Chapter 41. Deer

It has been a week since he received the university acceptance notice.

He did receive a call saying that the casting for "Master Plan" would soon be completed.

However, he currently has no schedule.

Because of this, Yeonwoo has returned to his parents' house in Daejeon and is living a leisurely life, watching TV at home with nothing to do.

Yeonwoo, who had gone for his morning exercise, sat on the empty living room sofa and flipped through the TV channels.

He stopped on a familiar face.

It wasn't a colleague actor or a broadcasting official.

"Why is this person...?"

The person being interviewed on a variety show was a National Intelligence Service (NIS) officer who joined the same year as Jeon Suwan, Yeonwoo's previous life.

- Today, we have several guests for our 'Hidden Stars' special. Could you please introduce yourselves briefly?

- Yes, hello. I am Han Jihyun, a public relations officer at the National Intelligence Service.

Only then did Yeonwoo, who had been watching the TV, nod.

The NIS has a public relations department to shed its negative image that has accumulated over the years.

As far as Yeonwoo remembered, she had worked in a department related to cybersecurity but had been transferred to the public relations side.

Of course, the name she gave was not her real name.

The real name of the woman who introduced herself as 'Han Jihyun' is 'Kang Jumi'.

"You've aged a lot. Well, I probably looked even older from running around the field."

He hadn't seen her since she was in her early 30s, and this was the first time he had seen her since then.

Yeonwoo, who couldn't change the channel after seeing her face after a long time, continued to watch.

After a while, the assistant MC asked a question.

- So, do agents actually fight and die like in movies?

The guest answered the question.

- It's not very common, but there are certainly cases where agents die in the line of duty. Recently, there was a tragedy where another nameless star was added.

Yeonwoo felt strange, as it seemed to be about himself.

- Ah, I see. What do you mean by 'nameless star'?

- At the NIS headquarters, a nameless star is engraved to honor agents who die in the line of duty and whose identities cannot be disclosed.

A nameless star appeared on the screen with the guest's words.

It was his own star, which he had intentionally avoided looking for to forget his past life.

Yeonwoo, captivated by a strange and eerie feeling, looked at the star on the screen.

But then, something odd caught his eye.

"…Why are there two more stars?"

Yeonwoo, stroking his chin, fell into deep thought.

He hadn't given up on finding the truth about his death when he first woke up in his new body at the hospital.

There were no immediate practical methods, and the death itself was too suspicious, so he had put it off.

In his previous life, Jeon Suwan, who was reborn as Yeonwoo, had moved based on intelligence that a terrorist organization in the Middle East might be trading weapons with North Korea.

Since he died without any warning, Yeonwoo speculated that he was killed by a sniper.

If the terrorist organization had discovered that Jeon Suwan was hiding, they wouldn't have killed him with a sniper.

He would have been a very valuable hostage.

Although he thought his previous life was over and was much more satisfied with his new life, he had no regrets...

But if his death was due to betrayal, he would repay it, no matter how long it took.

"Spring's Lover" surpassed the break-even point before spring and was heading towards 2 million.

And "Master Plan" had completed its casting, and the date for the full script reading was set.

A familiar face was cast in "Master Plan," and it was Han Sohyun, who was cast as the supporting role 'Deer'.

"Unnie Sohyun."

- Yeonwoo!

"We're working together again. I called because I'm excited."

- Really! I didn't even know who the lead was when I accepted, and I was surprised! I've always wanted to work on a film by Director Park Chan-hong, so I accepted the offer right away.

Han Sohyun, who is aiming for an acting transformation with the role of 'Deer', had been considering this role offer while pondering over her usual bright and cheerful roles.

Although Han Sohyun only takes lead roles on TV, she was grateful for the supporting role in a film by the renowned Director Park Chan-hong.

Most of all, she was thrilled with the role, which combined comedy and sex appeal.

The role's name was also unique.

Deer Jennifer.

'Deer' is one of the experts called by 'Pierre Choi' to set up a scheme.

She is a black rose in the fraud world, infiltrating and extracting information or manipulating people as intended.

If Pierre Choi is the conductor of the fraud orchestra, Jennifer is the violinist performing a solo.

Yeonwoo recalled the scene in the script where 'Deer' first joins the scheme.

***

The door opened, and a beautiful woman with skin as white as jade, delicate features, and red lipstick that added a mysterious charm entered.

Gwak Ji-cheol, looking at her, asked Pierre Choi.

- Is it because her eyes look like a deer's?

- No, it's because she melts men's hearts.

The 'Deer' Jennifer, with her red lipstick, sent a mysterious smile at the two talking about her, but her face was filled with a ridiculous expression.

