In This Life, I Will Die As An Actress, Not As A Villainess [EN]: Chapter 62

-This is… I’m sorry to be speaking to you over the phone without having met you in person. I’m currently out of town scouting locations. I hope you understand.

“It’s alright! Please go ahead.”

-The role I’d like to offer Saena isn’t just a cameo; it’s actually the most crucial part of the story. Have you ever seen the movie ? You could think of Yang Jeong-hyeok’s role in that movie as an example.

It was a very familiar old movie.

It was so famous that everyone had seen it back then, and even twenty or thirty years later, catchphrases from the work were still circulating.

Yang Jeong-hyeok, who was a rookie at the time, played a compelling villain, making a strong impression on the audience and officially earning the title of a scene-stealer.

-Saena, do you know how many scenes Jeong-hyeok appeared in that movie?

“Ah, I don’t know that.”

-It was only four scenes.

My head buzzed at those words.

It was four scenes?

So, Yang Jeong-hyeok rose to stardom with just four scenes?

The impact on the work must have been enormous.

The director continued speaking.

-The cameo in our movie has that kind of feel. As such, strong acting skills are essential. Saena, you are considered one of the most talented young actresses these days. That’s why I contacted you with this request.

I nodded at those words.

I was slightly intrigued.

“Could I get a brief explanation of the role?”

-In a word, it’s the role of a *sasaeng* fan [an obsessive fan who stalks or engages in other intrusive behavior] obsessed with a certain actor.

*Sasaeng* fan??

After that, the explanation of the movie continued.

This story is getting more and more interesting.

-If you’re okay with it, Saena, I’ll send you the script with the details.

At those words, I readily answered.

“After hearing the director’s explanation, I feel like I want to do it. If you send me the script, I’ll read it!”

The director was very pleased with my answer.

-Really? Thank you! I’ll send you the script right away. Please take your time to consider it and contact me.

With that, the call ended.

Opening the script file that had immediately arrived by email, I thought of Min-young *unnie’s* [older sister or close female friend] face.

I’m going to get scolded again for just jumping in.

“Hehe, sorry…. Uh…?”

Reading through the script, my eyes widened.

“This….”

* * *

A week later, on the day of filming.

“Instead of ‘sasaeng fan,’ how about just calling them ‘sasaengs’?”

I was conveying my opinion on the filming to the director.

It was starting to become more widespread to recognize *sasaengs* as criminals rather than just fans.

And that *sasaeng* was exactly my role.

“Good point. Let’s do that.”

The director readily agreed and added another word.

“Then, please act to bring out more of the feeling of a criminal.”

After a few rehearsals, filming proceeded immediately.

I slung a DSLR with a heavy telephoto lens over my shoulder and wore a black hat pulled down low.

And I stared intently at one place far away.

That gaze contained a heart yearning for something fervently.

My person, my love.

A heart for my own actor, my own celebrity.

Song Jun-woo, the subject I was focusing on with my camera, was an actor from a small to medium-sized idol group in the drama.

With a level of recognition that commanded a fairly decent-sized fandom.

However, a ‘decent level’ of fandom always left Song Jun-woo thirsty, and Song Jun-woo was obsessively ambitious about acting.

Because he wanted to be recognized.

Because he wanted to rise to a higher place.

And I was the only one who knew and loved all of Song Jun-woo’s efforts and ambition, his tenacity and passion, his thirst.

Kim Pil-ju, Song Jun-woo’s *sasaeng*.

Perhaps it was for practice for the new noir project he had joined, but Song Jun-woo was practicing acting alone in a dark alleyway, muttering curses.

A situation that was too easy to be dangerously misunderstood on the street.

Song Jun-woo was spewing out harsh profanity that didn’t suit his beautiful face, as if he didn’t care about such things.

However, those curses were terribly clumsy.

As if he had never once uttered such curses to anyone in his life.

Perhaps those points of Song Jun-woo were further stimulating the current Kim Pil-ju.

Pure but intense passion.

I pressed the shutter several times with a very excited face.

Even capturing the part where Song Jun-woo’s voice became the most intense as a video.

I smacked my lips as if I had tasted ecstasy and smiled slightly.

“Cut, okay! Okay!! Wow, amazing!”

The director jumped up from his seat and applauded.

Embarrassed by the unexpected reaction, I hugged the camera.

“Saena, aren’t you really crazy? You’re expressing what I created 200%.”

The director put down the headset on the makeshift table as if throwing it, and the other staff also chimed in.

“How can you express it like this with just one look?”

“What would have happened if it wasn’t for Saena?”

I didn’t know what to do with the sudden outpouring of compliments.

“Oh, everyone. I’m embarrassed.”

Then the director continued to exclaim as if he couldn’t hear.

“I studied *sasaengs* so much, but I only thought of them as obsession or possessiveness? But after seeing Saena’s eyes, that’s not it. Uh, you all know, right?”

For a moment, the staff became quiet to listen to the director’s words.

“This is a reflection on one’s life. The Kim Pil-ju from earlier saw herself in Song Jun-woo. That passion that she doesn’t have!”

Wow, is he usually the type to list his impressions like that?

I was embarrassed by the director’s long okay sign, which I was hearing for the first time.

And a smile leaked out.

After all, compliments make even whales dance.

“Hehe, this is the first time I’ve received such a long compliment on set. Thank you!”

“Let’s go straight to the next shoot!”

The director got up from his seat as if he was excited.

The next scene followed immediately.

It was the scene that was in charge of the twist and core of this movie.

In the drama, Song Jun-woo unknowingly becomes suspected of involvement in drug and murder-related crimes.

The person who saved Song Jun-woo, who had no alibi, was none other than Kim Pil-ju.

At exactly the time the incident occurred, Kim Pil-ju and Song Jun-woo were in a dark alleyway.

