In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 125

“Help me.”

I looked at Kang Jio and spoke desperately.

“I need to find out who that personality is. They said that personality might harm me.”

“Harm you?”

Kang Jio furrowed his brow.

“I want to know if that personality has any relationship with the other personalities. And… what kind of relationship you had with them.”

But as Kang Jio listened to my words, his expression suddenly grew troubled.

Then he said.

“That might be a bit difficult.”

“Difficult?”

When I asked back, Kang Jio stared at me intently.

“Do I really need to talk about something like this.”

“…?”

“I had an accident when I was young. Around middle school. I lost my grandfather then, and maybe because of the trauma, I can barely remember anything that happened before that.”

“……”

I gaped in shock, unable to continue speaking.

I never knew there was a backstory like this in the later part of the script.

Kang Jio continued.

“If your last personality and I knew each other, we probably met long ago, back when I can’t remember.”

Now all the puzzle pieces fell into place.

Yu Dayang’s line from before, thrown out like an accusation asking why he didn’t recognize her.

Just how deep was the history between these two?

“So it’s difficult. I can’t recall those memories.”

“Do you want to find those memories?”

I asked cautiously while gauging Kang Jio’s expression.

Then Kang Jio silently took another sip of his drink.

And gazed at me quietly.

“I tried hard to find them for a long time. But it didn’t work at all.”

“Maybe… my last personality could help…?”

I threw out the uncertain hypothesis.

Then Kang Jio looked at me with slightly trembling eyes.

I met Kang Jio’s gaze.

* * *

“Breathe slowly. And open your eyes again.”

The hypnotherapy room.

Following my psychiatrist Nam Woohyeok’s voice, I traveled to somewhere deep before returning to reality again.

I slowly opened my eyes.

“Are you with me?”

Nam Woohyeok asked gently.

“You’re showing more improvement than before. You followed the hypnotherapy well. The other personalities too.”

“Really…?”

Still a bit hazy, I listened to Nam Woohyeok’s words.

Nam Woohyeok handed me a glass of water.

I drank the water while clearing my head.

When Yu Dayang’s body fell into hypnosis, it felt strange.

My body felt like it was floating, and it was more like I was being pushed out of the body.

In my unconscious state, I’d heard the personalities conversing with Nam Woohyeok.

Nam Woohyeok spoke in a gentle voice, though it had grown somewhat serious.

“All the other personalities want the same thing.”

Hearing those words, I nodded.

I’d already heard it myself.

‘I don’t want to remain as just a part of Yu Dayang. I want to be seen as my complete self.’

Baek Jangmi, Jung Sewoon, and Lee Eunje had all said the same thing in different ways.

And the person who would see them as complete personalities the way they wanted—that would probably be Kang Jio.

The only people who knew about Yu Dayang’s multiple personalities were her mother and her psychiatrist, and these two only saw the other personalities as existences that needed to disappear.

I felt a bit unsettled, understanding those feelings.

Nam Woohyeok opened his mouth with a slightly darkened expression.

“But the last personality didn’t respond to the hypnosis.”

“…Can’t be helped.”

“And Kang Jio.”

“Yes?”

Nam Woohyeok suddenly spoke Kang Jio’s name.

I looked up at Nam Woohyeok, startled.

“I’m not sure how your personalities all got so entangled with Kang Jio.”

“……”

“I think Kang Jio can give your personalities what they want.”

“Yeah……”

That’s when Nam Woohyeok threw out a meaningful question.

“What about you, Dayang?”

“What?”

“Does Kang Jio feel like someone who sees you for who you really are?”

“……”

It felt like a question that crossed the line between doctor and patient a bit.

I looked straight at Nam Woohyeok.

“Are you asking that as my psychiatrist?”

Then Nam Woohyeok dropped his head in embarrassment.

“Ah, sorry. I made a mistake.”

“If the treatment’s done, I’ll get going.”

I stood up from my seat right away.

Leaving the flustered Nam Woohyeok behind, I left the therapy room.

* * *

An abandoned dog shelter in Gyeonggi Province.

Wearing protective gear, Kang Jio and I were diligently cleaning the kennel.

“Eunje-ssi, aren’t you hot?”

Kang Jio asked in a gentle voice while handing me water.

Seriously.

I glanced at Kang Jio inwardly.

With Lee Eunje, he acts like a caring older brother looking after his younger sibling.

Why does he have to be so cold only to Yu Dayang?

I lowered my head as I took the water.

“Ah, thank you.”

By now I felt confident mimicking Lee Eunje.

That’s when a small puppy came chasing after me and clung to my leg.

“Aww, cute.”

I sat on the floor and petted the puppy when Kang Jio came over and sat down the same way, looking at me.

“Do you like animals?”

“Yes, they’re cute.”

Kang Jio nodded at my words and petted the puppy along with me.

Before I knew it, both Kang Jio and I were drenched in sweat.

As soon as we finished cleaning, the shelter director and staff came over to thank us.

“Wow, a top star couple with such good character.”

“You two really suit each other.”

I listened to those words awkwardly while Kang Jio beside me showed a warm smile.

“Thank you.”

I looked at Kang Jio in surprise as he spoke almost like he was acknowledging the scandal, when Kang Jio pulled my arm toward him.

