In This Life, I Will Die As An Actress, Not As A Villainess [EN]: Chapter 59

A few days later.

My image, desperately running, was playing on the office TV.

Min-young unnie [older sister or close female friend], Yoon Young-jae teacher, and Flower Star, who were watching together, were all excited and giggling.

“Wow, look at Han Se-na, that sly fox.”

“Did you share the gold bar with Won Hye-rim sunbae [senior colleague]?”

“Of course.”

I nodded to Flower Star and smiled.

Then, the teacher, who had plasters all over his body, shook his head.

“You got played properly.”

“I’m doing well, right?”

“Yeah, you rascal.”

“Are you feeling okay?”

Then the teacher groaned and leaned back on the sofa.

“If I film two more variety shows, I’ll be crossing the Samdo River [a Korean idiom for dying or being in a very difficult situation].”

At that, Unnie chuckled and lifted her coffee cup.

“How is it? Are you feeling the popularity these days?”

Flower Star also looked at me with sparkling eyes.

“Yeah. It feels distinctly different from when I was wearing flats. My autograph, photos, and even banners are up at my favorite gukbap [Korean rice soup] place in front of my house. It’s amazing.”

“A banner at a gukbap place?”

“‘Actress Han Se-na’s regular spot.’ Like that.”

At my words, the three people burst out laughing as if it was funny.

Unnie picked up the remote and turned off the TV.

“Then it’s about time to do that.”

“That?”

Unnie picked up her laptop and showed a screenshot of the fan cafe screen.

Comments from people suffering from the aftereffects of seeing me in person at Yeouido Park, people jealous of the lucky fans, people who are a little envious of other celebrities’ fandoms, and people wondering if there’s anything special for Se-na’s upcoming birthday.

“What is this?”

At my question, Unnie smiled.

“A Han Se-na birthday party with the fans. How is it, good idea, right?”

I was dumbfounded at those words.

It was an idea that combined all these needs.

I was dazed for a moment, but the answer popped out first.

“Of course!”

Then Unnie asked.

“So, what are you going to do with the fans?”

My mind went blank for a moment at those words.

So… this is a fan meeting?

What do people usually do at fan meetings?

I knew that fan meetings usually consisted of a talk concert, a few reenactments of famous scenes from appearances, a few songs or dances, and simple games.

Hmm, but that’s too ordinary.

My core fans have a sense of humor.

How do I satisfy them?

Now that I’m actually going to do it, I have a mountain of worries.

I heard the number of people is 300.

Suddenly, I remembered Sun Yoo-seok’s fan meeting in my previous life, where 5,000 people flocked to it after overcoming his slump and hitting the jackpot.

I was so envious back then.

300 fans are coming to see me.

It’s not a small number for a newly debuted actress, and I heard that it sold out as soon as the reservation opened.

My heart was pounding.

I should get some advice first.

I got up from my seat, said goodbye, and left the office.

I immediately searched my phone’s contact list.

Then Lee Seok-hyun’s name caught my eye.

As soon as I sent Lee Seok-hyun a text asking for fan meeting advice, I got a reply in a minute.

Does this guy not have a schedule?

– Well, I’m so versatile. I danced and sang. Oh, right, I did a magic show too. Doves.

That was Lee Seok-hyun’s reply to my fan meeting advice.

How is he so annoying even in texts?

How did he do the doves, seriously?

Next, I got a reply from Yuri-ssi, whom I contacted after a long time.

– Hmm… I sang two songs too. One was my favorite song, and the other was a fan song. I put my prized possessions up as prizes for the games, and that seemed to be popular?

As expected, experience is experience.

Now I got some information worth remembering.

I was diligently taking notes when Yuri-ssi sent me another text.

– More than anything else, how about showing what your fans are curious about?

At those words, I ended up calling Yuri-ssi.

‘When I went on a radio show as a guest, I said I had learned the flute, and my fans were curious about it. Actually, I only learned it briefly when I was young, so I practiced hard on just one song until right before the fan meeting, but in the end, I got an encore request and my skills were all exposed. But fans like that kind of thing.’

To summarize the short phone call, the key was to ‘satisfy the fans’ curiosity without thinking too hard.’

‘What fans might be curious about me.’

I hung up the phone and racked my brain alone.

Then, I thought I wouldn’t get an answer alone, so I opened my laptop.

I opened the fan cafe writing window and started thinking again for a while.

In the end, I only wrote a short line.

「My core fans, is there anything you’re curious about me?」

As soon as I posted it, comments started pouring in within a second.

What, what are you all?

What kind of people are you?

– There’s too much? Favorite food! Ideal type!

– Please recommend a life movie [a movie that has deeply impacted you].

– Favorite actor or idol? I’m also curious about dance practice stories!

– Tell us a story about unrequited love.

A detective also appeared in the comments.

– What, is it an event? Are you finally having a fan meeting?

Thanks to this comment, the fans’ firepower started to burn even more.

My cooking skills, instruments I can play, favorite sports team, favorite song, favorite book, close celebrities, characters I want to play, etc.

Various questions were asked.

Even the fans’ wish to see me acting in front of their eyes.

Seeing those comments made me think of aspects of myself that I hadn’t even thought about.

Other people can be this curious about me.

I had to find a way to prepare so that I could show as much of myself as possible.

