I'm an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me

* * *

“Oh! You little colt!”

“Yes, sir. Have you been well?”

“I’ve been great. I’m watching really well! Damn. So going to that action academy actually paid off, huh?”

This was Cheongdam GCV. I greeted Kwak Cheolsik, who had arrived ahead of me. Today was the VIP screening for , so I’d dressed up properly for the first time in a while.

After living in men’s clothes and running around mountains every day, dressing up like this...

‘Seriously... I look exactly like a beautiful actress stepped out of a painting....’

Honestly, I wanted to be the star of the screening so badly. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I’d been waiting for this day. I wanted to film one of those pledge videos too.

“Hello. Long time no see, Yeoreum.”

“Oh! You’re here, senior!”

Yun Hyeonjo walked into the waiting room, sharp creases in his shirt as always. With glasses perched on his neat, sensitive-looking face, he was the very image of an elite Detective Yun.

The two of them seemed less nervous, probably because they’d done so many films before.

‘I should act that calm someday too.’

A film screening? I’ve done so many, it’s basically part of my life now.... I should practice saying things like that. I was calming myself internally when—

Knock knock-. A knock sounded at the waiting room door.

“Actors, the Media Day pre-interviews will start shortly! Please get ready—.”

At last, the long day’s schedule had begun.

* * *

For Reporter Wi, this was honestly the first time she’d ever been this happy to have a press badge hanging around her neck.

‘Yeoreum... unni’s here....’

An event where reporters and media staff gathered before a film’s release to interview the main cast and director. Just the fact that Yeoreum was present at Media Day was moving.

‘You’ve grown so well....’

It wasn’t a big role, but it was clear that her fellow actors and the director thought highly of Yeoreum.

She’d even heard that Yeoreum was scheduled to appear in 2 as well.

She was calming her pounding heart and gripping her camera tightly when—click! click! click!—flashes erupted around her.

Director Gong of was walking in.

‘Yeoreum...!’

Today’s Yeoreum was so cute and pretty it almost made her cry.

The pale yellow mini dress she wore so effortlessly was like a tiny chick, fresh lemon, sweet banana.... Something like that, anyway.

“Everyone, nice to meet you! Today, we’ll be holding an interview with the director and main cast of the hot new release—no, the masterpiece-to-be—!”

Director Gong awkwardly greeted everyone with a microphone in hand.

“Hello. I’m Gong Mujin, the director of . Thank you sincerely for coming despite your busy schedules.”

“Hello! I’m Kwak Cheolsik, playing Detective Kwak! It’s insanely hot these days, and I bet you’re all getting irritated, right? Watch our refreshing movie and blow that stress right away!”

“Hello. I’m Yun Hyeonjo, playing Detective Yun. Thank you for taking the time to be here.”

Each of them had a very distinct character. Finally, after the actor playing the villain, it was Yeoreum’s turn.

“Hello. I’m Han Yeoreum, playing Influencer 1. Thank you all so much for coming.”

As the hottest rising actress at the moment, the shutter sounds grew noticeably louder.

The ratings for episode 3 of had reached a full 12%.

“What do you think audiences should most look forward to while watching the film?”

“With so many action scenes, it seems like there must’ve been a lot of injuries or tough moments—could you share a behind-the-scenes story?”

“If you had to give a percentage for how much your character syncs with your real personality, what would it be?”

Several questions were exchanged. Finally, a simple one was directed at Yeoreum.

“If something like happened in real life?”

Yeoreum thought for a moment, then answered.

“I would absolutely! Definitely! Slash them. So they can never do it again.”

The staff let out small laughs at her reply. Headlines were already forming in their minds.

[Seoryeong of declares ‘I’ll slash them’ even at screening]

[Han Yeoreum immersed in her method-shaman role, “I slash really well~” Netizens ‘shivering’]

It fit perfectly with , which was currently airing to great popularity.

With that, Media Day ended on a good note, followed by the official press conference. After finishing even the one-on-one outlet interviews, evening finally came.

Click-! Click-! Click-!

The nonstop shutter sounds rang out like applause as the photo wall began.

“Look this way, please!”

“Hand hearts! Hand hearts!”

