In This Life, I Want an Oscar, Not a Husband - Chapter 71
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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 71
* * *
The next morning.
I headed to the Movie Theater by car for the GV attendance of “Dear Kim Ji-hyun”.
While listening to what Hong Jong-ho was telling me.
“So… Kim Do-woon… no, PD Kim was caught talking behind your back at the after-party’s second round by Director Park Chang-sung?”
“Yeah. I heard it from a staff member who was there. Don’t you think you should know about it?”
But Kim Do-woon is the youngest son of Bee Entertainment?
How could they fire someone like that?
Just because of me?
“No way. A PD from the production company wouldn’t get fired just for talking behind my back, right?”
At my words, Hong Jong-ho’s brow furrowed.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Huh?”
“Why aren’t you asking what the gossip was about?”
“Well….”
This industry thrived on gossip anyway, and given my family scandal, there was plenty of material for people to talk about regarding me.
That was when it happened.
Hong Jong-ho turned to look at me as the car stopped at a red light.
“You think it’s natural that you’d be talked about behind your back.”
“…!”
“Sigh… Why don’t you ever get angry about things like this? That’s the real problem.”
“But if I got upset every time something like that happened, it would be impossible to do this job.”
“No, that’s not it. If you stay silent about unfair treatment without saying anything, you’re only encouraging the people who mistreat you to keep doing it.”
Hong Jong-ho spoke with conviction.
‘Is that so….’
It was a perspective I’d never considered before.
Now that I thought about it, in my previous life I’d always resolved things by tolerating and letting them pass.
Whether it was family matters, acting work, or in-laws’ affairs.
If I endured it, everything would eventually fade away.
Eventually, people would recognize my worth.
That kind of thinking had often caused problems to escalate.
[Be the protagonist of my life!]
But in this life, I’d decided to become the protagonist of my fans’ lives instead.
For the sake of those who supported me, I couldn’t live that way anymore.
“That’s right. What you said, Kim Do-woon?”
Hong Jong-ho laughed with satisfaction at my words.
“Finally you’re coming to your senses.”
Then he cracked his knuckles as he spoke.
“Apparently you’ve been getting along well with Go Heung-jae, and you’re subtly wagging your tail while being picky about people. The Assistant Director overheard you talking with the Production Company Junior Staff outside while smoking.”
Assistant Director… Park Seo-woo?
“And?”
“The Assistant Director and PD Kim almost got into it. He even got hit.”
“PD Kim got hit?”
Well, Kim Do-woon was terrible at fighting anyway.
But what came out of Hong Jong-ho’s mouth was unexpected.
“No. Park Seo-woo did.”
“…?”
That idiot Kim Do-woon?
“Since the Assistant Director even got hit, PD Kim is definitely getting fired. Physical assault is grounds for immediate termination.”
That aside though….
Physical assault?
So Park Seo-woo came at him so intensely that even someone as cautious as Kim Do-woon resorted to violence.
That cold man whose thoughts I could never quite read….
‘Why on earth….’
Surely he didn’t deliberately provoke Kim Do-woon?
‘No, that can’t be it.’
Park Seo-woo had no reason to do that for me.
But when I saw Park Seo-woo at the Movie Theater shortly after, I forgot to even ask why.
“Your face….”
I frowned when I saw Park Seo-woo with his split lip and dried blood scabs.
Park Seo-woo looked flustered at my reaction and covered his lips.
“I fell after drinking.”
“Excuse me?”
Say something that makes sense.
How does someone split their lip just from falling?
‘That must hurt so much….’
I knew well from experience.
But seeing him act as if nothing was wrong made my chest tighten unexpectedly.
However, since the GV was about to start soon, I didn’t press further and looked at Hong Jong-ho.
“Oppa, go to the pharmacy and get some bandages and ointment.”
“It’s fine. It’ll actually be more noticeable that way. From a distance, it’ll just look like a cold sore.”
At Park Seo-woo’s response, I was dumbfounded.
So he was just going to leave the wound untreated?
“That’s nonsense….”
Without realizing it, I clenched my fists tight.
And glaring at Park Seo-woo, I spoke.
“Don’t talk nonsense, Director.”
