In This Life, I Want an Oscar, Not a Husband - Chapter 22

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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 22

Is there any phrase that stirs an actor’s heart more deeply than this?
I smiled at Je-gal Se-yeon and downed the soju-beer cocktail in one shot.
The crisp sensation of carbonation sliding down my throat was refreshing.
“Oh, Eun-rae. You can really drink, can’t you?”
“Huh? Well… I suppose so.”
I looked at Je-gal Se-yeon with a bashful smile.
And then I tilted my head curiously.
“This is really delicious, though. Really.”
Je-gal Se-yeon laughed awkwardly at my smile.
“Hmm, I guess not.”
…What was that supposed to mean?
That’s when I thought it.
Je-gal Se-yeon called out to someone.
And when I opened my eyes—

* * *

“Which flavor would you like?”
Park Seo-woo stood before me, holding a melon ice cream and a strawberry ice cream.
Right in front of my eyes!
“I… well…”
Damn.
I really can’t hold my alcohol.
Blacking out in front of people without even knowing my own tolerance was the kind of thing that made your blood run cold.
Especially as an actress.
“Did I make any mistakes? Say something wrong… or knock over the drinking table… or speak informally to someone…?”
Park Seo-woo shook his head at my words.
“Nothing like that. The director just asked you to get some fresh air, so you came out with me right away.”
“Ah… thank goodness.”
As I muttered to myself, Park Seo-woo gazed down at me quietly.
Thinking he was rushing me to choose, I picked the strawberry flavor from the ice creams he held.
“I’ll have this one…”
“You’re a completely different person when you’re acting versus when you’re not acting.”
I took the cold ice cream and tilted my head, looking at Park Seo-woo.
“What do you mean by that…?”
“When you’re acting, you’re confident and free, but when you’re not…”
Park Seo-woo’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.
“You seem lost in thought. I don’t understand why you care so much about what others think.”
The moment I heard those words, a chill ran through me.

“I thought you were smarter than that.”

It was because I recalled what Park Seo-woo had said in my previous life.
My expression hardened instantly, and I spoke.
“Are you saying I look stupid?”
I bit my lip after the words left my mouth.
It’s always like this.
Whenever I stand before Park Seo-woo, my emotions override my reason.
Even knowing he’s a director who could give me an opportunity like no other, I lose control of the wheel.
‘And I could even be part of Park Seo-woo’s first directorial work!’
“That’s not it.”
Park Seo-woo answered casually and sat down beside me.
I looked at his profile.
Damn, he’s handsome.
Which makes me even more irritated.
Why didn’t he become an actor instead of a director?
“I thought there’d be no need to worry about people who don’t recognize you as an actor.”
The wind blew, scattering Park Seo-woo’s hair.
Through the strands, his gaze became visible.

An unreadable gaze.

If this were a script, it would probably be written like this.
As I was thinking that, Park Seo-woo turned his head toward me.
“You’re perfect on camera.”
This time, his gaze—
‘I can read it.’
It’s sincere.
He genuinely thinks I’m ‘perfect’ on camera.
The moment I saw that, I made a decision.
“I heard from the Cinematographer that you’re working on a project. I’d like to read the script. Please show it to me first.”
I won’t let this person slip away.
My wounded pride from the last life in front of this man?
I’m throwing that garbage in the trash.
That’s when it happened.
“Ah, well, it’s not quite finished with revisions yet….”
Park Seo-woo stammers.
The man who didn’t stumble over a single word when he won The Oscars.
Is he drunk?
Or… could he actually dislike the idea?
I tilted my head and opened my mouth.
“If you’d rather not….”
“No.”
Park Seo-woo spoke firmly.
“I don’t dislike it.”
“Oh, that’s a relief.”
“I want to work with you, Actress. Really.”
That was when it happened.
A Wiki window appeared before my eyes.

[【Ha Eun-rae】 Wiki being edited….]
[Would you like to search for 【Ha Eun-rae】’s updated Wiki?]

With a reflexive “yes,” my Wiki scrolled down of its own accord.
All the way to the ‘Trivia’ section.
I felt dizzy.
And I was already drunk—

– Living my second life. (Content under discussion will be made private soon. Author permissions required. Author: Igauzu_fall)

What is this.
Was this a hallucination.
I shook my head.
Then I saw completely different text written in the window.

