Inside the towering warehouse being used as a studio, Kang Woojin was stunned.
Compared to the filming environment of The Private Investigator, this place felt like heaven.
A completely different world.
What the hell did they even build inside a warehouse this huge?
"So dramas get filmed in logistics warehouses this big too."
And on top of that—
There were staff everywhere.
The lighting team ran around carrying equipment.
The filming team carefully adjusted the cameras.
The directing team studied the shooting storyboard while planning the entire flow of the scene.
The props team loaded various items into minibuses and hauled them around.
There were roughly sixty staff members.
If you counted the actors and their management teams too, it easily went over a hundred.
'All these people are here to watch me act?'
The atmosphere was completely different from the script reading.
Back then, there had been around a hundred people too.
But no one moved.
Everyone just sat still.
This place was different.
It felt like a battlefield.
And because it was the first day of filming, everyone looked tense.
Which meant Kang Woojin—
"Wow… this is a bit overwhelming."
His pulse surged through his whole body.
His heart started pounding.
This was a different kind of tension from before.
No—
It was closer to pressure.
At the center of this massive stage, he would have to act while hundreds of eyes focused on him.
For Woojin, who had been an ordinary person until recently, it was only natural for his breathing to grow shallow.
Still—
'Deep breaths. Deep breaths.'
'Just think of them all as cats and dogs.'
That was enough.
Woojin had already warmed up through The Private Investigator, so he somehow managed to calm himself.
Right then—
Swoosh.
Two people approached him as he stood there staring at the studio set.
It was road manager Jang Suhwan and stylist Han Yejung.
Han Yejung, her short hair streaked with green highlights, studied Woojin's blank expression.
'Why is he so calm?'
'He doesn't even look nervous.'
'That's weird.'
Then Jang Suhwan, broad-shouldered and loud as ever, shouted,
"Wow, this place is huge! Woojin hyung, are you okay? I'm so nervous! It's my first time on a real filming set!"
His voice still had that not-quite-matured edge to it, but it was loud enough to make people glance over.
Woojin looked at him and answered inwardly.
'Comrade, I'm nervous too.'
Outwardly, though, he stayed calm.
"I'm nervous too."
"Huh? But you look completely calm! Wait—are you pretending to be nervous because of me?"
'I literally just said I'm nervous.'
'Why are you interpreting it however you want?'
Woojin gave up trying to explain and kept his expression steady.
"It'll pass soon."
"Yeah! I should secretly do some deep breathing too."
At that moment, Choi Sunggeon appeared with a grin after finishing a call nearby.
"Alright, let's head in!"
And just like that, Kang Woojin's team stepped into the massive studio.
The inside looked even bigger than it had from outside.
It was not just spacious.
It felt monumental.
Different sets had been built in each section, and dozens of staff members were moving nonstop.
Cameras and lights were being set up with meticulous care.
Kang Woojin felt like he had stepped into another world entirely.
But he did not have time to take it in.
The moment he arrived, Song Manwoo PD walked over, placed a hand on Woojin's shoulder, and smiled.
"You're here, Mr. Kang Totem?"
"Pardon?"
"No, no. Just kidding."
Soon Kang Woojin's team, including Choi Sunggeon, greeted Song Manwoo PD.
Song PD made eye contact with Choi Sunggeon.
"CEO Choi, you came early. Your actor is the first one here."
"Hahaha, Woojin's a rookie. Of course we should be first."
Song PD looked at the calm-faced Kang Woojin.
"Right, he's a rookie… isn't he? I'm starting to get confused."
Choi Sunggeon laughed too.
"That's right. He's a rookie, but not exactly one."
Jang Suhwan and Han Yejung tilted their heads slightly.
They still had not fully experienced the full force of Kang Woojin.
But Song Manwoo PD moved straight to the point.
Holding up the shooting storyboard, he began explaining things to Woojin.
"Woojin, about half of today's schedule revolves around Assistant Manager Park, so keep that in mind."
In other words—
Kang Woojin would be filming almost nonstop.
Today's script featured a huge amount of screen time for both Yoo Jihyung and Assistant Manager Park.
Dramas were never filmed in script order.
Instead, they followed a shooting roadmap built around location, actor movement, and scheduling.
The scenes were shot flexibly.
Song Manwoo PD would sort it all out later in the final edit.
