In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 137

A few days later, on set.

“Alright, the blocking here goes like this… Are you three ready?”

The director was explaining the next cut to me, Lee Seonho, and a third person.

The third person listening grinned broadly.

“This is my first time doing something like this. Should be fun!”

That person was Seo Jaeyeon.

The director also chuckled in response.

“It’s my first time too. A cameo appearance. Usually these happen more often in movies.”

“It’s Sena’s drama after all. Plus I’m tired of all those rivalry articles.”

Seo Jaeyeon deliberately linked arms with me and struck a cute pose.

Flustered by my colleague’s social maneuvering, I bit down hard and forced my lips into a smile.

“I’m so happy our Jaeyeon came.”

Lee Seonho, who’d been watching us with curiosity, asked.

“How long have you two been close? This cameo is so sudden.”

“Ah, well, how it happened was…”

* * *

This morning.

During a filming break, I stopped by a famous nearby cafe with Manager Jinseok oppa…

A familiar SUV pulled into the intersection.

The car seemed to spot us and suddenly changed direction, approaching.

The driver’s window rolled down smoothly, revealing Seo Jaeyeon’s face.

“What about filming?”

Seo Jaeyeon asked while slightly lowering her sunglasses.

“Just a quick break.”

Seo Jaeyeon was wearing makeup too.

“What brings you here? Where’s your manager?”

Seo Jaeyeon shook her head and replied.

“Twisted her ankle this morning. Seriously, I’m the one doing action scenes but why’d she go and sprain her ankle?”

Despite the words, there was clear concern in her expression.

Seo Jaeyeon turned the steering wheel and parked.

From the back seat, a stylist poked her head out and greeted us.

It looked like she was driving herself to set with just the stylist.

The more I got to know Seo Jaeyeon, the more surprising she became.

Seo Jaeyeon got out of the car with a slightly frustrated expression.

“The action scene delayed filming. Wasted a bunch of time. Ugh, seriously. Nothing’s going right today.”

“Really?”

Watching the slightly irritated Seo Jaeyeon, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

“Want to come hang out at our set?”

“Hm?”

I grinned at Seo Jaeyeon.

Then Seo Jaeyeon whipped off her sunglasses and beamed.

“That’s it!”

As expected, she caught on immediately.

* * *

A quiet street with only a few passersby.

I clung tightly to Kang Jio’s arm.

It was an added Baek Jangmi scene.

Baek Jangmi had already left, so there hadn’t been any remaining filming, but this special cut was added.

“Should we go rest somewhere over there?”

I whispered to Kang Jio.

But the only thing visible on the street was a police station.

Kang Jio persistently defended himself and peeled my arm away.

“I told you not to do this when people are around.”

When I showed no signs of stopping, Kang Jio spoke somewhat sternly.

“Hey, if you keep this up I’ll report you, alright?”

“Oh, that sounds thrilling though?”

That’s when a detective who’d been listening nearby—Seo Jaeyeon—suddenly popped out.

The detective held up her police badge and asked Kang Jio seriously.

“Need help?”

Kang Jio flinched and immediately covered my face.

Then awkwardly turned his head and coughed before answering.

“N-no, I’m fine.”

The detective didn’t back down and approached one step, two steps.

“These days you need to report things like this right away. Don’t worry and get help.”

“I-I said I’m fine.”

“You there, miss, step away! He said he doesn’t like it.”

“N-no… I don’t dislike it.”

While Kang Jio waved one hand dismissively, the detective came right up to his face.

Then looked at Kang Jio with a slightly surprised expression.

“Huh? Kang Jio…?”

Kang Jio made a ‘this is bad’ face, then recognized the detective and let out an “Ah?”

“Choi Suyeon?”

Choi Suyeon was Seo Jaeyeon’s character name in <Powerful Woman>.

“Kang Jio, it’s been ages!”

Choi Suyeon exclaimed happily.

That’s when Kang Jio’s hand slowly fell from my face, and Choi Suyeon’s eyes widened as she recognized me.

“Y-Yu Dayang?”

Then Choi Suyeon looked at Kang Jio with a slightly disappointed expression.

“So it was real. The articles…”

Kang Jio nodded, looking a bit flustered.

“Yeah. She’s my girlfriend.”

Kang Jio squeezed my hand tightly in front of Choi Suyeon.

I sized up Choi Suyeon from head to toe with a suspicious expression.

“Who are you? Hey you. What’s with those eyes? You like this guy?”

Full-throttle Baek Jangmi mode.

Choi Suyeon scoffed as if incredulous.

Then looked at Kang Jio and said.

“So this is your type. Didn’t know.”

“This type?”

When I asked back, Choi Suyeon looked me up and down snidely and muttered loud enough for me to hear.

“Acts wild on TV too…”

“What’s the deal between you two?”

When I asked sharply, Kang Jio stammered.

“W-well, we were high school classmates…”

Choi Suyeon cut him off and answered instead.

“I had a crush on Kang Jio.”

Hearing that confident answer, I let out a hollow laugh.

“My, my. At least you’ve got taste.”

That’s when my eyes fell on Choi Suyeon’s necklace.

“Huh? That’s the RayMiz limited edition series… The one I was on the waitlist for and couldn’t get?”

Then I scoffed at myself as if wondering what I was even saying.

“Must be a knockoff. What would a cop know about that.”

Choi Suyeon fingered the necklace and smirked.

“You’ve got an eye for these things. It’s the real RayMiz limited edition. I was first in line.”

