In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 12

“Are you out of your mind? Did you even memorize the script? One person is causing hours of delay right now, you hear me?”

Male lead Kim Jung-hoon bowed his head repeatedly before the director.

Everyone else held their breath, busily finding things to do while moving about.

They all knew Director Moon’s tantrums gathered like a spirit bomb, and once they exploded, there was no controlling them.

Just like now.

As far as everyone knew, the director was currently at his most frayed since his debut.

The staff and actors had all already received the notice.

With the news of next week’s broadcast, without exception, everyone’s feet were on fire.

Usually they struggled even after filming about half the drama before airing, but now they had to take a gamble close to going live with only about 3-4 episodes filmed.

Articles had gone out overnight, and the broadcasting station higher-ups were relying entirely on Director Moon.

The director bearing that responsibility was naturally…

“Is everyone going to snap out of it or what?! You all want your livelihoods cut off?”

He had no choice but to be completely on edge.

The assistant director, who’d been reading the room, hurriedly prepared the next filming set, worried the sparks might fly his way.

Phew, looks like he pulled an all-nighter yesterday.

The assistant director sighed.

The previous day, he’d briefly overheard Kim Jung-hoon poking around the filming teams here and there, suggesting they go to a club.

In the end, he’d taken all the actors his age to the club…

It seemed the other staff besides Director Moon knew about it too.

Everyone exchanged whispered conversations.

“That guy’s got some nerve. They said even when they tried to stop him yesterday, he insisted on going.”

“What kind of atmosphere is this? Did all the actors go to the club yesterday?”

“Yeah. Everyone except Sena-ssi.”

The murmuring words naturally focused on Han Sena, worried the director might hear.

The assistant director’s gaze naturally turned toward the waiting room where Han Sena was.

He especially remembered how when the actors had all rushed off to the club yesterday, she’d stayed behind alone to help the staff clean up the set.

Showing up this morning in perfect condition was a bonus.

She couldn’t help but be compared to Kim Jung-hoon.

“She doesn’t even feel like a rookie getting whipped into shape—she’s really unusual.”

“Her attitude’s good, right. Moving chairs, cleaning up trash… Even for a rookie, who acts like that.”

Well, she did seem quite diligent.

The assistant director nodded to himself as he finished the filming setup.

When he sent an okay sign to the youngest staff member, Han Sena quickly walked out of the waiting room.

But…

The assistant director’s face instantly darkened when he saw Han Sena’s face.

Han Sena, with full makeup done, was… pretty.

“We’re screwed.”

His inner thoughts burst out as words.

She was supposed to look haggard in this scene.

As the assistant director bit his lip, Director Moon shouted from behind.

“Hey, Jung Chaesung! Did you properly communicate about the makeup or not?!”

Ahhh.

The assistant director squeezed his eyes shut and bowed his head.

“I’m sorry! I’ll fix it!”

Just then, Han Sena looked at the bowing assistant director with startled eyes.

“…?”

Han Sena carefully studied the assistant director’s face as he raised his head.

“You bastard, I told you several times to quickly communicate to the actor that the filming order changed!”

“I’m sorry!”

“Do you really want to watch me die of exhaustion?!”

Han Sena, who’d confirmed the assistant director’s face, interjected into the situation where everyone was silently holding their breath.

“Um, Director!”

Everyone’s gazes snapped toward Han Sena.

Han Sena smiled gently.

“If it’s all right with you, could you maybe hear me out?”

Director Moon, who’d been fuming, looked toward Han Sena and let out a deep sigh.

He was cooling his anger.

“Go ahead, Sena-ssi. Speak.”

It was the gentlest tone all day.

“Something occurred to me. This is the scene where the female lead acts pitiful in front of the male lead, right? So how about starting from removing the makeup?”

“Yoo Ji-an herself?”

Director Moon listened to Han Sena’s story with a considerably softened voice.

