In This Life, I Will Die As An Actress, Not As A Villainess [EN]: Chapter 80

A few days later, while I was relaxing, Min-young unnie sent me a link I couldn’t decipher.

“What’s this?”

Clicking on the link in the messenger window led me to a foreign website.

[Korean Drama Review]

– Let’s remake it right away. (3.2k likes)

– If you haven’t seen it yet, go watch it now. It’s on a different level from American shows for killing time. (2.9k likes)

– I wish American series would go this way too. Fans keep leaving because they drag things out and force things every time. (2.1k likes)

– I didn’t know much about Korea, but I learned about it through this drama. It’s a small but really creative country. (1.7k likes)

“This is…”

I scrolled through the comments, unable to hide my bewilderment.

It was a post on ‘Be Right,’ America’s mega-community site.

Be Right was also a site actively used by various celebrities and politicians to shape public opinion.

That’s how enormous its influence was in the U.S.

Numerous people of various nationalities who had watched were sharing their thoughts on the drama.

The most liked comment was about a remake.

“Remake…?”

I exited the post and looked at Be Right’s real-time trending posts.

There was another post related to .

[Where Did the Money in Really Come From?]

– Jun-ho Yoo or Ji-hyun Lee might have put it there.

⤷Jun-ho Yoo would never do that, friend. He’s not the type to bribe someone with money to kill them.

– There must be a dark force that wants their destruction.

– The source of the money isn’t important. The important thing is that we, who are obsessed with money, are no different from the people dying on that island.

– If it gets remade, it might be good to add this content.

Tens of thousands of comments were under the two posts.

My heart raced irregularly as I read the enthusiastic reactions written in English.

The video shoot, which was my small attempt and challenge, had come this far.

Not only Koreans but also people overseas were reacting to the drama.

I had heard that it was gaining great popularity in North America, but I didn’t know it would be to this extent.

No matter how much I scrolled, the comments didn’t end.

I felt like I had reached the peak of the results that my challenge could create.

A truly splendid closing.

It was a much bigger achievement than the results in the year when Netmate’s OTT [Over-The-Top, a streaming service] service started in my memory.

This drama is definitely the peak of my career so far.

“I should enjoy it to the fullest.”

I smiled at the poster.

Maintaining a high-flying career as an actress was harder than picking stars from the sky.

It’s true that there are times when things go well, but there are also times when they don’t.

Because luck plays a big role in this world, the results didn’t always reflect the effort put in.

That’s why I intended to fully enjoy this moment.

I have to enjoy it and forget it.

Because I have to go back to the beginning and run again.

With a smile on my face, I called Min-young unnie [older sister or close female friend].

It was the timing to tell her what I wanted to do, which I had been thinking about for days.

I wonder if unnie will be surprised, heh heh.

* * *

Two weeks later, inside a plane heading to the United States.

I raised the blind covering the small window and looked at the receding Korean scenery.

The cabin was quiet.

In the business class seat next to me, Flower Star was fast asleep.

I smiled slightly at her face.

‘I’m really leaving.’

I was on my way to attend an acting workshop held in Hollywood.

Min-young unnie’s voice, surprised to hear that I would participate in the workshop, lingered in my ears.

‘LA acting workshop? I told you to rest, not to do something else. …Well, I guess. That’s you. I give up, I give up.’

Unnie, who was flustered, soon chuckled at my determined expression.

I laughed with her when I saw her face.

Going to the city of movies, Hollywood, and studying abroad was another long-held dream of mine.

Going there to talk to various people, practice, and share dreams together.

It was a dream I couldn’t even dream of in my previous life, where I was constantly battered by reality.

A dream that was nothing more than a mirage.

I was reminded of that dream again while resting for a few days.

Now, there was nothing I couldn’t challenge.

I wouldn’t be able to stay for a few years as I wished due to my schedule, but I could stay for a month or two.

I looked at the clouds flowing under the plane’s wings.

If I keep challenging myself, I will encounter unexpected opportunities as I have done so far.

I wanted to be someone who is always prepared for that opportunity.

Even more than now.

Recently, I suddenly had that thought.

‘Is the strange phenomenon in my life all over now?’

When I was filming these works, I never entered the world in the script even once.

I didn’t even have similar dreams.

The time when I lived in the script felt like a midsummer night’s dream.

As if it never happened.

I took a sip of light wine.

Maybe it’s better this way….

As I thought last time, I shouldn’t rely on something and have to overcome it myself.

Perhaps, the possession of the world in the script was a small chance.

A chance given like practice to adapt to the newly acquired life.

Consideration that pushed me, saying, ‘Go ahead and do whatever you want.’

Of course, the system was reckless.

