In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 79

On the way home, completely exhausted.

Sprawled out in the van’s back seat, my calves started throbbing painfully.

“You worked hard today too.”

Manager oppa glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

“Ugh, I’m starving.”

Then something suddenly came to mind, so I pulled out my phone.

I went to the UBN website to check the newsroom comments.

Minyeong unnie had sent me a message saying there were lots of positive comments, so I should take a look.

Below the news video, I could see the gender and age demographics of the commenters.

Unexpectedly, most were middle-aged.

-It’s impressive to see a young actor who’s thoughtful and not arrogant. Hope we see good things from you for a long time~^^

-From a new drama platform to young actors and directors, plus dramas that will elevate Korea’s reputation. Winds of change are blowing.

-Watched the news and joined Han Sena’s fan cafe. Will a 60-something root fan be welcomed~?

These were polite, respectful tones I’d rarely seen in comments before.

Plus such positive reactions.

I checked my text messages too, packed full and dense.

-Sena-ssi, saw the news. Lots of people who couldn’t figure out how to access Netmate joined this time. News coverage really does have impact.^^

It was a message from someone at Netmate.

Making it all the way onto the news, you’ve made it, Han Sena.

While reading more newsroom comments, checking related articles and posts…

Some community posts with strange titles caught my eye.

[Desert Island director Jung Chaeseong, disk injury from filming aftermath?]

[New director’s blood-and-sweat commitment, not injury commitment]

[Thought it was a surgery scar, but it was a tissue for wiping sweat…]

“Huh…?”

When I clicked the links, photos of Chaeseong-ssi from a split second in the video popped up.

The zoomed-in photo showed the back of Chaeseong-ssi’s neck.

What’s that white thing?

After staring for a moment, I realized what it was.

“Oh no.”

Chaeseong-ssi had stuck tissue to the back of his neck to wipe sweat in the waiting room and walked all the way to the studio with it still on.

And now it was even on the broadcast screen.

The Desert Island group chat lit up with notifications.

– Director lololol look at this~

Seems like the other actors discovered it too.

Oh dear…

I briefly prayed this teasing wouldn’t last too long, then put my phone down.

My eyelids felt heavy.

* * *

Several days after the volunteer work ended.

I was buried in bed, completely cut off from the world in hibernation mode, when manager oppa called.

‘I’ll probably arrive in about 30 minutes.’

Ugh, already.

Hearing that, I finally forced myself up.

After struggling to get up, wash, and head outside.

Sunny weather greeted me.

“Ugh, I’m dying…”

The bone-chilling cold I’d experienced on the island still felt like it was lingering around me.

The warm sunlight felt a bit unfamiliar.

“Ugh, so bright.”

“Here, coffee. You still look exhausted.”

I chugged down the iced coffee Jinseok oppa handed me.

“Oppa, the Gaia FW photoshoot schedule is in June, right?”

I asked after downing the coffee in one go.

“Yeah, you should rest up after today’s interview too.”

Hearing that, I nodded.

My stamina gauge seriously had its warning lights flashing.

It felt like my body was screaming ‘you really need to rest now!’

Still, there’s a saying about rowing when the tide comes in…

I just need to hold on well through today.

I climbed into the van that had become familiar as home.

Today’s schedule was the last official event for <Desert Island>.

An interview with a famous magazine specializing in film and drama reviews.

The magazine’s name was ‘Future Graphic’.

As soon as <Desert Island> filming wrapped, I’d received an interview request together with Kim Eunseo and Seon Yuseok as the <Seowon Arts University Rising Star Trio>.

Of course, Seon Yuseok had been the most dramatic about it.

‘Both of you are banned from refusing this interview! I’m definitely doing this!!’

Hearing that made me chuckle, but I got curious about what kind of stories we’d share there.

“Let’s hit the salon first.”

Jinseok oppa grabbed the wheel.

* * *

A studio in Seongsu-dong.

When I stepped inside, Kim Eunseo casually raised her hand from inside.

“Oh, you’re here?”