“Yes. It would bring Yoo Ji-an’s character to life quite well, and then we could transition to the scene where she touches the male lead’s guilt.”

Director Moon fell into thought for a moment.

Then he opened his mouth again.

“Not bad. Let’s try filming it. We need to reduce the delay quickly anyway.”

Director Moon scowled again.

“Hey Jung Chaesung, Kim Jung-hoon!”

“Yes, Director.”

The two men bowed their heads.

“Let’s really get it together.”

“Yes!”

Kim Jung-hoon immediately picked up the script and started cramming the lines into his head, while Jung Chaesung ran off to announce the changes to each team.

Color finally returned to Jung Chaesung’s face as he moved his feet.

I’m alive…

He’d nearly become the huge sacrificial lamb of Director Moon’s tantrum day.

Jung Chaesung let out a sigh of relief and glanced back toward the director, and Han Sena standing behind winked at him.

Jung Chaesung was startled, bowed his head, and scratched the back of his head.

Then he let himself be swept away by the incoming tsunami of emotion for a moment.

She’s an angel, that person is truly… an angel.

* * *

Filming set waiting room.

I’d gotten an okay in one take for the problematic makeup scene and finished monitoring.

Pretty decent…

My appearance acting in my young form still felt oddly striking.

Not just that, but seeing myself perform completely different acting from before was fascinating even to watch…

I could feel the role truly coming alive.

With my support, the male and female leads’ relationship became more flavorful too.

A sigh of relief escaped.

Earlier when I’d interjected between Director Moon and the assistant director to throw out an idea, I’d actually been nervous.

I hope other people liked it too…

By the way, why is someone like Jung Chaesung in a place like this…?

That famous thriller-comedy director Jung Chaesung had been rolling around as Flat Shoes’ assistant director…

I was truly shocked earlier.

Why am I only realizing this now?

Ugh, this Han Sena memory of mine.

I tapped my head with the script.

But anyway, I’d left a good impression with impact.

In this industry, connections or favors that came and went even once often became great fortune at unexpected times.

So being nice would all be useful somewhere.

Just then, the youngest directing staff member came into the waiting room grinning and poked my side.

“Girl, you watching everything that’s aired?”

“Of course I’m watching. What, aren’t you busy? Our Jieun?”

When I teased back, Jieun laughed.

I’d quickly become close with Jieun from cleaning up together at the set every day and chatting.

“Sena-ssi, the meal truck came. Let’s go eat.”

Evening, as darkness began settling.

Outdoors where several folding tables were set up, actors and staff began eating a late dinner.

Today’s menu was cabbage doenjang-guk with hamburg steak.

I roughly scooped food onto my plate and looked around with Jieun…

Yu-ri waved toward me.

“Sena-ssi! Over here!”

Yu-ri and the assistant director were sitting together eating.

I moved my feet that way.

Taking a seat across from the assistant director…

“Hello. Can I sit here?”

Jung Chaesung’s eyes widened as he shoved rice into his mouth.

“Ahbshotely. Hab a shat! Kheuk.”

“Oh my, is it because of me? I’m sorry. Here, have some water.”

I hurriedly scooped water and handed it to the choking Jung Chaesung.

Jung Chaesung quickly drank the water, finally calmed down, and picked up his spoon again.

“Sorry for choking…”

“What are you sorry for? Not at all!”

Watching that made me a bit flustered.

…Was he always like this?

He’d definitely been the most taciturn and quiet person on set.

Someone who precisely arranged all the set settings according to the director’s instructions, and sometimes even before the director’s instructions.

Days when he got scolded like today were rare.

But meeting him in person, he was the very image of someone clumsy and naive.

To think this person would become that famous thriller-comedy master.

Jung Chaesung, unlike earlier, couldn’t eat properly after sitting across from me and kept watching for my reactions.

Then Yu-ri and Jieun laughed.

“Our assistant director is really shy, you know.”

“Oh dear, here we go again. Again.”

The two women gave the assistant director a hard time.

