In This Life, I Will Die As An Actress, Not As A Villainess [EN]: Chapter 20

Some time later, with the series finale just three weeks away.

After pre-shooting the remaining scenes on set, only Yoo Ji-an’s final scene remained.

It was Yoo Ji-an’s last scene written in the script.

A scene where she lets go of everything and accepts her fate.

The director stared sharply at the monitor and shouted,

“Ready, action!”

Extras playing reporters swarmed in, flashing their cameras.

“Ms. Yoo Ji-an, a word about the hit-and-run incident!”

“What are your plans after your release?”

The lights were blinding.

She frowned, seemingly annoyed by the crowd and the flashing lights.

“Ms. Yoo Ji-an, do you have any regrets about your engagement and breakup with Cha Min-ho of Sejin Group?”

Cuffed and silent, she walked on, then stared directly at the reporter who asked the last question.

“Regrets?”

The surroundings went silent for a moment.

“I have no regrets about loving Cha Min-ho. Even now.”

The flashes went off in rapid succession.

“What I regret is… not loving myself as much as I loved Cha Min-ho. That’s about it.”

After answering, she pushed through the crowd.

Numerous questions continued to pour out from behind.

Without listening anymore, she got into the transport vehicle.

People clung to the windows, taking pictures.

She stared straight ahead, calmly.

It was over now.

It was over like this.

For some reason, she felt at peace.

Perhaps Yoo Ji-an was relieved now.

Accepting an unavoidable fate is cruel, but it was also a path to a sense of peace, like a rest.

The car started, soon leaving the reporters behind and heading into the distance.

“Cut, okay!”

I closed my eyes for a moment and took a long, deep breath.

Then, with a bright expression, I opened the car door and got out.

Before I knew it, the applause of the on-site staff was pouring in.

* * *

I took a moment to catch my breath in the waiting room.

Then, Yoo-ri and the staff rushed in together.

Holding a bouquet of flowers in her arms.

“Sae-na! You’ve worked so hard!”

Yoo-ri approached and hugged me tightly.

I hugged Yoo-ri, who had become even thinner due to the grueling schedule.

“Yoo-ri, hang in there a little longer.”

“I’m dying…. Just kill me too.”

Everyone chuckled at Yoo-ri’s words.

“Sae-na, you were great until the end. It’s like watching the real Yoo Ji-an now.”

Another staff member handed me a bouquet.

“Thank you, everyone. I hope to see you all again in other projects.”

“See you at the wrap-up party! You have to come!!”

“Yes, I’ll definitely go.”

I exchanged brief greetings with Yoo-ri and the staff, who were swamped with schedules.

Back in the empty waiting room, I sat down on the chair.

The time to say goodbye to Yoo Ji-an was approaching.

It had been a long, long journey.

She was a character with whom I had shared my innermost thoughts more intimately than anyone else in the world.

Now, I had to prepare to let her go with a clear conscience.

But not yet….

Tears welled up in my eyes.

I wasn’t ready yet.

This kind of emotion was a first in my acting career.

Maybe it meant I was finally acting properly.

When I thought about whether I had conveyed Yoo Ji-an’s life well to the people, at least I had no regrets or lingering feelings.

That was enough….

I tried to soothe my heart.

I held the script to my hot face.

My heart wouldn’t calm down.

If Yoo Ji-an were watching me now, what would she say to me?

Would she say I did well?

Would she say I was a little better than in my previous life?

At least I hoped I hadn’t disappointed her….

I closed my eyes and clasped my hands together, as if to have a conversation with Yoo Ji-an.

Yoo Ji-an, thank you for everything.

* * *

That evening.

For some reason, I didn’t want to leave the set, so I was watching the other actors film.

The other actors were also lingering nearby, seemingly sad about the few remaining filming days, just like me.

Everyone shook hands and comforted each other when their eyes met.

The evening shoot was filled with Senior Park Hoon’s last scene.

While watching Senior’s acting and taking notes in the script…

“Oh, you’ve worked so hard, you should rest for the remaining period, Sae-na.”

The senior actors gave me words of concern.

An awkward smile came out on its own.

“Haha, I need to watch and learn from my seniors, quickly.”

“You greedy person. Trying to take my job!”

Then, Senior Park Hoon, who was waiting for his turn to film and listening to the conversation, shouted playfully.

At the same time, the surrounding staff burst into laughter as if they were enjoying it.

“Oh, Senior. I’m curious about Uncle’s downfall too.”

When I replied, Senior Park Hoon laughed heartily.

“That’s right.”

Then he walked over to me and gulped down the pre-prepared ion drink [sports drink].

“Sae-na, you know.”

He spoke in a slightly calmer voice.

“I’ve always only played supporting roles, so I’ve only met characters briefly, and my immersion has become very dull, you know?”

Suddenly, Senior Park Hoon smiled and began to share his story about his acting.

