In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 110

Meanwhile, at the Harmonica filming location.

“So polite and perceptive. Since they’re all from the audition, none of them feel like rookies at all.”

On the Harmonica team as well, the director’s praise poured out like an endless stream.

Especially Min Sohyeon, who was handling the lead role all on her own without any team members, was working harder than anyone.

I approached Min Sohyeon and massaged her shoulders.

“Relax and film.”

Min Sohyeon startled and looked at me, then immediately broke into a wide smile.

“I want to do so well that I’m getting greedy.”

“You’re already doing great.”

At my words, Min Sohyeon nodded with a relieved expression.

* * *

Mentor interview time at the studio.

The four mentors who’d visited the filming sets gathered in one place.

All four of us mentors, including myself, wore satisfied expressions.

“Mentor Han’s team members are especially getting rave reviews as experienced rookies. What do you think?”

One of the PDs conducting the interview threw the question my way.

Before I could even answer, Ha Seongjun crossed his arms.

“Hmph! How brutally did you make them practice.”

Hwang Yuseon chimed in.

“They say mentees follow their mentors. When Sena-ssi debuted, the exact same rumor went around the industry. That a young sunbaenim was pretending to be a rookie.”

At Hwang Yuseon’s exaggerated words, people on set burst into laughter.

“Why are you all doing this, sunbaenims.”

I also waved my hands with a gesture that had become quite comfortable.

It was a hand motion containing no real will to explain.

I was working hard to appear as a ‘spirited hoobae’ image, just as the PD wanted.

“So very, very cheeky!”

Hwang Yuseon playfully poked my arm.

“How are the mentors feeling about approaching the final mission?”

The PD’s next question followed.

This time Park Eunki spoke first.

“Hard to talk about details. But there are already quite a few mentees getting contract discussions from agencies. The time to have them stand on their own is really approaching. I feel kind of unsettled.”

“Aw, it reminds me of when we debuted. Right?”

Ha Seongjun frowned and shook his head.

“Seriously, I was anxious about whether I’d choose some weird company, or go to such a big company that I’d get buried among other actors.”

The mentors, including myself, each fell into reminiscence of long-ago days.

“Company contacts are really that important.”

“But we also can’t help with company contacts, so we just have to watch carefully.”

After finishing the interview like that.

Once the cameras turned off, the mentors continued their off-the-record conversation.

Mainly about mentees who were getting contract discussions.

“For Seongjun-ssi’s team, who?”

Park Eunki showed his interest openly and asked.

“Seunghee. She’s a bit anxious since she didn’t get a lead this time. But I think things will work out well.”

“Ah, I see.”

If it was Cha Seunghee, she was one of the mentees I’d also marked as among the most promising debut candidates.

That’s when Hwang Yuseon looked at me strangely and asked.

“By the way, Sena-ssi’s team seems to have no contract discussions at all. Didn’t Changhyeon get love calls quite a while ago?”

“What…?”

“Right. I also heard through my company just the other day or so. They said Changhyeon-ssi is insanely popular right now.”

All three people tilted their heads and stared at me simultaneously.

“……?”

* * *

-Mentor, Changhyeon-ssi has been acting kind of strange lately.

A few days later, an urgent call came from Kim Yeongi.

I’d been reading through industry scripts at Minyeong unnie’s office.

“Changhyeon? Why??”

I jumped up from my seat in shock.

* * *

-I had no idea there was such a thing as short-form dramas, but I’m watching because of this show.

-Do Changhyeon is seriously the real deal. Handsome and his acting is fresh. I want to see him on TV fast!!

-Do Changhyeon going to Han Sena really seems like a stroke of genius. If he’d just kept learning from Hwang Yuseon, he would’ve become a rom-com male lead who’s hot for one season then disappears.

-As a hardcore drama fan who’s been following short-form dramas for years, I’m so happy. Take this chance to blow up big~

-Han Sena is really fascinating. Looks prickly but is warm-hearted, has leadership too. Mature beyond her years, somehow.

The reactions on the comments section of SCBS’s ‘<Be Actors> X Short-Form Drama Project’ article were scorching hot.

Last week’s episode of <Be Actors> recorded an astounding 7% viewership rating, and interest in the short-form dramas was pouring in.

For people like Do Changhyeon, Go Seonho, and Yoon Haneul, fan cafes had sprung up even before they’d debuted.

I put down my phone, truly feeling the mass appeal and buzz that audition shows carry.

A deep sigh escaped.

When the tide comes in, you should be rowing like crazy.

That bastard Do Changhyeon.

‘I don’t know what’s going on, but he keeps being on calls with someone and his mind’s somewhere else. After the calls, his expression isn’t good either, and he can’t focus on his acting.’

That was the content of the SOS Kim Yeongi had sent me.

The familiar SCBS studio lounge.

I sat at the table and sipped cold coffee.

That’s when the door creaked open and Do Changhyeon appeared looking completely dejected.

While Do Changhyeon sat down in a chair without making eye contact even once, I quietly stared at his face.

His eyes were sunken as if he hadn’t slept for days.

“Couldn’t sleep?”

I broke the silence and threw out the question.

Do Changhyeon’s gaze flew around in the air.

Seeing that, I opened my mouth again.

“Aren’t you an actor? Don’t you manage your body? What else does an actor need to worry about besides acting that you’re destroying your condition too?”

When I scolded him, Do Changhyeon lowered his gaze and bit his lip hard.

I deliberately softened my voice.

“Is something wrong? I heard from Yeongi. She said you keep looking unhappy on set.”

Do Changhyeon hesitated awkwardly.

