In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 74

By meeting, does he mean that person?

“Shim Sohyeon-ssi?”

At my question, Seon Yuseok looked genuinely startled.

“How did you know… Ah, did Minyeong noona already?”

Seon Yuseok answered his own question.

Shim Sohyeon was an actress who’d appeared in the same drama as Heo Sojin about two years ago.

And she was also one of the actresses victimized by Heo Sojin that Minyeong unnie had mentioned.

From what I’d heard, Shim Sohyeon had been active without an agency until recently joining True Actors.

It was obvious how severe Heo Sojin’s bullying must have been back when she was working without agency representation.

Heo Sojin would throw her weight around at any actress who seemed more promising than her, regardless of who they were.

I looked at Seon Yuseok’s face as he continued wearing that troubled expression.

“…”

I was starting to understand why he’d been standing there like this.

For him to bring up a topic he clearly didn’t want to discuss himself—it probably wasn’t his own idea.

I spoke to Seon Yuseok.

“Thanks for the heads up, but I don’t think I need the help. As you know, Minyeong unnie’s already on top of things.”

“Right.”

“And I have no intention of going to True Actors.”

Hearing my added words, Seon Yuseok’s expression showed I’d hit the mark.

As I’d suspected, my guess was correct.

It had been a bit strange from the start when True Actors readily allowed Seon Yuseok to participate in the InTheBazookaFo video.

They’d been planning to recruit me all along.

Waiting for an opportunity just like this.

And right now, Seon Yuseok was being used as a pawn in that plan.

That’s what bothered me.

Not that Seon Yuseok was saying these things to me, but that his agency had manipulated the situation to force this uncomfortable conversation.

My impression of True Actors kept souring.

Seon Yuseok lowered his head.

“I’m sorry, noona. Just forget about it.”

Who’s telling who not to worry right now?

I reached out and patted the slightly taller Yuseok’s shoulder a couple times.

He probably had a hard time refusing.

He must feel terrible about it too.

“Don’t apologize. It’s not a big deal.”

“Still. You’ve always been helping me, noona. And here I am causing trouble like this.”

“Trouble, what trouble! You even filmed a project with me.”

Hearing my words, Seon Yuseok hung his head even lower.

“But Yuseok, I realized something from all this.”

“Yes?”

“An actor is someone who makes money for their company through projects, and a company is a place that invests so actors can focus on those projects.”

“…”

“I can finally accept this obvious system at face value now. An actor is an actor, and a company is a company. So you just focus on being an actor. Don’t do anything else.”

Seon Yuseok’s expression showed he understood immediately.

A cold breeze swept by, rustling Seon Yuseok’s bangs.

* * *

[Controlled by a Rookie Actor? An Insult to Industry Professionals]

[‘Clique Controversy’ Strikes Back with ‘Star Discipline’ Allegations… HBC Power Trip Exposés Pour In]

[Han Sena Exposes H—Past Controversy of ‘Crushing Rising Talent’ Backfires! Who’s the Real Villain?]

[Domestic Broadcasters Wary of Foreign OTT Should Strengthen Their Own Competitiveness First]

Minyeong unnie, Netmate, and relevant contacts began their counterattack.

I couldn’t read more than a few articles before putting my phone away.

The arrows that had been aimed at me were gradually starting to change direction.

Toward Heo Sojin and HBC.

– Heo Sojin always looked the type anyway lolol

– I knew HBC would explode eventually. Good riddance after messing with so many actors I like.

– What even is Netmate? So loud I can’t stand it. Is this noise marketing?

– Still, the issue of making a drama through connections needs proper investigation.

– Clique leader Han Sena vs bully leader Heo Sojin

People’s comments appeared in real time.

Opinions were starting to divide.

What even is public opinion?

It just felt like reeds swaying back and forth in the wind.

I was reminded once again of how people consumed issues and how uniformly opinions formed during this 2010s period.

Especially regarding celebrities’ private lives and gossip, there were virtually no netizens who took a neutral stance.

Most people were on one side, attacking someone.

The false accusations were being peeled away bit by bit, but my feelings were complicated.

“Sena-ssi.”

That’s when Chaeseong-ssi, who’d approached at some point, spoke to me.

“Did you see the articles?”

When I nodded, Chaeseong-ssi made an unexpected proposal.

“So… I’m thinking of making a documentary about the drama production process.”

“What??”

Chaeseong-ssi explained calmly.

“This incident aside, this is Netmate’s first Korean original production.”

“Right.”

“If we make a documentary, it’ll be persuasive for people who have doubts about this drama’s production process, and it’ll serve as promotion for people interested in the content.”

“Ah…?”

It was an idea I hadn’t even considered.

I remembered how Chaeseong-ssi had been diligently assessing the situation and taking notes among the actors on the day the incident broke.

Had it been for this idea?

“I want to show people that this isn’t just actress Han Sena’s clique project, but a work created through originality.”

Chaeseong-ssi’s voice was firm as he said this.

A documentary—such a harmless defensive strategy, so typical of Chaeseong-ssi.

If we released official video content ourselves, it would probably significantly reduce the negative public opinion.

Showing them directly would be a hundred times more effective than explaining with words.

But Chaeseong-ssi didn’t seem finished with what he wanted to say.

“So about that… I’d like to discuss the ending.”

