In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 28

And so today, this gray tracksuit.

A concept that passed through fierce meetings with <Morning Dew>’s executives and staff.

Makeup that focused solely on skin texture made me look plain, as if I were barefaced.

“Unlike earlier, health and innocence. That’s the main concept.”

That’s what the makeup artist who’d been working on me had said.

“Who knew tracksuits could look this pretty. She’s so fresh and lovely.”

A filming assistant looked over and smiled.

“All right, let’s get started. Take it easy, Sena-ssi.”

“Yes!”

I slowly made my way toward the set and stood on the taped mark.

The set this time was a comfortable room with wooden furniture and a table.

Lighting installed outside the window poured in like the slowly setting sun, filling the room.

Comfort was the biggest concept and everyone’s goal.

I too expressed posture, gait, facial expressions, and eye contact completely different from earlier.

This was the version of myself I’d filmed, reviewed, and refined countless times in the practice room over the past few days.

After all that practice, my conclusion had been simple—just show myself as I am.

Not Yoo Ji-an in flat shoes, not rising star Han Sena, but just my natural, comfortable self.

I swept my bangs behind my ear.

Then looked at the camera and smiled brightly.

“High, cue!”

I got up from the sofa, stretched out big, and walked to the fridge to pull out a soju bottle.

I scratched the back of my neck, then sat at the table and poured soju into the glass with the logo stamped on it, sloshing it around.

I clinked glasses with a Lego figure sitting across from me—clink!

For a moment, the absurdity made me laugh, crinkling my nose slightly in embarrassment.

Then I downed the glass in one shot and let out a “Keu-” sound while stretching my legs out long.

Finally, I held up the soju bottle, pressed it against my cheek, and smiled shyly, looking pleased.

“Cut!”

The moment the director called cut, I burst out laughing from embarrassment.

Simultaneously, laughter and applause poured from the staff.

“Wow, this really looks great.”

“Never would’ve thought of this, seriously. Such a different feel from the Yoo Ji-an concept, both are gorgeous.”

“Sena-ssi, you practiced a lot, didn’t you? Every movement flows so smoothly.”

The director’s praise followed.

“Sorry for laughing in the middle. It was just too funny for a second.”

“What? Sena-ssi, the laugh was perfect though?”

The director rewound the footage and answered seriously.

“Me too. It feels better when it’s like you’re acting but not acting. How to put it… within the comfort, you can see Sena as she is—innocent and lovely.”

The filming assistant added their serious interpretation in agreement.

“Thank you for seeing it so positively.”

“We won’t need many takes. Sena-ssi, just like you did now—without that acting feeling, just show yourself as you are. It’s so good.”

Following the director’s instruction, the staff bustled into action again.

I answered energetically too.

“Yes, I’ll give it a try!”

* * *

As commercial filming continued, Kwon Minyeong was watching Han Sena from among the staff.

‘That tough girl.’

Kwon Minyeong sipped her coffee and smiled.

Every time Han Sena delivered fluid acting before the camera, memories from the past few days flashed through Kwon Minyeong’s mind.

‘Unnie, which scratch looks most natural?’

On the first practice day, Kwon Minyeong had worn a baffled expression watching Han Sena scratch all over her body.

“Why are you scratching yourself…?”

That wasn’t all.

Han Sena had dragged a sofa to the middle of the practice room, lying this way and that while watching the mirror, sitting in different positions, deeply absorbed in something.

What on earth is she doing, Kwon Minyeong had wondered.

Watching Han Sena just flop down and roll around, Kwon Minyeong couldn’t just laugh it off—she was too intense.

But coming here now, Han Sena had been researching the most natural and comfortable-looking positions.

Working to narrow the subtle gap between what’s actually comfortable and what looks comfortable on camera—she’d practiced that hard.

Moreover, throughout the past several days stuck together, Han Sena had kept calling the PR team to exchange ideas.

‘Didn’t Morning Dew have Lego figures in old commercials? What if I clink glasses with the Lego?’

‘Since we’re getting hand close-ups anyway, how about doing my nails in Morning Dew’s signature color?’

And so on…

The dark circles under that staffer’s eyes this morning had reached halfway down their cheeks.

“Sena-ssi, your passion is incredible.”

With those words, the PR director had lifted their coffee with trembling hands.

Bullied them to death.

“That practice maniac.”

As Kwon Minyeong sipped her coffee again, Han Sena scratched her head this time in a somewhat comical way before the camera.

Kwon Minyeong smiled with the corners of her eyes crinkling.

An actress who approached even a single commercial thoroughly from an acting perspective and prepared accordingly.

The actress she’s been waiting for, searching for all this time, is right before her eyes—does she know how joyful and heart-swelling that makes every day?

Since entering this industry, Kwon Minyeong was experiencing something almost for the first time—feeling awe at both an actor’s ability and humanity.

And from such a young actress at that.

Meanwhile, in one corner of the filming site, the PR director who’d been momentarily collapsed was also watching Han Sena’s performance on the monitor, moved to tears.

“Cut, okay!”

The director’s okay sign and the staff’s held-back exclamations burst forth.

“Wow, I’m seriously craving soju.”

One staff member’s words made everyone laugh—hahaha!

