"If you're at a chicken feet place, you order chicken feet."
The bearded Song Manwoo PD sat down and immediately started ordering.
Then he poured soju into the empty glass of the square-jawed Director sitting across from him.
"They say people are shaped by their environment. If your life turns miserable, everything about it turns miserable too."
The square-jawed Director scratched his head awkwardly.
"Hyung, you already know that. My life's a mess right now. Why should I pretend otherwise?"
"You crazy bastard. Hey, Shin Dongchun. Did your spirit die too?"
Song Manwoo PD and Director Shin Dongchun were close friends who had once worked together in SBC's drama department.
Shin Dongchun had never reached the same level of success as Song Manwoo, but he was still a respected Director with several solid works to his name.
Even so, he had always carried one dream.
Making films.
On the surface, dramas and films looked similar.
In reality, they were completely different worlds.
It wasn't uncommon for drama PDs to move into film, or for film Directors to cross over into drama. But far more people failed than succeeded.
It was never an easy path.
It was a brutal career shift.
Still, Shin Dongchun chose film.
Maybe it was because his life as a drama PD had been relatively stable.
Or maybe it was because he was unmarried and had less to lose.
Either way, despite everyone around him trying to stop him, he left SBC and chose the path of screenwriting.
The script he completed through all that effort was The Private Investigator.
Two years later, Director Shin Dongchun's short film The Private Investigator was still drifting aimlessly.
Bringing a short or independent film to life in this industry was already close to a miracle. That was how the empty gap stretched into years.
To make things worse, misfortune kept piling on.
He got scammed by someone from a film company.
Then there were financial problems tied to his parents' loan guarantees.
In the end, Director Shin Dongchun was left penniless.
Misfortune had hit him all at once.
Still, he had managed to stay sane.
And he had done work worthy of praise.
Maybe the truth was finally about to come to light.
Fortunately, The Private Investigator had barely managed to secure production funding.
The problem was that there were suspicions of shady dealings during that funding process.
Anyway, while they waited for the chicken feet to arrive, Director Shin Dongchun asked Song Manwoo PD, who was filling his glass.
"By the way, is Writer Park doing well?"
"Of course. She's busy writing the script."
"She's casting for Profiler Hanryang right now, isn't she? How far along is the script?"
"Around Parts 2 or 3."
"Then the script reading and filming will probably start soon."
"By tomorrow, articles about the finalized details should start coming out."
Around then, Song Manwoo casually kept talking while holding a piece of chicken feet.
"Hey. How's your short film The Private Investigator going?"
"Still rough."
"If it's that rough, why not quit and join our drama B-team? If I talk to C-Blue Studio, they might even bring you in as an outside PD."
Usually, the phrase drama B-team PD came with all kinds of baggage.
It could mean a substitute PD.
Or a PD who had caused trouble.
Usually, it carried a negative tone.
But if it was the B-team under someone like Song Manwoo, that was a different story.
It would be a huge opportunity.
And given Shin Dongchun's current situation, it was an incredible offer.
Still, Shin Dongchun shook his head.
"If I did that, people would just talk behind my back. They'd say you were helping me out of pity. Why should you get criticized because of me?"
"You idiot. Surviving comes first. Look at yourself. You're half the man you used to be. So what happened? Tell me."
After letting out a long sigh, Shin Dongchun briefly explained his current situation.
"I found an investor."
"Wasn't the production budget around thirty million won? That's good news, isn't it? But..."
"The investment is around forty million. It's not finalized yet, though. It could go higher. It's a short film, but the runtime is around fifty minutes. Anyway, the investor is from the entertainment industry. In exchange, they want one of their agency actors cast in it."
"That kind of thing happened all the time back when you were at the station too. It's not that unusual."
"The actor they want as the lead out of their new faces is Park Junghyuk."
At that, Song Manwoo PD frowned.
"That drunk? The one who wrecked his career because of a fight? That investor is from GGO Entertainment, right?"
"Exactly."
After hearing that, Song Manwoo immediately broke down the situation.
As a Director, he was one of the people at the very top of the entertainment industry.
"They're trying to fix Park Junghyuk's image. They're pouring in forty to fifty million won to restore his reputation and revive his career. If it works, it'll be profitable for them."
Director Shin Dongchun tossed back his soju and smiled bitterly.
"But the stage for that profitable business is The Private Investigator_... and I don't want to spend years glorifying someone like Park Junghyuk."_
If an actor tied to an assault scandal became the male lead, then even if it was only a short film, The Private Investigator's clean image would be damaged.
Sure, it might still succeed.
But the stain of a whitewashing controversy would not fade easily.
