In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 189

A few days ago, inside my silent house.

I sat quietly on the sofa, staring at the cameras installed throughout the place.

Seeing far more cameras than I’d expected left me feeling flustered.

‘I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to this.’

I checked the time—nine-thirty in the morning.

Muuh—

I just sat there spacing out.

I’d said I was doing this for the fans, but there really wasn’t much to show when I was alone at home.

After all, I just collapsed like a corpse every day at home…

Or read scripts, or did monitoring…

I should’ve done this when I was making dumplings with Mom and Dad instead.

Swallowing my pointless regret, I got up from my seat.

For some reason, all my movements felt as awkward as a robot’s.

“So… should I eat first?”

Ugh, talking to myself feels too weird.

I should probably just keep my mouth shut.

Thinking that, I headed to the kitchen.

I opened the fridge and pulled out ingredients.

Roughly tossing things together, I made the spicy cod roe rice bowl I’d been enjoying lately.

I quickly finished the dish, dumped it onto a plate, and headed back to the sofa.

Sitting on the floor with my back against the sofa, I turned on the TV.

I ate the rice bowl while watching the latest drama.

“Mmm.”

Am I being too normal?

I chewed while thinking.

Less than five minutes later, I’d wolfed down the meal and got up.

Then I changed into workout clothes in the small room and opened the door next to the living room.

Inside, the room was packed full of exercise equipment I’d carefully selected piece by piece.

I looked at the equipment with satisfaction and started warming up.

Today’s content would start now.

Looking at the mirror covering one entire wall, I began my routine workout.

* * *

Inside the studio.

The panelists’ jaws dropped watching the utterly static VCR.

“Isn’t that a temple?”

I smiled awkwardly, hearing the expected reactions.

“I live a pretty boring life…”

That’s when one male panelist asked in wonder.

“Wow, but that’s some serious workout equipment. How many years have you been exercising?”

Years?

My brain started spinning fast.

In my past life, I’d done it for at least ten years…

What should I say for this life?

As my calculation time dragged on, the panelists stared at me with wide eyes.

“Has it been that long?”

Eventually giving up on the math, I brushed it off vaguely.

“Not that long.”

“Wow, then you’re really naturally gifted!”

The male panelist was someone known for loving exercise.

While awkwardly laughing off his endless admiration, subtitles reading ‘Model Student’s Daily Routine’ started flowing across the VCR.

‘Living Well Even Alone’

‘Way Too Self-Sufficient’

‘Pristine Zone’

I broke into a cold sweat watching the subtitles desperately trying to make things entertaining.

“Don’t tell me your whole day goes like this?”

“Sena-ssi, don’t you even meet friends normally?”

I hurried to answer the panelists’ questions.

“The fun part starts now!”

The VCR resumed, showing me coming out after my sweat-soaked shower.

“Ah, so refreshing.”

Ding-dong—

“Oh, they’re here!”

On screen, I muttered excitedly while heading to the front door.

The panelists finally showed interest.

“Who is it?”

“People I love!”

“Oh, sounds like multiple people?”

When the front door opened, the guests I’d been waiting for came pouring in.

They were my <Be Actors> mentees.

“Mentor!”

The mentees I hadn’t seen in a while came in with bright smiles and hugs.

“You guys worked hard getting here!”

“Waaah, I missed you, Mentor.”

“Me too.”

I hugged each of them in turn.

After seeing Kim Yeongi, Lee Hyoseo, and Do Changhyeon, Yoon Haneul smiled shyly while closing the front door.

Though Haneul later went to another team through a trade, we’d been staying in touch occasionally.

Min Sohyeon couldn’t make this gathering since she was studying abroad in France, unfortunately.

“Haneul, you got even prettier. I’m watching your drama.”

“Thank you…”

The mentees came inside, exclaiming “Wow!” over and over.

“Mentor, did you not finish unpacking yet?”

“Huh?”

At those words, I looked at Do Changhyeon in confusion, and the mentees all stared back at me with equally puzzled faces.

“Why?”

Hearing that, the panelists burst out laughing all at once.

Watching the VCR, I still tilted my head in confusion.

“Why’s everyone laughing?”

“Sena-ssi. Your house is way too empty.”

“I wanted to say something too. It’s seriously like a temple in there.”

Only now catching on, I let out an “Ah.”

Was it that empty?

I’m the type who doesn’t bring unnecessary things home, so I’ve always used the space generously.

Plus, aside from family, I’d rarely had anyone over, so I’d never heard this before.

“Wow, Mentor’s house has a different layout?”

Do Changhyeon kept looking around the house with a bright smile.

The panelists looked at me in surprise.

“Does Changhyeon-ssi live nearby too?”

“No, Changhyeon-ssi’s family lives in the same apartment complex.”

While I waved my hands, footage of the mentees touring my house kept playing.

“Well, now that people are here, it’s finally watchable.”

One panelist joked.

At those words, I scratched my head for no reason.

The mentees exploring the house finally opened the door at the end of the hallway.

“What room is… whoa…”

The moment Hyoseo opened the door, she gasped in admiration.

Inside were trophies and plaques from award ceremonies, gifts from fans, and photos of me filling every space.

I’d especially packed all the fan letters neatly into boxes and stored them nicely.

