In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 161

But the hate comments didn’t just occasionally catch my eye—they quickly started spreading.

All kinds of articles, SNS posts, and community sites got flooded with hate comments about me.

It’s like that psychology where Bill Gates earning trillions doesn’t make your stomach hurt, but your cousin buying land does.

Whenever the music videos dropped, overseas reactions were nothing but praise, yet domestically the reviews were harsh.

Eventually, hate comments crossed the line, and Minyeong unnie was preparing to file lawsuits.

“Just say the word and I’ll handle everything.”

I told her it was fine and tried to calm unnie’s anger with forced composure.

People around me also sent consoling messages, more upset on my behalf than I was.

-Lee Seokhyun: So many weird jerks out there. You know how it is, right? Don’t let it get to you! Can’t be a top star if you stress over stuff like this! I’ll leave positive comments for you!

-Kim Eunseo: Looks like I don’t even need to jump in and leave hate comments myself lol You okay?

-Seo Jaeyeon: Why not sue them while you’re at it? It’s fine to do that these days.

-Lee Seonho: Sena-ssi, how’s your condition lately? Been watching the music videos. They’re amazing! Don’t worry about any pointless talk!

-Seon Yuseok: Noona, you okay? Let’s meet up sometime.

Reading the worried messages, I fell into thought for a moment.

Well, thinking about it differently, I am the beneficiary here.

It wasn’t like I deliberately used someone else’s fame, but…

It was true that compared to my past life, far better opportunities had come my way.

I ended up rereading the hate comments, lost in thought.

The HBC project came to mind.

Would doing a solo lead project at a time like this help settle this public opinion?

Minyeong unnie must have been thinking the same thing because she sent me a message.

-Have you decided on your next project? I think trying HBC would be good. There’ll be a lot to handle, of course.

-But this is the perfect opportunity where you can compete purely on your name value and acting skills.

“Yeah, I think so too.”

I muttered to myself.

* * *

“Fifty million per episode?”

The very next day, in front of the HBC building.

Before heading into the meeting, I talked with Minyeong unnie on the phone and my jaw dropped.

Unnie told me HBC had proposed an astronomical per-episode fee.

It was almost double what I’d earned on my last project.

I’d heard that one or two top actors commanded fees in the hundred millions, but.

Considering even top actors typically got around fifty million…

Plus, this was still the late 2010s.

HBC was making a massive bet on this project.

“Got it for now.”

I hung up with unnie and headed to the meeting room.

In the meeting room, Shin Hanjun, whom I’d met at the LA dock, was there in person.

The initially awkward business atmosphere between us, so different from when we’d met before, lasted only briefly.

The moment I sat down, the producer who’d come with Shin Hanjun actively pitched.

“Wow, my wife is such a huge fan of yours, Sena-ssi. What did she say again? That you have the most female fans of any actress who’s debuted so far?”

“Oh really? Our Sena-ssi is obviously an unprecedented top actress now.”

Shin Hanjun and the HBC PD laughed along, hyping me up to match the mood.

“You know the writer well, right? She’s famous enough to be called a blockbuster specialist—she’s written several blockbusters before. Plus this time, she wrote it with you specifically in mind.”

I nodded, recalling the script.

It was clear she’d deeply analyzed my usual acting tone and strengths to incorporate them into the script.

“The director’s decided too. Director So Jaehyeong also has an impressive filmography. Now if you just decide, we’ll truly have a dream team.”

Shin Hanjun and the producer smiled good-naturedly.

I smiled slightly at them and asked.

“By the way, what kind of person is the director?”

The producer maintained his smile as he answered.

“In a word, skilled. He shoots everything from period dramas to contemporary ones. Really prolific.”

That was information I already knew.

“What’s his working style like?”

“Ah, well. We don’t know much about that ourselves, but his skills are guaranteed, so…”

The producer trailed off, evading my question about the director’s working style.

“…?”

That’s when the HBC PD quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, we’ve really put everything on the line. We’re counting on you.”

“Yes… Have all the other roles been cast?”

“Yes, all cast except for one male supporting role.”

“Oh really? Which role is left?”

“The protagonist’s father. We’d been in talks with actor Park Hoon, but he suddenly pulled out… Anyway, don’t worry about it. We’re looking again.”

Park Hoon sunbaenim?

The moment I heard that, something felt off.

Park Hoon sunbaenim had already worked with me playing the uncle role in <Flat Shoes>.

But Park Hoon sunbaenim wasn’t someone who’d suddenly back out after agreeing to a role.

Somehow, I felt uneasy.

“Thank you so much! We’re really counting on you!”

“Yes, I’ll contact you once I’ve decided.”

