In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 45

“Hey.”

Hey?

Hey???

Even the manager, sitting in the driver’s seat, opened his eyes so wide they looked ready to pop out.

“Why are you so rude? Is watching people NG your hobby or something?”

For a moment, caught off guard, I locked eyes with the manager.

The manager quickly rolled up the window and shook his head.

His face was full of terror.

Wait, hold on.

With a build that huge, right now…

Feeling betrayed, I glanced at the manager once before looking straight at Heo Sojin.

“It is my hobby, actually.”

“What?”

This time Heo Sojin buffered.

“I always watch other actors’ performances before going home. To learn. Though for that scene just now, it wasn’t you—it was Won Hyerim sunbaenim.”

Heo Sojin let out a hollow laugh.

“And I’ve got another hobby. Dealing with your little tricks.”

“What tricks.”

Heo Sojin’s voice grew increasingly sharp.

“They exist. The kind only you and I know about.”

“Got proof?”

A genuine laugh escaped me at those words.

Yang Euichul suddenly came to mind.

Bad villains must have some kind of manual they follow when backed into a corner.

“Birds hear words spoken by day, and mice hear words spoken by night. With this many people around, think no one saw you?”

“What…?”

Seeing Heo Sojin’s blank expression made irritation surge up.

Do I really have to waste time trading pointless barbs with someone this stupid?

I looked straight at Heo Sojin.

“Let me give you some advice. Instead of spending time playing tricks and venting because you’re scared a newcomer might steal your spotlight, study your lines one more time.”

“What?!”

Heo Sojin’s voice rose sharply.

“The way people talk, they’d think I was the newcomer instead of you. And.”

Heo Sojin glared at me, trembling with rage.

I stepped right up beside Heo Sojin and whispered.

“Pull another trick and I won’t let it slide. When it comes to this kind of thing, I’m even more veteran than with acting.”

With that, I swiftly climbed into the van, leaving Heo Sojin behind.

Through the closed van door, I could see Heo Sojin standing there completely at a loss, filled with fury.

“This traitor! Let’s go, go.”

At my words, the manager floored the accelerator with a thoroughly cowed expression.

“Scary, so scary. Female actresses…”

* * *

A few days later.

Finally, a day off.

I firmly shut the window where cold air had been seeping in.

Once filming started, time flew by without a moment to catch it.

December already.

When I’d started filming Flat Shoes, it had been January, and now…

In such a short time, I’d gained a new life and was filming my second project.

Even in this young body, I ached all over.

That’s when my phone rang.

It was Minyeong unnie.

‘Where are you?’

“Home, unnie.”

‘Perfect. Come get some air with me.’

“Unnie. Today I just want to stay home…”

But Minyeong unnie cut me off.

‘I’m going to scout new talent.’

“Scout new talent…? Where to?”

‘Hello World open audition.’

Hello World…?

I’d heard that somewhere before.

At unnie’s words, I half-lifted myself up.

“A drama?”

‘Actors, idols, models. Tons of hopefuls, tons of agencies. First catch, first served… at least that’s the concept. It’s their first time holding it.’

Oh really?

Sounds interesting.

I jumped up from bed.

Following unnie’s message that she’d arrive within fifteen minutes, I hung up and hastily threw on some clothes.

* * *

The place we arrived at.

It was a massive audition venue packed with hopefuls.

The heated atmosphere hit me right in the skin.

“Wow, there are so many people. Huh? Isn’t that kid someone who already debuted as an idol?”

“Right. And there are more than just one or two like that here.”

My eyes were spinning trying to take it all in.

The bustling waiting area was diverse—from familiar faces to desperate-looking new faces to people who seemed like they were just here for fun.

Unnie grabbed my arm and pulled.

“Seen enough? We’re going to the judges’ area.”

As we passed through the hallway…

Thud—.

“Ah, I’m sorry!”

I lightly bumped into a high school student in uniform coming out of the bathroom.

The student bowed her head and quickly ran toward the auditorium.

“Huh?”

I tilted my head watching the student’s retreating figure.

I’d seen her somewhere.

I couldn’t pin down her name, but she was definitely a face I knew.

A few minutes later.

The participants began showing their acting one by one.

“H-hello! I’m participant number…”

“I’ll perform freestyle acting!”

“Who’s that? Who’s making those coughing sounds…”

“Gyeonwoo, I’m sorry!!!”

After watching maybe a few dozen people like that.

I glanced at the clock.

An anxious feeling crept in.

Not a single face from my previous life’s memories had appeared yet.

Of course, what I knew wasn’t everything.

Surely among the unfamiliar faces, there were people showing quite decent acting.

Minyeong unnie handed business cards to those people.

“Barum Entertainment.”

But as the saying goes that everyone sees the same thing, those who received business cards already held several cards in their hands.

Plus there were unexpected interference tactics.

Even with participants who clearly didn’t fit their company style, the moment we handed over a card, officials would butt in and push their own companies.

Companies like AK or True Actors, for example.

Honestly, everything they could pull.

“They’re keeping us in check?”

Unlike me, Minyeong unnie’s expression didn’t change one bit as she turned her attention to other participants.

Seeing unnie handle it so calmly gave me a strange feeling.

Had the Kwon Minyeong from my past life come here too?

As the representative of Force Entertainment?

Just as I was about to fall into these thoughts for a moment, a familiar uniform caught my eye.

“Oh, from earlier!”

“Shh.”

Minyeong unnie grabbed me and whispered.

