At the press conference for the drama Profiler Hanryang, more than 200 reporters were present. The moment writer Park Eunmi made her bold statement, they started typing furiously.
"That actor will become an unprecedented scene-stealer. He'll show acting on a level no other actor can match."
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
Half the reporters snapped photos, while the other half hammered away at their laptops.
The atmosphere heated up instantly. Their eyes gleamed like hyenas.
At that moment, Song Manwoo PD, seated in the front row with his beard neatly trimmed for the occasion, lightly tapped Park Eunmi on the shoulder.
"We didn't agree on saying something like that, did we?"
Park Eunmi, her long permed hair tied back, quietly answered while keeping her eyes on the reporters.
"Well… I'm not sure. I just went with the flow, and it came out like that."
"Hey, you did that on purpose, didn't you? You were baiting them. Throwing out a provocative line to drive clicks."
"Hmm. I thought I might try it if a question like that came up. I didn't expect them to actually ask."
Song Manwoo laughed.
"Still, it's effective, isn't it? Look at those hyenas. Truth or lies, they'll pounce on anything."
Park Eunmi shrugged.
"You think they care about the truth? Of course they'll twist what I said and exaggerate it ten times over. But no matter how much they exaggerate, anything involving Assistant Manager Park will be worth it."
Song Manwoo's smile deepened, clearly in full agreement.
"Exactly. No matter how sensational the headline is, anything tied to Assistant Manager Park will get more reaction than expected. I should buy the reporter who asked that question a meal."
"Well then, since we've already started, should we stir things up a little more? PD Song, you're the expert when it comes to building hype."
"I am, in fact, an expert in that field."
Soon, Song Manwoo quietly spoke to the actors seated nearby, including Ryu Jungmin and Hong Hyeyeon.
The actors, already used to situations like this, immediately understood what was going on.
Hong Hyeyeon, especially, with her long shirt and polished look, had a sparkle in her eyes.
Then Song Manwoo suddenly addressed the reporters.
"Hahaha, but go easy when you write about that hidden scene-stealer actor, alright? Easy. The actor might feel too pressured if things get too big before he's even revealed."
It sounded scripted.
And it worked instantly.
"PD! Do you really think you've never seen an actor who steals the spotlight like that before?!"
"What do you think, PD?!"
Questions started flying at Song Manwoo.
After a brief pause, he gave a perfectly calculated answer.
"I don't know about anything else, but his acting is definitely unprecedented. In all my years as a director, this is the first time I've watched an actor perform and actually cursed out loud. Right?"
Song Manwoo turned to the actors on his left, asking for backup.
Ryu Jungmin and Hong Hyeyeon smiled naturally or nodded in agreement.
Hundreds of reporters inhaled sharply.
"Wow… Song PD really said that?"
The deliberately manufactured hype swelled even further.
The reporters could feel it. They looked around, gauging one another's reactions.
Soon, they started firing similar questions at the other actors.
"Jungmin! How was the filming? Did you have scenes with that scene-stealer actor?"
"Yes. I had many scenes with that actor. Honestly, his acting made me want to work even harder. He became a kind of catalyst for me."
"A catalyst? For Ryu Jungmin?"
The lead actors of Profiler Hanryang all praised Assistant Manager Park.
For several minutes, hundreds of reporters eagerly chewed on the bait and turned it into a feeding frenzy.
As a result, the press conference ran far past schedule.
Even before anyone asked a direct question about Assistant Manager Park, he had already become the center of the event.
Eventually, the MC stepped in to close things out.
"Alright, it's already been thirty minutes. We'll take one last question before wrapping up."
"Over here!"
"I have one!"
"Yes, the reporter in the gray shirt!"
The chosen reporter lowered his hand and looked straight at Hong Hyeyeon, who was smiling calmly.
"Hyeyeon, you recently shook up the short film scene by appearing at the Mise-en-scène Film Festival. You won Best Actress there, but the grand prize went to an unknown actor instead. How did that feel?"
The question had nothing to do with Profiler Hanryang.
