In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 135

One week later.

After finishing the teaser shoot, we were deep into poster photography.

It was chaotic—changing outfits and adjusting makeup countless times to match each personality concept.

Lee Seonho sat on a small sofa.

Baek Jangmi posed as if pouncing on Lee Seonho, Jung Sewoon in office wear watching them both with jealous eyes, Lee Eunje huddled in a corner keeping watch, Yu Dayang basking in the spotlight at center stage.

And Yu Hayeong standing at the very back, gazing at everyone with an unreadable expression.

Yu Hayeong was hidden in the poster’s dark corner, positioned so subtly you wouldn’t notice her unless you looked closely.

Fans and netizens would probably have fun discovering her.

It made for an interesting poster with all six people captured.

The editing team planned to arrange five versions of Han Sena around Lee Seonho.

As expected, the most challenging shoot was Baek Jangmi.

I had to climb onto the small sofa and act like I was pouncing on Lee Seonho.

“Well then, pardon me…”

“Ah, yes. Climb up comfortably…”

My face burned as we exchanged pointless pleasantries and got into position.

“Yes, Sena-ssi, move your legs to the inside of Seonho-ssi’s legs…”

The poster director was setting up the composition.

“Yes yes. That pose right there. Seonho-ssi, hold Sena-ssi’s wrists.”

The awkward position brought us suddenly close.

Lee Seonho gently grasped my wrists.

“Is this okay? You’re not uncomfortable?”

“Yes yes…”

This feels so off-balance—will it even look good?

Pushing aside the embarrassment, I looked at the director.

“Does this look good now?”

The director made a sucking sound while looking at the camera.

Hmm.

He bit his lip briefly, lost in thought.

That’s when I recalled how the pose had been when I was inside Baek Jangmi’s body.

I remembered when I’d been pouncing on Kang Jio without even realizing it.

Back then, I’d thrown myself at Kang Jio with everything I had, and Kang Jio had been desperately trying to hold me off.

It definitely hadn’t been this ambiguous pose.

“Seonho-ssi, could you lean your head against the armrest?”

Lee Seonho smoothly shifted backward.

I also swept my hair to the opposite side so my face would be visible to the camera, then pressed my body close.

Lee Seonho looked at me with slight surprise.

Tracing my memories, I found that pose.

Baek Jangmi actually comes in handy at times like this.

Sighing internally, I extended my wrists toward Lee Seonho.

“Could you grab them now? With a really scrunched-up expression.”

Lee Seonho grasped my wrists and acted like he was pushing me away just as I’d instructed.

But Lee Seonho wasn’t using any force at all, as if worried about hurting me.

“Hold my wrists tight, Seonho-ssi.”

“Hm?”

“Like you really hate it and you’re pushing me away.”

Lee Seonho looked at me briefly, then finally gripped my wrists firmly and pushed back.

The director’s face lit up.

“Oh, now! That’s perfect! This is it, this.”

“Wow, great pose!”

“Whoa, that’s hot!”

Two or three staff members around the camera applauded.

This is it.

“Let’s go, right now!”

Flashes began firing in rapid succession.

Lee Seonho looked at the camera while I kept my gaze fixed on Lee Seonho.

“Sena-ssi, could you look at the camera?”

The director gave the instruction.

I briefly looked at the camera, then a good idea struck me.

“Director, what if the characters looking at the camera are Yu Dayang, Kang Jio, and Yu Hayeong—just those three?”

“Huh?”

The director paused in thought as if he didn’t quite understand.

Then his eyes widened as if he’d caught my meaning.

“Oh, amazing. That’s perfect? You’re a genius.”

The director readily accepted the idea.

Lee Seonho seemed to catch the meaning too, smiling slightly from below.

“Sena-ssi, are you an idea bank?”

“Let’s go with that.”

It was an idea to subtly hint that Yu Dayang, Yu Hayeong, and Kang Jio were the core protagonists who’d remain until the end.

Sharp-eyed fans would probably catch it right away and theorize about the later content.

That would help promote the drama in its own way.

The director lifted the camera and shouted.

“Okay, then Sena-ssi keeps her gaze on Seonho-ssi. Expression like you’re pouncing! I’m going to have you!!”

The shoot proceeded energetically once more.

* * *

That afternoon after the poster shoot.

I was massaging my aching wrists while reviewing the script on set when Lee Seonho approached.

“I told you I’d grip gently.”

Lee Seonho handed me a small heat pack from who knows where.

Thanks to the director getting fired up and pouring all his energy into the Baek Jangmi shoot, filming had run thirty minutes over.

During that time, Lee Seonho had apparently been worried about my wrists.

I smiled slightly as I accepted the heat pack.

“Wait. Did you bruise it?”

Lee Seonho frowned and took my wrist.

“Oh.”

Only then did I properly examine my wrist.

If you looked closely, there was a faint bruise.

“Ah, what is this.”

Lee Seonho placed the pack on my wrist, looking upset.

“I’ll get you some ointment.”

“I’m fine. It doesn’t even hurt, and it doesn’t show.”

Lee Seonho didn’t relax his furrowed brow, letting out a deep sigh.

“The <Powerful Woman> teaser is out!”

A staff member shouted.

“What? I thought they were still editing??”

“Damn, our team’s one step behind!”

“Hey hey, play it quick!!”

Staff members swarmed over like a cloud.

I sat there stunned by the news, earlier than expected, when Lee Seonho quickly pulled out his phone beside me.

