In This Life, I Want an Oscar, Not a Husband - Chapter 4

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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 4

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“Thanks to you, Eun-rae, I think I can refine the work considerably. Now that I think about it, the character I was more attached to was Soo-in, but I realize my mistake was obsessing solely over how the male lead falls for the female lead from his perspective.”
I had simply wanted to add Je-gal Se-yeon’s work to my early filmography, but now she was talking about a complete overhaul?
And on top of that—
“I’d like to unfold the entire story from Soo-in’s perspective. The dialogue might expand considerably, but would that be alright with you?”
The atmosphere was shifting—I would push aside the male lead and become the undisputed lead.
I hesitated for a moment, faced with a reward far greater than I had anticipated.
But in moments like this, it’s essential to display the demeanor of a newcomer.
I bent my waist at a sharp angle and spoke.
“Please entrust it to me! I’ll give it my absolute best!”
And it was the very moment I lifted my head while saying those words.
Something shimmered before my eyes.
Simultaneously, something strange appeared.

[【Cohabiting with a Ghost】 Wiki being updated….]
[Would you like to search for the updated Wiki of 【Cohabiting with a Ghost】?]

What is this?
I tilted my head in confusion and lost my balance. My feet tangled in the sudden commotion.
Just as my body was about to stumble awkwardly.
Someone gripped my shoulder firmly.
I lifted my head to see who it was.
“…!”
I remembered.

“Ha Eun-rae, you photograph better at angles below 75 degrees. That opening scene—the angle was a shame.”

Seventy-five degrees.
I couldn’t recall who had said it.
Standing before me was a man who looked even more like an actor than any actor I knew.
With his hand gripping my shoulder, he whispered softly near my ear.
“Your acting was excellent.”
In that instant, goosebumps erupted across my entire body.
A lie.
In my past life, Park Seo-woo had never once offered me such words.
Park Seo-woo withdrew his hand from my shoulder and extended it toward me as if offering a handshake, while I stood there dumbfounded.
“I’m Park Seo-woo, a cinematographer on this production.”
Park Seo-woo.
The very same Park Seo-woo who would win The Oscars.
A monster in this industry who had never failed a single film—a director whose track record was flawless.
Every time his work was submitted to international film festivals, he swept up awards, and he never compromised on either commercial success or artistic merit—a greedy genius.
With an appearance more striking than any actor’s, he had become the subject of countless testimonies from fans at preview screenings who photographed him instead of their favorite stars.
‘This man was a cinematographer on a Film Academy graduation project twelve years ago…?’
From what I knew, Park Seo-woo came from a prestigious university background, and after winning an award at a film festival for a single short film shot in a film club, he had methodically directed independent films and commercial productions, eventually reaching that position—or rather, that future position.
And in the past, I had called him by a different name.
A bastard.

“Your work was impressive. Thirty-nine minutes and twenty-five seconds in. Your eye acting was strong, but you seemed to have misjudged the tone at the start of your dialogue.”

This madman who launched into critiques of my acting before even greeting me properly.
Whether I appeared in B-grade films or in morning dramas with plummeting ratings, he watched everything and dissected my performances down to the nanometer.
How did he memorize a two-hour film down to the exact minute and second, or remember which episode of a twenty-part drama featured which performance?
They said he graduated from S University—did he have a camera installed in his head?
What infuriated me most was that he didn’t offer such detailed critiques to other actors, though he was generally taciturn with them.
‘Why only to me…!’
Because of this, I had taken care to avoid crossing paths with him whenever possible.
Yet despite my efforts to evade him, Park Seo-woo always approached me first at award ceremonies or private gatherings.
And then he would critique my acting as if it were a greeting.

“Ha Eun-rae, you photograph better at angles below seventy-five degrees. That opening scene—the angle was unfortunate.”

…I really could kill him.
Yet whenever I returned home, I practiced the parts Park Seo-woo had mentioned.
The words of a man with a foul temperament, but his talent was genuine.
And I was not an actress who would waste feedback from a talented director.
No matter how bitter my mood became.
So when Park Seo-woo handed me that script, the timing was utterly unexpected.
Four years ago.
Right after the family debt controversy, when I was dropped from the lead role in the top film of the year.