It was the scene I just filmed.

Kim Pil-ju’s secretly and illegally taken photos are used to clear Song Jun-woo’s name.

The scene to be filmed now was to show Kim Pil-ju’s reaction to facing that situation.

A situation where she enjoys being Song Jun-woo’s only savior.

Song Jun-woo sat facing her at the table.

“Ready… action.”

Looking at Song Jun-woo, I made an impressed expression with my eyebrows furrowed.

A smile spread across my face.

Alone with the one I had been chasing so much in such a close place.

I uttered the first word in the silence.

“Jun-woo, hello.”

I made a shy voice as if exchanging greetings with an introduced friend.

Song Jun-woo smiled politely and bowed his head, looking very nervous.

“Hello.”

“Speak informally [use casual speech].”

At my commanding words, the smile on Song Jun-woo’s face faded slightly.

Looking at such Song Jun-woo, I chuckled.

“You’re nervous, aren’t you? You have an expression you make every time you’re nervous. Exactly this. You don’t know.”

“I didn’t know I was like that….”

“Jun-woo, beg.”

I cut off Song Jun-woo’s words.

Song Jun-woo stared blankly at me as if he had misheard.

“Someone from your company came. They were talking about justice and stuff? Saying it’s about saving a person. But I’m not interested in that.”

At my words, Song Jun-woo’s expression completely hardened.

“You’re good at begging, aren’t you? You danced in front of the directors wearing only your underwear if you wanted a role, and you crawled on all fours.”

As I revealed the shameful things he had been hiding from the world, anger gradually filled Song Jun-woo’s face.

However, revealing his emotions was Song Jun-woo’s mistake.

Because the more he did, the more it would stimulate Kim Pil-ju.

I laughed, as if I was enjoying this situation too much.

“You always get what you desperately want. Aren’t you desperate now?”

I whispered, looking deeply into Song Jun-woo’s black eyes.

“Don’t you want my picture?”

Song Jun-woo’s eyes quickly turned red.

The Song Jun-woo in the drama that I interpreted was weak to stress. He was also very timid.

Such a person was coveting the top of the most difficult pyramid.

Until the tears gathered and flowed down Song Jun-woo’s cheeks, I focused on watching as if I wouldn’t miss a single moment.

Just as the tears fell from his chin onto the table, Song Jun-woo opened his mouth.

“Please save me. Please help me.”

A trembling voice.

His gaze was fixed on the table.

At those words, I straightened my face slightly.

“Speak informally.”

Song Jun-woo raised his head and looked at me.

“Please help me. Give me the picture, huh?”

Without answering those words, I only tapped the table with my finger.

It was a sign that I was not yet satisfied.

As if Song Jun-woo had realized, he jumped up from his seat.

And he walked around the table and sat next to me.

In the closest place.

“Pil-ju, I need you.”

Song Jun-woo took my hand.

He was still crying.

I smiled at the warm touch.

“I really like this about you.”

I reached out my other hand and stroked Song Jun-woo’s tear-soaked cheek.

“If I release this video, I’m saving you, right?”

Song Jun-woo nodded more vigorously, leaving his face to my touch.

“Then I’m the most special to you now. I’m that kind of person from now on. You won’t forget, will you?”

Song Jun-woo nodded even more fiercely.

“I’ll be watching?”

I smiled as much as if I had become the happiest woman in the world.

“Cut, okay.”

As soon as the okay sign fell, I jumped up from my seat.

I bowed to actor Kwon Jae-hyung, who played the role of Song Jun-woo.

“Oh, senior. I’m so sorry. I was too terrible, right.”

Then Kwon Jae-hyung wiped away his tears with his sleeve.

“Saena, you’re too scary….”

“I’m sorry…….”

Outside, the director was silent as if he was monitoring.

“Wow, but senior.”

A question arose, so I immediately spoke up.

“Please call me Jae-hyung comfortably [without honorifics].”

“Yes, Jae-hyung. It seemed like you were acting by grasping the points that stimulate *sasaengs*, is that right?”

At my question, Jae-hyung smiled as if he was embarrassed.

I actually felt that way throughout the acting.

How could he cry so beautifully on purpose?

“Some of my colleagues have actually suffered from *sasaengs*. I went and interviewed them. I also looked at *sasaengs’* blogs and stuff.”

“Oh my, I see.”

No wonder.

“Saena, you looked shockingly like a real *sasaeng*. Where did you get that chill from?”

At those words, I shook my head.

“It’s imitation, imitation.”

At that time, the director came into the room.

He looked at me with a worried expression.

What is it?

Is it an okay withdrawal?

“Saena, I’m really sorry, but.”

“Yes?”

“Can you shoot a few more scenes?”

Oh.

Jae-hyung next to me smiled slightly.

“Our director is completely hooked.”

At those words, I also smiled and nodded.

“Oh, I’m honored.”

“Really? No, I just got a feeling when I tried filming. It’s so charming because Saena is doing it, the character. I really ask you. You’re the best!”

While listening to the director’s compliments that continued for a long time, Jae-hyung left the room to prepare for the next shoot.

Inside the room where only the two of us were left.

The director spoke in an enthusiastic voice about the direction of the character.

“There may be parts that are different from what you’ve filmed now. Whatever it is, I’ll leave the expressions entirely up to Saena in the future.”

“That’s great. Thank you for trusting me, director.”

And I subtly looked at the director’s face.

There was something I had been wanting to ask since earlier.

From the time I was capturing Song Jun-woo in the camera from afar.

Looking at the director, I swallowed the question into my throat with effort.

“Well, shall we finish the remaining scenes for today?”

At the director’s words, I nodded and left the room.

I’ll Die as an Actress This Time. Instead of a Villainess