WeTried Translations
Translator: uglyidol
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Became a Top Star by Only Playing Villains ◈
Chapter 2: Hey, You Fucking Bastard
──────
The new Webflix original series, <The Last Clue>.
With its all-star production team and cast, the drama had drawn high expectations from the public. But just before filming began, it ran into a crisis.
“Which audition was that?”
“...The seventh, Director.”
At the casting director’s answer, Park Yeong-won, the director of <The Last Clue>, squeezed their eyes shut.
The actor who was supposed to play the main villain and add some flavor to the early episodes had suddenly left the production over a scandal.
Specifically, a drunken assault.
Apparently, the actor had gotten completely drunk and punched an employee in the face several times.
“What a headache... Why did that crazy bastard have to get drunk and beat someone up?”
“...I know. I never thought that person would do something like that.”
The <The Last Clue> team had rushed to hold auditions to fill the empty role, but finding an actor to play the main villain on such short notice wasn’t easy.
“They’re all good actors, but each of them falls a little short somewhere.”
“Exactly. Whew. We picked out only the ones with decent skills, and this is still where we are...”
The villain’s role was just as important as the protagonist’s.
In particular, the serial killer Kim Minu, who would appear in episodes 1 through 4 of <The Last Clue>, had such a strong presence that the role could determine the success of the entire drama.
“Well, we don’t have much choice. Let’s put up with a few more days of this.”
“Yes, Director.”
Every actor they had seen so far had fallen a little short of what they needed for Kim Minu.
The production team of <The Last Clue> had no choice but to keep holding auditions, with no end in sight.
“Hmm?”
Director Park Yeong-won tilted their head while checking the next actor’s profile.
Despite having worked in the industry for nearly twenty years, Park had never seen this actor before.
“The next person scheduled to audition is... Lee Hansol? Who’s that? I don’t think I’ve seen this actor before.”
“D&P Entertainment has been saying a lot of good things about this actor’s skills. The acting academy gave good reviews, too.”
“...Hmm.”
Despite hearing that Hansol could act, Director Park Yeong-won looked unimpressed.
“...But doesn’t this actor look a little too ordinary?”
Lee Hansol, the next person auditioning, looked far too ordinary to play a murderer.
Park wasn’t even hoping for someone good-looking.
An ugly person would have been better. Lee Hansol’s appearance simply had nothing distinctive about it.
It was the typical face of an ordinary person cast as an extra.
“Still, Kim Minu is the main villain in episodes 1 through 4. We can’t cast someone with so little presence...”
They lived in a world where villains were just as popular as protagonists.
Kim Minu in <The Last Clue>, in particular, was a character meant to hook viewers early on with an overwhelming presence and a shocking reveal.
As the drama’s director, Park couldn’t cast someone this unremarkable as Kim Minu.
“D&P Entertainment recommended this actor so strongly that I put the name on the list... But yes, this person really does look too ordinary.”
“It really would be hard to cast an actor with so little presence as Kim Minu...”
Just as the production team’s expectations for the next candidate, Lee Hansol, were fading...
Knock, knock.
“Director. The next actor is here.”
“Hmm? Already? Earlier than I expected.”
The assistant director came into the meeting room to announce Lee Hansol’s arrival.
“Should I ask him to wait outside for a moment?”
“No need for that. Tell him to come in.”
Soon, the assistant director led Lee Hansol into the meeting room.
“Hello. I’m Lee Hansol.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Having low expectations was no excuse to treat an auditioning actor poorly.
Director Park Yeong-won and the rest of the <The Last Clue> team welcomed Lee Hansol with small smiles.
“Thank you for coming. I’m Park Yeong-won. This is Kim Seonmi, the writer of <The Last Clue>, and our casting director. And this is the head of production from Webflix. This is your first time meeting all of us, right?”
“Not quite. Two years ago, I had a supporting role in <Sweet & Scary Bakery>, which Kim Seonmi wrote.”
“Oh, really? Then you and Kim know each other?”
<Sweet & Scary Bakery> was the romantic comedy that had become a massive hit for Kim Seonmi two years earlier.
If Hansol had appeared in such a major production, even in a supporting role, the writer surely would have recognized that face.
But...
“Oh... You were in <Sweet & Scary Bakery>?”
“Yes... I played Minho...”
“Well... I do remember there being a character named Minho...”
Looking flustered, Kim Seonmi showed no sign of recognizing Lee Hansol at all.
“......”
“......”
Silence fell over the meeting room.
“...I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine...! It’s just because I don’t stand out. Haha...”
Kim Seonmi was famous for being deeply attached to every project she wrote.
And yet, even Kim Seonmi couldn’t remember an actor who had appeared in one of those dramas.
As the awkwardness lingered, Director Park Yeong-won hurriedly changed the subject.
“...All right, enough of that. Let’s get started with the audition. You’ve familiarized yourself with the script, Hansol?”
“...Yes. I can perform right now.”
The role of Kim Minu, the serial killer in <The Last Clue>, was very difficult to play.
Since the auditions had been arranged so suddenly, the actors clearly hadn’t had nearly enough time to study the character.
“We’ll give you five minutes to practice. Please begin within that time.”
“Yes, understood.”
Whirr.
