In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 168

While Tae Sunwoo smashed through the wall, countless thoughts raced through my mind.

What happens if I can’t rescue them here either?

The memory of Park Inha’s family burning alive in those flames surfaced.

The guilt of abandoning them and fleeing alone crushed my heart.

So heavily that the scorching heat and acrid smoke tormenting me now felt like nothing in comparison.

Since entering the script world, I’d never immersed myself so deeply in a character in such a short time.

I even felt furious at this horrifying system.

Disgusted by its cruelty in forcing me to watch people die right before my eyes.

No matter how thirsty I was for acting, I’d never wanted it this way.

I felt like I’d have nightmares about this even back in the real world.

I desperately wanted to clear this mission, experience Park Inha’s life improving, and escape this script.

To do that…

‘I have to catch that arsonist.’

My clenched fist tightened involuntarily.

That mysterious man who’d set the house ablaze that day.

The lighter he threw, his appearance, his hat, the look in his eyes as he stared at me—everything remained vivid.

I wanted to find that man and make him pay for what he’d done.

That’s when the team leader’s voice rang out from far away.

“Pull out! Get outside, now!”

Tae Sunwoo stopped mid-swing and looked toward the voice.

The team leader shouted again.

“The fire’s not dying down! It’s spreading! Get out now!!”

Tae Sunwoo immediately threw down his hammer and grabbed me, heading for the entrance.

“No.”

Without thinking, I stopped Tae Sunwoo.

Tae Sunwoo looked down at me.

“What are you doing?”

A powerful instinct seized my entire body—there had to be rescue targets beyond that scorching wall.

I quickly ran back to the wall and grabbed the hammer.

Then poured all my strength into breaking through.

Tae Sunwoo irritably grabbed my arm.

“Put that down!”

I shoved him aside and struck the wall again.

“How can you be sure there’s someone in there!!”

Finally, Tae Sunwoo shouted.

I ignored him and kept swinging the hammer.

Then, moments later.

The wall finally gave way enough to peer inside.

I pressed my face against the gap.

Far in the distance, near the opposite wall, I could see someone’s feet collapsed on the ground.

“!!!”

Tae Sunwoo, seeing my shocked expression, looked inside too.

“Pull out!!”

“There’s a rescue target in here!”

Tae Sunwoo responded to the team leader, then grabbed the hammer again.

Before striking the wall once more, he spoke to me briefly.

“We’ll settle this later.”

* * *

Two hours later.

Completely drained, I lay on the street exhaling.

My airway felt scorched.

Every breath brought agony.

I didn’t even have the strength to sit up.

But even though we’d rescued the target, the mission hadn’t cleared.

‘Why? Is there something more?’

I had no energy left to move.

That’s when Tae Sunwoo walked over and poured water on my face while standing above me.

The cold water made me jolt up in surprise.

As I stood, the world spun and my head swam with dizziness.

The moment I staggered, Tae Sunwoo steadied me.

“Ugh.”

His touch burned where he held me.

Tae Sunwoo glared at me with a deeply furrowed brow.

“What the hell were you doing in there?”

Hearing his low, rumbling voice, I realized Tae Sunwoo was furious.

I pulled my arm free from his grasp.

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re not just supposed to rescue the target. I told you that.”

“…”

“There are two people you need to save in a fire—the rescue target, and yourself. A firefighter has at least two responsibilities.”

“……”

“Right now, you haven’t even fulfilled the bare minimum.”

The other team members also shot me disapproving looks.

I lowered my head.

I had made a mistake.

But another part of me felt wronged.

I had a mission to complete, rescue targets to save—what was I supposed to do?

My senses kept insisting someone was in there, that I had to save them, pushing me forward.

And most of all, when I kept hearing those dying family members’ screams…

How was I supposed to escape that?

I bit my lip.

But then.

Crash!

A deafening roar erupted in the distance.

Everyone whipped around toward the sound in shock.

Flames suddenly shot up from another house quite far away.

It looked almost like an explosion.

The moment he heard it, Tae Sunwoo grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him.

Over Tae Sunwoo’s shoulder, I stared at the blazing house.

“What’s happening…”

That’s when something clicked.

The reason the fire wouldn’t die down earlier.

That sensation of oxygen continuously feeding underground.

This house’s underground labyrinth must be connected to that one.

As that realization hit, my hands started trembling.

I should’ve figured it out sooner.

“That house’s labyrinth is connected.”

Hearing my shaking voice, Tae Sunwoo turned around.

“The labyrinth might connect to other houses too. This entire area could be in danger.”

Tae Sunwoo’s eyes widened as he listened.

* * *

“We need to find where the labyrinth connects.”

The team members stared at me with helpless expressions.

“We have to find the labyrinth.”

I said it again with emphasis.

Tae Sunwoo dragged his hand down his despairing face.