And everything Shin Dongchun had poured into it for years could end up meaning nothing.
Then—
"Hmm."
Song Manwoo PD, who had been sitting there with his arms crossed, suddenly spoke.
"Want me to introduce you to an actor?"
"Huh? Aren't all the actors around you top stars?"
"That's true, but just because someone's a top Director doesn't mean they won't look at independent or short film scripts. Even Director Hong Sang-soo still gets indie scripts."
"Well, if it's someone passionate about acting, like Hong Hyeyeon, that makes sense."
"But the one I'm talking about isn't a top star. It's someone else. I'm not even sure he'll be interested."
"...Who?"
At that, Song Manwoo PD remembered the unusual actor he had negotiated with a few days earlier.
"He got cast in our drama. Wasn't easy, either. His name's Kang Woojin. He's a rookie, so you probably don't know him."
"Kang Woojin? Ah, I see. First time I've heard the name. Sounds like a promising rookie. But if he's already in a drama, won't he be really busy? Would someone like that even care about a short film with nothing behind it?"
"Hmm... once our drama airs, he'll definitely get famous. If you meet him now, he might even attract new investors. Why not give it a shot?"
Director Shin Dongchun let out a deep sigh.
"Two years... no, almost three. You know how much happened to me during that time. I'm tired of watching my film The Private Investigator get ignored."
He drained his glass again.
"Hyung... I'm exhausted."
The next day—
As Tuesday morning began, the entertainment news exploded.
The final details of several anticipated projects that had been decided over the last few days began pouring out one after another.
[Issue Pick] Hitmaker Writer Park Eunmi's new project—everything is finally ready
Can Writer Park Eunmi and Song Manwoo PD score another hit? New drama reveals dazzling cast lineup
Those articles were all about the drama Profiler Hanryang.
It had been about five days since Kang Woojin had been cast as Assistant Manager Park, and from that point on, Song Manwoo PD accelerated production.
Best-selling Writer Park Eunmi's next work is already drawing major attention
Since Hong Hyeyeon had been locked in as the female lead from the start, most of the supporting lineup had already been arranged.
What remained was mostly contract negotiation.
C-Blue Studio began actively promoting the cast that had already been finalized.
In other words, official promotions for Profiler Hanryang had begun.
[Exclusive] Cast for Writer Park Eunmi's new work revealed… starring Ryu Jungmin and Hong Hyeyeon
Ryu Jungmin, Hong Hyeyeon, Jang Taesan, and Lee Dojong confirmed for Writer Park Eunmi's new drama!
And on top of that—
[Entertainment] Writer Park Eunmi's new work likely to air in early May… production side says early scripts are already complete
They leaked the broadcast schedule in a deliberately vague way, stirring up public curiosity.
Among all those articles, one especially eye-catching piece stood out.
Writer Park Eunmi hints in interview: "There will be a true scene-stealer actor in this project."
From Tuesday morning on, entertainment articles were flooded with Profiler Hanryang.
Public curiosity and anticipation shot to the highest level.
Song Manwoo PD definitely had influence, but for the public, the biggest draw was still Park Eunmi.
In hit dramas, the writer often mattered more than the directing.
That was simply how things usually went.
That was why the press kept emphasizing Park Eunmi, the hitmaker behind one successful project after another.
Around early lunch that same day, the drama's official title was finally revealed.
Ryu Jungmin, Hong Hyeyeon, Jang Taesan, and Lee Dojong join Writer Park Eunmi's new drama… title confirmed as Profiler Hanryang
The news spread fast through social media, YouTube, and everywhere else.
On YouTube in particular, the topic quickly climbed the real-time rankings as reaction YouTubers started covering it one after another.
Just reading the comments told the whole story.
Public anticipation was sky-high.
I've been waiting for this ever since the rumors started—finally!!!
Ryu Jungmin and Hong Hyeyeon starring… and the writer is Park Eunmi? This is already a guaranteed hit. When does it air?
I heard Writer Park Eunmi mentioned a scene-stealer actor in an interview. I'm dying to know who it is.
Park Eunmi's new project… This definitely won't be some ordinary drama. I'm so hyped.
Wait—Director is Song Manwoo and writer is Park Eunmi?? And the leads are Ryu Jungmin and Hong Hyeyeon??? This is going to explode.
Why does Hong Hyeyeon keep getting prettier every year????
Even the supporting lineup is insane!
Writer-nim, I always support you!
As expected, a project that brought together names that big drew massive attention almost instantly.
And then—
Attention gathers on Profiler Hanryang promotions… could it become the biggest drama of the year?
But this was only the beginning.
Early that same afternoon—
Blue Vision Film Company.
