I Don’t Want to Play Villains Anymore - Chapter 37
Entrance Ceremony
Sunshine filtered through the window, creating a soft glow in the room.
The neatly arranged room had white, light curtains that swayed slightly in the breeze.
And beyond those curtains, a Shin Sound seeped in quietly like the breath of spring.
“Haneul, how long has it been since we slept in like this together?”
I slowly opened my eyes.
A fluffy, warm blanket enveloped me, accompanied by a familiar warmth beside me.
Mom, who I thought was sleeping, was quietly smiling next to me.
“…Hmm. I’m not sure.”
My mouth answered first. I was still half-asleep with my eyes half-closed.
An instinctive reaction close to unconsciousness. But Mom didn’t stop smiling.
She still looked like she was in her late twenties, as if she hadn’t aged at all.
“It’s been twelve years since you were five, right?”
I opened my eyes a little wider to that comment.
The sunlight on my shoulder was warm, and the air inside the blanket was cozy, so I had no mind to get up yet…
“Already Haneul is entering high school.”
“Yes. That’s…”
A brief pause.
Reality followed.
And only then did my body react half-heartedly.
“…What?”
I jumped up suddenly.
I felt cold sweat forming on my neck.
My heart started to beat, a couple of beats behind.
“High, high school? Today is the entrance ceremony…?”
Mom was already sitting up, rising from the pillow.
She tied her hair up tightly and patted my head with practiced hands.
“Right. The entrance ceremony. Today.”
I squinted my eyes and looked at the clock.
1:12 PM.
It seemed late, but the entrance ceremony for Hande Entertainment Arts High School was at 2 PM.
If I ran from our house to the school, it would take about 16 minutes; I knew that…
“Not good…”
“Nice words.”
Silence.
“Get up quickly, daughter.”
Mom smiled slowly, and that smile had a teasing air to it.
“Are you going to be late for the entrance ceremony?”
‘Suha, a child actor, is going to be late for the entrance ceremony.’
Not good. I could hear ominous sounds from somewhere…!
I threw the blanket over my tousled hair and dashed out the front door.
The world was still chilly with spring not fully realized, and the cold air clung to my neck.
“I’m off to school!”
“Okay. Have a good day!”
I gently pressed my lips together, then chuckled.
‘…I’m really a high school student now.’
And I repeated that in my mind.
This time, not acting but for real.
The first chapter of a true story beginning with my name.
The story of Baek Ha-neul. It felt like that.
And it turned out that Chagok Entertainment had prepared a car, so I arrived in just five minutes.
Me. I was just about to start.
.
.
.
.
Hande Entertainment Arts High School.
The prestigious high school producing idols at the top level.
It’s the reality closest to a place where every student is a handsome or beautiful face you’d only see in a Japanese manga.
A school where even idol stars visit for the entrance ceremony, full of entertainers.
That’s why they allow restricted access from broadcasters for entrance and graduation ceremonies.
Just by the name Hande Arts High School, it becomes a hot topic.
Thus, the crowds gathering for the entrance ceremony naturally become a topic of conversation.
The subtle information battles among reporters are, in some ways, a given.
“This entrance ceremony has the rookie Su-a from Chukseong Entertainment. She was really cute.”
“No, Seo Hyun-woo from Pureun Tree Entertainment. His acting is a real dark horse.”
When everyone was slowly getting apprehensive due to the lack of information…
“Baek Ha-neul.”
Once those three syllables slipped out, a silence fell as if even the breeze had stopped.
Who is Baek Ha-neul?
Upon hearing that name, people think of ‘scene’ before they think of ‘actor.’
The ad where she shouted “Sparkle Pang Pang~!” while riding on a slushie, just like an idol.
Yeomra, the boy who devoured the background in Quiet God’s story.
Even our Yoon Na-rae, who lost her cute and lively sparkle.
All included in her filmography.
But the real deal is ‘The Villain’s Diary.’
In The Villain’s Diary, she was an absolute shock.
Average viewer ratings of 30%, with peak ratings surpassing 35%.
The character ‘Suha,’ who was the heart and focal point of the drama, was played by the actress.
A five-year-old child, laughing while talking about m*rder like it was a game.
When she cut an eraser in half and said, “That way both of us can use it, right?”
With that one remark, the world’s sense of ‘innocence’ felt twisted.
And viewers watching that scene couldn’t say “just acting.”
Because it was terrifying.
In front of the camera, that small child performed as if she were looking at the millions of people behind it.
Even though she ‘acted,’ she was doubted as an actress.
“Isn’t that really the case?”
“What did they make that child do?”
“This is ab*se, not acting.”
When countless comments and criticisms poured in, people finally started to remember her name.
Baek Ha-neul.
In a child actor world where cuteness was everything,
She was the only child rated as ‘dangerous.’
