Chapter 07
Sizzle—
Over the sizzling charcoal fire, CP Kang Hyuk-kwon was placing pieces of meat one by one.
“Let me handle that. How can the person treating us be the one holding the tongs?”
Jo Soon-yeol reached out, but CP Kang Hyuk-kwon didn’t let go of the tongs until the end.
Next to him sat writer Shim Hye-jin, who set her spoon down on the table and smiled.
“Just enjoy yourself today, teacher. Do you know how rare it is to eat meat grilled by the CP himself?”
“Even so, it’s not right to let the CP do the grilling.”
“Come on. We’ve more than earned this meal. Right, CP?”
Shim Hye-jin teased lightly, and CP Kang responded by quietly continuing to place meat on the grill.
Eventually, Jo Soon-yeol gave up and pulled his chair in.
‘Well, we did get that kind of reaction from a minor role.’
Jo Soon-yeol recalled the part-time actor who gave a brilliant performance as the assassin last week.
—How do you express that much emotion with a mask on? That eye contact is lead-role level. Why is he a rookie?
—Didn’t say a single line but told the story with his eyes ㄷㄷ
—Became a fan after seeing the assassin’s eyes. Day 1 of praying for his success.
—Check out the assassin’s expression at 1:24 when the Prime Minister says “He’s definitely my son.” You can feel the hurt even without words ㅠㅠ
—Is it even possible to show that kind of emotion without a single line?
Clips and memes of the assassin unmasking in The King’s Dignity spread rapidly across social media and online communities.
The interest in the assassin naturally grew into interest in the drama as a whole, which had a positive impact on viewership ratings.
Previously stuck below 10%, the ratings broke through 11% after the episode aired.
The assassin wasn’t solely responsible for the increase, but it was clear he had made a significant impact.
Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such a buzz.
‘It’s a pity the lead actor couldn’t share the spotlight.’
Jo Soon-yeol masked his regret.
This gathering was a wrap party arranged by CP Kang to celebrate the success.
Naturally, it would have been nice if the actor who played the assassin could attend, but that wasn’t realistic.
Now that the project’s momentum was building, it would be risky to stir up gossip about favoritism toward a minor actor.
Even a low probability isn’t worth the risk if it can be avoided.
“Is Sohwan not here yet?”
At Shim Hye-jin’s question, CP Kang replied while flipping the meat.
“He said he’ll be about ten minutes late. Coming straight from action school.”
“He’s working hard. Must be the energy of youth.”
“He’s a passionate one. Really eager about the action scenes in this project. Just for reference, Hye-jin.”
“I do love passionate actors, but action wasn’t the reason we cast Sohwan… Oh! There he is!”
Ding-a-ling—
Shim Hye-jin waved to the young man just entering.
“Hello—!”
A cheerful voice greeted the group as a man in his early twenties stepped inside.
He was Lim Sohwan, the lead actor of The King’s Dignity.
“Our lead’s here. Sohwan, sit here.”
“Yes, CP. I’ll take over the grilling—”
Sohwan reached for the tongs as he sat in the spot Shim Hye-jin had prepared for him.
But he, too, couldn’t wrest the tongs away from CP Kang.
Clink—
The four clinked their glasses and chatted cheerfully.
As the drinks flowed and the atmosphere warmed, Shim Hye-jin, slightly flushed, lifted a bottle of soju.
“Maybe we should’ve invited him too. He was the hidden MVP today.”
“Ah, the assassin? Was his name Woo Yeon-hwi?”
“You even remember a minor actor’s name, CP?”
“It’s easy. Woo Yeon-hwi. A jackpot caught by coincidence?”
Shim Hye-jin glanced at CP Kang’s empty glass with a mischievous twinkle.
“Look at our CP. He even remembers the names of extras now!”
Jo Soon-yeol replied flatly to her teasing.
“Even though it was a minor role, he showed a range of emotions in his eyes. Cold and desolate, but made you want to protect him.”
“Oh my, you too?”
Shim Hye-jin’s lips smiled, but her eyes sharpened.
‘Well, you did call him after the shoot.’
They clinked glasses, and Jo Soon-yeol calmly continued.
“The match between actor and role was good. We’ll need to test further to be sure.”
Now even Shim Hye-jin’s gaze held certainty.
‘What is he saying? He wants to test more scenes with him?’
Jo Soon-yeol was the actor she had worked hardest to cast for The King’s Dignity.
A top-tier actor with a 35-year career spanning genres.
And yet here he was, expressing interest in further working with a no-name actor?