– Ranked #1 as the actress Park Seo-woo wants to work with.

So that earlier thing really was a hallucination.
But Park Seo-woo ranking me as the actress he wants to work with….
‘So it really was me.’
I grinned and looked at Park Seo-woo.
For a moment, his earlobes seemed to flush red, but it must have been my imagination.
Just a drunken delusion.

* * *

A woman who had been pulling all-nighters preparing her graduation project boarded the night bus tonight with an exhausted face.
There were barely enough people to fill the seats.
Drunk people.
University students and office workers with tired faces like hers.
“Oh, my apologies!”
As the bus lurched, she hugged her bag tightly to avoid a middle-aged man stumbling toward her.
Her bag had a person-shaped keychain attached to it.
Han Yoo-yang.
Her favorite member of MillionX.
LP Entertainment, those ruthless people released different outfits for the figurines with every new album, so she faithfully handed over all her part-time job earnings to LP Entertainment.
‘Still… our boys will get to eat something delicious with it.’
That was enough.
The woman smiled faintly, dark shadows lingering beneath her eyes.
To her, MillionX was like a blessing rain in her arduous daily life.
Especially on exhausting days like today, the only reason she could endure without collapsing was one thing.
‘The long-awaited music video release day.’
D-day.
One of MillionX’s double title music videos was being released today.
‘I was planning to go home, purify my body and mind, and then watch it.’
There were still 30 minutes left until she got home.
‘I’m dying to see it!’
The music video teaser released a week ago had already been played countless times.
The choreography was great, and the song was amazing too.

In your eyes that say you don’t love me, I see sadness.

She especially loved that the boys, who usually attacked the hearts of their older fans, were appearing as wounded men this time.
Yet it didn’t feel decadent—how should I put it—
‘Like a youthful first love feeling?’
It felt especially fresh because it had a cinematic quality.
‘Until now, MillionX always had strong songs with powerful choreography.’
From the opening featuring a female actress with much talk about being a rookie pushed by LP Entertainment, the vibe felt good.
Of course, some fans were worried.

– Honestly though, doesn’t that actress ruin the music video experience?
– She seemed like a rookie and can’t act, so she might awkwardly break the mood. This music video feels so cinematic that I’m worried they’ll get criticized.
– Whatever, our boys are living pictures anyway.
– Can’t we just not mention the actress? There’s going to be a separate performance music video anyway, so we can just watch that. This feels like we’re being played by LP Entertainment too. I heard that actress is being groomed by LP Entertainment.

I had to admit, I was a bit worried too.
They’d shot this music video with such meticulous care, like a proper film, and yet they cast a rookie in the lead role.
There were so many more famous actors out there. Ones with better acting skills, too.
Of course, I hadn’t thought of a perfect fit for the role, but my long-standing resentment toward the agency was already pulling my thoughts in a different direction.
‘Could LP Entertainment have cast a cheap actor just to save money?’
Ugh. Do they have any idea how much money our kids have earned for the company? Don’t skimp on the music video budget, you bastards.
Grumbling inwardly, I quickly inserted my earbuds and reverently accessed YouTube.
The moment the YouTube ad started playing, my heart began pounding wildly.
‘Come on….’
Fourteen seconds until I’d hear our kids’ song.
This rattling, damned night bus was transforming into my own private concert hall.

【Ahaha…】>
【Should we do night study?】

Ding dong, ding dong.
The screen opens in black and white.
The noisy sounds of the school courtyard.
Students running about cheerfully.
Like a scene from a film, the bright students fade into the background as the camera trembles slightly, moving into a dark corridor.
Soon, a girl comes into view, sitting listlessly against a wall covered in ivy.
Wearing a shabby sweatshirt, her face bare of makeup.
Even in one hand, she’s holding what appears to be a cigarette pack.
‘What is this? If she’s an actor LP Entertainment is pushing, why would she wear something like that and take on a role like this….’
But there was no room for such thoughts.
The girl gazes at the children wandering through the courtyard for a moment.
In her listless eyes, an emotion flickers and passes.
‘Envy’.
That feeling is read in an instant.
Even though it was just a fleeting moment.
And that was the moment.

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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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