Around 11 p.m., inside a writer's workspace.
The interior was enormous—well over 40 pyeong, easily exceeding 132 square meters. It looked more like an apartment than an office, but this was unmistakably a writer's workspace. The assistant writers typing furiously on laptops at the large desk in the center of the living room proved it.
It was common for assistant writers to stay up all night in places like this.
Especially in the largest room—surrounded by tall bookshelves packed with books.
Tap tap tap.
The frantic sound of typing echoed through the room.
Then a middle-aged woman wearing a gray headband appeared.
"Tch."
She clicked her tongue as if the writing wasn't going well.
This spacious writing studio belonged to her.
Writer Park Eunmi.
She looked to be around forty, with long permed hair tied back.
Park Eunmi—
Sighed.
Then covered her face with both hands as if her head were about to split.
♫♪
A cheerful ringtone rang from the phone beside her laptop.
But Park Eunmi—
"…"
She only glanced at it briefly and ignored it.
For the past month, calls had been pouring in nonstop.
The reason was simple.
[Issue Check] Star writer Park Eunmi returns… Broadcasting industry buzzing with anticipation.
She was one of the top drama writers in the country.
So far she had written fourteen dramas.
Eight of them—including her most recent work—had been major hits.
Did that mean the other six failed?
Not at all.
Every single one had performed above average.
In other words—
Writer Park Eunmi had never written a flop.
And now—
"Hitmaker writer Park Eunmi teams up with SBC for a new drama."
This time she had joined forces with SBC Drama.
The Director attached to the project was none other than Song Manwoo PD, one of the most influential Directors currently active in the industry.
The two had already collaborated on five projects.
And even before pre-production began, the female lead had already been confirmed.
Hong Hyeyeon.
That enormous trio formed the core of the project.
Because of that—
Rumors began spreading through the industry at lightning speed.
And naturally—
♫♪
Park Eunmi's phone kept ringing nonstop.
Most of the calls came from large and mid-sized entertainment agencies.
They were desperate to get their actors cast.
Which made perfect sense.
If their actor landed a role in this project—
It would be a jackpot.
Park Eunmi knew that very well.
"It's absolute chaos."
For a writer as successful as Park Eunmi, leading the casting process wasn't difficult.
But the framework for the drama's casting had already been roughly decided.
Hong Hyeyeon was already confirmed.
Which meant most of these calls were simply a nuisance.
That was probably why—
"Ah, it's too noisy."
Park Eunmi reached toward the ringing phone, intending to turn it off.
But then she paused.
"Hm?"
After checking the caller ID, she tilted her head and raised the phone to her ear.
"Oh my, Director Song. Why are you calling this late?"
"Weren't you judging the Super Actor preliminaries today? Did filming end?"
The caller wasn't an agency.
It was Song Manwoo PD.
His voice came through urgently.
"Yes, that's finished."
"More importantly, I'm heading to your workspace right now."
"Right now?"
"I'm almost there. I'll arrive in about twenty minutes."
Since they were already working together, him visiting the workspace wasn't strange.
But because it was so late, Park Eunmi frowned slightly.
"I was just about to shower."
"If it's not urgent, can we meet tomorrow morning instead?"
"No, no. It's urgent."
"We need to talk now."
"Ah—and actress Hong is with me too."
"What? Hyeyeon is coming too?"
"Yes. I'll explain when we get there."
It was already past 11 p.m.
Both Song Manwoo PD and the confirmed lead actress Hong Hyeyeon were coming.
That meant this wasn't something trivial.
Park Eunmi sighed.
"Hoo… You said you were done with the auditions, right?"
"Fine. I understand."
"Great!"
Click.
Park Eunmi casually tossed her phone aside.
Then she removed her headband and stepped out of the room.
It looked like she was about to send the assistant writers home.
"Everyone, Director Song is coming right now."
"You can all head home for today."
"Take a good one or two days off."
The assistant writers immediately began packing up.
Park Eunmi chuckled.
"Good."
"Here—take my card."
"Buy yourselves something delicious before you go home."
"Don't worry about the price."
"Ah! Thank you!!"
The assistants beamed with excitement.
Among them, a woman wearing glasses handed Park Eunmi a thin stack of papers.
"Writer, here are the materials you asked for on antisocial personality disorder."
Park Eunmi accepted the documents and sighed.
"Mm. Good work."
"Though I don't know if I'll even use this."
"Why? Ah—because of the actor?"
"Exactly."
"There are plenty of people who could play the role…"
"The problem is none of them want to."
She clicked her tongue.
"Actors who are even slightly good tend to avoid roles like that."
She casually placed the documents on the table in front of the TV.
"I might just change the character entirely."
A few dozen minutes later.
The assistant writers had already left.
In their place, two people were now sitting on the living room sofa.
Song Manwoo PD.
And top actress Hong Hyeyeon.
Hong Hyeyeon leaned toward Park Eunmi with sparkling eyes.
"Writer, your studio smells amazing!"
"Did you change the diffuser?"
Park Eunmi looked irritated.
"Miss Hong Star, sit down."