He immediately clicked on the <Powerful Woman> teaser video.

I leaned in beside him and started watching the video.

The teaser opened on a road.

A van carrying detectives was chasing a single black car.

The heart-pounding chase continued like mad…

Suddenly another van shot out and began pursuing both cars.

A moment later, the small black car ahead cleverly blended into other vehicles and escaped.

The two vans with tangled paths collided.

Screech—Crash!

The two vans came to a stop, rammed into each other.

Then from the passenger seat of one van, a thoroughly pissed-off detective stepped out, sweeping back her hair irritably.

“Which bastard is it!!!”

It was Sung Minhui.

Sung Minhui was roaring with a face I’d never seen from her before.

Her acting showed anger plus aura plus comedy all in a single line—that was a bonus.

Then from the other van’s passenger seat, Seo Jaeyeon stepped out.

Seo Jaeyeon was clutching her head as if she’d hit it, her face scrunched up.

Smoke rising from the car wheels cleared, and when Seo Jaeyeon and Sung Minhui confirmed each other’s faces, their expressions twisted.

“You again?”

“Get out of my life, please!!!”

“What about her. You let her go because of you.”

“Why are you blaming your incompetence on me. Just quit.”

Finally, the thoroughly enraged Sung Minhui threw off her jacket and headed toward Seo Jaeyeon.

Seo Jaeyeon didn’t back down either, walking toward Sung Minhui.

Burly detectives who’d piled out of the vans blocked the two women.

The two women ignored them and started grabbing each other’s hair.

“Ah, aah! Let go!”

“You really want to die? Hey!!!”

“Whoa, whoa, please. Team leaders. Let go, please.”

“Ha, seriously. Here they go again, these people.”

The road was a complete Asura battlefield.

I giggled watching the video.

The two women’s comedic acting was truly excellent.

I didn’t think I’d ever seen Seo Jaeyeon do comedy acting before.

It had a fresh feel to it.

The next scene immediately cut to a cozy home.

A cutely decorated living room.

Sung Minhui sat on the sofa with tissue stuffed in her nose, while Seo Jaeyeon had scratches on her face, both watching a TV drama.

“That mother-in-law is really awful, isn’t she.”

“Reminds me of my ex’s mom.”

Seo Jaeyeon giggled at Sung Minhui’s words.

The two roommates munched ice cream together, laughing away as if they’d never fought.

Photos on the home’s refrigerator and table showed the two had been through thick and thin together since childhood.

“How come your grip gets stronger every day?”

“That’s what I should say, you bitch. You got meaner after your divorce.”

“Should we go again? Really?”

After that, scenes unfolded of the two female detectives with their amazing friendship conducting a joint investigation over an unprecedented serial killer.

Including Seo Jaeyeon’s tearful journey to save her friend’s life.

My eyes sparkled watching the famous scenes packed into the short teaser.

As the teaser ended and the <Powerful Woman> title slammed onto the screen, I clapped.

“Wow, that’s good!”

Lee Seonho chuckled beside me.

“Sena-ssi, how can you say ‘that’s good’ right now? Huh??”

Lee Seonho was fired up all on his own again.

“Why not. We should acknowledge what’s well done.”

That’s when the staff who’d watched the teaser twice started bustling around.

“Ah, what are we going to do about falling behind. How far along is the editing team?”

“Wow, the real-time comments are insane. Views keep climbing too. Ugh, so annoying.”

“Shouldn’t we release ours today too?”

“Hey, where’s the director? Assistant director!!”

Everyone seemed anxious with one heart and mind.

Lee Seonho also kept playing the teaser repeatedly, checking comments, clearly bothered.

Am I the only one sitting here so relaxed…?

I placed my hand on Lee Seonho’s knee as he bounced his leg.

“Don’t be so impatient.”

“…”

“Ours is good too, right? Don’t you think?”

Lee Seonho stopped bouncing his leg and set down his phone.

Then smiled slightly.

“You’re right, Sena-ssi. I guess I was being too impatient.”

“Don’t worry. Our drama is good, and everyone’s doing their best.”

Lee Seonho nodded.

* * *

A little later, at the press conference venue.

The day had finally arrived.

From the building entrance, it was packed with banners and flower wreaths sent by Lee Seonho’s fans and my fans.

The seats were swarming with reporters.

Perhaps because of the competitive structure with the other drama, the atmosphere felt more intense than ever.

This morning, the <Powerful Woman> team had finished their press conference first, and articles were already flooding out like crazy.

I was taking photos with Lee Seonho, striking poses in front of the reporters’ flashing cameras.

“Could you two make a heart!”

Lee Seonho and I smiled and made heart poses while looking at the camera.

My heart suddenly felt full.

This day is finally here.

We still had some filming left, and I wasn’t ready to let go of this drama yet.

But knowing we’d be unveiling to the world a drama we’d agonized over for months made my feelings complex.

It feels like it was just yesterday when it existed only in the script.

“Truly a perfect couple! Please take your seats!”

Following the MC’s words, I sat on stage with the director.

The moment we sat down, reporters started firing questions like mad.

“Han Sena-ssi, what’s your criteria for selecting your next project?”

“Were there any fun episodes during filming?”

“Did you hear the news from this morning’s <Powerful Woman> team press conference?”

“You and Seo Jaeyeon-ssi are becoming rivals—do you stay in touch separately?”

I was stammering as I received the microphone when one reporter asked:

“Han Sena-ssi, are you confident you can beat <Powerful Woman>’s ratings?”