I Don’t Want to Play Villains Anymore - Chapter 25
The
“…Soon everyone will just be taking pictures of kids?”
Choi Hae-jun, a reporter from the Culture Department of the Jung Sin Daily, was famous for his slow news updates.
No, to be precise, he was the type to process information slowly and respond at a leisurely pace.
Regarding the myriad of rumors and buzz circulating in the industry, he always reacted two or three beats behind.
“Isn’t Haneul amazing?”
“Haneul who…?”
That was exactly how he felt just a week ago.
The culture department’s editor-in-chief had almost lost it, and while Hae-jun was reluctantly doing a fund research about ‘Baek Ha-neul,’ he slowly began to notice something.
‘Huh…?’
This kid is a bit strange.
After watching several interviews and a bunch of lengthy video clips on YouTube, he felt a strange incongruity.
Beyond just acting well, her gaze captured by the camera felt more like ‘Buram’ than an ‘actor’.
She was emotional on camera.
However, her interviews were answered flatly without any emotion.
With fiery eyes in front of reporters, she continued her speech without a hint of agitation.
Five years old.
At this age?
“…No way.”
They must have done some editing and exaggerated a bit.
He remained half-convinced.
And so, when he attended today’s ‘Gong Mu-heon’s new project launch,’ that was his initial thought.
Let’s verify whether this ‘rising genius child actor’ is for real or just a media-hyped product.
That was the theme of today’s gathering.
Camera check. Laptop set up. Confirming microphone status.
Flash adjustment was complete, and he was all set for the coverage.
As he waited, the stage lights turned on.
With the vice president’s entrance, the black-suited Gong Mu-heon entered first.
‘Oh… It’s been a long time.’
As expected, a few reporters murmured quietly among themselves.
Flashes went off, followed by the actors trailing behind.
Lee Jae-wook, a charming young actor. Today, in reality, he was effortlessly idol-like.
‘Yes, an actor should have this presence.’
But—
That moment.
A small silhouette appeared in a fitted dress.
‘Is that Baek Ha-neul?’
She was too small. Too quiet, and there was no hesitation in her steps.
The fingertips that pressed down on the camera shutter paused for no reason.
While other reporters diligently took pictures, Hae-jun had started to hold his breath.
That child walked forward.
But saying “walked” didn’t quite capture it; it felt more like she “appeared, dominating the stage.”
Her gaze was different.
Unwavering, clear, and deep.
‘What is this kid…’
Something was different from other child actors.
As the vice president began the questions, she too prepared to raise her hand.
However, as always with his delayed reaction, he couldn’t speak up, and another reporter holding the microphone spoke.
“Baek Ha-neul, I heard this role is your first villainous character. Were you feeling any pressure?”
All the lights focused on Baek Ha-neul.
She gazed straight ahead without flinching, and quietly spoke.
“Instead of a villain, the character ‘Suha’ is… a pure individual.”
Mature.
Not as a five-year-old, but as if she were a seasoned actress in her forties.
“Because it’s pure, it’s cruel, perhaps? I haven’t had many roles up until now, but since this performance differs significantly, it might require some effort.”
He subconsciously pulled out his reporter’s notebook and wrote down a large sentence.
[Baek Ha-neul, five years old. Her way of speaking is more dangerous than an adult’s.]
This child knows something.
Not like an actor, but rather like a philosopher.
“Next question, please. Haneul, this drama’s villain is part of a thriller. There are many concerns about whether you can handle it well…”
In that moment, the reporters’ hands froze.
The typing sounds of keyboards halted, the scribbling sounds on notebooks ceased.
Everyone, ah, that moment struck.
What replaced it was the lingering resonance of her short and powerful sentence.
“Acting is like spilling paint, reporter. Such cruel performances might be better suited for a canvas like me rather than something richly layered.”
Silence flowed, and then—
The flash burst. The shutters clicked furiously.
Someone might have already saved just her words as news footage.
The reporter’s fingertips trembled and moved again.
‘Paint, canvas. Baek Ha-neul. Is she really five years old?’
“Hmm…”
The vice president seemed a bit flustered and cleared his throat.
Gong Mu-heon maintained a neutral expression, but if observed closely, the corners of his mouth slightly rose.
‘This is a different kind of actor.’
He mumbled inwardly and glanced at Haneul.
In his gaze, there was a mixture of admiration and awe, as if to say, you are more impressive than I am right now.
Lee Jae-wook was also seated there, visibly taken aback by her words.
He had also received praise for being a genius in his own right, but this was on the level of a five-year-old verbally piercing through reporters.
He couldn’t help but mumble inwardly while looking at Haneul.
‘Her ability to act is great, and she’s not just skilled with words… but she’s genuinely profound?’
Haneul was still calmly seated on the platform.
A quiet breath, a poised posture.
But her presence was stronger than anyone else’s.
She wasn’t shining.
It felt as if she had sharp eyes glinting from within the shadows.
There was none of the cute childish speech.
No laughter intermixed with her words.
Every sentence carried logic, emotion, and a peculiar elegance.
A reporter raised a hasty hand.
“So, Haneul, while acting as the character ‘Suha,’ what’s the most important perspective for you?”
At that moment, Haneul briefly paused for the first time.
She closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath.
And when she opened her eyes, they held the gaze of an ‘actor.’
