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The voluminous, long hair.

The slightly sharp, narrow eyes.

The exquisite appearance.

Finally, the neat school uniform.

‘Now that I think about it, didn’t I shoot a photoshoot recently?’

From every visible part of her, an aura was emanating that was distinctly different from the ordinary.

The clear presence she exuded was naturally felt.

This was the reason Yoo Sung-jae had highly praised Ha-eun as an actress. The weight of her presence was still as strong in this moment.

And that only made Ha-eun more curious.

‘A static antagonist. I think it’d suit her really well...’

What would happen if the charisma that quietly suppressed the surrounding atmosphere were to be wielded in a negative direction?

What would it feel like if Ha-eun’s calmness were to turn into an indifference toward immoral actions?

Perhaps it would be inevitable.

Perhaps no one would be able to deny Ha-eun as the villain.

‘Intense, surely.’

In Yoo Sung-jae’s eyes, Ha-eun’s appearance and acting were perfect for a villain.

The ability to completely steal a scene was one of the key traits for any antagonist.

It was because of this that Yoo Sung-jae recommended Ha-eun for the villain role in Veterans.

He had pushed for Ha-eun and director Kim Hong-seong to meet, reasoning that seeing it was better than hearing about it.

A short while later, Kim Hong-seong, who had been watching Ha-eun, spoke again.

“Veterans is a crime film. The story revolves around the righteous detectives trying to capture a villain named ‘Lee Ye-seo.’”

There are comic elements sprinkled in, but Kim Hong-seong went on to explain the characteristics of Veterans' villain, Lee Ye-seo.

“Lee Ye-seo is a person without limits. She’s a third-generation chaebol, and there’s no one who can stop her from doing anything.”

In other words, she would engage in actions that should normally be stopped by others.

After briefly raising his gaze to look at Ha-eun, director Kim Hong-seong continued.

“Throughout the film, Lee Ye-seo commits various illegal acts but doesn’t have any self-awareness of her crimes.”

“So, she won’t be excited or disturbed by her crimes, right? It’s just part of her daily life.”

“Yes. Lee Ye-seo believes she’s living a normal life, like anyone else. So, from the outside, there’s nothing particularly odd about her.”

Though her actions were horrific, everything appeared normal on the outside.

For Ha-eun, there was no need to understand these words in depth.

‘...It’s a strange feeling.’

She had already been forced to act normal while hiding her true self for so long.

The only difference between Ha-eun and Lee Ye-seo was whether or not that deceptive acting was voluntary.

The fact that Lee Ye-seo was a third-generation chaebol.

The fact that she appeared to be living a normal life.

The fact that she never showed her emotions—these were all things Ha-eun could relate to.

Most importantly, the reason why someone abnormal could appear normal to others was because of their home environment, just like Ha-eun's.

“Lee Ye-seo received a third-generation chaebol’s education from a young age. Aside from a few close associates, no one could even guess her real nature because she was so meticulous about managing her image.”

She hid herself because there was a need to do so.

Legally.

Or, regardless of what was morally right or wrong.

“However, it’s not that she hides her true self because she considers herself a villain. She hides it because if others find out, things will get messy.”

She simply hides it for her personal reasons.

There was no concept of good and evil in her actions.

“For Lee Ye-seo, there’s no such thing as ‘things you shouldn’t do.’ There’s only ‘things that will get noisy if you do them.’”

Even though she committed several illegal acts, it was because she wanted to.

She tormented people because she wanted to, she played with people because she wanted to, and she killed people because she wanted to.

As long as she wasn’t caught, it didn’t matter what she did.

It was simple, really, and Lee Ye-seo’s reasoning was simple and straightforward.

Therefore, even when she committed morally undesirable acts, she wasn’t excited or disturbed.

As long as she wasn’t caught, it was no problem.

There was no reason for her to be emotional about it in the first place.

“Lee Ye-seo is someone who doesn’t hesitate or waver when doing anything. Even after completing a task, she doesn’t feel relief or thrill.”

For Lee Ye-seo, every moment was just part of her ordinary life.

From the moment she woke up in the morning to the moment she closed her eyes at night, there was nothing special.

Kim Hong-seong said that in Veterans, there wouldn’t be any scenes showing Lee Ye-seo feeling guilty.