And the tone was clearly provocative.
The MC was about to step in and stop her from answering.
But then—
"Reporter, you haven't watched The Private Investigator yet?"
Hong Hyeyeon answered with a calm smile.
"You should go watch it. Then you'll understand why I won Best Actress. I fully acknowledge the Best Actor award. The only reason you're asking that question is because you don't know."
The reporter looked visibly flustered.
"Ah… yes. Right."
Hong Hyeyeon's entire management team sighed and covered their faces.
"Ha… here we go again."
That blunt, playful side of her was nothing new.
A few minutes later, inside a meeting room at Harmony Film Company.
Sitting beside the expressionless Kang Woojin, CEO Choi Sunggeon looked completely stunned.
The lead role? Not even a supporting role. He's offering him the lead villain?
He had just heard Director Kwon Gitaek say that he intended to cast Kang Woojin as the main villain.
At that moment, Director Kwon was calmly explaining the production schedule ahead.
"The investment has already been secured…"
But none of it registered in Choi Sunggeon's mind.
What exactly is happening here?
I thought maybe a supporting role at best, since Director Kwon personally came to the set…
Even a small supporting part would have made him ecstatic.
After all, joining a film directed by the legendary Kwon Gitaek was already an enormous opportunity.
But now, the director was casually handing Kang Woojin the lead antagonist role.
How many steps are we skipping all at once?
Even Choi Sunggeon, who had spent more than ten years building connections in the entertainment industry, had never seen anything like this.
A rookie who had debuted just two months ago becoming the lead in a Kwon Gitaek film?
That didn't just break the industry norm.
It overturned it.
If this news spread through the film industry, the shockwaves would be enormous.
And Kang Woojin would immediately become the center of attention.
At that moment, Choi Sunggeon slowly turned his head and looked at Woojin.
Woojin calmly nodded while listening to Director Kwon's explanation.
…Why is he so calm?
Where does that composure come from?
Confidence? Pride?
Woojin didn't look shaken at all.
It was as if he had expected this.
Just then, Kang Woojin slightly turned his head and met Choi Sunggeon's eyes.
Choi Sunggeon's eyes widened.
Ah… I get it. You're saying this kind of thing is going to happen often if I keep working with you, so even if I'm surprised, I should just stay sharp and do my job. Got it. Unlike you, I don't have a heart made of steel.
Meanwhile, inside, Woojin was flustered.
Shouldn't we at least confirm whether this excellent director is serious? He asked me earlier about interesting characters… and now he's offering me the role?
As Director Kwon continued speaking, Choi Sunggeon raised his hand.
"Director, thank you very much. I'll probably never forget this moment."
"I'll remember it for a long time too. As you know, this is also my first time doing something like this."
"Yes, same here. Thank you very much. However… I think it might be a little early to sign a contract today."
What?
Woojin widened his eyes in shock and stared at Choi Sunggeon.
Choi Sunggeon noticed immediately and gave him a subtle wink.
A signal telling him to trust him.
"For today, I think a verbal agreement between you, Woojin, and myself would be enough. We can finalize the details and sign the contract later."
"Hmm."
"If the production company representatives witness the verbal agreement, both sides will feel more secure. Then I can discuss the detailed terms step by step with the production company."
That was standard practice.
Film contracts involved many conditions, including appearance fee, schedules, and other specifics.
So verbal agreements between directors and actors were common.
A verbal agreement was effectively confirmation.
And when the other party was someone as respected as Director Kwon Gitaek, that kind of promise carried real weight.
But Kang Woojin didn't know any of that.
He stared intensely at Choi Sunggeon and thought in silence:
Why?
Choi Sunggeon interpreted that look differently.
I know, Woojin. You want a higher appearance fee, right? This is the lead villain role in a Kwon Gitaek film. There's no way you should take it cheap.
Their interpretations were completely different.
But Choi Sunggeon was convinced he understood.
You already got a huge appearance fee for Profiler Hanryang, and you were clear about your conditions when signing with me. So what you're saying is, delay the contract until the first episode of Profiler Hanryang airs.
