I Don't Want to Play Villains Anymore

The audition room was filled with a different kind of silence than before Ha-neul performed.

If before it was silence born from amazement at Ha-neul's visuals, now it was like the sensation of having witnessed something overwhelming.

The feeling of having seen something absolute that seemed impossible to have emanated from such a small child's body.

That was Baek Ha-neul's performance.

The judges' fingertips trembled slightly.

Some were even still tense, swallowing deep breaths.

It was then.

"...Ha-neul. Have you really never acted before?"

Director Jung Hee-chang quietly opened his mouth.

He knew how foolish his question was. The application clearly stated she had no experience.

But he simply couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Yes."

Ha-neul nodded.

Her small body was impeccably poised, and her gaze was unwavering and calm.

She wasn't lying.

In 'this life,' it was her first time.

However, that answer made the judges' minds even more confused.

"First time..."

"And at that level?"

One of the judges murmured quietly.

They had seen countless child actors.

Acting skills are built through acquired training and experience.

Meaning, if a child is auditioning for the first time, there's a high possibility they'd be awkward even with basic emotional expressions.

But just now, Baek Ha-neul—

Had gone beyond simple emotional acting and completely dominated the scene.

The presence radiating from her small body, emotions conveyed overwhelmingly even without a camera.

Even the atmosphere that dominated the space itself.

Could that really be the level of someone attending their "first audition"?

At that moment, Jung Hee-chang unconsciously flicked his fingertip.

Click.

The small sound broke the silence.

And he quietly rose from his seat.

"Ha-neul."

His voice had deepened.

He slowly moved forward.

And met Ha-neul's gaze on the stage.

"Do you remember the lines you just performed?"

Ha-neul quietly nodded.

Jung Hee-chang inhaled.

"Would you try one more time?"

At that moment, the judges flinched simultaneously.

Repeating a performance that was already perfect was not easy even for professional actors.

After emotions have been released once, recreating them exactly the same way is even more difficult.

It was like asking someone to pour water back into a glass after spilling it.

However.

Ha-neul looked at him without flinching.

And quietly exhaled.

"Yes."

…With those words the air grew heavy again.

At that moment, "that scene" from just before started again, exactly the same.

But what was amazing was that she perfectly recreated the exact same emotions as before.

No, they had even deepened.

The appearance of Yeomra.

Her gaze, her voice, her presence.

All of it came alive more vividly.

"I am not the one who tells you the answer, mortal."

That cold voice cut through the air and spread out.

"I pose the question of life to you all. The answer will be created not by gods, but by humans."

At that moment, Jung Hee-chang unconsciously took a step back.

'What is this?'

An even stronger pressure than when he first saw the performance washed over him.

This was not a simple 'reenactment.'

Despite performing the same scene as before, something had deepened.

This is not an acquired skill.

Nor is it acting ability that naturally develops with accumulated experience.

This was something 'innate.'

Jung Hee-chang quietly inhaled.

And looked back at the judges.

They too were speechless.

Not a single word.

And then, slowly leaning forward, one of the judges quietly spoke.

"This would be fine to broadcast on TV."

Someone laughed nervously.

"Well, it would be a talent discovery show rather than entertainment."

But those words weren't just a joke.

They were the judges' conviction and acknowledgment.

The answer was already decided.

Baek Ha-neul.

She's not a child actor.

She's a 'real actress.'

At that moment Jung Hee-chang smiled briefly.

And slowly opened his mouth.

"Ha-neul."

"Yes?"

Jung Hee-chang was about to say 'you have talent,' but he stopped himself.

"My goodness..."

"Let's go, Su-ah. We can't compete with that."

"Seriously. Who brings a child like that?"

"I'm just speechless..."

The reactions of people around already expressed what he was about to say.

"You'll hear from us around the weekend. Wait for us."

It will probably be good news.

○

"Daddy was surprised."

"Really?"

He didn't look surprised at all.

Rather, he was so expressionless that I thought my acting was mediocre.

It was the first time I'd done acting other than villainous roles since I learned to act, after all.

Strictly speaking, the charismatic role of 'Yeomra' is somewhat similar to a villain, though.

I quietly looked at Daddy's face.

But Daddy simply raised his coffee cup slowly with the hand not holding the steering wheel, his face still composed.

"You don't look surprised at all."

At that, Daddy smirked and took a sip of coffee.

"I'm not someone who expresses emotions through facial expressions."

I slightly furrowed my brow.

That's true.

Daddy is someone who doesn't easily show emotions on his face.

A face so indifferent it could be perceived as cold.

Yet despite my experience as an actor making me accustomed to reading the emotional changes of such people...

Daddy's emotions were truly difficult to read.

"Then, are you not feeling any emotions right now?"

I asked, looking at Daddy as if testing him.

Daddy slowly looked down at me.

After thinking for a moment.

"No."

Came his brief answer.

"I was really surprised."

I stared blankly at Daddy.