Anyway, I decided to think so.

So, this trip to America was a well-chosen option.

I have to overcome it with my own strength until the end.

Looking at the flowing clouds, I felt a sense of languor like in a dream world.

* * *

A few hours later, LA International Airport.

I packed my luggage and prepared to leave the airport.

But a very unexpected situation occurred shortly after.

“Actress…?”

The employee who was doing the immigration suddenly asked me about my job.

Then, he looked back and forth between my passport and my face.

“…Yes, why?”

As I answered in embarrassment, another employee came over and spoke to my 담당 [in charge] employee as if asking what was wrong.

And the two whispered to each other.

I became more and more embarrassed.

What is this situation?

Do I have any disqualifications that I don’t even know about….

Then the 담당 [in charge] employee spoke again.

“Can I take a picture with you?”

“…?”

“…With me.”

Ah?

* * *

Shortly after, outside LA Airport, where the sun was quite hot.

After taking a picture with the employee who recognized me, I safely left the airport.

Phew, I thought I was going to be dragged into a secondary room.

The unfamiliar wind touching my skin was humid.

As I was putting on my face, Flower Star, who had finished the screening, walked this way.

Flower Star smiled brightly after hearing about what happened earlier.

“As expected, unnie. You’re like a global star.”

I took off my sunglasses after hearing those words.

“Oh my, a global star? Like paparazzi following me around?”

“Yes. Totally. Exactly that feeling.”

I laughed at Flower Star’s words.

However, unlike Flower Star’s words, there would be very few people who would recognize me here now.

And I was most looking forward to that point.

Shall I enjoy some freedom now?

In Korea, it became increasingly difficult to go out alone as I gained fame.

It wasn’t to that extent in my previous life.

The life of an actress who filmed commercials, experienced controversies, and built a filmography was definitely different from before.

What should I say, it became more like a celebrity.

Anyway, whether in a good or bad way, I had to live being conscious of people’s attention for more than twenty years, including my previous life.

I guess I can enjoy this short liberation.

I hummed and pulled my carrier to the taxi.

“I can’t even wear long sleeves.”

“Right.”

But….

Another strange thing happened when I was about to catch a taxi.

A group of people were looking at our group and whispering to each other in small voices.

“…?”

I was briefly embarrassed by the blatant gaze.

Then, one of the people who had been talking for a while came up and asked as if he was the leader.

“sena? sena?”

Surprised, I looked at the face of the person calling my name.

“Unnie, I think those people know us?”

Flower Star took a step closer and began to exchange fluent conversations in English.

Then, she turned around and said happily.

“Unnie! These people watched !”

I was surprised again at those words.

That’s right, there were so many people who saw it on Be Right.

I felt strange to meet people who had only seen the drama on the internet.

I awkwardly waved my hand at the person who asked my name.

And I kindly smiled and took pictures with the people who were approaching.

I thought it would remain a fun memory for me.

Foreigners calling my name and approaching me.

“Thank you everyone, goodbye!”

After taking pictures one by one, I slowly greeted them and got into the taxi.

As the wheels rolled and the exotic buildings passed by outside the window….

“Still, it’s amazing. It’s only been three months since the main episode was released? Did everyone watch it with subtitles?”

I still couldn’t believe it.

Flower Star shook her head.

“It’s probably dubbed? People who speak English don’t watch subtitles well.”

“Dubbed?”

Somehow that makes even less sense.

Dubbing is all about money, but they dubbed the original content made in Korea?

One person came to mind who I wanted to quickly inform of this news.

I went into the messenger and made a voice chat to that person.

After a brief connection sound.

‘Hello? Ms. Sena?’

His voice felt more welcome when I heard it in LA.

“Mr. Chaeseong! I’m in LA right now. You know, people here recognize me and Flower Star.”

‘Oh, really? I expected it, but it’s quite surprising.’

He expected it?

“Did Mr. Chaeseong know? That our drama is being dubbed in other countries on Netmate.”

‘Yes. K-pop is doing well these days. So they decided to try releasing only English dubbing for the drama as a test. If the English version sells well, they will service it in other countries as well.’

When did this story come and go?

‘But Netmate didn’t know that would be so popular in North America. Originally, they were targeting Southeast Asia, such as the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.’

“Ah, yes. I heard that.”

It was a story I had heard all the time in my previous life.

‘Yes, so they dubbed it targeting that side and released it in North America, but it became more popular than expected.’

Smart Flower Star was just looking at the scenery outside the window as if she wasn’t surprised at all.

I guess young children’s heads turn quickly?

I shook my head, realizing the popularity of the global village scale once again.

It’s really worth living twice.”

This life, I will die as an actress.