[Ha Eun-rae apologizes with bowed head over family debt controversy… Lead role replaced in “The Minor”]

I turned off my phone and spent days playing games at home.
I even touched cup ramen, which I never ate, and drank cola freely.
It was the day I realized I’d gained 2 kilograms that I snapped back to my senses.
When I turned my phone back on, texts from my talent agency representative arrived. Countless texts.

[Eun-rae. I’ll find you something better…]
[You’re resting at home, right?]

All useless messages.
But one message caught my eye.

[Eun-rae! I got Park Seo-woo’s work! It’s a script he wrote thinking of you! That Park Seo-woo who won at the Toronto Film Festival! I read it first and it’s perfect for you!]

Park Seo-woo?
And among the representative’s messages, there was a text from an unknown number.

[I got your number from the representative and am contacting you. Director Park Seo-woo here. I would very much like to work together on this project.]

That was the first and last time Park Seo-woo had ever been polite to me.
And I kicked that courteous request to the curb.
‘A project that would win The Oscars, no less.’
All because of garbage like Kim Do-woon.
I furrowed my brow, dwelling on that memory.
I thought that would be the end of my connection with Park Seo-woo.
Until I met him again, long after I got married.

“How could someone like that be Do-woon’s match? Just the other day, some woman claiming to be his in-law came by asking about money? I’ve already picked out several girls for our Do-woon…”

Bee Entertainment’s founding anniversary.
It was when my mother-in-law, drunk at the Hotel, was spewing insults about me in the VIP Lounge.
I stood there awkwardly, listening to every word, before slipping away from the scene.
That’s when it happened.
I ran into Park Seo-woo in the Hallway.

“This is exactly why mismatched marriages shouldn’t happen. There are plenty of well-raised actresses out there, but look at her—she just stands there even when I’m insulting her right in front of her face. No pride, just constantly reading the room.”

I heard it.
My face flushed as I realized Park Seo-woo had heard every word of the abuse pouring out from the VIP Lounge.
I wanted to flee that instant.
My entire reality—the very thing I didn’t want exposed to that insufferable director who’d been tearing apart my acting—had been laid bare.
Just as I was about to pretend I hadn’t seen Park Seo-woo and walk past him, he spoke.
Park Seo-woo said something.

“Do you have any regrets?”

I turned around to see Park Seo-woo’s contorted expression.
His face, which always carried a certain sharpness, bore the rare marks of emotional scars.
‘Why?’

“Have you ever thought about turning back? Is family really that important?”

Was he asking if I regretted not taking his project?
Well, he must be delighted. The actress who’d criticized him was now living this pathetic married life.

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As I was lost in the past, staring up at Park Seo-woo, something strange appeared before my eyes.
An odd notification flickered into view.

[【Park Seo-woo】 Wiki being modified….]
[Would you like to search for 【Park Seo-woo】’s updated Wiki?]

Haven’t I watched countless fantasy films?
This is what people usually call it.
A mysterious ability that manifests after regression.
And abilities are meant to be put to use.
‘Yes.’
With my answer, the Wiki window opened.
Beneath Park Seo-woo’s handsome profile photo from twelve years in the future, typical Wiki information like his birthday and clan origin appeared, before the page scrolled down rapidly.

【Interviews and Quotes】
Q. Is there an actor you remember particularly well, or an actor you’d like to work with on a project next time?
A. I’ve worked with so many talented actors that it’s difficult to name just one. Still, there is an actor I’d like to work with again. When I was a student, I happened to see an audition video by chance, and I couldn’t forget those eyes throughout. So every time I write a script, I think of that person. Though I’m not sure if they’ll ever know. (NEW!)

Only the edited portions gleamed with light.
And beyond the translucent window, Park Seo-woo was looking at me.
“Your acting was wonderful. Your eyes especially were truly captivating.”
It was the first compliment I’d ever heard from Park Seo-woo.

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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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