In This Life, I Will Die As An Actress, Not As A Villainess [EN]: Chapter 13

February arrived quickly, marking the end of winter.

A quiet beauty salon nestled in a small neighborhood.

A peculiar scene unfolded: middle-aged women, their hair in rollers, gathered in small groups on worn sofas, holding playing cards.

However, for a neighborhood salon, an unusual silence hung in the air….

The women’s silent gazes were fixed on a single point.

It was the small TV perched on the salon shelf.

Inside, Han Saena was delivering a fiercely passionate performance.

‘Why can’t I? And don’t cross the line, Mom.’

‘Uncle, you should just be grateful for the scraps you get.’

‘Shin Sera, what are you? If you need money, ask for it, or ask for more if you’re not satisfied. Why are you hanging around, getting on my nerves?’

“Oh my, look at that girl. Look at her glaring,” one woman commented.

“Goodness, she’s ruthless,” another added.

The customers and the hairdresser all paused, staring intently at Yoo Ji-an on the TV screen.

“Wait, what channel is that, sis? Which network is it?” one of the women asked the hairdresser.

“Don’t you know? I just found it while flipping through channels,” the hairdresser replied.

The woman turned back to the TV after hearing the answer.

“That’s strange…. I’ve never even heard of it.”

Then, the next scene showed Yoo Ji-an swallowing her tears alone.

A moment of silence fell over the salon.

“Well, it’s pitiful, really. The poor thing,” a woman murmured.

“There’s a reason she’s so cold-hearted…,” another added.

Even while criticizing, the women quickly became absorbed in Yoo Ji-an’s sorrow.

* * *

Early morning, set waiting room.

A stretch turned into a yawn.

“Ugh, I’m dead,” I groaned.

Several weeks had flown by in a flash.

During that time, catnaps were the norm, sleeping in accommodations during location shoots, and eating from the catering truck or lunch boxes all day long….

How did I even endure this in my past life?

It was a grueling schedule.

I took a moment to catch my breath and opened the script.

The next scene was a family dinner with Yoo Ji-an and Cha Min-ho.

It was the scene where Yoo Ji-an reveals Cha Min-ho’s affair and mentions Shin Sera’s existence.

I had to deliver my lines with conviction, without being intimidated by the senior actors.

As I mumbled the lines I had practiced all night, Ji-eun opened the waiting room door and came in.

But Ji-eun entered with a fuss, for some reason.

“Ji-eun.”

“Honey, did you see the ratings for episodes 1 and 2?”

I nodded, smiling.

“Everyone’s buzzing about how it jumped from 0.8 to 1.9. More than doubled.”

Then Ji-eun held out an old smartphone, showing a chart on the internet.

As soon as I saw it, I gasped.

“Episode 3, which just aired yesterday, is up now. 2.9 percent. 2.9 percent!!”

My mind went blank.

Seeing my surprised expression, Ji-eun grinned and whispered.

“I overheard the writer and director talking earlier, and they’re expecting at least 4 percent for next week’s episodes.”

“R-really?!”

It was an unexpected success.

In my past life, ‘Flat Shoes’ only broke 4% after passing the midpoint, I think….

“This isn’t the end.”

Ji-eun tapped on her phone and showed me the screen again.

It was a collection of comments captured from various online community sites.

– This isn’t just a desperate attempt by a cable channel, it’s a revolution.

– Who is Yoo Ji-an? Her acting is insane. Her look is fresh and unique.

– Honestly, I was amazed by Shin Sera’s face, but after seeing Yoo Ji-an’s acting, I forgot all about her face.

Ji-eun excitedly showed me the real-time search rankings this time.

The real-time search rankings were filled with ‘Flat Shoes’.

“This is real-time search?!”

“Yeah, it’s a hit. Right now. And what’s even more amazing is that you’re number one.”

I checked the number one real-time search term on the phone Ji-eun handed me.

‘Han Saena’

It was my name.

I was stunned again.

Am I dreaming right now?

If this is wishful thinking, I need to wake up quickly.

Then, as if to tell me it wasn’t a dream, Ji-eun grabbed my arm, pulled me up, and started jumping around.

“Saena, I knew you’d make it, huh?! Congratulations!”

At that moment, a staff member entered the waiting room.

“We’re ready to start filming, Saena.”

“Ah, right. Okay!”

I let go of Ji-eun’s hand and took a moment to catch my breath.

And still in a daze, I opened the waiting room door and stepped out.

Sure enough, the staff on set were all holding their phones and buzzing.

In the midst of it, the director was checking the next cut.

But if you looked closely… the director also had a very excited expression.

“Okay, everyone, calm down. Let’s keep pushing with this momentum!”

Contrary to his words to calm down, the director was the most excited.

Some of the staff laughed and shouted together.

“Fighting!!”

“’Flat Shoes’ is a hit!”

The voices of the staff and cast erupted from everywhere.

The director looked in my direction.

“Saena, are you ready?”

At those words, all the surrounding sounds seemed to fade away from me with a buzzing sound.

Just like on the first day of filming.

For a very brief moment, the gazes of the people towards me felt long and drawn out, as if in slow motion.

