okay on the problematic makeup scene in one take and finished monitoring it.

It’s pretty good….

It was still strange to see myself acting in a younger version.

Not only that, but it was also amazing to see myself acting completely differently from before….

I could feel the role coming to life.

And the relationship between the male and female leads became more flavorful with my support.

A sigh of relief escaped.

I was actually nervous when I intervened between Director Moon and the assistant director and threw out an idea earlier.

I hope the others like it too….

Anyway, why is Jung Chaeseong in a place like this…?

Jung Chaeseong, the famous thriller comedy director, was working as an assistant director for Flat Shoes….

I was really surprised earlier.

Why am I only finding out about this now?

Ugh, this Han Saena and her memory.

I tapped my head with the script.

But anyway, I left a good impression with impact.

In this industry, even a single passing relationship or act of gratitude can often come as a great fortune when you least expect it.

So, if I do well, it will all be useful.

At that time, the youngest member of the production team came into the waiting room with a soft smile and nudged my side.

“Honey, are you watching all the broadcasts that are airing?”

“Of course, I’m watching. What’s up, are you not busy, Ms. Jieun?”

When I joked back, Ms. Jieun laughed.

I quickly became close with Ms. Jieun, as we always cleaned up together and talked on set.

“Saena, the food truck is here. Let’s go eat.”

Evening began to fall.

Actors and staff began to eat a late dinner outdoors, where several folding tables were set up.

Today’s menu was soybean paste soup with napa cabbage and hamburger steak.

I roughly put food on my plate and looked around with Ms. Jieun…

Ms. Yuri was waving her hand towards us.

“Saena! Here!”

Ms. Yuri and the assistant director were sitting together, eating.

I moved my steps towards them.

And sat across from the assistant director…

“Hello. Can I sit here?”

Jung Chaeseong’s eyes widened as he stuffed food into his mouth.

“Yeth. Thith down! Cough.”

“Oh my, is it because of me? I’m sorry. Here’s some water.”

I quickly poured a glass of water and handed it to Jung Chaeseong, who was choking.

Jung Chaeseong quickly drank the water, barely calmed down, and picked up his spoon again.

“I’m sorry for choking….”

“It’s okay. It’s nothing!”

I was a little embarrassed to see that.

……Was he always like this?

He was definitely the most taciturn and quiet person on set.

He was the one who perfectly set up everything on set according to the director’s instructions, sometimes even before the director’s instructions.

It was rare for him to be scolded like today.

But when I faced him directly, he was just an awkward and clumsy person.

How could such a person become the famous master of thriller comedy?

Unlike before, Jung Chaeseong couldn’t eat and kept looking at me when he sat across from me.

Then Ms. Yuri and Ms. Jieun chuckled.

“Our assistant director is very shy.”

“Oh, here we go again. Again.”

The two people reproached the assistant director.

“Ah… I think I’m making you uncomfortable by sitting here. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. Thank you for earlier.”

I laughed at Jung Chaeseong’s gratitude.

I wondered how such an innocent person could survive in this industry.

I also thought that this was why he was able to make such original movies.

Ms. Jieun refilled Jung Chaeseong’s glass with water.

“Thank you.”

I even felt sorry for him, like I was watching my cousin living in society.

“How is the set… are you adjusting well?”

I realized as soon as I said it that it was funny for me, a rookie, to ask as if I was taking care of him.

But Jung Chaeseong smiled shyly at my question and nodded.

“Yes, it’s okay.”

“Anyway, the broadcasting schedule has been moved up so suddenly, geez.”

Ms. Jieun put down her spoon and sighed deeply.

Ms. Yuri also swept back her hair as if she was tired.

“It’s not easy to start a general programming channel.”

I silently put rice in my mouth, listening to the two people’s sighs.

However, pressure was also rising on my side.

In just two weeks, I would be filming while watching people’s reactions….

If, by any chance, there was a bad reaction, I would have to endure the criticism and act.

Surely that won’t happen.

And more than anything, around that time.

The worst thing that happened around this time in my previous life, which I didn’t even want to imagine, came to mind.

The reason why my life started to go wrong.

I shook my head.

I tried to lighten the mood and spoke to Jung Chaeseong again.

“How did you start on this drama?”

“Ah…. I wasn’t going to do it at first, but I ran out of money. I did have an interview….”

The people around me who were eating also listened to Jung Chaeseong’s words.

“At the interview, I said that I have a hard time with people who talk a lot privately to the director, and he said that he hates those people too, so he asked me to work with him.”

As soon as he finished speaking, laughter was heard from here and there.

It was an amazing behind-the-scenes story.

I was speechless and only blinked, and another staff member sitting at the next table laughed and chimed in.

“That otaku [a Japanese term for someone with obsessive interests, often in anime or manga], even though he looks like that, he was an ace on other sets. So the director had his eye on him, from a long time ago.”

“Otaku, cough….”

As soon as I heard the story, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Jung Chaeseong’s ears turned red in an instant.

“Chaeseong, are you going to direct your own work later?”

Jung Chaeseong paused for a moment to think at my question.

“Can I do it… with this personality?”

Then the staff at the surrounding tables chuckled.

“What’s wrong with Chaeseong’s personality? Look at this. People are laughing like this because they’re comfortable.”

At my words, Jung Chaeseong smiled without saying anything and scratched his head.

“And originally, otakus make the best works.”

“Really? Is that so?”

“Of course. The more of an otaku you are, the better you know what’s fun and what’s not.”

Then Jung Chaeseong paused for a moment to think.

“As expected, Saena is something…”

“Yes?”

“Every time I see you, I feel the maturity of a 40-year-old.”

The hand holding the chopsticks stopped abruptly at Jung Chaeseong’s incomprehensible words.

What, what is he talking about?

“Assistant Director, are you saying that our Saena is old?”

“Oh my, oh my, he’s really unlikeable.”

Ms. Yuri and Ms. Jieun playfully scolded Jung Chaeseong.

Then Jung Chaeseong quickly apologized with a look of realization.

“I’m sorry. It’s not that you look old, but you’re so good at everything and so considerate. I misspoke. I’m sorry.”

Hiding my surprised feelings from Jung Chaeseong, who was repeatedly apologizing, I smiled.

“It’s a good meaning. Thank you.”

He was an unknowable person.

It seemed that his intuition was more developed than ordinary people.

It seemed that the strange feeling he gave off came from that.

It was certain that he was not ordinary.

“If you make a work later, use me, Chaeseong.”

“Yes? I… By the time I make a work… I think Saena will already be a big actress. The level doesn’t match….”

“No. Use me. Definitely!”

Jung Chaeseong didn’t know what to do at my pleading words.

“It would be an honor for me.”

“Is that a promise?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Then I won’t talk to you anymore. Eat comfortably.”

“Th, thank you.”

I Will Die as an Actress in This Life