In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 157

In the end, it was close to 2 AM.

Rodriguez and the staff gathered in the conference room again.

This time, I was with them too.

Roddy had told me several times I didn’t need to come, but I was also one of the few people who knew this track.

Just the fact that I knew about this song placed some kind of responsibility on me.

Roddy and the staff all sat there with grim faces.

I was just as serious.

As a result of the internal meeting, it was confirmed the leak came from someone within the team.

However, until the IP tracking was complete, they couldn’t pinpoint who it was.

“We’ll have no choice but to remix it.”

One relatively optimistic staff member shrugged as he spoke.

Roddy also forced a smile hearing those words.

Seeing that face made my heart ache.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much effort and time Roddy had poured into working on that one song.

Whoever it was, the third track must have really bothered them.

More than that, they must have been dissatisfied with Roddy’s communication style too.

The notification that they’d have to remix probably became the decisive trigger.

But leaking it as retaliation was absolutely wrong.

Even I found myself sighing involuntarily.

How much more must Roddy be feeling inside?

That’s when other staff members voiced their opinions.

“Roddy, now’s not the time to remix. Since it leaked anyway, scrap that song and pick one of the two you were originally considering.”

“Right, this opinion’s correct. You need to think rationally. Don’t make emotional decisions. The release date is tight, and the music video completion deadline is too.”

“Now’s not the time to be stubborn.”

Most of the staff’s opinions seemed to have hardened even more.

Then Roddy shook his head.

“I’m sorry to everyone, but my mind hasn’t changed. My decision is set on the third track, and I already started remixing work this afternoon.”

The staff each pressed their foreheads and sighed.

“When can you finish the remix?”

Roddy fell into thought for a moment.

“Let me work on it and I’ll let you know within a week.”

* * *

And so the music video filming schedule got pushed back too.

I lay on the hotel room bed Roddy had extended for me, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Next project candidate scripts were piled on the bed.

Where am I, who am I?

Roddy had apologized to me with the face of a condemned criminal.

‘I’m really sorry, Sena. You must have your own schedule too. Just wait a little longer.’

But at some point, I’d become completely absorbed in this album myself and readily told Roddy it was fine.

After hearing about the situation, Minyeong unnie’s stance was also that it didn’t matter.

‘Just tell him to buy you a hotel.’

The unnie who joked like that gave me strict orders to pick my next project before the music video filming ended.

That mission made me sigh involuntarily.

I’d been continuing my internal thoughts about my next project while filming the music video as a way to clear my head.

What genre should I try this time, what kind of character should I take on, and so on.

I still craved new genres and scripts I hadn’t tried yet.

I turned my head briefly and sighed.

At the end of where my gaze landed sat a small invitation card.

It was the charity party invitation The Mesh had sent.

Below the invitation lay a box containing a dress.

Felt like I’d only just signed the ambassador contract.

The charity party was in three days.

This would be my first time at an event like this.

My heart fluttered nervously for no reason.

* * *

Three days later, Malibu.

After receiving dress fitting and makeup from dawn, I headed to the party venue in a whirl.

I’d never received such luxurious care in my entire life.

The dress I wore held quite significant meaning for The Mesh.

Made from fabric used to create parachutes, it was designed to showcase two disrobing performances.

Once would reveal red fabric symbolizing ‘blood,’ and once would reveal silver fabric symbolizing ‘sweat.’

It was a message emphasizing war, its victims, and the blood and sweat they shed.

Standing at the center of the event space in the dress.

Seeing reporters from around the world holding countless cameras made me briefly flustered.

That’s when I saw Jegal Seohyeong walking over from far away with a bright smile.

“Wow, you’re wearing the dress magnificently. You’re so beautiful!”

Seeing Jegal Seohyeong suddenly made me feel at ease.

As I exchanged handshakes with Jegal Seohyeong, flashes burst from numerous cameras.

Then, shortly after.

The chandeliers and all the event venue lights turned off…

One spotlight turned on directly in front of me.

Behind me, I could see a balcony decorated with a small garden.

In front of the watching cameras, I began disrobing the dress with the designer.

As the soft emerald dress transformed instantly into a red dress, gasps escaped from people’s mouths.

I struck poses that weren’t excessive, to let the dress shine.

I’d carefully dieted for three days to match the dress concept.

Then the second disrobing was revealed.

The designer released the hidden pins.

The white lighting dimmed slightly more, and my dress’s fabric split into thousands of lights and sparkled.

It embodied the sweat drops of many people.

Each time camera flashes burst, the dress showed off its power even more dramatically.

The designer clapped with a thoroughly satisfied expression.

People sent applause in unison, admiring the performance.

After slowly finishing my poses, I bent slightly at the waist to greet everyone.

“You’re so beautiful!”

“The dress is so pretty.”

“Who is that person? Han Sena? Korea??”

That’s when one of the head designers approached, took my hand, and exchanged greetings.

Then left a kiss on the back of my hand conveying gratitude.

* * *

After finishing the short performance.

