In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 176

A few days later, at the salon.

“A bob? That’s really short. It’s such a shame about your hair.”

The salon director touched my hair with a regretful expression.

My wavy black hair gleamed as if proving it had been well cared for all this time.

“Is the character in your new drama supposed to have a bob?”

“Yes. Please don’t cut it too pretty—make it kind of blunt and choppy, like it hasn’t been maintained.”

“Oh my, just rough like that?”

“Yes. I won’t be getting any treatments today either.”

I smiled slightly at the director.

I felt oddly nervous about suddenly cutting my hair.

Well, it was my first time ever trying a bob.

Over the years, the roles I’d played hadn’t required any special styling, and on the rare occasions I met directors obsessed with details, I’d worn a wig.

Long hair had always been more versatile for styling during my acting career, so I’d consistently kept it long.

But this time, after discussion during production meetings, we’d decided to cut it.

Someone like Park Inha—who lived putting her life on the line, let alone caring about daily routines—wouldn’t have time to worry about her appearance.

A character like that would probably stick to an easy-to-manage style.

A hairstyle she could just shake out a few times after washing and be done.

I’d come to the salon to achieve that style.

This was my first time making such an external change for a role.

The scissors made crisp sounds as strands of hair fell away.

I felt somehow lighter, but also a bit regretful.

Strange feelings over just cutting hair.

* * *

Some time later.

Before full-scale filming began, the cast gathered in one place for poster shoots.

Seeing the team members I’d be filming with for the next few months made my heart swell.

The actors exchanged awkward smiles and handshakes.

Hyunsu-ssi approached, waving his hand.

“Oh, Sena-ssi, you cut your hair?”

“Yes. How does it look?”

“Pretty.”

I grinned at Hyunsu-ssi.

“Thanks, Youngwoo.”

The moment Hyunsu-ssi heard that, he burst into laughter.

The actors who’d been greeting each other turned to look this way.

“Ah, right. Now that I think about it, you two filmed together before, didn’t you? Desert Island?”

“Yes. Haemi sunbaenim.”

The senior actor playing Jang Haemi’s role looked briefly surprised before breaking into a wide smile.

“Right, Inha.”

In that cheerful atmosphere, the actors started calling each other by their character names.

“Park Inha!”

“Yes, sunbaenim.”

“Thanks to Sena-ssi, the atmosphere’s coming together so quickly.”

The senior playing the team leader role laughed heartily.

Since this was a project that needed to showcase teamwork, even the introverted people were rolling up their sleeves to build camaraderie.

“Wow, but Tae Sunwoo sunbaenim. That role really suits you in such a fresh way.”

“Right? I didn’t expect it either. But it’s so good, isn’t it?”

The actors all gave Choi Sunha enthusiastic thumbs up.

Choi Sunha smiled shyly.

“Alright, everyone gather up front.”

The director finished setting up the camera and called the actors over.

This project had quite a few special posters to shoot.

From individual posters to special posters for campaign prizes.

Everyone came out dressed in their work uniforms and exclaimed at each other’s appearances.

“Wow, we look kind of cool, don’t we?”

“Ah, Sunwoo. Who even says ‘cool’ these days? Please.”

“What’s wrong with it~ It’s nice.”

“By any chance, are you from Chungcheong Province, Sunwoo-ssi?”

“How’d you know?”

“I thought so.”

While we giggled over silly conversations, the flash went off a few times up front.

“That’s natural and good. Should we all line up in formation?”

With the team leader at the front, everyone tucked their hard hats under their arms and stood facing the camera.

Looking up at the camera overhead, everyone put on resolute expressions.

“Good. Next, let’s get shots of Hyunsu-ssi, Sena-ssi, and Sunha-ssi. The three of you.”

Click—the three of us posed together.

That’s when the director made a proposal, seemingly enjoying the work.

“Sena-ssi, Sunha-ssi—should we try a couple shot?”

He was suggesting a couple shot of Tae Sunwoo and Park Inha.

“If we make this a limited edition event item, it’ll probably be really popular. What do you think?”

“Director, you’re truly a capitalist at heart.”

Everyone marveled at the director’s idea.

I readily nodded too.

In the drama, Choi Sunha and Park Inha had a love line that never crossed the line until the very end, so this poster would probably be a huge gift for fans who loved their relationship.

Choi Sunha grinned and stepped forward.

“But what pose should we do?”

“Hmm.”

“I mean, this is my first time doing romance.”

Choi Sunha scratched his head awkwardly.

Everyone who heard that comment burst into laughter.

“Sena-ssi, come stand in front of the camera. Sunha-ssi, stand behind Sena-ssi and look at her.”

Following the director’s instructions, I stood in front of the camera with Choi Sunha.

I deliberately made a rigid expression as I looked at the camera.

