I'm an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me

‘The director who properly saw that performance took her as the female lead for a large-scale project.’

In that large-scale project, I was “Screaming Woman 1,” while Do Gyeoul starred alongside Myeong Jeha and Ji Haebeom as a lead.

And this work—the very starting point of that project—

‘Came to me instead of Do Gyeoul...!’

It felt like all those days of constantly worrying whether my role would disappear, whether it would be taken from me, were melting away.

The days I dragged myself from audition to audition, wondering if there might be even one spot for me.

The days I forced myself to attend drinking gatherings, clinging on, pitching myself with a desperate tone.

Even after starting over, that past had kept grabbing my ankle again and again.

I kept repeating to myself that it would be okay, just in case everything looped back again.

It could be taken. It could disappear. That’s fine. I can do another project. At least now, there’s a place for me on set. Something like that—I can brush it off now. Han Yeoreum now has a next.

That’s what I told myself.

But then—

‘It came to me....’

I have it.

The moment I reaffirmed that fact, a shiver ran through me—something too overwhelming to even describe.

‘This is insane.’

The scripts I got from Joo Junseo were mostly mid-tier. I had been thinking I might have to pick one of those, even if it was disappointing...

‘And now a blockbuster like this just comes to me on its own!’

[Codename: Time Seven]

Eden Orphanage, a place that spread love in the name of God. Once filled with children’s laughter, it disappears one day after being caught in an unknown incident. A single gunshot echoes through the hellish flames.

The only one who knows where that gunshot came from is Taeo, the pride of the orphanage.

The surviving Taeo begins chasing the traces of that day.

Matteo (32, Male)

Affiliation: International Criminal Court (ICC), unofficial operations field agent

A man who has lived with an unextinguished ember in his chest since the day the orphanage collapsed. He searches for the fate of the siblings he lived with there. After meeting Ria, his purpose in life begins to waver. Does he want revenge? Or does he want a family? The hand that once pulled the trigger without hesitation now grows heavy with doubt.

Im Ria (27, Female)

Affiliation: Interpol (ICPO), elite agent

A secret genius within Interpol headquarters. She successfully tracked cybercrime surrounding the United States and rose rapidly through the Central Bureau line. Just when her life seemed destined for a smooth path, a bullet suddenly struck her. Is it just her imagination, or does the man asking if she’s hurt look even more pained than she is?

“Agent! I’m finally an agent!”

It looks similar to Lee Seohae, but it’s a completely different role.

The defining trait is that she grew up receiving abundant love from her parents, carrying a bright, innocent smile.

“Wow... I’ve really never done a role like this before...”

The emotion hits me all over again. Let’s think about my filmography for a moment.

〈ParCheHi〉 where only the mother briefly appeared, 〈No Interest Whatsoever〉 where the mother was there but treated her daughter like an ATM, 〈Strange Tales〉 where not only parents but even guardians were a disaster, 〈Intern Academy of the Academy of the Academy〉 where there were no parents at all, 〈The Great Garland〉 where only the father existed and was absolute trash, and 〈Youth Disqualified!〉 where parents existed but it was anything but a bright family.

“A role where both parents are present and she’s loved...”

It overwhelms me again. I’ve never done something like this before...

“No need to think about it. It’s a yes.”

But who’s the male lead?

‘Ji Haebeom said we should work together again... but I don’t think it’s this one.’

When Do Gyeoul did it, it was Yoo Jiuk.

Just like Eun Baekhap, Hong Suryeon, and Dongbaekyeong are called a troika, there are three untouchable top-tier male actors as well.

Ji Haebeom, Yoo Jiuk, and Jin Yi. The three legends. All three have a “j” sound in their names, so people often group them together with wordplay.

‘If I work with Yoo Jiuk, it’d definitely help pull in overseas fans.’

Han Yeoreum’s materialistic calculator spun rapidly.

In 〈The Great Garland〉, I had already made an impression on the overseas fanbases of Myeong Jeha and Ji Haebeom through my connection with both young Taeseok and adult Taeseok.

‘This time, I want to absorb Yoo Jiuk’s fans.’

He had the second-highest number of social media followers after Ji Haebeom.

He followed the textbook rising actor path, building diverse fanbases through romantic comedy, genre works, melodrama, and noir.

‘Jin Yi would be good too.’

He had the fewest followers among the three, but his acting skill was exceptional.

If Ji Haebeom was a heavyweight leader and Yoo Jiuk a rough-edged delinquent type, then Jin Yi was the definition of a warm, gentle man. The kind who looked best when smiling brightly.

‘No matter who plays Matteo, it’s a win for me!’

If I absorb a male lead’s followers like this, someday I’ll build such a massive core fanbase that even combining Eun Baekhap and Do Gyeoul won’t be enough to surpass me...

