Kang Woojin moved with a cynical expression.
The actors were flustered and didn't know what to do.
From Kang Woojin's indifferent face, they felt something intense.
'Ah, he's angry.'
You could tell just by looking at his expression.
Even they knew it was something people would naturally find unpleasant.
But Kang Woojin himself wasn't particularly angry.
Still, he felt the misunderstanding should be corrected.
As he walked forward, he looked at the actors whose eyes had widened and spoke briefly.
His tone was the same as always.
"I'm not affiliated with any agency."
In an instant, the actors' faces darkened.
Those words sounded almost like a warning that the issue had nothing to do with any company.
His indifferent expression seemed to growl for a moment.
The actors immediately bowed their heads toward Kang Woojin.
"I-I'm really, really sorry!"
"We're truly sorry!"
"We didn't know you were here… we're sorry."
As the actors apologized, Director Shin Dongchun blinked in confusion.
"Why? What happened?"
Kang Woojin, who had been quietly observing the actors, answered calmly.
"It seems they misunderstood."
"A misunderstanding?"
"There's no need to worry about it."
The reason Kang Woojin responded so calmly came from his own self-assessment.
He was the kind of eccentric actor who didn't care much about how others saw him and simply did things his own way.
There was no need to get angry over something this trivial.
'It's just some petty rumor.'
'Well, whatever. That kind of thing is part of the character anyway.'
Besides, Kang Woojin was the central figure on this filming set.
Possessing both status and appeal was a major advantage.
As an actor, he would inevitably encounter situations where he needed to be magnanimous.
For example, when someone higher up picked a fight or tried to cause trouble.
If that happened, Kang Woojin would definitely get angry.
After all, he was the one who had boldly thrown his resignation letter at the CEO of the design company.
'I could deal with it if I had to, but there's no need to make a big deal out of it right now.'
In any case, the actors continued apologizing to Woojin.
At that moment—
Hmm.
Director Shin Dongchun seemed to grasp the situation to some extent.
'It looks like the actors were rude to Woojin.'
'I should call them later and ask about it properly.'
Still, Woojin has great patience.
Even top stars often get angry at minor actors for no reason.
He turned his gaze away from the actors and looked toward the villa in the distance.
Preparations on the filming set were in full swing.
The focus was more on the interior of the villa than the exterior.
"Check the props in the basement!"
"Yes! Heading there now!"
"Are we filming on the second floor today?"
"According to the schedule, that's tomorrow!"
About ten members of The Private Investigator production staff were scattered throughout the villa.
There wasn't a huge amount of equipment on the filming set.
Compared to a normal commercial film crew, it was somewhat lacking.
However, considering it was a short film, the staff and equipment were actually quite decent.
Normally there would probably be only half this many people.
Fortunately, The Private Investigator had barely secured investment funding.
That allowed for this relatively stable production environment.
Still—
"Filming starts at 2 PM! Let's move faster!"
The official shoot for the short film The Private Investigator was scheduled to begin at 2 PM.
That left about three hours.
During that time, Director Shin Dongchun planned to go over filming preparations and brief everyone about the accommodations.
For reference, the The Private Investigator production staff would be staying near the villa for about five days during filming.
According to the storyboard, most scenes would be shot around the villa.
Right then—
Swoosh.
A long-haired woman suddenly appeared behind Director Shin Dongchun, who had been watching the villa.
A large-built male actor noticed her first.
"…What?"
She looked strangely familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time.
The large-built actor muttered quietly.
"Isn't that Hong Hyeyeon?"
His words spread instantly among the actors.
"What?! Where?"
"Ah! Wow!"
"Wow… that's really her. Unbelievable."
"Is that really Hong Hyeyeon? The actual Hong Hyeyeon? Not just someone who looks like her?"
It truly was top actress Hong Hyeyeon.
The actors froze in shock.
Director Shin Dongchun turned his head, noticed her, and immediately broke into a wide smile.
"Hahaha! Everyone's surprised, right? Sorry about that. This is Hong Hyeyeon, who'll be playing the role of the wife."
At the same time, Hong Hyeyeon—wearing a long white padded coat—smiled and greeted the actors.
"Hello. Let's work hard together."
The actors, still stunned by her sudden appearance, greeted her back awkwardly.
Wait… Hong Hyeyeon? Why is she here?
Their faces were filled with confusion.
That was only natural.
A top actress had suddenly appeared on the filming set of a short film.
Eventually, Hong Hyeyeon's gaze met Kang Woojin's.