Because of that, the other main and supporting actors—including Hong Hyeyeon—were not filming today.
According to schedule, they would start joining from tomorrow.
"Alright, Woojin should get makeup first and try on the costume. Could the stylist come check Assistant Manager Park's outfit too?"
"Yes, PD."
Then Song Manwoo PD suddenly remembered the guest who had arrived earlier in secret.
He kept talking.
"Woojin might get a surprise today. No—he definitely will."
He patted Woojin on the shoulder.
"It's like sending off an old junk car and bringing in a foreign luxury one."
Woojin asked calmly,
"What do you mean?"
Song PD smiled wider.
"It means the foreign car has arrived at the filming set."
A little later—
A large black van rolled into the parking area outside the set.
It belonged to Ryu Jungmin, one of the lead actors of Profiler Hanryang.
Inside, Ryu Jungmin sat with his eyes closed.
His hair had been styled into the baby perm that matched his character.
"…"
He was not sleeping.
He was regulating his breathing.
Controlling his mind.
Then, the top actor slowly opened his eyes.
Swoosh.
The script in his hands was worn and frayed from being read so many times.
The pages were full of notes.
His analysis was written all over them.
About five minutes later—
"Hyung."
After checking the script one last time and drawing a deep breath, Ryu Jungmin spoke to his manager and staff.
He was ready to head in.
"Let's go."
Click.
Soon, Ryu Jungmin and roughly six staff members made their way toward the studio.
His expression was slightly dark.
He had spent over ten years on filming sets.
But today felt different.
His tall frame was filled with determination.
At a glance, he looked like a soldier marching into battle.
And honestly—
That was not far off.
'It's been a long time since I felt like this.'
Today, Ryu Jungmin was prepared to throw everything he had into his acting.
'I don't know if I can surpass Assistant Manager Park.'
'But I'm not planning to lose either.'
At the very least, he needed to show fighting spirit equal to Assistant Manager Park's.
During the script reading, he had clearly been overwhelmed.
But today—
He had no intention of letting that happen again.
It was not just the pride of a top actor.
'If I lose to Assistant Manager Park from the beginning, then all the emotional effort I poured into these four episodes becomes meaningless.'
That mattered for his character too—
Yoo Jihyung.
Actors with strong ability often maintained their character's emotions even when the cameras were not rolling.
They observed their co-stars constantly.
Those observations directly shaped the next performance.
And when the opponent was a powerful character like Assistant Manager Park, concentration became even more important.
Which meant—
Ryu Jungmin planned to observe, understand, analyze, and dissect Assistant Manager Park throughout filming.
He intended to blur the line between reality and acting.
So—
Ryu Jungmin.
Swoosh.
The moment he entered the studio, he gave a quick greeting to the staff and immediately started looking for Woojin.
Where is he?
At this point, Kang Woojin was practically his rival.
He soon found him in a slightly secluded area—
The actor waiting area prepared by the staff.
'As expected… the atmosphere around him is intense.'
Ryu Jungmin studied Woojin's solemn face and walked over.
"Hello."
Woojin turned his head, then calmly stood and bowed.
"Hello, sunbae."
"…Ah, yes."
Even though he was obviously the senior actor, hearing sunbae from Kang Woojin felt strangely uncomfortable to Ryu Jungmin.
'If I want to be acknowledged as a sunbae, I need to act better than you.'
Ryu Jungmin sat casually beside him and opened his own script.
"Woojin, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine."
Maybe because he already saw Assistant Manager Park in him—
Everything about Kang Woojin started drawing Ryu Jungmin's attention.
What exactly does fine mean?
"As usual."
"Ah, as usual."
"Yes."
The more he looked at him, the more mysterious he became.
Everything about him felt like a question mark.
His vague past was strange enough.
But the fact that he had produced that insane acting all by himself was even harder to understand.
Ryu Jungmin slowly lowered his gaze to the script again.
Kang Woojin was an incredibly fascinating actor.
'Does he ever make NGs?'
'What happens if I make one?'
'How does he approach different roles?'
'And… how would he react to my ad-libs?'
His determination only grew.
He wanted to get onto the set as soon as possible and start the psychological battle with Assistant Manager Park, who was sitting right beside him.
He was getting impatient.
'Right… acting can be this fun.'
