After finishing his conversation with the Island of the Missing production team, Choi Sunggeon returned to the waiting tent wearing a thin short-sleeved shirt and a cap pulled low over his head. His eyes were fixed on the smartphone in his hand. Just as he was about to step inside—
"Are you interested in the Cannes Film Festival, by any chance?"
An old man's voice drifted out from inside the tent.
It was a familiar voice.
The moment Choi Sunggeon realized Director Ahn Gabok was inside, he hesitated.
'Director Ahn? He's already here??'
He had known the director was scheduled to come today, but he had not realized that he had already arrived and was speaking with Kang Woojin.
'The Cannes Film Festival? Why would he ask something like that out of nowhere? Even if it's just a hint… Woojin wouldn't openly reject it, would he? Right, no way.'
That was what Choi Sunggeon desperately hoped.
To be honest, he could not be sure what would happen, but if something similar to what had happened with Director Woo Hyunggu unfolded in front of Director Ahn Gabok, even Choi Sunggeon himself would have trouble cleaning up the mess.
But then—
"No, not particularly."
The cold voice that came from inside the tent shattered Choi Sunggeon's faith on the spot.
For a second, the strength left his legs, and he had to brace himself with a hand on his knee.
'…An incident has occurred.'
The film company representatives and staff sitting inside the tent with Director Ahn Gabok immediately frowned.
"Excuse me?!"
Several of them raised their voices slightly toward Kang Woojin, who sat there looking completely indifferent.
"You're not interested?"
"Mr. Kang Woojin, in this field, the more arrogant you are, the more humble you ought to be. Do you even know who is sitting in front of you?"
"How can you act so rudely in front of Director-nim?"
"...Mr. Woojin, do you think your popularity will last forever?"
Even under that barrage, Kang Woojin's face remained utterly unchanged.
Or rather, it only looked that way on the outside. Inside, he was in full panic.
'What is this? This is actually kind of terrifying?!'
More than ever, he needed to stay calm.
No, not just calm—ice-cold.
With that mindset, he looked at the composed Director Ahn Gabok and answered the attacking group in a low voice.
"Is there some kind of problem?"
One of them sputtered.
"W-what did you just say?"
Woojin did not back down.
"I simply answered the question. You asked me about the Cannes Film Festival, and I only gave you my thoughts. I don't understand why you're all so worked up."
"..."
"If someone heard this without context, it would be rather confusing."
And he was right.
Director Ahn Gabok had only asked about Cannes, and Woojin had merely answered with his honest opinion. The others were angry because they understood the implications behind the question, but from Woojin's point of view, there was nothing there that deserved a scolding.
'Am I really in a position where I should be criticized for this?'
Director Ahn had not yet made any official proposal. At least, not at that point.
Then—
Director Ahn Gabok, his white hair shining faintly, looked at Kang Woojin in silence before speaking in a low voice.
"Apologize."
The word was directed not at Woojin, but at the staff behind him. One of the film company representatives stammered.
"D-Director-nim!"
"Apologize. There was no need to raise your voices."
"..."
The representatives and staff fell silent. Their eyes were still full of dissatisfaction, but they could not disobey Director Ahn Gabok. In the end, they offered Woojin a reluctant apology in low voices.
"...We're sorry."
Director Ahn Gabok also met Woojin's eyes.
"I'm sorry. They're only protective because they care about me."
Woojin let out a quiet sigh of relief inwardly and shook his head.
"No, it's alright."
Hearing that, Director Ahn gave a faint smile and gestured toward the people behind him.
"Please leave us. I'd like to speak with him alone."
Soon, the film company staff and representatives turned around and left. While they were doing so, Choi Sunggeon quietly moved to the side of the tent. The others failed to notice him as they stepped outside, grumbling under their breath.
"Whew… Still, wasn't that a little too direct in front of Director Ahn?"
"...His arrogance really does reach the heavens. This must be exactly the kind of moment when someone can't see what's ahead of him."
