In This Life, I Want an Oscar, Not a Husband - Chapter 68

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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 68

‘I need to prepare myself mentally for this.’
This was entirely different from the standard greetings I’d give while touring movie theaters.
This was a GV—a guest visit where I’d actually converse with the audience.
And the scheduled GV time was a full thirty minutes.
‘That’s quite long….’
Would people really have that many questions about our film?
Besides, how many people would actually watch an unknown independent film at the Busan International Film Festival?
‘God, I’m nervous.’
As I was thinking such thoughts and being guided by staff into the movie theater, I froze.
The first thing I saw was the sea of phones in the audience’s hands.
Packed densely all the way to the top of the theater.
And then someone shouted.
“It’s Ha Eun-rae!”
“And there’s Seo Kyung-bin!”
“The film was amazing!”
Waves of cheers washed over Seo Kyung-bin and me.
In that moment, I went completely rigid.
Our screening was completely sold out.

* * *

Watching Ha Eun-rae appear amid the audience’s cheers, Ha-yang unconsciously covered her mouth.
‘Damn, she’s gorgeous.’
Unlike Dok-sa and Eun Goo-reum, this was Ha-yang’s first time seeing Ha Eun-rae in person.
Now she understood why everyone kept going on about her.
Those large eyes paired with her overall composed yet adorable impression made her look like a dignified little kitten.
The critic moderating the event guided the director and actors to their seats.
“Welcome, Director Je-gal Se-yeon. Please have a seat here. Yes, actress Ha Eun-rae, actor Seo Kyung-bin. Please take the microphones.”
As the director and actors settled into their seats one by one, the three exchanged glances with each other.
Then, as they’d agreed beforehand, Dok-sa raised the placard high.

[Wishing Ha Eun-rae success in her next project!]

Je-gal Se-yeon was the first to notice it.
Je-gal Se-yeon tapped Ha Eun-rae on the shoulder.
Ha Eun-rae’s eyes widened as she spotted Dok-sa holding up a placard and Eun Goo-reum filming a video.
Then she looked back and forth between the two of them in disbelief.
‘Eun-rae is flustered!’
Ha-yang found even that expression impossibly endearing.
And in that moment, Ha-yang could read what Ha Eun-rae was saying from the shape of her lips.

‘The Red Carpet?’

Eun Goo-reum and Dok-sa quickly nodded in response.
Seeing that, Ha Eun-rae broke into a radiant smile and waved her hand toward them.
I’d attended so many independent film screenings and seen countless actors with dead eyes, caring only about their own image.
But Eun-rae was pure authenticity itself.
Ha-yang suddenly felt the urge to make her presence known.
So the moment Dok-sa lowered her placard as planned, Ha-yang quickly raised her own.

[Be the protagonist of my life!]

A smile bloomed across Ha Eun-rae’s face as she read it.
She glanced at the moderator, then gave a subtle wave toward the three of them.

‘O.K.’

At that gesture, all three of them were left speechless.
She’d been trembling on the Red Carpet, and yet she had this kind of playful charm?
How far was she going to go?
How much further were you going to shake my heart?
I really want to be hopelessly entangled with Ha Eun-rae….
While the three of them thought this, the Director and actors gave brief introductions.
And despite this being an independent film screening, countless audience members raised their hands and began firing off all manner of questions.
“There’s a scene where you blow out incense. How did you come to interpret that scene?”
“Ah, that scene wasn’t originally in the script—it was an ad-lib that Ha Eun-rae created.”
“Really?”
The critics weren’t the only ones surprised.
I’d naturally assumed it was in the original script, but to think it was an ad-lib from a newcomer actress.
Everyone in the room was taken aback.
“Yes. Ha Eun-rae has such quick wit. Ha ha. As you can see, this is a film that was carried by the actors.”
As Je-gal Se-yeon said this, her eyes looking at Ha Eun-rae practically glowed with hearts.