"Are you out of your mind?"
But Hong Hyeyeon only grinned.
"You always say that."
"You were annoyed, but you still wanted me to notice the diffuser."
"No, I didn't."
"Anyway—sit."
"The tea is ready."
Park Eunmi placed tea on the table.
Then—
Swipe.
She glanced at Song Manwoo PD, who had been staring at his phone the whole time.
"By the way, PD."
"Will the head Director really keep directing?"
"Didn't you say before the station might stop you from directing this project?"
Song Manwoo PD snorted.
"If I say I'm directing, what are they going to do?"
"But organizations don't work that way."
"Honestly, considering your career, reputation, and age…"
"Shouldn't you already be sitting behind a desk?"
"A desk?"
Song Manwoo PD scoffed.
"If I can't direct, I'd rather retire."
Only then did he lift his gaze from the phone.
He looked at Park Eunmi across the table.
"This might actually be my last project."
"I'm getting older."
"I should start leaving room for the younger generation."
Song Manwoo PD was in his late forties.
But with his beard, he looked closer to fifty.
Someone with his career should have already become a senior executive.
But in his mind—
Directing was everything.
He sighed deeply.
"Right now, I'm still the only one pulling real ratings."
"That's why they haven't let me go yet."
Hong Hyeyeon and Park Eunmi immediately protested.
"I hope you keep directing!"
"I feel the same."
"Even if you became a CP, it would still be great."
But Song Manwoo PD only smiled bitterly.
"No."
"Anyway, I need to focus on this project."
"And once it's finished…"
"I'm planning to leave the company."
"I might even start my own production company."
"That way I can keep directing."
Park Eunmi nodded.
"Oho. If it's you, PD…"
"Investors would line up instantly."
Then—
Song Manwoo PD's eyes sharpened.
"So."
"Let's make a massive hit this time."
Hong Hyeyeon tossed back her long hair and grinned.
"Agreed."
Park Eunmi shrugged.
"When have we ever thought differently?"
Then she folded her arms.
"So why exactly did you two barge in here tonight?"
Song Manwoo PD suddenly stood.
Then he connected his phone to the large TV.
Park Eunmi frowned.
"What are you doing?"
"Are we watching a movie?"
Song Manwoo PD replied calmly while operating the TV.
"Let's talk after you watch this."
"Watch what?"
"Today I found a hidden expert."
He paused.
"No—"
"A hidden actor."
Park Eunmi frowned.
"…What are you talking about?"
But Song Manwoo PD played the video.
Soon—
A man appeared on the screen.
Kang Woojin.
He was the first participant from that morning's Super Actor audition.
Park Eunmi tilted her head.
"Who is that?"
"Is this footage from Super Actor?"
Song Manwoo PD pointed at the screen.
"What do you think of him?"
Woojin sat in a chair.
Head tilted.
Phone pressed to his ear.
His pupils were slightly dilated.
Park Eunmi looked him over casually.
"He's tall."
"Looks decent."
"There's a rough edge to him too."
"But did he drink?"
"He looks drunk."
"His pupils are dilated and his gaze is…"
Hong Hyeyeon crossed her legs and spoke.
"His expression is intense."
"But also kind of blank."
Park Eunmi nodded slowly.
"He has a strange charm."
"Is he a rookie?"
"Or a promising newcomer?"
"Either way, for a nobody he gives off a unique atmosphere."
Song Manwoo PD shook his head.
"No."
"He's neither a rookie nor a prospect."
"What?"
Park Eunmi frowned.
"PD, why are you making me watch this kid?"
"I'm exhausted."
"I can't write today."
"My head feels like it's going to explode."
At that moment—
Thud.
On the screen—
Kang Woojin stood before the judges.
Then he began to act.
Something between agony and brilliance.
Jagged breathing.
Despair-filled eyes.
Strange gestures.
A trembling body.
Pity.
Cruelty.
Every subtle movement of his facial muscles exploded with emotion.
Thirty seconds passed.
One minute.
Three minutes.
On the TV—
Kang Woojin had become someone else entirely.
Park Eunmi—
Who had been sitting on the sofa—
Was suddenly standing right in front of the TV.
Her earlier irritation had vanished.
Her expression had become serious.
'This… this is acting?'
She kept doubting what she was seeing.
'Did he actually experience being stabbed before?'
'How could someone express pain like this?'
Suddenly—
Whip.
Song Manwoo PD paused the video.
He looked at Park Eunmi.
"At first he looked drunk."
"Now he looks like someone suffering."
"Which one do you think is the real him?"
Park Eunmi frowned.
"I don't know."
"More importantly—why is he acting like that?"
"I've never seen this type before."
"This isn't unrealistic."
"It feels like reality."
Song Manwoo PD nodded.
"Right."
"Now imagine he did that after seeing the script for just one minute."
Park Eunmi's eyes widened.
"What did you say?"
"Do you understand what that means?"
"He might not realize it himself."
"But he must've put in an incredible amount of effort."
"What??"
"No—just watch the interview."
Soon—
A short interview clip played.
Woojin answered casually.
"I learned on my own."
