In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 77

“<Flower Over Palace Walls>’s Hongryeon, actress Won Hyerim-ssi. Congratulations on your award.”

The moment those words were spoken, the Palace Flower team including me sprang from our seats like coiled springs.

“Congratulations, sunbaenim!!”

I pulled sunbaenim, who looked completely shocked as if she hadn’t expected this, into a tight hug.

Beside us, Teacher Yoon Youngjae, Director Kang Jeonghwan, and Writer Nam Jihye also exchanged hugs with sunbaenim.

Watching that scene made my chest swell.

After Won Hyerim sunbaenim shook hands with several people, she walked down toward the stage.

Seeing that elegant figure from behind filled me with pride.

With everyone wearing warm smiles, Won Hyerim sunbaenim stood before the microphone with a deeply moved expression.

“I’m quite famous for not having much luck with awards… but even a day like this comes, doesn’t it?”

People responded to sunbaenim’s light joke with smiles.

Contrary to my expectations, sunbaenim didn’t cry.

If it were me standing up there, I would’ve started crying the moment I reached the stage.

“In a way that doesn’t quite fit this Grand Prize title, I was a working-class actress for a long time. Acting wasn’t art to me—it was a technical skill, just something I was confident doing. So for all those years when I couldn’t win a single award, people around me offered consolation and all that… but deep down, I thought it was only natural.”

The expressions of those listening gradually grew serious.

In this vast space, sunbaenim alone was smiling.

Countless junior actors straightened their backs and listened to sunbaenim’s acceptance speech.

“It felt like the heavens were saying ‘an award for you? Don’t be ridiculous.’ Of course, there are things I gained of value working as a technician, as a laborer, but there was always this hollow feeling in one corner of my heart. My drinking just kept increasing.”

Meanwhile, sunbaenim’s words pierced deep into my chest, one by one.

“But while filming Palace Flower, I started to change. For the first time in my life, I felt ambition. I wanted to act so well that I stayed up two straight nights at this age. Because.”

Sunbaenim paused briefly.

“This young actress who resembled my younger self appeared right before my eyes. Han Sena. Sena didn’t bat an eye at this old ahjumma and just acted brilliantly.”

My heart dropped with a thud from the shock.

Everyone’s eyes turned toward me.

Won Hyerim sunbaenim waved at me with a calm smile.

My thoroughly stiff face was being broadcast on screen.

“She acted so well, and lived so earnestly, and that was just so beautiful. She was like me but different. She always acted as if she had nowhere to look back to. Now I want to become that kind of person too.”

My mind went blank.

“I’ll take this as telling me to live that way going forward, and use it well.”

Won Hyerim sunbaenim lifted the trophy slightly.

“Lastly, to my father who tormented me terribly for so long before going to heaven. Your daughter won an award. Please congratulate me.”

Sunbaenim came down from the stage without losing her smile until the very end.

* * *

Before long, Hapjeong-dong at midday, fragrant with flowers.

While enjoying the spring air for a moment at a second-floor pub overlooking the cherry blossom path…

“Ah man, I was dying laughing then. You’re good at playing dumb.”

Seo Jaeyeon, sitting across from me, drank her cold beer and giggled with obvious delight.

It had been a while since we’d gathered as actors.

Today it was just the four of us—me, Lee Seokhyun, Seo Jaeyeon, and Seong Minhui.

Lee Seokhyun, sitting beside me, shook his head as if fed up after hearing Seo Jaeyeon’s words.

“Is she still living like that? Still can’t get her head straight.”

“But Lee Nara is more of a crazy bitch than Han Sena. Oh, don’t misunderstand. In a good way, alright?”

Seo Jaeyeon paused mid-sentence to look at me and giggle again.

Honestly, this person is incomprehensible.

I also took a sip of beer.

“Anyway, thanks to you I got to see some entertaining stuff. Minhui was so happy seeing Lee Nara’s expression when you won Best Actress.”

“Why? What was it like?”

When Lee Seokhyun asked, Seo Jaeyeon shrugged.

I didn’t really answer either.

If we’re talking about that expression, I’d already seen it.

At the time, Lee Nara’s momentarily frozen face had been captured exquisitely by the broadcast camera, so it was making the rounds as memes on the internet.

“Awards are something you win sometimes and don’t win other times.”

I answered casually.

“Wow, when the person who won says stuff like that, it’s really annoying, you know.”

“That’s exactly why I said it.”

“Oh my, look at her.”

I grinned at Seo Jaeyeon.

This awards ceremony was satisfying in many ways.

The hanbok dress I wore for the award kept making headlines, and thanks to that, attention poured onto the Hongmae-hwa designer.

Also, Director Kang Jeonghwan and Won Hyerim sunbaenim, who’d come away empty-handed at NBS, each won the directing award and Grand Prize respectively, bringing Palace Flower to a spectacular close.

I felt even happier about those two winning than I did about receiving my own award.

Meanwhile, the veteran sunbaenim who won the Supporting Actress award at NBS instead of Won Hyerim sunbaenim received the Achievement Award at Hanho.

After finishing her acceptance speech, Won Hyerim sunbaenim came down from the stage and presented a bouquet to the veteran sunbaenim.

That heartwarming scene of a junior celebrating a senior’s retirement had been circulating online for days.

But in this cheerful atmosphere…

“I’m hurt. Why didn’t you contact me?”

Only Lee Seokhyun had his lips stuck out about five inches.

I’d already heard this several times now.

“Desert Island, Desert Island, Desert Island! Everyone’s talking about Han Sena’s crew, but me? I can’t be part of it? Why, is my acting lacking?”

As the endless whining threatened to drive me crazy, I forced myself to endure it and drank my beer.

