WeTried Translations
Translator: uglyidol
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Became a Top Star by Only Playing Villains ◈
Chapter 16: I Almost Slipped Back into My Old Ways
──────
Sunday, 8 p.m.
Normally, this was when office workers would start feeling gloomy about going back to work tomorrow, but today was different.
“The second teaser for <The Last Clue> is out!”
She had been lying in bed, scrolling through her phone, when she saw that the second teaser for <The Last Clue> had been uploaded. A happy smile spread across her face.
Thump-thump.
Her heart raced as she played the teaser.
‘Why am I looking forward to this drama so much?’
It was strange.
She liked Shin Ah-gyeong and Jeong In-hwan, the two leads of <The Last Clue>, but she wasn't such a huge fan that she'd get this excited.
She usually enjoyed Webflix original series too, but only as something decent to pass the time.
So why did she feel so excited and her heart race over a single teaser for <The Last Clue>?
‘This is weird.’
Not much had been revealed yet, but <The Last Clue> already had a strange, addictive quality that drew her in.
Full of anticipation, she watched the second teaser for <The Last Clue>.
-♪♬♩ ♪♬
The first thing that played was an icy soundtrack.
“Hmm... I feel like I've heard this song somewhere before.”
Of course she had.
The music playing now was an eerie arrangement of Beethoven's masterpiece, Symphony No. 9.
With the familiar soundtrack that seemed to squeeze her heart, Shin Ah-gyeong and Jeong In-hwan soon appeared.
「The killer is among us. A monster wearing a mask has blended into the world we live in.」
「I'm going to catch this bastard. ...No matter what.」
“Why is the acting so good too?”
She marveled at the two actors' intense performances, both resolute and seemingly terrified.
But the leads weren't the only good actors in <The Last Clue>.
「Heh. What a joke.」
「Detective, quit talking nonsense.」
<The Last Clue> had not only its main villain, but also various minor criminals and red-herring villains.
The supporting actors playing them were all renowned for their skill.
But...
Snip, snip.
Amid that parade of great actors, there was someone else who caught her eye again.
A supporting actor named Lee Hansol, who had flashed by for two or three seconds in the first teaser for <The Last Clue>.
This second teaser gave him slightly more screen time than the first.
Near the end of the video, Lee Hansol was trimming flower branches with pruning shears when...
Slowly.
“...!”
He suddenly raised his head toward the camera.
She had been watching intently, so she couldn't help being startled.
‘Did our eyes meet...?’
Maybe it was just her imagination, but it felt as though she had met Lee Hansol's eyes through the screen.
And Lee Hansol...
Smiled faintly.
“...”
He gave her a small smile.
It was such a gentle, kind smile.
The instant she saw it, her heart began pounding even harder than before.
Thump-thump-thump-thump.
‘...What was that?’
For a moment, she was confused.
Had she fallen for that person's smile?
Had she unknowingly become infatuated with him?
...No.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.
“...Gasp.”
She nearly forgot how to breathe, then finally sucked in ragged breaths.
Was this what it felt like to run into someone holding a knife in a narrow alley late at night?
“...Gasp, gasp. No, wait... What's wrong with me?”
Still breathing hard, she wiped the back of her neck with one hand.
It came away soaked in cold sweat.
That was right.
At that moment, she was feeling extreme fear as she watched the actor named Lee Hansol.
“...That person barely did anything in the teaser, so why...?”
Why did her entire body tremble whenever she saw him, both in the first teaser and the second?
Why did it feel as though someone nearby was watching her?
...She didn't know.
“...I'll just watch it one more time.”
When people feel fear, their hearts beat faster and adrenaline is released.
But that state of alertness soon turns into relief and excitement.
Then dopamine floods the brain, and the pleasure it brings becomes addictive.
Drawn to the strange allure of the actor named Lee Hansol, she had already become addicted to the fear he gave her.
By the time she came to her senses, she had replayed the second teaser for <The Last Clue> several times.
And she wasn't the only one experiencing this.
[Title: Holy shit, the second teaser for <The Last Clue> gave me chills]
-Is that actor's name Lee Hansol? He looked right at me at the end, didn't he? Fuck, I was just watching with a beer and almost spilled it all. Holy shit.
A few people with particularly sharp instincts noticed Lee Hansol's overwhelming presence, freaked out, and posted about it online.
Of course, people were still split down the middle.
-What are you talking about lol? He just looked like some supporting actor.
-You made a fuss last time too. Why are you pushing this viral marketing so hard?
-Scary my ass. I don't feel anything.
The less perceptive people still felt nothing from Lee Hansol.
That was actually the result director-producer Park Yeong-won had intended.
If everyone noticed Lee Hansol's presence from the teaser alone, the shock would be lessened when the twist was revealed later.
Before long, people online began arguing over whether they could sense Lee Hansol's presence or not.
-You can't feel this? It's just fucking terrifying.
-Seriously. I was so scared watching the teaser that I almost threw my phone.
-Please stop exaggerating lol. You almost threw your phone?
-This overreacting is so fucking annoying.
The most effective way to quickly increase traffic and buzz was to divide the public into sides and set them against each other.
As Lee Hansol's name spread through online communities, attention toward <The Last Clue> rose even further.
-But this one definitely looks promising.
-Yeah, you can tell Webflix put a lot of effort into it.