He sounded almost arrogant.
Song Manwoo PD asked quietly.
"Do you think this is the real him?"
Park Eunmi hesitated.
"…I'm not sure."
"Exactly."
Song Manwoo PD stepped closer.
"His acting is unconventional."
"But his reasoning is sharp."
"Calm."
"Passionate."
"Cold."
"Almost like a psychopath."
Then he asked quietly.
"Doesn't a certain character come to mind?"
Park Eunmi suddenly turned.
Her gaze landed on the table.
There—
Lay the antisocial personality disorder research documents.
"Ah."
The next morning.
The 13th.
Kang Woojin's one-room apartment.
It was around 8 a.m.
Woojin suddenly opened his eyes.
His hair was a mess.
Scripts were scattered beside the bed.
It seemed he had fallen asleep while reading.
"Mm—"
Stretching lazily, he grabbed a bottle of water and gulped it down.
Then he checked his phone.
He paused.
"Ah."
"It arrived."
A message from an unknown number.
It was the Super Actor PD.
The message contained Woojin's acting clip.
Woojin downloaded the video.
Click.
He sat down, crossing one leg over the other.
He needed to watch it.
But—
He hesitated.
"This is kind of embarrassing."
The shame he had barely suppressed began creeping back.
Watching your own acting felt like hearing your recorded voice.
Awkward.
Cringe.
Painful.
It wasn't easy.
Not yet.
"Hoo… calm down."
"It's just a video."
But Woojin had to watch it.
Because that video—
Was proof he had stepped into the void space for the first time.
Tap.
The video started playing.
His own face appeared on the screen.
He endured it.
Five seconds passed.
Woojin tilted his head.
"Huh?"
The embarrassment had already faded.
The reason was simple.
"This… isn't bad?"
The phone-call acting scene actually looked decent.
Sure, some parts were awkward.
But—
"Am I actually good at this?"
"Why does this look good?"
It wasn't embarrassing at all.
The only moment he felt awkward was the scene where he screamed as if stabbed.
"…Wow."
"This is actually cool."
Before he knew it, Woojin was admiring the video.
'Is this really me?'
He knew nothing about acting.
So he had no professional standards.
But from a viewer's perspective—
The actor on screen looked incredible.
Woojin became completely absorbed in the video.
Then suddenly—
He realized something.
"Was I really embarrassed?"
There had been no reason to be.
"That's right."
"Back then I wasn't in my right mind."
His brain had completely short-circuited.
On top of that—
Woojin didn't even know what counted as "good acting."
Even if everyone praised him—
If he personally thought it was terrible—
That was the end of it.
That had been his mindset yesterday.
In other words—
Acting was judged by others.
But the moment he finished acting—
Woojin had been overwhelmed with embarrassment and fled.
Now, calmer—
He muttered.
'If my acting is actually good…'
'Should I adjust my behavior to match it?'
Yesterday's memories resurfaced.
The judges' questions.
The PD's reaction.
None of them had been polite compliments.
They had been genuine shock.
"Wait."
"That means my first attempt wasn't a joke."
"I actually passed through real acting."
Everyone who met Kang Woojin yesterday had been stunned by his performance.
That was the conclusion.
"Ah, damn."
Woojin covered his face.
Because yesterday's ridiculous behavior came rushing back.
Acting serious.
Acting cool.
Bluffing.
Putting on a mysterious persona.
"I'm going insane."
At the time it had been a defense mechanism.
A smokescreen to hide his embarrassment.
But looking back—
It had only made him seem even more arrogant.
"They must think I'm some kind of genius actor."
A top-tier actor.
Or a prodigy.
If someone like that behaved arrogantly—
Misunderstandings were inevitable.
Woojin sighed.
But the snowball of misunderstanding had already started rolling.
And it was gaining speed.
Of course—
Woojin had no idea.
Then he shrugged.
"Well, whatever."
He made a quick decision.
"I'll probably never see them again anyway."
What mattered more right now—
Was something else.
"Anyway."
"That void space thing…"
"If I go in there, I can act out the role inside that work."
The image of yesterday's frightened man instantly resurfaced in Woojin's mind.
It was as if those emotions were stored somewhere in his brain.
Woojin crossed his arms.
Then stared silently at the script beside him.
More precisely—
At the black rectangle next to the text.
"…."
Then he muttered quietly.
"This might sound crazy."
"But instead of working in Australia…"
"Maybe I should try acting."
At that moment—
Bzzzt. Bzzzt.
The phone vibrated.
It was a call.
Unknown number.
Woojin absentmindedly answered.
"Hello."
A man spoke from the other side.
"Mr. Kang Woojin."
"This is Song Manwoo PD."
"Do you remember me?"
"I was the one sitting in the middle of the judges."
Woojin replied casually.
"Ah."
"The one with the beard."
Song Manwoo PD laughed.
"Yes, that's right."
"It's nothing major, but could we meet?"
"As soon as possible."
Woojin frowned slightly.
Then he cleared his throat.
His voice dropped low.
"I think you should tell me the reason first."
Because—
He still had to keep acting.