Chapter 1

**Villain Only Acting 001**

Three years, barely three minutes.

"The traffic is so bad. It's not moving at all."

"Hey, be quiet. I'm listening to the radio."

- Fellow citizens, the comet 3I/McDarian is expected to pass close to Earth soon!

- Can you see that small sun-like object crossing the sky? As the third interstellar comet McDarian approaches Earth, you will witness a beautiful luminous phenomenon!

- Do not, under any circumstances, miss this amazing astronomical event, which has never been seen in human history!

"Why do you secretly take the car out and get me into accidents? You use the car, so why do I have to drive?"

"Mrs. Lee Jeongsuk's son, why don't you speak more politely to your sister?"

-Breaking news! The comet's orbit has changed! It is now heading directly towards Earth instead of passing by! But don't worry! By the time it reaches the Earth's surface, it will have shrunk enough not to cause significant damage!

"Hey! Jeong Seohoon! That! That! Isn't that the comet?"

"Damn! Everyone is stopping to look, so the car isn't moving!"

-Reports indicate that experts from the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, and other countries are making all necessary preparations to move to the comet's impact site immediately...

"What? What? It's getting bigger? It's getting bigger! It's getting bigger!"

"What's getting bigger?"

"The comet is coming this way! Ah! We're all going to die, we're all going to die!"

"What's coming this way? You're just putting on a show because you don't want to drive, right?"

Jeong Seohoon could see it clearly.

A massive flash, like a nuclear explosion, was charging towards him, engulfing his entire field of vision.

He was the only one who fell into the flash created by the comet's kinetic energy.

***

Everything had changed.

He had set out to pick up his sister from an audition at his mother's request, but now he found himself in a different world, trapped in a traffic jam.

Shouts, cries, and the awkwardly synchronized stomping of boots.

A huge officer mercilessly kicked a young soldier who was crying and pleading.

Endless lines of soldiers stood in front of and behind him.

Warships were swallowing soldiers one by one.

A propaganda officer in a uniform shouted loudly.

"The battle in this sea is very important! If we do not recapture the Kordot Sea, your country, your families, and your friends will all be trampled! You must fight without sparing your lives!"

The cold touch of the rifle and the hard weight of the equipment pressed down on Jeong Seohoon's consciousness.

"What... where am I?"

Honk! Honk! Honk!

"Wh... what...?"

"What... what...?"

"What are you doing! What are you doing! What are you doing!"

Amidst the loud honking, the screeching of his mother's eldest daughter gradually became clearer.

Suddenly, Jeong Seohoon sprang up and lunged towards his mother's eldest daughter in the passenger seat.

"Hey? Are you crazy? Why aren't we moving? Hurry up and start the car!"

Miraculously, he grabbed the brake.

If he had been a little slower, he would have broken her neck violently.

Jeong Seohoon blinked several times and stared at his mother's eldest daughter.

He quickly scanned his surroundings, like a soldier dropped into an unfamiliar place, nervously checking his surroundings.

The 'trained calmness' soon asked an important question.

"How long has it been since the comet fell?"

"About three minutes? No, let's just start moving! I'm going to be late!"

Jeong Seohoon calmly gripped the steering wheel and pressed the accelerator.

As the car started moving, the loud honking gradually decreased.

'Three minutes? Not three years?'

He had fought for three years on the battlefield.

He had thought his life as Jeong Seohoon was just a dream.

Was it because the 'memory of Jeong Seohoon' had been blurry for so long?

His arms, holding the steering wheel, trembled slightly, and his heart pounded loudly.

He bit his lip and forcibly suppressed the excitement of his nerves.

He struggled to recall the old memories and asked a question.

"What happened to the comet?"

"It was huge. It suddenly changed course and fell on Gwanak Mountain. The traffic there must be completely paralyzed right now."

"Gwanak Mountain..."

"The school facilities were also damaged. You're lucky you're on leave."

School, leave.

All of it felt unfamiliar to Jeong Seohoon.

It was like wearing clothes that didn't fit.

The screams of the battlefield kept ringing in his ears.

'Jeong Seohoon's life... I thought it was just a dream.'

Confusion lingered in his mind.

His arms were still trembling.

It felt like he was wearing the wrong clothes and dragged onto a stage he didn't want to be on.

Jeong Seohoon's memories had returned, but he felt like he wasn't Jeong Seohoon.

The sound of artillery in his ears wouldn't go away.

To overcome the intense sense of alienation, Jeong Seohoon tried to find something to say.

To sound like Jeong Seohoon.

"So, are you still going to auditions?"

"What?"

"You seem pretty impressive."

At the words he had barely managed to recall from his memory, his blood relative furrowed her brow.

Her name was probably...

'Jeong Su-yeon, right?'

Jeong Su-yeon lifted her eyes and stared at him with a look of annoyance.

"Why? Are you mocking me for still not getting it together and going to actor auditions? Are you scared I'll drain the family's savings trying to be an actor? Are you worried you won't have money for your tuition?"

"..."

"Cut it out. Update your brain. Do I look like I'm going to an audition?"

"You said you were going to an audition?"

"I'm going as a staff member, Mrs. Lee Jeongsuk's eldest son. I haven't had 'actor syndrome' in a long time. Do you still think I'm a severe patient?"

"..."

The memories came flooding back.

'Actor syndrome,' 'severe patient.'

All of it was what Jeong Seohoon, or rather, he himself, had said.

Jeong Su-yeon, who hadn't changed her expression, sneered and buried her head in a pile of papers again.

***

Jeong Su-yeon was a production staff member.

She had originally dreamed of being an actor but gave up after repeated disappointments due to her lack of camera presence.

However, she couldn't completely leave the entertainment industry and continued working as a production staff member.

She drove the car because she had to pick up colleagues and carry equipment.

Her mother always drove her to reduce her daughter's workload.

But she didn't give her the keys to prevent her from getting into a major accident.

"Hey, what are you doing? Hurry up and get in!"

"Me?"

"You just want to drive and get paid, Mrs. Lee Jeongsuk's eldest son? Mrs. Lee Jeongsuk is very strict about this. If you don't do your job properly, you won't get paid today."

Jeong Seohoon called his mother to confirm the facts.

-What? I'll give you 150,000 won to help your sister. It's not like you're doing it once or twice.

Only then did he remember that he occasionally did such part-time jobs.

On the surface, he would frown and curse, but inside, he loved it.

He would carry a few bags, drive a bit, and then wait around to get 150,000 won.

His mother didn't mention the money because they had already agreed on it.

Jeong Seohoon carried the luggage and moved into the broadcasting station.

In the narrow corridor, filled with numerous actors, reporters, staff, and directors, he suddenly felt dizzy and his hands trembled.

It felt like there were enemy soldiers hiding in the bustling scene, ready to attack him.

'Damn.'

He suppressed the lingering war trauma and followed Jeong Su-yeon with the luggage.