In This Life, I Will Die As An Actress, Not As A Villainess [EN]: Chapter 121

After stirring up some media buzz with Lee Na-ra and Seo Jae-yeon, I headed to the script reading, my heart a tangled mess.

SCBS Broadcasting Station.

I arrived early, hoping to focus and get into the right headspace. Opening the conference room door, I found a large space with one wall made entirely of glass.

I hadn’t expected anyone to be there yet, but Lee Sun-ho was already seated at one end of the table.

Bathed in the morning sunlight, he was quietly absorbed in the script. He looked up as the door opened.

As soon as he saw me, he stood and greeted me politely.

“Hello.”

“Ah, hello!”

We exchanged greetings, and I glanced at my watch, feeling a little self-conscious.

It was a full hour before the reading.

*Did he come this early?*

Lee Sun-ho seemed to sense my thoughts. He smiled faintly and asked, “You’re here very early.”

“Ah, yes….”

I returned his smile and took a seat opposite him.

Lee Sun-ho kept his gaze on me as I sat down.

Feeling the awkwardness, I pulled out my script.

When I looked up, our eyes met briefly.

I felt a strange sensation, like seeing a true celebrity.

Lee Sun-ho was known for being enigmatic within the industry.

I’d heard he avoided social gatherings and didn’t have any close celebrity friends.

*‘I heard there’s a truckload of hopefuls who got rejected after making a pass at him,’*

I remembered Sung Min-hee telling me once.

He was truly a celebrity’s celebrity.

That was the impression Lee Sun-ho gave me, at least until now.

I subtly studied his face.

*So, that’s what he looks like in person.*

His face was remarkably small.

His eyes, without double eyelids, initially seemed sharp, but the gentle upturn of his lips softened his overall expression.

The harmony between his eyes and lips was quite captivating.

His skin was fair, and his ear [auricle] had a slightly unusual shape…

Lost in my observations, I was startled when Lee Sun-ho smiled and said, “I saw Sae-na in Hongdae a while ago.”

“Oh.”

*If it’s Hongdae, could it be…*

“Did you see the fan meeting?”

“Yes, I had a schedule nearby, so I caught it on the electronic display. The whole area was packed that day.”

“Ah…. You saw it.”

I smiled sheepishly, feeling a little embarrassed.

Then, I muttered to myself.

*He didn’t see me dancing, did he? Please.*

“You were good at dancing, too.”

*Hah.*

“I was curious, so I looked up the broadcast.”

Lee Sun-ho chuckled softly.

*Oh well, whatever.*

“I have a bit of a dancer’s spirit.”

Lee Sun-ho laughed outright at my response.

“You have unexpected sides to you. You get along well with Yoo Da-yang, don’t you?”

Lee Sun-ho smoothly transitioned the conversation to our roles in the drama.

It was a skillful conversational tactic that hinted at a hidden depth.

“Have you seen the script past episode 10 yet?”

I asked Lee Sun-ho.

“No, I haven’t either. I feel like there’s something important in the later part, but it’s hard to focus without knowing what it is.”

“Yes, me too…. I asked the writer, but she’s not the type to give actors a heads-up.”

Lee Sun-ho nodded.

“It’s a challenging script. I wouldn’t have even considered it if it weren’t for Sae-na.”

“Pardon? Oh, you’re being too modest.”

Lee Sun-ho smiled, but his reply was surprisingly earnest.

“As you may have heard from the writer, I think you’re the only actress in Korea who can truly pull off this script, at least.”

I didn’t know how to respond to such high praise.

“Such excessive praise…. I was so relieved that Sun-ho was going to be in it.”

I meant it sincerely.

It felt like having a reliable boatman in a vast, unpredictable sea.

Lee Sun-ho was a talented actor whose skills weren’t overshadowed by his good looks, even among the top actors.

I continued.

“Actually, while reading the script, I thought playing Kang Ji-oh would be just as difficult as playing Yoo Da-yang.”

When Kang Ji-oh’s name came up, Lee Sun-ho’s eyes sharpened with focus.

The Kang Ji-oh that Lee Sun-ho would portray was a third-generation *chaebol* [conglomerate heir] who falls in love with Korea’s top actress, who suffers from multiple personality disorder.

In the script, Kang Ji-oh accepts all of Yoo Da-yang’s personalities and various relationships, doing his best to care for the woman he loves.

Baek Jang-mi, a reckless “hyena” who always targets men’s bodies, minds, and wallets; Jung Sae-eun, an intelligent lawyer who ignores everyone and exudes a coldness in every word; and Lee Eun-jae, a timid but quirky recluse.

And finally, Yoo Ha-young, a mysterious personality whose identity is unknown.

These personalities were all characters that Yoo Da-yang had absorbed from her favorite works while working as an actress.

Kang Ji-oh embraced all four personalities in his heart to heal Yoo Da-yang.

“Still, Kang Ji-oh’s character has a playful side, so it’s fun,” Lee Sun-ho said.

I agreed.

Usually, if the female lead’s character is too dominant, the male lead tends to get overshadowed.

But in this script, Kang Ji-oh’s character held his own against Yoo Da-yang.

Kang Ji-oh, who always acted coldly, as if no blood would come out even if you pricked him with a needle, had as many nicknames as Yoo Da-yang’s personalities.

Jerk, egoist, arrogant, son of a bitch…

And murderer.

