In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 211

[Hwangryong Queen’s Luxury First Pitch]

[Baseball Players Lining Up to Get Han Sena’s Autograph]

[Leytonz Star Player Jung Hyeokgu Revealed as Han Sena’s Die-Hard Fan, Becomes Hot Topic]

[Baseball Stadium Goddess Han Sena Video]

[Han Sena’s First Pitch Showcase—Athletic Skills on Full Display!]

Watching the first pitch-related articles upload to the internet was brief.

Once again, I received a summons from Director Jin Changju and was called to his office.

Im Hyangmin’s description of the director as a ‘smart boss’ felt all too accurate—Director Jin worked people to the bone, demanding feedback on everything from start to finish.

For the past few days, we’d been gathering the main staff to hold meetings lasting three to four hours daily about the set, props, and costumes.

Normally these meetings involved the director and main staff huddling together and wracking their brains, but…

Having an actor participate and directly pitch cut ideas was completely new territory.

The costume staff projected their prepared PPT onto the large screen installed in the office.

“I did some color tests for Sena-ssi, and I think going more casual works better than expected. Focusing on semi-formal wear.”

“What about a fresh college student vibe instead? Jeans and a hoodie.”

“That’s too much.”

The main staff of the so-called ‘Jin Changju Brigade’ had grown accustomed to enduring him over time, batting down the director’s ideas with rather aggressive expressions.

I also cautiously opened my mouth to join the meeting.

“Reds or blacks actually make the character interpretation feel one-dimensional.”

“Sena-ssi has better aesthetic sense than the director.”

The staff member handling costumes from the art team grinned.

For a moment, I broke into a nervous sweat at the unexpected comment.

The director didn’t seem bothered at all and laughed heartily.

“Let’s dress Im Hyangmin in achromatic colors overall, dark tones with lighter fabrics…”

“Got it. I’ll dress him like crap, then.”

Director Jin waved his hand dismissively.

“Ah, seriously! Do my character properly too!”

Im Hyangmin glared at the director with an annoyed expression.

The director looked at Im Hyangmin with an expression that said ‘so what.’

“What? I’m right. Where does a regular detective get money? Plus you’re going to be rolling around everywhere anyway.”

The costume meeting had already stretched past an hour.

That’s when Director Jin looked at me and asked.

“Sena-ssi, you going to smoke cigarettes in the film?”

“Pardon?”

“You’re doing drugs anyway. I’m wondering whether to include cigarette scenes too. I’ll leave it up to your judgment, Sena-ssi.”

He was leaving even these kinds of details up to the actor?

I fell into brief contemplation, not having thought about this aspect before.

“Sena-ssi doesn’t smoke, right?”

Im Hyangmin looked at me and asked.

“Ah…”

I’d chain-smoked in my past life but quit in this one.

“If you’re going to smoke awkwardly, better not to include it at all.”

“I don’t smoke, but I can smoke naturally.”

“Huh?”

That’s just how it is.

I glossed over the explanation and moved on.

“Alright, then think about where to place the smoking scenes.”

Director Jin rubbed his face with a slightly exhausted expression.

I felt stiff too.

Today alone, the total meeting time had already exceeded three hours.

“Director, I’m hungry.”

“Are you going to starve us?”

The staff members looked at the director and whined.

“Ah, man. I never starved you—just haven’t sent you home! Here, take the card. Order something.”

The director readily opened his wallet and stepped out of the office for a moment.

“Hell yeah.”

The staff members took the card with practiced ease and began choosing an early dinner menu.

Im Hyangmin also leaned back in his chair with an exhausted face and ran his hand through his hair.

Then he looked at me and smiled.

“That director’s pretty annoying, right?”

“Ah, no… it’s just fascinating…”

I fumbled my answer.

I hadn’t filmed many movies to begin with, but this director really was the first of his kind I’d encountered in the industry.

At my words, Im Hyangmin and the staff chuckled.

“Sena-ssi’s got such a good personality.”

“How do you not curse? Even Actor Lee Yang-ju got mad.”

“Huh?”

Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim?

I recalled Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim graciously handing me the trophy on stage at the Hwangryong awards ceremony with a kind expression.

I couldn’t easily imagine sunbaenim getting angry.

“More than got mad—sunbaenim scolded him is more accurate.”

Im Hyangmin, who’d filmed a project with Lee Yang-ju sunbaenim, kept laughing as if remembering something funny.

“Yang-ju-ssi grabbed the director by the scruff of his neck on set and dragged him to a corner. I thought the director was going to get hit.”

“Us too.”

“Should’ve gotten hit, honestly.”

“Who knows, Sena-ssi… you might end up putting the director in his place…”

At the staff’s words, I couldn’t help but laugh.

So the director’s team always operated in this kind of atmosphere.

I still wasn’t quite adjusted to it, but it didn’t seem bad at all.

Director Jin seemed to always accept the staff’s words without complaint and receptively.

He worked in eccentric ways, but seemed to have no ego whatsoever.

