Inside the empty void space, Kang Woojin stroked his chin while staring at the white rectangle labeled Island of the Missing.
"Setting aside the D grade… why is the completion rate this low?"
As far as he could tell, there was only one possible explanation.
"That incomplete script."
It was the few pages of unfinished material he had read the first time he encountered the void space. Since it had only been a short excerpt, Woojin had assumed the low completion rate made sense.
But compared to Director Kwon Gitaek's script earlier, this felt different.
And that left him confused.
"What is this? Is it unfinished? No… it can't be."
Woojin shook his head.
There was no way casting would proceed with an incomplete script.
He did not know the entertainment industry well, but he had been studying it little by little whenever he had time.
Actors usually get cast around the middle of pre-production.
In reality, actors typically decided whether to join a project after reading a completed script. Of course, some were cast through connections, but those were rare.
Even if people were close, business was still business.
Besides—
"Didn't he say he already handed the script to other actors?"
Director Kwon Gitaek had clearly said he had shown the script to several actors.
Which meant Island of the Missing was most likely finished.
Yet the void space evaluated the script as having low completion—and the grade was poor too.
"It does seem like the right time to be looking for actors… but I'm unknown, so it's probably just a small role."
He was likely only being considered because of his acting.
Even if the Director was famous, something still felt strange.
Kang Woojin found himself in a dilemma.
A prestigious Director like Kwon Gitaek had personally reached out to an unknown actor like him.
That sincerity moved him.
But if both the completion rate and grade were low…
Even Director Woo Hyunkoo's project had a higher completion rate, despite being an F-grade work.
At that moment, Woojin felt a strong urge to refuse.
Still—
For now, he set that aside.
Slice.
After organizing his thoughts, Woojin raised his head and looked at the white rectangle again.
[3 / Scenario (Title: Island of the Missing) – D Grade]
The title was Island of the Missing.
Even to Woojin—who normally did not care for this kind of genre—it did not feel like a quiet story. The atmosphere felt like something mixing thriller and action.
Kang Woojin immediately selected the rectangle and checked the available roles.
"Lieutenant… Captain… Sergeant—"
Military terms appeared throughout the dialogue.
Was this a war film?
No.
Just because soldiers appeared did not necessarily mean that.
Still, one thing felt certain.
"There'll probably be guns… and killing scenes."
It felt like there would be intense shootouts.
Or at the very least, brutal fights.
If he read this script, it would feel like being thrown straight into the middle of a battlefield.
Woojin felt slightly intimidated.
That was natural.
He had handled guns during his military service, so they were not unfamiliar.
But he had never experienced war.
Never seen real bloodshed.
Training was one thing.
This was different.
"Still… it would be quite an experience."
Even if he did not appear in the film, it would still be valuable.
Kang Woojin had already decided he would fully prepare for every script he encountered from now on.
Then suddenly a thought occurred to him.
"But dropping a nuclear bomb or causing some huge catastrophe would be going too far, right?"
Lost in his imagination, Woojin scratched his head.
Then he decided to leave the space for a moment.
"Exit."
The endless darkness instantly disappeared.
The meeting room returned.
Director Kwon Gitaek still sat calmly across from him.
"Woojin?"
The Director tilted his head.
"Is something wrong? Are you okay?"
Woojin quickly restored his usual expressionless face.
"Yes. I'm fine."
"That's a relief. I was worried. When you paused earlier, I thought you already disliked it."
That pause had actually been the moment he entered the void space.
But truthfully, Woojin was not entirely comfortable with the situation either.
Still—
For now, I should accept it.
It was not easy to speak bluntly the way he had with Director Woo Hyunkoo.
Director Kwon Gitaek was a respected senior figure.
And this was a meeting he had personally arranged.
Courtesy mattered.
Everyone sat around a ㄷ-shaped table.
Director Kwon Gitaek and the production company staff sat on one side.
Kang Woojin and Choi Sunggeon sat across from them.
Woojin glanced at the first page of the Island of the Missing script.
It was not an act.
He was genuinely curious.
If he read it, he might understand why the completion rate was so low.
Director Kwon Gitaek smiled kindly.
"Take your time skimming it. See whether you like the atmosphere."
Choi Sunggeon joined the conversation.
