In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 82

James, taking over the baton, continued the feedback.

“You adapted flexibly to various situations—I can see that style clearly. What’s your goal for participating in this workshop, Aiden?”

I paused to think at David’s question.

“I… want to focus more on expressing subtle emotions.”

“Yes, good.”

David nodded and shifted his gaze as if to call on someone else.

I quickly raised my hand.

“I’d like to hear James’s feedback too.”

At that, James, who’d been wearing an indifferent expression, gave a slight smile.

“Good, Aiden… As something of a veteran, are you prepared to lose face in front of aspiring actors?”

James threw out a provocative question.

I looked straight at his face.

“Yes, go ahead. Ever since I was born as a scrawny white guy with red hair, my face has constantly been taking hits.”

I tossed the words back matching James’s speaking style.

Laughter erupted throughout the classroom.

People applauded my self-deprecating humor.

James also threw his head back and roared with laughter.

Then he pointed at me with his finger, making a gesture that he’d been keeping an eye on me.

“I like you, friend. Okay, then I’ll be blunt. It sucks.”

The workshop that had been an ocean of laughter instantly fell silent.

A hollow laugh escaped me involuntarily.

James continued his explanation without caring about my disbelieving, laughing face.

“There’s nothing of yours in it. You pretend it’s improvisation, but it’s all stuff I’ve seen somewhere before. So rather than creative, you’re just smart. Good at mixing.”

“…!”

“You’re stained. By thousands of different things. Let me dare to advise you—you need to throw it all away. There are tons of actors in this world who act with their heads. Of course, that’s not easy either, but that alone won’t cut it. You probably already know that. That’s why you came here.”

I was struck speechless.

“Aiden, I’ll ask again. What’s your goal for participating in this workshop?”

James threw out the question.

“Subtle emotions? Even amateurs can say that kind of ordinary bullshit.”

“……”

I couldn’t find words to respond with.

My goal…

Had about a minute passed?

“Okay, next.”

When no answer came from me, James turned his gaze to someone else.

Then James asked a woman whose eyes met his.

“Name?”

“Han Sena.”

“Want to try?”

“Why not.”

The woman named Han Sena stood up without hesitation.

She was the Asian woman I’d seen earlier.

“We’ll do a pair performance too.”

Han Sena came forward to the front of the classroom with the young friend she’d come with.

The two shared a brief consultation in a foreign language I couldn’t understand.

The classroom atmosphere remained quiet.

Han Sena nodded at James as if ready.

Then, without even revealing what concept they’d prepared, she spoke.

“We’ll begin.”

“Okay. Ready, action.”

The young woman stood in the center of the stage.

Han Sena started dancing around the young woman with a smile on her face.

It was a waltz, drawing smooth circles with her steps.

The young woman watched Han Sena dance while following her with her eyes and giggled.

“Who are you?”

Han Sena didn’t answer and kept dancing.

Then she approached the woman and extended both hands.

As if asking if she’d like to dance together.

The woman grabbed Han Sena’s hands with a slightly flustered face.

The woman who began dancing with her stepped clumsily, as if waltzing for the first time.

The woman stepped on Han Sena’s feet several times.

That didn’t look like acting.

That young woman was really learning the waltz on the spot.

While looking at and following Han Sena’s feet, the woman kept asking.

“Who are you? Why are you here? Why are we waltzing?”

The woman looked confused.

Han Sena didn’t give her an answer.

“Please answer me!”

I felt confused too.

What kind of concept is this?

What kind of character?

What emotion is she trying to express?

Why is she waltzing and not speaking?

As I watched the two women’s performance, countless questions flooded my mind.

But the woman slowly began learning the waltz.

Her clumsy movements gradually synchronized with Han Sena.

Han Sena considerately led her slowly.

Little by little their movements aligned, and the waltz’s tempo gradually quickened.

The woman stopped talking and focused solely on dancing for a moment.

And then, the woman no longer asked Han Sena any questions.

She simply held hands with the friend before her eyes and enjoyed waltzing together.

Each time their steps matched perfectly, I felt a thrill.

The motions were really nothing special, yet I found myself oddly captivated.

‘Why…’

The woman, who’d been looking at the floor the whole time, raised her head to look at Han Sena’s face.

Han Sena had been watching the woman with a warm smile all along.

Only then did the woman smile back in response.

In completing the waltz, who each person was no longer mattered.

The workshop participants watching them all wore warm smiles at some point.

Like Han Sena’s face.

And I as well…

I no longer wanted to interpret the meaning.

Because I’d already understood it.

People started applauding even before the two finished their performance.

James also stood up from his seat and clapped his hands to the waltz’s rhythm.

I also clapped my hands together loudly and shouted.

“Bravo!”

It was strange.

Just watching two women’s improvised performance of matching waltz steps had stirred my heart.

The two women finished their waltz to the sound of applause.

Both were smiling brightly.

It was perfect.

If waltzing meant completing a dance while considerately matching your partner’s rhythm, steps, and flow, then these two women’s waltz was perfect.

Strangers meeting for the first time, aligning together and sharing breath.

It felt like a metaphor for our lives.

To convey so many emotions and realizations through such a simple, easy expression.

She was someone skilled enough to communicate complex themes through the simplest methods.