Same indifferent attitude as always.

I also sat down next to Kim Eunseo with zero reaction.

“Where’s the reporter?”

“Went to print the script.”

“The weather’s really…”

“Right? Weather’s fucking terrible.”

Kim Eunseo answered before I even finished, then picked up a magazine from the table and flipped through it.

Come on, even picking on the weather unnecessarily.

That’s when Seon Yuseok burst through the door with his usual noise.

“What, I’m the latest one?! No way!”

Kim Eunseo didn’t even glance at Seon Yuseok as she turned magazine pages.

“Youngest one’s slacking off.”

Hearing Kim Eunseo’s words, I chuckled.

“Hey, you did proxy attendance for gen-ed classes back in undergrad too.”

“How’s school the same as this?”

Kim Eunseo shot back.

“You two, stop-”

“You still not sitting down?”

I waved my hand at Seon Yuseok blocking my view.

Then Seon Yuseok quietly sat in the empty seat next to me.

That’s when the reporter approached holding scripts.

“Um, you two aren’t on bad terms, are you?”

We both flashed awkward smiles while accepting the scripts.

“We won’t write it in the article.”

The reporter joked around.

“We’ll do photos first.”

At those words, I squeezed between Kim Eunseo and Seon Yuseok and put my arms around their shoulders.

When I casually draped my arm over Kim Eunseo’s shoulder, Kim Eunseo glanced at my arm.

An expression that said ‘what’s this, get it off.’

Yeah, I have no plans to do that.

“Smile.”

I actually whispered softly in Kim Eunseo’s ear.

Then Kim Eunseo smiled while doing ventriloquism.

“You smile.”

The camera flash went off.

Shortly after, the cheerful youth drama concept interview began.

“Do you three have any fun episodes from your time at Seowon Arts University?”

The reporter’s eyes sparkled.

Hearing that, one scene flashed through my mind.

Right after my regression, when I first met Kim Eunseo and Seon Yuseok.

Kim Eunseo had probably been about to slap me back then…

Pretty immersed in that old nostalgia, I looked at Kim Eunseo.

But Kim Eunseo’s expression turned oddly complicated, as if recalling the same memory.

That face was pretty funny.

Wish I could’ve captured this.

Beside us, Seon Yuseok tried hard to liven up the atmosphere.

“The most fun was when we practiced acting together!”

That was a lie.

The three of us had never once practiced acting together during school.

“I was in a position of learning from Sena noona and Eunseo noona. Rather than specific episodes, these kinds of things are what stick in my memory.”

Seon Yuseok shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

Then the reporter smiled too.

“As expected, elites are different from the start, aren’t they? Acting practice instead of any wild times. You must’ve had quite the special feeling when all three of you met up on <Desert Island> after spending so much time together. How was it?”

The reporter looked at Kim Eunseo expectantly for an answer.

Kim Eunseo looked slightly flustered before quickly opening her mouth.

“Nothing feels better than meeting classmates on set. It’s reassuring, and you can immerse two or three times deeper.”

I’d expected some lip service, but Kim Eunseo’s voice sounded quite sincere.

“Plus, you know what they say – even bad feelings are the scariest.”

Kim Eunseo glanced at me sideways.

Then the reporter laughed out loud.

“You two must really be close.”

Hearing that, I laughed awkwardly too.

“Love for classmates, love for country… It’s all good. Your recent public service ad and volunteer work have all become hot topics. Even those video views exploded. What were your impressions of doing that together?”

This time the reporter looked at me.

“Honestly, more than anything else… after filming ended, all the actors were really exhausted physically. I was exhausted too.”

The reporter nodded.

“But when we’re all struggling together, it’s somehow okay, you know?”

At my words, Seon Yuseok burst out laughing.

“You know how suffering alone is worse than suffering together, right? It’s somehow comforting.”

Kim Eunseo also laughed incredulously at my playful answer.

But I’m serious.

“Right, definitely. Seeing other people struggling the same way sometimes makes your own situation feel okay.”

The reporter agreed.