"We'll just have to see how well he performs while filming among all those great actors."
In any case, inside the tent, only Kang Woojin and Director Ahn Gabok remained, sitting across from each other and looking at one another in silence.
It was Director Ahn who broke the awkward stillness first.
"You said you aren't interested. May I ask why you have no particular interest in the Cannes Film Festival?"
"..."
Why?
Because he truly had no interest in it.
And beyond that, Kang Woojin had never felt any special awe toward Director Ahn Gabok himself, nor had he ever seriously imagined something like the Cannes Film Festival.
'A film festival on that scale is probably something that won't even be possible for me until years from now.'
Right now, Woojin was far more interested in escaping the old man sitting in front of him than in Cannes. According to Choi Sunggeon, this man was planning to challenge Cannes.
Still, he had no interest in it, and he had no intention of dressing up his answer.
Woojin stated exactly what he was thinking, with his acting layered neatly over it.
"As I said before, there isn't any field that I'm particularly interested in."
Director Ahn's brows shifted ever so slightly.
"Hmm. That's an unexpected answer."
The old director's gaze wrapped around him again, as though it were taking in his whole body. Woojin, mildly startled, kept his face calm, but inside he muttered to himself.
'He did this at the restaurant too. There's definitely something subtle in the way he looks at people. Is that just experience, or is it some kind of instinct? Should I test him a little more?'
With that thought, Woojin eased off his exaggerated performance slightly. The force in his eyes softened, and the oppressive tension and bravado he had been projecting eased with it.
Then he asked,
"But why are you asking me about the Cannes Film Festival?"
The next moment, he subtly raised the intensity of his acting again.
For a brief instant, the mask around Woojin wavered.
It was not especially difficult. He did this kind of thing all the time.
What was unusual was—
'What?'
Director Ahn Gabok reacted to that test almost immediately.
'Just as I thought… it shows itself from time to time. Should I call it a glimmer? The density in his eyes becomes lighter.'
Director Ahn spoke openly.
"You really are unusual. Even now, I feel as though I can still see that strange something I noticed in your eyes before."
'Damn it, this old man is dangerous.'
Inside, Kang Woojin cursed. This went beyond ordinary intuition. It felt almost supernatural.
Keeping his voice as low as possible, he answered,
"I'm not sure what you mean."
"…..Is that so?"
Just then—
The tent flap opened, and Choi Sunggeon entered along with the sturdy Jang Suhwan.
Choi Sunggeon spoke first.
"Oh! Director-nim?"
Director Ahn Gabok looked quietly at Woojin for one last moment before rising to his feet. Even as he stood, his gaze lingered on Woojin.
"I hope your filming goes well today."
After exchanging a brief greeting with Choi Sunggeon, Director Ahn stepped out of the tent. Under the warm sunlight, he settled his safari hat back on his head and murmured to himself, thinking of Kang Woojin.
"It feels as if something is hidden inside a fog."
──────────
An hour later.
Dense forest blocked out the dazzling sunlight overhead. The air was hot and stagnant, not a trace of wind anywhere. Insects cried out from somewhere unseen. The ground was wet and sticky, and nameless trees surrounded everything.
It felt as though something terrifying was watching from the shadows.
Silence hung heavy in the air. A bitter, rancid stench stabbed at the nose.
And in the middle of that place stood Kang Woojin.
A helmet sat crooked on his head. His military uniform was smeared with blood and mud.
"Huff…"
Woojin drew in a large breath, pressing the rifle tightly against his cheek. The buttstock was planted firmly against his shoulder, but the muzzle aimed ahead of him was trembling faintly. His combat boots sank deep into the soggy ground.
The rifle cradled in his arms slowly cut through the air.
"..."
The camera captured Woojin's face moving in line with the rifle's barrel.
His eyes, sweeping through the fear-soaked forest, were weak. Frightened. Naturally so.
Right now, Woojin was Corporal Jin Seoncheol.