"Director, if Woojin likes the project's atmosphere… may we discuss his next step?"
Director Kwon Gitaek answered without hesitation.
"Of course. If an actor can act well, that's enough for me. What happened with Director Woo Hyunkoo doesn't concern me."
He looked at Woojin.
"If I hadn't been thinking about Woojin's future, I wouldn't have visited the filming set so many times."
Inside, Choi Sunggeon was cheering.
But outwardly he remained calm.
Director Kwon Gitaek continued studying Kang Woojin.
"We can discuss the next step only if the actor likes the script."
For a while—
Swish.
Everyone's eyes remained fixed on Kang Woojin.
Woojin silently turned the pages.
One page.
Two.
Soon more than ten pages had passed.
His stern expression made him appear deeply focused.
Director Kwon Gitaek smiled faintly.
"He doesn't waver at all."
"No matter the situation or the person in front of him."
"He simply does what he needs to do."
But inside—
Woojin was increasingly confused.
I really don't understand.
The more I read this, the less I understand why it's incomplete.
The pages he read showed no obvious flaw.
Nothing seemed wrong.
He sighed inwardly.
It's hard to judge properly from text alone.
He had read many scripts now.
But he was not yet skilled enough to evaluate them properly.
Still—
Ignoring it felt wrong.
I'll just ask.
Woojin lifted his head.
Director Kwon Gitaek and the production staff were still watching him.
Woojin spoke calmly.
"Director. Sorry, but…"
"Yes. Go ahead."
"Has this scenario already been confirmed as your next project?"
The staff exchanged glances.
Director Kwon Gitaek looked intrigued.
"May I ask why you're asking?"
"It feels strange."
Woojin looked down at the script.
"It looks complete… but at the same time unfinished."
"…You feel something is lacking?"
"Sorry. You told me to speak freely."
Murmurs spread among the production staff.
Beside him, Choi Sunggeon stared at Woojin in shock.
Something had happened again.
Director Kwon Gitaek asked calmly,
"You came to that conclusion after reading only a few pages?"
"Yes."
"And purely from instinct?"
"I'm sorry."
Then—
Director Kwon Gitaek burst into laughter.
"Haha. This is impressive."
"To be honest, I was doubtful at first."
"But I think PD Song was right."
"…What?"
"I never expected someone to notice the state of the script after barely ten pages."
Woojin blinked.
What is this old man talking about?
Director Kwon Gitaek's smile deepened.
"Yes. It's an unfinished script."
He gestured to one of the production staff.
The staff pulled out another stack of papers.
Director Kwon Gitaek handed them to Woojin.
"Then read this."
One hour later.
Kang Woojin and Choi Sunggeon had already left the meeting room.
Only Director Kwon Gitaek and the production staff remained.
A PD cautiously asked,
"Director… why did you show Woojin the draft version first?"
"What was the reason for testing him like that?"
Director Kwon Gitaek glanced at the script again.
The unfinished draft Woojin had pointed out.
"I never intended to hold an audition."
"What?!"
"I'm thinking of casting Kang Woojin directly."
"Without an audition."
"Of course, that depends on whether he likes my script."
The room froze.
The production PD spoke carefully.
"But… he's still an actor without much filmography."
"I'm not doubting his acting ability, but shouldn't we confirm whether he suits the role?"
"That was the test."
Director Kwon Gitaek crossed his arms.
"He didn't look impressed at all."
"What?"
"For an actor with only two projects and no name recognition, he remained calm."
"He focused on the script instead of flattering me."
"He even pointed out the script's problem."
The staff nodded slowly.
"That really was surprising."
Director Kwon Gitaek continued.
"He lived overseas and speaks English well."
"And he studied acting alone for a long time."
"If that's true… then he must have read countless scripts."
"Otherwise he couldn't develop instincts like that."
Director Kwon Gitaek chuckled.
"Now I understand what PD Song meant."
"His acting and personality are both fascinating."
The production PD cleared his throat.
"Then what role were you considering for him?"
"The supporting roles are already cast."
"A minor supporting role perhaps?"
Director Kwon Gitaek stood up.
"No."
"I changed my mind."
He answered casually.
"I'm considering him for the lead role."
The room erupted.
"The lead?! Director!"
"If it's the lead, which character are you talking about?!"
