In This Life, I Will Die As An Actress, Not As A Villainess [EN]: Chapter 123

A deserted playground.

Waking up from my nap, I sluggishly dragged my slippers out and sat on a swing.

I was just wearing my pajamas with a coat thrown over them.

‘I’m a celebrity, can I really be doing this?’ I thought.

Ever since I became possessed by the script’s world, my head had been heavy.

But this time, too, I took out my phone from my pocket against my will.

What is this?

Am I becoming another personality?

Suddenly, a headache struck.

Besides, for some reason, I had been biting my lip for a while now.

I didn’t have this habit.

When I went online, the internet was plastered with my name.

Yoo Da-yang.

And one more person, Jaeshin Group’s Kang Ji-oh.

“…?”

Following my hand that was moving on its own, I read the news headlines spread all over the internet.

[Yoo Da-yang♥Chaebol [conglomerate] 3rd Generation Scandal?!]

[Yoo Da-yang Spotted Leaving Jaeshin Group Grandson Kang Ji-oh’s House…]

[The Man with the Star of Asia! None Other Than Korea’s Top Chaebol]

[Yoo Da-yang, Kang Ji-oh Marriage Rumors?]

The photos in the articles showed Baek Jang-mi coming out of Kang Ji-oh’s house.

A hollow sigh escaped me.

A scandal was a predetermined step in the script, but…

Seeing over 200 missed calls made me shudder involuntarily.

Suffering from the things another personality was doing was more difficult than I thought.

Just then, a sigh flowed from my mouth as if it were my own heart.

This personality, quietly still in the silence, could it be…

Just then, I heard footsteps from behind.

“We meet here.”

I was startled and turned around.

A man in a simple hoodie, holding a can of beer in broad daylight.

It was Kang Ji-oh.

Kang Ji-oh plopped down on the swing next to me and opened his beer.

‘What, he must have seen the scandal,’ I thought.

I watched Kang Ji-oh quietly, surprised by his unexpected reaction.

I couldn’t read Kang Ji-oh’s expression.

What could it be, resignation?

Then Kang Ji-oh handed me the beer.

“Want a drink?”

I didn’t say, ‘You drink it.’

My hands carefully accepted the beer.

Then Kang Ji-oh looked at me, slightly surprised.

“…Who…are you this time?”

Then I took a small sip of beer and replied.

“…We’ve met before. My name is Lee Eun-jae.”

“Met before?”

“At the convenience store…”

“Ah.”

Kang Ji-oh answered as if he understood Lee Eun-jae’s words.

“The one who said, ‘Even a chaebol 3rd generation eats cup ramen at a convenience store?'”

I nodded quietly.

“Then Ji-oh said, ‘Even a top star buys jerky and soju at a convenience store,’ right?”

Then Kang Ji-oh chuckled.

And took the beer back and sipped it again.

“I see, no wonder.”

“Yes?”

“You were suddenly comforting me, unlike other times.”

Kang Ji-oh recalled what happened at the convenience store.

“I was grateful then. For having a drink with me.”

“…”

“And thank you for not asking any questions and just telling me to cheer up. It gave me strength.”

Unlike the intense and chaotic Baek Jang-mi, the atmosphere between Lee Eun-jae and Kang Ji-oh was quiet and comfortable.

It felt like I could breathe a little.

Kang Ji-oh continued.

“I was confused because of what happened that day.”

“About what?”

“It was strangely warm… suddenly kind. So, whenever something absurd happened with the other person… I couldn’t push it away at once.”

That ‘other person’ must be Baek Jang-mi.

Kang Ji-oh’s eyes looking at me were stable for the first time.

I smiled at Kang Ji-oh.

“That day was nothing. I just felt empathy. We both live such unique lives. And I’m also scared of people staring at me.”

“…”

“I don’t know why Yoo Da-yang has this job. It’s too hard.”

A moment of silence flowed.

Kang Ji-oh stared at me quietly and said.

“You said you like games.”

“Yes??”

“Want to go play games?”

* * *

An internet cafe located in a secluded corner of the neighborhood.

Kang Ji-oh and I sat side by side in front of the monitor, wearing hats pulled low.

We ordered ramen and slurped it down while frantically pressing the keyboard and mouse.

‘What is this, it’s fun,’ I thought.

Unlike Lee Eun-jae, who boasted amazing gaming skills, Kang Ji-oh was terrible.

I chuckled at Kang Ji-oh.

Kang Ji-oh scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.

“I’m not very good at this.”

After thinking for a moment, I said as I watched him.

I was going to speak like Lee Eun-jae.

“You’re doing well.”

As expected, it was the right answer.

The words came out as I intended.

‘So that’s how it is,’ I thought.

Then, if I grasp each character and imitate them exactly, I can take the lead.

I quickly turned my thoughts inward.

Kang Ji-oh looked at me, slightly surprised, and then smiled.

It was a smile like a child, which I had never seen before.

I smiled back at that face.

Imitating each personality seemed like I could do well with a little practice.

…Except for Baek Jang-mi.

Three hours later.

After leaving the internet cafe, I got into Kang Ji-oh’s car.

Kang Ji-oh entered a nearby lake park into the navigation system.

The drive was also Kang Ji-oh’s idea.

I was lost in thought as I watched Kang Ji-oh’s profile as he gripped the steering wheel.

‘This is quite like a date,’ I thought.