It was the first time.

To hear Senior’s inner thoughts.

“But watching Yoo Ji-an acted by Sae-na, Yoo Ji-an’s uncle also became special to me. My character became different because of someone else’s character.”

In that moment… my heart felt heavy.

Was I someone who could have such an impact on others?

My acting did that?

“So thank you. Thank you, Sae-na.”

I felt like I was about to cry, so I quickly bowed my head and offered my thanks.

As soon as Senior finished speaking, the director’s voice was heard from behind.

“Actor Park Hoon, are you ready?”

“Yes!”

Senior Park Hoon replied in a loud voice.

“Let’s go! Let’s hang in there a little longer!”

The staff’s energetic shouts were heard from here and there.

“I’m free now too!”

Senior Park Hoon walked into the set.

Then he winked at me.

Seeing his playful appearance, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Ready—action!”

Buzz-

At that moment, my phone vibrated.

I carefully moved away and checked the text message.

It was Manager Kwon Min-young.

– Sae-na, I’ve scouted an actor. When is a good time for you?

* * *

The place where I met with the manager this time was a small sushi restaurant in an alley in Seongsu-dong [trendy neighborhood in Seoul].

It was my first meal with the manager.

I slowly ate one or two bites and clinked my beer glass.

“It’s an unexpected person.”

The manager smiled awkwardly at my words.

“I never thought it would be Actor Yoon Young-jae.”

Then the manager replied in a confident voice.

“An established veteran actor like Yoon Young-jae was a character that was half Sae-na’s idea and half mine.”

Actor Yoon Young-jae.

He was the person the manager brought as an answer to my request.

Actor Yoon Young-jae, even in the present, was a senior actor in his early 60s.

It would be more appropriate to call him Teacher Yoon Young-jae.

Teacher Yoon Young-jae had been building his position in the theater scene for 20 years after his debut.

Since moving to broadcasting, he has been famous for only considering the quality of the work and cherishing even the smallest roles, scolding his juniors for their stubbornness.

Because of this, he naturally had no agency until now.

And the most important thing is.

This senior actor…

“In my prediction, the Korean Wave [Hallyu] will not subside. Rather, the opposite is true. The trend of Korean content being consumed both domestically and internationally is increasing day by day. As such, talented Korean actors will also be able to make a name for themselves in the world. Someday.”

The manager predicted the future once again.

At this point, I even suspected that this person had come across time like me.

Teacher Yoon Young-jae actually did.

In the world I was in, he entered Hollywood at the age of 80 and showed great acting, winning several trophies at the overseas Academy Awards for that role.

He was an actor who would remain a legend even further into the future than I lived in.

“Acting that is not fixed in age, passion, and roles created with craftsmanship. Those things will move people. Once people like Actor Yoon Young-jae start to get attention, it will be too late. We need to preempt it first.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the manager’s words.

I lost, I lost.

“Manager, do you go to a speech academy separately?”

The manager smiled awkwardly.

And added again.

“Anyway… the short-term goal is to bring in Actor Yoon Young-jae and let people know. Our company is this kind of company, we will be with these actors. Like that.”

I nodded at the manager’s words.

If Teacher Yoon Young-jae joined the company, it would be easier to scout actors with the same conviction.

If you only had one or two of those actors, it would be difficult to maintain the company, but if you had several, you could make enough profit to maintain your reputation, even if it wasn’t a great surplus.

At this point, I came to the conclusion that my thinking was short-sighted.

“Manager, I want to apologize. My thinking was short-sighted. I think I’ve been a bit arrogant.”

What’s the point of knowing the future?

If I’m so short-sighted.

The manager looked at me with a startled face.

“The reason I asked you for this favor was because I was excited but also a little worried. Our goal is very good, but the process of achieving it was not well drawn.”

Then the manager choked on the sushi he was eating and put down his chopsticks.

“Sae-na, why are you suddenly reflecting?”

“But you give me the answer like this. In a way that goes beyond my thinking. I was too afraid of trial and error.”

“Thanks to Sae-na’s words, I was empowered to bring in Actor Yoon Young-jae. From ‘Let’s bring him in first’ to planning to utilize the affiliated actors. In a direction that considers not only my personal values but also the company’s capital.”

That’s right.

Kwon Min-young is originally this kind of person.

I remembered the sentence that was published in the manager’s interview.

‘I wanted to create a company where actors are like actors. A company where good acting, not money, is the standard.’

The ‘money-making actors’ that I was thinking of, the manager probably thought of them too, at first.

Even so…

The fact that she ultimately presented this actor to me would mean this.

The possibility of success in the long term, the authenticity as an actor.

In the short term, even the recruitment of other actors that would naturally follow if this actor was brought in.

A wise strategy that maintained her position while appropriately reflecting my thoughts.

Well, the reason I wanted to work with this person was because of this aspect.

A pure white but firm aspect.