In This Life, I Want an Oscar, Not a Husband - Chapter 69

—————

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

—————

This life, I choose The Oscars over a husband.
Chapter 69

* * *

Kang Ye-ji knew exactly what kind of people attended Park Chang-sung’s After-Party.
Brilliant directors and actors, luminaries in their own right.
And the Channel Director of BeepTV.

“Go there and network your heart out. Flirt, do whatever it takes—if there’s any new BeepTV program coming up, I want you in it. Even better if you land a variety show!”

That’s what Kim Byung-ho, her talent agency representative, had told her.
I didn’t care for Kim Byung-ho’s aggressive tone, but I couldn’t doubt his competence.
Without Kim Byung-ho, I wouldn’t have auditioned for a music video lead role at just twenty years old, and I certainly wouldn’t have gotten into Park Chang-sung’s film.
Of course, it wasn’t all thanks to Kim Byung-ho’s connections.
My mother had been in the real estate business for a long time.
Because of that, she knew plenty of gangster types and barely set foot in the house once a month, but I harbored no real resentment toward her.
At least she never skimped on money.

“You lost the music video audition? To some rookie nobody? Your experience levels aren’t even that different.”
“I don’t know! The representative said it was a done deal, but then suddenly——!”
“Exactly. How does a done deal suddenly grow legs and run away?”

My mother looked at me with contempt.

“You’re just like your father when you act like this—completely clueless about how the world works.”

It was what she always said whenever she disapproved of me.
Just as I was about to bristle, my mother pulled out a credit card.

“Next time, ask me how much you need.”
“What?”
“That girl is nothing special. She just has some rich guy backing her.”

I took the card from my mother, my brow furrowing.

“This industry was always dirty to begin with. My third husband, the film director, was just as perverted, wasn’t he?”

Kang Ye-ji looked up at her mother with a frown.

“If you don’t like it, give it here. You can’t even sell yourself alone.”

At her mother’s gesture, Kang Ye-ji gripped the card tightly.

“No. I’m going to show you that I’m doing so much better than that girl. I promise you.”

Getting cast in Park Chang-sung’s film was thanks to her mother’s dirty money pulling strings.
But Kang Ye-ji felt wronged instead.
Ha Eun-rae had gotten her role the same way—through money—yet she was soaring, while I was stuck with minor supporting roles, and that infuriated me.
But when Ha Eun-rae’s family scandal broke, I learned she was actually poor.
The realization that Ha Eun-rae had beaten me with talent alone, not money, made me even more furious.
Now Mother would look down on me even more.
And worst of all—
My acting had been completely crushed by Ha Eun-rae, so thoroughly that even money couldn’t overcome it.
Unlike Ha Eun-rae, who had only done shopping mall modeling, I had been taking acting lessons consistently.
And yet I lost to Ha Eun-rae.
This could never happen again.
“Hello!”
The moment she entered the restaurant, she spotted a familiar face and headed toward that table.
It was Kim Do-woon from Bee Entertainment.
“Welcome.”
As Kim Do-woon smiled and greeted her, the Channel Director sitting across from him narrowed his brow.
“Who…?”
Kang Ye-ji felt a sting of hurt at that, but quickly composed herself and bowed politely.
“Hello, I’m Kang Ye-ji, a new actress.”
“Ah, yes.”
The director responded out of courtesy with a faint smile.
Just as Kang Ye-ji was about to naturally ask if she could join them—
“Oh, Ye-ji~ I see you’re heading to the production company instead of greeting your senior actors. You’re quite ambitious, aren’t you~”
Go Heung-jae suddenly interjected.
Go Heung-jae had just arrived and was greeting the Director and Do Eun-hee at their table.
Only then did Kang Ye-ji realize she hadn’t greeted her senior actors.
But it didn’t really matter, did it?
They didn’t have the power to cast her anyway.
That was when—
“Hello. Am I a bit late? I said I’d arrive right on time, but…”
Ha Eun-rae appeared at the entrance, greeting her seniors repeatedly.
In her hands were numerous hangover drinks.
“Oh, what’s that?”
Go Heung-jae snatched a bag from Ha Eun-rae’s hands and spoke.
“Wow, hangover relief drinks~ You’ve really become one of us now, haven’t you!”
As Go Heung-jae said this, he glanced subtly at Kang Ye-ji.
Kang Ye-ji’s face flushed crimson.
‘He’s deliberately trying to provoke her…!’
Of course, Ha Eun-rae, completely unaware of the situation, was simply thinking to herself.
‘Even if I say I can’t drink, this should smooth things over enough….’

