In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 49

“Drink! Drink!”

“Bottoms up! Hey, no coward drinking!”

What kind of situation is this…

Bright lights shone down on my head.

Ugh, so blinding.

“Sena-ssi, drink up!”

“Huh?”

Without realizing it, I found a glass of sloshing soju in my right hand, and below the table lay scattered soju bottles.

“Drink up! Drink up!”

“More enthusiastically!”

“What is this.”

Up ahead, a PD held a camera filming me with the glass in hand.

“Sena-ssi, hurry!”

“Oh, uh…”

Before I could grasp the situation, I downed the shot.

The advertising production staff burst into applause in unison.

One glass, two glasses—soon an entire bottle was emptied.

“Uh… that’s enough now…!”

The moment my words ended, a pitcher with a mix of soju and beer appeared from somewhere.

Wh-what is this.

No! If I drink this, I’ll die!

“No way! I want to leave!”

I cried out desperately, when a booming voice echoed from somewhere.

“You cannot leave until you finish drinking all this liquor.”

What?

As my eyes turned toward where the voice came from, dozens of green soju bottles stood piled up.

My scream barely lasted a moment before I grudgingly brought the soju glass back to my lips, sobbing.

One glass, two glasses, three bottles, four bottles…

Ugh, I’m going to throw up.

Stop, stop!

“Ugh… stop, stop…”

“Sena!”

Someone’s hand shook my body awake.

“Get it together, Sena!”

My eyes snapped open.

Minyeong unnie stared at me with an incredulous expression.

“Gasp! Where am I?!”

I quickly sat up and looked around.

We were inside a moving car.

Cold sweat ran down my back as I caught my breath.

What kind of nightmare was that.

Don’t tell me because I filmed that soju commercial, I dreamed about possessing that world.

The talk about renewing my soju contract must have been circling around in my subconscious.

“What a terrifying worldview…”

“Did you dream about drinking?”

At those words, a nauseating feeling seemed to rise.

“Ugh, my stomach hurts.”

“What?”

“I think I need some hangover soup.”

Unnie looked at me like I was ridiculous and shook her head.

Then she placed her hands back on the steering wheel.

I also let out a deep sigh and leaned back against the seat.

These days had been too hectic.

The Flower Beyond Palace Walls shoot, which had just passed the two-thirds mark, was pushing us harder each day, plus the graduation speech, advertising meetings, and shoots.

For several days now, my schedule had been so packed I’d been running around so much at the filming site that I wondered if my feet were even touching the ground.

I looked out the window before turning back to unnie.

“Aren’t you tired too, unnie? Driving on top of everything else?”

“Forget it. I’m impatient by nature. Other drivers don’t meet my standards.”

Unnie floored the accelerator.

We were heading out early in the morning to fit a dress for the awards ceremony.

“From what I’ve heard, hardly any actors prepare their dresses after getting nominated like we are.”

“Right. Everyone predicts and prepares in advance. Ugh, now it’s come down to dress competition too.”

We hadn’t even imagined getting nominated, plus with our schedules overlapping, we were barely making our first fitting now, just a week before.

“Will there be anything decent left?”

At my worried question, unnie scoffed.

“Let’s go in and see.”

It was a laugh that said—I’m Kwon Minyeong.

The car came to a stop in the parking lot like that.

After getting out of the car, I climbed the building stairs half-doubtfully when a gleaming nameplate caught my eye.

Wait, this is an agency?!

I looked at unnie with surprised eyes, and she grinned slyly.

Unlike other actresses who’d typically select from a wedding shop, I’d thought we’d do the same.

This wasn’t an ordinary shop.

Opening the door and entering, the PR agency’s team leader and two brand representatives stood waiting.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Stella Soo.”

As I bowed my head in greeting, the staff began bringing dresses hung on mobile racks one after another.

“These are new dresses we haven’t shown to anyone else. They were prepared just for Sena-ssi.”

At those words, my jaw dropped internally.

Memories from my previous life flashed through my mind—picking from leftover dresses after the top actresses had already claimed the best ones.

Though back then, no matter which dress I wore, I could never become the spotlight’s focus.

I glanced at Minyeong unnie beside me, already examining the dresses from every angle.

Suddenly my nose stung.

For a newcomer to enjoy such luxury, there were exactly two possibilities.

Either unnie had swallowed the cost and reserved all the fitting dresses, or the brand had proactively requested sponsorship.

It couldn’t be the latter.

No matter how much buzz I’d gotten from Flat Shoes, Morning Dew commercials, and everything else, luxury dress brands wouldn’t send love calls to a newcomer first.

Unnie probably didn’t want to send out the main face of her first company looking shabby.

I poked unnie’s side.

“Isn’t this too much of a stretch?”

“Just try them on already. We don’t have time.”

Even in all this, the dresses unnie had pre-selected were elegant, sexy, and perfectly sorted by concept.

That’s when one dress caught my eye.

“Then I’ll try that one on first.”

* * *

Hanho Arts Awards ceremony.

From early evening, with crowds gathering en masse, reporters had staked out the front row.

“Ji-soo really put a lot into her dress this time. Got it reserved four months in advance, I heard.”

“The one who spent the most money was Hwang Yerim’s side, though. As expected, gold spoons are different.”

“But today no one’s stepping on their dress. Disappointing.”

Idle chatter filled the air amid it all…

“Oh, a van’s coming in!”