His face remained expressionless.
Soon, she muttered quietly to herself.
'He's calm.'
'Did he expect this?'
'He stayed calm even in front of a hundred people during the script reading.'
'Since this is the first shoot, I thought he might at least be a little nervous.'
Then she paused.
'Expecting it?'
'What exactly am I expecting right now?'
Kang Woojin greeted her briefly.
"Hello."
The surrounding actors' eyes widened slightly.
What surprised them wasn't his voice.
It was his composure.
Even though Hong Hyeyeon had appeared, Kang Woojin remained completely calm.
Isn't that strange?
It's Hong Hyeyeon.
How can he stay that calm?
Meanwhile, Hong Hyeyeon—now used to Woojin's reactions—smiled.
"We're meeting again. We seem to run into each other quite often, don't we?"
'It's a blessing for me.'
Although Kang Woojin felt complicated emotions internally, he answered calmly.
"Yes, that's right."
The scene shocked the surrounding actors.
He meets Hong Hyeyeon often?
Are they close?
Who exactly is this guy?
Some famous stage actor?
Suddenly, the gazes directed toward Kang Woojin shifted from curiosity to envy.
Meanwhile, at GGO Enter.
Inside a spacious CEO office filled with potted plants, CEO Seo Guseop sat smoking a cigarette.
His face still resembled a bulldog.
Two male employees stood in front of him.
Seo Guseop skimmed through a report before raising his head.
"So there's no issue with Junghyuk's situation, right?"
A thin employee nodded firmly.
"Yes. Filming begins in two days, and Park Junghyuk is in good condition."
"Handle it carefully. Keep pressuring the production company to manage the filming set properly."
"Understood."
"Is there any equipment missing?"
"From what we've heard, there doesn't appear to be."
"You never know what might happen. Go check it yourself."
Seo Guseop exhaled cigarette smoke and continued.
"This isn't just about saving Junghyuk. The honor of GGO Entertainment is on the line. Don't treat this lightly."
"Yes, understood. We'll keep a close eye on it."
"If they're lacking anything—locations or casting—help them from our side."
After reaffirming his determination to restore Park Junghyuk's reputation, Seo Guseop closed the report and changed the topic.
"So how's The Private Investigator going? Are those idiots still silent?"
"Yes. Aside from securing investment and preparing to start filming, there's no other news. The supporting actors they cast aren't even B-grade."
"Right. If they had even cast B-grade actors, there would've been some noise already. Damn it, just thinking about it pisses me off again."
He clicked his tongue.
"In the end, they damaged Junghyuk's reputation just to cast some useless actor, didn't they?"
…
Seo Guseop took another drag of his cigarette.
"Whatever. It's their own fault. Let trash do trashy things. But who invested in that thing?"
"That… hasn't been confirmed yet. It definitely didn't come from the short film production company. Most likely Director Shin Dongchun secured it through personal connections."
"Damn. It's not some attack from another agency, is it?"
"That's unlikely. There's no reason for them to care about the short film or indie market."
"Tch. Honestly, it would've been better if The Private Investigator collapsed before filming even began."
Seo Guseop crushed his cigarette into the glass ashtray and suddenly stood up.
"Anyway, contact those reporters we have connections with. Tell them to run the article. It's time to draw attention."
About an hour later, articles about actor Park Junghyuk appeared online.
[Exclusive] Actor Park Junghyuk — Starting Again From the Bottom Instead of the Top: "I'll repay everyone with my acting."
Around 2 PM.
Back at the The Private Investigator filming set at the villa in Paju.
Dozens of people had gathered in the villa's front yard.
It was the entire The Private Investigator team—both production staff and actors.
But unlike earlier, tension hung over everyone's faces.
The reason was simple.
Top actress Hong Hyeyeon had suddenly appeared.
No one on the filming set had expected to see her today.
And the fact that someone who normally appeared only in blockbuster films was participating in The Private Investigator was unimaginable.
Because of that, the staff kept glancing at Hong Hyeyeon standing beside Director Shin Dongchun.
At that moment, Director Shin Dongchun spoke.
"Everyone probably noticed already."
He began briefing the production staff, which had increased due to Hong Hyeyeon's management team.
"Hong Hyeyeon's appearance must remain secret until submission. There's a confidentiality clause in the contract, and there are reasons it must not be revealed. Please make sure to follow that rule."
Beside him, Hong Hyeyeon brushed back her long hair and greeted everyone politely.
"Please take care of me."
In truth, the atmosphere on the filming set remained fairly relaxed.
