The Two Posters
The main posters for Killing Horn came out in two versions.
When the first poster was revealed, everyone thought the same thing.
Just another action flick.
It showed Lee Yeonjae in a combat uniform, white-haired, holding a gun. He was grinning brightly, his black eyes brimming with life, while vintage stickers of guns, grenades, and the like crowded the space behind him.
Even that first poster alone—so full of mischievous energy—created a certain 'image' to look forward to.
But after the second poster dropped, no one could think at all.
'.........'
Everyone simply stared at it, dumbfounded.
In the poster, Lee Yeonjae sat alone in an empty corner. His entire body, white hair included, was soaked through with blood. His expression was close to nothing at all—as if he were something other than a living being. His face glistened with something that could have been tears or blood, yet ironically, he looked so parched he might shatter at any moment.
The reaction was explosive.
Since next to nothing was known about Killing Horn beyond the fact that it was an SF action drama, people only grew more confused. The two main posters were so wildly contradictory that even predicting the plot was impossible. Some netizens speculated that, as with Twins, Lee Yeonjae might be attempting dual roles again.
And then the long-awaited official trailer arrived.
The trailer was relentlessly bright, as if to deny the second poster's very existence. There was Lee Yeonjae firing off shot after shot with a mischievous grin. Him sprinting toward Lee Jeonghyeon while shouting "Hyung!" There were even dazzling action sequences, like a truck flipping over. Yeonjae's action performance—moving frantically as he single-handedly faced down a crowd—looked impressive even at a glance.
The breathless minute and a half ended with Lee Yeonjae flashing a sly smile and snapping his fingers. The trailer closed on the sharp little tik of his fingers colliding.
And now, having replayed the trailer for the 3,245,762nd time, the president of Lee Yeonjae's fan club, Kwon Inah, let out a scream.
"Crazy, WHEN is it coming out!!!!!!!!!"
"Oh, for god's sake, there she goes again."
Her younger brother clicked his tongue with practiced ease.
"Hey. I need the computer too. Move."
"Do you not grasp the severity of this situation? You're telling me to get up while this trailer is out?"
"It's my computer. Get off. Now."
When her brother started to whine, Kwon Inah sighed—then uttered three words.
"My desk. Wallet. Fifty thousand won."
"Yes ma'am. Please enjoy in comfort, teacher. I shall take my leave."
Her brother scurried out of the room.
Finally alone, Kwon Inah played the Killing Horn trailer once more. It was packed end to end with nothing but fast-paced action set to a blatantly commercial BGM.
It was good, of course. It made her happy. White-haired Bambi alone was a gift—him doing action on top of that?
The only problem was the thing that kept catching in her chest.
If it weren't for that poster, I could enjoy this in peace….
The second poster's influence was simply too great. With a heart that felt like it was tearing in two, Kwon Inah gingerly opened it up.
"Ahh, my baby…."
To think the plot would take the innocently laughing Yeonjae from the trailer and turn him into that. Why is he soaked in blood? Why is he making that face? What on earth is the story? You could at least give us a rough idea, you absolute production team bastards!
Unfortunately, no one existed to soothe her slow-burning rage. But there were plenty of people to share in the suffering.
And so, wallowing posts flooded Lee Yeonjae's fan cafe without a moment's pause.
***
The day of the Killing Horn production press conference.
Journalists crowded the conference room shoulder to shoulder.
"Damn, looks like every reporter in the country showed up. It's suffocating in here."
"Not much to write about these days. If even someone of my standing is here, that tells you something."
The room was so packed there was barely room to stand.
"Heard Lee Jeonghyeon and Lee Yeonjae aren't doing any variety shows?"
"Like Wooyeon would ever let them."
"Ugh, and that Lee Jeonghyeon—doesn't even date women. I tailed him all last week and got nothing."
"Well, once Killing Horn drops we won't have to worry about headlines for a while. That's enough for me."
The journalists' complaints ended the moment the lead actors appeared. Reporters raised their cameras in professional stances, fingers flying.
"Lee Yeonjae! Over here, please!"
The hottest reaction, naturally, was all for Lee Yeonjae. The sign language drama February 3rd had held no offline events, so this was his first official public appearance in a long while.
Even after the excited buzz died down, a barrage of questions kept coming his way.
