In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 185

A comment section on a drama community board.

-Shin Huiryeong’s such a bitch. Why’s she always on Park Inha’s case?

-I don’t get Park Inha though? The family trauma’s sad and all, but if it’s that hard, get treatment first;

⤷ 22 Why take it out on everyone else?

⤷ 3 In real life, she’d just be a torture device

-Feel so bad for Team Leader lolol. Always caught in the crossfire…

-Are Park Inha and Tae Sunwoo gonna end up together? I’m dying to know.

⤷ Don’t think so.

⤷ Nah, 100% happening. Why? It’s a Korean drama.

-Holy crap guys, <Perfect Man> director got replaced;;

The moment that last comment dropped, the comment section went silent.

Everyone had rushed off to check the news about the <Perfect Man> director replacement.

And articles proving it true were flooding in real-time.

[HBC <Perfect Man> Director Replaced Mid-Production!!]

[<Perfect Man> Director So Jaehyeong Steps Down Due to Health Issues!]

[Director So’s Exit! Rumors of Conflict Between Writer Lee Taehyun and Supporting Cast—True?]

[While Falling Behind <Night of Fire>, <Perfect Man> Changes Directors!]

[QYN <Night of Fire> Breaks Through 18%!!!]

The comment section heated up instantly.

-Whoa, it’s actually true….

-Was that urban legend about HBC special projects always flopping actually real?

-Meanwhile, Night of Fire’s ratings are insane.

-Seriously, HBC you idiots. Why’d you let Han Sena go…

-If Han Sena had done <Perfect Woman>, Korea would’ve been in chaos already

-Lee Jeonggil must be struggling too. Flying around every episode, getting injured left and right—no joke. And instead of taking care of their actors, the network keeps screwing up…

⤷ Lee Jeonggil’s fans are already pissed lol

Meanwhile, Park Dahye, who’d scoured every community, was quietly reading through the comments.

Then she let out a relieved breath.

She’d recently become a full-time employee and was now supporting Han Sena in every way possible.

‘Public broadcast networks are way too complacent.’

Park Dahye felt relieved that her actress wasn’t HBC’s unfortunate lead, but only briefly before frowning slightly.

They say too many cooks spoil the broth.

How could so many elite professionals gather together and turn premium ingredients into garbage?

Park Dahye couldn’t understand it at all.

What kind of place is a broadcast network, anyway?

In Park Dahye’s view, HBC had gone completely insane—from the director to the PR team, every single department.

‘I think I’m starting to understand why our unnie refused the role.’

Though she’d never met Han Sena, she could understand the overall situation.

Park Dahye put down her phone and straightened her posture.

Today, too, work was piled mountain-high.

But at least she felt good.

Because her actress keeps rising higher and higher.

* * *

A few days later.

In front of a new location.

Every actor and staff member had gathered, tensely preparing for yet another fire scene shoot.

All of us actors were covered head to toe in black soot.

Today we were filming the drama’s finale ahead of schedule due to location constraints.

The scene where Park Inha and the arsonist finally faced off after a lengthy chase.

A situation I’d desperately longed for in the script but never experienced.

How much I’d dreamed of this day.

A tension different from usual filled my entire body.

Today would be the day Park Inha had dreamed of for so long…

The script had been released in advance, but I couldn’t predict how the shoot would unfold, how I’d perform, what emotions I’d feel.

I’d just been busy since morning trying to lower the tone of emotions that had been running hot, making my head complicated in various ways.

“Everyone, don’t feel pressured! A few NGs are fine. Safety comes first!”

The director called out from a distance with a rarely tense face.

“Director-nim, really? Your voice just shook when you said ‘NG.'”

When Choi Sunha teased him with a smile, laughter erupted across the set.

Everyone’s tension eased slightly mid-anxiety.

Truly, Choi Sunha showed the qualities of a senior worth learning from—both during filming and outside it.

I also smiled briefly before centering myself with a deep breath.

Woo Jaewon sunbaenim, who I was seeing again after a while, entered the set first.

From the moment sunbaenim saw me this morning, he deliberately didn’t even greet me or make eye contact.

It seemed to be for the scene we were about to film.

I felt grateful for that immersion method and prepared for filming.

Flames burst from the pre-installed gas lines, and smoke began rising from the building.

Whoosh—

I swallowed hard watching the rapidly spreading fire.

Fire was always vaguely terrifying, every single time.

Standing in front of the set, I quickly reviewed the script.

“Let’s go! Ready, action!”

* * *

Inside the building, cameras positioned at various angles began capturing the confrontation between two people.

Park Inha burst into the raging flames, gasping for breath up to her chin.

After running for some time, a man’s back came into Park Inha’s view.

A back so familiar she could never forget it.

The man sensed the presence and turned around.

A line of flames shot up between them.

Like an impassable boundary, flames divided the two as they stared at each other.

Park Inha looked at the arsonist through the shimmering heat waves.

The moment their eyes met, Park Inha—who’d boldly charged in—froze completely, her hands, feet, and gaze all rigid.

The arsonist smirked briefly, then turned away again.

Park Inha called out to his back with a trembling voice.

“Why did you do it?”

The arsonist stopped walking for a moment.

Then he twisted his head to look at the trembling victim.

The arsonist let out another mocking laugh.