This was not a film set. It was Corporal Jin Seoncheol's world as experienced through the void space.
At least, for Kang Woojin, it was exactly that.
All hundred or so staff members had vanished. The cameras, sound equipment, reflectors—everything installed around him was gone. On Kang Woojin's face—
No.
On Corporal Jin Seoncheol's face—
There was only terror.
'Shit. Shit, shit!'
Because it was not an illusion, everything about Corporal Jin Seoncheol overwhelmed Woojin completely. He was timid. The rougher side that existed as one of his two inner selves was nowhere to be felt.
And—
'I'm scared. I'm really scared.'
His heart had been pounding hard enough to burst for quite some time now. His temples throbbed as if they might split open, and his breathing was so ragged and unstable that even the rifle in his hands shook with it. He looked as if he might burst into tears at any moment.
Watching all of this, Director Kwon Gitaek slowly nodded.
'Good. He doesn't seem too shaken. I worried for nothing.'
He casually glanced over his right shoulder.
There sat Director Ahn Gabok, wearing his safari hat, his face unreadable. The fact that this giant of the industry was here observing the shoot had not been officially announced, but it was obvious that his attention was fixed on Kang Woojin. And yet Woojin, if anything, seemed steadier and even more explosive than usual.
But this long-take scene was only just beginning.
Meanwhile, Director Ahn Gabok, who had been observing Kang Woojin closely from the set, formed his own quiet guess.
'Weak. Timid. A character with feeble willpower? He has no dialogue, but the details in his gaze, breathing, and movement are all expressed beautifully.'
The eyes of everyone nearby, including the film company staff, were fixed solely on Kang Woojin.
The acting was good.
But not yet astonishing.
So far, it was mainly the eyes that stood out. Director Ahn Gabok felt the same.
'Yes, I know he can act. But I've seen weak characters before. Is this all?'
Woojin's acting was clearly strong, but there was something almost plain about it. Timid roles like this had appeared too often in film for too many years.
Even so, the roughly hundred staff members on set kept perfectly silent as the cameras and actors alone moved through the scene.
And then—
The camera that had been filming Corporal Jin Seoncheol slowly shifted angles in the direction of his gaze.
Other soldiers appeared on the monitor, figures that had not been visible before. Every one of them looked to be in the same condition as Seoncheol.
"Huff—"
"Ha… huff—"
On the muddy ground, with rifles raised, they stood here and there while watching for some invisible thing right in front of them. Since entering the Island of the Missing, several men had already died, so their numbers had dwindled. Even so, more than ten still remained.
Several cameras were filming them, while a drone buzzed overhead.
Because of that, the multiple monitors Director Kwon Gitaek was watching captured the actors' expressions vividly while maintaining the continuity of the shoot.
Ryu Jungmin. Kim Iwon. Jeon Woochang. Ha Yura. And the supporting actors around them.
Sweat dripped freely down their faces. Their expressions were heavy with a sticky, silent despair.
Among them, only Lieutenant Choi Yutae, who held a pistol, appeared even slightly calm.
"Hoo… Slowly. Slowly fall back."
Something could be heard.
Since entering the Island of the Missing, it was the most horrifying sound yet. It belonged to some grotesque, unidentified monster. Nothing could be seen through the dense trees and bushes, but it was there. It was definitely there.
Trying to make as little noise as possible, the soldiers slowly retreated.
One step at a time.
Their breathing was kept as shallow as possible, but their pounding hearts were so violent they felt sick. Every single one of them wore the same expression. Their eyes were wide enough to look bloodshot, and the right cheeks pressed to their rifle stocks were trembling.
The camera closed in on Kim Iwon's drenched face.
He was Sergeant Jo Bongseok.
"Quietly… stay on guard and pull back quietly."
Jeon Woochang, playing Corporal Nam Taeoh, spoke in a shaking voice that clashed with his solid build. Then he glanced over his shoulder.
"What if that monster bastard is behind us?"
