In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 112

One week later, Round 4 studio recording day.

I sat in the waiting room with a haggard face, getting my makeup done in front of the mirror.

Even sitting still, my eyes kept threatening to flutter closed.

“I can do something about the dark circles, but your eyes are way too bloodshot?”

The stylist said with a troubled expression.

Hearing that, I fumbled my hand out and grabbed the handbag sitting next to me.

I pulled out the eye drops I’d prepared in advance from inside my bag.

Eye drops that erased bloodshot red veins.

I tilted my head back and squeezed one drop, two drops into my eyes, letting out a small scream.

“Aagh, my eyes hurt.”

“Oh no, using too much of that stuff is bad for you!”

“Aaaaagh.”

That’s when the waiting room door opened and Ha Seongjun walked in.

Ha Seongjun saw me with tears streaming down my face and jumped in shock.

“Wha, what? Why are you crying?”

I silently held up the eye drops toward Ha Seongjun.

“Good grief, you scared me! I thought you were having a mental breakdown from all the recent stress.”

Ha Seongjun patted his chest in relief and sat down in the seat next to mine.

“But seriously, I was so shocked. It all got decided way too suddenly, didn’t it?”

Ha Seongjun dropped the subject, object, and all context as he asked his question.

“It really did.”

At my answer, Ha Seongjun let out an impressed sound.

“You really are amazing, you know. I totally thought Do Changhyeon was going to Barum Entertainment.”

“Changhyeon needs to play in bigger waters. He’s got such a bright future ahead of him.”

“Look at you being all humble on top of everything!”

Ha Seongjun made an exaggerated fuss.

“Still, Sena-ssi, it really was dangerous. If you’d been even a little bit later, whew.”

Hearing Do Changhyeon’s words, I sighed as if to say ‘tell me about it.’

No kidding—from Do Changhyeon’s agency contract to making our position statement, we’d really fought for every second.

‘Listen, four news outlets had articles about you and Do Changhyeon drafted and were waiting for approval. That’s just the ones I heard about—there were definitely more, I’m sure.’

Minyeong unnie had laid out every piece of information she’d picked up from industry contacts.

If we’d really been even one minute late, who knows what situation we’d be in right now.

“Ugh.”

I didn’t even want to imagine it.

Park Seokjin sunbaenim, whom I’d run into early this morning entering the studio, had left me with one meaningful phrase: ‘Good work.’

Ha Seongjun ran his hand through his hair as he spoke.

“At least it’s good that he joined Lee Seokhyun-ssi’s company. Even AK can’t touch that place.”

“…Right.”

Ha Seongjun was correct.

Without Lee Seokhyun’s active support and the CEO’s quick response, our counterattack would have been too late.

“I heard that company’s CEO has quite the temper too. Once they bite, they tear the opponent completely apart.”

This damn industry—why is everyone always biting, chewing, and tearing each other apart?

Whether Yang Euichul would back down from here was still uncertain.

So I was still maintaining my guard, not letting it down for a second.

What’s Yang Euichul up to right now, I wonder.

“Recording starts in 30 minutes.”

Hearing the staff’s voice echo through the hallway, I straightened my posture.

If it was short, it was short; if it was long, it was long—the audition journey was right before its end.

I pushed aside the unpleasantness Yang Euichul had created and felt a strange sense of relief fill me up inside.

Even Do Changhyeon, who’d been my aching weak point, would no longer be my mentee after today passed—he’d become a colleague instead.

“Alright, let’s check the outfit now.”

I stood up from my seat, following the stylist.

* * *

“Now then, at last we’ve reached the final round of <Be Actors>! The audition for stars who dream of becoming actors—let’s begin the final chapter.”

With the MC’s opening remarks, the curtain finally rose on the last recording.

As bright studio lights flooded the space, the audience members holding placards in their seats came into full view.

The names of all sixteen participants were written on those placards.

The mentees’ families were also gathered here and there throughout the audience, watching with desperate expressions.

“Two short-form drama works that drew tremendous interest will be revealed here today. They are the bubbly, vivacious romantic comedy <Harmonica>, and the youth noir <Children Aging Out of Care>.”

Along with the MC’s project introduction, trailers began playing on the VCR.

Cheers poured out from the audience.