I exchanged greetings and left the meeting room.

* * *

-Yeah, Sena, it’s been a while. How’ve you been?

The moment I left the HBC building, I called Park Hoon sunbaenim after so long.

Sunbaenim answered cheerfully.

“Sunbaenim, you’re well, right? Actually, I came to an HBC meeting and heard about you, so I thought I’d reach out.”

-Ah, you mean the HBC special project?

Sunbaenim answered somewhat reluctantly, so I deliberately brought up the director, playing dumb.

“Yes, I was disappointed we won’t get another chance to work together. I heard the director’s really skilled too…”

Sunbaenim laughed with what sounded like a slight catch in his voice.

“Got it.”

Acting deliberately clueless, I pressed one step further.

“Oh right, do you happen to know what kind of person the director is?”

At my question, sunbaenim let out a small sigh.

-I’ll be honest with you because it’s you. The director isn’t a bad person. But our styles just don’t mesh.

“Ah…?”

-That director, how should I put it… He picks at people until he gets the result he wants. He teaches everyone the same way—top stars and rookie actors alike.

The word “teaches” made my brow furrow involuntarily.

I felt a strange, unsettling vibe.

The fact that sunbaenim had something to say openly like this was a bad sign to begin with.

-To put it nicely, he doesn’t discriminate. To put it badly, he’s that much of a one-man army.

“Ah, I see. So sunbaenim, you quit after hearing Director So Jaehyeong was attached?”

I asked sunbaenim cautiously.

-Yeah. Working with that guy makes me depressed.

Hearing that made me burst into laughter without meaning to.

-Seriously. But if you’re the type who thinks the result is all that matters regardless of the process, you’ll get along well with that director. His skills are solid. It’s just me who doesn’t fit.

“Yes, sunbaenim… Thank you for being honest with me.”

-Yeah, think it over carefully. By the way, the music video was so good. Got me listening to pop songs too! Fighting!

Sunbaenim sent his encouragement in his usual bright voice.

Hearing that voice made my disappointment deepen.

It would’ve been a chance to work with sunbaenim again.

“Yes, sunbaenim. See you later!”

* * *

Should I do this or not?

While drowning in an unprecedented serious dilemma, the music videos were approaching the release of just the third track.

Roddy’s album and music video success kept rising in a steep curve, breaking all kinds of records.

While the music videos were being released, various international offers poured into the company.

Among them, the fashion brand CVL requested a couple commercial shoot, and Roddy was going crazy wanting to do it right away.

-Sena, this is my first fashion commercial!! I really, really want to do it!!

-I’ve never gotten an offer like this before. I think it’s thanks to you.

-Let’s do this, okay? I’ll buy you a plane ticket!

Seeing the messages flying from Roddy made me slightly flustered but soon had me laughing.

-Alright, let’s do it!

The moment I sent that response.

The very next day, an article dropped saying Roddy and I would appear together as CVL models.

The hate commenters kept sneering as hate commenters do, and my fans left reactions like “My actress is killing it!” and “Wow, can’t wait!” and so on.

But strangely, Roddy’s fans showed unexpected reactions.

-Roddy? As a model?

-Are you serious? Does CVL want to shut down?

-Roddy’s good at singing, sure. But not this. I’ve never once wanted to wear the clothes he wears.

-First of all, the proportions…

-It’s not about proportions. Even if you put his outfits on a runway model, people would ask ‘Is this season’s concept homeless?’

-Why not just use Sena alone, why Roddy?

Roddy’s fans—if you could even call them fans—started boycotting(?) the photoshoot.

[Rodriguez’s Homeless Fashion Collection]

[Rodriguez X Sena CVL Photoshoot Previewed Through Composites]

[CVL’s Wrong Choice]

The fans didn’t stop at collecting photos of Roddy’s past fashion disasters—they even made ridiculous composite images by photoshopping Roddy into my old photoshoots.

Seeing those photos had me rolling around laughing at home by myself.

This fandom atmosphere was a first, but looking at the photos, I understood the fans’ feelings, which made it even funnier.

Anyway, I’d barely returned when I suddenly had to fly back to the US.

It wasn’t entirely unexpected.

I was planning to knock out the talk show and other schedules all at once on this trip.

* * *

New York, after flying for 12 hours.

Once again sitting in the flashy hotel Roddy had booked, I let the intensely promoting Roddy know I’d arrived with his new album.

-I’m really going to show you this time.

Roddy’s message practically burned with determination, making me laugh without resisting.

Somehow, he seemed to be sharpening his knife more for the CVL commercial shoot than for any performance.

Calm down, man.

Let’s start with tonight’s schedule first.