From rookie celebrities attending due to agency pressure, to stars with ties to the cast, to actors appearing in current or upcoming dramas and films, to hot idols—

Celebrities streamed in one after another to leave their mark at the VIP screening.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that every celebrity considered popular these days was gathered here.

[Choo Gaeul, loyal woman’s hand wave... screening photo wall]

[Noh Seungchan of , who shook the archipelago... stealing hearts with hand hearts]

Among them, the shutters were merciless toward celebrities who made good headlines.

The moment Myeong Jeha appeared—the rising detective from , which had already surpassed ten million viewers—all reporters’ attention snapped toward him.

“Myeong Jeha! Over here! To the right!”

Myeong Jeha accepted a microphone at the photo wall and did a brief interview.

“You’ve already become the star of two ten-million-viewer films. As a ‘double-ten-million’ actor, do you think can hit ten million as well?”

At the playful question, Myeong Jeha smiled naturally.

“Thank you for calling me that—it’s flattering and a bit embarrassing. Haha. I think will definitely reach double ten million.”

His generous praise, suggesting it would perform just as well as his own films, softened the reporters’ expressions. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

After Myeong Jeha bowed lightly and went inside, next—

“Do Gyeoul!”

Click, click, clickclickclick-!

The actress with the highest stock value in Korea right now entered. Not long ago, she’d enjoyed unprecedented popularity in Japan and even held a fan meeting at NHK Hall.

Everyone here knew exactly what it meant for a twenty-one-year-old actress to sell out 3,500 seats on her own.

Do Gyeoul was a cheat key who boosted clicks by name alone. Naturally, she was handed a microphone.

“You must be extremely busy with your activities in Japan these days, but we hear you came straight here as soon as you entered the country for . Are you close with actress Han Yeoreum in your everyday life?”

Same school, same department, same age. It was a natural question—not just for reporters, but for the public, who already assumed a connection between Winter and Summer.

Gyeoul answered with a bright smile.

“Of course. I’m a fan of Yeoreum.”

Thinking she was kindly supporting her rookie peer, the reporters smiled in satisfaction.

[Double-ten-million Myeong Jeha, archipelago goddess Do Gyeoul too? Stars pour into DaeYeJong... screening]

[Do Gyeoul of , ‘I’m a fan of Yeoreum’—a humble, lovely smile]

Articles were uploaded at lightning speed.

Escorted by guards, Gyeoul headed toward where Yeoreum would be.

The soft carpet unique to movie theaters, corridors where sound echoed faintly, the gentle scent of caramel popcorn brushing her nose—

And Han Yeoreum, about to appear.

Everything blended together, making Gyeoul’s heart race.

As she entered the theater, the Han Yeoreum she’d been waiting for came into view.

“Hi.”

Yeoreum, naturally managing her expression, looked as though she’d grown another step.

“Thanks for coming.”

Not afraid of her at all—almost as if she believed they were equals now.

“Ahaha! Yeah. I’m looking forward to your acting.”

She still had so much lacking—where did she get those reckless eyes full of nerve?

But that was exactly what made Han Yeoreum interesting, never boring.

Gyeoul sat in her seat, waiting for Han Yeoreum to appear on the screen.

At last, —

The VIP screening began.

* * *

The Violent Crimes Division office at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Heavy, angry footsteps echoed harshly. The moment everyone saw his face, they awkwardly looked away or bowed their heads.

Bang!

“Where’s Kwak Cheolsik?!”

The man who’d burst the door open demanded. The screen cut immediately to a completely different, immaculate office.

“......”

A neat white shirt, slicked-back hair, a straight tie. Yun Hyeonjo, looking like the very definition of an elite officer, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, listening to the commissioner.

Yun Hyeonjo’s posture was proper, but his eyes—defiant and uncomprehending—looked down at the commissioner.

“You know it’s not a one-man job.”

At those words, Yun Hyeonjo clenched his fist tightly behind his back, clearly unable to agree.

The screen shifted again to the Violent Crimes office.

“Detective Kwak is out on an investigation....”

The enraged team leader bellowed. His face red, he shouted,

“Pull the address of the scene Kwak Cheolsik went to! Now! They’re all the same—nothing but troublemakers, every last one of them!”

He hurled the documents in his hand. As the files flew, photos inside fluttered to the floor.