"It's your first time doing action—did you undergo any special training? How much of the action was handled by a stunt double?"
Lee Yeonjae slowly picked up the microphone.
"I attended action school before filming began, just like the other lead actors. As for stunt doubles… well, I shot every action scene myself."
"Sorry? Are you saying you filmed without a stuntman?"
"No. A professional stuntman was on set for every scene in case of an accident. We did film the stuntman's takes as a precaution, but I'm told the decision was made in editing to use only my performances."
The PD stepped in with a microphone, confirming it was true.
"Yeonjae turns out to be an even better physical performer than expected. I heard the head of the action school even offered to train him as a stuntman—I had to step in and stop them before they stole our precious actor."
Laughter erupted at the PD's joking remark. The reporters laughed along while typing so fast their fingers blurred.
The journalists were churning out articles in real time from a single answer. Unaware that Lee Yeonjae was watching their rapid fingers with keen interest, one reporter fired off another question.
"Almost no story details have been released. Is that intentional?"
"Yes. I'd like to encourage everyone to enjoy the drama in full, without any spoilers whatsoever," the PD answered confidently. "I can guarantee that whatever story you're imagining, the truth will be more shocking. The writer has produced a script that is simply impossible to stop watching midway."
"Exactly. Reading the script ourselves, we kept saying, 'Wow, how did they even come up with this development?'"
When Lee Jeonghyeon took the microphone, the laptop keys clattered even faster. The writer hastily waved her hands at the stream of praise.
"Oh no. Honestly, watching the actors during filming gave me plenty to think about. They brought my script to life at two hundred percent and beyond…."
The atmosphere was nothing short of warm and convivial. Just as everyone was starting to grow bored of the predictable flow, the writer accidentally dropped a bomb.
"Yeonjae did some ad-libs along the way, and one of them was so much better than the original script that we actually changed the content."
"Excuse me?"
The journalists' eyes began spinning furiously.
"So the story changed because of Lee Yeonjae's ad-lib?"
"I heard Lee Yeonjae wrote the screenplay for February 3rd himself—could that be related to the scene in question?"
"Do you plan to pursue work as a screenwriter? Lee Yeonjae, a word please!"
"Whoa, whoa, everyone calm down. We'll take questions one at a time."
The announcer hurriedly rose from her seat. Startled by the journalists' sudden commotion, Lee Yeonjae glanced around, mouth slightly agape.
Of course, he recovered his composure in an instant—but the Biyeon fans watching live were quicker still. A single captured frame was uploaded to social media in real time.
And then the writer threw oil on the fire.
"The original story was so dark that I'd been thinking of casting an actor in his twenties for the lead. Even when the PD first brought up Yeonjae, honestly, I was only half convinced."
She went on to say that Yeonjae had acted so brilliantly that her worries had been rendered meaningless.
"If it weren't for Yeonjae, Killing Horn would never have come into this world."
At her impassioned declaration, Lee Yeonjae made a sheepish expression.
"Lee Yeonjae, a word as well?"
"It seems everyone is very eager to praise me. Personally, filming this drama made me aware of my own shortcomings. It was a time I could learn a great deal—not only about acting, but in many other respects as well."
It was a textbook answer, as if copied straight from a script. In other words: boring.
The reporters spoke with their eyes.
Give us something headline-worthy! Something provocative—just one line!
Unable to withstand that burning gaze, Lee Yeonjae raised the microphone again. A flicker of hesitation passed through his eyes—then he broke into an easy laugh.
"Yes, I'm satisfied with the filming. No regrets, either."
"Which means…?"
To the reporters' desperate follow-up, Lee Yeonjae smiled slyly.
"I also believe that without me, there would be no Killing Horn as it is today."
There it is!
The journalists played their laptops like instruments, faces practically frothing.
Fan club president Kwon Inah nearly stopped breathing at the sight.
Our Bambi said THAT?
This was Bambi who always gave stiff, formal answers at official events. The meek little lamb who wouldn't touch a controversial statement with a ten-foot pole?
How confident do you have to be to say something like that?
The Biyeon fans, who knew Yeonjae's character well, went into an even greater frenzy.
And so, just as countless Biyeon fans were about to slip into asphyxiation, Killing Horn was finally released.
Barely a few hours later, Lee Yeonjae's closing words were revealed to have been nothing less than confidence with a reason.