It was an article with a clear photo of their son.
So Woojin's parents—
…
…
For a while, they simply stared blankly at their son on the monitor.
It was as if they had completely forgotten the customer's order.
Only after about a minute did Woojin's mother, Seo Hyunmi, come back to herself.
"Um, let's get the porridge ready first."
Her husband, Kang Woochul, nodded quickly.
The two of them hurriedly prepared two bowls of porridge, then gathered again in front of the monitor at the counter.
Kang Woojin was still there in the article.
Then Seo Hyunmi and Kang Woochul carefully read through the article.
"Mise-en-scène Film Festival? Grand Prize?"
"What time is it now? This article just came out."
"Then does that mean our son is at a film festival right now, with famous actresses like Hong Hyeyeon there too?"
"Why? Why did our son win the acting grand prize at that festival?"
Even after reading the article, the couple still could not understand it.
Their son, Kang Woojin, had only said a few months earlier that he wanted to become an actor.
Naturally, the two of them knew almost nothing about the acting industry.
"Don't people usually practice first and go to acting academies when they start acting?"
"Right. I looked it up, and it said people spend years of their lives on it…"
They knew it was impossible to win a major acting prize after only a few months.
Especially—
"Hong Hyeyeon is one of the top actresses, so does that mean our son beat her?"
Apparently, Kang Woojin had given a performance that surpassed an incredibly famous top actress.
It was impossible to believe.
Suddenly thinking of something, Seo Hyunmi picked up her phone.
"I'll call him. I'll try calling."
Kang Woochul stopped her.
"Ah, no. What if we disturb Woojin?"
"Ah… right."
At that moment—
♬♪
♬♪
Notifications appeared on both Seo Hyunmi's and Kang Woochul's phones at the same time.
It was a message.
The two checked their phones and flinched.
"Woojin!"
"Our son!"
Because the sender was Kang Woojin.
Their son, who was at the Mise-en-scène Film Festival, had sent both of them the same message.
The contents were identical.
-(Photo)
-I won an acting award. Since it's a short film festival, it's not some huge prize, but I'm still proud of it. I'm sending this in case you worry. Please don't worry too much.
Attached to the message was a photo of the trophy.
Later—
As the awards ceremony and closing ceremony of the Mise-en-scène Film Festival came to an end, the reporters attending the festival quickly spread the information they had gathered.
It was a short film festival, but there had been quite a few noteworthy works.
So the entertainment desks that received the updates from the reporters on-site reacted with some excitement.
"What?? Park Junghyuk didn't show up, but Hong Hyeyeon won an acting award? Then who got the acting grand prize? Huh? Some unknown actor won it?"
At a festival filled with rookie actors, it was not strange for an unknown actor to win an award.
But beating famous actors like Park Junghyuk and Hong Hyeyeon was extremely unusual.
And on top of that—
From Best Film to the newly created Best Actor award, The Private Investigator had swept everything.
It was unprecedented in the long history of the Mise-en-scène Film Festival.
There had even been years when Best Film was not awarded at all.
As a result, the number of articles surged dramatically.
Of course, this was not major headline news, but it had more than enough value as secondary entertainment coverage.
Kang Woojin's face gradually spread across portal sites and online communities.
Naturally, that alone was not enough to make his recognition explode overnight.
Most people would simply think that some unknown actor had won an award at a short film festival.
Still, in certain places, Kang Woojin's presence had already started to stand out.
In the film industry, Hong Hyeyeon's fan community, social media, and YouTube channels covering the Mise-en-scène Film Festival, signs of his popularity were beginning to appear.
Especially among people who already knew Kang Woojin, it was only natural that chaos broke out.
For example—
On the set of Profiler Hanryang.
"…What?! Woojin won the grand prize??"
While filming was in full swing without Kang Woojin and Hong Hyeyeon, Song Manwoo PD shouted in shock while speaking on the phone.
Who was on the other end?
Writer Park Eunmi, who had watched everything at the Mise-en-scène Film Festival.
"Hong star got a major award? And Woojin won the grand prize…"
"Ah! Then what happened to Best Film? Did The Private Investigator get that too?!"
"Yeah! A triple crown!"