- That guy is at it again. Boring jokes... Pierre, it's not funny.

***

Yeonwoo, thinking about the role in the script, spoke again.

"Unnie, this will be a great acting transformation for you."

- Yes, yes. I've always wanted to play a role like this! Maybe because it's the opposite of me?

"I'm looking forward to it. I think it will be a fun shoot, and I'll have a lot to learn."

- I'm also excited to work with you on your first lead role. And it's a film by Director Park Chan-hong.

Sohyun thought that Yeonwoo's filmography, after this film's release, would be impressive, considering he had achieved rapid success in just two years.

"Now that the casting is confirmed and we're about to start shooting, I'm a bit nervous. I wonder if I can do well among such great actors."

- What's with the lack of confidence? Mr. Ryu. Of course, you can. I believe in your acting skills!

Yeonwoo smiled at Han Sohyun's enthusiastic support.

"See you at the reading, Unnie."

- Yes! I'll have to prepare hard too.

Yeonwoo put the final touches on his preparation for "Master Plan" and obtained a driver's license during this time.

Although it felt different to drive after two years, he made no mistakes, having driven for 20 years.

The day of the full script reading arrived, and Min-su's car stopped at a building in Chungmuro with Yeonwoo in it.

Today's script reading was held in a rather luxurious hall inside the building.

Unlike dramas, which are exposed through platforms like Naver TV to build a fan base, movies are not.

While they are recorded, they are not typically edited and released for promotional purposes.

Thus, the atmosphere was a bit more solemn.

Yeonwoo arrived at the meeting room.

"Hello, I'm Ryu Yeonwoo. Nice to meet you."

"Ah, yes. It's an honor to meet such a popular actor these days. Hehe."

Yeonwoo arrived an hour early and shook hands with everyone on the scene, introducing himself.

Most were industry professionals he didn't know, but they were the ones who would help make the film happen.

Director Park Chan-hong entered the meeting room, giving instructions to the staff.

"Hello, Director."

"Hmm? Actor Ryu. Why are you here so early?"

Approaching and patting Yeonwoo's shoulder, Director Park smiled slightly, his eyes softer than during the audition.

"I was feeling the atmosphere of the set and reading the script."

"Good. See you in a bit."

After a brief greeting, Director Park left to give more instructions.

Yeonwoo spent the time reading the script while waiting, and supporting actors and staff arrived one by one.

Most of the supporting actors were seasoned seniors in the film industry, so Yeonwoo approached them with a smile and greeted them respectfully.

Then, a familiar face arrived.

"Unnie Deer."

Sohyun, entering the meeting room, burst into laughter at Yeonwoo's playful nickname.

A few actors sitting near the entrance of the meeting room, who had also read the script, laughed.

"Ha! 'Unnie Deer,' why is it so funny? I'm so glad to see you here."

"I feel energized now that Unnie is here."

Holding Yeonwoo's hands and chatting animatedly, Han Sohyun said,

"I'll go greet the seniors for a moment!"

Although she was the lead in "Summer's Wardrobe," here, Sohyun had many star seniors.

Having debuted 10 years ago, Han Sohyun had many seniors she had worked with or knew, and she could be heard chatting and laughing with them.

Meanwhile, Ma Seok-do, who was playing Gwak Ji-cheol, entered the room.

"Senior. Hello, I'm Ryu Yeonwoo."

"Ah, yes. Nice to meet you."

Ma Seok-do, a large and muscular man, shook hands with Yeonwoo.

'Is this the fist that can kill a bull?'

Yeonwoo thought to himself, feeling the strength in the handshake.

"I'm honored to work with you. Please call me by my name."

"Nothing to be honored about. Let's do our best. I'm also excited to work on a film by Director Park."

Smiling, Seok-do whispered to Yeonwoo that he was also nervous.

As the actors arrived and took their seats, the second and third rows filled with many staff members.

Director Park Chan-hong and Han Yun-soo, the representative, entered and took their seats.

Standing up, Director Park spoke.

"It's great to see everyone here. I'm Park Chan-hong, the director of this film."

Wow!

Clap, clap, clap.

The attendees responded with applause and cheers.

"I believe that a film is a momentary art that sparks on set. While it might be difficult today, I hope that on set, the actors will interpret the script actively and show a lot of great ad-libs."

Taking a breath, Director Park continued.

"I will capture and weave these moments beautifully, and I will take full responsibility. I hope the actors will be free to express themselves. Let's start with introductions, starting with Ma Seok-do."

The actors applauded in response to Director Park's words, and Ma Seok-do stood up.