I’m an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me

Everyone has a name.

-The ten-million-ticket actor we love? Just hearing the name makes your heart flutter.

-Ah! I think I already know who it is.

Some people are not satisfied with just a name, so they carry sparkling titles alongside it. You know what I mean.

Everyone’s first love, the eternal top star, the living legend.

“Hey! Isn’t that the one you, Yeoreum, said you appeared as an extra in?”

But sadly, a humble title is always attached next to my name.

“Yeoreum’s going to be a star soon! What role did you play?”

That is none other than.

“…Screaming Woman 1.”

Yes. Passing pedestrian 1, onlooker 1, student 1—those trivial things. Those are the titles attached to my name.

“Pfft! Well, Yeoreum, you’ve always been the fill-in.”

The topic quickly shifted. From the nameless extra Han Yeoreum to the triple ten-million-ticket actor Myeong Je-ha.

At that moment, he appeared on the TV that was placed in the corner of the ceiling.

“He went to the same school as us. How did he do so well?”

“We only went to the same school. His face is totally different.”

The drunken patrons in the bar instantly focused on Myeong Je-ha.

Then, each of them added a word about him.

“When’s Myeong Je-ha’s new movie coming out? I really want to see it.”

“It’s not a movie; it’s a seasonal drama. That NetHolix! NetHolix!”

“Put down the snacks. Watching Myeong Je-ha is the snack.”

His dazzling appearance filled the TV screen, making him seem like someone born to be a celebrity.

He was someone Yeoreum knew well, too.

“Yeoreum, are you dropping out?”

“…Yeah.”

Well, rather than knowing him well, it’s more like….

“Why?”

“No particular reason.”

“You’re good at acting.”

At a certain moment in life, a brief but intense instant becomes unforgettable.

Seeing Myeong Je-ha’s face for a moment felt like going back to the day I submitted my withdrawal form.

The noisy atmosphere shifted again, this time to the actor next to Myeong Je-ha. Everyone here knew the names of the people on the screen.

“It’s Ji Hae-beom!”

“But seeing Ji Hae-beom there, it looks like NetHolix is going to dominate again.”

“Right. The previous work was such a hit.”

From Myeong Je-ha to Ji Hae-beom, the leads of the movie where I played ‘Screaming Woman 1.’

Real actors with real names, unlike me.

Before I knew it, the microphone held by the reporter on TV was passed to another actor. Finally, it was the heroine’s turn.

“Wow, even Do Gyeoul!”

I deliberately turned my head. I didn’t want to look at Do Gyeoul on the screen.

But despite turning away, my eyes met Do Gyeoul’s again.

[The fresh charm of Gyeoul, just like the first dew.]

Now that I think about it, this soju model is also Do Gyeoul.

‘…Should’ve ordered something else.’

The poster on the wall featured Do Gyeoul’s face clearly, smiling while holding a soju bottle.

-Yes. This project… was truly meaningful to me.

At that moment, someone interrupted Do Gyeoul’s interview with a loud shout.

“Now that I think about it, the world’s so unfair. Yeoreum could’ve been in Do Gyeoul’s place!”

The drunken patrons at the other tables turned their attention to the commotion. Flustered, I waved my hands in denial.

“What nonsense is that… again?”

“Why? It’s true, isn’t it? Yeoreum, you were originally supposed to be the lead in that play Do Gyeoul did.”

They were talking about the first-year final play.

Honestly, it’s ugly, but I’ve often regretted seeing Do Gyeoul doing so well.

‘That could’ve been my spot….’

If I had properly taken the role back then. If I had caught the director’s eye back then.

But the past is only the past.

‘It’s better to spend time working more shifts in logistics than regretting.’

Dwelling on it is just a waste of time.

“Right? Hey, Goo Jin-chul, if you hadn’t broken Yeoreum’s leg…!”

“W-What did I do?”

“If you had just been careful on the stairs, our Yeoreum would’ve been a top actress by now, you idiot.”

The guy who pushed me down the stairs ten years ago and made me wear a cast on one leg turned pale.

“That’s right~ Hey! Goo Jin-chul, you bad guy.”

“Yeoreum could write a story about Goo Jin-chul’s bad character, and you wouldn’t even be able to complain~!”

The seniors, drunk as ever, burst into laughter.

“Yeoreum, let me suggest a catchy title: ‘Han Yeoreum’s Sad Fill-In Life Began with Goo Jin-chul….’”

“Write it, and I’ll really…!”

Goo Jin-chul glared at me, seething.

As our eyes met, Goo Jin-chul scowled as if he felt wronged.

“Seriously, stop it. Why bring up something from ten years ago….”

I was about to get up from my seat. This was why I hated coming to drinking gatherings.

“Well, ten years have passed, and you’re still just an extra. What have you been doing? It’s just your lack of talent.”

Ignoring the whispers as best I could.

They wouldn’t understand how hard I worked to get even a small role.

‘I came because I thought there might be a dropped role….’

