In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 209

A few days later, at the NBS Live Hall.

Sitting in the audience, I gazed at the stage with my heart pounding.

Was I dreaming?

Do Changhyeon sat beside me with an equally excited expression, hands neatly folded.

The Hwangryong Film Festival—something I’d only ever watched on TV.

Even I wore a slightly different suit today.

Since the outfit response at Haeundae International had been so strong, The Mesh had sent over a newly tailored suit.

They’d refashioned an existing men’s suit with a more feminine line—a reformed piece.

After <Night of Fire>, my hair had grown down past my shoulders, so I’d added natural wave perms and wore a small watch.

Do Changhyeon had come styled in the classic look: a fitted black suit with a bowtie and his hair slicked back.

Seeing his hair up instead of down like usual felt a bit unfamiliar.

I’d unintentionally ended up showcasing matching suit couple looks with Do Changhyeon on the red carpet.

Do Changhyeon, who’d been waiting for the opening, suddenly turned to look at me. “Ah, right.”

“Hm?”

Do Changhyeon’s eyes sparkled as he spoke.

“Mentor, I heard you’re doing a fan meeting soon?”

“You memorize other people’s schedules too?”

“I’m planning to ticket for it.”

“What?”

I stared at Do Changhyeon with bewildered eyes.

“Why you? Why would you come? Don’t come!”

“Why not?”

Do Changhyeon made an aggrieved expression.

“I want to go too!”

“Then I’ll give you comp tickets. Why would you buy them!”

“Really? Comp tickets? Really?”

Do Changhyeon’s eyes went wide.

That’s when an actor sitting in the row behind suddenly poked their head forward.

“Whoa! Can I get one too?”

“Aah! You startled me!”

I turned to see Sung Minhui grinning.

We’d just exchanged greetings earlier after seeing each other for the first time in a while.

“These people, seriously. What’s with you two?”

“I heard Sena-ssi’s fan meetings are super fun? Let me go do some field research.”

Do Changhyeon nodded too.

“Me too. And I genuinely want to participate as a real fan.”

“Ugh, fine. Enough, enough!”

“You’re really giving them, right? I’m really coming?”

Sung Minhui drove the nail in all the way before smoothly pulling back.

How do they all know about my fan meeting news.

I made a mental note to reserve two comp seats and sat up straight again.

Right then, far away on the distant stage, the MCs hosting the ceremony appeared.

Grand music played as applause poured toward the MCs.

I also clapped generously.

Seeing the two MCs take their positions at the host desk suddenly made my heart swell.

One of the MCs was none other than Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim, whom I’d always admired.

The Hwangryong symbol herself.

Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim opened Hwangryong with a brief line.

“Beautiful night, isn’t it?”

The live hall filled with applause.

Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim was the object of admiration for all actors and an indispensable gem in the Korean acting world.

Acting ability, aura, good deeds, forward-thinking vision, love for cinema and care for juniors.

Lee Yang-ju was an actor close to perfection.

Even in my early debut days when I’d dreamed so many dreams, she was my role model.

Not just me—in interviews asking other actors about their role models, Lee Yang-ju’s name probably came up most often.

Seeing her in person like this made my heart race.

After the opening remarks and merit awards plus industry recognition ceremonies, the Best New Actor category soon approached.

The screen captured five rising male actors including Do Changhyeon.

The real thing was starting now.

Video clips of each nominee’s performances played one by one.

Do Changhyeon’s face from <Deadline> appeared large on screen as he delivered his passionate performance.

Following that came clips from other films: Choi Su-cheol from <Poison>, the year’s highest box office hit; Lee Hyuk from <Like Smoke, Like Wind>, who played a twist character in a famous director’s film despite poor box office; Kwon Sang-bin from action thriller <Chase>; and Lee Min-jin from period piece <Genealogy>.

Recalling the four films I’d recently watched, it was a lineup where anyone winning wouldn’t be surprising.

As always from my past life, the number of talented actors only kept growing each year.

Do Changhyeon glanced at the camera filming him with a nervous, stiff expression.

Seeing that made me smile softly.

My own face flashed across the screen too.

As the screen moved to another actor’s shot, I leaned closer to Do Changhyeon and whispered quietly.

“Do Changhyeon.”

“Yes?”

“Nervous?”

Do Changhyeon finally let out a small laugh.

“Ugh. I’m so nervous.”

Watching him made me smile again.

But my own hands were also getting clammy with sweat.

Maybe because I’d raised him as my mentee since the audition.

Especially since Best New Actor was an award you could only receive once in your lifetime—I knew how incredibly special its meaning was.

Deep down, I was hoping Do Changhyeon would receive that award.

He had plenty of chances.

“All five showed excellent performances.”

Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim looked at the nervous rookie male actors with a warm smile.

“Now then, let’s announce the winner.”

Music that heightened the tension even more flowed through the live hall.

All the rookie male actors caught on screen sat with tense expressions.

Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim opened the envelope with the winner’s name written inside.

She smiled slightly and spoke into the microphone.

“Congratulations! <Deadline>’s Do Changhyeon!”

“Wow!”

An exclamation burst from my mouth first.

Do Changhyeon jumped up from his seat like a spring.

I also shot up from my seat.

Do Changhyeon pulled me into a tight embrace.