“Yeah, that’s how we could endure to the end. If I’d been alone, I couldn’t have lasted like this.”

Then we moved on to another topic.

“If you three could steal one talent from each other, what would you steal?”

That was an unexpectedly fun question.

Something to steal…

Kim Eunseo and Seon Yuseok also fell into thought.

Seon Yuseok raised his hand fastest.

“From Sena noona, leadership; from Eunseo noona, that unique presence. Something like that? I’d steal those.”

“Oh, leadership and unique presence. Those really are keywords that capture both characters perfectly.”

Leadership? Did I have that?

I opened my mouth too.

“I’d steal Yuseok’s tireless energy, and from Eunseo I’d steal her flower-like beauty.”

The reporter smiled with interest and rapidly typed on the laptop.

Kim Eunseo’s answer took the longest.

After being lost in thought for a while, Kim Eunseo finally answered.

“From Yuseok, I’d steal his untwisted cheerfulness; from Sena, the ability to see into the future.”

“…?”

My heart dropped with a thud.

I turned my head to look at Kim Eunseo.

* * *

Some time later, in Minyeong unnie’s office.

‘A Han Sena faction? Seowon Arts University school connections? There’s nothing like that. If anything, the professors raise us tough. All three of us came through auditions. Yuseok auditioned for <Desert Island> casting too. I initially opposed it. Why would a kid with no debut project go straight into amateur video? But he came running saying he wanted to do it and showed us his acting.’

Sitting side by side on the sofa with unnie, I read through the interview magazine we’d received yesterday.

Unnie chuckled at Kim Eunseo’s response.

“What’s she even saying.”

That’s what I’m saying.

I reread the part that had startled me most.

‘If you three could steal one talent from each other, what would you steal?’

‘From Yuseok, I’d steal his untwisted cheerfulness; from Sena, the ability to see into the future.’

After saying that, Kim Eunseo had looked at me and smirked.

‘I heard you’re good at finance. Teach me too?’

I’d been so shocked then.

Seems like Minyeong unnie’s joke to Yuseok about that had somehow reached Kim Eunseo’s ears.

Kim Eunseo had meant it as just a casual joke, but I was the only one whose heart dropped.

She really has this weird way of cutting right through sometimes.

After hearing Kim Eunseo’s words, I’d barely managed to smooth my expression and finish the interview with a smile.

After reading through the whole interview, unnie snapped the magazine shut and stretched.

Then she draped both arms over the sofa and looked at me with a sudden grin.

“Our star-ssi.”

“Huh? Out of nowhere?”

“Why? Bluntly speaking, with how much money you’ve brought into the company, this level of treatment is deserved.”

“…?”

Did unnie eat something weird?

Seeing my bewildered expression, unnie burst out laughing.

“Guess this kind of flattery doesn’t suit you, huh?”

“What flattery…”

“Right. So instead of empty words like that, let me do something else. While you’re resting, anything you want to do or anywhere you want to go?”

“Something I want to do…?”

“Yeah, I’ll invest in it.”

“Ah…?”

She seemed to be talking about care the company provides actors outside of projects.

“There’s stuff like dermatology or gym memberships and such.”

Unnie gave examples first, sounding impatient.

“I already go to dermatology regularly, and the gym is the place I’ve been going to since before…”

“Ugh, you frustrating thing! Fine, what am I even trying to discuss with you.”

Unnie cut off my words and got up from her seat to sit in front of her monitor.

I chuckled watching her.

“Seriously. I’m heading out now.”

I also stood up holding the magazine.

Just as I was about to leave the office, unnie spoke again.

“Think about it while you’re resting. Anything you want to do, anything at all. I’ll make it happen.”

Ooh.

Hearing unnie’s words, I felt playful.

“Make it all happen? How do you know what I’ll say?”

“Just say it.”

Unnie waved her hand dismissively as if she was done.

I also waved and closed the office door behind me.

I stretched out fully.

Finally, real rest for a while!

Walking down the hallway in a good mood, I fell into thought.

Something I want to do…