“I’m not supposed to talk about it… I’m seriously going crazy right now too, Mentor.”

“…? What is it?”

Do Changhyeon showed an ominous mood.

He was someone who’d ramble on about everything from family stories to old embarrassing moments for mental care.

Could something unspeakable have happened in the short time between filming preparations?

After agonizing for a while, Do Changhyeon finally looked up at me.

The moment our eyes met, Do Changhyeon opened his mouth as if he’d made up his mind.

“Mentor, do you know anything about AK?”

I stared at Do Changhyeon in shock, frozen in place.

The moment I heard those two letters ‘AK,’ my heart plummeted.

No way…….

A terrible anxiety crept up slowly.

Fear descended on Do Changhyeon’s face as he saw my stiffened expression.

“There’s this Director Yang Euichul.”

“……”

Hearing that name I thought I’d never have to hear again felt like steam rising from the top of my head.

“At first he contacted me saying he was watching the audition show. I tried hard to make a good impression since it’s such a major agency. But then the director kept buying me meals and stuff….”

I didn’t need to hear what came next—it was obvious.

“He asked if I was contacting other companies. Said it’s not right in terms of business ethics to accept all this and then go to another company. But then he also brought up Mentor….”

“He brought me up?”

The ominous feeling continued.

“Yes. When he saw I’d joined Mentor’s team on the broadcast, he absolutely told me not to tell Mentor that I’m in contact with him. That’s when things started feeling weird….”

A hollow laugh escaped involuntarily.

He even went so far as to run a clumsy blackout operation?

Toward my mentee?

I asked with a cold smile.

“And then?”

“So I kept exchanging contacts with him a bit more…. He kept asking constantly whether other companies were contacting me. So when I told him honestly, he got angry asking how I could be so rude.”

I ran one hand over my face, giving myself a dry wash.

Suddenly I’m craving cigarettes for the first time in forever.

I looked at Do Changhyeon’s face, filled with terror.

My mind grew complicated.

Where should I even start explaining.

Exposing everything about Yang Euichul seemed too hasty.

But I can’t just leave this alone either.

I need to cut him off immediately.

Plus, thinking about Do Changhyeon from my past life…….

If he joined hands with Yang Euichul, who even supplied drugs to his agency actors, it could put the perfect finishing touch on a drug-filled life.

I chose my words carefully.

“Changhyeon, AK is a company that only looks at profits they can squeeze out right now, rather than future potential.”

“Yes….”

“I’ll be honest. AK probably contacted you thinking they’d consume your name value as a rom-com male actor for one season. I don’t know what kind of actor you want to become. But if you want to go far, that’s not the place.”

Do Changhyeon’s expression grew heavy as he listened to me.

“And the reason Director Yang told you not to tell me is probably because I rejected AK.”

“Ah.”

Do Changhyeon nodded as if he finally understood.

“The choice is yours. I’ve just given you advice.”

“Yes. I should’ve talked to Mentor about this earlier. I’m sorry….”

“Think about it carefully.”

“Yes.”

* * *

A few days later.

-Director, I’m sorry. You took such good care of me in many ways, but I don’t think I can proceed with the contract. I hope to see you again as good connections next time.

“Ha, look at this bastard, really?”

Yang Euichul snorted and checked Do Changhyeon’s text that flew in first thing in the morning.

“Suddenly like this. Cocky bastard. Testing the waters? Mentors and mentees both……”

Yang Euichul was unconsciously talking about mentors and mentees when something suddenly occurred to him and he stopped in place.

Han Sena.

‘Absolutely don’t even breathe a word to your mentor, got it?’

He’d warned him so thoroughly.

Yang Euichul wore an expression showing he finally understood how things had played out.

Soon rage boiled up.

It had been ages since he’d found such a useful guy.

“She blows on rice that’s already cooked?”

Yang Euichul immediately called Do Changhyeon.

The ring tone went for a bit, then Do Changhyeon answered right away.

-Hello.

“Yes, Changhyeon-ssi. I saw your text. You’re trying to cut things off so abruptly like this, so I called because I felt hurt.”

-I’m sorry about that.

Hearing Do Changhyeon’s voice, which had grown resolute overnight, Yang Euichul narrowed his eyes.

Yang Euichul had called Do Changhyeon for exactly one reason.

“Ah man, I told you not to tell your mentor but you went ahead and told her.”

-Ah… how did you know?

Gotcha.

It was bait thrown to catch evidence that Han Sena had meddled.

Yang Euichul wore a cold expression.

“The fact that Changhyeon-ssi suddenly turned around like this—obviously your mentor had a hand in it.”

-Mentor didn’t have a hand in it. It was purely my decision.

Do Changhyeon’s flustered voice came through the receiver.

“Yeah, well…. But Changhyeon-ssi, there’s something you absolutely need to know.”

-Yes?

“Han Sena-ssi. She has a lot of enemies in this industry.”

Do Changhyeon’s voice disappeared.

“Even if the contract fell through, we met like this by chance, so I’m giving you a small tip. Right now Han Sena might seem like she’s doing well, but it’s just a brief flash. She rose through noise marketing.”

-Noise marketing, what do you….

“All that talk about unprecedented moves in Korea and whatnot—there’s a lot of chatter among people. That’s all marketing. And that kind of marketing.”

-….

“Won’t care about Changhyeon-ssi even half as much as it cares about itself. You really need to properly identify who truly cares about you, man.”

Do Changhyeon’s response disappeared once again.

Yang Euichul slightly raised the corners of his mouth and spoke again.

“Contact me anytime if you change your mind. Just don’t take too long.”