In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 101

After the three-week preliminary marathon wrapped, the final sixteen participants who’d advance to the main competition were selected from a pool of three hundred applicants.

Just sixteen people—a tiny group.

This audition was created with the PD’s ambition to select only an elite few and debut them all.

The competition structure would narrow from sixteen participants in Round 1, to eight in Round 2, four in Round 3, and two in the finals.

With only one ultimate winner.

Before the main competition, it was time for mentor-mentee team matching.

And so the moment arrived for us to meet the selected participants face to face.

The PD gathered all sixteen participants and the judges together in one place.

“Feel free to mingle and chat.”

Head judges Park Seokjin and Kim Heejoo sunbaenim, who wouldn’t serve as mentors, were waiting elsewhere.

Ha Seongjin approached with a sly grin, cameras flanking him on both sides.

“Who do you want to work with?”

Well, well—this guy really knows how to play for the cameras.

Since this atmosphere was my first time experiencing it, I broke out in a cold sweat internally.

“That’s a secret, isn’t it?”

I kept my flustered reaction hidden and answered playfully with a rising lilt at the end.

Ha Seongjin shook his head with crossed arms.

“Don’t compete with me, okay?”

Watching him like that made me chuckle.

He’s definitely Seon Yuseok’s friend.

I moved my feet and slowly surveyed the participants’ faces.

Here and there were familiar faces like Do Changhyeon.

That friend over there had great acting skills but ended up with the wrong agency.

On the opposite side, that sociable friend chatting with other participants debuted as an idol in middle school, making him technically my senior by debut years.

His idol activities never took off, so he had no public recognition.

He’d come this far with burning determination to transition into acting.

And most importantly…

Do Changhyeon, standing at the center with sparkling eyes.

Do Changhyeon still scanned the other participants with a tense gaze.

After brief deliberation, I approached Do Changhyeon first.

The moment Do Changhyeon spotted me, he bowed deeply at the waist.

I smiled at him.

Just as I opened my mouth to speak, Hwang Yuseon rushed over at a brisk pace.

“Oh, Sena-ssi. Eyeing Changhyeon-ssi?”

“…Yes?”

People’s eyes immediately snapped toward us.

Three or four cameras quickly attached themselves to our position.

Wait, this isn’t right.

Hwang Yuseon crossed her arms playfully and shot me a glance as if performing.

“Hmm, but that’s not allowed?”

At Hwang Yuseon’s cute nasal tone, Do Changhyeon burst out laughing.

“Wow, Changhyeon-ssi must be so envied. Two mentors already fighting over him.”

“Wow, I knew it. He’s way too handsome.”

Murmurs rippled through the surroundings.

No, why is this turning into this kind of situation?

Just as I was about to wave my hands to deny it, Hwang Yuseon wiped away her playful expression and asked Do Changhyeon,

“Why did you come here to act?”

It was the same question I’d been about to ask.

Though Hwang Yuseon’s tone was sharper.

Unexpectedly so.

Do Changhyeon seemed to tense up again, biting his lip briefly.

Then he answered slowly.

“I want to play cool roles.”

“Cool roles?”

This time I echoed the question.

“Yes, I hate my cowardly and timid self. I want to live different lives. Through various roles.”

At his sincere answer, Hwang Yuseon nodded.

The people around us also wore impressed expressions at Do Changhyeon’s response.

Everyone except me, once again.

All of Do Changhyeon’s answers and actions kept linking back to drugs in my mind.

Why exactly did he do that?

Does he see himself as a weak person?

With dreams like these?

Hwang Yuseon immediately fired off a second question.

“Then who do you think you are?”

Another sharp question.

Do Changhyeon’s ears reddened as his tension ratcheted up another level.

Silence settled over the audition studio.

“……”

In the end, Do Changhyeon couldn’t open his mouth.

“If you don’t know, you should think about finding the answer.”

Hwang Yuseon left quiet advice behind and departed from the spot.

My eyes met Do Changhyeon’s, whose face was colored with complete embarrassment and shame.

“I look so stupid….”

Do Changhyeon mumbled softly, fidgeting.

I sighed internally.

“Straighten your shoulders.”

“Excuse me?”

Do Changhyeon asked as if he’d misheard.

“I said straighten your shoulders. Looking unconfident is a minus in this industry.”

“Yes….”

I also moved past Do Changhyeon toward the other participants.

As I did, I thought for a moment.

Not just Do Changhyeon, but I’d learned more about Hwang Yuseon’s character too.

Someone who didn’t lean on their real personality to create a character, but instead crafted their image through sharp self-reflection and rigorous self-management.

That’s exactly how Hwang Yuseon appeared right now.

She was someone who’d risen to stardom through cringe-inducing aegyo performances, and I’d just discovered her true face.

Still, if mentors end up competing with each other, this journey will be quite treacherous.

Though establishing some friendly collaborative relationship seems a bit ridiculous too.

Moreover, mentors need to think only of their own mentees.

As I was lost in thought, two participants bounced over excitedly toward me.

“Actress! I mean, Mentor Han Sena! I’m a fan!”

“Kyaa, please give me your autograph!”

Uh, what?

I instinctively took a step back.

These two participants came from idol trainee backgrounds and were friends from the same agency who’d both made it to the main competition.

Their friendship story that featured as an emotional highlight in the preliminary broadcast was quite noteworthy.