“What? Who do you think you are…”

I made a slightly dumbfounded expression.

“My family’s well-off. Can’t you tell from the fact I went to the same high school as Kang Jio?”

“…?”

“There was even brief marriage talk between our families. Right?”

From that point on, Kang Jio clamped his mouth shut and started watching my reaction carefully.

I wore a thoroughly pissed-off expression and scoffed.

“Everyone has a past. I don’t care about that stuff. I’m a cool woman, you know.”

“Oh, really?”

“Seriously, hilarious. From jewelry taste to men, why do our preferences keep overlapping?”

“Right?”

Choi Suyeon responded smugly and glanced down at my feet.

“Even our shoes.”

“Y-you two match pretty well…”

Kang Jio laughed nervously in the middle, sweating.

“Match? What matches!”

“Match? What matches!”

Choi Suyeon and I shouted simultaneously and glared at Kang Jio.

Kang Jio broke out in a cold sweat and froze.

“Let’s go!”

I dragged Kang Jio away.

Choi Suyeon leisurely waved at the departing Kang Jio.

“Your number didn’t change, right? I’ll call you.”

“Don’t call! Don’t call!!”

“Cut! Okay!!”

* * *

Laughter erupted on set.

All the staff, including the actors, burst out laughing and kept giggling for a while.

“Wow, that’s seriously hilarious.”

“Even the ad-libs were insane.”

“If we insert this into the Baek Jangmi scenes, it’ll be perfect.”

Seo Jaeyeon was also laughing loudly, clearly satisfied.

“Should we put the special thanks credit under your character name?”

At my idea, Seo Jaeyeon clapped enthusiastically.

“Yeah, good! How do you act so annoyingly well?”

Seo Jaeyeon said while looking at me.

“You were way more annoying though.”

I shot back with a smile.

Lee Seonho looked at us both and chuckled.

“You two really do seem to get along well.”

“Once this news gets out, it’ll be chaos again, won’t it?”

“Articles are going to flood in.”

The assistant director and director smiled with satisfaction.

* * *

One week later.

[<Powerful Woman> Detective Choi Suyeon’s surprise set visit? Check out the main episode of <Say Your Name>!]

Just as expected.

Before the buzz from the teaser and press conference had even settled, news of the special appearance quickly hit and caused a stir.

-Cameo appearance? So suddenly?

-Were they all friends originally…? Were we the only ones who didn’t know?

-Universe crossover before it even airs.

-Wow, I’m so excited. Seriously.

-At this level, aren’t both teams planning this marketing together?

-How did she appear with the detective concept in that drama?

-Could it be… Baek Jangmi gets dragged away by Choi Suyeon for public indecency?

⤷ This is it.

⤷ Perfect fit.

⤷ Seriously hilarious. Ah, I’m so curious.

I chuckled watching people memorize character names before the show even aired.

Then I pocketed my phone and let out a brief sigh.

“Huff…”

It was time to mentally prepare.

The atmosphere had briefly lifted with Seo Jaeyeon’s cameo appearance.

But within days, the filming set atmosphere had settled somewhat.

Especially Lee Seonho.

Today’s filming location was a lakeside walking path.

Lee Seonho sat far away by himself, reading his script.

Even from a distance, his expression looked dark.

Neither I, the staff, nor fellow actors were trying to talk to Lee Seonho.

Today was the day Kang Jio would send Lee Eunje away.

Lee Seonho had completely absorbed Kang Jio’s second farewell.

Watching Lee Seonho’s immersion made even my mood sink.

At times like this, I saw my familiar self in Lee Seonho.

Lee Seonho’s depth of immersion was truly exceptional.

And I knew these emotions all too well, having experienced them within the script myself.

Today was also the day I had to send Lee Eunje away.

Unlike Lee Seonho, I’d been deliberately joking around with staff since morning, maintaining upbeat energy.

Because I felt like tears would pour out if anyone so much as touched me.

But seeing Lee Seonho’s condition made me quietly worried.

Even when I tried not to go too deep into method acting, Lee Seonho made me feel like I was getting pulled in stronger.

Even the scene we were filming today resembled the actual day Lee Eunje had left.

The location, the weather.

That’s when Lee Seonho seemed ready and set down his script, taking a deep breath before approaching the camera.

I also mentally prepared myself and walked forward.

My eyes met Lee Seonho’s.

When I deliberately grinned at him, Lee Seonho turned his head slightly away.

He was already holding back tears.

“……”

A brief silence flowed between us.

Watching Lee Seonho’s face on the verge of crying made me bite my lip hard too.

Tears threatened to well up unexpectedly.

Lee Eunje and Kang Jio from the script came to mind.

Lee Eunje who’d accepted their parting, and Kang Jio who’d ached over it.

This won’t do…

Focus, Han Sena.

That’s when I heard the director’s voice.

“Ready, action.”

A distance of about two or three steps from Kang Jio.

A gentle breeze brushed past my forehead.

As if beckoning me to leave with it.

I bowed my head and smiled softly.

“From the start, I never wanted much.”

“Is that so?”

Kang Jio asked gently.

I raised my head and met Kang Jio’s eyes.

His pupils wavered instantly.

The moment I saw those sorrow-filled eyes, I lost my words.

“……”

I forced myself to continue with the next line.

“Everything scared me. People’s stares, this illness. And the fact that I have to disappear…”

Finally, tears pooled in Kang Jio’s eyes as he listened.

Lee Seonho couldn’t continue his line and dropped his head.

“Cut! NG.”