Then said quietly.

“Let’s go, Eunje-ssi.”

Without meaning to, hearing those words made me smile.

It felt like not just me, but Lee Eunje’s personality was also smiling inside.

Having your full name called could be such a joyful thing.

As we headed out to the parking lot…

Suddenly I felt Lee Eunje’s sense of self growing stronger.

Once again, the sensation that my body wasn’t moving as I wanted.

That’s when Lee Eunje burst out and spoke to Kang Jio.

“I’m not going to be greedy for much.”

Kang Jio looked at me with a confused expression.

“I’ve been waiting for a moment like this.”

“……”

“Just a short time together with someone who calls me by my name.”

“……..”

“This is enough for me. I won’t be greedy anymore. Take care… Thank you.”

“Wait.”

The moment Kang Jio opened his mouth in panic—

Suddenly the strength drained from my body.

My knees buckled and my vision went dark.

“Eunje-ssi! Eunje-ssi!”

But from somewhere, I heard Lee Eunje’s voice.

‘Thank you too. I don’t know who you are, but. You’re one of us too, right? Please take care of everyone.’

That’s when golden letters appeared before my eyes again.

‘(1/5)’

* * *

“Mmm.”

When I opened my eyes, I was in Kang Jio’s car, which had become familiar by now.

Kang Jio, who’d been driving, turned to look at me in surprise.

“Are you feeling better?”

I looked at Kang Jio wordlessly.

Kang Jio met my eyes, then briefly pulled over to the shoulder.

Silence filled the car.

Lee Eunje had left.

Lee Eunje had received a small kindness from Kang Jio, said that was enough, and left.

The number written in golden letters represented the count of personalities.

Why did this feel so unsettling?

Looking at Kang Jio’s expression, he seemed to feel the same way.

Kang Jio muttered to himself.

“So I have to go through three more farewells like this.”

Kang Jio looked confused.

Even if it was just a brief moment, someone who’d shared their heart with him had vanished forever.

It couldn’t be helped.

Watching Kang Jio, I felt sorry.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what.”

“For dragging you into this when I asked for help. For making you go through difficult things too.”

Then Kang Jio shook his head.

“I started this because I wanted to.”

“……”

Hearing that answer, I felt it.

This person is really impressive.

“How’s your body?”

“I’m fine.”

Kang Jio seemed lost in thought for a moment before opening his mouth again.

“What’s your schedule the day after tomorrow?”

“I’m free these days. I canceled all my schedules to focus on treatment.”

“Perfect. Come somewhere with me.”

“Where?”

Kang Jio silently started the engine again.

* * *

“……It really disappeared.”

In the hypnotherapy room, I faced Nam Woohyeok again.

Nam Woohyeok discovered that Lee Eunje had disappeared and showed a shocked expression.

“Kang Jio really does hold the answer.”

Under Nam Woohyeok’s shocked face, I could sense something like defeat.

Nam Woohyeok seemed to decide to bury those personal feelings and opened his mouth.

“You should increase the time you spend with Kang Jio and get more active help from him.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. For now, you can consider Kang Jio as your psychiatrist.”

Nam Woohyeok grinned and looked at me.

“Congratulations on making progress in your treatment.”

While looking at Nam Woohyeok’s smiling face, I thought to myself.

Even though he’s the sub-male lead, this person is also a wonderful man.

Because he’s someone who can put the other person’s wellbeing before his own feelings for the woman he loves.

“Thank you, Woohyeok. It’s all thanks to you.”

* * *

Two days later, an old vacation home.

Kang Jio drove his car for hours from the morning, bringing me to the outskirts.

In the vacation home living room, Kang Jio casually tossed his coat onto a sofa that looked like it had been used for over 200 years.

I looked around the spacious vacation home interior with my mouth hanging open.

“What the hell is this haunted mountain lodge?”

Yu Dayang would definitely throw out a line like that.

Kang Jio answered with a completely unbothered expression.

“It’s a vacation home my grandfather cherished.”

“Ah.”

Should I throw some joke now?

Would Yu Dayang refrain from doing that?

“Well, it’s old, but it’s well-maintained.”

Then Kang Jio smirked.

“How rare for you to show consideration.”

“I’m better at that kind of thing than you.”

I also placed my handbag anywhere and sat down.

But at that moment, my head suddenly felt dizzy.

Wait, suddenly again.

I felt someone’s personality inside waking up.

When I grabbed my head, Kang Jio reflexively stood up and came closer.

“What’s wrong, are you okay?”

Kang Jio’s worried voice momentarily grew distant.

And once again, my body lost control.

My body jumped up and pushed Kang Jio onto the sofa.

“?!”

Kang Jio looked up at my face in shock.

“Baek, Baek Jangmi?”

“Wow, you recognize me right away now.”

The awakened Baek Jangmi excitedly pounced on Kang Jio.

Ugh, please stop.

I still couldn’t imitate Baek Jangmi at all.

So much so that it was impossible for me to take control of the body.

But then—

Kang Jio released the strength from the hands that had been pushing me away.

“…?”

I looked down at Kang Jio in surprise.

Kang Jio looked at me like he was saying, go ahead and try.