Having some kind of narrative works in a participant’s favor, after all.

Once again, cameras swiveled toward us.

Ugh.

I felt my face flushing red in real time from complete fluster.

The participants flanked me on both sides and linked arms as if escorting me.

“Thank you, everyone. But you also need to approach this thinking you’re actors now. Whoa, whoa, calm down a bit.”

“Wow, such charisma.”

“I really, really want to join Mentor’s team!”

Having people openly cling to me saying they liked me was a first, leaving me thoroughly flustered.

Ha Seongjin giggled watching my reddened face.

Ha Seongjin had already approached the participants he’d marked and was offering friendly handshakes.

Park Eunki, the quietest among the judges, conversed with every single participant with the most serious gaze.

Seeing that, I quickly hastened my steps too.

Time would run short if I wanted to chat with all the participants, even briefly.

* * *

That evening.

After all sixteen selected participants moved into the communal dorm.

Just as I headed toward the van, completely exhausted.

“If you’ve got time, let’s grab dinner. I’d like us to chat too.”

Park Seokjin sunbaenim’s deep voice reached me.

The moment I heard those words, I squeezed my eyes shut and chanted amen internally.

Then I whirled around with a beaming smile and declared, “Count me in, sunbaenim!”

Park Seokjin sunbaenim was famous throughout the entire entertainment industry as a drinking monster.

Even in my past life, I’d stayed at company dinners until the senior went home, which left me bedridden for two straight days.

Ah, I’m about to taste hell again after such a long time….

Ha Seongjin already wore an enlightened expression, smiling beside the senior.

“Sunbaenim, please spare me. I’m telling you I can’t drink.”

“Oh come on, a young guy acting all prissy.”

Thirty minutes later, we all gathered at a Chinese restaurant.

We rented a private room and sat eating while two cameras set up beside the table rolled.

They planned to film the judges’ so-called “broadcast behind-the-scenes.”

As we chatted warmly.

Park Eunki, who’d been silently accepting the drinks Park Seokjin sunbaenim poured, opened his mouth.

“What did everyone think of Do Changhyeon-ssi?”

I stopped my chopsticks that had been reaching for sweet and sour pork.

Park Seokjin sunbaenim answered slowly.

“Talented kid. We’ll need to observe more to know for sure though.”

“Sena-ssi, what do you think?”

Park Eunki looked my way and asked.

Hwang Yuseon also turned to watch me with an intrigued expression.

“I agree with sunbaenim. He’s charming. Though he needs polishing.”

I swallowed the final word “in many ways” internally.

“Overall, the level is high. The participants. Don’t you think?”

Kim Heejoo sunbaenim spoke in a warm tone.

Throughout the audition, the senior had been evaluating participants with a positive perspective and attitude.

Though Park Seokjin sunbaenim was a bit different.

Discussion about several more participants followed Do Changhyeon before staff collected the cameras.

Once the door closed and only the judges remained, Park Seokjin sunbaenim revealed his true thoughts.

“Will this program succeed?”

Everyone looked at the senior in shock.

By my assessment, Park Seokjin sunbaenim was one of the few actors in the industry with excellent judgment for scripts and projects.

And right now, that person was expressing doubts about the program.

As the juniors fumbled in flustered confusion, Kim Heejoo sunbaenim eased the atmosphere with a relaxed laugh.

“The audition’s great though.”

“Mm?”

Park Seokjin sunbaenim took a sip of alcohol and looked at Kim Heejoo sunbaenim.

“Just. The young people’s passion, their challenges. Doesn’t it have a positive influence on you too, sunbaenim?”

At that, Park Seokjin sunbaenim laughed low as if understanding the intent.

“That’s true. Makes me think of the old days.”

“Exactly. Don’t worry about ratings. We suffer enough over ratings in dramas—can’t we enjoy ourselves a bit here?”

Ha Seongjin also agreed with Kim Heejoo sunbaenim’s words.

“I think so too. Plus, the two sunbaenims are ratings guarantors, so what’s there to worry about.”

The senior chuckled and nodded at those words.

But only briefly—suddenly the senior stared straight through me.

“I really like Sena-ssi’s moves.”

“Yes? Ah, thank you.”

Suddenly praising me….

Everyone at the table’s gazes immediately focused on my face.

“I can really feel you’re smart. It’s good. When you chose <Hometown> over <Fabulous>, I was the only one applauding, you know?”

Hearing that made me smile sheepishly.

“So I was curious how you’d handle judging and mentoring too. You still seem cautious though. Extremely so. Am I right?”

“Right, sunbaenim. Sena-ssi doesn’t talk at all!”

Hwang Yuseon added her comment and grinned at me.

Completely flustered by the attention focused on me, I couldn’t easily find words to respond.

Having the judges curious about my evaluation rather than the participants was completely unexpected.

“Ah… Like sunbaenim said, I’m still in the observation phase. The teams haven’t even formed yet. Most importantly, that’s just how I am. I’m pretty timid and cautious.”

After finishing, I laughed it off with a hahaha.

Just as I tried hard to deflect and move on, Hwang Yuseon threw out another question.

“You have the shortest career here, right, Sena-ssi?”

“Ah, that’s right.”

“From what I’ve heard, Sena-ssi’s quite the bold type. You’re not secretly grinding your teeth to make your mentee number one, are you?”