“Is Kwak Cheolsik a cop or a thug?!!”

The screen switched to Detective Kwak at the crime scene.

“Hoo....”

A white stick was clenched between his lips. It looked like a cigarette—but it was candy.

Just like in the photos, Kwak Cheolsik looked down at a criminal beaten to a pulp.

“Try livin’ a little nicer.... Like your big bro....”

“Y-you... are you a cop... or a thug....”

“Look at this guy? You’re exaggeratin’. Your bro barely hit you.”

Grinning viciously, Kwak Cheolsik nudged the groaning thug with his toe. Just then—

“Hey, you crazy bastard—! You’re the worst one here!”

The team leader came running from afar and attempted a flying kick from a couple steps back.

“Oh my.”

Kwak Cheolsik dodged neatly. The team leader sprawled on the floor and started yelling again.

The audience let out quiet laughter. Reporter Wi laughed too, analyzing the film.

‘Perfect for snack culture. Light, with refreshing characters.’

As was clear from the teaser, the message this movie wanted to deliver was straightforward.

True to his nickname, the Chungmuro civil servant, Gong Mujin knew how to hit just the right flavor.

Scene transitions, sound effects—everything was textbook-perfect.

The pairing of the hopeless Detective Kwak and the even-more-hopeless Detective Yun followed a classic slapstick-comedy formula. In one word, it was ‘a familiar taste.’

Just like in the teaser, the two became partners. From the start, nothing lined up.

From attire to personality, speech patterns to work style.

“Does that even make sense? Man, this guy really shows he’s never properly worked the field.”

“If it doesn’t work, you make it work. Isn’t that why you’re here? You should stop advertising how little you use your brain.”

What they needed to catch wasn’t a distributor from the . It was the supplier. Only by nailing the supplier would this absurd situation end.

“You done talking?”

“No. I haven’t said anything I want yet. Want me to keep going?”

“Hey, you bastard!”

“What, you bastard.”

“I’ll just—!”

Detective Kwak grabbed Detective Yun by the collar. Detective Yun grabbed him right back.

They were moments away from a full-on brawl.

Rip—!

“......”

“......”

Detective Yun’s shirt was forcibly torn, turning him into an idol at the climax of the scene. All the buttons flew off.

Momentarily flustered, Detective Kwak had the nerve to act shameless despite being the one who tore it.

“You bastard, you’re eating taxpayers’ money and walking around dressed this indecently? Want me to throw you in a holding cell?”

At that, Detective Yun snapped and tightened his grip ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ as well. But Kwak Cheolsik’s clothes didn’t tear.

Fueled by spite, Detective Yun yanked harder—still nothing.

“What the hell are you wearing?!”

Detective Yun shouted, still stuck in ripped clothes.

“Don’t disrespect Pyeonghwa Market! You’re always wearing imported crap, that’s why! Made in Korea! Be patriotic, you bastard!”

Even while being shaken by the collar, Detective Kwak yelled like a guardian of Dongdaemun Market.

And the moment he said that—

Riiip—.

At last, the khaki T-shirt that Kwak Cheolsik wore like a tattoo tore apart.

A junior detective nearby said quietly,

“Must’ve been made in China....”

So the ‘meeting’ that was really a fight played out several times between Detective Kwak and Detective Yun.

On the beam projector screen was the face of suspect K, with a mole under his right eye.

“He operates an entertainment venue called ‘D.K’ in Gangnam District. He’s a front man. There’s a separate money backer, but for now, you can consider K to be both supplier and distributor.”

But no matter how they approached it, they couldn’t figure out how to infiltrate.

A few days later, Detective Kwak called Detective Yun with a ridiculous proposal.

“...And how exactly do you plan to infiltrate an influencer party?”

Detective Yun asked in a flat tone.

“You can’t even swallow an idea when it’s handed to you! That’s your job to figure out from here!”

Detective Kwak bulldozed ahead.

“Where are we supposed to find an influencer? And how can you guarantee nothing leaks?”

Detective Yun sighed, hands on the steering wheel.

And then, as if offering a kind, explanatory cut, the scene shifted to reveal exactly who that ‘influencer’ was.

“Hey, I’m serious!”

At last, Yeoreum appeared on the screen.