In This Life, I Will Die As An Actress, Not As A Villainess [EN]: Chapter 134

[Say Your Name vs. Powerful Woman, Both Sign Netmate Contracts]

[Say Your Name, Powerful Woman, Even Their Production Presentation Schedules Overlap…]

[Say Your Name vs. Powerful Woman, Sparks Fly in Earnest Competition…]

[Seo Jae-yeon vs. Han Sae-na! The Prelude to War Begins!]

[Netmate’s Daughter, Han Sae-na! Once Again with Netmate]

As soon as the rights agreements were finalized, articles began pouring out.

The articles covered a variety of issues.

Not only the news of the rights agreement but also the competitive dynamic with Seo Jae-yeon’s team, the production presentation schedules on the same day…

And even my nickname, which came about because I was working with Netmate again.

-LOL at the article title. Netmate’s daughter, so true.

-At this point, she’s Netmate’s sacred child.

-Netmate must adore Han Sae-na. Everything she does is a hit, and she always generates buzz. They should cherish her.

-Netmate’s chosen next-generation queen

-They signed her for and then . Now this drama too, wow.

-If they do the next project together, Netmate should give Han Sae-na stock, seriously.

Reading through the various comments made me chuckle.

People were paying more attention than I thought to the number of projects I was doing with Netmate.

Suddenly, I had nicknames like Netmate’s daughter and Netmate’s sacred child.

I continued to read through the comments.

-I’m really looking forward to . Please release the teaser soon. I’m getting dizzy.

-But Lee Seon-ho and Seong Min-hee are also top-tier in the industry, but they’re immediately overshadowed by the Han Sae-na vs. Seo Jae-yeon dynamic, lol.

-Are Han Sae-na and Seo Jae-yeon close?

-How much of a thorn in her side must Han Sae-na be to Seo Jae-yeon, lol. She’s a junior who screwed over her best friend, Lee Na-ra, so she must want to crush her.

-Does Han Sae-na have something in her fortune? She always gets entangled with top actresses like this.

-Which premiere should I watch first? I’m torn.

-But all four leads have almost never slipped up in their filmographies and have only run on a path to success. That’s why it’s even harder to decide.

-Finally, there’s a reason to watch TV.

-If this one hits too, Han Sae-na can just be called a top actress.

Most of the comments were the reactions I expected.

However, I felt that the competitive dynamic was escalating faster than I thought.

More than anything, I was most concerned about the upcoming production presentation.

The production presentation was scheduled for the same day as the team, of all days.

There was no telling how many more articles would pour out.

I put my phone away with a worried expression.

* * *

Meanwhile, right after the article about Netmate buying the rights to both dramas was published.

Wanners Korea headquarters.

Employees gathered in the lounge with cigarettes and coffee, chatting in groups of three or five.

Every one of them had dark circles under their eyes.

They had something more important to deal with than the news article from this morning.

“Wow, it’s already the premiere.”

“I’m going to die. UniBox is demanding that they exclusively release Fabulous goods.”

What they were facing was none other than the upcoming premiere of .

With the appearance of the Korean-American hero played by Lee Na-ra this season, Wanners’ Korean fans and movie theaters were in an uproar even before the premiere.

One employee flicked their cigarette and said.

“I’m scared….”

It was a distinctly different reaction from the netizens [internet citizens].

Other employees sighed deeply.

“Does UniBox listen to the reactions from the U.S. blind screenings before doing that sort of thing?”

“….”

“This is a big problem. We need to push it hard too, but we didn’t know Lee Na-ra would be such a blatant background character.”

What the employees were worried about was the performance of Lee Na-ra’s character, which fell far short of expectations.

“I heard from people who saw the screening that Lee Na-ra’s presence was so weak. They were saying it would have been better if there wasn’t an Asian hero this time.”

“Exactly. It would be one thing if she was getting hate. But no one cares. It’s indifference mode right now.”

“We need to promote Lee Na-ra a lot from now on, but the higher-ups have put a hold on it. They’re afraid of getting flak later.”

The marketing department employees quietly wiped their faces and lit new cigarettes.

If the dozens of plans they had made to promote Lee Na-ra all fell through, they would be the ones to bear the brunt of it.

Then, even working overtime and weekends from today wouldn’t be enough time.

One of the marketing employees finally complained.

“Seriously, if Lee Na-ra was going to use Han Sae-na to get attention, she should have at least acted well.”

At that, several employees couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

The employee next to them patted them on the shoulder.

“Whoa, whoa, calm down.”

“Am I wrong? If Han Sae-na had taken the role, we might not have had these worries right now.”

“That’s true, but… you should still watch what you say. The premiere hasn’t even happened yet, and if word gets out that someone from the company is calling her a background character, her agency won’t stand for it.”

“….”

“Well, everything will be exposed as soon as it hits theaters, so let’s talk about it then.”

Then, an employee who had been quietly listening to the conversation from the corner chimed in.

“I heard Han Sae-na is filming for SCBS [a fictional broadcasting station] these days?”

“That’s already a big deal. There were tons of articles about it this morning.”

“Sigh. What a waste, what a waste.”

“Let’s bring Han Sae-na in no matter what when we release our original drama.”

“If only that were possible. Her price has skyrocketed now.”

The employees put out their cigarettes one by one and got up from their seats.

* * *

The night before the teaser shoot.