“Are you done, Yeoreum?”

“Yeah. I’m done being overwhelmed.”

Only now did Manager Choi lower her hands from her ears, and I asked,

“So who’s joining this with me?”

“Han Yohan. He accepted immediately on his side.”

“Ah—.”

Han Yohan wasn’t a bad choice either.

‘He’s incredibly good with physical action!’

Of course, his romance filmography was weak, and he wasn’t considered a legend like Ji Haebeom, Yoo Jiuk, or Jin Yi, but if the focus was action, there was no better fit.

‘Because...’

There had been some reaction during 〈Faster Than the Law 2〉 last time.

‘Han Yohan usually gets comments about his chemistry with male actors, but I was almost the only one people said worked well with him.’

Even though we only had about a minute of screen time together. If we stayed together throughout, the response would definitely be stronger.

‘And honestly, in action-melodrama, it’s almost impossible to have no chemistry.’

It’s a story about risking your life to protect a woman, so there’s an inherently addictive sweetness to it.

“Since Han Yohan is especially good with action, it’ll double the emotional impact.”

From motorcycle stunts to car chases, rolling down stairs, and all sorts of action—he could do it all himself without a stunt double.

The action scenes he showed in 〈Faster Than the Law〉 were already legendary.

“Han Yohan is a great choice.”

I didn’t get to do much action in 〈Unfair Trade〉, so I could properly learn during this shoot.

This is how I expand my acting spectrum further.

INTUBE

[Codename Time Seven Han Yeoreum Action Scene Compilation] 05:27

Views 163,223

– «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» Wow she’s actually really goodㅋㅋㅋ unexpected

– Not many actresses use their body this much... I want to see her play a killer someday^^

– Our baby melon bread is literally flying around... why am I tearing up

– Isn’t this filmography cheating? She’s an agent but she’s doing all the field grunt workㅠㅠㅠㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– 02:21 the way she loads the gun is insane why are her hands so fast

My chest was already heating up. I read the synopsis again, smiling brightly.

‘With a project like this, I can clear the missions from the status window too!’

A travel tour named after Codename Time Seven. Just thinking about it made my lips curl upward.

“I’m in too! I hope filming starts soon.”

I shouldn’t have said that.

“...Really?”

“With Hong Suryeon! And Yoo Jiuk!”

“...And... and...”

“Hwang! Bo! Seok! The writer too!”

Thud. Thud. Thud.

It felt like three bullets hit my heart in succession.

* * *

Hong Suryeon blinked.

“That baby’s fast.”

A smile, sharper than expected, curved her lips.

“In that case, this unnie will move fast too...”

Her next project was practically decided.

The synopsis in her hand was none other than Hwang Boseok’s romantic comedy.

Hwang Boseok. A name that alone could raise the public’s heart rate.

Hong Suryeon gazed deeply into the full-length mirror in the center of her spacious living room. Behind her, her manager carefully asked while holding a tray with lemon green tea.

“Suryeon, did Writer Hwang say he’d give it to you?”

“Kyaa! Unnie! Do you even need to ask?”

Turning her back to the manager, Hong Suryeon lifted her right hand and brushed back her hair.

“I’m Hong Suryeon, after all...”

There was even a saying that every romance script in Korea eventually went to Hong Suryeon.

If you gathered all the people disappointed that she hadn’t chosen them, Chungmuro would be packed.

They hadn’t even finalized roles or properly held meetings yet, but Hong Suryeon was completely certain.

“Unnie, don’t you know what matters most in romantic comedy? A lovable female lead.”

Taking the lemon green tea from her manager, she let out a soft sigh.

“There’s no actress who can surpass me...”

Fresh and sweet, yet with a bitter aftertaste—the tea resembled her.

Draining it in one go, she turned back to the mirror.

“I’m beautiful today too.”

“Of course. Our Suryeon is always pretty.”

“Beau. ti. ful.”

“Always beautiful.”

“That’s right. Because I’m Hong Suryeon...”

After staring at herself for a while, she began calculating again.

“If it’s with Writer Hwang... even if I’m not NetHolics’ second original—well, that’s fine. I can go there later!”

MBS Director Lee Saerok was working tirelessly every day to secure Hwang Boseok’s next project, but in this industry, nothing was certain until the contract was signed.

Even if the MBS drama head pushed hard, the project could still be taken by KBC or SBC.

“It’s a good thing that baby made her choice quickly.”

“Why?”

“Think about it. If she had picked her next project any later, how miserable it would’ve been...”

If Han Yeoreum’s next project had come after NetHolics fully entered the scene—

“If I appear as a NetHolics original, it’s a problem. If I appear on SBC at the same time, that’s also a problem.”

For Han Yeoreum, Hong Suryeon’s next project would be a disaster whether it was a NetHolics original or an SBC drama.