Chapter 06
A few days after the first shoot.
Even after the day he caught the crew’s eye in his role as the assassin, Yeonhui’s daily life went on as usual.
Sshhhh—
Just past midnight.
Yeonhui, who had been sleeping like the dead, quietly rose and pulled open the curtains.
Through the window near ground level, he saw bits of trash fluttering in the wind. Yeonhui quickly got ready to go out.
“Hoo, hoo.”
Under the moonlit night with a cold wind blowing,
Yeonhui, wearing a beanie pulled low, ran slowly along the street, his breath forming visible puffs.
He had never been taught or forced to do it, but it was a routine he had maintained since childhood.
After running for about 30 minutes,
Yeonhui arrived at a milk distribution center lined with motorcycles.
“You’re here, Yeonhui. Ah, just a sec.”
When Yeonhui slid open the door, a woman in her mid-40s with a lean frame—Yoon Mijin, the manager—greeted him with her sharp voice.
She had been nagging another man about a delivery mistake, but turned to Yeonhui with a softened expression.
“It snowed a lot today, Yeonhui. Be careful driving.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The look in Yoon Mijin’s eyes toward Yeonhui resembled that of a seasoned fisherman looking at a reliable dam.
And rightly so.
Yeonhui had long been the ace in charge of the most difficult delivery routes at this location.
“Congrats on finishing your first shoot. Were you nervous?”
“Thank you. Everyone was helpful, so it went smoothly.”
“That’s our ace. Hey, if you stop by the cafe later, tell my little brother a bit about the set. Ever since he gave you a ride, he won’t shut up about it.”
The “little brother” she mentioned was Yoon Taekyung, who had driven Yeonhui to the filming location a few days ago.
It was also Yoon Mijin who introduced Yeonhui to Taekyung as a great part-timer for his café.
Remembering her brother’s excitement, she shook her head.
“I will. I’ll be back later.”
“Alright. Be careful.”
After leaving the milk shop,
Yeonhui climbed hills and passed villas, diligently continuing his deliveries.
“Hoo. Two flights down. Next is the third.”
After repeatedly climbing up and down a five-story villa with no elevator, Yeonhui wiped his sweat as he exhaled.
Back when he lived as a killer named Pilyeon, he hadn’t even had time to train his stamina due to missions and skill drills.
So he’d squeeze in physical training during scraps of spare time—running or taking stairs whenever possible.
Perhaps those habits lingered into the present.
Even as a child, long before regaining memories of his past life, Yeonhui had already been using idle time to train his body.
Once he regained awareness of his past, he realized these habits were remnants of that life—and he just shrugged bitterly at the realization.
“That’s it for today.”
By the time he stepped down from the villa at the base of the hill, it was already 4 a.m.
After returning the motorcycle to the milk center, Yeonhui ran back home.
He showered quickly, drew the curtains, and lay down.
It wasn’t long before—
“Morning already?”
Sunlight slipping through the curtains woke him—it was already 8 a.m.
Time for his second part-time job.
After getting ready again, Yeonhui grabbed a piece of bread in his mouth and dashed out the door.
He arrived at a small café by the roadside.
Stretching his hand up, he opened the door and hurried inside to prep the cafe for opening.
While arranging utensils and sweeping the floor, a man entered the café.
“Yeonhui? You’re opening today?”
A man in his early 40s—Yoon Taekyung, the café owner and Yeonhui’s filming chauffeur from a few days ago.
As he opened the cash register and filled it with bills, he glanced at Yeonhui organizing cups.
“Seriously, how does he keep surprising me? One day he’s suddenly in a drama.”
Maybe it was the way the sunlight spilled gently through the window,
but standing by the sink, quietly organizing the equipment, Yeonhui looked dazzling in Taekyung’s eyes.
“He really does have a rare face. Strangely, he doesn’t stand out much in crowds, though.”
Whether he noticed the attention or not, Yeonhui expertly dealt with customers.
“Welcome.”
“One hot Americano, please.”
“Certainly. A hot Americano coming right up. I’ll help you with payment.”
After the lunchtime rush, when the café quieted down,
Yeonhui, who had taken off his apron to rest, caught Taekyung’s attention.
“Hey. You didn’t forget we’re watching the premiere together today, right?”
Today was the broadcast of the drama The King’s Dignity.
Taekyung had suggested they watch the premiere together at the café.
Yeonhui folded his apron and hesitated.
“It’s just a walk-on role. I barely had any lines or screen time.”
“But it’s your debut. You said you even did additional filming. That’s worth celebrating.”
“At most, it’s like 3 minutes on screen. Not really worth…”
“Hyun wants to see you too. If you keep dodging, I’ll be hurt.”
Relentlessly pushed, Yeonhui finally nodded.
Later that evening,
After stopping home briefly, Yeonhui returned to the café.
The moment he stepped inside, something small wrapped around his leg.
“Hyun, what are you doing out here? It’s cold.”
