Chapter 61. Beyond the River, the Star - Reading (1)

From the absence of the prearranged code phrase, it seems that Han Haeun wasn't coerced into making the call by someone else.

"Where are you, Han Haeun? Tell me your current location."

- Incheon Metropolitan City... Bupyeong District...

On the other end of the phone, Han Haeun, breathing heavily, provided the address.

Ryu Yeon-woo immediately hung up and left the house.

He drove down to the parking lot and sped towards the given address.

After quite a while of driving, he arrived at a columbarium.

It was already dark, and there were no cars of mourners in the parking lot, only Han Haeun's silver SUV standing alone.

He cautiously checked inside the car, but found no one.

As he walked towards the entrance of the columbarium, he heard a faint sound from the nearby bushes.

Yeon-woo followed the sound, cautiously and on guard, and entered.

Pushing through the bushes, he found Han Haeun lying against a tree, clutching a notebook in his hand.

Yeon-woo quickly approached and checked his pulse, then examined his body.

'His pulse is normal, and there are no signs of bleeding, so it doesn't seem like he was attacked.'

Since Han Haeun had mentioned that he would collapse whenever he regained his memories, perhaps some trigger caused him to regain more of his memory this time.

Yeon-woo took out the notebook Han Haeun was holding and opened it.

It seemed to be a precious notebook, as Han Haeun had clung to it even in his unconscious state.

However, the pages were filled with sentences that were incomprehensible, as if written in a code only he could understand.

"But why did he come here and collapse?"

Yeon-woo supported Han Haeun and carried him to the parking lot where his car was parked.

Beep—

He searched Han Haeun's pocket, found the smart key, opened the back door, and laid Han Haeun down.

Han Haeun, regaining some consciousness, began to stir like a drunk person.

Yeon-woo, considering whether to take him to the hospital, decided he would likely wake up soon and sat in the front seat, turning off the dashcam.

A few minutes later, Han Haeun regained consciousness.

"Ugh..."

Han Haeun clutched his head and groaned.

"Prosecutor Han. Are you feeling better?"

"Ah, Team Leader... No, Mr. Ryu."

The two had decided to use their first names, Han Haeun and Ryu Yeon-woo, in case they were caught somewhere in the basement of the National Art Theater.

Yeon-woo wondered if calling him "Team Leader" still made sense.

"You seem to have called me just before you collapsed. I came right away and laid you down in the car."

"Ah, thank you."

After thanking Ryu Yeon-woo, Han Haeun frantically searched his body.

"If you're looking for the notebook, it's here."

Yeon-woo passed the notebook to the back seat.

"Ah, thank goodness."

Han Haeun took the notebook, held it close, and, still suffering from a headache, spoke.

"This is the investigation notebook I wrote when I was Baek Yu-hyun... After reading the last entry before my deployment to the Middle East, I think I have a lead."

Yeon-woo listened silently, and Han Haeun continued.

"While the exact identity is unknown, there was a suspicion that a secret organization existed within the National Intelligence Service, even among the high-ranking officials."

Han Haeun, enduring his headache, opened the notebook again and examined the last page.

"So, I was probably dispatched to investigate the overseas division agents."

"I had my suspicions."

"Indeed, you did."

The dispatch came without a request for additional agents, and instead of going directly to the safe house, he visited the embassy and arrived two days later, which seemed suspicious.

However, even if he was under investigation, the only thing Jeon Su-hwan had done secretly during his tenure at the NIS was acting as an extra in a movie, so it didn't seem significant.

Instead, he had been thoroughly exploited and used.

Thus, when they met in the basement of the National Art Theater, Yeon-woo couldn't completely dismiss his suspicions about Han Haeun.

"The problem is that I'm at the bottom, so I don't know where the order came from. Right now, the only person I can trust is you, Team Leader."

In a way, in his previous life, Jeon Su-hwan and Han Haeun were both targets for elimination, proving their innocence through death.

"Then, go see the person I told you about last time. It might be difficult to get an answer, but if you mention my name, you should be able to have a conversation without dying."

Han Haeun recalled the name written in the diary in the basement of the National Art Theater.

"You mean 'Baek No-ya' in Busan. I'll start as soon as possible. I was a bit delayed because I had some personal matters to resolve."

Han Haeun's face darkened as he thought of Jung Hye-min.

After some time, as Han Haeun's condition improved, he and Ryu Yeon-woo got out of the car.

Yeon-woo, noticing Han Haeun's darkened face, patted his shoulder.

"Don't overthink it. There must be a reason for this new life, as you said, if it's the will of God."

"Understood, Team Leader."

Unconsciously using the title "Team Leader," Han Haeun made Ryu Yeon-woo shake his head.

"I'm Ryu Yeon-woo, and you're Prosecutor Han."

"Ah, right. Mr. Ryu."

Seeing Han Haeun insist on using "Team Leader," Yeon-woo sighed, giving up.

Then, as if a thought struck him, Yeon-woo asked Han Haeun.

"By the way, what's your main field?"

"Excuse me?"

"Prosecutors have their own areas of expertise, don't they?"

Han Haeun nodded, understanding the question.

"I'm from the 2nd Criminal Department of the Western District Prosecutors' Office. It aligns closely with what the NIS's Domestic 3rd Team handled."