"Wow, that's incredible! At the Mise-en-scène Film Festival, of all places—the one famous for being stingy with awards every year…"
"But PD, something even crazier happened."
"What now?"
"Woojin speaks Japanese fluently too."
"What are you talking about?"
"I mean, he was chatting naturally with a famous Japanese Director as if they were old acquaintances."
He speaks Japanese too?
Just a few days earlier, Kang Woojin had spoken English as fluently as if it were his native language.
Because of that, everyone had assumed he had spent time in the United States.
"…Then what is it? He definitely studied abroad somewhere, but was it America, Japan, or both?"
Kang Woojin was a pure Korean, but Song Manwoo PD did not seem to have even considered that possibility.
And on top of that—
"Ah. Then that means Kang Totem… made another perfect prediction."
The misunderstandings kept piling up.
"That's right. Isn't it chilling? When Woojin was announced as the grand prize winner, I honestly got goosebumps."
"He's completely possessed. At this point, it's like he's been taken over by a ghost."
The Private Investigator, a project chosen entirely on instinct, had swept everything from Best Film to the acting prize.
It was obvious the movie would make a huge impact.
Since the Mise-en-scène Film Festival was known as a gateway into the film industry, it was certain that from the next day onward, both Director Shin Dongchun and The Private Investigator would become very busy.
And that was not all.
The actors would get a flood of interview requests, gain proper public recognition, and secure a foothold in the film industry.
In other words, it was like turning 10,000 won into over 10 million won in value.
A huge result.
So it was only natural that Song Manwoo PD responded with pure admiration.
"…Anyway, understood. I'll let the staff and actors know."
Through Song Manwoo PD, the news spread quickly across the set.
Dozens of staff and actors offered sincere congratulations.
Some of it was directed at Kang Woojin and Hong Hyeyeon, but an issue like this could also affect drama ratings.
Simply put, it was good news for Profiler Hanryang as well.
They still could not reveal Assistant Manager Park's identity to the world, but Hong Hyeyeon alone was enough to create a promotional effect.
Then—
♬♪
Kang Woojin, who was busy with the closing ceremony of the Mise-en-scène Film Festival, had not yet grasped the full situation.
But the group chat with his friends had already exploded.
-Daeyoung: (article link) Hey, damn it, Kang Woojin, what is this?! You won the grand prize? Is it real??
-Kyungseon: What the hell!! Wasn't the movie only selected for the main competition section??
-Hyunggu: Wow… congratulations!! But why are you first place? Hong Hyeyeon is below you?
-Kyungseong: Congrats. But is this for real? Is this a dream? Even after seeing it, I can't believe it. Kang Woojin standing next to Hong Hyeyeon feels like total fantasy.
-Daeyoung: Hey! Kang Woojin! Ah, is this bastard busy?
-Hyunggu: Anyway, damn it, let's meet tonight.
The three excitedly made plans.
That same night, near Jeongja Station in Bundang.
It was around 8 p.m.
The place was a chicken restaurant near Jeongja Station.
It was fairly spacious, with tables divided between the indoor section and the outdoor terrace, and the familiar trio were seated outside.
"Wow, the chicken here is really good."
"Kyungseong, wouldn't anything that goes into your mouth taste good?"
"Shut up, Hyunggu. What kind of nonsense are you talking in front of sacred chicken?"
They were Kang Woojin's friends.
Then, while gnawing on a piece of chicken, Na Hyunggu looked at Kim Daeyoung and muttered,
"Mr. Kim Daeyoung, isn't this whole thing with Kang Woojin winning the grand prize completely insane?"
Kim Daeyoung picked up another piece of chicken and replied,
"I don't really know either. I heard it's a new award this year. But isn't the fact that someone who's only been acting for two months got the grand prize itself already ridiculous?"
"That's true."
"Even if it's a short film festival, it's pretty well-known, so the judges probably looked very carefully."
"…Honestly, his acting in the movie really was pretty good."
Soon, silence fell among the three.
They still could not believe it.
Naturally so.
If they were calm, that would have been stranger.
So Lee Kyungseong, who was chubby and still chewing on chicken, let out a small sigh.