That’s when Seo Jaeyeon spoke up from the side.

“Don’t you know?”

Seo Jaeyeon waved her hand up and down in front of his face.

“Your face is boring.”

“…!!”

Lee Seokhyun set down his glass with a wounded expression.

“Damn… Really? I’m boring…?”

Lee Seokhyun looked at me again.

I waved my hand emphatically to calm Lee Seokhyun down.

“No way. Even now, when people say Lee Seokhyun they think rom-com.”

I answered Lee Seokhyun in a casual tone now.

Even this was because Lee Seokhyun had thrown a fit about feeling distant, so I’d dropped the formal speech.

“You’re lying, right?”

That’s when Minhui-ssi, returning from the bathroom, smacked Lee Seokhyun’s shoulder.

“Ah, so noisy! Why all the whining. Did everyone watch Sena-ssi’s documentary?”

For her to have already watched what came out this morning.

“Minhui-ssi, you already watched it?”

At my question, Minhui-ssi winked.

“I’m really interested in Sena-ssi these days.”

Then Minhui-ssi sat down and poured soju in broad daylight.

“When we filmed Private Life, I knew you acted well and prepared diligently, so I knew you were impressive. But watching the documentary, Sena-ssi is seriously something else.”

Unable to respond to those words, I just laughed awkwardly.

I was also a bit surprised watching the documentary right after waking up.

The documentary vividly captured the site and chronicled the entire production process of <Desert Island>.

Starting with the changes from the original version, it showed actual meetings at the Netmate office, the on-site atmosphere, Chaeseong-ssi’s interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories about casting and OST recruitment.

Unfolding all these stories, the documentary positioned Han Sena as a participant who contributed “just a little more” good ideas among everyone who participated passionately in the drama’s production.

Looking at comments on documentary-related articles, public opinion regarding the controversy had now turned completely favorable.

-This isn’t nepotism, Han Sena just hustled. She was an idea bank.

-Han Sena has good judgment about people. Could’ve done well working as a producer.

-Look at public opinion turning now. Ridiculous. Netmate isn’t dumb—they invested because it was worth investing in, people.

-The OST is so good I’ve been seeking out Polaris’s music. Party of 1.

-Han Sena, keep that nepotism going. Let’s go for season 2.

Netmate’s overall strategy had succeeded.

I clinked glasses with Minhui-ssi in a toast.

“If I hadn’t appear in <Private Life>, none of this would’ve even started. I’m grateful to Minhui-ssi.”

I’d gotten a 7 million-viewer film on my resume as a cameo before even making my official film debut.

But Minhui-ssi, the lead of that 7 million-viewer film, was waving off the credit and directing it toward me.

“Sena-ssi, do you know the movie’s title wasn’t originally Private Life? While filming with Sena-ssi, the runtime increased and the content got revised, so the director suddenly changed it.”

Lee Seokhyun made a big fuss from the side.

“Our Sena-ssi is really going to become a grand actress at this rate, isn’t she? Like a ten-million actress. Number one industry guarantee, that kind of thing!”

As I pinched Lee Seokhyun’s arm telling him to be quiet, Seo Jaeyeon answered seriously.

“What’s stopping her? It’s about time an actress like that emerged.”

Minhui-ssi also nodded.

“Right. Make the jump to film, Sena-ssi. Compelling female leads are really hard to find.”

Both actresses seemed to be genuinely considering this.

To think I was hearing this from top actresses.

It suddenly felt like I was dreaming again.

I picked up my cold beer glass.

“Everyone, cheers. Let’s see each other often and for a long time.”

* * *

After <Desert Island> filming wrapped, not only had the drama but even the documentary been released, yet the schedule was still packed full ahead.

Desert Island’s buzz was still growing rather than fading.

<Desert Island> was being called everywhere, to places you’d never expect, as much attention as it was receiving.

It was safe to say this was just the beginning.

The first start came from a completely unexpected place in particular.

The UBN evening newsroom.

Since Netmate’s Korean expansion was being covered on various current affairs programs and news, it seemed they’d created a <Desert Island> special feature.

Though it was a cable network, I’d never imagined a TV news interview would come in.

Plus, UBN.

Since it was where we’d filmed Flat Shoes, I felt somewhat welcoming toward it.

Early evening, after receiving calm makeup, I headed to the UBN building.

The moment I arrived, a staff member came out and checked my movements through my earpiece before taking me to the waiting room.

“Han Sena-ssi is going up now.”

I felt a bit flustered by this unexpectedly attentive treatment.

Inside the waiting room, a staff member holding printed scripts and drinks was waiting.

“Is it too hot?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“We won’t ask any questions that aren’t written here. Don’t be too nervous.”

“Yes, thank you.”

As I answered and received the script, shortly after, Chaeseong-ssi entered being guided in.

“Oh, you’re here?”

The newsroom segment was a two-person interview with Chaeseong-ssi.

“…”

But Chaeseong-ssi’s face was pale white.

“Chaeseong-ssi?”

“Yes…”

Looking at Chaeseong-ssi’s thoroughly tense face made me burst into laughter.

“This is Chaeseong-ssi’s home turf. Don’t be nervous!”

At my words, Chaeseong-ssi shook his head.

“That’s exactly why I’m nervous. Following the PDs around here and doing grunt work as the lowest assistant director feels like yesterday… Why am I in a place like this…?”

Then one of the staff members standing nearby handed Chaeseong-ssi a tissue to wipe his sweat.

“Yes, thank you…”

Chaeseong-ssi stuck the tissue to the back of his neck.

A moment later, one staff member received a call through their earpiece.

“You two, could you follow me?”

I closed the script and stood up.

Chaeseong-ssi followed the staff out, frozen stiff as ice.