-Park Yeong-won directing, Kim Seonmi writing, with Shin Ah-gyeong and Jeong In-hwan as the leads. That says it all.
-The supporting cast is full of skilled actors too.
-Ah, I want to see the full show already. I wish it would come out soon. :(
After the second teaser was released, fans' anticipation for <The Last Clue> grew even greater.
Talk of <The Last Clue> spread among overseas fans as well.
But while the world buzzed over the drama <The Last Clue>, there was one place that seemed disconnected from it all and was talking about something else.
The theater community.
Full of theater enthusiasts, it was abuzz with talk of <Hyde>, without sparing so much as a glance for a drama like <The Last Clue>.
[Title: I heard <Hyde> is opening as scheduled this year. Guess they already found all the leads.]
South Korea's most popular play, <Hyde>, had been thrown into crisis by the retirement of its headliners.
Rumors had even spread that <Hyde> was finished, so fans couldn't help being surprised to hear the play would open as scheduled this year.
What drew their attention most of all was who would take the lead roles in <Hyde>.
-Seriously? Who did they cast as the leads?
└No idea. They haven't announced that yet.
-Lol, they didn't cast some useless idols as the leads, did they?
└If they did, I'm tracking down M.J.Y. and killing him.
M.J.Y.
It was a derogatory nickname that <Hyde>'s more toxic enthusiasts used online for Director Min Jae-yeong.
They still refused to acknowledge Min Jae-yeong, who had become <Hyde>'s overall director seven years ago.
-But whoever takes the lead roles won't be able to match the presence of the previous leads.
-Ah, the <Hyde> I love is falling apart more and more.
-Only the pig-and-dog masses will swarm in to watch it again. Tsk.
-M.J.Y., you fucking bitch.
But no matter how much the toxic enthusiasts tore it apart, <Hyde>'s status did not diminish.
[<Hyde> to open as scheduled this year... Who will take the lead roles?]
[Can the undisputed number one play, <Hyde>, continue its glory this year?]
Articles about <Hyde> flooded the internet.
And the news that the popular play <Hyde> would open as scheduled this year with new leads was enough to capture the public's attention.
-Wow, this year is seriously overflowing with content.
-<Hyde> for theater and <The Last Clue> for dramas. I'm so happy.
-I'm looking forward to Director Noh Jeong-hyeon's <Savage Blood>, which comes out in the second half of the year too.
As public anticipation for this year's releases reached its peak...
The actors cast in <Hyde> gathered together to work on their chemistry.
* * *
For the past dozen or so years, <Hyde> had been South Korea's undisputed greatest play.
Perhaps because of that, most of the actors took great pride in the fact that they would be appearing on its stage.
Unfortunately, for some of them, that pride turned into arrogance.
“Did you hear? One of the new leads is Lee Hansol, right? Apparently, he's an unknown actor.”
Before entering the rehearsal room, veteran actor Gwak Seong-ho, who had played only supporting roles in <Hyde> for over ten years, voiced their dissatisfaction while washing their hands in the restroom.
“I mean, does that make any sense? Were there really no one else to cast? How can they cast an unknown actor as the lead in our <Hyde>?”
“I'm sure the director has their reasons. From what I've heard, that person's acting is terrifyingly good.”
When a fellow actor defended Hansol, Gwak Seong-ho fired back in a rapid stream of words.
“Hah... Seriously. What good is terrifying acting skill? Have you seen that guy's face? He looks so blank that he doesn't suit Han Siwoo at all.”
“Come on... Talking about someone's face is a little...”
“What's wrong with talking about an actor's face? I'm only saying this because I want our <Hyde> to do well.”
Using concern for <Hyde>'s success as an excuse, Gwak Seong-ho continued rambling on.
“This never would have happened if the previous director had kept directing instead of Director Min.”
“Where else would you find someone like Director Min Jae-yeong? He's run our <Hyde> well for seven years.”
“I don't know about that. Whew... I just hope the fans aren't disappointed after seeing this year's production.”
“It'll probably turn out well. We're going to be late. Let's head back.”
After the two left...
Creak.
Someone emerged from the last stall in the previously quiet restroom.
That someone was...
Me.
“Hmm...”
I hadn't expected to hear something like that when I stopped by the restroom for a moment.
What felt like feedback when said to someone's face became gossip when said behind their back.
There had been actors who didn't think much of me during the <The Last Clue> table read too, but they hadn't openly talked behind my back like this.
Honestly... it didn't feel good.
“That bastard... Should I kill them?”
Ah.
I was so startled by the harsh words I'd carelessly muttered while washing my hands.
‘Did I really just say something that violent?’
It had been a week since filming for <The Last Clue> ended.
Perhaps because I hadn't been able to act in a villain role during that time, the evil nature in my heart had built up quite a bit.
“...Whew. I need to be more careful from now on.”
I had almost slipped back into my old ways.
If I were still the person I had been in my past lives, I would have followed them immediately after hearing that gossip and thoroughly punished them.
But this life was different.
“This life is different from my past lives. I won't harm anyone illegally.”
After all, I was an actor in this life.
I would never commit a crime.
Instead...
Legally, through acting.
“...I'll kill them with acting.”
For some reason, I was immersing myself in my emotions unusually well even before acting began today.
The evil nature inside me clamored for me to hurry up and kill them.
Barely holding back the chilling smile that threatened to spread across my face, I headed for the rehearsal room.
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