"That bastard Kang Woojin became an actor, and on top of that he even won an award. Reading the articles, he doesn't even feel like my friend anymore."
"He might not actually be your real friend."
"You want to die?"
"Anyway, from now on Kang Woojin is going to keep appearing in movies and dramas, huh. Wow, I seriously can't believe it."
From there, the three began to let their imaginations run wild.
Naturally, the subject was the future of their friend Kang Woojin, who had suddenly become an actor.
Would he date a girl group member?
Would he hang out with top actresses like Hong Hyeyeon?
Would the person he married definitely be a celebrity?
If he got an official fan club, should they join it?
And so on.
The three of them kept piling fantasy on top of fantasy.
And so, for over thirty minutes, they kept talking about Kang Woojin.
Then suddenly, the previously quiet Kim Daeyoung took a sip of beer.
Thunk!
Setting his glass down calmly, the broad-built Kim Daeyoung spoke with an unexpectedly serious face.
"You guys remember that I said I'd be changing jobs soon, right?"
His two friends reacted casually.
"Why are you suddenly bringing that up? You've been saying that for two months already. When are you actually going to do it?"
"This guy's all talk and no action. He just wants comfort because life's hard."
Then Kim Daeyoung dropped a bomb.
"I actually told the company last week that I'm leaving."
"…Are you insane?!! Seriously??!"
"You idiot!! You quit your small company?"
"Shut up and listen."
What was funny was that unlike Lee Kyungseong and Na Hyunggu, who exploded in outrage, Kim Daeyoung—the one actually involved—was calm.
"I'd already made up my mind. My family knows too. Originally, I was going to quit and travel abroad for six months."
"You're crazy, living in your own little fairy tale world!"
"Anyway, that was the original plan, but then Kang Woojin suddenly became an actor, right? And now today he even won an award. I still can't believe it."
Kim Daeyoung looked at his friends one by one and stated his conclusion.
"I'm thinking about trying to become Kang Woojin's manager or bodyguard. Anything is fine."
Lee Kyungseong and Na Hyunggu's replies were immediate.
"You idiot."
"You crazy bastard."
Simple curses.
But Kim Daeyoung only let out a long sigh, as if it were nothing.
"Mm. For now, it's just something I've been thinking about. You guys know, right? A long time ago, my dream was to become an actor. I gave up on it ages ago and only do acting as a hobby now, but…"
At that point, Kim Daeyoung recalled Kang Woojin's performance on screen.
"Honestly, when I saw Kang Woojin in that movie that day, I was shocked and confused. But strangely, it also felt good."
"Not because of me. It was probably because my friend was there on the big screen."
"…Was it?"
"Maybe it was some kind of vicarious satisfaction? It was really incredible. Even though I had no idea what was going on, I just kept watching. I was jealous, but it was thrilling too."
Then—
"When Kang Woojin said he wanted to become an actor, I had a thought on the way home."
Kim Daeyoung looked at both of his friends and finished.
"Ah, watching my friend achieve my dream might actually be fun too, right?"
Without even changing expression, Lee Kyungseong and Na Hyunggu nodded.
"You idiot."
"You crazy bastard."
Another round of curses.
The next morning, the 8th.
Harmony Film Company.
Around 9 a.m., Kang Woojin was in a meeting room at Harmony Film Company.
It was the exact same place he had visited before to meet Director Kwon Gitaek.
He was alone in the wide meeting room.
Choi Sunggeon was nowhere to be seen.
He had probably gone to the bathroom.
In any case—
'The articles just keep coming out, huh.'
Sitting alone at the center of the U-shaped table, Kang Woojin was looking at his phone with a blank expression.
More specifically, he was checking the search results for his own name.
Quite a few articles and photos appeared.
There were not many articles focused solely on Kang Woojin, but plenty mentioned him alongside the Mise-en-scène Film Festival and Hong Hyeyeon.
'This is really fascinating.'
Anyone would have found it hard to believe.
You type your own name into a search bar, and articles about you come up.
Just then—
Creak.
The glass door opened, and a gentle-looking man walked in.
It was Director Kwon Gitaek, with his round belly.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I came as quickly as I could."
As always, his voice was soft.
Kang Woojin, who had put down his phone, stood up and nodded.