Everyone on staff was busy preparing for Kang Ji-oh and Yoo Da-yang’s kiss scene.

The kiss scene was scheduled to take place on the terrace of Kang Ji-oh’s house.

Late at night, I was rehearsing with Lee Seon-ho in front of the camera.

Lee Seon-ho was wearing a beige cardigan and comfortable cotton pants, and I was wearing a long dress.

The overall concept of the background and styling was natural.

I put my hand on Lee Seon-ho’s shoulder and looked up at him.

Lee Seon-ho looked at me with a warm smile.

I also smiled softly and met Lee Seon-ho’s gaze.

I slowly closed my eyes as Lee Seon-ho’s face got closer.

“Okay, that’s good. Let’s monitor it.”

The director called us over, as if he had captured the composition.

I went next to the director and looked at the monitor.

“Wow, it’s pretty.”

“The night view in the background will be added with CG [computer graphics].”

Under the soft lighting, Kang Ji-oh and Yoo Da-yang were cautiously confirming their feelings for each other.

Seeing that, I was suddenly reminded of when I filmed Gyeol-kkot.

I was so flustered inside back then because it was my first kiss scene.

It felt like a long time ago already, which was amazing.

Lee Seon-ho, who had been quietly monitoring next to me, came up with an idea.

“Would it be okay if I held Sae-na’s waist?”

“Yes, I’m fine with it.”

“Oh, you’re being proactive.”

Lee Seon-ho laughed embarrassedly at the director’s joke.

“No, I just thought I looked too passive.”

“Then, in the middle, slowly like this… it would be okay to hug her, I think.”

“Hmm, good, good.”

Then, the director, who had been deep in thought, said quietly, just loud enough for the two of us to hear.

“Let’s go a little intense.”

“Yes?”

“We have to grab the viewership ratings. And we’re going to film it for a long time, so don’t be flustered and keep acting.”

Heok.

I was momentarily flustered and made eye contact with Lee Seon-ho.

Lee Seon-ho smiled at me.

Then, as if he had received a familiar order, he nodded without complaint.

Seeing his face gave me a small sense of relief.

It’s a good thing there’s at least one person who’s familiar with rom-coms [romantic comedies].

I somehow feel supported.

“Okay, shall we go?”

* * *

“Ready, action!”

“Kang Ji-oh, why are you being so nice to me?”

On the terrace where the soft city lights shone, Kang Ji-oh and Yoo Da-yang were leaning against the railing, looking at each other.

Yoo Da-yang, played by Han Sae-na, was confirming Kang Ji-oh’s feelings, as if she was being a bit petulant even though she knew everything, as if she was asking him to say more.

Kang Ji-oh said gently.

“I don’t know either. I’ve come too far.”

Then, Kang Ji-oh smiled slightly as if he had given up and looked at Yoo Da-yang with loving eyes.

The staff were all holding their breath, watching the couple.

“Why were you so mean to me all this time?”

“Because of this. Because I was afraid this would happen.”

Kang Ji-oh tucked Yoo Da-yang’s hair, which was blowing in the wind, behind her ear.

A distinctly different, affectionate touch than before.

Today was the day Baek Jang-mi left.

Although Jung Se-eun, Lee Eun-jae, and Yoo Ha-yeong remained.

While the two were focused on fusion therapy, Kang Ji-oh had completely given his heart to Yoo Da-yang.

The youngest members of each team were holding hands and smiling brightly, as if they were excited.

The director, who was monitoring, was also smiling.

Everyone had already fallen deeply in love with the two.

However, no one but Han Sae-na knew.

What painful ending awaited after Kang Ji-oh and Yoo Da-yang completely confirmed their feelings.

What final hurdle was in place.

In a slightly serious atmosphere, Yoo Da-yang playfully joked.

“By the way, the octopus legs will now be reduced one by one.”

“I told you, it’s not octopus legs.”

Kang Ji-oh retorted, as if he was dumbfounded.

“Well, it’s okay. It’s legal.”

“….”

“Baek Jang-mi. Do you think you’ll miss her?”

Kang Ji-oh couldn’t answer Yoo Da-yang’s sudden question.

Seeing Kang Ji-oh like that, Yoo Da-yang smiled brightly.

“It’s not a crime to miss someone. Why can’t you say it?”

A moment of silence passed.

“Now I’m afraid of losing precious people.”

“….”

“I don’t know about you. But for me, it’s a continuous farewell. That’s sad.”

“…….”

Yoo Da-yang looked at Kang Ji-oh, who was saying that, with pitiful and apologetic eyes.

Yoo Da-yang reached out and touched Kang Ji-oh’s eyes.

“Your eyes are always sad. Even when you smile.”

Kang Ji-oh took Yoo Da-yang’s hand as she said that.

The two slowly got closer, conveying each other’s warm warmth.

A distance where their breaths could touch.

Kang Ji-oh asked Yoo Da-yang as if to confirm.

“You’re not going to leave, are you?”

Yoo Da-yang smiled slightly at that question.

“You’re like a child at times like this.”

“Answer me. You’re not going to leave, are you?”

“I’m not leaving.”

The two’s lips met.

Kang Ji-oh hugged Yoo Da-yang tighter, as if craving her heart.

The two’s warm kiss lasted for a long time.

I Will Live as an Actress, Not an Evil Woman, in This Life