In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 203

The public’s reaction to the trailers was explosive.

[Han Sena Starring <Deadline> Fake Trailer Mega-Release!]

[Unique Promotion for iTube’s First Original Content <Deadline>!]

[Guess the Real Trailer! <Deadline> Trailers Draw Massive Attention…]

-Never seen promotion like this before lolololol. The actors must’ve had fun shooting these.

-They’re all entertaining. This is insane. Which one’s real?

-Something about it felt like romance wasn’t the vibe… Either Tak Yeowon becomes a zombie, or Jeong Haeseon and her save the world together. Gotta be one of these two, right?

-I want to believe what I want to believe. The one with Do Changhyeon being dragged around. Make it this one, please.

⤷ Honestly this one’s way too obviously fake but it’s the funniest T_T

-Funniest movie trailer I’ve ever seen in my life. The buzz is incredible.

-But wait lolololol they all look so plausible! How are we supposed to guess this?

-Want to watch it at home AND on the big screen!

⤷ All three major theater chains refused to screen it lol

⤷ Fair enough though. I get where they’re coming from.

⤷ Ticket prices keep getting more expensive anyway, so serves them right lolol

-Han Sena’s acting is seriously amazing. They all feel real. Got chills watching the zombie acting.

-Didn’t care much for zombie movies before, so wasn’t curious. Suddenly I really want to watch this.

-Other movies and dramas are definitely gonna copy this now. Guaranteed.

-A whole new paradigm, for real. Han Sena’s always so unique.

-Do Changhyeon’s acting has improved so much;; He was already good though. Is it because he’s with Han Sena?

⤷ Omg I thought the same thing lolol

⤷ Got shocked watching his zombie acting.

I let out a sigh of relief at the more enthusiastic response than expected.

If this method had failed…

We’d have wasted the budget and failed at promotion.

It would’ve been absolutely devastating.

And right on cue, some welcome news finally reached the director after a long dry spell.

-The indie and art film theaters are all welcoming us with open arms.

“Wow, really? That’s great!”

-Yes. The scale’s a bit smaller. But it should work well for people who want to see it on screen to seek them out. We’re planning to hold the premiere there too.

“That sounds fun?”

A premiere at an indie theater…

I’d barely heard of such a thing, let alone experienced it.

Would it feel kind of like a fan meeting?

The audience would be sitting right there in front of us…

“I hope lots of audience members show up.”

-Right? The indie theaters’ locations aren’t the most accessible… But whoever wants to come will come, I guess. Let’s think positively.

“Yes, sounds good!”

The director and I both set aside our premature expectations and hung up.

* * *

However, defying both the director’s and my expectations, an unprecedented ticketing frenzy soon erupted at indie theaters.

Once the screening dates were announced and theater tickets went on sale, every last seat at these limited theaters sold out instantly.

[Indie and Art Film Theaters Strike Gold…! <Deadline> Release News Sells Out All Scheduled Screenings and Premiere Seats!]

[Unprecedented Hot Ticketing Strikes Indie Theaters!]

[iTube Original Amplifies Anticipation for <Deadline>]

News arrived that premiere tickets had sold out in under a minute as well.

I smiled reading through the articles.

Honestly, I was thrilled beyond words.

People were curious about our film.

Of course, this momentum wasn’t welcome news for everyone.

Those who kept OTT markets in check were pouring out various articles and opinion pieces.

This was an inevitable trend that couldn’t change from my past life.

‘If <Deadline> becomes a success story, OTT original films will spring up like mushrooms even more.’

‘100 Years of Cinema History… Facing a Major Crisis.’

‘The Trend Making Screens Unnecessary… Is Cinema Okay Like This?’

‘Can OTT Become a Sufficient Substitute for Cinema?’

These controversial topics circulated everywhere from news to various current affairs communities, spawning multiple opposing viewpoints.

Reading through various serious posts, I fell into thought myself.

Mixed in among them were claims exaggerated beyond fact and twisted perspectives, but the predictions about the theater industry itself weren’t wrong at all.

It was an unstoppable tide.

I decided to leave it at that and put down my phone.

Things would get busy again soon.

The production announcement and premiere schedules still remained.

* * *

The day of the production announcement that everyone had been watching.

I stepped onto the stage with a racing heart.

On the small stage, I exchanged bright smiles and greetings with the director.

The so-called production announcement specialist MC appeared and drew huge cheers.

“Now, everyone welcome them with applause!”

I stood center stage with Do Changhyeon and the director flanking me.

Blinding flashes poured in from every direction.

My vision went white for a moment…

I counted three seconds to myself.

The party would start any second now.

3, 2, 1…

Do Changhyeon, who’d been posing, suddenly heard an odd sound and turned around.

The director also felt someone tap their shoulder and turned that direction—

“Graaaah.”

“Ahhhhh!!!”

Actors in full zombie makeup had snuck onto the stage behind us while we were taking photos.

Do Changhyeon shrieked and went flying backward in shock.

The director also clutched their chest and collapsed on the spot.

“Pfft. Hahaha.”

The surprise was brief—watching the two men with their hearts in their throats made me burst out laughing.

Even though I’d been in on this whole setup, I still got startled myself.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

While the reporters photographing us roared with laughter…

Screams erupted from the audience seats at that moment.

“Ahhhhhh.”

Zombies who’d been hiding throughout the audience removed their hats and masks and scared the people around them.

A truly apocalyptic production announcement scene.