“Ah… I guess I’m making you uncomfortable by sitting here. I’m sorry.”

“No. Thank you for earlier.”

A laugh escaped at Jung Chaesung’s thanks.

So this innocent person could roll around in the industry.

That such a person could create such original films, I thought.

Jieun refilled Jung Chaesung’s cup with water.

“Thank you.”

I somehow felt sorry for him, like watching a cousin struggling through working life.

“Is the set… something you can handle?”

It was funny that I, also a rookie, was asking as if looking after him—I realized as soon as the words left my mouth.

But at my question, Jung Chaesung smiled shyly and nodded.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Still, for the broadcast schedule to be suddenly moved up like this.”

Jieun put down her spoon and let out a deep sigh.

Yu-ri also ran her hand through her hair, looking tired.

“Starting as a general programming channel isn’t easy.”

I silently put rice in my mouth while listening to their sighs.

But pressure rose on this side too.

In just two weeks, I’d be filming while seeing people’s reactions…

If lukewarm responses poured in by any chance, I’d have to endure that criticism while acting.

Surely that won’t happen.

And more than anything, by that time.

The worst thing I’d experienced around this time in my previous life—something I didn’t even want to imagine—came to mind.

The trigger that started my life going wrong.

I shook my head.

To deliberately lift the mood, I spoke to Jung Chaesung again.

“How did you start on this drama?”

“Ah… I originally wasn’t going to do it, but I ran out of money. I did go to the interview though…”

People eating around us also listened to Jung Chaesung’s words.

“At the interview venue, I told the director people who talk to you a lot privately are difficult, and he said he absolutely hates those kinds of people too and told me to work together.”

As soon as those words ended, laughter erupted from here and there.

It was an amazing behind-the-scenes story.

I was speechless and just blinked, when a staff member from the next table laughed and chimed in.

“That otaku—he may look like that, but he was an ace at other sets. That’s why the director had his eye on him from way back.”

“Otaku, really. Ahem…”

A laugh naturally escaped as soon as I heard it.

Jung Chaesung’s ears instantly turned red.

“Will Chaesung-ssi also do your own work later?”

At my question, Jung Chaesung fell into thought.

“Could I do it… with this personality.”

Then staff at surrounding tables giggled.

“What’s wrong with your personality? Look. People are laughing comfortably like this because they’re comfortable.”

At my words, Jung Chaesung just smiled and scratched his head without saying anything.

“Besides, otakus make the best works originally.”

“Really?”

“Of course. The more otaku, the better they know what’s fun and what’s not.”

Then Jung Chaesung fell into thought.

“As expected, Sena-ssi gives off this vibe…”

“Hm?”

“Every time I see you, I feel like you have the depth of someone in their forties.”

My hand holding chopsticks stopped dead at Jung Chaesung’s incomprehensible remark.

What the hell, this kid.

“Assistant director, are you saying our Sena-ssi looks old?”

“Oh my, oh my, what a turnoff.”

Yu-ri and Jieun pelted Jung Chaesung with stones.

Then Jung Chaesung made an “oh crap” face and hurriedly apologized.

“I’m sorry. Not that you look old or anything, but you do everything so well and you’re so considerate. I misspoke. I’m sorry.”

I smiled while hiding my startled feelings toward the repeatedly apologizing Jung Chaesung.

“That’s a compliment. Thank you.”

He was an inscrutable person.

He seemed to have intuition developed more keenly than ordinary people.

That seemed to be where the strange feeling he gave off came from too.

He definitely wasn’t ordinary.

“Use me later when you do your work, Chaesung-ssi.”

“Huh? When I… do my work… Sena-ssi will probably already be a great actress by then. The levels won’t match…”

“No. Please use me. Definitely!”

Jung Chaesung didn’t know what to do with himself at my demanding tone.

“It would be my honor.”

“You promised, okay?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Then I won’t talk to you anymore. Eat comfortably.”

“Th-thank you.”