Kang Woojin's February came to an end.
Looking back, it had been a month filled with astonishing events for an ordinary person like him.
In any case, March began.
And it already looked like it would be busy.
Before long, Saturday, March 7 arrived.
Today was the day of the Profiler Hanryang MT and script reading.
It was still dawn.
The location was Kang Woojin's studio apartment.
Naturally, the room was dark.
And Kang Woojin was fast asleep.
What woke him was—
♬♪
The ringtone of his phone rang loudly in the quiet room.
About ten seconds later, Woojin, half-asleep, grabbed the phone from beside his pillow.
Still groggy, he answered without even checking the caller.
"…Hello."
His voice was rough with sleep.
But the voice that came through the phone was clear and feminine.
"Oh my? Were you sleeping?"
"…."
Startled, Kang Woojin squinted at the screen.
The bright light stabbed his eyes.
—Hong Hyeyeon.
The caller was top actress Hong Hyeyeon.
"!!!"
Kang Woojin immediately sat upright.
Then he checked the time.
Just past 4 a.m.
What?
Is this a dream?
No—
Why would Hong Hyeyeon call at this hour?
As his thoughts tangled, Woojin quickly forced himself to calm down.
'Ah. Stay in character.'
He barely managed to regain his composure.
Fortunately, he had already gotten somewhat used to pretending to be calm.
"What is it?"
"Aren't you getting ready?"
Getting ready?
Ah.
Right.
The MT and script reading.
"I was told to arrive by nine."
"Good."
"I was planning to take the staff minibus."
"Hey, if you do that, not many people will get to see you. This is your first appearance as the popular star 'Assistant Manager Park.' I told you already, didn't I? The actors and staff are all really curious about you, Woojin."
"…."
"Woojin, where do you live?"
"I live around Suji."
"Ah, hold on a second."
He could hear her fiddling with her phone.
Then Hong Hyeyeon spoke again.
"Then come to Suji Office Station. Be there within two hours."
Woojin blinked.
What is this?
It feels like she's arranging a date.
"Why?"
Hong Hyeyeon's voice came through with a laugh.
"Why? Because I'm picking you up. Forget the minibus—we're going in my car."
Two hours later.
It was close to six in the morning.
Perhaps because it was so early, there were not many people outside.
Among them, Kang Woojin walked down the street wearing a pilot jacket over a hoodie.
He stopped briefly when he saw his reflection in a shop window.
"Ah… since it's my first script reading, maybe I should've dressed up more."
Many actors would attend.
Including famous ones.
Woojin had thought about it.
But Song Manwoo PD had told him to just come comfortably.
Apparently everyone else would dress casually.
So Woojin chose the most comfortable outfit possible.
The problem was—
Kang Woojin had never cared much about his appearance.
So the result looked almost too natural.
Still, the water had already been spilled.
There was no going back.
"Tch. Whatever."
With a blank expression, Woojin resumed walking.
Soon he reached the station area.
Two vehicles immediately caught his eye.
A black minivan.
And a luxurious white Benz parked nearby.
Those must be them.
They definitely stand out.
As Kang Woojin approached the crosswalk, he focused on keeping his expression blank.
He had practiced maintaining a strong face all the way here.
But he knew he needed to look even firmer than usual.
After all—
He was about to get into goddess Hong Hyeyeon's car.
Soon he reached the vehicles.
He glanced around.
The tinted windows were so dark he couldn't tell which car she was in.
Then—
Creak.
The rear door of the white Benz opened.
At the same time, a pleasant scent drifted toward him.
Hong Hyeyeon appeared, wearing a cap.
She waved.
"Over here."
Even at dawn, she looked beautiful.
Woojin answered in a detached voice while quietly appreciating the sight.
"Yes. Hello."
"But… Woojin."
From inside the car, Hong Hyeyeon looked him up and down.
Her expression grew uneasy.
"Wow. You really don't look nervous at all."
"I am nervous."
"You think I'll believe that? Even if it's just a script reading, there'll be at least fifty or sixty people there. Actors, staff, reporters. And you came dressed like that?"
"I'm wearing appropriate clothes."
"Isn't that way too casual?"
Ah.
This is bad.
Did I dress too comfortably?
Just as regret crept in, Hong Hyeyeon sighed.
"I already knew it, but Woojin, you really don't care about how people see you. You're an actor now, you know."
"…."
"For us, a filming site is a battlefield. Makeup is armor. Acting is a weapon. If you're presenting yourself to the world, you need to manage your image."
Hong Hyeyeon had started nagging him.
If it were his mother, Woojin would have wanted to run away immediately.
But—
'Why does her nagging sound cute?'
Because it was Hong Hyeyeon.
Even her scolding sounded pleasant.
Looking closely, her own style looked natural but carefully constructed.
Perfect makeup.
Balanced fashion.
It was the perfect example of the trendy "effortlessly styled" look.
Then Hong Hyeyeon sighed again.
"Hurry up and get in. People are watching."
She gestured for him to enter the Benz.
The moment Kang Woojin got in—
Both the Benz and the minivan started moving.
Inside the car, Hong Hyeyeon crossed her arms and looked at him.
"There's so much I need to teach you. Why are you wasting such a handsome face? Your acting is flawless, but in this field you're basically a blank slate."
The nagging continued.
But Woojin let it pass through one ear and out the other.
His mind was too overwhelmed.
For Kang Woojin, the situation itself was too stimulating.
He was inside Hong Hyeyeon's car.
Just a month ago, this would have been unimaginable.
He could even hear her breathing.
Hong Hyeyeon, giving off a faint fragrance, was scolding him.
The atmosphere almost felt like that of close friends.
What was this feeling?
Everything felt unreal.
So Woojin made a decision.
"…."
Remain silent.
