In This Life, I Will Die As An Actress, Not As A Villainess [EN]: Chapter 42

After the reading, we all went to a barbecue restaurant for a dinner gathering with the supporting and leading actors, as well as the production staff.

Sizzle-

The sound of the meat grilling barely registered in my ears.

I was glued to my phone screen.

[(Behind the Scenes) How will Han Sae-na’s [Royal Flower] be different?]

Finally.

Articles with obviously baited titles began to surface.

Other tabloid media outlets were diligently spreading the articles, practically copy-pasting them.

‘Seo Jae-yeon and Lee Na-ra’s fans must be going crazy.’

A faint smile crept onto my face.

Despite the worried glances from the people sitting across from me, I secretly felt like getting up and dancing.

Am I… completely in the spotlight?

Did I ever even get a single article like this in my previous life?

I was only ever criticized for being the villain who tormented the female lead.

‘New hate comments!’

Just as I turned off my phone and casually tossed it into my bag, Teacher Yoon Young-jae offered me a drink.

I accepted the glass and smiled brightly.

“What’s got you smiling like that, you rascal? After seeing articles like that.”

“I’m happy about everything.”

At that, the teacher chuckled, “Good for you.”

It wasn’t the time to be elated or disheartened by articles.

This moment was more important to me.

It was time to observe the senior actors I would be working closely with for the next few months.

“Teacher, cheers!”

Starting with my teacher, I clinked glasses with him.

But then, the teacher made an unexpected joke.

“I’m doing a drama thanks to you. You’ve given me work, so I should call you ‘President’.”

“What are you saying! President? President is Min-young unnie [older sister/female friend].”

I was taken aback.

The teacher laughed heartily.

“I’m just kidding. But thank you.”

I could feel the surrounding people’s ears perking up.

“Haha, Teacher, really.”

I felt embarrassed and bewildered.

Why was the teacher being like this to me?

I was the one who begged him three times to review my acting, and I was the one who clung to him to film a short film together.

I was just grateful that he didn’t brush me off as annoying.

As people refocused on their own conversations, the teacher spoke up.

“I deliberately avoided dramas.”

“Yes?”

It was a surprising statement.

Both during the short film and in today’s reading, the teacher displayed smooth, TV-ready acting, unlike someone who had only been in theater.

Why, with that ability?

“The roles were too predictable. Just old, decorative characters.”

I became a little somber at those words.

Because I immediately understood what the word ‘decorative’ meant.

The kind father or troublemaking, foolish uncle that every family has.

In historical dramas, the loyal subjects or treacherous villains who always move in groups.

Roles that simply decorated the main characters, with only the actors changing from drama to drama, or even the same actors appearing.

Like a folding screen.

The teacher picked up a bottle of alcohol and filled two glasses.

“But the Royal Flower’s Sang-seon was different. A role that didn’t even exist became very rich through your touch.”

A clear sound rang out as I clinked glasses with the teacher.

“It’s not that I didn’t come because I hated TV. While filming the short film, I also wanted to live as Sang-seon. I’m finally doing a role like this before I die. It’s all thanks to you.”

At those words, I suppressed my sentimental feelings and flashed a bashful smile.

My heart fluttered.

Big changes in life are thrilling for anyone.

Whether it’s a middle-aged actress or an elderly actor.

And that I was a grateful presence to the teacher.

Could there be anything more touching than this?

As I emptied my glass with a good feeling, a thunderous shout suddenly erupted.

It was Director Kang.

“What kind of title is this?!”

The chopsticks of the people who were picking up meat all stopped at once.

He saw it.

Director Kang’s face, reading my article in real-time, was redder than necessary.

Didn’t he expect it?

Well, even if he didn’t like me, he’d be angry because articles like this would damage the work itself.

Before I knew it, the director had moved to the doorway and was yelling at someone on the phone who seemed to be a reporter.

“Bringing in those fans or whatever, I’m telling you, it’s just going to start a fight, isn’t it?”

He even pounded his chest as if he was frustrated.

“Hey, come on, who doesn’t know that everything will be fine if the work is good? Yeah, right! I’m going to make it amazing, so tell them to expect it!”

His true personality… is spicy.

Thanks to the director’s shouting, everyone at the table started looking up the article.

A senior actor sitting at the next table chuckled and tapped my shoulder.

“Interesting. Sae-na, you’re going to have to work hard?”

“Ah, sunbaenim [senior]!”

Won Hye-rim.

The senior actress playing the Queen Dowager.

19 years since her debut.

I became nervous.

It was a similar number of years to what I had accumulated in my past life, but this person was a top-tier actress who played various roles, from good to evil, young to middle-aged, with outstanding acting skills.

“Haha… I will work hard.”

I tried not to be intimidated and accepted the drink from my senior.

I was a little surprised when I first saw her.

Because she was still young for a Queen Dowager.

How on earth was she going to act?

There was no doubt that she would do well, but I was so curious about ‘how’ she would pull off that terrifying Queen Dowager.

Of course, this person’s filmography and rumored strong personality were even more terrifying.

Although she was a much younger senior than the Queen Dowager I saw in the script, her charisma was even greater.

I was already excited about the scenes with the Queen Dowager.

Anyway, what she just said might sound like a threat, but it’s actually a way of saying to do well.

‘Won Hye-rim is only strict with juniors she’s interested in. If she’s terribly mean to you, just take it in stride.’

That’s the information Min-young unnie gave me.