One reporter approached and requested an interview.

Two or three cameras followed along filming me.

“How does it feel to attend this event, The Oblige?”

Hearing that, I fell into thought for a moment.

Just responding with joy about it being an honor wouldn’t suit this occasion.

I slowly opened my mouth.

“It was a great honor to showcase a performance in a space wielding such significant influence. I’m deeply honored to wear The Mesh’s work in a place like this.”

“Yes, the performance was so beautiful. I was completely captivated.”

“Thank you. <The Mesh>, which artistically elevates heavy subjects, is always thoughtful and powerful. In that sense, this performance held deep meaning for me too.”

“Even your answer is wonderful. Everyone seems to consider you the best dresser of this party—what do you think?”

Hearing that question left me momentarily dumbfounded.

“Rather than me being selected as best dresser, I think it’s more appropriate to call the dress I wore the best dress.”

“How modest!”

After finishing the brief interview with the reporter.

Peter, the head designer I’d greeted briefly earlier, approached.

“By the way, how’s Rodriguez’s music video filming going? You said you’re staying in LA, right?”

Earlier, I’d secretly revealed just to Peter that I was appearing in Roddy’s music video.

Actually, it was content many people were already speculating about.

But there was a separate reason I’d told only Peter.

“Yes, the music video filming schedule is almost wrapping up.”

“Oh, it’s not finished yet. The music video scale must be bigger than expected?”

“Ah, yes. That’s part of it. And like at any filming site, there was a small accident.”

I smiled slightly while looking at the designer.

“A small accident? Ah, there was that leak incident.”

The designer also conveyed sympathy, seeming to have heard the news.

“Yes… And the music video costumes got slightly damaged, so that’s also a problem.”

“What?! The costumes?”

“So we’ll probably have to give them to designer Evelyn.”

“Evelyn? Are you talking about that young female designer?”

Suddenly Peter’s brow furrowed.

“…? Ah, yes.”

Watching Peter’s frowning face, I sensed it instinctively.

So my hunch wasn’t wrong.

There was definitely something with Evelyn.

I quickly changed the conversation direction.

“Anyway, that’s why I’m worrying about it.”

Only then did I reveal the reason I’d confided my concerns to Peter.

“By any chance, does The Mesh have clothes with that kind of concept? Even if it’s not ready-to-wear but haute couture (high-end fashion design handmade from start to finish)…”

Before I could even finish my words, Peter drew a line in the air with his fingertip.

It meant not to worry.

“As soon as this party ends tonight, I’ll make it for you right away.”

“Huh?”

I looked at Peter in shock, hearing he’d make it personally rather than assigning another designer.

“If that happens, I’d be so grateful.”

“Pass the message to Rodriguez’s team. As soon as I receive the music video concept, I’ll start designing the costumes.”

“Wow, thank you so much!”

I grasped Peter’s hands.

* * *

[Han Sena Selected as Best Dresser at The Mesh Charity Party The Oblige!]

[Rising ‘Asian Star’ Receives International Attention!]

[Rodriguez’s Her, Han Sena! This Time With The Mesh…]

A few days after attending the charity party.

I was truly dazed from the pouring attention.

After hearing I’d been selected as best dresser, I was bewildered only briefly.

Once <The Oblige> photos and articles spread, not only various international fans but even Korea sent all kinds of praise.

Fans who saw photos taken at the party venue were especially going wild.

-Our unnie’s really a superstar now.

-Wow, she keeps getting prettier. Look at that beauty.

-Unnie lost weight T_T Please take good care of your health.

-Look at the designer’s expression. He’s happy enough to die.

-Treat our actress well, you people.

And the best dresser’s impact was stronger than expected.

Industry insiders left evaluations calling it not just best dresser but ‘best dress performance.’

Plus, the news that fans had donated to domestic and international veterans in my name became a hot topic in several places.

Fans didn’t stop there, but collected funds one more time and delivered them to The Mesh.

<The Oblige> had a tradition of selecting the best dress each time, auctioning off that outfit, then donating the proceeds.

Fans had known this in advance and paid for my dress.

Hearing that news made my nose tingle.

To think I’d receive this much care from fans.

On top of already being a hot topic for appearing in Roddy’s music video, this incident made international fans increase noticeably.

Among international fans, quite a few people misunderstood me as a ‘new face in modeling.’

Because when they searched for me, information about the hanbok fashion show and Masquerade magazine I’d briefly forgotten about came up.

Korean fans wrote posts and comments themselves correcting that I was a Korean actress.

Watching those scenes made me laugh.

I missed Korean fans.

Why would everyone do this much for me?

One week after the event ended.

The Mesh sent thanks, saying it was the year that received the most attention during <The Oblige> events.

Along with a contract to renew as global ambassador.

Right when I finished signing the contract that the North American branch manager personally brought—

A messenger arrived from Roddy after so long.

-The remixing’s going well. More importantly… it’s today!

Seeing Roddy’s messenger made me grin.

Right, it’s today.

The time has come.