Maintaining his image was the priority.
He simply looked out the window.
Right then—
Swoosh.
Hong Hyeyeon reached toward his face.
Startled, Woojin reflexively moved his hand.
Click.
"Ah."
"What?"
Kang Woojin had slapped her hand away.
She had been holding makeup powder.
About ten seconds of silence followed.
Then—
"…I said I was going to do your basic makeup. Didn't you hear me?"
Hong Hyeyeon muttered sulkily.
Woojin hurried to explain.
"I'm sorry. I don't like people touching my face."
That was a lie.
Inside, Woojin panicked.
'Ah, I'm screwed. My image is ruined. She's going to hate me.'
Meanwhile, Hong Hyeyeon studied his serious expression.
'He doesn't like people touching his face? Does he have some kind of past? …But this is the first time someone rejected me like that.'
It was a first for her.
'Ha. Damn. That actually hurts my pride a little.'
Around 9 a.m.
Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province.
They had arrived at a venue.
A large complex consisting of five buildings.
Cars filled the parking lot.
Vans.
Minibuses.
Large sedans.
At least thirty vehicles.
The reason was simple.
This venue was being used for the Profiler Hanryang MT and script reading.
The entire complex had been rented for two nights and three days.
The parking lot was crowded.
"No, no! That goes over here!"
"Hey! Rookie! Who told you to drop equipment like that?! Do you know how expensive lighting gear is?!"
"Move the luggage first! Then set up the reading room!"
"We're short on walkie-talkies!"
Dozens of staff members rushed around unloading equipment.
Actors greeted each other as they arrived.
"Wow, your skin looks amazing! Is that skincare product you advertise really that good?"
"Of course it is. Hyung, want to try it? By the way, I heard you're doing a variety show."
There were reporters.
Managers.
Altogether, nearly a hundred people.
The atmosphere felt like a university retreat.
Everyone first unpacked their luggage in their rooms.
Meanwhile the Profiler Hanryang staff rushed to prepare.
Gradually, everyone gathered in the large hall on the first floor.
The script reading would begin at 10 a.m.
Originally the hall had been empty.
Now it looked completely different.
Desks were arranged in a square formation.
Snacks and drinks were placed neatly.
Over forty chairs surrounded the desks.
Temporary chairs filled the entrance area.
It looked like a full-scale script reading venue.
Cameras were installed throughout the hall.
Several filming crews moved around capturing footage.
They were the Profiler Hanryang production team.
The crew interviewed actors one by one.
"What made you decide to join Profiler Hanryang?"
"Hahaha, what is this? Are we filming already?"
They were gathering footage for trailers and behind-the-scenes videos.
Gradually the actors filled the hall.
Lead actors.
Supporting actors.
Agency staff.
Soon there were hardly any empty seats.
What was interesting was—
"Have they found the actor for Assistant Manager Park yet?"
"No. He's coming today, right?"
"I heard he came from overseas. Is he a foreigner or something?"
Nearly all the actors were talking about that role.
"Ah, we'll finally see him today. I've been curious."
"Me too. What kind of actor did they hide until now?"
"I think the rumors were nonsense. None of those actors showed up."
"Why isn't he here yet?"
Everyone kept glancing at the empty seat.
Then Hong Hyeyeon entered.
"Hello—"
About six staff members followed her.
People greeted her immediately.
While she responded, a tall man approached from behind.
"Miss Hong Hyeyeon, are you attending the after-party tonight?"
It was top actor Ryu Jungmin.
The male lead of Profiler Hanryang.
His hair was still long and unstyled.
Hong Hyeyeon shrugged.
"Well, that depends. But since we came this far, shouldn't we at least join from the start?"
"Ah, I see. Oh right—have you seen the actor playing Assistant Manager Park?"
She smiled.
"You're curious?"
"When is he coming? I'm dying to know. He's coming today, right?"
Looking around, Ryu Jungmin noticed a man wearing a pilot jacket standing among Hong Hyeyeon's managers.
"Oh wow. Isn't that guy way too handsome to be a manager? Good build too. Hong Hyeyeon, isn't that a waste?"
Hong Hyeyeon grinned.
"Really? Then should I turn him into an actor?"
"Hahaha! If Hong Hyeyeon backs him, even a rookie could become a top star."
Still laughing, Ryu Jungmin spoke casually to the man in the pilot jacket.
"You should seriously try acting sometime. Not doing it would waste that face."
"…."
The man gave no reply.
His face remained expressionless.
Ryu Jungmin scratched his head.
"This guy's cool. He's got presence. Or is he nervous? Is he new?"
Right then—
Swoosh.
Song Manwoo PD entered the hall.
Writer Park Eunmi followed him.
The hall quickly settled.
Actors took their seats.
Song Manwoo PD and Park Eunmi sat at the central table.
At that moment, Ryu Jungmin spoke.
"PD, uh… what's going on? The actor for Assistant Manager Park isn't here."
Many actors nodded.
Song Manwoo PD smiled.
"He's here."
"…Huh?"
"???"
Confusion spread across the hall.
Song Manwoo PD turned his head toward the square table.
A nameplate sat there.
[Assistant Manager Park]
He nodded toward that seat.
All eyes turned.
Just moments ago it had been empty.
Now—
A man in a pilot jacket stood there.
No one knew when he had arrived.
It was the same man Ryu Jungmin had mistaken for Hong Hyeyeon's manager.
Ryu Jungmin blinked.
Despite the dozens of stares, the man remained calm.
He slowly scanned the room.
Then he sat down.
And spoke quietly.
"Hello."
"My name is Kang Woojin."
"I'll be playing Assistant Manager Park."
At that exact moment—
"…."
"…."
"…."
The huge hall that had been buzzing moments ago fell completely silent.