“It’s like, my treasure vault. Like an energy supplement.”

I followed awkwardly behind, explaining the room.

The panelists also smiled warmly at the sight.

“I heard Sena-ssi really cherishes her fans.”

“Wow, fans will be so touched seeing this.”

“Yes. When things get tough or I’m exhausted during filming, I come into this room often to recharge.”

“Wow, that’s so nice…”

“No, you should’ve shown this earlier!”

I smiled sheepishly, getting scolded unintentionally.

Now we all gathered around the table and started catching up.

“How’s everyone doing? I heard you’re all filming projects.”

“Yes, Hyoseo and I are in the final stretch.”

Looking closely at Yeongi’s face on screen, she seemed a bit more gaunt than before.

“Haneul, you’re picking your next project?”

“Yes.”

I deliberately skipped Changhyeon, but Hyoseo asked for me.

“What about you?”

“Me? Well…”

Do Changhyeon trailed off slightly.

“Ah, is it a secret?”

The three quickly changed the subject.

“Mentor, are you resting after finishing <Night of Fire>?”

“Mmm…”

When I trailed off too, the three stiffened slightly as if nervous.

“Did I bring up something I shouldn’t have?”

The panelists also looked at me with curious faces.

“Is it a secret?”

“Oh, what is it? I’m curious.”

The me on screen smiled at the mentees’ faces.

“It’s not that, actually.”

The moment I started speaking, everything got bleeped out.

“???”

The panelists tilted their heads.

“What, what is it?”

“Actually, Changhyeon and I…”

I opened my mouth slowly, as if revealing a secret.

* * *

That night, right after the studio recording ended, I headed to the practice room.

A VJ with a <Solo Life> sticker on their camera stayed glued to my side.

When I opened the practice room door, the choreography team that had arrived early waved.

“Actor! You’re here?”

“Teacher! You came early.”

“Mentor!”

Do Changhyeon, who’d been warming up among the choreographers, also waved.

The VJ tilted their head looking at Do Changhyeon.

Seeing the VJ’s face, I smiled slightly.

Viewers and fans watching would probably feel the same curiosity, right?

Not long after <Night of Fire> finished filming, I’d jumped right into this.

Together with Do Changhyeon.

The choreographer clapped their hands and shouted, “Shall we start?”

“Yes.”

I hurriedly finished warming up and approached the mirror.

“Alright, let’s review the moves we learned yesterday.”

The teacher bent their waist to the side, twisted their neck, and looked up at the ceiling.

The VJ watched with a slightly startled expression as the teacher made movements that looked bizarre to anyone.

Along with the other choreographers and Do Changhyeon, I bent my body following the sequence of moves the teacher had demonstrated.

“???”

The VJ’s expression seemed to ask, ‘What on earth is this?’

I almost burst out laughing watching.

The teacher paid no mind and continued making poses that belonged on a show like <That’s Incredible>.

I also worked hard following those poses.

Do Changhyeon, lacking flexibility, got corrected several times by the choreographers standing nearby.

“You need to bend your knees more. Otherwise you’ll get hurt.”

“Ugh… Am I not going to fall?”

“You won’t fall. To jump in this position, you need to put serious strength in your core. Again.”

I also had the teacher personally adjust details down to my fingertips.

“Put strength all the way to your fingertips, and keep just two or three fingers together at a time.”

“Ah, like this?”

“Yes, that makes it look more grotesque.”

“Oh…”

I carefully examined my ridiculous-looking reflection in the mirror.

When I first started learning, I’d laughed my head off the whole time, but now I’d become more serious about these new poses than anyone.

Viewers will probably laugh watching this, right?

I hope they enjoy it.

* * *

Inside the car with Do Changhyeon at the wheel.

The VJ sat in back filming us as we headed somewhere.

Sitting in the passenger seat, I hummed happily.

“Mentor, is the heater too hot?”

“Maybe a little?”

“Yes.”

Do Changhyeon, who’d been treating me like a senior citizen all day, carefully adjusted everything even in the car.

“By the way, Mentor, isn’t it hard jumping into a project right after finishing <Night of Fire>?”

“Well, you gotta strike while the iron’s hot.”

At my joke, Do Changhyeon laughed lightly.

“Though the gap is short so the schedule’s tough…”

I trailed off slightly.

While filming <Night of Fire>, I’d kept thinking I needed to jump quickly into the next project.

I wanted to emerge from the deeply immersive project, collect my emotions, organize my daily life…

Return quickly to my reality rather than Park Inha’s.

Only then could I digest the new project naturally like always, without any issues.

Surprisingly, Minyeong unnie agreed this time.

‘Right, good thinking. You’re not the type to rest anyway even if I tell you to. Let’s do a project that gives you a complete change of pace.’

“I never dreamed I’d get to work with you on a project, Mentor…”

Do Changhyeon wore an excited expression.

Seeing that face made me chuckle.

“Right? I never thought I’d be doing something like this with star Changhyeon-ssi either.”

“Star? That’s way too much. Anyway, do you think viewers watching the footage up to here can guess what we’re doing?”

“Hmm, not sure.”

“People are probably already waiting, right?”

“Let’s hurry then.”

The light turned green, and Do Changhyeon smoothly pressed the accelerator.