The morality and ethics that people should naturally have shouldn’t be Lee Ye-seo’s criteria for judgment.

“There have been many villains who are intoxicated by their evil deeds. But villains whose evil actions are just part of their everyday life are rare.”

The mask of ‘normalcy’ was naturally worn as Lee Ye-seo maintained her lifestyle.

However, Lee Ye-seo behaves as if her evil actions fall under the category of ‘normal.’

The most important thing about playing Lee Ye-seo would be to make her crimes seem like a part of her daily life.

Her attitude toward businessmen and toward her ‘toys’ shouldn’t differ.

“She’ll speak formally to anyone older than her, and she’ll have normal casual conversations. She’s quite calm, you could say.”

It was the calmness with which she toyed with people that was the issue.

Kim Hong-seong succinctly explained Lee Ye-seo’s psychopathic traits and concluded:

“Right now, you and I, Yoo Sung-jae, need to act as if we could be killed by Ha-eun. Or rather, by Lee Ye-seo. It’s not an easy role.”

For the audience of Veterans, Lee Ye-seo had to be seen as someone who would kill anyone if she felt like it.

At no point should there be any moral consideration in her actions.

“But I think you could perform this role well, Ha-eun. I’ve never seen a poker face like yours.”

Kim Hong-seong still couldn’t read Ha-eun’s emotions.

Though her presence was striking, he couldn’t tell what she was thinking or feeling.

Ironically, Ha-eun’s unreadable nature was what made Kim Hong-seong think she was a perfect fit for Lee Ye-seo.

As expected, Ha-eun’s answer came without any sign of emotional fluctuation.

All that was heard was her calm voice.

“I’ll do it.”

Thud.

Ha-eun placed the Veterans script lightly on the table.

“I’ll need to discuss it with the company, but personally, I think it’s a role I’d really like.”

She seemed confident in her ability to act.

Her quiet mutterings contained multiple meanings.

‘Perhaps... maybe...’

If Ha-eun, in her past life, had been a bit more proactive, would she have walked a path similar to Lee Ye-seo’s?

Even though she never intended to enjoy committing murder.

Wasn’t deceiving others for her own needs, without moral consideration, something similar to Lee Ye-seo’s actions?

Either way, there was no denying that Ha-eun in her past life didn’t have a normal perspective.

She probably didn’t even know what was morally right or wrong.

Maybe it was because she didn’t know right from wrong that she kept enduring the abuse from her parents.

‘...Back then, I thought everything was my fault.’

The misfortunes she had to endure in her past life were all believed to come from her own failings.

She thought that if she had done better, or if she had been perfect, she wouldn’t have had to go through it.

She never really thought it was wrong.

Because of that, she had to die with a twisted sense of values until the very end.

But now, it was different.

She had to be different.

“Thank you for the great offer. I’ll make sure to give a good answer after consulting with the company.”

She had decided to participate in a movie that would later break the ten million viewer mark.

The character of Lee Ye-seo, who appeared normal but wasn’t, was a reflection of Ha-eun’s past self.

For Ha-eun, she didn’t want to be held back by painful memories.

Ultimately, she wanted to completely shed her past life.

“Good thing I took your call, Sung-jae. Thanks.”

“Just saying?”

“...Should I buy you a coffee?”

“Oh, half of that was a joke.”

***

"Ha-eun, are you going to the bell-ringing ceremony with your parents?"

It was just after the filming of The Sunshine had finished. As usual, Ha-eun had gotten into her van, and Ju Jung-yoon asked her about the night ahead.

The response that came back was a negative one.

"I have something else to do. My parents are the only ones going to the bell-ringing ceremony."

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёwebnovel.com.

"At midnight? What kind of work could you possibly have?"

"I have something important to take care of."

Of course, the real reason wasn’t revealed to Ju Jung-yoon.

And so, with some lingering uncertainty, Ju Jung-yoon dropped Ha-eun off at her house.

"Then, we’ll talk about your appearance in Veterans tomorrow at the company?"

"Yes."

"Hmm, even though you're working on January 1st..."

"I could just take a taxi by myself."

"No, you can't. If you take a taxi, I’ll get in trouble."

After saying they’d meet in the morning, Ju Jung-yoon and her van disappeared into the distance.

Ha-eun's "important task" began about two hours later.

Click.

<Spending the last of this year together─☆>