* * *

A few days later.

The lights pouring down on the stage in the distance were bright.

I was standing behind the dark stage with a trembling heart.

I felt nauseous.

I should have postponed the date a little more.

Did I prepare too hastily….

The packed audience made me tremble even more.

I heard that it was supposed to be a 300-seat venue, but the tickets sold out at the speed of light, and even the additional 50 seats were filled in an instant.

“What’s wrong, Grandma’s getting nervous?”

Lee Seok-hyun started teasing me again from the side.

Lee Seok-hyun unexpectedly came out to support me willingly.

I’m really grateful in many ways.

Did I call him for nothing?

“10 seconds to opening!”

At the staff’s words, the audience became quiet.

“3, 2, 1. Mic on!”

Lee Seok-hyun looked at me and smiled slightly before walking onto the stage first.

A roar that seemed to blow away the concert hall poured out.

I took a deep breath, looking at Lee Seok-hyun’s back from behind the stage.

“Soon-im, where is this place? Where did you call me to?”

Lee Seok-hyun delivered his lines naturally on the stage.

The fan meeting opening was a short one-act play with the Gyeolkkot setting.

I approached Lee Seok-hyun, who was wandering around on the stage.

A deafening roar was heard.

When the sound stopped, I replied to Lee Seok-hyun.

“I said I would remain as a vassal, but I’m about to die from overwork!”

It was Soon-im’s first time complaining to the king.

“I can’t live because there’s so much work, so I’m going on strike today.”

Lee Seok-hyun said, pointing to the audience.

Then bright smiles bloomed on people’s faces.

“Okay, okay. I’m too embarrassed, so I’ll go in now.”

“Don’t do that, come here. Have you heard the story? There’s even a book about our story in the world.”

“That’s outrageous. How dare you reveal His Majesty’s private life? Shouldn’t we punish them severely?”

With every line, the fans’ laughter made me happy too.

After that, we exchanged a few lines parodying the romance scenes from the drama.

“Keep your dignity! Please!”

After the short play like an extra story, Lee Seok-hyun waved his hand with a bright face and gave a short greeting.

“Then everyone have a good time! If you want to see me more, come to my fan meeting!”

It was a departure worthy of Lee Seok-hyun.

I also waved my hand at Lee Seok-hyun with gratitude, then sat on the chair that the staff had set up and grabbed the hand microphone.

“Hello, this is Han Se-na.”

A roar that seemed to burst my eardrums filled the concert hall again.

“My core fans, I missed you so much!”

“Me too! Unnie!”

“Han Se-na! You’re prettier in person!”

The audience’s reactions continued for a long time.

After listening to all those words, I smiled brightly.

“Let’s have fun today! You remember I posted on the fan cafe asking if you had any questions for me, right?”

“Yes!!”

The fans’ loud answer came back.

“There were people who wanted to see me acting in person, so I prepared it. Did you like it?”

This time, the answer came back from the audience with one heart and one mind.

My heart was full.

Wouldn’t this be a successful opening?

Seeing the fans’ smiling faces, my trembling heart gradually subsided.

I wanted to enjoy this moment to the fullest too.

“First of all, I chose five of the questions you were curious about me, in order of the most questions.”

Holding up the panel and peeling off the stickers one by one, I read the questions, going backwards from 5th place.

After reading all the questions, a cheerful voice flowed from the speaker.

“Everyone, you want to hear the answers quickly, right?”

The fans scanned the stage with puzzled faces.

MC [Master of Ceremonies] Chae Joo-yi walked out from behind the stage.

“Wow, there was an MC?”

“I knew it. There’s usually everything, but there wasn’t.”

“Wow, it’s Chae Joo-yi! Did the two of them become friends?”

I greeted Chae Joo-yi’s hand happily on the stage.

Joo-yi-ssi, who had a connection with me through appearing on a variety show, readily accepted when I sent her an MC request.

The fans showed a particularly welcoming reaction.

Joo-yi-ssi raised the atmosphere like a professional MC.

“So, we’ve prepared this! Tell us about Han Se-na, Bingo Game!”

The fans applauded all at once.

So, everyone wrote five sports, singers, movies, food, and hobbies on paper, and then started the bingo game.

It was an event where I gave handmade cookies that I made as gifts to the fans in order of who completed the most bingos.

“Okay, first. Favorite sport, baseball! I’m a Skeeters team fan.”

Then various reactions were shown in the audience.

“Han Se-na is a bodhisattva [someone who is enlightened and compassionate].”

“I knew she was so good at acting patient.”

“Agh! I got it right! Same as me, noona [term used by males to address older sister or female friend]!”

I smiled bashfully and called out the next word.

“Next! Favorite food! It’s hagfish.”

Then people laughed simultaneously.

MC Chae Joo-yi held up the microphone.

“No, wait a minute. Hagfish, what is that? I thought Se-na-ssi only lived on dew. Is that really that dew?”

“Hey, no.”

Then people booed.

“Then how much is our Se-na-ssi’s alcohol tolerance?”

“Well, me…”

I glanced at people and answered nonchalantly.

“One bottle?”

“Hey, that’s a lie!”

“I heard that Unnie is a good drinker!”

Then the MC also added with a smile.

“Ah, Se-na-ssi. You’re very natural. Let’s move on to the next one to protect our actress.”