"...For now, follow orders. The sound definitely came from the front."
Lieutenant Choi Yutae lowered himself slightly and gestured for him to keep his voice down.
"When I give the signal, run at full speed. If you're slow, assume your comrades will die."
One step at a time.
The soldiers withdrew little by little. They swallowed hard, wiped away the sweat blocking their vision, moved their trembling feet, and some of them even whimpered.
The silence, packed with terror, smothered the air.
It was a knife-edge situation. It felt as if the slightest snap in that taut line would make everything collapse.
Even so, the soldiers somehow maintained formation and kept retreating.
At that very moment, the camera cut to a close-up of the panting Corporal Jin Seoncheol.
"..."
His face still looked weak.
But for just a fleeting instant, something in the face captured on the monitor changed.
It happened the moment he glanced at the private beside him.
Director Ahn Gabok, seeing that, paused.
'Did he smile? Did he just smile? The corners of his mouth definitely lifted slightly.'
And then—
Corporal Jin Seoncheol secretly stepped on the trembling private's combat boot beside him.
The camera angle shifted from Seoncheol to the startled private's face.
At that instant, flame burst from the end of the private's rifle.
-Bang!
The gunshot tore through the silent island.
A close-up caught the terrified soldier's face.
"No… that wasn't—"
Sergeant Jo Bongseok ground his teeth.
"You insane son of a bitch."
Dozens of soldiers turned and stared at the private with wide eyes. The private began sobbing.
"Something… something stepped on my foot."
"It really did."
Then a strange sound came.
[Krrrk, krrrk.]
Startled out of his mind, the private fired toward the source of the sound.
-Bang! Bang! Bang!!
He was already beyond reason.
"Aaaah! You fucking bastard!!"
-Bang! Bang!
At that moment, the silence shattered completely.
Lieutenant Choi Yutae grabbed Sergeant Jo Bongseok by the neck and shouted.
"Stop him!! Everyone, look forward! Forward!!"
Sergeant Jo Bongseok ran toward the private.
"Cease fire! Hey!! Can't you hear me?! Cease fire!!!"
But—
[Krrrk.]
The sound came again.
-Whip, thud!!
Something burst out from the dense brush and pierced straight through the chest of the private who had been firing wildly.
Of course, the actual creature would be added later with greenscreen and CG, but all the actors halted at exactly the same moment.
The private's tears spilled down his face, and blood bubbled out from his mouth.
"Ugh… C-Captain."
The long object that had impaled his chest withdrew back into the brush.
It was not actually visible, but the actors all had to see it in their minds.
And they did.
The private collapsed to the ground.
At the same time, every soldier's breathing grew harsher.
"You bastard!! You fucking bastard!!"
"Die!! Die, you monster bastard!!"
"Aaaah!"
-Bang! Bang! Bang!!
-Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!
They opened fire toward the place the long object had come from.
Every soldier lost control. Lieutenant Choi Yutae screamed into Sergeant Jo Bongseok's ear.
"Move! Squad leader!! Run!!"
"Captain! We have to fire!! The men are dying!!"
-Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!
"Run!! I said run!!!"
It was utter chaos.
Sergeant Jo Bongseok gritted his teeth and grabbed Corporal Nam Taeoh roughly by the collar.
"Move!! Jump down there! Damn it, run, you bastards!!"
-Bang! Bang! Bang!!
The camera looked down from above on the private with the hole in his chest.
He was breathing in shallow, broken gasps.
Beside him, Corporal Jin Seoncheol desperately tried to stop the blood pouring from the man's chest.
"Don't die. Don't die."
"Corporal…"
"Don't talk."
"I… want to live…"
"Don't talk. Don't talk. Don't say anything."
"..."
The light faded from the private's eyes, and he stared up into the sky.
His life was over.
The monitor, which had been showing the private's face, shifted to Corporal Jin Seoncheol's.
His muscles trembled.
And once more, the corners of his mouth twitched strangely.
