Chapter 80. Proposal

In Yeo-woo's eyes, the assailant was seen covering Seo Ji-eun's mouth with his hand and holding something silver in his other hand.

"What, what are you!?"

The assailant was startled when someone suddenly burst through the door while he was committing the crime.

At that moment, Seo Ji-eun pushed the man with all her might, and Yeo-woo quickly took advantage of the opening, kicking the silver weapon out of the assailant's right hand.

"Aah!"

Clang—.

The assailant, who had dropped the silver scissors after being kicked in the hand, was taken aback.

"Ugh! Where did this dog come from?!"

The assailant, holding Seo Ji-eun with one hand, started throwing punches and kicks at Yeo-woo in a fit of rage.

Watching this, Yeo-woo calmly waited for the right moment, blocked the incoming kick with his arm, and quickly punched the assailant in the abdomen. The assailant, letting out a final scream, finally released Seo Ji-eun's hair.

"Ugh."

Yeo-woo kicked the assailant's groin, causing him to fall over. He then climbed on top of him, pressed his knee into the back of his neck, and bound his arms behind his back.

All of this happened in just a few seconds, and at that moment, the sound of the door lock opening was heard.

Ding—.

Creak—.

Hearing the commotion outside, Seo Ji-eun's parents, who had been on edge since the last incident, immediately rushed out.

"Oh my! Our daughter!"

"What kind of scum are you?!"

Shocked by the sudden events, Seo Ji-eun's legs trembled, and she collapsed. Her mother rushed over to comfort her.

Seo Ji-eun's father, who had run out barefoot, approached Yeo-woo.

"Aaah! Let me go!

"Don't move. If you don't want to spend the rest of your life as a cripple."

Yeo-woo, still pinning the assailant, looked at Seo Ji-eun's father and said,

"I've subdued the assailant. Please call the police immediately."

"Ah, yes! Oh, my phone."

Seo Ji-eun's father rushed back inside barefoot.

As Yeo-woo continued to subdue the struggling assailant, the police arrived.

The assailant was handed over to the police station, and as Seo Ji-eun, who had calmed down somewhat, began to give her statement, a police officer approached Yeo-woo.

"First of all, I'm really grateful for your brave actions that prevented a major incident."

"No, I'm just an acquaintance of the victim."

"I see. For procedural reasons, I need to record your personal information. Could you please show me your ID?"

"Ah, I don't have my ID right now. Just a moment."

Taking out his smartphone from his pocket, he saw that he had received three missed calls from Min-soo and that another call was coming in.

"Yes, Min-soo."

- Mr. Actor? Where did you go while I was in the bathroom?

"Ah, something came up, and I'm in front of Ji-eun's house. Could you bring my wallet from the back seat? It's on the 7th floor."

- What? There are police cars here. Is something wrong? Anyway, I'll go up right away.

Min-soo, who had hung up in a hurry, grabbed the wallet and went up to the 7th floor.

Meanwhile, as the police were recording the victim's information, they began to recognize Seo Ji-eun. Both she and Yeo-woo were wearing hats and masks, which is why they hadn't been recognized earlier.

"You're the lead in that drama these days."

"…Oh, really? I don't watch TV much."

As they whispered, the elevator door opened, and Min-soo stepped out.

"Mr. Actor, what happened?"

Min-soo rushed over to Yeo-woo as soon as he got off the elevator.

After a brief explanation, Min-soo stepped aside to make a call to the company, and Yeo-woo handed over his ID.

"…Wow, you're a famous person."

The police officer, who claimed not to watch TV, recognized Yeo-woo from movies.

At that moment, Min-soo finished his call and approached.

"Mr. Actor, I've reported to the company. Should I handle it for you?"

"No, I don't think being an actor gives me any special privileges. If it's necessary for the investigation, I should give my statement as a party involved."

After that, a brief statement was taken. Seeing Yeo-woo, Seo Ji-eun burst into tears again, holding his hands tightly and expressing her gratitude.

Beside her, Seo Ji-eun's parents, also crying, held onto Yeo-woo and thanked him.

Yeo-woo had a hard time calming down the family, who were all in tears.

'But why did he attack with scissors in such a place?'

It was strange that the weapon was scissors rather than a knife, and it was also odd that he chose to attack in front of the elevator on the 7th floor, where people would quickly appear.

***

The next day, although the agency had taken steps to prevent the details from leaking, news of the incident was reported, and the internet was abuzz with the surprising news about Yeo-woo, who was currently starring in the hottest drama and movie.

- [Exclusive] Rising Star Actor Saves Colleague from Stalker Attack Last Night.

Last night, after the final shooting of a popular drama and a post-shoot dinner, a stalker, identified as B (24), attacked A (22), an actor in the drama, with a weapon. C (20), another actor in the same drama, intervened and subdued the attacker.

This exclusive report by our news outlet…

Although the names were not revealed due to the ongoing police investigation, netizens quickly identified the incident as Yeo-woo saving Seo Ji-eun from a stalker.

