Chapter 13

Translator: Diva

Chapter: 13

Chapter Title: Femme Fatale Audition

Soon, Min Se-ui touched the camera.

He fussed meticulously over the setup, true to form as a director with real experience in shooting.

Fingers decked out in colorful rings deftly adjusted the camera and shifted the lights.

From the precisely positioned camera, he peered at me through the viewfinder and flashed a grin.

“Good. It's perfect right now. Shall we give it a shot?”

That sharp, catlike gaze gave no hint of the overly chummy guy from moments ago.

In casual settings, Min Se-ui was nothing more than a guy who loved his booze, his clothes, and his parties.

But the second movie shooting kicked off, everything about him changed.

There are directors like that.

The kind who play super friendly before auditions, then flip a switch once they start.

Rookie actors who haven't yet mastered separating work from play get all flustered around types like that.

But I didn't have the luxury.

“Yes. Let's do it.”

I dove straight into the acting.

Min Se-ui looked a touch surprised at that, but he snapped back to his professional self in no time.

“In the final scene, the music fades out with a line of dialogue. Let me rough out the setup beforehand—”

Min Se-ui laid out the music video's story.

I already knew it cold.

Million X members attending high school.

There, they all meet one girl.

Each with their overflowing personalities and clashing traits, the members cross paths with her in their own unique ways.

One spots her sneaking a smoke out back at the barbecue joint where she works; another catches her slipping through the school gates long after classes are over.

Like a femme fatale, she worms her way into each of their hearts—but she turns down every single confession.

And her parting shot is this.

“‘Do you think I loved you? Why?’ That's the final line.”

‘What a bitch of a line...’

She dangles every possibility, only to mock their feelings in the end.

That's why the actress who landed this role before my regression caught so much hell.

The line came off too icy, and the woman spitting it seemed way too smug.

“Think you can pull it off? Just say when you're ready.”

“Ah. Yes.”

Truth be told, I was ready ages ago, but since I'd gotten the line on the spot, I made a show of prepping for a moment.

Meanwhile, I quietly ran through my preparations in my head.

‘Okay.’

I murmured to myself, then turned to Min Se-ui.

“I'm ready.”

“Already? Figured it'd take longer.”

Min Se-ui cocked his head.

“Something just clicked for me. I want to try it.”

I held his gaze steadily.

Min Se-ui nodded, a cryptic smile tugging at his lips.

As if to say, show me what you've got.

I stepped in front of his camera and sank right into the scene.

Five men bursting into the wrecked landscape of my life, always so bleak.

And those moments with them—sunlit, scorching, heartrending.

Why had I said it like that?

Why so cruel?

Without a sorry, without I never liked you.

Turning the line over and over, I pieced her together bit by bit.

Because I didn't want to drag them into the shadows of my life.

Because I didn't want to expose those shadows to them.

That's why she said it on purpose.

Talking to herself.

Why'd you think you loved this guy? When you couldn't.

Just like that.

I leaned against the wall, facing the camera.

With a faintly exhausted expression, I murmured softly.

“Do you think I loved you?”

Lacing it with a hint of resignation, sorrow, regret.

My life will always be like this.

No one will ever love me. And I can't love anyone.

The raw, reckless surge of emotions unique to a 19-year-old swept through me.

“Why?”

I let it out short and sharp, like a question to myself.

Tears pricked at my eyes, but I fought them down and let out a scoff instead.

As if I'd just heard the dumbest thing.

Then I pulled myself together, flashed a smile at the camera.

Shoved my hands in my pockets and strolled off to the side, all casual.

Out of frame.

“...”

“...”

And just like that, the brief performance wrapped.

In an instant, dead silence blanketed the practice room.

Jang Executive Director, parked on the sidelines. LP Enter staff. Neither opened their mouth.

Not even Min Se-ui.

I shot Min Se-ui an awkward glance.

“Um... Director-nim. That's my take.”

At that, Min Se-ui finally pulled his eyes from the camera to look at me.

“Huh? Oh... Uh...”

He answered in a daze, like he'd just woken up.

“Director-nim?”

Someone called out to Min Se-ui, who was zoning out in his chair.

It was Kim Byung-ho, CEO of Kanna agency.

For reference, Kang Ye-ji—the rookie he was grooming—had just wrapped her camera test right in front of Min Se-ui.

Kang Ye-ji.

The rookie actress Kim Byung-ho was hyping up these days.

In this drought of fresh faces, he'd landed a solid one.

Innocent without veering into pitiful, big eyes with a cute spark.

Put simply: leading lady material.

And her acting? Not half bad.

Kim Byung-ho had her growth plan mapped out the second he signed her.

Drama lead right off the bat? Nah, too green.

Ads and music videos first—to get that face out there!

Min Se-ui's Million X video was a perfect match.

Million X meant baseline 50 million views on the MV, and the female lead was guaranteed buzz!

Kim Byung-ho, all scheming smiles, leaned in on Min Se-ui.

“So, what'd you think? Told you—Ye-ji's got chops. And that face.”

Kang Ye-ji beamed at the praise.

With Kim Byung-ho hyping her, the LP Enter manager chimed in slyly.

“Even to me, Ye-ji looked the best.”

Kim Byung-ho and the LP Enter manager locked eyes midair.

They'd already cemented their 'bond' over drinks.

“Ah, couldn't turn it down. But my pull gets her the MV lead easy. CEO-nim handed me full reins on this video anyway.”

The manager was eating up Kim Byung-ho's lobbying.

One nod from Min Se-ui, and Ye-ji had the role locked.

“Pretty's not the point. Character fit is.”

Min Se-ui replied flatly, eyeing Kang Ye-ji's outfit top to bottom.

A cheerleader knockoff: micro tennis skirt, skin-tight cardigan.

...Color scheme screaming tacky, though.

“The lead's a femme fatale, right? So I went full school queenka.”

“School queenka...”

Min Se-ui smacked his lips.

“Why's a school queenka slinging meat at a barbecue joint?”

“Huh?”

Kang Ye-ji flicked a glance at Kim Byung-ho.

She'd worn exactly what he told her.

Even the stylist consult? Kim Byung-ho's doing.

All he'd said was:

“Just spit that line like a total bitch. Arrogant. Haughty.”

“Got it. I'll nail the prep.”

Kang Ye-ji had flashed a winning smile.

Academy kids and school pals still agency-less, and here she was auditioning MV leads.

No way she'd fumble this.

She'd even pushed for shorter, tighter than his rec.

“What were you even thinking about while you acted?”

But Min Se-ui's laser-focused question? Total blindside.