* * *

An oddly charged atmosphere hung over the table.
This was the table where the BeepTV Channel Director, Bee Entertainment Producer Kim Do-woon, Kang Ye-ji, and Go Heung-jae were seated.
“I’m still in high school, so I can’t drink~”
“Ye-ji, you’re over twenty, aren’t you? I heard you spent a year abroad and just got back?”
For some reason, Go Heung-jae had joined the table and kept relentlessly calling out Kang Ye-ji’s excuses.
‘Why am I even sitting here?’
I found myself at this table because of the sin(?) of having the thoughtfulness to buy hangover drinks.
I still felt uncomfortable seeing Kim Do-woon’s face.
As I awkwardly shifted my gaze, Kim Do-woon introduced the Channel Director to me.
“This is the BeepTV Channel Director.”
“Nice to meet you.”
You might wonder why a Channel Director would come all the way to the Busan International Film Festival, but broadcast station personnel typically attend these film festivals frequently.
After all, there are so many industry professionals like directors and screenwriters present.
As we exchanged greetings, Kang Ye-ji suddenly addressed me.
“Senior~ I saw you trending at the Busan International Film Festival. You looked so cute.”
Cute, she said….
I detected something odd in her tone and looked at Kang Ye-ji.
“You seemed so aloof, but what a surprising charm~!”
Kang Ye-ji laughed exaggeratedly.
This is… definitely provocation, isn’t it?
While my appearance on the Red Carpet had indeed become a topic of discussion, deliberately singling it out to embarrass someone was another matter entirely.
This kind of subtle jab was extremely common in the entertainment industry.
Especially in private settings, both male and female actors frequently undermined and belittled each other.
After all, it was a world where attention-seekers gathered.
“Ah, thank you.”
I responded flatly without reacting oversensitively.
As if caught off guard by my unexpected reaction, Kang Ye-ji’s expression stiffened slightly.
“But calling her a senior seems off, since I heard she’s been doing web dramas for a while now….”
“Ah, that’s right. Kang Ye-ji, you’ve appeared on YouTube too, haven’t you?”
Kim Do-woon showed interest.
Kang Ye-ji nodded, pleased that the conversation had turned to her.
“Yes. I heard so many people say you need to build fundamentals first. So I decided to develop my skills step by step, starting with web dramas.”
Hmm.
Another veiled jab, perhaps.
So I’m some unknown rookie who blew up from a music video?
But jumping into this kind of petty skirmish would only damage my image.
I was about to gracefully excuse myself.
“But Eun-rae also appeared on YouTube. ‘To My Dearest Kim Ji-hyun.’ Didn’t that get selected as a non-competitive entry for the Busan International Film Festival this time?”
Go Heung-jae suddenly interjected.
Kang Ye-ji’s delighted expression crumbled at those words.
Unlike her obscure web dramas that hardly anyone knew about, ‘To My Dearest Kim Ji-hyun’ had received such positive reception that it was frequently mentioned even among film industry professionals.
And on top of that, it had earned the Busan International Film Festival’s selection.
For Kang Ye-ji, who had been boasting about her YouTube career, it was an unintended blow.
‘No matter how I look at it, this seems like Go Heung-jae orchestrated the whole thing.’
I glanced sideways at Go Heung-jae.
He flashed a knowing smile and offered me his wine glass.

—————

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

—————