Director Kwon Gitaek answered calmly.
"The villain."
A few days later.
Morning.
A university campus in Seoul.
A pretty female student stepped out of the dormitory.
She wore a cap over her brown shoulder-length hair.
At about 168 centimeters tall, she was fairly tall.
Her baseball jacket suited her well.
She stopped walking and made a call.
"…Sew."
No answer.
She muttered angrily.
"Kang Woojin, you bastard."
The girl was Kang Hyuna, Woojin's younger sister.
"Why aren't you answering your phone?"
Normally they only spoke a few times a year.
Their family's motto was simple.
No news is good news.
But their mother had asked her to check on him.
So she called again.
Instead, she called their mother.
"Ah, what did your brother say?"
"He's not answering."
"Didn't he answer your call either?"
"He did. But shouldn't you two be closer?"
"Yeah right. We're too busy cursing each other."
"Wait… is he really studying acting?"
"Him?"
Their mother laughed.
"Are you telling me to stop giving him allowance?"
"…Mom, are you sure he said he wants to become an actor?"
"That's what he said."
Hyuna stopped walking.
Then laughed in disbelief.
"He's lost his mind."
"Becoming an actor at twenty-seven?"
"Mom, why didn't you stop him?"
"Do you think I can stop him if he's determined?"
"Mom! Acting is insanely hard!"
"Most actors start before twenty!"
"Even then most of them fail!"
"It's like idols!"
"Is he trying to ruin his life?"
"…Just check how he's doing."
"I'm driving right now. I'm hanging up."
"Mom!"
Click.
The call ended.
Hyuna shook her head.
"He's seriously insane."
"Suddenly saying he wants to become an actor."
Just then—
"Hyuna!"
Her classmates approached.
"What were you muttering about? An actor?"
She sighed.
"My brother says he wants to become an actor."
"What? Really?"
"You have an oppa?"
"Is he handsome?"
"Show us a picture!"
"Are you crazy? Why would I have his photo?"
"What about his KakaoTalk profile?!"
The girls got excited.
They insisted that someone who wanted to become an actor must be handsome.
Unfortunately—
Woojin's KakaoTalk profile picture was blank.
"He doesn't use SNS either."
"Now I'm curious! What does he look like?"
"He just looks like family."
She casually replied.
Then texted him.
Are you joking about becoming an actor?
Woojin replied immediately.
Idiot: Yeah. It's a lie.
What the hell! Mom keeps calling me because of that!
Idiot: I'll deal with it.
Hyuna clicked her tongue.
"Tsk. So it was a joke."
Soon the topic among her friends shifted.
From brothers.
To actors.
To handsome actors.
"Did you see the May drama lineup?"
"I want to watch the one with Go Manwook!"
"What about the TVM drama?"
"I want to watch the one with Kwak Sora!"
"But will Netflix show them all?"
Then Hyuna suddenly shouted,
"Are you crazy? We have to watch Ryu Jungmin. He's insanely handsome!"
At that same moment—
Kang Woojin sat in a van heading to Profiler Hanryang Team B's filming set.
He had just replied to his sister's message.
Now he was reading a script with a serious expression.
Flip.
It was Island of the Missing.
Not the unfinished draft.
The completed scenario.
Despite being busy filming, he had been reading it whenever he had time.
He was already about seventy percent through.
And it was fascinating.
Inside—
Woojin was amazed.
Wow.
What is this?
There's a monster? An alien life form?
The tension is insane.
He remembered the updated grade in the void space.
[3 / Scenario (Title: Island of the Missing) – A+ Grade] [*Highly complete film scenario. 100% readable.]
The grade had changed.
From D.
To A+.
Now the script felt completely different.
The tension alone was on another level.
As he read, one role caught his eye.
Wait.
A split personality?
It was the lead role.
Probably too difficult for him to take.
But as a reader—
It was incredibly interesting.
Is he a villain?
Or not?
Then—
Bzzzz.
Woojin's phone vibrated.
He frowned and picked it up.
The sender was not his sister.
It was Director Shin Dongchun.
Woojin, you're probably filming, so I'll text instead.
A second message arrived.
We made it into the final 40 for the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival.
Kang Woojin's participation in the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival had officially been confirmed.