But reactions stirred among the judges looking at documents too.

“Foreign language high school grad?”

“And Yeongwoon Foreign Language High School at that? An elite.”

“A rebellious phase?”

With everyone’s attention focused, the student opened her mouth.

“I’m participant number 47, Kim Kkotbyeol. I’ll begin my freestyle acting.”

I slowly began watching Kkotbyeol’s performance.

“What’s wrong with Mom having a boyfriend? I’d be okay even if Dad got a boyfriend. Really.”

Snickers burst out here and there at the lines Kkotbyeol had prepared.

Kkotbyeol’s acting was somewhat clumsy.

Not that she was bad, but it felt like she hadn’t learned systematically.

Her control couldn’t keep up with her emotional surges—that’s how it looked.

Yet strangely, she had the power to draw focus.

Her appearance also had something unique about it.

Rather than conventional prettiness, her face had a distinctive pull to it.

The judges each showed their reactions.

“Okay, we saw that well.”

“The passion’s good.”

That’s when whispered comments reached me from the judges’ seats.

“Won’t be seeing her in the second round.”

None of the agency officials stepped forward either.

Despite this difficult atmosphere, Kkotbyeol cheerfully bowed deeply at the waist.

“Thank you for watching!”

I quickly pressed down on unnie’s back.

“Unnie, quick! Go give her your card.”

“Hold on, I’m still judging. She’s a bit ambiguous.”

As Kkotbyeol turned her body, my heart grew more urgent.

“Quick! I guarantee it. She’s got what it takes.”

At that, Minyeong unnie turned to look at me.

“Do you know her?”

That question made me freeze up.

Because watching Kkotbyeol’s acting finally brought back memories from my previous life.

What projects she’d done, what kind of acting she’d shown.

But even so, how could I explain that I knew?

‘The Elite Who Transformed Overnight Into a Signature Actress, Kim Kkotbyeol.’

That was the title Kim Kkotbyeol had carried in my previous life.

An actress who became a certain director’s persona with wild, raw acting, captivating audiences with her intense method approach.

But how could I explain that?

That’s when Minyeong unnie saw my expression and stood up first.

Then handed her card to Kkotbyeol.

“Barum Entertainment.”

At that, Kkotbyeol’s eyes sparkled as she scanned the venue.

In an unexpected moment, Kkotbyeol opened her mouth.

“Gasp, it’s Yoo Ji-an!”

She must have spotted me behind unnie’s shoulder.

And Kkotbyeol immediately covered her own mouth.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

Kkotbyeol quickly bowed at the waist and left the auditorium.

After exchanging glances with unnie, I followed her out.

Outside the auditorium.

“Do you know our Sena-ssi?”

Minyeong unnie approached Kkotbyeol with a friendly smile.

Kkotbyeol beamed as she answered.

“Yes! I know her! I watched Flat Shoes on my friend’s laptop! Your acting was so good…”

Innocent high school charm was radiating from Kkotbyeol.

I spoke to Kkotbyeol.

“But you attend a foreign language high school, right? Is it okay to pour time into acting?”

At that, Kkotbyeol nodded her head vigorously.

“It’s okay, totally okay! I want to act. Actually, today was my first time. Acting in front of others.”

At that, Minyeong unnie’s eyes widened.

“You taught yourself?!”

I grinned at unnie’s surprise.

If she’d reached that level after training, it would be a problem, but if she’d done that well without ever learning, that changed everything.

Kkotbyeol nodded and clasped her hands together, exclaiming.

“I really want to become an actress. I want to do acting properly! Convincing my parents… I’ll definitely do it!”

Watching her made me laugh at how cute she was.

Minyeong unnie also smiled warmly, seemingly charmed by Kkotbyeol.

“See, what did I tell you?”

* * *

The day after discovering a new talent to bring to Barum Entertainment like that.

I returned to the filming site.

At a time when I should feel good, I was racking my brain instead.

The script isn’t giving me answers for this.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

That’s when Lee Seokhyun, on the stepping stones, gently wrapped his hand around my waist and lightly pushed me back.

In an instant, I found myself sandwiched between the wall and Lee Seokhyun.

The thing was, the scene I had to film with Lee Seokhyun today…

It was a romantic kiss scene—my first since debut.

Lee Seokhyun locked eyes with me in deep contact.

“About this much?”

At Lee Seokhyun’s question, Director Kang nodded from in front of the monitor.

Lee Seokhyun’s face gradually drew closer.

Closer and closer…

Lee Seokhyun paused in that position.

The lead I was receiving for the first time left me a bit flustered.

Right, romance was usually like this.

Director Kang’s voice reached me.

“That speed is fine. You can follow the two actors’ immersion, but try not to go too fast—control the pace.”

At that, Lee Seokhyun pulled back briefly before approaching again from a different angle.

Skillfully.

Each time his face swooped closer, my eyes blinked reflexively.

I forced my eyes wide open.

Slowly focusing on the scene, I gazed at Lee Seokhyun.

A kiss scene is the pinnacle of the romance genre, the moment when the two leads truly confirm their love.

Also, the moment that gives viewers the ultimate thrill.

Just before Lee Seokhyun’s lips fully overlapped with mine.

This time without blinking, I gently met Lee Seokhyun’s eyes.

Then pretended to slowly close my eyes.

“Uh uh, right there. Remember that position for the close-up. Sena-ssi?”

Director Kang called out to me.

“Yes! Yes. I’ll remember.”

I pulled my body back and nodded.

I felt slightly warm.