In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 225

[Mission complete. You have found the correct answer.]

In the blink of an eye, I returned to reality.

My vision turned hazy white before the set filled again with cameras, equipment, and staff.

My head spun with disorientation, like I was experiencing an optical illusion.

“Why so suddenly…”

I muttered quietly, lost in thought.

Why that possession?

To show me the answer?

For better acting?

And it was the first time I’d experienced scene possession rather than the script possession I’d always known.

“I didn’t really want this.”

I wanted to figure it out myself.

From across the way, Im Hyangmin, who’d been waiting for the director’s action cue, responded “Huh?” and looked at me.

Startled that I’d been talking to myself, I looked at Im Hyangmin.

Right, I’m back in reality now.

Im Hyangmin examined me with a slightly worried expression.

“Sena, you okay? Still not feeling well? Your face is completely pale.”

Without answering, I quietly looked at his face before letting out a small breath.

The same face as Lee Dongkyo I’d just seen, but with completely different expressions and atmosphere.

Somehow I felt a bit reassured.

That’s when the director came in from outside.

“Sena-ssi, you okay? We’re going to film again. Not feeling well?”

“…No. No, it’s not that.”

“How was that last cut? Want to try it again? Should we go this direction? Or something different?”

Hearing those words made me suddenly recall the situation right before the possession.

We’d definitely been about to film again and try different approaches.

But then I found myself torn.

Should I do it the way I just experienced in the system…

Would that be right?

“Let’s go again. Ready!”

The director’s shout came from outside as he exited.

The staff took their positions and raised their equipment.

I locked eyes with Im Hyangmin again.

I still hadn’t settled on a direction.

How should I film this?

“Action!”

The action cue dropped once more.

Im Hyangmin looked at me and casually tossed out his line.

“You, you’re caught. All of it.”

I watched him for a long moment before opening my mouth.

“So. Got a warrant?”

“Yeah, I’ll bring one soon. Before that, wanted to ask you something.”

“Ask, and who’s gonna answer?”

I smirked slightly, crossed my arms, and leaned forward.

Im Hyangmin’s brow twitched as he watched me.

“Lee Seonghoon.”

“Who?”

I looked at him with a puzzled expression, as if hearing the name for the first time.

“And Kim Minchul. You don’t even know the names of people you killed?”

“Hmm.”

I paused briefly, making an expression like I was thinking hard and retracing my memory.

I looked down at the table with a serious face.

After a brief silence, I let out a “pff” and burst into laughter.

Im Hyangmin looked at me with bewildered eyes.

“How would I know? I’ve never killed anyone.”

I looked at Im Hyangmin with a smile playing on my lips.

Im Hyangmin’s expression instantly turned fierce.

Like he’d just been toyed with.

The acting I was doing now differed from the answer shown in the script.

But… somehow I just didn’t want to follow what I’d been shown.

Even if there was an answer to acting.

I didn’t want to choose the answer I’d been given, even for this minor scene.

I wanted to find my own answer in my own way.

And so the tension between Im Hyangmin and me gradually began to build.

As I adopted a different tone and gestures, Im Hyangmin’s tone shifted dramatically too.

“You really are… a nasty bastard, huh?”

“What? Did you just curse at me?”

I let out a hollow laugh of disbelief as I looked at him.

“Can a detective really do this? To an innocent person?”

I tossed out an ad-lib line.

The moment I finished, Im Hyangmin slammed his hand down on the desk with a bang and shot to his feet.

“Hey! Han Jina!!!”

Im Hyangmin’s shout echoed thunderously through the conference room.

Without flinching, I looked up at him and continued.

“No one’s ever scolded me like this before. Not once.”

“What?”

“I’m actually kind of glad right now.”

Im Hyangmin stood frozen, staring at me.

As I looked at Im Hyangmin, I also gazed at the empty air as if I wasn’t really looking at him.

Like I was lost entirely in my own thoughts.

“Things you can do, things you can’t do. If you do this, you’ll get scolded, and so on. I never heard things like that growing up.”

“…”

“So maybe that’s why? Someone shows up who scolds me and I’m just so happy about it, you know?”

I wrinkled my nose slightly.

“…”

“But listen. You have to actually do something wrong to get scolded for it. If you scold me indiscriminately like this, it’s unfair to me.”

Im Hyangmin let out a “Hah” and a hollow laugh as he placed a hand on his hip.

Then looked straight at me and walked around the table in a circle.

When Im Hyangmin got close enough to reach out and touch me, I stood up from my seat too.

It wasn’t in the script.

Since the set allowed ad-lib freedom, I didn’t need to worry about later consequences.

I stood up straight and met Im Hyangmin’s gaze at a similar eye level.

Im Hyangmin looked down at me, slightly shorter, breathing hard like he was about to throw a punch any second.

“Seriously can’t hit a woman…”

Im Hyangmin also threw an ad-lib, fully immersed.

“Can’t choke you either.”

“…”

Hearing that, I smiled coldly.

Then took one step closer to Im Hyangmin.

From this very close distance, I placed my hand on Im Hyangmin’s shoulder and gently stroked down his chest.