“Detachment and emotional numbness.”
The reporter was taken aback.
“Excuse…?”
Haneul continued with her thoughtful speech.
“Suha is not a child without emotions. She is a child with emotions but chooses to ignore them.”
She slightly bowed her head and finished her words.
“So, I will play with an erased emotion. Not pretending to erase it, but truly erasing it. When I laugh or cry, just… without any meaning.”
As her speech ended, the air on the podium indeed transformed.
Everyone recognized.
The child sitting up there was.
Not just a cute child actor.
Not someone merely playing a role.
But an actor who continues to prove who she is through her acting.
The flash went off once more.
Haneul’s eyes, confronted by that light, quietly closed.
And—
As if nothing had happened, she slowly opened her eyes again.
“Are there no more questions?”
That single phrase determined today’s headlines for all the reporters.
[Five-year-old philosopher, child actor Baek Ha-neul. Sitting on the platform, gazing at the world.]
.
.
.
Lee Jae-wook.
Undoubtedly, the most ‘popular’ male actor these days.
In the entertainment industry, if his name is missing, the project plan doesn’t hold.
Whether in dramas, films, or advertisements, just his presence makes the search trends soar.
He was undeniably the hottest face right now.
His looks… well, anyone could see he was handsome.
Clear features, a long straight nose, a sharply defined jawline.
When he smiled, his eyes squinted halfway, adding to his charm.
A good-looking guy who also seems to have great character.
An ideal type for ‘best boyfriend’ and ‘perfect brother-in-law’.
Moreover, he had shown his acting talent since his child actor days.
He had played leading roles since his teenage years and was an actor who could portray any emotional nuance effortlessly.
“The phrase ‘a face genius who can also act’ personified appeared to be Lee Jae-wook.”
“Whoa. I was quite surprised…”
After the launch conference ended, he quickly dashed out, avoiding group outings as if he was running away.
The reason was that he was slightly shocked by Haneul.
‘She wasn’t just good at acting.’
He pressed the mask firmly on his face and adjusted the cap slightly.
He slipped away from the gathering like a fugitive.
He believed Gong Mu-heon, the production team, and everyone would understand.
He didn’t make excuses like ‘I have a bad cold’ or ‘I have other matters,’ simply bowing his head and exiting quietly.
He took a deep breath.
The air was quite chilly.
The atmosphere outside hadn’t yet fully transitioned into spring, lingering somewhere vaguely warm.
He walked slowly down the quiet alley.
The sky was already dark, and only the quiet glow of streetlights illuminated the walls.
“Ha…”
Lee Jae-wook sighed deeply beneath his mask.
‘Considering her a mere child actor was naive…’
He had never looked down on child actors even for a moment.
But today, Baek Ha-neul did not fit into any category of child actors he had anticipated.
The words she uttered in interviews.
The way her gaze adjusted emotions with precise control.
And the calmness, as if consuming someone’s essence whole while speaking.
‘To declare she would act without emotion, that’s quite a resolution.’
Lee Jae-wook chuckled.
Yes, that was the issue.
Simply being good at acting and being able to express one’s philosophy through acting are different.
That was beyond what a child could show.
‘This is pure genius, genius…’
He took out his phone and opened the search bar.
‘Baek Ha-neul’
That name already had ten trending articles.
– “Baek Ha-neul in ‘Villain Diary,’ ‘Acting is practicing erasing emotions.'”
– “[On-site report] Baek Ha-neul, child actor or monster?”
– Gong Mu-heon says, “Beyond an actor… I believe in Haneul.”
He turned off his phone and looked up at Haneul once again.
He had often stood with many actors and felt he was standing among them.
But this child felt different.
Not just in her acting, but there was some power in her very existence that drew in an unsettling aura.
And then that moment came.
From a distance—
A little figure appeared, running toward him under the streetlight.
“Mommy!”
“Haneul!”
A familiar voice.
And the arms of a woman snugly embracing the little child.
Wearing a fuzzy coat, the familiar face.
‘…Huh?’
With his mask still on, Lee Jae-wook stood silently still.
“Hehehe. I did well in the interviews today, right?”
“You did really well, our Haneul. How about food? Were you not tired?”
“It was a bit exhausting… but seeing mommy’s face, everything became better.”
It was Baek Ha-neul.
In the place where the lights had turned off.
The spot that illuminated the stage.
In a quiet corner, she was just a ‘child.’
Laughing while tugging at her parent’s sleeves, touching her mom’s coat, leaning her head on her mother, whispering, “It feels warm.”
“…She was really a child.”
Lee Jae-wook muttered to himself.
The child who was praised by everyone as a genius.
At that moment, she was just an ordinary five-year-old you could find anywhere in the world.
Buried in her cozy mother’s coat, smiling, kissing her mother’s cheek, and demanding, “I want to eat chocolate.”
Lee Jae-wook watched that scene for a while, then slowly bowed his head.
“…So cute.”
It was literal.
She had been the strongest actor at that moment.
But at this moment, she was— the cutest and sweetest being in the world.
As he quietly left that place, he chuckled into his mask.
‘Acting truly is a terrifying thing.’
And deep inside his heart, another resolution blossomed.
In scenes with this child,
He would never trivialize any moment.
Because—
When the camera rolls,
That child would become a monster once more.