"...Then why is there no change in your expression?"

"Because there's no need to express that on my face."

I was momentarily stunned.

'Wait, you're surprised but don't show it?'

Then when do you ever show emotions?

I felt uneasy, but at the same time somewhat relieved.

So my acting wasn't bad.

But...

"But if you don't express it through your face, it's too scary."

I grumbled, puffing my cheeks.

"At times like this, it would be better if you showed some admiration or gave some praise."

Then Daddy quietly looked at me.

And for a very brief moment, he smiled ever so slightly.

"Alright."

He said in a low voice.

"Your acting was excellent."

I was startled.

For such direct praise to come from this person's mouth.

This was unexpected.

"...W-Well, it's a bit embarrassing when Daddy says things like that."

I fidgeted with my fingers and avoided his gaze.

But Daddy added as if it were nothing special.

"And it exceeded my expectations."

At those words, I was surprised once more.

If Daddy said it exceeded his expectations...

Did I really do well?

I slightly bit my lip and reconsidered.

The acting I did in this audition.

The emotions and acting methods I used to express the character of Yeomra.

Actually, it was somewhat similar to a villain role, so it wasn't a completely new type of acting.

It would be unfair if someone who's only done one thing their whole life couldn't even do that well, right?

Absolute presence.

Intense charisma.

An atmosphere that dominates the air with just one line.

For that reason.

There wasn't a huge gap from the 'villain' roles I had mainly acted as an actor.

However...

This time it definitely wasn't a villain.

Yeomra isn't just a villain, but a being who determines the order of the world.

Her words become law, and even gods must comply with his judgments.

She is not someone who moves by simple emotions.

So, I had to approach 'the way of expressing emotions' completely differently.

'...It was my first time acting without emotions.'

I simply acted, naturally immersing myself.

And yet, people were overwhelmed by it.

It was strange.

I just acted as usual.

I felt somewhat peculiar.

As if something that had been inside me but never properly unfolded in my previous life had opened its eyes for the first time.

'...This life will be different.'

I quietly clenched my fist.

"Daddy."

I opened my mouth, looking at Daddy again.

"From now on, I'll try any kind of acting."

Whether it's a villain or a protagonist.

Whether it's a role that suppresses emotions or one that explodes with them.

I am no longer just a villain-specialized actor.

I will become a real actress.

Daddy looked at me quietly.

In those cold blue eyes, a very subtle emotion appeared and disappeared.

And, he nodded.

"Alright."

That single word contained stronger support than any grand statement.

I smirked as I looked at Daddy.

"Daddy, you really have no cuteness..."

"...Where did you learn to talk like that?"

Daddy stopped his motion of bringing the coffee cup to his mouth.

'Ah, maybe that's not wording a five-year-old would use...'

This is when a great actor shows their dignity.

I pretended to think for a moment, putting my finger to my lips.

"Where did I learn that~?"

Honestly, it's embarrassing.

It was a bit exaggerated, but I had to do this much to appear like a five-year-old.

Daddy narrowed his eyes as he looked at me.

"Ha-neul."

"Yes?"

"Do your kindergarten friends also use such words?"

"I haven't gone to kindergarten yet?"

Daddy inhaled very subtly.

That cold face remained expressionless, but I didn't miss the very slight confusion that flashed across it.

'Ah, I made a mistake.'

I quickly calculated in my mind.

I need to move past this.

Too many explanations would only increase suspicion.

I nodded as naturally as possible and said.

"I heard it on TV."

"TV?"

"Yes. That... on a program where actors appear."

Daddy looked down at me quietly. There was clear suspicion in his gaze. 

But I continued without wavering.

"Ah, right. It was on 'Birth of an Actor'!"

This time, Daddy's gaze wavered slightly.

"...Birth of an Actor?"

"Yes! You know, that program where rookie actors perform. The judge there said, 'This actor's performance is good, but lacks cuteness~'."

Daddy still stared at me intently.

I wiped away sweat in my mind.

'This should be good enough, right?'

"And what was the conclusion... Ah, I remember!"

I clapped my hands lightly and said.

"To be a lead actor, you need cuteness! Supporting actors don't need it! That's what they said."

Daddy still silently looked at me.

And after a very brief silence, he smirked.

"What if not a lead but a supporting actor?"

"Then you don't need it."

I answered firmly.

"But Daddy is the lead actor of our family, right?"

"..."

Daddy put down his coffee cup for a moment.

Then he turned his head very slightly, and muttered as if to himself.

"...You really take after your mother."

I smiled slyly.

"Does Mom also lack cuteness?"

"No, the opposite."

Daddy said as if sighing.

"She has too much, that's the problem."

"Haha..."

The short banter with Daddy ended, and we returned home.

The contact that came on the weekend was good news, just as Director Jung Hee-chang had said.

[Congratulations on your debut in the entertainment industry, Baek Ha-neul.]

It was the first evidence that I had broken free from my past self who only played dreary roles.