“Let me explain the order of events. First, screenings of both works will proceed. After that, judging and voting will take place, scores will be calculated, and the final rankings will be announced.”

While this would be an especially long recording, everyone sitting in the audience wore expressions full of anticipation.

The judging panel was the same.

The head judge and all four mentors had faces flushed with excitement, as if they were the ones about to take the stage.

For me too, though the exhaustion from dealing with Do Changhyeon’s agency problem all week had been momentary, my heart was pounding.

“Now then, let’s start viewing both works right away.”

<Harmonica> started first.

The studio lights snapped off and the sound of film rolling began flowing from the VCR.

The screen brightened, showing hazy film camera footage.

Video filled with affection, where lovers had captured each other on film camera.

As Hwang Yuseon’s mentee Kim Minseok and my mentee Min Sohyeon stood before the camera with brilliant smiles, gazing at each other, cheers erupted from the audience.

In the drama, the two played young teachers newly assigned to a rural elementary school, enjoying their own thrilling workplace romance(?).

The highlight scene was when Min Sohyeon learned to play the harmonica from Kim Minseok in an empty classroom after all the children had gone home.

Warm sunlight streaming through the window, thin curtains billowing dramatically in even the slightest breeze, radiant smiles blooming on both their faces.

Min Sohyeon and Kim Minseok were creating a fluttering situation so naturally it didn’t even seem like acting.

Watching that terrible harmonica playing brought a smile to my face without me realizing it.

Seeing the two of them captured together in one frame, the expression ‘matching art style’ came to mind.

The story flowed along overall without major ups and downs, leaning on the chemistry between the two.

Of course, some might find it boring.

Suddenly, the thought struck me—how long has it been since I’ve seen such a straightforward romance drama like this…

A pleasant stimulation, like ripples spreading across a calm water surface.

‘Teacher Jeong, why are you so bad at sports too?’

‘Hey now. You think you can look down on people just because you know how to play a harmonica?’

‘Not at all. It’s just that I’ve seen you running around with the kids on the playground sometimes. And you looked exactly like…’

‘Like?’

‘A mudskipper.’

The writer’s witty dialogue interspersed throughout made me burst out laughing.

Both actors delivered their lines plainly, not letting the actor’s greed overshadow the situation.

Hwang Yuseon and Ha Seongjun, who had an eye for rom-coms, made a fuss beside me the entire time.

“What what, what are they?”

“Wait, Minseok-ssi’s eyes, what are those? That’s love right there.”

“Whoa— where did he even learn to do that? I never taught him that.”

The supporting actors backing up the leads also shined in various situations.

Most of the supporting roles were teachers from other classes, making the romance between the two even more entertaining.

‘Ugh, it’s getting harder to pretend I don’t know about them anymore.’

‘Just leave them be. They think they’re fooling everyone.’

‘Good grief, if they knew even the principal knows, they’d fall over backward.’

* * *

After a brief break.

The screening of the second work began immediately.

<Children Aging Out of Care> captivated the audience with its heavy atmosphere, like dropping ink into the lingering aftertaste of the refreshing Harmonica.

It depicted the rough, lonely, sad process of orphanage-raised children adapting to society in extremely realistic terms.

The protagonist Do Changhyeon acted rough throughout with lifeless eyes.

Within that dryness dwelled a burning rage toward the world.

Now that I’m seeing this kid properly.

The dark circles from losing sleep dealing with Yang Euichul actually help quite a bit, don’t they?

I followed Do Changhyeon’s movements throughout, even letting trivial thoughts that I couldn’t tell anyone cross my mind.

But then when Do Changhyeon’s delinquent friend Go Seonho appeared, gasps of admiration suddenly erupted from the audience.

“Wow, he’s seriously handsome.”

“Just looking at his face, isn’t he the male lead?”

I could hear small whispers coming from right below the judging panel.

Ugh.

Objectively speaking, I had to agree.

I’d heard that Go Seonho received the most love calls from agencies despite his still-rough skills.

However, Do Changhyeon’s acting alone prevented the audience’s focus from scattering.

‘I’m not twisted. When I want love, I know how to ask for it. When I’m lonely, I know how to say I’m lonely. I just don’t have anyone to say it to.’

Do Changhyeon’s hollow eyes overlaying the writer’s dialogue pierced right through my chest.

Plus, though I’d let him go as a mentor, Yoon Haneul’s action scenes that spared nothing were so beautiful.