Watching those faces, I quickly stripped off my fire gear.

“…?”

The team members looked at me in shock.

In the silence, I spoke briefly.

“I’ll find it.”

“What are you talking about?”

I wasn’t certain if this would work.

Relying on Park Inha’s ability.

But right now, the only way to quickly detect underground heat and find the labyrinth was through Park Inha’s senses.

Once I was down to a short-sleeved shirt and thin pants, the surrounding heat and air hit me directly.

I slowly removed my shoes.

My bare feet touched the asphalt.

I took a step.

“!”

With each step, the heat transmitted through my soles changed.

As I approached the fire scene, searing pain spread beneath my feet.

“This is it.”

The labyrinth lay beneath this spot.

But then Kim Youngwoo approached and blocked my path.

Kim Youngwoo spoke quietly.

“Are you crazy? How much are you planning to expose?”

His confusion matched my own.

“Expose what?”

“Tae Sunwoo already thinks you’re strange. Are you really going to reveal your entire ability in front of the whole team?”

“…”

Only then did I notice the team members staring at me with bizarre expressions.

Ah.

This was before people knew about Park Inha’s ability.

I asked Kim Youngwoo calmly.

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t reveal it?”

That’s when the team leader approached.

“Park Inha. What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to map the underground labyrinth structure using geothermal heat.”

“What…?”

The team leader let out a bewildered laugh.

I continued.

“I can sense heat better than others.”

“What are you, some kind of superhuman?”

“Not a superhuman, but I do have an ability.”

Kim Youngwoo tried to cover my mouth, but it was already too late.

* * *

Maybe ten minutes had passed.

I’d been walking around this entire area thoroughly, as if stamping footprints everywhere.

Kim Youngwoo stood beside me with a disgruntled expression, sketching out the underground labyrinth map.

I looked at the roughly completed map and wiped away sweat.

My fingertip traced the maze drawn on paper.

“…Here.”

I’d finally found where the oxygen was being supplied.

Kim Youngwoo’s eyes widened.

“Found the exit!!”

The team leader and other members rushed over.

As if possessed, I extended my hand and pointed to a house about 300 meters away.

“There. The exit’s there. You have to block it.”

The team leader looked at me with an expression asking ‘what is all this,’ then quickly gave orders.

“Teams A and B, deploy to the exit.”

“Yes, sir!”

Several team members along with support crews started running in that direction.

Shortly after.

Excited voices crackled through the team leader’s radio.

“Exit located! Sealing it now!”

Goosebumps rose on my arms.

I’d done it.

I’d perfectly utilized Park Inha’s ability.

Now all that remained was suppressing the fire.

Fortunately, no one had been staying in the house that exploded ten minutes ago.

We’d prevented more casualties.

The team leader, who’d been watching me with an unreadable expression, turned to direct the other teams.

Behind his back, the golden text I’d been desperately waiting for appeared.

<Mission Completed.>

The moment I saw those words, all strength drained from my body.

Only now did my soles begin burning with pain.

I’d stepped on sharp fragments countless times while walking.

That’s when Tae Sunwoo walked over and scooped me up.

“Wh-what are you doing!?”

I shouted in surprise.

Tae Sunwoo ignored me and headed toward the tent while carrying me.

“You think you can walk? With your feet like that.”

Tae Sunwoo already knew about the pain I hadn’t even mentioned.

Too drained to resist, I let my body go limp.

After entering the tent and laying me on a medical cot, Tae Sunwoo poured water on my feet and applied antiseptic.

His movements were the most flustered I’d ever seen from him.

I just lay there quietly, letting Tae Sunwoo disinfect my soles as he pleased.

While doing so, I thought about it.

As much as I acted independently and overreacted constantly due to trauma, Tae Sunwoo’s concern for me was equally excessive.

A stubborn woman no one could stop, and a hot-tempered man no one could stand against.

They somehow felt like a strangely well-matched pair.

* * *

The moment we returned to the station, the team leader summoned me.

The chief was also sitting in the office.

I stood there enduring the stinging pain from my soles and the stares looking at me like I was an alien.

The team leader stroked his beard and asked.

“What are you?”

“…”

Just a person, though.

I probably shouldn’t answer like that.

What would Park Inha say?

While I pondered, the chief scratched his head.

“Well, it’s not like we’re interrogating you. That ability… is that what we should call it? Can you explain it to us?”

“Like I said, I’m better at sensing heat than others.”

“Right, I’ve been thinking about that. If you’re better at sensing heat, doesn’t that mean you feel it more intensely than others?”

“…Yes.”

An ominous feeling began creeping up.

“Then wouldn’t fire scenes be even harder on you?”

The team leader chimed in.

“Park Inha, you’ve been struggling terribly at scenes all this time. That’s because of this ability, isn’t it?”

“…”

“You can’t keep this up, can you? What do you think?”