I’m an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me - Chapter 1

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 1

Everyone has a name.

-That ten-million-viewer actor we all love, right? The one whose name alone makes our hearts flutter.

-Ah! I think I already know who you mean.

Some people find their names insufficient and live with sparkling titles attached. You know how it is.

Everyone’s first love, eternal top star, living legend.

“Hey! Isn’t that the one where Yeoreum appeared as an extra too?”

But sadly, my name is always accompanied by pathetic titles.

“Yeoreum will become a star soon! What was your role?”

Which is exactly.

“…Screaming Woman 1.”

Right. Trivial things like Passerby 1, Onlooker 1, Student 1. Those are the titles that attach to my name.

“Pfft! Well, Yeoreum was always a last-minute replacement.”

The topic shifted quickly. From the unknown extra Han Yeoreum to the triple ten-million-viewer actor Myeong Jeha.

Just then, he appeared on the TV tucked away in the corner of the ceiling.

“He went to the same school as us, so how did he become so successful?”

“We only shared the same school, not the same face.”

The gazes of the drunk customers in the pocha instantly focused on Myeong Jeha.

Then each of them added a word or two about him.

“When did they say Myeong Jeha’s movie is coming out? I definitely want to go see it.”

“It’s not a movie, it’s a seasonal drama. That Netholics! Netholics!”

“Put down the side dishes. Watching Myeong Jeha is the side dish.”

The glamorous appearance filling the TV screen truly seemed like someone born to be a celebrity.

Yeoreum knew this person well too.

“Yeoreum, are you dropping out?”

“…Yeah.”

Actually, rather than knowing him well, it was just…

“Why?”

“No particular reason.”

“But you’re good at it. Acting.”

Someone who becomes an unforgettable person in a scene of life, a brief but intense moment.

Looking at Myeong Jeha’s face for a moment, it felt like returning to that day when I submitted my withdrawal form.

The lively atmosphere then moved on to the actor next to Myeong Jeha. Everyone here knew the names of the people on screen.

“It’s Ji Haebeom!”

“But seeing Ji Haebeom in it too, Netholics will probably just take first place easily.”

“Right. His previous work was such a hit.”

Following Myeong Jeha, Ji Haebeom. These were the two main leads of the movie I appeared in as ‘Screaming Woman 1’.

Real actors with names, unlike me.

Soon the reporter’s microphone on TV was passed to another actor. Finally, it was the female lead’s turn.

“Wow, even Do Gyeoul!”

I deliberately turned my head away. I didn’t want to look at Do Gyeoul on screen.

But despite turning away, I ended up making eye contact with Do Gyeoul again.

[Winter’s Freshness As Is, First Dew]

Come to think of it, Do Gyeoul is the model for this soju too.

‘…Should have ordered something else.’

On the poster stuck to the wall, Do Gyeoul’s face was clear, holding a soju bottle and smiling.

-Yes. This work… was truly meaningful to me.

That’s when it happened. Someone interrupted Do Gyeoul’s interview and shouted loudly.

“Come to think of it, the world is really unfair. Yeoreum could have been in Do Gyeoul’s place!”

At those words, even the drunk customers at other tables all focused their attention. Startled, I waved my hand in denial.

“What nonsense are you talking about. Really…”

“Why. It’s true, isn’t it? Do Gyeoul’s lead role in that play was originally yours, Yeoreum.”

It was about the first-year final play.

Truth be told, though it’s ugly to admit, I had beaten the ground in regret several times watching Do Gyeoul succeed.

‘That spot could have been my spot…’

If I had properly taken that role back then. If I had caught that director’s eye.

But past events are ultimately past events.

‘Better to work more logistics part-time jobs than waste time on regrets.’

Because dwelling on it is just a waste of time.

“Right? Hey, Gu Jinchul, if only you hadn’t broken Yeoreum’s leg!”

“Wh-what did I do?”

“If you had just been careful on those stairs back then, our Yeoreum would be a ten-million-viewer actor now, you bastard.”

The face of the guy who pushed me down the stairs 10 years ago, causing me to get a cast on one leg, turned pale.

“That’s right~ Hey! Gu Jinchul, you bad bastard.”

“Even if Yeoreum writes a post about Gu Jinchul’s character controversy, you shouldn’t feel wronged~!”

The seniors, thoroughly soaked in alcohol, giggled.

“Yeoreum, your senior will recommend a good clickbait title. Han Yeoreum’s Sad Life as a Replacement Started with Gu Jinchul…”

“Just try writing that post!”

Gu Jinchul glared at me angrily.

Gu Jinchul, who made eye contact with me, frowned as if feeling wronged.

“Really, stop it. Bringing up something from 10 years ago now…”

I was about to get up from my seat. This is why I didn’t want to come to drinking gatherings.

“Well, it’s been 10 years and she’s still only doing extra work. What has she been doing all this time? It’s just her own skill level.”

