In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 63

The night I finished filming all the cameo scenes.

“Great work, everyone!”

“Sena-ssi, you worked so hard!”

“Thanks to Sena-ssi, we’ll get tens of thousands more viewers for sure!”

I bowed deeply to each staff member as I made my rounds of greetings.

That’s when the director also rushed over and extended his hand for a handshake.

“I’m counting on you for what we talked about earlier! I’ll contact you as soon as I finish revising the script.”

I smiled and took the director’s hand.

Then I glanced around briefly.

“Director, actually…”

“Yes.”

“I have something I’d like to ask you.”

“Go ahead.”

I moved close to the director’s side in case any staff might overhear.

Then I whispered quietly.

The director’s eyes widened as he listened to me.

The director thought for a moment before also responding in a quiet voice.

By the time our brief conversation wrapped up, the director asked a question.

“Sena-ssi, can you pull it off?”

“Yes, I’ll give it a try.”

* * *

Right after the cameo filming ended, I got busy fast.

Watching me glued to my phone the entire car ride, my manager oppa asked.

“What are you working on so frantically?”

“Aven…”

I instinctively started to answer Avengers Assemble before stopping myself.

It hasn’t released yet. Get it together, Han Sena.

“Just this and that.”

“Minyeong noona said to be ready to get smacked when she sees your face.”

“Huh?”

“She says you keep taking on work without telling anyone.”

I smiled awkwardly at that.

I’m working on something else right now though.

I tried hard to wipe away unnie’s chilly face floating through my mind and looked back at my phone.

I was mobilizing all the connections I’d made from Flat Shoes through Palace Flower.

A text came flying back from Won Hyerim sunbaenim, who I’d contacted right away.

-What are you trying to pull off this time?

I chuckled and sent sunbaenim a reply.

-I’ll tell you in person when we meet! Please make time for me.

* * *

Three weeks later.

At the filming site where the additional cameo scenes awaited.

I was checking over the substantially revised script once more.

The content went like this:

The company discovers that Song Junwoo’s dangerous situation had been Kim Minji’s doing—a fellow actor’s scheme—and seeks out Kim Pilju once more.

They ask him to secretly film Kim Minji’s illegal activities and catch her in the act.

A plan to catch a crime with another crime.

Kim Pilju starts to refuse, but ends up giving in again to the promised meeting arrangement with Song Junwoo.

I lifted the script to shield my eyes from the harsh sunlight and looked toward the filming location being set up in the distance.

Container docks.

We’d be filming the scene where Kim Minji gets caught doing drugs here, then a chase scene.

Including a rough driving sequence.

This time with Seong Minhui.

I smiled with a bit of tension.

Han Sena, you’ve even filmed action scenes now. You’ve really grown.

I pulled out my phone briefly.

With how I’d been coordinating schedules while organizing this work alone, I couldn’t put my phone down for even a moment.

The moment I turned off my phone screen, a staff voice called out.

“Filming prep complete!”

Shortly after that.

“Ready, action!”

I climbed into the prepared car with Seong Minhui.

I gripped the steering wheel.

I flashily whipped the wheel around as I weaved between containers.

“Watch out! Careful!!”

I completely ignored Seong Minhui’s screams.

“I won’t crash.”

“How do you know?”

“Stalking isn’t exactly smooth sailing either.”

“You’re crazy.”

Along with Seong Minhui’s curse, the car screeched sideways with a squeal before spinning in a huge circle.

After safely escaping the docks like that, I floored the accelerator full throttle.

Seong Minhui gripped the handle and screamed like she was dying.

“Cut, okay!”

The director’s voice echoed through the site over the speakers.

Seong Minhui climbed out of the car trembling.

“That was so scary!”

Even with all the safety equipment set up around us, it was an environment that stirred anxiety.

The moment I got out of the car, my legs gave out completely.

The director seemed satisfied as he smiled.

“Came out just like rehearsal. How is a young person already a veteran driver? Did you get your license early?”

I just smiled and nodded silently at those words.

It was a story I couldn’t tell.

Actually, I got my license right before filming.

Only after receiving the additional scene script did I realize that 2014 Han Sena didn’t have a license yet…

Thanks to that, my twenty years of driving experience really shone through, unlike my rookie license.

After finishing today’s filming, I approached Jaehyung-ssi who was standing by.

“Even the driving performance was great, huh?”

I chuckled and waved my hand at those words.

“Jaehyung-ssi, could I ask you a favor?”

At that, Jaehyung-ssi nodded readily.

“Sure, what is it?”

“I want to make a video. And I’d really like to cast you in it, Jaehyung-ssi.”

“What? What kind of video?”

I began slowly revealing the plan I’d kept hidden.

* * *

The night I finished cameo filming.

“Director, by any chance… you know those videos Kim Pilju filmed with his camera, right? Would it be okay if I fleshed out that content and made a short video?”

The director made an ‘oh?’ expression at my quietly asked question.

“It’s so interesting but it doesn’t show much in the movie, which feels like a waste.”

It was something I’d been thinking about since reading the script.

Then, after actually filming myself as Song Junwoo practicing acting, a brilliant idea suddenly struck me.

‘What if I actually made this into a video?’

I felt disappointed that such interesting material would be even better if turned into an actual video.

And another thing.

While it was true I accepted the cameo offer because the content was interesting, as I seriously practiced becoming Kim Pilju, another goal emerged.

Understanding the director’s position.

Both in my previous life and now, I’d wanted to understand scenes from a director’s perspective rather than just an actor’s at least once.

