In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 219

Inside the office.

The one-on-one scene between Han Sena and Jung Yeowon continued without pause.

“Bored. Want to spar?”

Han Sena, who’d been slouching in her office chair with terrible posture, tossed the question at Jung Yeowon casually.

Jung Yeowon bowed her head.

“How could I possibly dare…”

“Don’t dodge.”

“…”

“Win against me and I’ll give you that.”

Han Sena suddenly brightened up and walked toward the office safe.

After inputting the password and opening the safe, Han Sena pulled out several gold bars from inside.

“Win, and I’ll give you all of these.”

Jung Yeowon stared at the gold bars with shocked eyes.

“What do you think. Not bad, right.”

Han Sena scrunched her nose playfully as she grinned.

Jung Yeowon swallowed, her face flickering with a momentary temptation.

Then bowed her head again.

“I couldn’t. I have no such greed.”

“Ah, quit being boring.”

Han Sena stepped closer to Jung Yeowon.

“You know.”

To the frozen Jung Yeowon, Han Sena approached one step, two steps closer and whispered in her ear.

“Do you like getting hit too?”

The flustered Jung Yeowon pulled back, and Han Sena burst out laughing.

That lasted only briefly.

Han Sena wiped away her smile completely and swung her fist at Jung Yeowon.

Jung Yeowon reflexively dodged the punch and spun her body around.

Jung Yeowon’s face colored with bewilderment at what had just happened in an instant.

“Hah…”

Han Sena let out an impressed laugh.

“Fast, aren’t you? As expected.”

Jung Yeowon also tensed up sharply, seeing Han Sena’s unexpectedly quick movements.

After barely a moment of sizing each other up.

Han Sena aimed for Jung Yeowon’s ribs with her opposite fist.

Jung Yeowon stepped back and then instinctively dropped low, sweeping Han Sena’s leg sharply.

Han Sena’s body tilted as her upper body fell toward the table.

Han Sena immediately braced against the table to push herself back up and assumed her fighting stance again.

“Not bad?”

Han Sena’s expression instantly turned serious.

Then with a face full of killing intent to murder her opponent, she immediately started throwing punches.

Jung Yeowon also stopped evading and faced her head-on, driving her shoulder into Han Sena’s waist.

Jung Yeowon hoisted Han Sena up and slammed her down onto the table.

With a bang, Han Sena rolled off onto the floor.

“Ugh…”

Han Sena clutched her side with a pained expression.

Jung Yeowon caught her ragged breath while sweeping her hair back.

“We should stop now…”

But Han Sena’s eyes showed absolutely no intention of stopping here.

Han Sena quickly got up and charged at Jung Yeowon again.

Soon the two began exchanging blows like madwomen, showcasing spectacular action.

Outside the filming area, Jin Changju watched the scene on the monitor and found himself momentarily stunned.

The two actors who’d received separate action training were creating breathtaking scenes.

Han Sena matched Jung Yeowon, an actual former boxer, with action that didn’t fall behind, capturing frames on camera like paintings.

Jin Changju touched his chin with some embarrassment.

He’d been thinking for a long time that at some point, he’d been making films out of inertia.

His luck had been too good…

Simply filming projects had resulted in massive hits.

It had been ages since he’d become someone who could guarantee returns on investment just by having his fans come watch his films.

He’d grown dependent on the staff who believed in and relied on him, and on the luck that had always been on his side—until he faced a moment when it no longer worked.

That was this project, Blood Waltz.

The moment filming started, he’d completely panicked at the unfamiliar, frustrating progression unlike his usual pace.

He’d clearly thought this would be an easier script to film than usual.

It had been the opposite.

Because it was a project that had to win on character, the directing required to bring out that charm proved extremely difficult.

However, even now, the gods hadn’t abandoned Jin Changju.

Sending Han Sena to the filming set.

Jin Changju continued watching the two actors being captured on camera in complete immersion.

Jung Yeowon was showing method-level acting, unlike her earlier mistake in the dermatology scene.

This too was thanks to Han Sena.

Even outside the filming area, Han Sena continued maintaining a subtly cold atmosphere, pressuring the tense Jung Yeowon.

Thanks to that, Jung Yeowon had become completely fired up, clashing with Han Sena throughout with eyes that had changed 180 degrees.