“Alright, next question. This time, it’s Ha Eun-rae’s turn to answer.”
Eun Goo-reum, Dok-sa, and Ha-yang eagerly raised their hands.
Unable to ignore their desperate gazes, the moderator pointed to Ha-yang, who sat at the far end.
“Oh, hello. I’m a fan of Ha Eun-rae. You’ve been incredibly active with your recent projects lately. Is there a particular genre you’d like to try next?”
At that, Ha Eun-rae picked up the microphone.
“Ah… I… Well….”
Ha Eun-rae’s face flushed crimson. The embarrassment was overwhelming.
But there was no way—
“I’d like to challenge myself by becoming the protagonist in my fans’ lives.”
I simply couldn’t avoid saying it.
‘I agreed to this myself, after all.’
Yet Ha Eun-rae’s mortification didn’t end there.

“Unnie, would you mind signing this for me?”
As the GV was wrapping up, Ha-yang, who had won the autographed poster raffle, held out a black cat-ear headband.
Cat ears at this age?
…Though in this life, she was still only twenty-one.
And besides, even if I wanted to refuse…!
“It’s okay if you don’t want to.”
Look at that dejected face.
How could I possibly say no!
“Of course! I’ll wear it!”
In the end, she found herself wearing the cat ears with her face burning bright red.

* * *

Back at the accommodation, I collapsed immediately.
And I found myself thinking about the fans I’d met today.

“I took a day off work. I’m a fan.”
“Unnie! I took a half day!”
“Do you all live around here?”

At my question, the fans burst into giggles.

“We all live in different regions.”
“But to come all the way to Busan… you really are passionate about film.”

The fans giggled again.

“Do you think we came here to watch a movie?”
“We came to see Eun-rae.”
“Me? Just me? You came only to see me?”

As my eyes widened in surprise, one of the fans spoke as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“We wanted to see you in person, unnie!”

I wasn’t exactly a top-tier actress, and they came all this way just for me?
Should I be the one paying for their transportation?
While I stood there flustered, a fan asked me something.

“Unnie! Congratulations on becoming a Bella Simo ambassador! This is a gift! I’ll see you on my way home from work at the Bella Simo event!”

On the way home from work?
What does that even mean?
And shouldn’t I be the one giving gifts? Why am I the one receiving them?
That was my final farewell to the fans.
The guest viewing session had ended, and I needed to leave.
‘A gift…’
I quickly stood up and pulled out the gift envelope.
Inside were a handwritten letter and an abundance of items that would help with filming—nutritional supplements, a tumbler, a mini humidifier, and more.
What surprised me most was the lemon-flavored gummy vitamin supplement.
‘This is my absolute favorite.’
Oh, I must have mentioned that I liked it on YouTube.
Now that I think about it, the tumbler was probably bought because I mentioned drinking water frequently.
And the mini humidifier—that was because Do Eun-hee had told me to take care of my skin while I was young, and I had agreed…
‘There’s a reason behind every single one.’
Looking at these gifts, each one carrying its own story, I felt an indescribable emotion.
They had carefully observed everything I said and did, and chosen these gifts with that in mind.
In my previous life, I had never received anything like this.
Not from my parents or older brother, and certainly not from my husband Kim Do-woon, who would forget my birthday and our anniversary, and on the rare occasions he remembered, he’d give me designer bags or uncomfortable shoes—the complete opposite of my taste.
I had given up my acting career to get married, hoping to fill the emptiness in my heart, but in the end, I felt even more profound loneliness than I ever had as an actress.
They say there is no salvation in the place you run to.
‘This time, I absolutely cannot run away.’
Looking at the gifts from my fans, I made a silent vow.
With this kind of support, something hot and fierce ignited deep within my chest.
I will become a great actress.
An even more remarkable one than I am now.
And I will make sure that those who support me never have reason to feel ashamed.
My phone buzzed at that moment.

[Park Chang-sung: See you at Pirenchia at 7:30~^^]

It was time to head to the after-party.

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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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