I stared intently at Han Sena’s face.

* * *

Workshop day 4.

LA had been bright and clear for four straight days without a single cloud.

Already growing somewhat accustomed to the workshop, I sat on a bench in front of it with Kkotbyeol, soaking up the sunlight.

My skin seemed to have tanned a bit.

I downed the espresso I’d just gotten from the coffee shop.

Kkotbyeol looked at me with a furrowed brow as if it was too bitter for her.

Then she spoke.

“Time’s flying by so fast.”

“Right?”

“But it really feels like it’s helping a lot.”

The area around Kkotbyeol’s eyes, saying this, looked puffy.

It was from fatigue due to jet lag.

My whole body felt stiff too.

All day at the workshop doing practical exercises, then returning to the hotel in the evening to prepare for the next day’s exercises—this schedule had been repeating for over a week.

Still, I felt good.

I answered Kkotbyeol.

“Yeah, me too. We made the right choice coming.”

We were both learning little by little.

Kkotbyeol, who had the charm of being raw and unrefined, was having her somewhat rough and sharp expression compensated for.

Put simply, she was learning skills.

The universal process an amateur goes through in becoming a pro.

My physical expression skills, which I’d always felt lacking compared to emotional expression, were gradually improving.

Until now, even if a scene requiring physical movement came up, I’d be tense and anxious starting a week before, but now I felt like I’d be more comfortable.

Should I call it America’s unique sensibility—learning acting with outgoing gestures had been strangely helpful.

Using big movements no longer felt burdensome.

Should I learn modern dance when I get back to Korea?

I heard it’s incredibly helpful for improving expressiveness.

I also wanted to quickly show Teacher Yoon Youngjae the blocking I’d learned here.

I wanted to compare it with Teacher’s methods too.

If I come back having improved a lot, maybe Teacher will want to come to an American workshop too.

I smiled to myself.

But Kkotbyeol spoke in a small voice beside me.

“Uh, unnie…? He’s coming this way.”

“Hm?”

Following Kkotbyeol’s gaze, workshop coach David was walking toward us.

Huh?

David waved and naturally came to sit beside me.

“How long have you been acting?”

I felt slightly flustered at the sudden question.

“Um…”

Wait, how many years should I say?

How old am I this year?

If I count from high school…

“Less than 10 years.”

At that, David raised his eyebrows in surprise then lowered them.

“I’ve been watching your performances with great interest. James and I talked a lot about you, Sena.”

“Oh, really?”

The two of them talked about me?

My heart suddenly fluttered.

“Do you have any projects lined up after finishing the workshop?”

“…?”

I suppressed my flustered appearance and smiled.

“Nothing’s decided yet.”

At that, David grinned.

“That’s good to hear.”

“Pardon?”

“I have something to confess to Sena. You know Warners Pictures, right?”

Warners Pictures?

David suddenly mentioned the production company that makes worldwide hero action films.

“Yes.”

My heart started beating faster and faster.

“They’re recruiting for roles in a new hero film. In particular, they’re racking their brains over selecting an Asian female character. But coincidentally…”

David paused for a moment.

“……”

No way.

“Coincidentally, there’s a talented Asian actress right here in our class, isn’t there? So I went ahead and recommended you.”

David handed me a script he’d been holding rolled up in one hand.

“What?!”

Startled, I looked down at the script I’d received with naturally widened eyes.

Not just an audition offer, but he went and recommended me outright?

“Sorry for recommending you without permission. But I also met you so briefly that I acted rashly.”

Beside me, Kkotbyeol was having a meltdown.

“Jackpot, jackpot! Unnie, what do we do! This is huge! Call Minyeong unnie right now!!”

Watching that Kkotbyeol, David grinned again and stood up from his seat.

“Think about it. The choice is yours, Sena. Though in my opinion, I’m certain it’ll be a good opportunity.”

David shot me a wink before turning away.

I just stared blankly at David’s retreating back.

So suddenly…?

Am I dreaming right now?

* * *

‘What? Are you crazy???’

After finishing the workshop, in my hotel room.

Minyeong unnie’s fuss came through the phone.

‘You’re becoming a global star now?’

“U-unnie. Can I even do this?”

After receiving the audition offer, my bewilderment quickly turned to worry.

‘It’s not a question of whether you can—you have to!’

“Right, I thought so…”

What if I step up poorly and instead of being a global star, I get globally trashed?

As if reading my worries, unnie spoke.

“Hey, there’ll be hundreds of actors auditioning after getting recommended there. Even if you try, the chances of not getting selected are higher. Shouldn’t you at least go? Like that person said, it’s just a good opportunity. Even just getting into the audition room.”

Hearing those words, I nodded to myself.

It might be getting ahead of myself.

I haven’t even been cast yet, and I might never encounter this kind of once-in-a-lifetime opportunity again.

My heart kept pounding.

“Unnie, I’m nervous.”

‘You’ll do great.’

Hearing those words, I bit my lip.

I don’t know if I can do well or not, but I’ll give it my all as always.

So I won’t be ashamed of myself.

I turned my head to look at the calendar on the wall.

Just then, Minyeong unnie asked.

‘When’s the audition?’

“Next week.”

‘Move fast!’