Isn’t Yoo Da-yang the only one who hasn’t been on a proper date?

While I was thinking about the mission, the traffic light turned red.

The car stopped carefully.

Bang!

Then, a dull sound came from behind the car.

“Huh?”

Surprised, Kang Ji-oh and I looked back at the same time.

Then two burly men got out of the car and approached threateningly.

One man was wearing a patient gown.

“Hey, get out.”

What is this situation?

Surprised, I made eye contact with Kang Ji-oh.

“What are you going to do if you hit a patient? Aren’t you getting out?”

This was a situation that was not in the script at all.

Besides, our faces are so famous in the world of the script that everyone knows us.

And the scandal broke this morning.

Kang Ji-oh, who had been thinking for a moment, reached out and pushed down the hat I was wearing.

And with a determined face, he lowered the window.

Then the man in the patient gown stuck his face right in.

“Hey, if you hit a patient, you have to get out… Huh? I’ve seen you somewhere.”

“…How much do you want?”

“Wow, you’re easy to talk to. A gentleman.”

“You look rich. Will you give me three thousand?”

As I listened to the absurd words, I became increasingly angry.

Then suddenly, I felt a stiffness in the back of my neck.

Something hot was boiling inside.

And everything went dark for a moment.

I lost consciousness for a very short time and then opened my eyes.

“If you can’t give it, let’s go to the police station! Let’s go!”

As soon as I heard those words, my hand whipped off my hat and swept back my hair.

“Excuse me.”

“Who are you… Yoo Da-yang???”

The man looked at me with wide eyes, startled.

“I get told I look like her a lot.”

“…”

“Why are you acting like a victim when you rear-ended a car that was stopped? Get back behind the wheel. We’re really going to the police station.”

Then the man hesitated for a moment.

“You look like a self-harm extortion group. Your repertoire is terrible. And you’re not even trying.”

“Wh-What?”

Kang Ji-oh was also a little surprised and stopped me.

“W-Well, calm down a bit…”

I cut off Kang Ji-oh and continued.

“Rather, we should be demanding compensation for the damage to the vehicle. Do you even know how much this car costs?”

The man’s face darkened for a moment.

Then the man squeezed out one last retort.

“Who are you?!”

I smiled brightly and replied.

“I’m Attorney Jung Se-eun. An attorney with beauty and brains. Let’s meet in court. I’ll show you my skills.”

“…”

“Honey, close the window.”

Kang Ji-oh stared at me blankly.

And then, as if he had come to his senses, he rolled up the window.

“What are you doing, not going?”

“Ah, yes…”

Both Kang Ji-oh and I were in a state of shock at the sudden change in personality.

Kang Ji-oh stepped on the accelerator without a word for a while.

While the car was heading to the suburbs, Jung Se-eun grumbled the whole time.

“Their tricks are so obvious, why are you letting them get away with it? Is your dream to be a rich pushover?”

Then Kang Ji-oh just shook his head, his face still showing no sign of calming down.

“Y-Your name is Se-eun, right?”

“Yes. We saw each other then. When we were signing the advertising contract for Jaeshin affiliate.”

“…!”

“You just gave me whatever I asked for, even when I asked for double the money. You can’t be so soft.”

“Yes…”

“Well. Just because you have a lot of money doesn’t mean you’re strong, right?”

Kang Ji-oh smiled faintly at Jung Se-eun’s words.

A hint of bitterness could be seen in that smile.

Kang Ji-oh suddenly brought up an old story.

“Yes. Since I was young, I only had money and no adults to take my side, so whenever this happened, I had no choice but to ignore it, solve it with money, or avoid it.”

“…”

“So now, those three options are all that’s left in my life.”

Jung Se-eun felt a little hurt by Kang Ji-oh’s words.

Jung Se-eun broke the atmosphere and threw out a cool remark.

“Then come find me whenever you’re at a disadvantage. I’ll help you.”

“Yes?”

“Now you have one more option. Four options.”

Kang Ji-oh paused for a moment at Jung Se-eun’s words and then burst out laughing.

And said.

“This is fun.”

“Me?”

“Everything. Dating you is non-stop fun.”

As I listened to those words, I, who had been quietly watching the situation, became anxious.

There is still one more personality left.

So far, it seemed that Yoo Da-yang was the most behind in her relationship with Kang Ji-oh.

This is going to be dangerous.

If getting physically close (?) is also getting close, then Baek Jang-mi was in a better situation than Yoo Da-yang.

I have to do something quickly when I return to Yoo Da-yang.

I might never be able to get out of the script like this.

I became uneasy.

* * *

After a while, I parked the car near the lake and got out.

A calm lakeside with a deck installed.

Jung Se-eun asked Kang Ji-oh to take a picture of her and walked to the end of the deck.

While both I and Kang Ji-oh were a little embarrassed, Jung Se-eun said.

“I want to leave a picture of myself as myself.”

“Yes?”

“This time is short!”

With those words, Jung Se-eun made a V sign with her hand.

Just as Kang Ji-oh was smiling and about to press the shutter.

Suddenly, everything went dizzy.

“Uh-oh…”

I felt that both I and Jung Se-eun’s personality were panicking at the same time.

Before I could realize what was happening, my body fell backward.

I was submerged in the water in an instant and sank below the lake.

“Se-eun! Se-eun!!”

I heard Kang Ji-oh’s voice calling me urgently from beyond the surface of the water.

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