“Her hands are so pretty too, you know? Normally for this kind of thing they use hand models.”

“Right? Morning Dew really nailed the model selection.”

At those words, the PR director clenched a fist over their mouth and grinned slightly.

“Everyone, that would be me. I am the great person who pushed for Sena-ssi as our model.”

At the director’s words, staff laughed again and sent applause.

“Let’s get the side angle.”

At the director’s instruction to film once more from a different angle, the staff bustled again.

In that retake, cheerfulness oozed from every movement Han Sena made.

It truly was a miracle tracksuit set.

“This actually works, this actually works…”

The PR director muttered to themselves as if in a daze.

When they’d set the second concept as comfort and pushed the tracksuit, they’d secretly wondered—will this work, won’t this look too unemployed…

Moreover, they’d prepared an additional innocent concept shoot just in case the risk factors of this concept exploded.

But now, that seemed unnecessary.

The PR director repeated just one phrase in their heart.

‘Next season, we absolutely must renew. This is it.’

The PR director solidified their resolve.

* * *

After the commercial shoot ended, as the sun set.

“Great work, everyone! Here’s hoping for the best!”

“Everyone did so well!”

“Sena-ssi, you really worked hard today!”

People at the filming site exchanged warm words as they wrapped up.

Soon the staff began putting away the set after checking the footage.

Suddenly, watching that scene, a thought occurred to me.

“Unnie, give me my phone.”

I quickly approached Minyeong unnie and pestered her for my phone.

“What for?”

Unnie handed me my phone, and I lay back down on the bed to take a couple extreme close-up selfies.

“What are you doing?”

“Just something.”

I made an expression like I’d had when first practicing commercial filming—what’s she up to now.

“What’s even visible when you shoot that close?”

“That’s the point of shooting this close. The commercial hasn’t aired yet.”

I thought I’d take these photos and post them on the fan café.

Fan service for the fans and consideration for the company, calculated together into one photo.

This kind of thing isn’t really my style…

But isn’t this the bare minimum I should do normally?

“Unnie, take one where you can see the set and one where you can’t! I’ll release the visible one later!”

After taking several more shots, I uploaded the photos through the app.

Having tasted 2030s apps, I clicked my tongue at the photo upload function.

“Seriously, this is when these things are so inconvenient…”

Muttering to myself, I started squeezing out text for the upload.

Hmm, something cute, lively, that kind of feel…

「Soju commercial shoot! The concept’s a secret ♡ Look forward to Sena’s surprise transformation!」

“Done.”

Watching me, Minyeong unnie laughed.

“You’ve really become a celebrity, Han Sena.”

Soon after posting the photo, comments started flooding in.

‘So cute!’

‘Top star Han Sena! Seriously a commercial fairy.’

‘She really blew up. Looking forward to what comes next. And the commercial too.’

‘What is this. Seems like she landed a huge commercial.’

I watched the fans’ reactions one by one.

“I’ll give you a ride. Let’s go.”

Minyeong unnie picked up the car keys saying she’d drive me, but I kept my eyes fixed on my phone and quickly waved her off.

“Unnie, it’s fine. Drop me at the practice room. I’ll get home myself.”

“Practice again? You’ll wear down your stamina at this rate.”

Unnie’s nagging immediately followed.

Words full of worry about me.

“No matter what, you need to think about your body too. Only thinking about quick success with no thoughts of lasting long?”

“Unnie, I’m having so much fun. I’m so happy right now.”

I showed unnie my phone, shaking it to display the fans’ comments.

“This is enough for me.”

At my words, unnie let go of my arm she’d been pulling.

After arriving at the practice room like that, I quickly stuffed kimbap into my mouth.

As expected, filming makes you hungry.

Standing in the empty practice room looking at the mirror, I felt deeply moved.

Whew—

I stood up right away.

The practice I was about to start now was also a scene filled with the same lines as before.

“Those who made a habit of reporting petty faults now shake Your Majesty’s authority. How can you leave alone those who speak without restraint!”

“How can you utter such grievous words. This is the royal quarters. Please refrain from slander unrelated to state affairs.”

One time with a loud voice, once high-pitched, next low, next soft, then firm…

Taking on various modes, I spoke and recited the lines.

Repeating the same lines wasn’t easy.

After repeating them many times, my face quickly became soaked with sweat.

After a while…

“Ah geeezzz…”

I finally knelt down and plopped onto the floor.

Even as all strength drained from my body, I tried to read the lines, but it wasn’t easy while sprawled on the sofa.

Looking at the script, maybe because I was tired… the letters just wouldn’t enter my eyes.

Random thoughts jumbled together.

But seriously, what was the real problem?

Why don’t I remember this script full of such fun characters and lines?

The more I grew accustomed to audition preparation, the more this question circled my mind.

The full script hadn’t come out yet, and I hadn’t read it all, but…

I couldn’t confirm any major problems in the script itself.

Unlike after the 2020s, we’d completely parted ways with pre-produced dramas.

Things I hadn’t experienced, unpredictable events were more familiar now.

Plus, a completely different situation from <Flat Shoes>.

“Can I solve it…?”

A weak mutter escaped me involuntarily.

Drowsiness started creeping in.

I chugged the coffee I’d bought in advance and stood back up.