Overall, it was Han Sena leading the filming set.

‘I have no face to show, truly.’

Jin Changju let out a small internal sigh.

In front of other actors, he’d maintained a deliberately shameless attitude to push through and finish the project.

But this time, he couldn’t be shameless.

‘It’s time to break free from my inertia.’

Even for the actor who was carrying my project overall.

This project seemed like it would become a new challenge for him too.

Jin Changju raised the radio and spoke.

“Cut. Okay!”

* * *

On one of those days when filming was progressing smoothly.

As usual, I was locked in a nerve war with Im Hyangmin in front of the camera, like we were about to devour each other.

Since this was the last cut for today’s schedule, we were both scraping together every ounce of remaining strength and going all out.

“Seeing you pretty often lately? Coincidence, or intentional?”

“Either way, it’s not a particularly good situation for you.”

“Look at you dropping formalities.”

“How old do you think I am, huh? Where do you get off glaring at an elder, Hwak-ssi.”

“Cut! Okay! Let’s wrap up!”

The moment we got the okay sign in one take, the tension released completely.

Im Hyangmin also seemed a bit overwhelmed by the continuing nerve war, narrowing his brow while exhaling deeply.

“Sunbaenim, you okay?”

“I’m exhausted.”

Im Hyangmin rubbed his stiff neck while turning his head side to side.

I also stretched my arms out, extending my body in all directions while making groaning sounds.

“Jin Changju’s going to face divine punishment.”

When Im Hyangmin glared at the director, the director laughed heartily while gesturing for us to come over.

It meant to do the final monitoring.

“Ah, what’s there to see again. We filmed it well.”

Im Hyangmin grumbled while heading to the monitor.

I also followed behind Im Hyangmin to check.

“Showing off.”

The director grinned as he rewound the cut we’d just filmed.

“Hm?”

“Showing off what I filmed well.”

When Im Hyangmin asked back, the director responded bluntly.

At that, we both laughed quietly while focusing on the monitor.

‘Seeing you pretty often lately? Coincidence, or intentional?’

‘Either way, it’s not a particularly good situation for you.’

But as I quietly watched the footage…

“Oh, damn.”

Im Hyangmin beside me let out an impressed exclamation with a slightly shocked face.

I also found my eyes widening as I stared at the cut we’d just filmed.

The few lines we’d exchanged in front of the camera in this seemingly insignificant cut conveyed serious tension.

When Im Hyangmin appeared on screen, the camera angle swayed unstably as if revealing the anxiety of Han Jina that I’d been acting…

When I appeared on screen, it slowly closed in as if expressing the fury from Im Hyangmin’s perspective, creating a completely different tension.

“Wow.”

When the short cut ended, I also found myself unconsciously exclaiming and lightly clapping.

The director beamed with a pleased expression while puffing out his chest.

A gesture that seemed to say ‘this is who I am.’

Then Im Hyangmin chuckled and playfully put him in a headlock.

“You sat there doing nothing! The cinematographer did all the work.”

At those words, the director let out a hearty laugh while being tossed around however Im Hyangmin’s hands moved him.

I laughed watching them, feeling like I was seeing Director Jin Changju in a new light.

No matter how much of a headache he causes, he’s not industry top for nothing.

That’s when the director, who’d escaped from Im Hyangmin’s grip, looked at me and spoke.

“Sena-ssi, thank you.”

“Hm?”

“I’ve been sorry all this time too…”

“Oh, not at all. It was only a few days of difficulty.”

“Still, you’re continuing to pull all-nighters in meetings because of me.”

“Oh, the lead has to do at least that much.”

Im Hyangmin beside me made a keugh sound while shaking his head.

“Seriously, you’re no joke. Han Sena’s not top for nothing.”

“True…”

The director nodded.

“Why are you both like this.”

I waved my hands in embarrassment, but Im Hyangmin grinned.

“Since we’re on that topic, should we grab drinks? We ended early today.”

“Sounds good! But we need to do the meeting first.”

At my answer, Im Hyangmin’s face crumpled.

“Ah damn, really too much!”

“No way. Sunbaenim, you can’t drink anyway.”

I answered firmly and turned around.

“Wow, this is seriously too much!”

I could hear Im Hyangmin’s aggrieved voice behind me.

* * *

That evening.