Yoon Haneul’s expression wearing a work apron from her part-time job while smoking, every single fingertip held traces of boredom.

Just as the main characters’ conflict was reaching its peak, an amazing scene unfolded.

‘I was glad you were an abandoned kid. Sorry. For holding onto hope in that kind of way.’

In the drama, Lee Hyoseo, who’d been hovering around Kim Yeongi, appeared completely drunk and roughly pressed her lips against Kim Yeongi.

The entire audience fell into shock simultaneously.

After the short, clumsy kiss, Kim Yeongi stopped Lee Hyoseo with a “Hey” as she turned to stagger away.

‘If you’re going to give affection, you have to take responsibility. Isn’t that the code between people like us?’

Kim Yeongi’s lips covered Lee Hyoseo again.

The camera captured the two’s uninhibited love in an intense close-up.

Gasp.

Cheers exploded simultaneously from both the judging panel and the audience.

I could see cameras quickly capturing the audience members’ expressions as they turned toward the audience.

Seeing all those distractions lasted only a moment—I covered even my escaping breath with my hand, watching their acting so my focus wouldn’t scatter.

Not because they’re my kids.

It was truly amazing.

A standout scene in the work, created by supporting and bit part actors.

I was overwhelmed by the emotions, mood, and chemistry the two had created.

When on earth did these two…

Park Eunki sitting next to me also stared at them with a dazed expression before asking.

“Sena-ssi, did you teach that?”

“No. Not at all…”

The video moved to the next scene, but the lingering effect of that kiss scene kept disturbing my heart.

* * *

“Now then, everyone has waited a long time. Shall we all give a round of applause to the actors who worked so hard?”

Looking at the audience exhausted from the long screening, the MC encouraged their response.

Before the break, we’d already finished the voting and judges’ scoring.

Now all that remained was the final ranking announcement.

All the participants stepped onto the stage, standing with tense expressions.

The MC took quite a while reciting each participant’s name and their role once more.

“Now then, let’s reveal them. In reverse order.”

Sound effects like drumbeats filled the studio.

But even that clichéd sound brought the studio tension to its peak.

“13th place Gwak Seonghyeok, 12th place Jang Heeyeon, 11th place Eom Danbi!”

“…?”

The lower ranks are already deviating from expectations.

While I looked down at my predicted rankings feeling bewildered, the other mentors also made shocked expressions.

Jang Heeyeon and Eom Danbi were friends who’d scored low in previous rounds.

Plus they had bit parts with the lowest role points.

Yet they ranked higher than two supporting actors.

Gwak Seonghyeok, who’d even been released at one point, had shown a true underdog victory.

How hard must those people have worked?

Park Eunki was staring at Gwak Seonghyeok with a complicated expression.

The MC continued slowly calling out rankings one person at a time.

That’s when our team member’s name was called for the first time.

“7th place Min Sohyeon!!”

It was a slightly lower number than I’d expected.

I hid my disappointment and made eye contact with Min Sohyeon standing on stage.

I gave Min Sohyeon a big smile to make sure she could see it clearly.

Min Sohyeon nodded as if understanding my feelings.

Seeing that somehow made me choke up.

“Now then, Min Sohyeon-ssi, how do you feel about placing 7th?”

The MC threw the question to Min Sohyeon.

The moment Min Sohyeon grabbed the microphone, tears immediately welled up in her eyes.

Seeing that made my own eyes turn red.

Oh, seriously.

Even while crying, Min Sohyeon smiled brightly.

“Other thoughts aren’t really coming to me… I just want to say thank you to my mentor. For taking me this far. For taking responsibility and pulling me along this whole time, I’m so grateful.”

I stood up from my seat and applauded Min Sohyeon.

She’d had less acting experience than the other friends, yet she’d been so excellent.

I quickly grabbed the microphone and spoke.

“I’m so proud of you, Sohyeon.”

In the end, both Min Sohyeon and I burst into tears.

“Thank you, Mentor.”

After wiping away tears for a while like that, I sat back down.

The MC continued with a smile.

“Such a close-knit team. Now then, we still have the 6th place announcement remaining.”

I stopped the hand that had been cooling my flushed face.

Huh? Already 6th place?

But Hyoseo and Yeongi’s names haven’t been called yet…?