He looked down to see a boy around six years old—Yoon Ihyun—raising his arms up toward him.
Yeonhui picked him up naturally.
Ihyun quietly wrapped his arms around Yeonhui’s neck, as if it were the most familiar place in the world.
“Are you going to kindergarten okay?”
Nod nod.
“Did you play well with your friends?”
No response—just a snuggle deeper into Yeonhui’s arms.
‘Still the same. Though his expression’s gotten a bit better.’
Yoon Ihyun, Yoon Mijin’s son, smaller than others his age.
He’d lost the ability to speak after suffering a serious illness.
He avoided everyone and was terrified of people—except, oddly, for Yeonhui.
More than his mom. Even more than Uncle Taekyung.
“Shall we go see your mom?”
Carrying Ihyun, Yeonhui approached the counter—
“Stop right there.”
It was Yoon Mijin, still wearing an apron, who halted him.
“The big Hyung is heavy. Want to come to Mommy?”
Ihyun’s answer was to cling even tighter around Yeonhui’s neck.
Yoon Mijin shook her head.
“You never do that to me. Hyun. Your Hyung’s been working all day…”
“….”
“It’s okay,” Yeonhui said gently.
Taekyung smiled beside Mijin.
“Still glued to Hyung today, huh? You really love him?”
“You’re gonna wear poor Yeonhui out, little guy.”
Leaving mom and uncle behind, Yeonhui sat with Ihyun in a seat with a good view of the projector screen.
Soon the ads ended and The King’s Dignity began.
“Calling a loyal subject a traitor… this is madness!”
“Petitions demanding severe punishment for the Left Chancellor are pouring in from the scholars!”
As actor Jo Soonyeol and other supporting cast members played out intense scenes on screen, Yeonhui gently stroked Ihyun’s hair.
The boy, trying to stay awake with his mouth slightly open, looked so endearing to Yeonhui.
Time passed quietly—
“Isn’t that the guy in black?”
Yoon Mijin pointed at the screen where, under the shadow of a thatched house, the assassin—Yeonhui—appeared.
He dashed toward the courtyard where an official was bowing.
Whoosh—
“Mm…!”
There was a brief close-up of the assassin lowering his head in silence as wind rushed by.
‘Slow and awkward. I know this body isn’t fully trained, but still… that’s all I could manage?’
Yeonhui gave a bitter smile as he watched.
The assassin moved from cover to cover before delivering a final blow to the official.
Recalling how he moved as Pilyeon in the past, his current movements felt painfully slow and clumsy.
“Whoa— Yeonhui, your action was amazing. And that look in your eyes when you pulled out the sword! Like a real action star!”
Oblivious to his inner critique, Yoon Mijin stared in awe.
“Did you see him resting his hand on the hilt, ready to draw at any time?”
“Really? Yeonhui, did you take lessons in sword fighting?”
Even Taekyung’s eyes sparkled with admiration.
‘They’re praising me for this? I’ve got so much to improve on.’
The fact he hadn’t even shown 10% of his true ability nagged at him—but the compliments only made him more determined.
The King’s Dignity moved into its latter half.
“As expected, you are my son.”
“….”
The assassin knelt with head bowed as the Prime Minister stared down at him from above—a shared frame.
“That guy fills the whole screen. No wonder they call him a legendary actor.”
A deep, piercing voice carried through the scene.
His presence nearly overflowed from the frame—Jo Soonyeol as the Prime Minister glared coldly at the assassin, and Taekyung’s eyes gleamed.
“Yeonhui. That was the extra footage you did, right?”
Yeonhui nodded.
“Shh.”
Yoon Mijin hushed them, and both turned their attention back to the screen.
And then—
As the assassin’s black mask was removed, a familiar yet unfamiliar face appeared.
“…!”
“Wow…”
The two gasped, breath caught at the radiant figure on screen.
“That’s not the Yeonhui I know.”
“How is that assassin… our Yeonhui? Did they use CGI or something?”
“Can a person look that different?”
They blinked in disbelief.
Because the diligent part-timer they knew and the assassin on screen were worlds apart.
Unaware of the shock, little Ihyun, asleep with his head on Yeonhui’s lap, just shifted slightly.
‘They’re telling me to work even harder. I’ve still got a long way to go.’
Their genuine reactions gave Yeonhui a glint of resolve.
To him, their surprise felt like encouragement to push forward.
After the assassin’s brief appearance, the scene shifted back to the main officer.
The drama ended with the officer mourning the news of the official’s death.
‘It’s over.’
Yeonhui gently ran his hand through Ihyun’s hair as he continued sleeping on his lap.
It was time to head back.
Then, on the screen, over the next episode preview, the ending credits rolled.
CAST
Lim Sohan
Kim ○○
Jo ○○
As he carefully moved to pick up the sleeping boy—
A familiar name flashed by in less than a second.
Woo Yeonhui
Even though it appeared for less than a second, it struck Yeonhui deep in the heart.