I tried to ignore those whispered words.

They wouldn’t know how desperately hard I worked to land even small roles.

‘I came because they said a role might open up…’

Everyone was still just killing time meaninglessly with nostalgia from their twenties.

‘No point staying longer. Let’s just go home.’

Clatter-.

Just then, as I stood up, the bar door opened.

The person who entered the pocha was an unexpected figure no one anticipated.

“Do… Gyeoul?”

Do Gyeoul, who had been on screen just moments before, appeared.

Sounds close to screams erupted from here and there. The alcohol effect sobered up instantly.

“Hello, seniors.”

“Hey! Gyeoul! You really came!”

“What what. Why is Do Gyeoul here?”

The flow of air changed instantly. Everyone present in this space seemed like people prepared for this one scene.

‘Everyone becomes extras, and there’s only one lead.’

Naturally, the lead was the person who fixed her gaze only on me among all these people and slowly looked me up and down—Do Gyeoul.

“I just stopped by since Yeoreum was here. Yeoreum, you came to film our movie? Why didn’t you tell me? That’s hurtful. We were classmates after all.”

I glared at Hyeong Changwook sitting across from me.

‘That loose-lipped bastard. I hoped Do Gyeoul would never find out.’

You had to say that? And you call yourself a senior?

“Oh my, was it a secret?”

“No, it’s not really a secret…”

Embarrassed, Hyeong Changwook gave an awkward smile and avoided eye contact.

I had unexpectedly come face to face with the person I least wanted to meet.

As I hesitated, unable to leave in my flustered state, Do Gyeoul, who had been quietly watching me, grinned and pulled out a card from her bag, waving it around.

“If Yeoreum doesn’t leave, I’ll pay for this round!”

Click.

With those words, shackles bound my feet. Very tightly too. If the most successful actress in Korea right now was conditionally offering to buy drinks and I ran away, I’d be a traitor to the nation.

* * *

“Phew.”

Using being drunk as an excuse, I stepped outside the pocha and sighed. The wind hitting my face tonight was piercingly cold.

“Hey, hey Han Yeoreum, you…!”

Gu Jinchul, his face bright red, probably came out to smoke and spotted me, walking over with big strides.

‘…Ugh, what a pain.’

“You’re not really planning to write an exposé about Gu Jinchul’s character later, are you? Saying it was school violence. That’s fabricated! It’s victim mentality!”

I hadn’t been thinking about it, but now he was making me want to write it.

‘Anyway, that bastard can’t act, so his chances of making it big are zero.’

Even if I wrote an exposé, it would barely get ten upvotes, so what’s he so worried about?

“You and I are both living extra lives. I won’t drag you down, so don’t worry. Try to do well or whatever.”

I ignored Gu Jinchul’s words and turned my back. Or tried to turn.

“Hey! I wasn’t the one who pushed you back then! It was Do Gyeoul!”

“…What?”

If it weren’t for those words from behind me.

“What did you just say?”

I know it’s nonsense.

Still, I couldn’t pretend I hadn’t heard those words.

“It’s true. Somehow the atmosphere made it seem like it was me, so I just apologized, but damn. If I knew this would happen, I should have just said it back then, fuck!”

“What bullshit are you spouting right now?”

“Back then, there were only me and Do Gyeoul behind you, and Do Gyeoul did it first! ‘Jinchul, you should be more careful.’ That’s why I yelled that it wasn’t me, but nobody believed me!”

I blinked slowly.

‘Right. That’s what happened…’

But nobody believed Gu Jinchul’s words. Not even me.

‘Unlike Do Gyeoul who was careful about everything, Gu Jinchul was hot-tempered and clumsy.’

I thought Gu Jinchul had carelessly pushed me with the equipment bag he was carrying.

“Kyaah! Yeoreum, what do we do… Are you okay? Gu Jinchul, what are you doing! You should have been careful!”

Because Do Gyeoul beside him would never do such a thing. Her voice worrying about me was so vivid that I couldn’t possibly think it was acting.

“But, what you’re saying, is it really…”

All those what-ifs were real?

The moment that might have been my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was stolen by Do Gyeoul…

“It wasn’t an accident?”

Beep.

A short ringing sound echoed in my ears.

The soju poster of Do Gyeoul I had just seen flickered before my eyes.

The unforgettable lines from the first-year play rang in my ears.

I recalled the poster where, unlike “Screaming Woman 1 Han Yeoreum,” Do Gyeoul’s name was proudly written with her role.

“Yeoreum, get better soon… Don’t worry about the stage.”

Even Do Gyeoul’s voice that had worried about me so sweetly.

Resentment was thick on Gu Jinchul’s face.

“It’s true! If I had done it, I wouldn’t even feel wronged! Do Gyeoul was acting back then! Nobody believed me, so I just kept my mouth shut, but if I go down because of this, wouldn’t I be too pitiful?”

That’s true.

