In This Life, I Want an Oscar, Not a Husband - Chapter 52

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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 52

I was curious how Kang Ye-ji had ended up in this production, a work that wouldn’t have originally been on her filmography.
I was tempted to use my search right just to find out.
But I had somewhere more precious to use that right.
It was the project Seo Eun-sul was currently working on.
After all, every work Seo Eun-sul wrote became a massive hit.
So my plan was to find out exactly what her next project would be and see if there was an opening I could exploit.
‘I should try doing a terrestrial broadcast drama too.’
If my first terrestrial broadcast debut could be in a Seo Eun-sul work, it would be an invaluable opportunity.
It was right as I was thinking this.
A man approached me with a warm smile.
“Hello, I’m Go Heung-jae.”
Ah.
Go Heung-jae.
A male actor recently evaluated as a rising star.
Not long ago, he played an ordinary man who falls in love with a famous actress in a work called “You’re a Star,” and he’s currently gaining modest popularity as an actor.
What that means is—
“Oh, hello!”
He’s a senior!
I quickly bowed in greeting.
“I should have greeted you first. I’m sorry. I was so scattered earlier….”
I heard a soft chuckling sound from above my head.
When I looked up with a puzzled expression, Go Heung-jae burst into laughter.
“Ah, sorry. I thought it was an act, but you’re really like this….”
“Pardon?”
“No, it doesn’t matter who greets first. I haven’t been doing this for long either, really.”
“Still….”
You got here after going through all sorts of minor roles until you were twenty-seven.
“I wanted to say I’m looking forward to working with you at the reading. We have a lot of scenes together, don’t we? Since I’m playing the ‘younger sibling’ role. I’m not sure if I’ll pull it off well… haha.”
Ah. By the way, in the original script, he appears as my younger brother.
Though I heard they were going to modify the setting to account for the actors’ actual ages.
“Should we adjust the dialogue slightly and show it to the director at the reading?”
I asked Go Heung-jae.
At that, Go Heung-jae’s face brightened with interest.
‘So that’s what this was about.’
I finally understood why Go Heung-jae had approached me first.
“That would be wonderful. Since this is my first film reading, I really appreciate your guidance.”
Behind that eager expression, I could sense the raw ambition of an actor.
Since this was also my first film, he must be desperate to impress Director Park Chang-sung.
Film is different from television—it’s purely the director’s art form.
The director handles everything: planning, production, screenplay, storyboards, and cinematography.
So Go Heung-jae would naturally want to pull out all the stops from the reading itself to catch Director Park Chang-sung’s eye.
“I’d like to modify this dialogue here. Would it be okay to add something like this?”
And what Go Heung-jae had prepared was surprisingly—
‘Actually quite usable.’
It was a direction that wouldn’t hurt my interests either.

* * *

“Alright, let’s just do a simple reading today and enjoy the workshop. No need to be too nervous—just show us the characters you’ve prepared.”
‘Simple.’
‘Just the character.’
Directors always speak with such deceptive words.
‘As if that would feel simple!’
Ha Eun-rae looked at the accomplished actors around her, including the veteran Do Eun-hee.
‘Sigh…’
I was trembling.
Brief self-introductions followed immediately after.
“Hello. I’m Do Eun-hee, playing the lead role of ‘Sun-young.’ I look forward to working with you all.”
Despite her modest attire, she commanded presence.
Kim Do-woon, the production company PD, instructed the new staff member to film the scene.
A title was already forming in his mind beneath Do Eun-hee’s footage.

[A Reading by a Genius Actress]

As a PD at Bee Entertainment’s production division, he harbored his own ambitions.
He wanted to earn his father’s recognition, who doubted his abilities, and climb the ranks quickly.
His older brothers had all secured impressive positions as department heads and such, and he couldn’t afford to fail here.

“I’m telling you, if you just give me something big to handle, I can do it well!”
“Your brothers all started as PDs too, you fool! Look… this time I’m putting the Park Chang-sung project entirely in your hands. Working with that stubborn bastard Park Chang-sung won’t be easy. Think you can handle being the overall PD?”
“Of course!”

So this was an opportunity that had been handed down to him.
He absolutely had to make this film succeed this time.
To do that, the most crucial thing was casting actors.
But by the time he joined, the lead roles had already been cast.
Then it would be good to plug in some buzzworthy actors in supporting roles.
For instance—

“Director. Our Ye-ji is really beautiful. Look at BelStar’s follower count. Our Ye-ji has only done web dramas so far, but she’s already a recognizable face to teens and people in their twenties. Honestly, all the actors in The Apartment are kind of outdated, aren’t they?”