“Why did I do it. You’re asking me that.”

Park Inha’s voice grew louder, trembling pitifully.

Park Inha hugged her arms in the flames, as if feeling chills throughout her body.

Then she pressed her trembling lips tightly together.

The arsonist watched Park Inha for a long moment before speaking.

“Why did I do what?”

“…….”

The arsonist tilted his head.

“Do what?”

“…!”

The arsonist made an expression showing he had no idea what she was talking about.

And that expression was simply innocent.

Park Inha’s body trembled even harder.

“You… you killed my family. You burned down my house. Why did you do it?!”

The arsonist kept making expressions as if trying to recall.

“I did… when was that? What year was it?”

Then the arsonist burst out laughing at Park Inha, who was frozen in terror.

“Are you cold?”

Park Inha kept trembling as she answered.

“No… I’m hot. So hot I could die. My whole life. Because of you.”

The arsonist looked at Park Inha with interest.

Then he asked.

“How are you going to catch me? With that body of yours?”

“….”

Park Inha couldn’t answer.

The arsonist turned back toward the exit, then briefly glanced back to check the flames with a sidelong look.

A gaze that said you can’t cross over, so I’ll ignore you.

Park Inha saw that look and stared at the line of flames drawn before her eyes.

Park Inha clenched her teeth.

Then she slowly lifted her foot.

“Ugh.”

An agonized groan escaped involuntarily.

Just being inside these flames was already her limit.

The arsonist kept getting farther from view.

She felt rushed.

Park Inha squeezed her eyes shut.

Then she jumped over the flames.

Park Inha’s body flew through the air for a brief moment, crossing over the fire.

“…!”

Seeing this, the arsonist started walking faster.

That’s when the arsonist tripped over fallen debris and fell.

Park Inha quickly ran toward him.

But the arsonist still looked completely relaxed.

The arsonist brushed himself off.

“Come on, try to catch me. How are you going to catch me alone?”

Park Inha bit her lip.

“You’re standing there shaking like you’re scared to death. What are you going to catch?”

“….”

“Your family died because of you too. You ran away alone back then.”

The arsonist remembered it perfectly.

Hearing those words, tears finally fell from Park Inha’s eyes.

But then.

Bang—

A loud crash came from behind the arsonist as a door shattered.

Both of them jerked toward the sound in surprise.

“She’s not alone though?”

Someone answered cheekily in her place while entering the flames.

It was Tae Sunwoo.

“…!”

For a split second, Park Inha stopped as if her breath had been cut off.

Team 2 colleagues streamed in behind Tae Sunwoo.

“Hey, Park Inha. What are you doing there? Are you crazy?”

“And you again… Haah…. Get out now and you’re dead. But first, we kill that bastard.”

“Inha, are you okay???”

Through the open door, the faint sound of sirens could be heard.

Park Inha’s legs seemed to give out as she swayed.

But in that instant, the arsonist grabbed Park Inha and pressed a knife from his pocket against her throat.

“…!!”

Everyone froze in shock.

“That son of a bitch….”

Tae Sunwoo muttered a curse under his breath.

That’s when Kim Youngwoo started removing his heavy firefighter gear.

Colleagues looked at Kim Youngwoo in alarm.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to save her.”

Kim Youngwoo’s eyes—ready to charge at any moment—were just as single-minded as the arsonist’s.

A determination to never let his friend fall into danger again.

Tae Sunwoo had no intention of leaving things as they were either.

But then.

Park Inha briefly looked upward, then stepped forward.

“?? Park Inha, are you crazy?! Stay still!!”

Everyone gasped in horror, even the arsonist looking flustered…

But Park Inha didn’t stop moving forward.

The knife dug into Park Inha’s neck and blood dripped down.

Drip, drip.

The startled arsonist stumbled backward.

The arsonist’s feet unconsciously moved forward little by little, following Park Inha’s steps.

That’s when a massive structure collapsed from above with a crashing sound.

“!!!”

The startled arsonist dodged aside, and Park Inha seized the moment to break free from his grip.

Then she quickly swept the arsonist’s legs.

“Ahhh!!”

The arsonist fell in front of the debris.

Then everyone rushed forward as if they’d coordinated it, quickly subdued the arsonist, and called in on the radio.

The arsonist thrashed like a madman.

“Let go!!! Let go!!!!!”

The arsonist’s screams echoed through the building.

The moment Park Inha saw the arsonist caught, she collapsed to the floor.

“Inha!”

Kim Youngwoo rushed over and quickly applied pressure to Park Inha’s bleeding neck.

Tae Sunwoo ran to Park Inha right after subduing the arsonist.

He reached out to lift Park Inha, but someone blocked his hand.

“…?”

It was none other than Shin Huiryeong.

“Sunbaenim’s got the biggest build. You should handle that bastard.”

While everyone wore dazed expressions, Shin Huiryeong lifted Park Inha into both arms.

Park Inha looked up at Shin Huiryeong from her embrace with a blank face.

Shin Huiryeong easily carried Park Inha and walked steadily toward the exit.

Thump, thump.

Shortly after, the desperately longed-for sunlight streamed in from the exit.

Shin Huiryeong looked down warmly at Park Inha and smiled gently.

“You’re dead when we get outside.”