Just briefly recalling my time living as Park Inha was enough to make every muscle in my body tense without needing to act.

While I was unconsciously remembering painful moments during the shoot—

“Can I hold your arm for a second?”

“Huh? Sure.”

Choi Sunha reached out and grabbed my arm.

He grinned at me.

Then gestured with his chin for me to look back at the camera.

A laugh escaped me in that instant.

I looked back at the camera, thinking of Tae Sunwoo—who’d always been near me, shouting at the top of his lungs and doing everything he could to save me.

From Choi Sunha’s hand, I could almost feel Tae Sunwoo’s warmth.

* * *

Inside the quiet office.

Shin Hanjun was looking at articles covering the blessing ceremony for <Night of Fire>.

Shin Hanjun frowned slightly as he read the article.

The fact that the Fire Commissioner himself had attended a mere drama set was making headlines day after day.

The Fire Commissioner seemed moved by a drama being made about the heroes working in the field, leaving an interview saying he was grateful and wishing for safe filming to completion, along with blessings for its success.

On top of that, Han Sena and the production staff had even held an event to donate supplies to firefighters.

Though the amount wasn’t huge, a small number of netizens showed interest in this blessing ceremony.

-First time seeing a drama blessing ceremony like this.

-Han Sena’s moves are always impressive. Can’t help but acknowledge it. Hope it does well.

-Hope they portray firefighters’ struggles well.

-In the end, even hypocrisy is still good. Even if it’s for drama promotion, it could have good social effects, so it’s win-win.

-Pretty smart.

“Did people actually like this kind of boring stuff?”

Shin Hanjun muttered quietly while watching public opinion gradually shift.

QYN kept marching steadily forward with an attitude of not caring what anyone did, showing no signs of counterattacking.

And with a concept just as clear as theirs.

Knock knock-

“Yes.”

That’s when an employee from the PR team opened the office door and entered.

The content investment manager who’d brought two employees sat down and immediately brought up a topic.

“Shouldn’t we do some charitable giving too?”

Hearing that, Shin Hanjun sighed inwardly.

‘A copycat strategy. Nothing like getting labeled as the worst.’

“Even if we donate, this timing isn’t right. If we look like we’re copying them, that’s a negative. It makes us look reactive.”

“Yes…”

The employee who’d suggested the idea lowered their head as if embarrassed.

“For now, there’s nothing to gain from provoking them.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go more stylish, more glamorous. Make it so Han Sena’s one-woman show doesn’t even work.”

“Yes.”

* * *

The first filming location, now warmed by heartwarming articles.

But contrary to everyone’s mindset and atmosphere, filming wasn’t cooperating at all.

“Cut. Let’s try it again.”

This was already the eighth NG.

The pace of each cut was progressing slower than any time since my debut.

We were starting with an intense rescue scene to show something impressive right from the beginning.

Everyone had memorized their blocking in advance before entering the set, but…

NG because someone tripped over the long fire hose.

NG because someone stepped on the smoke dispenser.

NG because the rescue team dropped the stretcher.

NG because someone laughed at how ridiculous the running looked in an urgent situation.

It was a complete mess.

Far from looking cool, we didn’t look like a coordinated team at all.

We even crashed into each other wearing helmets and face shields that blocked our vision, then fell over.

At first everyone laughed heartily a few times, but gradually the atmosphere on set grew heavy.

“Let’s try again. Ready, action!”

The team leader started directing the scene from far away.

Hyunsu-ssi and actor Jeon Woongi playing Shin Huiryeong hurried to load the rescue target onto a stretcher and carry them out.

Choi Sunha grabbed me as I tried to run into the building.

“Ugh.”

“Are you crazy?! You gonna keep acting alone?”

“There’s no time!! There’s a rescue target inside.”

That’s when the team leader from behind bellowed at us.

“Tae Sunwoo!! This isn’t the time for arguing!”

Right then, actors who’d been running around busily up front collided as their paths crossed.

“Agh.”

“Ah!”

In an instant, the two actors fell and rolled outside the set.

“Cut!! Are you okay?”

“Check on them quick!!”

Staff rushed over to the fallen actors.

Fortunately they weren’t seriously hurt and could continue filming, but…

The director pressed his hand to his forehead with a dizzy expression.

As unexpected accidents kept happening, the director was just as flustered.

It was a collective meltdown situation.

The chaos wasn’t in the drama content—it was right here, right now.

I’d definitely known this.

That the teamwork shown by the script world’s team members hadn’t developed in a day or two.

Right now the actors barely knew each other’s personalities, creating an atmosphere where people were somewhat intimidated by their teammates.

Plus, this wasn’t something that could be solved by me acting well alone.

Because we’re a team. Because this isn’t a one-woman Park Inha show.

But after experiencing how everyone had moved together like one body there, I felt even more troubled.

‘What should I do about this.’

I bit my lip.