When she smiled, it was cute, and when she cried, it was supposed to be pitiful, as was expected.
However, her smile looked bizarre, and her tears evoked discomfort.
She created all those feelings with just the face of a five-year-old.
Not emotionless, but void.
Not of purity, but emptiness.
And at that time, she spoke the last line in the child’s Shin Sound.
[The Teacher’s last world must have been filled with me.]
Until now, there hasn’t been a child actor in South Korea who could deliver such chilling, beautiful, and cruelly clear performances.
And that’s why.
At that moment, when the name ‘Baek Ha-neul’ came up,
Everyone present’s bl**d ran cold for a reason.
Reporters, officials, and even heads of entertainment agencies.
Because they all acknowledged the ‘danger’ and ‘glory’ of her existence at once.
Simply,
It wasn’t because she was just a well-acting child.
Simply,
It wasn’t just because she was a rookie appearing in a couple of successful dramas.
That child shook the ‘threshold.’
The boundary between child and actor.
The border between acting and reality.
And, the depth of emotions that people can endure.
Right in the middle of that boundary stands the name ‘Baek Ha-neul.’
“…Is she really coming?”
Someone asked cautiously.
Camera shutters clicked in the hands of reporters, broadcasters holding microphones, and industry officials who were chatting about entertainment rumors beside them.
At that moment, all attention turned to a single person.
“Yes. Baek Ha-neul is entering Hande Arts High School.”
That statement was akin to saying that the world was ready to whirl again.
The person who spoke looked indifferent, yet wore a proud smile.
With tousled black hair and a stylish suit, the naturally curled hair flowed along his forehead as if it were moist.
His sharp jaw and prominent nose, along with long, piercing eyes, made him believable as an actor.
However, what caught attention first was his smiling mouth.
It was a familiar smile.
To be precise, it was a smile only someone who understands victory can wear.
“And you are?”
A reporter cautiously asked.
Only then did they realize, and they all started to raise their smartphones.
“I’m Seong Jeong-hoon, the head of the agency that got Haneul. Nice to meet you, reporters.”
Seong Jeong-hoon.
A man who built a solid career in the C-series and innovated several projects in the indie film world.
And then he suddenly disappeared.
Rumors floated around.
Some said he went to a hidden retreat, some said he got caught up in industry battles and retired.
But everyone knew one thing—he was not just a ‘planner,’ but someone who moves the pieces.
And now,
He had returned to the industry.
With just one person’s name.
Baek Ha-neul.
“Baek Ha-neul, is that the Yeomra?”
“No, she’s the face of The Villain’s Diary. You’re saying she’s becoming a high school student now?”
“Is that confirmed information?”
Questions flooded in as reporters swarmed in. Seong Jeong-hoon looked to the back as if he expected this.
At that moment.
The back door of the vehicle opened slowly.
And within, a girl stepped out.
Under the sunlight, her silver hair shimmered.
Her uniquely blue eyes sparkled in contrast with her navy school uniform.
With a neat white shirt, a perfectly tied tie, and a gaze that seemed overwhelming.
It was Baek Ha-neul.
“…”
A brief silence.
Without a word, she walked slowly forward.
A strand of hair streamed behind her, and her sneakers made quiet sounds against the asphalt.
The microphones held by reporters began to tremble.
Though no one voiced it, everyone felt it.
This was not just an entrance.
It was the moment for a second act to begin under the name ‘Baek Ha-neul.’
Seong Jeong-hoon followed slowly behind her with a smile.
He looked a bit weary, but there was certainty in his smile.
“I didn’t choose Ha-neul. Ha-neul chose our agency.”
The following reporters began to throw questions in unison.
“Ha-neul! Is there a reason you chose Hande Arts High School?”
“Will you continue acting while in high school?”
“There are rumors about a sequel to The Villain’s Diary or plans for a movie. Will you be participating?”
Questions rained down as if poured from a bucket.
But Ha-neul didn’t stop.
She just looked ahead with her characteristic emptiness.
Then, suddenly.
She paused.
Her feet came to a stop on the asphalt.
Slowly turning her face to meet the reporters directly.
“…Right now.”
A firm and clear Shin Sound echoed.
“I will focus on my role as a student.”
Camera shutters roared.
Click, click.
Dozens of cameras simultaneously began capturing her face.
And she smiled briefly.
Not the famous ‘Suha’s smile.’
But a truly innocent, girl-like smile.
Yet within it, there remained an unknown depth.
‘This child hasn’t even begun yet.’
A sense of intuition flowed among the reporters.
Haneul lowered her head again, adjusted her bag strap, and walked slowly through the school gates.
As her silhouette grew smaller, the camera flashes gradually dimmed.
And someone mumbled.
“…Hande Arts High School has taken on another legend.”
It was just as that saying went.