After a long time, the director, Im Hyangmin, and several staff members sat around a table at the pork slices restaurant, tilting drinks.

Jung Yeowon also sat nearby, smiling brightly while chatting with the staff.

“Yeowon-ssi, filming must’ve been hard because of me, right?”

I poured drinks into Jung Yeowon’s glass while smiling awkwardly.

Then Jung Yeowon held her glass and shook her head with a surprised expression.

“Not at all. I’m the one who got help. Without Sena sunbaenim, capturing the emotions would’ve been so difficult.”

“Then I’m glad.”

“I’ll continue counting on you.”

“Yes, me too.”

In that warm atmosphere of conversation flowing…

A woman I hadn’t seen before sat next to Im Hyangmin, quickly chomping through the pork slices.

Im Hyangmin, noticing my curious gaze, smoothly rattled off her profile.

“My stylist. Jung Mihyeon. 42. Divorced.”

“Ah damn, want to die?”

The fired-up stylist immediately smacked Im Hyangmin’s back.

Im Hyangmin laughed heartily while wrapping his ssam.

Watching that immature display, I went ‘euhyu’ before immediately greeting the stylist.

“Ah, hello.”

“Hello. Yes, I just got back recently.”

“Ah, I see.”

I smiled awkwardly as Im Hyangmin continued chomping while talking.

“Work’s terrible. Always dressing celebrities like beggars.”

“That’s not the problem, oppa. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“Look at this, calling a celebrity a beggar.”

Watching that made me unable to hold back my laughter.

“You two seem like siblings.”

Then the stylist’s face turned serious as she shook her head.

“He should be grateful I dress him like a decent human. Do you know what comes up when you search Im Hyangmin?”

“Huh…?”

Search terms?

At the stylist’s words, Im Hyangmin burst out laughing again.

“Fashion terrorist. Worst dresser.”

“Ah…”

Oh right.

I’d seen that in Im Hyangmin-related posts several times.

Im Hyangmin fans and most netizens probably already knew.

“That’s why I’m telling you to transform me completely! I’m paying you!”

When Im Hyangmin said loudly with a ‘deal with it’ attitude, the stylist shot him a glare.

“Then wear what I give you. Why do you keep not wearing what I give you and just wearing whatever. Why are you scratching my career!”

Ah, I see…

Im Hyangmin probably rejected the clothes his stylist gave him and wore whatever he wanted, ending up photographed by reporters a lot.

“I can’t even change jobs now because of this guy.”

“Why change jobs! So let’s go for life together! I’ll take responsibility.”

“Ugh, I can’t even speak.”

The two of them made us all laugh watching them.

“Why’d you do that, sunbaenim.”

“Ah, pretty clothes are so uncomfortable. Sweatpants are the best.”

Im Hyangmin answered while frowning at my words.

“Ugh, so tacky. Total beggar.”

The stylist sighed.

The staff chuckled while watching them.

“Alright alright, let’s toast.”

Having run out of things to say, Im Hyangmin changed the subject while raising his glass.

“Cheers!”

Multiple glasses clinked against the table with a cheerful sound.

That’s when Jinseok oppa, who’d been silently inhaling pork slices beside me, checked his phone calendar and spoke bluntly.

“Need to film another video soon.”

“Video?”

“Your iTube.”

“Ah, right.”

Producing consistent content wasn’t easy, and I’d heard the company was holding weekly meetings about it too.

“Wow, Sena-ssi, that gets good views.”

“I’m watching <Someone Else’s Life> too!”

“Me too! It’s so healing.”

The director and staff reacted to my iTube content.

“Really? Thank you.”

After smiling briefly, I was about to pour soju into my mouth while lost in thought…

That’s when an idea suddenly flashed through my mind.

“Wow, wait. How about this?”

Everyone at the table looked at me with wide eyes.

“Im Hyangmin People-Making Project! One-Day Stylist!”

“Huh?”

Im Hyangmin scratched his forehead with a baffled expression.

The director beside us clapped once.

“That’s good? It’ll promote the film too. Make it happen!”

Im Hyangmin’s stylist also laughed and shouted ‘I’m in favor!’

“People need to know my struggles.”

“Okay! Perfect! Let’s film starting tomorrow, sunbaenim.”

“Huh?!”

Im Hyangmin alone looked around with an expression that showed he had no idea what was happening.