Kang Ye-ji, whom Kanna’s talent agency representative Kim Byung-ho was pushing.
It was absolutely not because Kim Byung-ho had buttered him up at an expensive bar.

“I see. The actor playing the role of ‘Soo-hyun’… Ha Eun-rae is quite hot these days, isn’t she?”
“Ha! What do you mean that actress is hot? Just look at this family scandal. You can’t hide the stench of poverty, right? An actress like our Ye-ji with that Cheongdam-dong visual is on a completely different level.”
“…Different level?”
“Of course. Ha Eun-rae is an actress who’s only shown excessive acting here and there, while our Ye-ji is an actress who appeals to teens and people in their twenties with natural acting.”

Well.
Ha Eun-rae was a newcomer actress building a solid career, while Kang Ye-ji was closer to an influencer who had only done web dramas.
‘The two of them don’t have comparable experience, do they?’
But—

“You’re truly beautiful. I have an eye for people, you see.”
“Beautiful? No one is as beautiful as actress Do Eun-hee.”

That cool, piercing gaze.
That face, which for some reason seemed to look down on me with contempt.
It irritated me.
That’s why I pretended to believe Kim Byung-ho’s words and cast Kang Ye-ji in the production.
Moreover, Kang Ye-ji knew exactly how to make herself stand out.
She, barely nineteen years old, had styled herself to look bright and adorable.
Today, her hair braided cutely paired with a vibrant skirt looked quite charming.
“Get a shot of her too.”
“Kang Ye-ji?”
“Yeah.”
Her smile was certainly like a bright, cheerful puppy—quite the contrast to Ha Eun-rae.
Ha Eun-rae had an air of mystery about her, more like a cat.
It seemed like a decent rivalry dynamic might emerge.
It was at that moment.
“Hello. I’m Ha Eun-rae, playing the role of Soo-hyun. Thank you for having me.”
Ha Eun-rae stood up from her seat.
In her casual checkered shirt, it was clear at a glance that her focus was on acting rather than appearance.
But what could I do about that? In this industry, everything comes down to how you’re perceived.
At this rate, Ha Eun-rae would inevitably lose in terms of visuals—
“She’s beautiful….”
That was when.
The New Staff Member murmured softly.
“Director, isn’t Ha Eun-rae really beautiful? Looking at her now, her proportions are seriously model-level.”
“Huh? Um… What… well….”
The New Staff Member was right.
Strangely, my gaze was drawn to Ha Eun-rae.
There were actors draped in luxury brands like Kang Ye-ji, but among them all, Ha Eun-rae stood out distinctly.
She had a presence that commanded everyone’s attention.
“She seems like a born actress.”
The moment I heard those words, a subtitle appeared in my mind beneath her name.

[Born Actress, Ha Eun-rae]

Well… that’s not wrong.
Meanwhile, the other actors’ introductions continued one after another.
And finally, it was Kang Ye-ji’s turn.
“Hello! I’m Kang Ye-ji, playing the role of Hee-jung! Hehe, I know I still have a lot to learn, so please take care of me!”
Her bright smile certainly earned the favor of everyone present.
All the veteran actors had expressions of affection for the rookie’s appearance.
Kim Do-woon gave Kang Ye-ji high marks for her commercial appeal as he watched.
Of course, the most important thing was her acting.
‘If she plays the supporting role well here, her screen time will increase.’
Once the simple introduction ended, the reading began in earnest.
“You really love that game that much? You save people outside, come back, and then play a game where you save people again—doesn’t it get boring?”
Do Eun-hee continued with everyday acting in a composed tone.
Do Eun-hee was truly Do Eun-hee.
In an instant, the spacious Pension Living Room transformed into the feeling of a cramped Apartment Master Bedroom.
Before them was not the glamorous actress Do Eun-hee, but a firefighter’s wife worn down by her job.
Everyday acting like that was inherently more difficult.
Yet Do Eun-hee brought out the nuance of her performance and controlled the pacing masterfully.
Kim Do-woon saw Director Park Chang-sung’s lips curl up slightly.
This was what they meant when they said directors were blessed with good actors.
“Then let’s move on to Room 1307.”
At Park Chang-sung’s words, Soo-hyun and Soo-hwan, who had been waiting, lifted their heads.
Of all people, the next batter was the rookie Ha Eun-rae.
‘What a shame.’
Even as Kim Do-woon thought this, he secretly anticipated Ha Eun-rae making mistakes from nervousness.
Later, during interviews, he could use it for marketing—something like “her nervous appearance during the reading was hilarious.”
But that was when it happened.

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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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