Kang Woojin had reminded him of that.
For the first time in a long while, Ryu Jungmin was enjoying acting again.
At that moment—
"Jungmin! Woojin!"
The assistant Director called out.
"PD wants both of you for rehearsal!!"
Kang Woojin and Ryu Jungmin stood up at the same time.
Walking ahead, Ryu Jungmin glanced back with a faint smile.
"Looks like today will be tricky."
He meant the acting.
Woojin kept a blank expression, but inwardly he had questions.
'What on earth is this guy talking about?'
At the same time, he was deeply impressed by the famous actor's composure.
That moment just now had felt like something out of a movie.
Before long—
The filming began.
Makeup for the two key actors, Kang Woojin and Ryu Jungmin, had been completed.
The cameras, lights, and sound equipment were all in place.
In an instant, preparations for the first shoot were complete.
The dozens of staff members spread all over the set seemed to vanish like a receding tide.
And in the middle of that atmosphere—
Song Manwoo PD sat down in his chair.
"…"
Even before filming started, he was staring at the monitor with intensity.
More precisely—
He was staring at Kang Woojin.
'His presence multiplies several times over once the makeup and costume are added.'
At that moment, Kang Woojin had completely transformed into Assistant Manager Park from head to toe.
Messy hair.
Slightly tired-looking makeup.
A plain hoodie and jeans.
Everything was perfect.
Meanwhile—
Woojin himself was thinking something else entirely.
'Wow… the atmosphere here is completely different from The Private Investigator.'
'This is insane.'
His body did not feel good.
The moment had finally come.
Maybe because there were so many eyes on him, the pressure felt completely different from filming The Private Investigator.
It was strange.
And rough.
"Ugh… I feel a little nauseous."
Kang Woojin's expression was not acting.
It was real.
His heart was pounding nonstop.
Goosebumps covered his body.
The atmosphere of the set felt suffocating.
Heavy.
The sheer scale of the massive set, combined with dozens of staff members watching him, made Woojin feel trapped.
And those giant cameras staring at him—
They made him feel like an actual criminal.
'Will I ever get used to this?'
'Can I even get used to it?'
Then Woojin glanced at Ryu Jungmin.
Ryu Jungmin sat calmly inside the interrogation room set.
A real professional.
'Meanwhile, I'm just pretending to be one.'
Standing beside the interrogation room set, Woojin forced himself to shake off his fear.
He accepted reality.
Outwardly it looked like a concept.
But acting was closer to reality TV.
Even if the ability came from the void space, the experience itself belonged to Kang Woojin.
'Hang in there.'
'This is just a scene created by dozens of professionals working their asses off.'
At that moment—
Click.
A staff member fastened handcuffs around Woojin's wrist.
The first scene of Profiler Hanryang showed the aftermath of Assistant Manager Park's confession.
His shocking appearance had turned the entire world upside down.
News.
Articles.
People.
Everyone was focused on the case.
The confession of an unsolved serial killer.
And the real culprit hidden behind it.
The police and prosecutors had pushed the investigation to its limit.
The entire country was watching.
And standing at the center of it all was profiler Yoo Jihyung.
He had thoroughly analyzed Assistant Manager Park's past and present.
This scene depicted the second meeting between Yoo Jihyung and Assistant Manager Park.
So it was only natural for Woojin to be wearing handcuffs.
But Kang Woojin—
"…"
Used those handcuffs as a trigger.
The moment the cold metal wrapped around his wrist—
He pulled out Assistant Manager Park.
It started with discomfort.
The emotions engraved through the void space turned into sensation.
That sensation awakened reason and emotion at the same time.
Soon, Kang Woojin's aura changed.
His black eyes slowly filled with madness.
He had become Assistant Manager Park.
At the same time—
Cut.
A supporting actor playing a detective walked up to the handcuffed Assistant Manager Park.
Assistant Manager Park looked at him.
The actor flinched slightly.
That lack of expression made him even more terrifying.
Right then—
Clap!
A staff member stepped in front of the main camera, called out the scene number, and snapped the slate shut.
"Action—!"
Song Manwoo PD shouted through the megaphone.
"Action!!"
And with that—
The filming of Profiler Hanryang officially began.
TL Note:
The "old car leaving and foreign car arriving" line is a Korean-style metaphor adapted to fit the context.