Kang Ji-oh lost his grandfather, the only one in his family who cared for him, in a tragic accident when he was young.

The problem was that on the day of the accident, his grandfather, who was the head of a *chaebol* group, sacrificed himself to save Kang Ji-oh.

Cousins and adults who didn’t know the full story criticized Kang Ji-oh as a murderer. Kang Ji-oh, only fifteen at the time, closed off his heart and decided to become indifferent to everything to protect himself from the trauma.

That’s how Kang Ji-oh grew up to be an adult who couldn’t express warmth to others.

Because of this, Kang Ji-oh didn’t immediately love Yoo Da-yang and embrace her illness.

Yoo Da-yang and Kang Ji-oh unintentionally kept running into each other, revealing each other’s flaws, bickering and fighting, and then falling in love.

“I’m looking forward to today’s reading, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I’m already excited to think about bickering with Sae-na.”

Lee Sun-ho smiled slightly.

I paused, studying his smile.

*This person seems like a really nice person than I thought.*

I could sense Lee Sun-ho’s deep consideration for the work in our brief conversation.

He seemed to be the type who was more serious and passionate about his career than anyone else.

Just then.

*Beep-*

An alarm went off on Lee Sun-ho’s phone.

He checked his phone and stood up.

“I’m going out to get some coffee, Sae-na.”

“Ah, coffee?”

*Should I get a cup too?*

“I’ve already ordered yours. I bought a total of 40 cups for the staff coming today.”

“Pardon?”

I looked at Lee Sun-ho in surprise.

“How are you going to carry 40 cups by yourself?”

“My manager will help.”

“That’s too much for just the two of you. I’ll help too.”

I quickly stood up and followed Lee Sun-ho, who was trying to dissuade me, saying it was okay.

* * *

Inside the elevator going down to the underground cafe.

“Which of Yoo Da-yang’s personalities are you most looking forward to?”

“I’m excited about Baek Jang-mi.”

“Indeed, Baek Jang-mi and Kang Ji-oh have a lot of opportunities for conflict, right?”

“I think they’ll fight a lot, and there will be a lot of romance scenes that viewers will enjoy.”

That’s right, the sassy *chaebol* and the lewd “hyena” who felt a sense of rivalry towards him, and the mature content that would likely come with it.

It was somewhat cliché, but there were many fun possibilities.

This kind of combination was something actors would be excited about and try to create memorable scenes around.

I was chatting with Lee Sun-ho about the script when suddenly—

*Kugugung-*

The elevator shook violently with a loud noise.

“Huh?”

I was startled and pressed various buttons, but even the lights flickered erratically.

*Tak-*

In an instant, the lights went out, and the elevator came to a complete stop with another jolt.

“Sae-na, are you okay?”

“Uh… yes. But the emergency call button doesn’t work either. This is a big problem……?”

Lee Sun-ho took out his cell phone.

“The phone has no signal either….”

*What is this situation?*

I felt increasingly uneasy.

“My manager will be waiting.”

“We can get out before the reading, right?”

Both of us looked around with worried expressions.

It was suddenly dark, and my eyes hadn’t adjusted yet.

Just then, Lee Sun-ho turned on the flashlight on his phone and accidentally dropped it on the floor.

As the harsh light in the darkness disrupted my vision….

I felt a strange sensation, as if my mind was becoming hazy.

The air in the elevator also felt a little stuffy.

But Lee Sun-ho, after picking up the phone, suddenly took a step or two towards me.

“…?”

Surprised, I instinctively took a step back.

“Sun-ho?”

I couldn’t move far in the confined space of the elevator.

I leaned against the wall and looked at Lee Sun-ho….

Lee Sun-ho shone the dazzling flashlight directly into my face from a distance where I could feel his breath.

Then, he spoke in a low voice that I had never heard before.

“Who are you now?”

…?!

*‘Sun-ho?’*

I tried to call out to him, but for some reason, I couldn’t speak.

I looked up at Lee Sun-ho in surprise.

*What’s going on?*

But Lee Sun-ho smiled coldly.

“Are you going to pretend you don’t remember this time either? It’s not like you have multiple personalities.”

“…?”

Listening to that cold voice…

I felt a surge of anger.

*What is this bastard talking about?*

“Get away from me.”

When I spat out the words irritably, my voice finally came out.

*What is this?*

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“Of course. Get away from me…”

“Right, it’s very unpleasant to get this close to a stranger,” Lee Sun-ho said to me in a gentle tone, as if explaining something.

He closed the remaining small gap between us.

The faint scent of soap that clung to Lee Sun-ho’s skin wafted over me.

“Then why does Yoo Da-yang keep making me uncomfortable since last time?”

“……?”

*What did he just say…?*

Lee Sun-ho’s words momentarily short-circuited my thoughts.

“You stick so close and confuse people, steal their wallets. And when we meet again, you even pretend you don’t remember.”

Only then did I truly see the look in Lee Sun-ho’s eyes, which seemed possessed or completely different.

“You really don’t know me?”

“….”

“You called me a dog, not Kang Ji-oh. Son of a bitch.”

“Kang Ji-oh…?”

At my question, Lee Sun-ho, no, Kang Ji-oh, answered.

“Do you remember now?”

Then, the golden letters that I thought I’d never see again appeared before my eyes.

“What?!”

But as the mission content disappeared, new letters appeared.

※ There is no reset function for this mission.

※ (0/5)

I’ll die as an actress, not a villain, in this life