“Huh? But you already wrote the ending the way you wanted, Chaeseong-ssi.”

“Yes, but I want to change it to better reflect the original creator’s and actors’ input.”

His words immediately sparked concern.

“But with the timing right now… it already became an issue because I seemed too involved in production…”

I trailed off.

Plus, changing the ending at this point when filming was already well underway would be difficult for the staff in many ways.

“I want to show that you’re not the only one involved in production, Sena-ssi. Because that’s actually the truth.”

“…”

“Even now, the characters are being enriched by the actors’ brilliant ideas, right? Everyone’s freely participating in the drama production beyond their own roles.”

Wait, since when did Chaeseong-ssi become this articulate?

Listening to Chaeseong-ssi’s voice made my mind keep wandering.

The shy assistant director I’d seen just a year ago, awkwardly scratching his head, had completely disappeared.

Now standing before me was only a leader powerfully guiding his teammate who’d boarded the same ship.

“Chaeseong-ssi… did you go to speech academy?”

* * *

A few weeks later.

“Ready, action” rang out as the final three gathered around the camera.

Kwon Jaehyung looked at the two women and smiled.

It was Yu Junho’s smile, filled with the leisure of someone who’d reached the summit.

Han Sena calmly placed the camcorder she’d been holding onto the table.

Lee Jihyeon also instinctively sensed she’d reached a certain summit.

Yu Junho glanced at the camcorder with a smirk, then stood up and pulled out a pocket knife.

The blade first pointed at Seong Eunchae.

Seong Eunchae squeezed her eyes shut without even managing to scream.

At the same moment, Lee Jihyeon flipped the table toward Kwon Jaehyung.

As Kwon Jaehyung fell backward, Lee Jihyeon shouted.

“Grab the camcorder!”

As if under a spell, Seong Eunchae immediately snatched up the camcorder.

The moment Yu Junho fell, he crawled toward the knife that had flown far away.

Lee Jihyeon also quickly headed toward where the knife lay, vaulting over the table.

Yu Junho grabbed Lee Jihyeon’s leg and tripped her.

A desperate struggle for the knife broke out between the two.

Seong Eunchae stood there with a terrified expression, clutching the camcorder.

At the end of the scuffle, Lee Jihyeon reached the knife first.

Lee Jihyeon swiftly mounted Yu Junho and plunged the knife into his chest area.

Yu Junho’s scream echoed through the pension.

Curses mixed intermittently with the screaming.

By the time that horrific screaming subsided, Lee Jihyeon collapsed sideways with a thud.

After briefly watching the agonizing Yu Junho, she turned her eyes to Seong Eunchae.

“Give it to me.”

Lee Jihyeon reached out her hand toward Seong Eunchae.

But at that moment, Yu Junho pulled the knife from his own chest.

And stabbed it into Lee Jihyeon’s back as she tried to stand.

“…!!!”

Lee Jihyeon collapsed forward just like that.

Yu Junho, having fulfilled his duty, coughed up blood and died.

Lee Jihyeon, wracked with pain, trembled as she barely managed to lift her head.

Seong Eunchae’s shoe tips were right in front of her face.

Seong Eunchae, strength gone from her legs, simply crumpled to the ground.

Before Seong Eunchae’s knees, Lee Jihyeon could barely turn her head to the side as she lay face-down and spoke.

“Take it. Make sure to show the world…”

She couldn’t finish her words.

Silence settled over the pension.

Seong Eunchae gripped the camcorder tightly with both hands.

The seventeen-year-old girl who’d wanted to die more genuinely and sincerely than anyone had become the final survivor.

Through the window, dawn was breaking in the distance.

* * *

“Cut! Okay!”

Chaeseong-ssi’s voice rang out across the island.

“Everyone worked so hard!!”

As the very last cut ended, cheers erupted on the small island.

“Ah man, I got attached to this island.”

“Apparently they’re leaving this pension set up for a while. If it does well, they’ll use it as a tourist spot.”

“Everyone who caught colds, get an IV as soon as we reach the mainland.”

The staff’s chatter about finally finishing the very last scene of filming drifted over.

I watched people gathering in small groups, sharing emotional hugs.

I too felt the completion with an indescribable feeling.

I looked at the pension they’d decided to leave after consulting with the island’s owner.

Another project has ended just like that.

It had been filming filled with unexpected developments from start to finish.

Like the winter ocean, my heart felt both wide open and strangely cold in one corner.

With all the troubles we’d faced, my emotions about finishing were complicated.

Is it really over?

Suddenly all the strength left my body.

I rubbed my cold hands, sensing I might come down with something.

In the distance, I spotted Chaeseong-ssi gazing at the pension in the exact same posture as me.

I walked over to stand beside him.

“Director, are you satisfied with the ending?”

Chaeseong-ssi looked at me and grinned.

“Well…”

From behind, the staff’s voices called out.

“Director! Sena-ssi! Hurry up! Group photo!”

Chaeseong-ssi turned back and sent an okay sign before saying,

“I did my best.”

Hearing those words, I turned around too.

I ran toward the staff and sat in front of the camera.

As I did, I thought to myself.

That Chaeseong-ssi had just given an answer close to perfect.

The moment filming wrapped, whether the project succeeded was now out of our hands.

But everyone gathered here before me right now had done their best.

That was all.

“Kimchi!”

A blinding flash burst.