Whether he noticed her surprise or not, Jo Soon-yeol turned to CP Kang.
“I looked into university records and the Chungmuro scene. Clean.”
“Nothing on the agency front either. If there were even a slight connection, something would’ve shown.”
“He’s no beginner. Just look at his face and how he moves.”
CP Kang tilted his head.
He had assumed the actor was planted by the junior PD through an agency, but it turned out he had been recruited through a regular café audition.
They’d just happened to reel in a big catch.
Still, something about him felt off to Kang.
His action and acting style had a polished, professional feel—strange for someone with no history.
Then Shim Hye-jin chimed in while flipping meat.
“Could he be from a big-name agency like OnlyOne?”
Jo Soon-yeol shook his head.
“Doubt it. OnlyOne is famous for not taking rookies. JS or SkyStar maybe.”
“Well, they have taken newcomers before. Five years ago, maybe?”
“Eight. That one did blow up fast. This guy… hmm.”
Their speculation about the minor actor continued, but no conclusion was reached.
That made CP Kang chuckle.
These were seasoned industry veterans.
And here they were, all stirred up by one extra.
“A big-shot extra. Let’s leave it at that for now.”
Jo Soon-yeol shrugged, amused.
“Funny. Calling a rookie a big-shot. Doesn’t fit—but still…”
“A mysterious, secretive, big-shot extra. A solid character. We’ll have to think of the right way to use him.”
Shim Hye-jin’s eyes were gleaming now.
Meanwhile…
‘Geez. I get that the industry’s hungry for new faces, but getting this excited over one extra…’
Lead actor Lim Sohwan quietly picked up a piece of meat.
To him, the others’ obsession with a single minor actor felt… awkward.
This was an industry where new stars constantly rose and fell.
And they were giving this much attention to someone who might disappear tomorrow?
“I want to act with him soon too. Curious to see how it plays out.”
Raising his glass with a professional smile, Lim Sohwan matched the mood.
Even if his thoughts didn’t agree, social skills mattered.
Sizzle—
The sound of meat grilling filled the air around the table.
* * *
A few days after The King’s Dignity aired.
During a café break, Woo Yeon-hwi sat hunched in an alley beside the café, staring at his phone.
Just grabbed a waiting ticket. When are you coming, Mr. Assassin?
Straight out of the past. He’s definitely a reincarnated assassin. Prove me wrong, you can’t.
That unmasking scene looked so carefully filmed. Amazing visuals AND acting—feels like they’re pushing a rookie hard lol. But seriously, his acting was goosebumps-level.
The Prime Minister’s face was trembling, but the assassin’s presence didn’t fade one bit. Crazy impressive.
A gorgeous guy who can act and do action? Perfect combo.
“Is this… really me?”
Yeon-hwi blinked as he scrolled through the posts.
Clips, memes, reels of his performance as the assassin were everywhere on social media.
People reacting. Sharing. Loving it.
Seeing so many people genuinely moved by his acting—watching it over and over—felt unreal.
He had braced himself for the worst, haunted by memories of Fate, his past life.
‘Can things really be this different now?’
Back then, when survival and missions were everything, every performance ended in tragedy.
No matter who he pretended to be, the outcome was always the same: loneliness.
‘This is… Woo Yeon-hwi’s acting.’
But now things were different.
Most importantly, there were people who laughed, cried, and felt emotions with his performance.
That made Yeon-hwi happy… and awkward. And a little scared.
As if this moment were just a fleeting dream.
Buzz— Buzz—
His phone vibrated, snapping him back.
When he answered, a woman’s voice came through.
—“Is this Woo Yeon-hwi’s phone?”
“Yes, who is this?”
—“Hello, this is the production team for The King’s Dignity. We’re reaching out about a casting matter.”
It was about another shoot as the assassin.
Yeon-hwi quickly checked his schedule and compared it to the proposed filming time.
Nothing conflicted, so he accepted.
—“We’ll send the script by email. See you on set!”
As soon as the script arrived, Yeon-hwi opened it eagerly.
‘Action scenes look about the same as last week.’
While scanning the notes, a name caught his eye.
‘Min Bo-yul, Senior Officer? He’s the lead actor.’
Seeing that he’d be in the same scene as the lead made Yeon-hwi’s eyes sparkle.
But something else caught his attention more.
‘Wait… is this my line?’
A few days after receiving the casting call…
In the early morning, with a cold breeze in the air,
Woo Yeon-hwi boarded the staff bus from the subway station exit.
