In This Life, I Want an Oscar, Not a Husband - Chapter 87

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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 87

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▶ “Cafe First Time” Group Chat
Jung Ji-hwan
(link)
Jung Ji-hwan
Wow… Eun-rae’s video already has 3 million views.
Lee Seop-jae
👍👍
Park Yoon-bae
Eun-rae’s absolutely carrying this~
Jung Min-hyun
Should I write a song for Eun-rae or something?
Jung Ji-hwan
Whoa… A collaboration between Jung Min-hyun and Eun-rae? I’m rooting for it.

I read through the group chat, deliberating, then sent a K-talk message.

Thank you all for the kind words^^ I’d be honored if you wrote a song for me. Feel free to call on me anytime.

Wow, my palms were sweating just sending one message.
My anxiety stemmed from the fact that they were all such senior figures in the industry.
Park Yoon-bae and Jung Min-hyun had both been in entertainment for over 20 years, and Jung Ji-hwan had been working since his child actor days—17 years now….
‘Part-time work is nothing compared to navigating this social hierarchy!’
The response to episodes 1 and 2 of “Cafe First Time” that I appeared in was explosive.
I could say that I’d firmly boarded Lee Seop-jae’s bus to success.
‘The editing brought everything to life.’
All the service I provided to the customers was captured and included, and the fact that I went jogging from dawn and prepared ingredients in advance was all aired.
That wasn’t all.
Throughout the episodes, captions like “Humanoid part-timer loading…” appeared, amplifying my character to the fullest.
Thanks to that, I’d managed to land quite a few comedic moments.
Most importantly….

Lee Seop-jae, the PD
Eun-rae, the last day of filming “Moonlit Ripples” is today, right? You look like your tension has completely melted away.

The shoot went more smoothly than I expected.
It was surprising.
I thought there was no way to capture authenticity while being surrounded by so many cameras, but as I focused on the cafe work, I somehow forgot I was even being filmed.
Plus, the production crew treated us so warmly that even back at the accommodation, we all just naturally gathered for dinner together.
‘Lee Seop-jae probably orchestrated this too.’
When I considered that even the environment to maximize an actor’s authenticity was part of the director’s direction, Lee Seop-jae seemed truly remarkable.
Thanks to that, we were able to capture even more compelling scenes.
And I performed “Moonlit Ripples,” one of Dam Ro-yeon’s new songs, which became quite a hot topic.
‘Even I have to admit I sang it well.’
It was thanks to Jung Min-hyun constantly playing Dam Ro-yeon’s new album for promotion.
I hummed it while walking down the street, hummed it while preparing for work, until the lyrics stuck in my head.

Your smile is like sunlight dancing on the waves

The lyrics fit perfectly with the rural village with a lake below the Alps Mountains.
And…
When I gazed at the lake, someone’s sunlit smile came to mind.
The smile of someone I once truly loved.

Easily shattered and easily returning.

“Ha Eun-rae! Will you marry me!”

I knew you were childish.
Like a child throwing a tantrum to get what you don’t have, I knew your affection was immature.

So my heart shattered along with yours.

Maybe that’s why I loved it.
Because you grew up in an environment where even your tantrums never led to abandonment.
Because you were someone who expressed your feelings easily, who pouted just as easily.

Loving you, I crumble. Like moonlit ripples, luminous and fleeting.

Not knowing that I would shatter under that sunshine-like affection.
As I sang with such feelings, tears quietly pooled in my eyes before I realized it.
I only learned after watching the footage later that Jung Min-hyun, Jung Ji-hwan, and Park Yoon-bae all had tears welling up as well.

“It’s strange—whenever I listen to Eun-rae’s song, tears come out. Don’t you feel that way, Lee Seop-jae?”

Jung Min-hyun conducted the interview with glistening eyes.

“Setting aside whether it’s sung well or not, a song needs authenticity. I suppose it’s because she’s an actress.”

The score was quite generous.
Of course, it was probably because she wasn’t a junior vocalist.
This level of performance was excellent.
Especially since this kind of variety show attracts a lot of viewers in their 40s and 50s, the YouTube comments were filled with that demographic as well.
In short, I had gained interest from the middle-aged and older audience.
That’s when I was smiling with satisfaction.
Someone subtly wrapped their arm around my shoulder.
“…?”
“Eun-rae, sorry for making you wait so long. My apologies, my apologies.”
What is this touch?
I looked at the music director Seo Woo-min, who was greeting me with his hands clasped together in an apologetic pose.
Today was the day we were recording songs for “Loving” at Seo Woo-min’s Studio.
Since the songs were crucial to the project, we had to complete the recordings before moving on to filming.
“You weren’t too busy with the filming for ‘Cafe for the First Time’? I watched that video too—it was so good. What was it called again? ‘Dewdrops’!”
“Ah… yes….”
“As expected, you have excellent emotional range, Eun-rae.”
Seo Woo-min leaned his face uncomfortably close to mine.
This is suffocating.
I subtly pulled my body back.
Then Seo Woo-min spoke with a subtle expression.
“Still, the ending phrasing was a bit lacking. You probably have a lot to learn, after all. You’re not a vocalist.”
It’s not wrong, but it sounds sarcastic.
‘So he’s the type who likes to provoke.’
I’d picked up on it from our first meeting, but he seemed like a typical manipulator—strong then weak, weak then strong—who enjoyed controlling others to his comfort.
That’s probably why he even assaulted his own studio staff.
That’s when it happened.
“Still, I think focusing on emotional expression rather than technical skill would be better. That’s Eun-rae’s strength.”
A staff member holding a guitar contradicted Seo Woo-min’s words.
Seo Woo-min’s brow immediately furrowed.
He promptly struck the staff member’s shoulder hard and spoke.
“That’s exactly it! The emotional line is alive! You bastard, you’re not sleeping on the technique either, are you!”
He even did it with his fist.
I grimaced watching it.
The staff member cringed in pain but forced a smile anyway.
“Yes, of course….”
Now that I looked closer, there were old bruises on his wrist too.
The room was warm, but he was wearing a turtleneck for a reason.
Damn it.
This guy is seriously messed up, isn’t he?
He’d hidden it so well in front of the PD and writer that no one had caught on until now, but with only the easy-to-push-around staff and an inexperienced rookie actress around, his true nature was slipping out without his realizing it.
The problem was that it was awkward for me to get involved in this situation.
I was just here to do a few recording sessions, that’s all.
There was no way I could expose Seo Woo-min’s true colors.
So….
“Surprise~~~!”
I called out.
Not me—someone who could actually get involved in this mess.
“Huh? S-Senior!”
The staff member holding the guitar looked up in surprise as Jung Min-hyun entered the recording booth.
The music director Seo Woo-min was equally flustered.
“Oh, uh, Director Jung Min-hyun?”
“Hello. Ha, I heard Eun-rae was recording today, so I stopped by to bring coffee. I’m actually recording some documentary music in the next room. That’s okay, right, Director?”
Whether it was okay or not, he’d have to pretend it was.
Jung Min-hyun was one of the greatest seniors in this industry.
But Seo Woo-min would be anything but okay with this.
Why?

[Seo Woo-min]
Trivia: His abuse of staff didn’t end there—the song that appeared in the Loving OST was also revealed to be plagiarized from a song Jung Min-hyun had created and released during his rookie days. (link)

The song I’m about to sing now is plagiarized from Jung Min-hyun’s work.
Taste some of your own medicine, you bastard.

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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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