As if reading my thoughts, one of the production team staff smiled and spoke.

“The director is unique, but that’s why he’s had such longevity. Everyone in the industry says so.”

“Oh, really?”

I widened my eyes.

“Yeah. What the director hates most is directors who crush the spirits of staff and actors.”

“Ooh…”

That was an interesting perspective.

Most directors prioritize their own position first since directing on set is difficult.

“‘A director who creates an atmosphere where no one can offer ideas is bound to become obsolete.’ That’s what he believes.”

Wow, impressive.

Someone who’d climbed to that level of stature naturally had sage-like thoughts.

I silently clicked my tongue in admiration.

“So even when we give him grief, he always gets annoyed but emphasizes not to hold back what we want to say.”

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

“That’s why I’m still… rotting away here…”

“Honestly, you can’t find anyone like the director anywhere. Good pay, builds your career.”

The staff nodded at those words.

Im Hyangmin also nodded.

“That’s why I’m rotting here too. Fellow comrades.”

Im Hyangmin had worked with them multiple times, giving off a strong colleague vibe.

I need to blend in quickly too.

I stretched with that determination.

* * *

That evening.

The meeting finally ended around 10 PM.

“Uuuugh…”

A groan escaped involuntarily.

“Want to go for dinner? A company dinner?”

Director Jin shouted with an excited face, alone in his enthusiasm.

The staff immediately turned their backs on the director.

“You said we have a 10 AM meeting tomorrow too.”

“You shot down all my ideas today. I have a mountain of work to do now.”

“Is that so?”

The director scratched his nose awkwardly.

“Hey, Im Hyangmin! You can’t leave, right?”

“Director. Go home and eat with your wife.”

Im Hyangmin also waved his hand with an exhausted face and called his manager.

The last one remaining was…

The director looked at me with gleaming eyes.

“Haha… me too…”

I quickly tried to squeeze out an excuse when, at perfect timing, my phone in my back pocket vibrated.

“Oh, a call!”

I awkwardly pulled out my phone.

But for some reason, it was Director Yoon from <Deadline> calling.

I answered with a confused expression.

“Yes, director.”

-Sena-ssi!

The director’s urgent tone came through the moment I answered.

-Did you see the article?

“Huh?”

-Our film got a Jannes Film Festival non-competitive invitation!

“What??!!”

I froze in shock.

The staff and director stared at me.

-Waaah!!!

The director’s joyful roar echoed through the phone.

-Sena-ssi, I’ll contact you again!

The director’s call abruptly ended, and I stood there with a blank expression when Im Hyangmin looked at me curiously.

“What happened?”

“Ah, well…”

I stammered out the words with difficulty.

“So… our <Deadline> got a Jannes Film Festival non-competitive invitation…”

“What?! Wow, amazing!”

“For real??!?!?!?”

Im Hyangmin and the staff looked at me in complete surprise.

Only the director stood there with his arms crossed, nodding.

“Knew it would happen.”

“Director predicted this?”

“Yup. Seemed likely. Sena-ssi, congratulations. Enjoy the sightseeing.”

“Man, I’m jealous. Send me too, director!!”

“Me too… I want to go!”

As the staff whined, the director shot back.

“Hey, I want to go too! You all need to work harder to get there!”

Then the director clapped his hands as if struck by a good idea.

“Wow, then we need to have that company dinner! We have to celebrate!!”

The staff made ‘oh no’ expressions.

“I’m… really okay…”

I quickly waved my hands.

“What are you talking about! This isn’t just anything—it’s Jannes! Right? Our lead actress! Everyone would be inhuman to skip this, wouldn’t they?”

“Uh… uh…”

Im Hyangmin and the staff reluctantly followed the director’s lead.

“No, I’m really fine…”

“Come on, let’s go! Arongsatae suyuk!!”

“Ahhh! Not that damn arongsatae suyuk again!!”

The staff’s cries of despair echoed through the alley.

* * *

Departure day.

The airport was packed with a sea of reporters.

Over a dozen security guards were escorting the Deadline team.

As we entered the airport, we ended up standing in a line with the director and Do Changhyeon to give reporters a photo opportunity.

Do Changhyeon smiled brightly and waved to the reporters, while the director stood frozen with a tense, rigid expression.

Flashes and questions poured in from every direction.

“Director, do you think you have a chance at winning an award?”

“Please give us a comment!”

“How many nights will you be staying?”

The director responded politely and briefly.

“It feels too early to get ahead of ourselves. Just being invited is an honor.”

Other reporters also showered me with questions.

“Sena-ssi! How do you feel?”

“Uh… I feel the same as the director. Just being invited is such an honor… and I’m so grateful for all this attention.”

Do Changhyeon also answered the same question with a smile beside me.

“We’ll work hard and come back! Please support us!”

With the reporters’ applause as our send-off, the director, Do Changhyeon and I walked side by side into the airport.

Far in the distance, the departure board displayed our flight schedule.

I’m going to Jannes on that plane…

With an excited, almost unbelievable feeling, I headed toward the gate.