In This Life, I Want an Oscar, Not a Husband - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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This life, I choose The Oscars over a husband.
Chapter 21

But there was no way I could ask Million X for an autograph.
Even on the Film Set, I refrained from casual conversation out of fear of what the fans might say, and I maintained the demeanor of a rookie actress—always mindful of etiquette whenever the behind-the-scenes camera was rolling.
“Still, I’ll do my best to try! I don’t have a separate contact either, so I’ll ask my Talent Agency!”
So I’d wrap this up by expressing genuine willingness while subtly hinting that it was an unreasonable request.
“Ah… Your Talent Agency too? You don’t need to go that far… Haha…”
“No! I can at least mention it…”
I trailed off with an uncertain expression.
This shy character was something I’d always wanted to play in my past life, so I might as well do it now.
Fortunately, my acting landed well.
“No! Don’t worry about it! I wasn’t being serious! But Eun-rae, you looked really beautiful in the shots. It was like you had no makeup on at all—how are you so pretty?”
“Haha… I think it’s because you directed it so well.”
I laughed shyly and gave a modest response.
My screen time in the teaser added up to roughly five seconds.
Most of it was wide shots with Million X, but only about one second showed my face in a direct frontal shot.
And surprisingly, that was the very first scene.
The teaser immediately cut to the first scene I’d filmed with Rowen.
An addictive intro accompanied my hands fidgeting with a cigarette. (Of course, the cigarette was rendered almost invisible.)
A girl in black and white—everything seeming tedious and lonely.
With crackling noise and handheld cinematography, the scene had a distinctly cinematic quality that immediately captured attention.

– Wow, isn’t this the Director who shot the ‘Into Time’ music video before? The vibe at the beginning is the same. It’s like a movie.
– Why aren’t you working in the Film Industry instead of here?

‘Haha. You should open a fortune teller’s shop. I’m heading there now. To the film industry.’
And with that stylish intro, something tumbles down from the sky.
It’s Rowen.
In that moment.
Light blooms in the girl’s world, emanating from Rowen’s blue eyes.
As the world brightens with an ethereal quality, my face glows without a single smile.
It’s the same bare face, yet the feeling is entirely different.
Of course, my acting plays a part—
‘…The direction is masterful.’
It’s no accident that the Director earned his reputation for helming actresses’ career peaks.

– Seriously so pretty. No joke
– Her vibe is insane. It’s not just beauty, it’s atmosphere.
– What actress is she?
– I heard she was a model.
– Isn’t LP Entertainment pushing her? Hate forced casting like this.

The response to my face was positive.
But the fans’ resistance was exactly as expected.
If I were a fan, I’d be uncomfortable too if an actress got a major shot in my favorite idol’s music video.
Of course—

Boys, who came crushing into my planet like blue tide.

With the sentence that became the album’s concept, MillionX’s choreography begins right away.
‘Min Se-ye doesn’t only film women well.’
Thanks to Min Se-ye’s distinctive sensibility in highlighting each member of MillionX’s individual charm, the music video teaser turned out truly ‘beautiful.’
As a result, the resistance directed at me ended at a cute level.
Some seemed eager to tear me down—

– Ugh, another mass-produced actress being forced on us? LP Entertainment is shameless.
└ Huh? The actress has an Instagram. Go check it out. She’s from a brand new agency.
└ I don’t like LP Entertainment either, but trashing a rookie actress isn’t cool.
└ I actually like her. I want to check out Ha Eun-rae’s filmography.
└ Her modeling shots were pretty too lolol

As always, Jang Hee-ja was the quickest to act in situations like this.
Following her advice, I uploaded a photo of myself crouching pitifully while eating on the Independent Film Shooting Location to a pre-made SNS account, and all the backlash disappeared.
Though there would still be people trying to stir up trouble, of course.
‘But did that really matter?’
Right now, I had ten thousand followers!

silver_is_coming
actor
＠naru_stage
10,000 followers 0 following

That was when it happened.
“It’s a shame, really. I really wanted to work on a project with you, Eun-rae.”
“A project?”
The Cinematographer said something unexpected.
“Yeah. There’s a Park Seo-woo script I really liked. I thought it would be great to upload it on YouTube—”
Park Seo-woo’s YouTube film?
My eyes widened the moment I heard those words.
Wasn’t this something that never happened in my past life?
And that was the moment.