At one reporter’s voice, a van glided in around the corner.

Someone recognized the license plate.

“It’s Han Sena!”

The reporters raised their cameras in unison.

That’s when someone tossed out a joke.

“Trip and fall.”

“Puhaha, Reporter Park, isn’t that too harsh?”

“Gotta catch something.”

While a few reporters giggled, the van stopped and the door opened.

As Han Sena slowly revealed herself, a barrage of flashes rained down on her like crazy.

And betraying the reporters’ ill-intentioned hopes, Han Sena stepped out of the car with truly perfect poise.

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

Several reporters also let out admiring exclamations while staring at Han Sena as if entranced.

“Wow. She’s beautiful.”

What Han Sena wore was a deep blue long dress, with shirring caught at the shoulders and waist plus gold accessories that exuded an elegance like a Greek goddess.

The laurel wreath-shaped brooch decorating the one-shoulder design evoked Nike among all the goddesses.

Han Sena’s slender ankles in stiletto heels elegantly headed toward the red carpet.

“Han Sena-ssi, look this way once!”

“Smile for us just once!”

The flash barrage showed no signs of stopping.

Han Sena wore a gentle smile while greeting the reporters with her eyes and headed toward the photo wall.

“That brand isn’t super luxury, right?”

“Wow, but she stands out way more than Hwang Yerim wrapped in over a hundred million won.”

“The other actresses must be getting jealous.”

The reporters busily captured Han Sena’s presence dominating the crowd.

To their eyes, it wasn’t simply her styling that drew attention.

Even Han Sena’s poses at the photo wall were incredibly skillful.

There was none of that rookie flailing around worrying about their outfit.

While maintaining respectful gestures toward the crowd, she fully brought out the graceful outfit’s concept and points.

Endless cheers burst from the audience seats.

When the reporters looked toward the commotion, they saw Han Sena’s fans holding mini placards in unison.

“Top goddess Han Sena! Fundamental essence Han Sena!”

At that, a smile bloomed on Han Sena’s face like a flower bud bursting open.

The cameras once again busily captured that smile.

Watching Han Sena look at her fans with eyes dripping honey, the unmistakable vibe of someone just entering their honeymoon period with fans practically oozed out.

“A rookie is a rookie.”

“Hm?”

At one reporter’s words, the reporter firing flashes glanced sideways.

“Han Sena looks so happy. Look at everyone holding those up in unison. Must be that reverse gift thing idols do these days, whatever it’s called.”

The reporter who heard this nodded.

“Should write the article favorably. If she wins Rookie Award, might need to maintain a good relationship going forward.”

“True that.”

* * *

After receiving the full flash treatment, I felt dizzy.

It was a scale I’d never experienced before.

I maintained my composure and descended from the photo wall, heading toward the ceremony hall.

“Sena-ssi!”

Just then, a welcome face waved toward me.

“Yuri-ssi!”

Jeonghoon-ssi and Yuri-ssi, who’d already arrived at the Flat Shoes table, sat there.

I hurried over to find the center seat between them empty.

“Sit here.”

When Jeonghoon-ssi pulled out the chair, I felt flustered.

It’s too center-stage.

As if reading my expression, Yuri-ssi teased.

“If Jeonghoon-ssi sits in the middle, he looks too much like King Uija. You have to sit there.”

It was a comment meant to cover up looking after me while being considerate.

“Oh geez, then I’ll take advantage of you both.”

The three of us sat down and warmly started catching up, when Writer Lee Siyoung and Director Moon Wonhyung walked over together.

“Writer! Director!”

I jumped up from my seat, and the writer approached and sat me back down in the chair.

“Stay seated. It’s so nice seeing everyone together like this. I heard Sena-ssi’s next project shoot is really busy—you’re doing well, right?”

“Yes, Teacher. I really missed you.”

At the teacher’s touch, my nose ridiculously stung.

“Sena-ssi will do well wherever she goes.”

“Our team has to take home an award today!”

Yuri-ssi pumped her fist.

“Of course.”

At those words, Director Moon Wonhyung also nodded while taking a seat.

Yuri-ssi whispered to me.

“Sena-ssi! I really hope you win Rookie Award!”

I smiled awkwardly at those words.

Haha, I’m in a position where just sitting here is more than enough already.

The congratulatory performance started like that…

Ha Seongjun, dressed in a dapper suit, walked out in front of the microphone.

Seon Yuseok’s rival.

Last year’s Best New Actor award winner.

Ha Seongjun proceeded with the ceremony’s opening with a slightly nervous expression.

Watching Ha Seongjun made Yuseok’s face flash through my mind.

It would be so nice if Yuseok could stand up there too.

There’s plenty of hope for that.

The ceremony’s first segment was straight into the Rookie Award category.

The male actor announcement came first.

“<Cha-Cha Romance>’s Choi Hyeongmin-ssi. Congratulations.”

Applause poured out as a male actor stepped onto the stage.

Huh, that’s a familiar face…

Could it be.

Looking closely at the face holding the microphone, it was the male actor I’d slapped when filming that morning drama before.

What a connection—surprising, I clapped.

Listening to Choi Hyeongmin’s trembling acceptance speech gradually loosened my tension.

Shortly after, Ha Seongjun, now holding the microphone again, pulled out another envelope.

“Now then, next is the Best New Actress Award.”