Director Ahn Gabok leaned even closer to the monitor.
'Again. That's not a tremor from crying. It's delight. Yes—delight. Painful, but full of joy. Why? Why is the weakest one the one feeling the greatest thrill?'
That question did not last long.
Director Ahn Gabok, a man who had spent decades directing, soon murmured quietly,
"Yes. A split personality. Both selves are being expressed through the face alone."
In this wide shot, Kang Woojin had very little dialogue.
Only his agile facial acting stood exposed.
'The pacing, tension, fullness, and even the control of volume in this scene are all entrusted to that young man named Kang Woojin.'
That meant he held the initiative.
'A life-or-death crisis. At first glance, it could feel ordinary. This is the kind of scene cinema has shown many times before. But Kang Woojin unravels it in many different colors. Among all the top stars who have built acting careers over decades, Kang Woojin is the one holding the key here.'
Meanwhile, Director Kwon Gitaek, who had been watching the monitor closely, swallowed hard.
"Good. Give me more."
The scene raced toward its climax.
The hundred or so staff members surrounding the set had already fallen silent, even though many of them had watched dozens of takes already.
"…Wow, the immersion is unbelievable."
"That smile from Corporal Jin Seoncheol is seriously chilling."
"Everyone's acting is insane. Seriously…"
Even they could not help muttering their thoughts aloud.
And in the meantime—
-Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!
The retreating soldiers started running one by one.
"Fall back!! Fall back, you bastards!!"
"Where?! Where do we fall back to?!"
"The village! Toward the village!"
"Isn't that dangerous too?!"
"Damn it! Do you want to die here?!!"
"Aaaah! Stop firing!! Run toward the village!!"
One by one, the soldiers led by Sergeant Jo Bongseok began disappearing from the camera's frame.
But—
"Hhk… g-get up. Get up."
Corporal Jin Seoncheol, his helmet gone, was the only one crouched beside the dead private, sobbing.
Lieutenant Choi Yutae, retreating last, checked his condition.
"Jin Seoncheol!! What are you doing right now?! Didn't you hear the order to run?!!"
"B-but! P-Private! Park Daegwon—!"
Lieutenant Choi Yutae slapped Seoncheol across the face.
-Smack!!
"Get a grip! He's dead! He's already dead!! Shut up and get up!! Now!!"
"B-but…"
Stammering, Corporal Jin Seoncheol staggered to his feet, put his helmet back on, and started running awkwardly.
Seeing that, Lieutenant Choi Yutae hurriedly ripped Seoncheol's dog tags from his neck and ran after him.
The camera moved in front of them.
On the monitor, Corporal Jin Seoncheol was in front, while behind him was Lieutenant Choi Yutae, his face filled with despair.
The contrast between their expressions was absolute.
The corners of Kang Woojin—no, Corporal Jin Seoncheol's—mouth were drawn tight like a bow, curved into a half-moon. He was smiling brightly at the world. His round eyes were full of mischief and madness.
The timid figure from before was gone without a trace.
No sound could be heard, yet beneath that mask, it felt as though quiet, giggling laughter was spilling out.
It was silent joy.
Corporal Jin Seoncheol was playing a game.
Lieutenant Choi Yutae would never have noticed.
All he could see was Seoncheol's back.
In the end, both of them disappeared from the camera.
"..."
"..."
A brief silence followed.
Then Director Kwon Gitaek gave the signal.
"Cut. Got it?"
Right after that, behind him, Director Ahn Gabok stared at Kang Woojin—or rather, at Corporal Jin Seoncheol—with a grave expression and spoke in his aged voice.
"Haah…"
The old veteran slowly lowered his gaze to his forearm.
It had already been drenched in cold sweat for quite some time.
Then he laughed quietly.
'Well…'
Who knew how much time had passed, but goosebumps had risen across his dry, withered forearm. The plumpness was gone, and it looked as parched as land in drought.
"I never imagined I'd get goosebumps again at my age."