“You can look forward to it, sunbaenim!”

I answered loudly.

The senior actress chuckled at my spirited answer and poured soju [Korean distilled rice liquor] into her mouth.

Other people’s attention was also focused on me.

I was a little nervous, but I felt good.

Now, all I had to do was properly show them the ‘Han Sae-na’s Song Soon-im’ they wanted.

At that moment, the writer, who hadn’t changed her expression and was already drinking her second bottle, changed the subject.

“By the way, where did Seok-hyun go?”

“He has a CF [commercial film] shoot today.”

Ah, that’s why.

One of the staff members who answered the writer looked at me and chuckled.

“…?”

“Actor Seok-hyun really wanted to have a drink with actress Sae-na, but he couldn’t come. He was making such a fuss.”

“Oh my, really?”

The writer also giggled.

“That’s just like Seok-hyun.”

I was the only one among them who was bewildered as I brought the glass to my lips.

“Those damn reporters.”

Only Director Kang was still clutching his head in anger.

* * *

A few days later.

– Sse-naㅋ: Of course, rookie Han Sae-na suits Royal Flower better than historical drama goddess Lee Na-ra! lol

– Yoo Ji-an’s Footstool: Ignore the attention seekers, please;

– Soju Goddess Han Ssae-na: Go back to your own base~~~

Inside the parking lot.

I stood blankly, looking at the comments on the article… My manager, who had finished parking, approached me from behind and stared intently at the screen.

“What’s so good about looking at them one by one?”

“Just because.”

I could see that the fans were tired.

I had to do well, but thinking about the fans, I couldn’t put my phone down.

Then, my manager slyly snatched my phone.

“…?”

“Min-young noona [older sister/female friend] told me to take your phone if you look at things like this.”

What?

My manager, startled by my shocked face, quickly handed the phone back to me.

“Ah, no. I don’t like things like this.”

That’s not it.

“Noona [older sister/female friend]?”

An earthquake occurred in my pupils as I looked at my manager in disbelief.

Then, my manager smiled shyly.

“Two years younger than Min-young noona.”

Don’t be embarrassed with that visual….

As I was panicking alone, I heard a staff member’s voice from outside the parking lot.

“Okay, everyone, come for the sacrificial rite!”

A little later.

A sacrificial table was set up in a pavilion built in the middle of a scenic pond.

As I straightened my clothes and approached the sacrificial table, someone threw a word at me.

“I kept seeing you looking at your phone inside, you must be very worried? I heard there were a lot of hate comments.”

It was Heo So-jin.

A co-star of the same age playing the role of the Queen.

Heo So-jin was leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette.

She’s quite cocky.

Why is she talking to me so casually when we just met….

Just the fact that someone who was a stranger on the day of the reading was bothering to mention hate comments made her intentions clear.

She was probably trying to scratch my nerves with articles comparing me to the actresses who were originally considered for the role.

“Don’t even mention it, I’m getting so much attention. What if you all get hooked on me?”

Then, Heo So-jin snorted dismissively as she put out the cigarette she had finished smoking.

“Hooked on you, please….”

“Okay, next. The main cast!”

At that moment, the staff’s loud voice cut off Heo So-jin’s voice.

Nice.

I’m tired of those things now.

I turned my body away and approached the staff.

I could see the director and writer bowing and stepping back.

I took out the prepared envelope in advance and stepped forward.

As I put the money envelope in the pig’s head’s mouth…

From afar, Lee Seok-hyun smiled slightly and slowly approached.

Long time no see, really.

The superstar is busy as always.

But….

“Oh? Are you putting money in? Won’t it become a sacrifice if it falls into the pond?”

Lee Seok-hyun blurted out an incomprehensible joke.

Perhaps he was talking about the pond scene, which was the first scene to be filmed after the sacrificial rite.

People chuckled at Lee Seok-hyun’s words here and there.

I also forced a bright smile as I looked at Lee Seok-hyun.

“If a loyal subject becomes a sacrifice, will the king save them?”

Then, Lee Seok-hyun exclaimed, “Oh ho!” and offered a high-five.

The two palms collided in the air, making a clapping sound.

Lee Seok-hyun smiled strangely the whole time.

Tsk tsk….

That young friend is four-dimensional [eccentric/unpredictable].

* * *

After cleaning up the sacrificial table, it was finally the first day of filming.

Director Kang and the staff were all busy next to a small pond.

And so was I.

It was a location scene that required a lot of work from the first day of filming.

Soon-im, wearing a woman’s clothes, was running away to avoid being seen when she encountered the king in an important scene.

She had to fall into the pond, but unfortunately, the weather was cold.

“Just like the rehearsal. Let’s go in one take.”

Director Kang started running the set with a slightly sharp voice.

As the staff tensed up, I bravely took off my coat.

“Oh, I’m so excited that my body is all hot! I want to get in the water quickly!”

Then, Lee Seok-hyun shouted “Fighting!” and raised the morale together.

“Brave, Han Sae-na!”

Lee Seok-hyun smiled at me.

Um, it’s a bit overwhelming.

As I avoided Lee Seok-hyun’s gaze, Director Kang casually threw words at the staff.

“Yeah, well, she’s an actress, so let’s film while taking care of her. She said she wouldn’t use a stand-in… so let’s all do well and finish it in one take.”

Unlike the caring content, the tone was perfunctory.

Like…

Based on his experience, he knew that actresses generally didn’t like working hard, so he was just saying that.

That’s how it felt.

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