"3rd Team? That includes narcotics, right? Hmm. Then, I have something for you to investigate."

Yeon-woo, looking intrigued, took out his smartphone and sent a message to Han Haeun through a secure app.

"Check this out, but don't push too hard. I have a hunch, but it might be nothing."

Han Haeun nodded, looking at his smartphone.

"Understood. I'll let you know as soon as I find out."

***

Seo Ji-eun, as usual, stopped by the café in front of her house to get a takeout coffee.

She took the coffee cup, smiled, and bowed in gratitude.

"Thank you."

"Yes, have a good day."

The part-time worker watched as Seo Ji-eun left the café.

The manager, noticing the part-timer's gaze, nudged him and laughed.

"Hey, isn't that lady really pretty? The kid is smitten again."

"Uh, yeah, I guess."

The part-timer quickly averted his gaze and resumed wiping the cups.

After buying her coffee, Seo Ji-eun took the elevator up to her apartment. Her smartphone rang.

"Hmm?"

A call from the vice president, after a long time.

Since her last project flopped, she hadn't received many casting offers, and her break had been quite long.

Working for a small management company, the vice president usually went to the broadcasting stations or film studios to pitch, so a call from him usually meant a casting offer.

Excited, Seo Ji-eun answered the call.

"Yes, Vice President."

- Ji-eun, what are you doing?

"I'm just getting home."

- Oh, that's good. I have some good news to tell your mother.

Seo Ji-eun's heart raced at the vice president's words.

"Is it a project? What casting offer?"

- Hahaha. You're the lead in KBC's new historical drama, 'Beyond the River, the Star.' It's a historical drama, so it will be challenging, but are you up for it?

Seo Ji-eun, stepping out of the elevator, cheered in the hallway.

"Yay! Hooray!"

- What's that noise? What's going on?

Overjoyed, she cheered and spilled her coffee. Fortunately, it had cooled, or she might have been scalded.

"Hehe. I got so excited, I spilled my coffee. What's the name of the project?"

- It's called 'Beyond the River, the Star,' a KBC1 historical drama. Don't be surprised, Ji-eun.

"Why? I don't think I can be more surprised."

- The male lead is Ryu Yeon-woo, and the supporting male lead is Jin Yu-han.

Seo Ji-eun spilled her coffee all over.

"Wh-what?! Ouch, hot!"

After finishing the call with the vice president, Seo Ji-eun ran into her apartment and opened the door.

"Mom, can you give me a rag or a towel to throw away?"

"Seo Ji-eun, what did you spill this time?"

"Hehe, coffee."

"What? Did you hurt your hand?"

Seo Ji-eun, taking the rag from her mother, showed her hand.

"It's fine. I'll clean the hallway and then I have some good news!"

***

Han Haeun returned to Busan and began his investigation, and soon the script reading for 'Beyond the River, the Star' was approaching.

Before that, the internet was in an uproar due to the publicized news.

- KBC1's New Historical Drama 'Beyond the River, the Star' to Conquer the Living Room

- 'Beyond the River, the Star' with Ryu Yeon-woo, Jin Yu-han, and Seo Ji-eun to Start Filming Soon

- A Gift Set of the Next Generation of Actors in 'Beyond the River, the Star'

The comments pouring in after the news were equally excited.

- What? Jin Yu-han and Ryu Yeon-woo? This is like being forced to watch it.

- Is this combination really happening? And it's a historical drama? I can't believe it. Yeon-woo and Yu-han, wow.

└ I don't know what the drama is about, but the Yeon-woo and Yu-han couple is already the best couple.

└ The female lead is Seo Ji-eun, isn't that a bit much?

- This might require a reevaluation of Ryu Yeon-woo's acting skills. He's always the lead.

└ It's not a reevaluation; he's just good-looking.

- I liked Seo Ji-eun. Why hasn't she been in a project for a while?

└ Her career was ruined by the Han Jun-kyung drug scandal.

- This is definitely the start of a legendary drama. And this post will become a holy grail.

"Hahaha. Look at this. Young people these days write such funny comments."

Director Lee Sang-hoon, excited, kept refreshing the comments on the news article.

While the comments weren't particularly funny, as someone who usually produced historical dramas with an older audience, it was novel to see the online interest generated by working with young actors for the first time.

"Ah, they should be arriving soon. Are you ready?"

The assistant director nodded at Director Lee's question.

"Yes, Director. We'll start filming from the elevator entrance."

Director Lee, who had always envied other dramas' behind-the-scenes footage, was excited.

While the historical dramas he usually directed were certainly appealing and good, the average age of the cast was higher, and the rigid organizational culture of KBC1 limited his ability to try new things.

"Let's capture everything and release teasers on YouTube."

At that moment, Ryu Yeon-woo entered, carrying multiple cameras.

Just as the assistant director had said, the behind-the-scenes team was following from the KBC main building elevator.

"Oh, Mr. Ryu."

Director Lee, who had never been exposed to cameras despite directing numerous projects, approached Ryu Yeon-woo somewhat stiffly.

Ryu Yeon-woo, smiling, extended both hands for a handshake.

"Director, how have you been?"

"Very well, I'm happy every day."

Yeon-woo sensed some sincerity in the director's words and smiled slightly.

At that moment, the door opened, and another man entered, also accompanied by cameras.