“Yesterday, I had a dream. We were really… passionate?”

Im Hyangmin furrowed his brow with an expression asking what the hell I was doing.

Looking at that face, I smiled brightly.

Like I found this situation incredibly amusing.

“The one who should run isn’t me, it’s ahjussi.”

“…”

“What if I end up seriously, properly interested in Lee Dongkyo like this?”

“…”

“I get pretty obsessive. Whether it’s things or people… I play with them until they’re completely broken.”

“…”

“I wonder what it’d be like to see Lee Dongkyo broken. Would watching him fall apart in my hands be fun? Would you still smile then?”

“…”

“I’m getting curious.”

I moved even closer, practically embracing Im Hyangmin as I wrapped both arms around his shoulders.

Then I clasped my hands behind Im Hyangmin’s neck and rose up on my heels to bring my face close to his ear.

“This is my last warning too. Don’t dig into me anymore. If you do, I won’t let you off.”

I whispered in an affectionate voice.

Then pulled my face away from his ear and locked eyes with Im Hyangmin.

Im Hyangmin tensed his entire body and looked down at me with loathing in his eyes.

He looked like he was using every ounce of strength to suppress his rage.

Looking at that face, I smiled coldly.

Intimately, yet chillingly.

“Cut! Okay!!”

* * *

“Whew…”

Late that night, I finally returned to the van.

I collapsed into the chair like I’d been knocked down.

Today was finally over.

After finishing all those difficult cuts in one go, the exhaustion that washed over me felt like I’d survived a week, not just one day.

Jinseok oppa looked at me with concern.

Then instead of the obvious worry, he offered the words I loved most.

“Sena, I watched you filming earlier. That scene was really good.”

Hearing that, I smiled faintly.

“Really?”

“Yeah, really. You know I don’t praise people easily.”

“I know.”

“Especially that scene you put so much effort into. I got goosebumps watching it.”

“That’s a relief…”

“You worked hard. Let’s go home and rest. Get some sleep.”

“Okay.”

Only then did I let out a breath of relief and sank deeper into the chair.

I started to close my eyes but stopped and pulled out my phone instead.

Then I opened the app.

‘I miss you all.’

It was Pops, where I communicated with fans.

I truly missed each and every word from the fans at this moment.

If I told them it was hard, everyone would worry…

I tapped away at the keyboard.

‘I finished some incredibly difficult scenes today. When I started, I wondered if I could even do it… but now that it’s done, I feel so relieved.’

‘All of you must have had your own missions today too, right? Did everyone get through them okay?’

‘You all worked hard. I suddenly thought today… maybe there’s no success, failure, right answer, or wrong answer to any mission!’

‘How you accept it and what mindset you approach it with—that seems like the most important thing. From that perspective, I hope your mission, your day, your daily life remains meaningful and enjoyable in its own way.’

I rambled on, recalling the day’s events in my own way.

Am I being too needlessly serious?

‘Everyone, fighting.’

As I typed the last message, responses from fans poured in.

-Noona, you worked so hard today!

-Sena, I hope the process was enjoyable for your mission too. 🙂

-I’m on my way home from overtime and this message made me tear up T_T I hope my actress is always in a process filled with happiness too. Thank you for always bringing me joy.

-Unnie! I hope there’s only a joyful process, not success or failure, in the work you create too. Fans are silently cheering you on from behind.

-Everything our unnie does always seems like the right answer though… I’ll keep this in my heart.

-Looking forward to <Blood Waltz>! I’ll run straight to the theater the moment it opens, packed with my actress’s sweat and hard work!

-Sena, my days are full because of you! Thanks for always entertaining us with good acting and projects, and thanks for talking with us even when you’re busy. Have a good night♥

-Han Sena fighting♥♥♥♥♥

I smiled warmly reading the fans sending messages even at this late hour.

To think so many people support me like this.

Suddenly I felt energy welling up inside me.

As my mood lifted, my eyelids grew heavier.

I stared at my phone before drifting off to sleep without realizing it.

* * *

The next afternoon.

After sleeping soundly the night before and recovering from my fatigue, I returned to the set.

Still, with yesterday as a turning point, the filming schedule was entering its latter half.

It felt like I’d gotten over a hurdle.

The remaining latter half schedule included important climax scenes and the ending.

Starting today, it felt like time for the final sprint.

“Now we can finally see the end bit by bit.”

“I know, right, whew…”

“Aah, I just want it to be over already!”

The staff each groaned while gathering their remaining strength, waiting for the end.

“Alright, let’s all keep fighting today!”

The assistant director’s shout echoed from the distance.

I stretched a bit and approached the director.

Jung Yeowon, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, also came over and greeted me.

“Sunbae, hello.”

“Yeowon, long time no see.”

“Yes, please take care of me today.”

“You too.”

Today was the last scene featuring the secretary.

Which meant I needed to wrap up the scene definitively while leaving a powerful impression.

Jung Yeowon took a deep breath with a slightly tense face.

Watching her, I smiled slightly.

“Fighting.”

“You too, sunbae. Fighting.”