Director Shin Dongchun continued.
"Except for Hyeyeon, everyone will stay nearby for about five days during filming. If there's anything inconvenient, let me know in advance."
Generally, short films and indie productions stay near the filming set because the shooting period is short.
Frequent movement would double costs and disrupt the schedule.
"Alright! Starting today, let's follow the schedule carefully!"
Director Shin Dongchun—an experienced PD but a rookie Director—bowed to everyone.
At the same time, a member of the directing team shouted loudly.
"Filming starts in 10 minutes!"
The production staff quickly moved to their positions.
Director Shin Dongchun approached Kang Woojin.
"Woojin, go get your makeup done. The first scene is a solo shot. Let's start with you casually entering the villa."
"Understood."
His answer was calm.
But inside—
'I'm seriously losing my mind.'
'My first shoot… I'm so nervous.'
From the moment he arrived on the filming set, Kang Woojin's heart had been pounding nonstop.
Filming?
Am I really shooting a movie?
The tension of a script reading and the tension of a filming set were completely different.
A script reading was preparation.
A filming set was reality.
Even though it was a small short film set, to Kang Woojin it felt like he was standing alone on an enormous stage.
And Kang Woojin was the lead of The Private Investigator.
The cameras, the Director, and the entire production staff were moving for him.
He felt pressure.
And fear.
'This feels overwhelming.'
The responsibility of being the lead actor.
That was the weight pressing on Kang Woojin.
Even he didn't fully understand it.
But—
'If this is how it feels here, filming Profiler Hanryang must be absolute hell.'
Still, Kang Woojin resolved to act strong.
Not just on the outside.
Even inside.
He needed to convince himself.
So he sat quietly during makeup with the same cold expression.
And because of that—
he gave off an intimidating aura.
Just then—
"Woojin."
Hong Hyeyeon approached, holding a script.
"Have you thought about it? The agency."
Kang Woojin replied calmly.
"I'll decide after filming The Private Investigator ends."
"…You haven't met with anyone yet?"
"No."
"Do you have any conditions in mind?"
Of course not.
Filming itself was new to Kang Woojin.
Knowing anything about agencies would have been strange.
So he answered vaguely.
"Maybe."
Hong Hyeyeon studied him for a moment before speaking.
"We're products too. For actors especially, it's important to set your own value when meeting companies."
After wishing him luck with filming, she left.
Watching her walk away, Kang Woojin muttered quietly.
'She could've told me how to set the price too.'
Director Shin Dongchun called out.
"Woojin! Get ready!"
Woojin took a deep breath and walked toward the villa entrance.
He rehearsed briefly with the Director.
Then the Director returned to the monitor.
Hong Hyeyeon approached again.
"Director, may I watch the monitor too?"
"Haha. Of course. Why even ask?"
"I'll just stand."
Soon other actors gathered behind them.
Meanwhile, Kang Woojin stood in position wearing a black blazer.
Two cameras were already installed in the yard.
He quietly looked at the villa.
Now—
he had to become Kim Ryujin, the protagonist of The Private Investigator.
He had to move like Kim Ryujin.
Suppressing his racing heart, Kang Woojin sank into the character engraved in his mind.
The world of Kim Ryujin spread before him like a panorama.
His life.
His thoughts.
His emotions.
His senses.
His knowledge.
In an instant—
Kang Woojin became Kim Ryujin.
At that moment—
his usual cold aura disappeared.
His eyes changed.
Director Shin Dongchun shouted.
"Ready—action!"
Kim Ryujin stepped forward.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
The grass crackled beneath his feet.
Crunch.
On the fourth step—
his foot slipped.
He fell forward into the grass.
"Mm."
Everything looked natural.
Like flowing water.
Director Shin Dongchun muttered in admiration.
"That movement… was it planned? It perfectly matches Kim Ryujin."
Hong Hyeyeon chuckled quietly.
"Exactly. Kim Ryujin is slightly clumsy when moving… that one small action made the character much clearer."
Behind her, actors whispered.
"He completely becomes Kim Ryujin."
"His acting is incredible."
Hong Hyeyeon bit her lip slightly.
'The way he improvises movements to build the character… his instincts are terrifying.'
Director Shin Dongchun leaned closer to the monitor.
"I have to use this shot."
Everyone was completely absorbed in Kim Ryujin.
Then—
Kim Ryujin slowly stood up.
His expression remained blank.
But inside—
'Damn. That was embarrassing.'
Because that fall—
wasn't acting.
He had actually fallen.