Around three in the afternoon, Director Shin Dongchun was sitting alone in Blue Vision Film Company's shabby office, apparently waiting for someone.
As he waited, he muttered to himself,
"This is impressive. Seriously impressive."
He had been browsing articles about Profiler Hanryang, which had recently become a hot topic.
He felt happy for his hyung's success.
And envious too.
Then—
"They said they'd come at three. Why aren't they here yet?"
Director Shin Dongchun grumbled.
According to the staff at Blue Vision Film Company, Executive Director Park from the investor company GGO Entertainment was supposed to arrive around three with a few rookie actors.
But it was already past 3:05, and no one had shown up.
Shin Dongchun sighed, his expression turning irritated.
"They really think they're the boss, huh."
Fifteen minutes later—
3:20 p.m.
The people who were supposed to come still had not arrived.
Just as Shin Dongchun lit a cigarette and stood up—
Knock knock.
At last, someone knocked on the door.
He opened the metal door and found a man with an expressionless face standing outside.
Shin Dongchun looked him over from top to bottom.
Tall. Looks decent... Ah, he's wearing a mask.
The man looked over 180 centimeters tall, with a sharp jawline and short hair.
But his expression carried a faintly cynical edge.
In any case, Shin Dongchun immediately assumed he was one of the rookies GGO Entertainment had brought.
At that point, who else could it be?
"You were supposed to come at three. You're late."
Shin Dongchun forced a smile.
The rookie tilted his head slightly.
"Are you talking to me?"
"No, not you. By the way, where's Executive Director Park? Did he go off to buy coffee or something? Come in first."
Muttering to himself, Shin Dongchun led the newcomer into the rundown office.
The rookie followed him inside at a slow pace.
Before long—
the two of them were sitting across from each other at the four-person table in the middle of the room.
"The profile Executive Director Park wanted me to see."
Shin Dongchun checked the time again.
Executive Director Park had said he was bringing several rookies.
If the others came later, at least this would save time.
And yes, the rookie in front of him looked better than expected—
but rookie actors produced like factory goods all tended to act the same.
That chic indifference made a strong first impression.
But acting was another matter entirely.
His expectations were extremely low.
GGO Entertainment was a large company, but it was also known for churning out bland rookies.
So Shin Dongchun casually said to the actor sitting across from him,
"While we wait for Director Park, why don't I see your acting? You prepared something, right? You didn't come all the way here just to show me your face."
The expressionless rookie paused for a few seconds, then nodded.
"I do have something I can show you."
"Good. Then show me. It can be short."
Watching mediocre acting for too long was painfully boring.
That was exactly what Shin Dongchun had been thinking.
But then—
everything flipped in an instant.
The moment the rookie across from him began acting—
"...Hm?"
Little by little—
"...?"
Shin Dongchun's eyes widened.
And by the time the performance ended—
his entire face had changed into one of complete shock.
He was so stunned he did not even realize how wide his eyes had become.
He simply stared blankly at the man sitting across from him.
Meanwhile—
"That's all."
The newcomer ended it in a calm, solemn voice.
But Shin Dongchun still had not recovered.
What... did I just watch?
He had years of experience as a drama PD.
He had seen countless actors.
But this was the first time he had ever been shocked by someone's acting.
It felt like the character I wrote was standing right in front of me... No. More than that.
It was as if someone had ripped a character straight out of the script and brought him to life.
The rookie's performance felt even more vivid than reality.
It was the kind of acting he had never seen before.
Did GGO Entertainment really train someone like that? No way. That can't be real...
Then—
"...Hey, you."
Still staring at him with wide eyes, Director Shin Dongchun finally spoke.
"How long have you been with GGO Entertainment?"
At that exact moment—
Bang!
The metal door burst open.
The man who entered was slightly chubby.
Behind him stood a young-looking man and woman.
"Hahaha, Director Shin! Sorry I'm late!"
The chubby man shouted loudly.
He seemed to be Executive Director Park.
The others behind him were rookies.
Executive Director Park looked back and forth between Director Shin Dongchun and the man sitting across from him, then raised his voice again.
"What the— you're already in a meeting? Who's that in front of you? An actor?"
Frowning, Director Shin Dongchun looked at the expressionless man across from him.
"Director Park... you don't know him?"
The man sitting in front of him did not change his expression at all.
"I don't know him."
"What? What do you mean?"
The man replied in a cold voice.
"I think you're mistaken."
"Mistaken?"
"Yes. I don't know that person either."
"...What? Then who are you?"
The man answered in a low, heavy voice.
His presence felt like that of a heavyweight boxer.
"My name is Kang Woojin."