[Congratulations! You’ve achieved ’10 million recognition’ and earned 1 ‘Search Authority’ ticket!]

Just then, the search ranking arrived.
…It looks like the music video teaser has already hit 10 million views.
“Eun-rae!”
But before I could even use the search ranking, Je-gal Se-yeon called out to me.
“Yes, yes, Director!”
I tore my gaze away from the search ranking and smiled at Je-gal Se-yeon.
“We need to have a drink together!”
Ah, that’s right.
Je-gal Se-yeon was a notorious drinker.
Despite being a film director, Je-gal Se-yeon occasionally appeared on variety shows and frequently uploaded entertaining episodes from drinking sessions with actors to popular short-form videos.
Which meant—
‘It’s good to go along appropriately while creating episodes.’
Even if not hilarious, saying her personality was decent would be enough.
I quickly grabbed a glass of soju and beer from the table in front of Je-gal Se-yeon.
“Yes! Let’s have a drink!”
“Oho. Eun-rae, do you drink well?”
“Me? Well…I’m not sure?”
I’d never really checked my alcohol tolerance.
Because my father and older brother would become violent whenever they drank, I’d always kept my distance from alcohol.
“Huh? Is it because you’re still too young and haven’t drunk much?”
“Yes…. But I think I can drink reasonably well.”
I recalled the hazy memories of my past.
“Okay! Then drink slowly. In moderation.”
“Yes, understood.”
With those words, I took a sip of the soju and beer mixture.
In that instant, my vision seemed to brighten.
“This…!”
I opened my eyes wide and looked at Je-gal Se-yeon.
“This is delicious! There’s soju in it, right?”
Wow. This is really tasty.
Something like this exists?
“Kekekeke, this is Je-gal Se-yeon’s signature soju and beer mix, you see. Delicious, right?”
“Yes, very much so.”
It doesn’t taste like a combination of soju and beer—it tastes like a completely different drink.
“I’m pleased you appreciate it. Eun-rae, from now on, you’ll have to be my drinking buddy sometimes!”
“Of course!”
Drinking buddies with Je-gal Se-yeon?
That’s completely perfect.
I casually threw out a comment to Je-gal Se-yeon.
“Director, you also have to remember me and give me scripts frequently from now on, okay?”
Je-gal Se-yeon often wrote her own scripts, and I’d seen interviews where she mentioned that she typically decided on specific actors before beginning to write.
“Of course. But who’s going to buy my script…? Ah, this graduation film really needs to turn out well.”
Je-gal Se-yeon let out a small sigh as she spoke.
Then she looked at me and smiled softly.
“Still, I believe in you, Eun-rae.”
“In me?”
Why would she believe in me? She’s Je-gal Se-yeon, after all.
“Your acting fills the entire screen.”
Je-gal Se-yeon continued with considerable sincerity.
“Directors know this. When you watch it on the monitor, you feel it immediately. They say theater is the art of acting, while film is the art of editing—but that’s not entirely true. There’s a kind of acting that fills the entire frame. Acting that communicates directly without needing editing. The kind that fills the empty spaces of the screen not with mise-en-scène, but with the performance itself. When that happens, the director simply follows along. You refine that masterpiece bit by bit, and it becomes a work of art.”
Je-gal Se-yeon’s eyes were sincere.
Seeing her like that, I felt something stir within me.
I’d always thought of myself as merely an experienced actress, not someone who delivered remarkable performances—
Which is why I practiced and prepared twice as hard as anyone else—
‘So all of that wasn’t in vain after all.’
“So if you work with me going forward, it would be my honor. I’m telling you, everyone who sees your face on the big screen in a movie theater—”
Je-gal Se-yeon raised her glass.
I lifted mine to meet hers.
“—will fall in love with you.”

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