They were all still wasting time reminiscing about their 20s.

‘No point in staying longer. I should just go home.’

Clatter.

Just as I stood up, the door of the bar opened.

What entered was an unexpected figure no one could have imagined.

“D-Do Gyeoul?”

Do Gyeoul, who was just on the screen, appeared.

Screams, almost like shrieks, erupted from every corner. The drunken haze vanished in an instant.

“Hello, seniors.”

“Hey! Gyeoul! You really came!”

“What? What’s going on? Why is Do Gyeoul here?”

The atmosphere shifted in an instant. Everyone in this space seemed like they were extras for this one scene.

‘Everyone becomes an extra, and the lead is just one.’

Naturally, the lead was Do Gyeoul, who slowly scanned me from head to toe, keeping her gaze fixed on me.

“I heard Yeoreum was here, so I stopped by. Yeoreum, you came to our film set, didn’t you? Why didn’t you tell me? That’s so cold. We were classmates, after all.”

I glared at Hyung Chang-wook, who was sitting across from me.

‘That loose-lipped idiot. Do Gyeoul was the one person I didn’t want to know.’

You said that? And you call yourself a senior?

“Oh, was it supposed to be a secret?”

“No, not really….”

Embarrassed, Hyeong Chang-wook avoided my gaze with an awkward laugh.

I ended up meeting the person I least wanted to see in the most unexpected way.

While I hesitated and couldn’t leave, Do Gyeoul, who had been quietly watching me, grinned and pulled out a card from her bag, waving it.

“If Yeoreum doesn’t leave, I’ll cover this table-!”

Click.

With those words, my feet were shackled. Completely bound. If the top actress in Korea offered to pay for drinks on condition, running away would be a crime against humanity.

***

“Whew-.”

Using drunkenness as an excuse, I stepped out of the bar and sighed. The wind felt so cold today it stung my face.

“Hey, hey, Han Yeoreum, you…!”

Goo Jin-chul, his face flushed red as if he’d been smoking, spotted me and strode over.

‘…Ugh, how annoying.’

“You’re not really thinking of writing some expose about my bad character later, are you? Like school violence or something. That’s all lies! It’s your victim complex!”

I wasn’t even planning to, but now I felt like doing it.

‘Not that it matters; he’s a terrible actor anyway. There’s zero chance he’ll make it big.’

Even if I wrote an exposé, it’d barely get ten likes. What was he so worried about?

“Both you and I are extras in life. Don’t worry, I won’t trip you up. Just try your best.”

I ignored Goo Jin-chul’s words and turned my back. Or at least, I tried to.

“Hey! It wasn’t me who pushed you back then! It was Do Gyeoul!”

“…What?”

If not for those words from behind me.

“What did you just say?”

I knew it was nonsense.

Even so, I couldn’t pretend I hadn’t heard those words.

“It’s true. Somehow, I got blamed for it back then, so I just apologized. Damn, if I’d known it’d turn out like this, I should’ve said something then!”

“What kind of crap are you spouting right now?”

“Back then, it was just you, me, and Do Gyeoul behind you. She was the one who said it first, like, ‘Jin-chul, why weren’t you more careful?’ I yelled that it wasn’t me, but nobody believed me!”

I blinked slowly.

‘Yeah. That’s how it was….’

But no one believed Goo Jin-chul. Not even me.

‘Do Gyeoul was always cautious, unlike Jin-chul, who was hot-tempered and clumsy.’

I thought Goo Jin-chul had pushed me with his carelessly slung gear bag.

“Ahhh! Yeoreum, are you okay? Goo Jin-chul, what are you doing? You should’ve been careful!”

Do Gyeoul, standing beside him, wasn’t someone who’d do such a thing. Her voice, full of worry, was too genuine to be an act.

“But if what you’re saying is true….”

All those “what-ifs” turned out to be true?

That moment, which could’ve been the chance of a lifetime, was stolen from me by Do Gyeoul…?

“It wasn’t an accident?”

Beeeeeep-.

A sharp ringing echoed in my ears.

The soju poster with Do Gyeoul’s face I’d just seen loomed in my mind.

The unforgettable lines from the play in my first year buzzed in my ears.

Unlike “Screaming Woman 1” Han Yeoreum, a poster with a bold title and Do Gyeoul’s name prominently displayed came to mind.

“Yeoreum, get well soon…. Don’t worry about the stage.”

Even her kind and caring voice.

Goo Jin-chul’s face was filled with an intense look of injustice.

“I’m serious! If I had done it, at least I wouldn’t feel so wronged! I’m telling you, Do Gyeoul was acting that time! No one believed me, so I kept my mouth shut. But if I get ruined because of this, don’t you think that’s too unfair?”

That was true.

Goo Jin-chul couldn’t act.

‘Especially not with such sincerity.’

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

My heart pounded violently.

Like a madwoman, I stormed back to the bar’s entrance. Just as I arrived, Do Gyeoul was about to get into her manager’s car, seemingly wrapping up for the night.