- It's Garam Beyond the Stars, Seo Ji-eun, and Yeo-woo, right?

- But C could be Jin Yohan, right? He's 20.

└ Jin Yohan had a different schedule and didn't attend the dinner.

└ Then it must be Yeo-woo. Amazing.

- Wow… He really is a trendsetter. He melted my heart.

- Is this for real? Subduing an attacker with a weapon? A knife?

└ According to the tabloids, it was scissors, not a knife. What was he trying to do with scissors?

└ Scissors are more terrifying than a knife.

- I'm glad Seo Ji-eun is safe. Hang in there!

- Yeo-woo, don't get hurt… Big sister is crying.

"Hmm… I guess it couldn't be helped."

Although he had expected it, the netizens' investigative skills were impressive, almost as fast as the intelligence agencies.

Yeo-woo didn't like being in the news for reasons other than acting, but this was an irresistible situation, and Seo Ji-eun's safety was more important than public opinion.

Most of the calls and messages he received that morning were similar.

Of course, they praised his bravery but were also filled with concern about his safety.

Not only his family but also Son Jin-wook, Han So-hyun, and Ma Seok-do, among others, had shown genuine concern, which warmed his heart.

Of course, in his previous life, dealing with an untrained civilian would have been nothing.

"Still, this life is different in many ways."

At that moment, Min-soo called.

"Yes, Min-soo."

- Ah, Mr. Actor. I called to inform you about the investigation results from yesterday's incident. The stalker was a part-time worker at a nearby café, and his goal was to cut Seo Ji-eun's hair.

According to Min-soo, the police had been investigating a series of attacks on young women in the area, where the attacker would suddenly cut off chunks of their hair. The police found it strange that the attacker's weapon was scissors and searched his room, making a surprising discovery.

The room was filled with small human-shaped dolls, and the police suspected that the attacker had a fetish for decorating the dolls with the hair of his targets.

"…He's completely off his rocker."

- They are also investigating for other crimes and have requested a psychiatric evaluation of the attacker.

"Thank you, Min-soo. Good job."

After hanging up with Min-soo, Yeo-woo was about to leave for Daejeon when his smartphone rang again.

"Hmm?"

The number on the screen was saved, but he had never received a call from it before.

"Yes, President."

- Ah, Yeo-woo. Do you have time today? I have something to discuss, and I'd like to have lunch or dinner with you.

Although they had eaten together before, Yeo-woo was surprised by the unexpected call.

"I have time today. How about lunch? It's about time."

- That sounds good. What about the restaurant we went to last time?

"Sure. I'll head there right away."

- Alright. See you soon.

Yeo-woo hung up and opened the front door.

"Coincidentally, we're meeting for lunch on the day I'm heading back home."

Yeo-woo went down to the parking lot, got into his car, and drove to the restaurant they had visited before.

When he arrived at the restaurant, he handed his car to the valet and was greeted by a uniformed staff member.

"Welcome. Please follow me."

Yeo-woo followed the staff member to a room further inside than the one they had used before.

Knock—.

"You've arrived."

The staff member gently opened the sliding door, and Yeo-woo entered.

A middle-aged gentleman with a neatly styled pompadour stood up to greet Yeo-woo.

"Hello, President."

"Both the movie and the drama were successful. Congratulations."

President Kim Joo-sung smiled warmly and extended his hand, which Yeo-woo shook.

"Thank you. I think it was possible because of the great support I received."

It was no exaggeration. Landing a solo audition with Director Park Chan-hong was due to LN Entertainment's influence, and the decision to do a cameo in the historical drama, which had a scheduling conflict, was smoother because they were from the same agency, although his personal friendship with Son Jin-wook also played a role.

"You always have such nice things to say. Ha ha, let's sit and talk."

President Kim Joo-sung gestured for Yeo-woo to sit, and they both took their seats.

"I'm sorry for the controversy yesterday. The situation was urgent…"

"Controversy? You did a great thing. It's something to be praised."

Shaking his head and smiling, President Kim Joo-sung continued.

"I asked to see you today for several reasons. I could have had Manager Jung tell you, but I wanted to see you in person after watching 'Master Plan' at the theater and feeling like a fan who wanted to meet our agency's actor."

Yeo-woo tilted his head, looking at President Kim Joo-sung, who was smiling.

"You didn't see it at the premiere and went to the theater?"

"Watching it with regular audiences at the theater is the best way to experience the true essence of a film… It's a personal preference."

"I understand what you mean."

Although he was busy and couldn't make it to the theater this time, Yeo-woo had also seen his cameo in 'Spring Lovers' by buying a ticket, so he understood the sentiment.

"The most important reason I wanted to see you today is this."

President Kim Joo-sung picked up a beige envelope from the side and placed it on the table, handing it to Yeo-woo.

"What is this?"

"Open it. Reading it will help you understand faster."

Yeo-woo opened the envelope and took out the paper inside.

- Netflix Casting Audition Proposal for Actor Yeo-woo

Proposer: Bernard Panton.