No, we came early.
"Where is CEO Choi?"
"He stepped out to the bathroom for a moment."
"Ah, then shall we begin on our own?"
With a faint smile, Director Kwon Gitaek sat down across from Woojin.
"First of all, congratulations on the award. Watching it from the front made me genuinely happy."
"Thank you, Director."
Soon after, Director Kwon Gitaek, who had been quietly observing Kang Woojin from across the table, sharpened his focus.
He had many questions he wanted to ask Woojin, but he held them back.
He's not the type to answer easily even if I ask. It'll be faster to just observe. I need to look at this long-term.
He changed the subject and pointed with his index finger at the stack of papers in front of Woojin.
That stack was the script for Island of the Missing.
"What did you think when you read it?"
"It was very interesting."
"Haha, it feels good to hear that. Especially from you."
Still smiling warmly, Director Kwon Gitaek asked again.
"Good. Then let's move on to the next part. Which character in the scenario interested you the most?"
Kang Woojin's answer was short and clear.
He already had a role in mind.
It was almost as if he didn't care whether it was the lead or not.
"The role with the dual personality."
"…That's not an easy role."
"It's a difficult role."
"Then why did you choose it?"
Why?
Because it looked fun?
Kang Woojin answered honestly.
"I think I like villains."
"Haha."
Director Kwon Gitaek suddenly burst out laughing.
"Honestly, I didn't expect you to think the same way I do. In truth, from the very beginning I had you in mind for that role."
"…Me."
"Do you want to take that role?"
"If possible, yes."
At that exact moment—
Creak.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I got an urgent call."
Choi Sunggeon hurried into the meeting room.
Director Kwon Gitaek extended his hand to him.
"CEO Choi, let's sign the contract today."
"…Excuse me?"
"Woojin and I think alike. About the lead villain role."
"The lead? It's a lead role?"
Director Kwon Gitaek smiled brightly at the stunned Choi Sunggeon, who reached out for a handshake.
"This means Mr. Woojin is the first actor officially confirmed for casting in my project."
It was the moment Kang Woojin joined Director Kwon Gitaek's project.
Meanwhile, at the same time—
A large-scale event was taking place inside the SBC broadcasting station building in Mok-dong.
It was the production presentation for the highly anticipated Profiler Hanryang.
Because of that, over 200 reporters had gathered.
And—
"No, there wasn't anything particularly difficult while filming. If anything, it was fun."
The one who had just answered the reporter's question was Ryu Jungmin.
He was seated in a line with the Profiler Hanryang production team, facing the press seats.
Song Manwoo PD, writer Park Eunmi, Ryu Jungmin, Hong Hyeyeon, and the rest sat in order.
All the key figures were gathered there.
Because it was such a highly anticipated production, the atmosphere remained heated the entire time, and camera flashes rained constantly on the actors.
Then one reporter directed a question to writer Park Eunmi.
"Writer Park Eunmi! In your last interview, you said there was a scene-stealer in Profiler Hanryang who would capture everyone's attention! Could you give us a hint about who that actor is?!"
Writer Park Eunmi smiled faintly and spoke into the microphone.
"I really, really want to tell you. But for the viewers' sake, I'll hold back."
Then she smiled and glanced from Song Manwoo PD to Ryu Jungmin and Hong Hyeyeon.
All of them seemed to be thinking of Kang Woojin.
Then Park Eunmi addressed the 200 reporters.
"But there is one thing I can say for certain. That actor will be remembered as the greatest scene-stealer in history."
She emphasized the point with an additional explanation.
"Because they will deliver a performance no other actor could ever imitate."
Soon—
"Writer Park Eunmi is famous for being hard to please, and she's praising someone like this? I've never seen that before."
"He must be incredible, right?"
"Ah, isn't that a bit exaggerated?"
"Why would writer Park Eunmi say something like that?"
"There's got to be at least a little lie mixed in there."
The commotion among the hundreds of reporters kept growing.
"So what. We can just wait and see."
"Exactly. Once the lid comes off and it turns out to be false, the first one to get criticized will be her."
The fingers typing away on laptop keyboards moved even faster.
The goal was obvious.
To write provocative headlines that would attract clicks.