It was to understand a director’s directing more deeply as an actor.

What if I heightened that understanding by directing a video with narrative completion, even if brief, rather than just individual scenes?

Right now felt like the perfect opportunity for that.

And also.

‘Like this time, the chance to slip into the script might not come again in the future.’

Until the day before filming after accepting the cameo offer, I’d been half-doubting inside.

Actually, maybe even until I stood in front of the camera.

Why wasn’t I entering the script this time?

Was it because it’s a cameo?

With those unsettled feelings, I finished filming the first scene and steeled my resolve.

I decided not to carelessly feel relieved.

The script world was always unpredictable.

It never considered my circumstances.

Then it could leave me at any time.

So instead of relying on luck or this fantastical phenomenon, I needed to stand firm as an actor on my own.

When the time came that I had to face filming sites with only my own abilities, the experience of viewing things from a director’s perspective would surely help greatly.

Especially since I hadn’t experienced many genres like thrillers, modern melodramas, and comedies—I needed even more thorough preparation.

That’s when the director spoke.

“Sure, it’s not content that would spoil our movie anyway. If it goes up on Sena-ssi’s social media and generates buzz, that’d be good publicity for us too.”

Such an easygoing director.

“Anyway, let’s make it work.”

I exchanged a high-five with the director.

* * *

I explained in detail to Jaehyung-ssi about my conversation with the director that day.

“…And also, you’re the male lead of this movie, Jaehyung-ssi. So if you’re okay with it, could I get your contact info?”

Jaehyung-ssi looked quite surprised before slowly raising the corners of his mouth.

“Sounds fun? Who else is appearing in it?”

* * *

The office I’d been frequenting a lot lately.

I was on a call with Kkotbyeol while sitting next to unnie, who was hard at work.

‘Can I really do something like that?’

Kkotbyeol expressed her anxiety at my casting offer.

“Of course. You’re someone who got scouted too—you should enjoy opportunities like this.”

‘I’m so grateful and happy, but… I’m not sure if it’s okay for me to join in among the sunbaenims. Especially skill-wise. I’m such an amateur.’

The reaction I’d expected.

“I’m an amateur too at this—it’s my first time directing. So actually, wouldn’t this be the first and last chance in your acting career to do something comfortably?”

At my persuasion, Kkotbyeol seemed to hesitate in consideration.

“Do it your way. Use this opportunity to find your own color too.”

‘Then I’ll… give it my best shot!’

Kkotbyeol answered with a voice suddenly full of fighting spirit.

“Great, call me anytime if you have questions.”

I smiled as I hung up, and Minyeong unnie lifted her head from the monitor and glanced at me.

“Working hard there, Director.”

I shrugged my shoulders at those words.

“But you always do unexpected things, don’t you?”

“Huh?”

Unnie shrugged her shoulders back at me.

Well yeah, rookie actors almost never try directing.

“Well…”

But unnie wasn’t talking about that.

“From my perspective, you seem to have an eye for projects. But you never pick scripts that seem 100% guaranteed to succeed. Plus this time you’re even directing.”

Hearing that made me flinch inside.

As expected, she was someone who saw through me frighteningly well.

Actually, after getting this chance to live again, I’d made one decision.

‘Let’s not choose projects other actors have done.’

Coming back with memories of my past life and picking projects I knew would succeed felt like stealing someone else’s spot.

I didn’t want that.

Also, after succeeding with Palace Flower, which didn’t exist in my past life memories, my conviction gained certainty.

I could succeed without coveting others’ positions.

That’s how I promised myself to use my past life memories in ways that were useful to me but didn’t harm others.

I looked at unnie and smiled awkwardly.

“What script is 100% guaranteed to succeed? I don’t know anything like that.”

Unnie looked at me and shrugged once more.

“Right, you’re correct.”

I opened my messenger to find replies from two actresses who’d eagerly accepted.

-Jung Yuri: Oh my, you should’ve told me earlier! I’m in Bali on vacation right now. I’ll book a return ticket for tomorrow.

-Kim Eunseo: Okay. But if you switch casting on me after this, you’re dead.

I chuckled at Kim Eunseo’s message.

She was the first person who came to mind when I was structuring the scenario and creating each character.

Like ‘what if Kim Eunseo played this role?’

That’s when Kim Eunseo sent another message.

-Thanks.

I smiled slightly.

Now then, I’ve gathered quite a few female members…

“Who are you casting for the other male actors?”

Minyeong unnie asked with perfect timing.

“I’m thinking about asking Seokhyun-ssi. After all, the better the lineup, the more response it’ll get.”

Unnie didn’t answer.

“But Seokhyun-ssi is super busy, plus it’s work that doesn’t match his name value, so the company might oppose it…”

As I spoke, I turned my head to look at unnie, who’d stayed silent.

Unnie was twirling her pen with a displeased expression.

“Does that role absolutely have to be Lee Seokhyun?”

“Huh?”

“In my opinion, you just worked together on a project, so getting tangled up again isn’t great. You two already filmed a romance together, which is the perfect situation for unnecessary talk.”

I just blinked at unnie’s completely unexpected words.

“Plus it’s not even a commercial project—it’s an amateur work pulling from your connections, which makes it more dangerous.”

I found myself nodding at her convincing words.

I let out a deep sigh.

“You’re right… Then who should I ask?”

Junghoon-ssi obviously won’t work because of the next project he just started.

Should I consider people from the actor gathering?

Just as I was wracking my brain again, my phone vibrated.