Every audition so far had been recorded on camera.
While Lee Hansol closed his eyes and got into character, Director Park Yeong-won studied the camera screen.
'...Ordinary, just as I thought.'
There was no surprise.
On the camera screen, Lee Hansol still looked far too ordinary.
It was a common face, the kind anyone might pass on any street.
No presence, no impact, and not particularly good on camera.
No matter how well this actor could act, they couldn’t cast someone like that as the main villain.
'I should take a look at the actors coming in next.'
Rustle.
Director Park Yeong-won coolly began checking the next candidates’ profiles.
Was that why?
Whoooosh.
Focused elsewhere, Director Park Yeong-won didn’t notice that the atmosphere in the meeting room was gradually turning cold.
While Park checked the other actors’ profiles, something terrible was awakening right in front of them.
* * *
I had been acting for several years now, but I had never played a villain.
Even so, the moment I received the audition script for <The Last Clue> a few days earlier, I had been certain.
I could understand the character of Kim Minu almost perfectly.
Just looking at the dialogue and situations, this serial killer had far too much in common with me in my past life.
“...Whew.”
I closed my eyes for a moment and got into character.
Dragging up the ugly emotions from my days as an evil person was horrifying, but ironically, it also gave me a strange sense of pleasure.
“I’m ready.”
“Already?”
I checked the clock. Only a minute had passed.
I could have used more practice time, but there was no need.
In fact, starting right now seemed like it would help me immerse myself in the role.
“You still have practice time left. Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“...Haha. Then let’s begin. Kim Seonmi will read opposite you.”
My scene partner was Kim Seonmi.
We exchanged a brief nod, then raised our scripts.
A moment later, Director Park Yeong-won gave a simple cue, and the scene began.
「Do you deliver the flowers yourself, too?」
「Yes. I deliver them myself for my regular customers.」
Kim Minu, the culprit behind the serial murders that had shaken South Korea in <The Last Clue>, ran a flower shop.
The neighbors often praised Minu for being kind, but the detective in this scene already suspected the florist was the killer.
「These flowers were at the scene, too. What are they called?」
「Aren’t they beautiful? These are called lisianthus. But... the scene? May I ask what you do for a living...?」
「This is what I do.」
「Oh, you’re a detective.」
Even an ordinary, innocent person would usually tense up a little in front of a detective.
But Kim Minu’s expression remained calm even after seeing the police ID.
That created an uneasy feeling that was hard to explain.
「These flowers were in the victim’s home. What did you say they were called... Lisianthus?」
「Yes, that’s right. They’re very popular with young people these days...」
「I never said the victim was young.」
「......」
The atmosphere gradually moved beyond uneasy and became uncomfortable.
Sensing that subtle shift, the detective quickly smiled brightly and spoke as if nothing were wrong.
「Oh! I’m sorry if what I just said made you uncomfortable!」
「...Not at all.」
「These serial murders have made me suspicious of everything lately. It’s something of an occupational hazard for the police!」
No, it wasn’t an occupational hazard.
At this point in the script, the detective was already almost certain that Kim Minu was the killer. All that remained was to find solid evidence.
「I see. I hope that bad person gets caught soon.」
「Haha, yes. We’ll catch that bastard soon. Oh, there was a potted plant from your shop at the victim’s home. Could I take a look at your delivery orders from the past week?」
The detective intended to go beyond simply probing for a reaction and boldly get hold of the evidence directly.
But in the next moment...
「......」
「...Hello?」
At the direct request for the delivery records, Kim Minu’s smile vanished. The florist stared at the detective with a blank expression.
「......」
「......」
What kind of person was Kim Minu, the serial killer in <The Last Clue>?
A psychopath. A narcissist. Someone with anger issues.
Kim Minu found pleasure in murder and wanted other people to recognize those killings.
When the serial murders became a major news story, Minu felt proud and considered himself someone special, unlike anyone else in the world.
And now...
Someone stood right in front of Minu, daring to suspect, question, and deceive.
'Kim Minu is angry right now.'
No, this wasn’t simple anger.
It was something that combined rage toward the person standing there with anticipation for the murder to come.
「Hah... Fuck.」
That quiet sigh and curse alone created a pressure that bore down on the whole body.
Kim Minu’s gaze changed, as though there was no longer any need to hide.
The detective was supposed to deliver the next line, but...
Tremble.
Perhaps Kim Seonmi was too shocked. The writer just stared at me with trembling eyes, not even thinking to read the line.
Whoooosh.
Someone was looking at me in fear.
The pleasure that brought was thrilling.
Normally, I would never do anything so evil, but...
It was all right now.
This was only acting.
Kim Minu... No, I let out the hideous mass of emotion rising from deep inside my chest without holding it back.
「So you already know everything, you fucking bitch, and you’re just toying with me?」
The ordinary owner of a little flower shop, the kind found in any neighborhood.
An ordinary face anyone might pass on the street.
Someone who was always there beside us...
Passerby A
Neighbor B
Extra C
The moment that ordinary person revealed those horrifying true feelings for the first time...
“......”
“......”
An overwhelming presence filled the room.
Clack.
Rrrroll.
The only sound echoing through the meeting room’s empty silence was a ballpoint pen someone had dropped.
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