Gu Jinchul can’t act.

‘He definitely can’t do acting that truthful.’

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

My heart pounded violently.

Like a crazy person, I walked back to the pocha entrance almost running. Do Gyeoul was about to get into her manager’s car, apparently ready to wrap up.

“Yeoreum~.”

Do Gyeoul, who spotted me, smiled with crinkled eyes as if happy to see me.

“You were still here? I thought you left without saying anything.”

As if relieved, Do Gyeoul gestured to her manager. The manager then pulled out a crumpled 50,000 won bill from inside his jumper.

“Take this for taxi fare when you go. If you had told me, I would have given you more for the extra work. I’m really sorry.”

The wrinkled and crumpled bill went into my empty pocket.

“Make sure to tell me next time~.”

I heard the cheering voices of seniors around Do Gyeoul, who was smiling brightly.

‘Right. This is Do Gyeoul’s character.’

She looks prim, but when you get to know her, she’s loyal and takes good care of people.

“Do Gyeoul, was it really you?”

But Do Gyeoul is good at acting.

“Back then, pushing me on the stairs… was it you?”

Unlike Gu Jinchul.

“Did you do it on purpose?”

An awkward silence fell around us at my sudden question. The seniors, who had been looking back and forth between me and Do Gyeoul, threw out comments to try to lighten the mood.

“Yeoreum, you must be really drunk. That was just talk between us earlier, why are you being like this~ Making the atmosphere weird~.”

“Right, right. Yeoreum~. Stop it and come here! Gyeoul even found us a place for the second round! Stop being a nuisance.”

I shook off the hands of the seniors who grabbed my shoulders trying to calm me down.

My heart pounded like crazy.

Do Gyeoul gave no answer and just stared at me intently. As if she was observing something.

It was a gaze I had seen several times before.

“I’m asking if it’s true.”

That was Do Gyeoul’s expression when she was doing character research.

Rather than looking at a drunk classmate, it was closer to the research process she showed when interpreting characters in movies or dramas.

“Do Gyeoul, answer me!”

Only then, as if she had finished exploring my gestures, expressions, and voice, Do Gyeoul slowly embraced me.

“Let go of me! Did you want the lead role that badly?”

Everyone laughed at the atmosphere of deep Do Gyeoul embracing a classmate who had gone crazy with inferiority complex. Everyone except me.

“Yeoreum.”

Do Gyeoul whispered so only I could hear. I tried to escape from her firm grip that held me,

“If it had been me…”

The moment I heard that voice, all strength left my body.

“Even if my leg had been broken, I would have gone on stage.”

Her quiet voice sounded like thunder.

“The one who gave up the lead role back then wasn’t me—it was you.”

I could tell instinctively. Though it wasn’t a proper answer, this was a silent admission.

‘The one who pushed me down the stairs back then wasn’t Gu Jinchul but….’

It was Do Gyeoul.

Her whispered voice coiled around my eardrums like a snake.

“You look so ugly right now… Like a typical weekend drama villainess… Ahaha, it’s not really an impressive scene, so I’m disappointed. I came here to see you.”

Do Gyeoul patted my back a couple times, then gently pushed me away. Then she offered what seemed like comfort.

“Still, Yeoreum, keep your spirits up like now! Someday we’ll definitely be able to work on a project together.”

This time loud enough for everyone to hear.

With those final words, the van carrying Do Gyeoul drove off. I slowly followed the accelerating van and pounded on the door.

“Do Gyeoul! Open the door! Open it!”

“Han Yeoreum, stop it. Do you know how much Gyeoul has looked out for you! You don’t even know to be grateful.”

“Exactly. She’s really ugly… Why is she acting like that?”

But gradually the van picked up speed, moving away until it was too far to catch up on foot. I didn’t give up and tried persistently to follow, but…

HOOOONK-!!!

Along with the sound of a massive horn.

CRASH-!!!

My body flew up and then crashed down.

Terrible pain shot through the back of my head. Gradually all my senses grew dim.

I let out a bitter laugh.

‘In the end, am I dying like this, without even having a proper name…?’

How pathetic. To leave this world as Screaming Woman 1.

‘I wanted to die as an actor…’

I didn’t even hope for everyone to know my name. If only I could have had my name written on a poster once.

If I could have at least done that much before dying, I wouldn’t have any regrets left…

‘If I die like this now, no one will know I was an actor…’

From the moment dreams began to form, the goal of being an actor that I had worked toward to death was fading away with my breath.

My vision gradually darkened from the edges.

Ding-!

That’s when it happened.

An unknown sound effect rang clearly in my ears.

An unknown window appeared. The ‘Yes’ option in the choices sparkled brightly.

Was my desperate wish showing me one last hallucination before death?

‘Ah. I wanted to try working on a project with CG like this at least once.’

I barely managed to raise my index finger and pressed the sparkling ‘Yes’ button. Then I completely lost consciousness.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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