I slowly opened my mouth.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

I walked towards the camera.

* * *

Back to the evening again.

I was sitting in the waiting room, practically collapsed.

Not only me, but several of the cast members were also spaced out.

The phone on the table vibrated.

It was an unknown number.

“Hello?”

A strange voice came from the other end of the phone.

‘Hello, is this Han Saena’s phone?’

“…Yes, it is?”

‘Oh, Saena. Do you remember me? The director of Classic Acting Academy!’

I doubted my ears for a moment.

“Ah? Ahahaha… Yes, Director, hello. How have you been?”

‘Oh my, I’m enjoying the drama. As expected, our Saena, I knew you’d make it!’

Director, haven’t we never talked before?

Classic Academy… I went there briefly before entering school, but the system was so bad that I quit after a week.

Besides, I had never talked to the director other than saying hello.

‘It’s not that, our Saena is from our academy. Could you possibly promote us a bit?’

“Excuse me?”

What is this.

‘Our Saena is still young and might not know, but these things are all about helping each other out.’

He even started using informal language, which made me frown.

‘Please, okay?’

I was reminded of the feeling when I suddenly became popular as a rookie.

When viewer response increased, people who had no previous contact would call indiscriminately.

Back then, and now.

In the past, I was anxious about any potential repercussions and fulfilled all the requests of my acquaintances, which took a toll on my health.

I need to cut this off now.

“Director, thank you for contacting me. But, oh, I really don’t have time. I’ll contact you later through my company!”

I hung up the phone right away.

This level of experience was now basic.

Yuri, who was listening to the conversation, chuckled.

“Honey, you must be really popular now. I heard there are even people who try to solicit insurance or sponsorships after you debut?”

A supporting actor who was walking into the waiting room answered instead.

“It’s no joke. Asking for autographs from other actors is just cute compared to trying to get a glimpse of the filming. Saena, you’re going to be tired for a while.”

Park Hoon, who came in after him, also chimed in.

“Oh my, Saena is going to be a superstar now. You can’t forget me later.”

Hearing those words, I waved my hand.

“Oh, Senior. Why would you say that?”

Playful laughter spread through the waiting room.

“Well, our Saena has to act well. You go, honey.”

“Let’s all do our best!”

“Let’s make it a hit, everyone.”

The atmosphere in the waiting room quickly became warm.

The actors left the waiting room one by one, loosening up.

Alone in the waiting room, I closed my eyes for a moment and leaned my head against the wall….

Buzz-

The phone in my pocket vibrated again.

When I checked, it was another unknown number.

The phone rang several times even though I didn’t answer.

Eventually, I took out my phone.

“Hello.”

“Is this Han Saena the actress’s number?”

“Yes, it is. Who is this?”

The voice sounded familiar……?

“Hello, Han Saena. This is Yang Eui-cheol, the director of AK Entertainment.”

“….”

For a moment, my mind went blank as if I had been hit in the head.

Silence filled the waiting room.

“Hello? Han Saena.”

“Ah, yes. Hello.”

My face involuntarily frowned.

I suddenly thought of the cigarettes I had quit.

“I’m sorry, I surprised you. I usually contact you through your manager, but I had no way to reach you.”

“Ah, yes….”

I was glad that I was talking to this guy on the phone right now.

Because my expression must be rotting.

“It’s nothing much, you know our company without me having to explain, right? Haha.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Would you like to form a good relationship with our company?”

Sigh….

At those words, I took a long, silent breath, as if exhaling cigarette smoke.

Yang Eui-cheol….

Here it comes.

Yang Eui-cheol was the main character who constantly tormented me during my long and difficult relationship with the agency.

The greatest villain in my life.

In my previous life, Yang Eui-cheol contacted me around this time.

At the time, young and inexperienced, I trusted that AK was a top 3 major agency and rashly signed a 10-year contract.

After that, my life slowly declined.

It would have been better to make a deal with the devil.

The company marketed me as a villainous character specialist, solidifying and selling my image for 10 years.

And the contract ended when the sweetness of my image was gone and I was abandoned by the public.

That must have been the plan from the beginning.

Yang Eui-cheol and the company were shrewd and calculating.

For me, the 10-year contract was a shackle that was hard to break free from.

Thanks to that, I couldn’t escape the villainous life even if I wanted to.

I calmed down for a moment and thought.

‘If I refuse, Yang Eui-cheol will definitely use ‘that trick’.’

But I’m already prepared for that.

Because I’m familiar with it.

“Director, thank you so much for the offer. I’ll think about it and contact you.”

“You’re the first actress to hesitate about our company! Hahaha.”

Yang Eui-cheol laughed as if he was generous.

“I understand that you’ll be getting a lot of offers from other agencies at this time. But don’t take too long!”

“Yes, I understand.”

With that, I hung up the phone, rejecting the contract offer.

Tension was released and I sighed deeply.

To get rid of Yang Eui-cheol without any problems, I would have to rack my brains to some extent in the future.

I should prepare myself mentally for a while….

I suddenly craved a cigarette.

I put my phone back in my pocket, took it out, and turned it off.

I opened the waiting room door and headed to the set.

I will die as an actress, not a villain, in this life.