“Changhyeon, congratulations!”

“Mentor, thank you…”

Do Changhyeon exchanged greetings with the surrounding actors and walked toward the stage.

His face still looked dazed.

Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim smiled warmly and handed Do Changhyeon the trophy.

Then, as if finding him adorable, she stroked Do Changhyeon’s cheek.

Do Changhyeon’s ears immediately turned bright red like they were on fire.

Do Changhyeon walked with awkward steps to stand before the microphone.

“Um, I…”

Just as he started speaking, the bouquet slipped from Do Changhyeon’s hand and dropped to the floor with a thud.

“Uh, uh.”

Do Changhyeon hurriedly picked up the bouquet.

Laughter erupted from all directions.

“Do Changhyeon-ssi, you can relax.”

Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim, who’d returned to her seat, spoke gently to ease the atmosphere.

The actors sitting in the audience all watched Do Changhyeon with the same warm smiles as Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim.

Do Changhyeon wiped the sweat beading on his forehead and spoke again.

“Thank you so much. I never even thought about this, never dared to hope for this award, so it feels so… like a dream…”

Do Changhyeon looked down at the trophy he was holding with genuinely disbelieving eyes.

“I’ve always been anxious about so many things, afraid of so many things, and always envious of others… that receiving this award carries tremendous meaning for me.”

Do Changhyeon spoke honestly and sincerely.

“It feels like this award is telling me I can worry a little less now, have some confidence. That I can freely enjoy the work I do.”

Brief applause poured out at those words.

Do Changhyeon looked at the packed audience giving him generous applause with an overwhelmed expression.

Then he looked at me sitting among them.

From that distance, Do Changhyeon and I locked eyes.

I grinned and sent him applause.

Do Changhyeon smiled back at me too.

“I want to thank someone who made me believe in myself, helped me act better, and helped me become a better person.”

Do Changhyeon delivered words weighted with sincerity.

“Thank you, Mentor Han Sena. Thanks to you, I became an actor and received this award too. I’ll work to become an excellent actor going forward.”

My face appeared prominently on the screen.

People’s gazes suddenly focused on me.

I looked at the screen in surprise.

I couldn’t help but smile awkwardly as I applauded.

That’s when Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim picked up the microphone and spoke.

“Han Sena-ssi, you don’t need to feel embarrassed. It’s your mentee’s thank you for carefully nurturing him.”

Those words suddenly made my heart feel full.

Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim looked at me and crinkled her nose in a smile.

I smiled back in response.

Do Changhyeon delivered his closing remarks.

“Lastly, to my mom who’s probably crying while watching this at home. You’ve struggled your whole life… I’ll be filial from now on. And Dad, hyung. Thank you. I love you all! Thank you!”

The hall filled once more with applause.

* * *

About an hour passed.

Through the Supporting Actor, Popularity Star, and Best Actor ceremonies…

Right before the crowning Best Actress ceremony.

Do Changhyeon sat watching the stage with an even more tense and rigid expression than when he won his award.

Seeing his face made me chuckle.

“Why are you the one nervous.”

“Mentor, aren’t you nervous?”

“Me? I wonder.”

I sat with a much more relaxed heart than at other ceremonies.

The reason was…

‘Not this time.’

Honestly, I didn’t think the Best Actress award would go to me.

Tak Yeowon was a character unlike anything that existed before, almost like a heretic, and being nominated for Best Actress as the lead of an OTT film among such strong theatrical releases felt like it was partly to fill out the roster, following the flow.

Plus with Do Changhyeon already receiving Best New Actor, I doubted the Best Actress trophy would come to me too.

“Ugh, I’m so nervous.”

Do Changhyeon clasped his hands tightly together.

Looking at Do Changhyeon, I spoke.

“Changhyeon, I’m satisfied just with you winning the award.”

“What are you saying! That’s your award!”

Do Changhyeon’s response made me laugh.

Far away, Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim, now changed into a white dress, picked up the microphone.

“Now then, before the Best Film award, only one final acting award remains.”

“This year’s Best Actress category was especially competitive, wasn’t it?”

The male actor serving as MC picked up sunbaenim’s comment.

“It was. I’m also really curious who’ll win. Shall we meet the nominees?”

Video of the five Best Actress nominees including me appeared on screen.

After a long time, I watched myself performing as Tak Yeowon.

Watching it on the big screen with the seated audience felt somewhat embarrassing.

Videos of the other actors soon filled the screen.

Im Min-ju from <Poison>, which had missed Best New Actor in the first half; Do Seolyeon sunbaenim from <Again and Again>; Yoo Seolyoung from <Arari Romance>; Kim Hanbyeol from <The Girl>.

I anticipated the winner would be one of two: Do Seol-yeon sunbaenim, who’d generated buzz with her late-life romance performance, or Im Min-ju, who starred in the year’s highest box office hit <Poison>.

Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim opened the envelope with anticipation on her face.

“Ah! This person! My prediction was right!”

“Oh, really?”

The two MCs exchanged brief words before the announcement.

Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim smiled and lifted her head toward the audience.

But in that moment, I had the illusion that sunbaenim and I made eye contact.

Soon Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim’s voice echoed through the hall.

“Congratulations. <Deadline>’s Han Sena-ssi!”