That’s when Taehyun-ssi confidently walked out from the center of the audience.

“Ah, this is entertaining.”

Do Changhyeon went rigid with shock at the sight of that face, looking ready to faint.

“Th-that zombie…”

Do Changhyeon’s face, usually weak-stomached and timid, turned deathly pale.

“M-Mentor. That zombie—isn’t that the zombie from back then??”

Do Changhyeon pressed close to my side and asked.

Reporters in the front row who’d heard Do Changhyeon’s words turned their camera flashes on Taehyun-ssi.

Then Taehyun-ssi shouted while bathed in the flash barrage.

“Surprise! It was a hidden camera all along!!”

The MC frantically grabbed the microphone, clearly caught off guard.

“Wh-what is this?!”

I also grabbed a microphone.

“Do you remember the mysterious filming location incident from the variety show <Solo Life>?”

“Oh oh, yes yes! That missing zombie!”

“Yes yes, that’s him. I was totally fooled until just recently too.”

“Wow, really?!”

“Apparently they’ve all been pulling off this hidden camera for that whole time.”

The director also finally composed themselves and broke into sheepish laughter.

“I ordered the whole thing.”

“Wow, my goodness. This is like a nationwide hidden camera, isn’t it?”

The MC flexed their veteran skills, tossing out comments perfect for article headlines.

“This is my first time seeing a production announcement that drains your soul like this, seriously.”

The bit players who’d pulled off their prank threw up victory signs and disappeared backstage again.

Do Changhyeon clutched his chest and finally sank into his seat.

“Everyone’s gonna see you’re a scaredy-cat now.”

“I don’t care.”

Laughter erupted from the audience again.

As the production announcement officially began, reporters’ questions came flooding in.

“Director, you took on directing the first iTube Original. How do you feel?”

“I’ve always heard people say not to board the first ship.”

The director launched into the story cheerfully.

The MC chuckled softly.

“But I wanted to try challenging it anyway. Honestly, these days everyone has some kind of big screen TV at home, right?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“So I thought—how about a film people can watch on their own screen whenever they want, at whatever time suits them, comfortably, without interruption? Wouldn’t that be nice? That’s what I thought.”

“Right. With OTT, whether it’s dramas or films, if something comes up in the middle, you can pause it and come back later. It’s convenient.”

“Yes yes. I think theaters are inherently becoming less accessible in modern society. This absolutely isn’t me criticizing theater businesses—it’s purely my personal view on the matter itself.”

“Yes yes, I understand.”

“Modern people are incredibly busy and tired. But with theaters, you have to go to that specific location, match the screening time, endure other people’s noise while watching together, and once you start watching, you can’t pause when you want to.”

Everyone nodded along as they listened to the director’s words.

“I wanted to propose a new paradigm. And honestly, other OTT platforms are already running film businesses, but when iTube jumped in, the attention pouring in felt different.”

“It’s inevitable, really. It’s an app already installed on everyone’s phone.”

“Yes yes. I liked that aspect.”

The director flashed an ambitious grin.

The MC laughed heartily at that.

Then moved on to the next question.

“Then we can’t not ask about this. The fake trailers!! They caused an absolute frenzy. Whose idea was this?”

The director and Do Changhyeon simultaneously pointed at me with both hands.

The MC looked at me with shocked eyes.

I smiled a bit sheepishly and lifted my microphone.

“It wasn’t an idea I came up with alone. While we were all discussing promotion methods together, the conversation came up and I naturally brought it up.”

“I always get this feeling with Sena-ssi. We’ve met at various production sites, haven’t we?”

The MC looked at me as they spoke.

I also smiled and nodded.

We’d already developed some familiarity from meeting at various drama production announcements.

“But you’re really smart. Not just your qualities as an actress, but you understand the industry structure thoroughly and have a kind of foresight that puts you ahead of others.”

“You’re too kind…”

“Sena-ssi, do you study these things regularly? Or are you just really interested?”

The MC asked with genuinely curious eyes.

I hesitated at those words.

How should I answer?

Beyond acting, I’d been interested in various backgrounds and knowledge since my past life, and had occasionally learned about them.

Personally, among people working in the content business, the talented ones who stood out weren’t those who only knew their own field well.

Just as directors learn acting alongside directing for better direction, and various staff study other technical departments at least superficially to enhance their own specialized skills.

I thought actors should approach things with the same attitude.

Someone who only knows how to act finds it hard to be flexible in front of cameras and audiences.

Also, whether in Hollywood or Korea, lead actors originally handle quite a significant portion of promotion, so I’d always had no choice but to consider promotional direction.

I opened my mouth.

“Rather than studying, it’s more just accumulating knowledge that anyone on set can pick up.”

I smiled softly.

“As the lead actor who handles the face of promotion, I simply approach things with a sense of responsibility, always thinking about directions that could help the project succeed.”

The MC showed admiration at my answer.

Then checked the time, which had run shorter than expected, and looked toward the audience.

“All right then, let’s take another reporter’s question.”

* * *

Some time later, the long-awaited release day finally arrived.

I sat on my living room sofa and connected iTube to my TV.

I planned to experience things from the audience’s perspective too.

For me, this had been a familiar daily routine since my past life…

But it was still an unfamiliar viewing method for people.

Low BGM began playing as the film opening flowed out.

‘Tak Yeowon – Han Sena’

My heart pounded seeing the credits.

The film had begun.