At my words, Hong Jong-ho nudged me.
“Hey, you….”
“Listen to what I’m saying.”
But I simply couldn’t hold back.
Why was he acting like this?
Neglecting himself like that, that….
‘That’s a bad habit.’
Park Seo-woo gazed down at me quietly.
After watching me fume with anger for a moment, Park Seo-woo suddenly smiled faintly.
Was he laughing right now?
Just as my anger was about to reach its peak, Park Seo-woo spoke to Hong Jong-ho.
“Then could I trouble you for some medicine, Manager?”
With that, he looked at me.
“I’ll listen to what the actress says. No more nonsense.”
Something….
It felt like I’d won but somehow lost.
* * *
The GV went reasonably well.
Since it was a short film, not many people showed up, but I did get to meet some fans.
“Unnie! We bought these from the Tart Shop nearby, and they’re delicious! Please have them as a dessert!”
“Oh.”
I stood there with a blank expression at their words, then quickly offered an awkward smile and called Hong Jong-ho over.
Hong Jong-ho then arrived carrying three paper-wrapped packages.
“I actually bought some too. I was planning to give them to you all….”
Ha ha…. Somehow it had turned into an exchange.
As I was thinking that, the fans looked at me with moved expressions.
“You’re giving us yours?”
“Why would the actress prepare something for us? We should be the ones offering tributes….”
Looking at the fans who were nearly tearing up, I tilted my head in confusion.
Tributes?
Wasn’t that something usually reserved for A-list actors?
I was typically the one who received and gratefully accepted coffee truck tributes that those A-list actors got.
In my past life, I hadn’t even had a fan club—I’d only received all sorts of insults from the public, so this kind of attention felt rather bewildering.
Still….
“Thank you. But you really don’t need to bring gifts. Just having you here is enough to make me grateful.”
I need to adapt to this.
I shouldn’t shy away or hide from the affection and love of others, no matter how unfamiliar it feels.
For their sake, if nothing else.
Meanwhile, during my GV, Park Seo-woo fielded questions about “To My Beloved Kim Ji-hyun” skillfully, casually passing off his split lip as a minor mouth sore.
“Everyone has the thought of wanting to become someone other than themselves, of wanting to transcend who they are. And when such an opportunity comes…. How many people would want to let it slip away? For the protagonist, Kim Ji-hyun was the kind of cinematic life they’d always dreamed of, and I think the protagonist simply threw themselves into that dream that Kim Ji-hyun represented.”
As Park Seo-woo said this, he looked toward me.
In the end, he didn’t ask.
Why I’d gotten hurt.
Why I’d gotten into a pointless fight with Kim Do-woon.
It seemed Park Seo-woo wasn’t much of a fighter either.
Judging by the fact that he’d been hit by that idiot Kim Do-woon.
In any case, Kim Do-woon appeared to be naturally heading toward his exit from the Apartment.
An unexpected stroke of luck.
I’d already found it exhausting to see my ex-husband on set every time.
‘Though he’s an ex-husband only I remember.’
As Park Seo-woo and I were about to part ways, I handed him a bandage.
“Director. The GV is over now, so wear this as you go about your day.”
At my words, Park Seo-woo accepted the bandage without hesitation.
“Thank you.”
Hmm, had I been too harsh earlier?
Telling an actor not to talk nonsense to the director.
To smooth things over, I gave Park Seo-woo a bright smile.
“It’s been an honor working with you on this project. If you could cast me in your next work as well….”
“I’m writing a screenplay.”
That’s when Park Seo-woo cut in first.
“I received a proposal to expand ‘To Dear Kim Ji-hyun’ into a feature film. Several companies approached me, but I’m thinking of going with Maru, a smaller studio.”
What?
A feature film adaptation of ‘To Dear Kim Ji-hyun’….
Could it be…
…’Us, Kim Ji-hyun’?
That film that had won practically every award imaginable….
“Actually, Bee Entertainment reached out too, but the reason I chose Maru is simple.”
Park Seo-woo looked at me with slightly nervous eyes.
“They said we could keep the same cast.”
“…!”
…The offer came to me.
“Will you do it with me?”
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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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