“Yeoreum~.”

When she saw me, she smiled, folding her eyes as if pleased.

“You’re still here? I thought you left without saying anything.”

Looking relieved, Do Gyeoul gestured to her manager. The manager pulled a crumpled 50,000 won bill from inside his jumper.

“Here’s cab fare. If you’d told me, I would’ve paid you more as an extra fee. I’m really sorry.”

The crumpled, wrinkled bill slipped into my empty pocket.

“Next time, make sure to let me know~.”

Do Gyeoul smiled broadly, her senior fans cheering around her.

‘Right. That’s the kind of person Do Gyeoul is.’

She may seem aloof, but she’s loyal and takes good care of others.

“Do Gyeoul, was it really you?”

But Do Gyeoul was a good actress.

“Back then, on the stairs… were you the one who pushed me?”

Unlike Goo Jin-chul.

“Did you do it on purpose?”

My sudden question plunged the surroundings into awkward silence. My seniors, alternating glances between us, awkwardly tried to diffuse the tension.

“Yeoreum, are you drunk? Why are you bringing this up? It’s just something we talked about earlier, don’t ruin the mood~.”

“Yeah, yeah. Yeoreum~. Stop it and come here! Gyeoul even booked us a spot for the after-party! Don’t be a killjoy.”

I shrugged off the seniors who grabbed my shoulders, trying to calm me.

My heart was racing like mad.

Do Gyeoul remained silent, simply staring at me intently, as though observing me.

It was a look I’d seen a few times before.

“I’m asking you. Is it true?”

It was the gaze she wore when studying a role.

It wasn’t the look of someone dealing with a drunk peer but rather the methodical analysis she showed when interpreting a character in a movie or drama.

“Do Gyeoul, answer me!”

Finally, as if she’d finished analyzing my expressions, gestures, and voice, Do Gyeoul slowly pulled me into a hug.

“Let me go! Did you want the lead role that badly?”

Her embrace seemed like a compassionate gesture from a deeper Do Gyeoul to a peer consumed by inferiority. Everyone laughed, except me.

“Yeoreum.”

Do Gyeoul whispered so only I could hear. I struggled to escape her firm grasp, but.

“If it were me….”

As soon as I heard her voice, my strength drained away.

“I would’ve gone on stage, even with a broken leg.”

Her quiet voice roared like thunder.

“Giving up the lead role back then wasn’t my choice; it was yours.”

I instinctively understood. Though it wasn’t a direct answer, it was a silent acknowledgment.

‘The person who pushed me down the stairs back then wasn’t Goo Jin-chul….’

It was Do Gyeoul.

Her whisper coiled around my ears like a snake.

“Right now, you look so pathetic…. Like a typical weekend drama villain…. Ahaha, it’s not even an impressive scene. I’m disappointed. I came here to see you.”

Do Gyeoul patted my back a couple of times, then gently pushed me away. She even offered a seemingly comforting remark.

“Still, Yeoreum, hang in there! Someday, we’ll work on something together for sure.”

This time, loudly enough for everyone to hear.

With those words, the van carrying Do Gyeoul departed. I chased after the slowly accelerating van, pounding on the door.

“Do Gyeoul! Open the door! I said, open it!”

“Han Yeoreum, stop it. Do you know how much Gyeoul has cared for you? Be grateful.”

“Yeah. This is just embarrassing…. Why is she acting like that?”

But the van sped up, moving further out of reach. I tried to keep up, but….

Baaaaang-!!!

A deafening horn blast echoed.

Crash-!!!

My body was flung into the air and came crashing down.

Agonizing pain shot through the back of my head. My senses began to fade.

I let out a faint laugh.

‘Am I really going to die like this, without even a proper name to my credit…?’

How pathetic. Dying as “Screaming Woman 1.”

‘I wanted to die as an actress….’

I didn’t even wish for everyone to know my name. Just once, I wanted it written on a poster.

If I could’ve done at least that, I wouldn’t have had any regrets.

‘If I die now, no one will know I was an actress….’

From the moment I dreamed of it, the goal I’d poured my life into vanished along with my breath.

The edges of my vision darkened.

Ding-!

That’s when it happened.

A strange sound effect rang clearly in my ears.

System

>>> Error code 1221

♣Notice♣

Due to an error, your 〈Lucky〉 points were transferred to someone else for 10 years.

No matter how hard you worked, did nothing improve? Was it really your fault?

It turns out someone maliciously stole all the luck that should’ve been yours.

We will now process compensation for the damage.

Let’s reclaim what’s rightfully yours!

– Would you like to accept?

〈Yes〉 〈No〉

A mysterious window appeared. The glowing “Yes” option flickered enticingly.

Was this my dying wish showing me some final hallucination?

‘Ah. I wanted to be part of a production with CG like this at least once.’

With effort, I raised my index finger and pressed the glowing “Yes” button. Then I completely lost consciousness.