In the entertainment industry, recognition could explode overnight.
Someone unknown yesterday could become the hottest name in the business today.
Choi Sunggeon sensed that possibility in Woojin's eyes.
You already built momentum through the Mise-en-scène Film Festival, but your popularity hasn't truly exploded yet. If we sign now, we could regret it later.
The conclusion was simple.
Once Profiler Hanryang aired, Kang Woojin's value would multiply.
Choi Sunggeon smiled reassuringly at him.
Leave it to me.
Director Kwon slowly nodded while looking at Choi Sunggeon.
A gentle smile followed.
"I understand. I may have been too hasty and overlooked the practical side of things. I simply wanted Woojin that much."
"Thank you, Director."
"Then let's proceed with a verbal agreement for now."
"Please."
Director Kwon took out his phone and called the production team waiting nearby.
After the call ended, Choi Sunggeon carefully asked:
"Director, when do you plan to reveal your next project to the media? You said it's still confidential."
"That's right. Once the main cast is finalized. Probably within this month."
"This month. If Woojin joining your project is confirmed, we may begin some promotional activity."
Director Kwon's smile deepened.
"If it's true, there's no reason not to."
"Thank you."
Choi Sunggeon bowed slightly and stepped closer to Kang Woojin.
Woojin still looked expressionless, though inside he had no idea what was happening.
Choi Sunggeon whispered:
"At least double. Maybe even more. I'll secure an appearance fee worthy of your value. Let's delay the contract as long as possible. Judging from Director Kwon's attitude, it's absolutely doable. He's treating you like a grandson."
Why are we suddenly talking about appearance fee?
Woojin had no idea.
But if his fee was going up, he had no reason to object.
"…Understood."
"And think about what happens once we start promoting. You already won an acting award at the Mise-en-scène Film Festival. You're already a rising star in the film industry. If Profiler Hanryang becomes a hit and you join Director Kwon's project as the lead villain… what do you think happens next?"
Choi Sunggeon grinned.
"You won't just be a blue-chip in the film industry."
"You'll be a nuclear bomb in the entertainment industry."
The next morning, 9 a.m., inside a luxury hotel in Seoul.
A spacious suite.
A gray-haired man in a bathrobe stood by the window overlooking the city, quietly sipping coffee.
It was the legendary Japanese director, Kyotaro Tanoguchi.
"…Hm."
Even though the Mise-en-scène Film Festival had ended two days earlier, on the 7th, Director Kyotaro was still in Korea.
Entirely by choice.
Naturally, the production staff who had come with him were also still staying there.
After staring out the window for a while, Kyotaro sat down on the luxurious sofa.
A script lay open on the table in front of him.
Recently, he had been reading several scripts for his next film.
But—
"No."
He muttered in Japanese and closed the script.
He couldn't focus.
The truth was simple.
His mind was still filled with thoughts of one Korean unknown actor.
Kang Woojin.
He had only seen a brief glimpse of his acting.
But that had been enough.
Enough to leave him intensely curious.
"…His Japanese was extremely fluent. It seemed like he lived in Japan before, but his acting tone didn't feel Japanese at all. Did he move to Korea when he was young?"
Whatever the case, Kang Woojin clearly lacked recognition.
Even at the Mise-en-scène Film Festival, very few people seemed to know him.
Even Korean reporters treated him as a complete unknown.
"His acting is on par with a veteran with decades of experience, yet his recognition is still at rock bottom. There weren't even rumors about him appearing in any major projects. And he didn't look especially young either. Is the barrier to entering Korea's acting industry really that high?"
Director Kyotaro couldn't understand it.
On acting ability alone, Kang Woojin easily deserved to appear in blockbuster films.
It was fortunate that his talent had at least been recognized at the festival.
But that was hardly a mainstream event.
"What a waste… leaving an actor like that unnoticed is such a waste."
It was genuinely unfortunate.
Failing to cast an actor like Kang Woojin would be a mistake.
"An actor with that kind of skill struggling in short films makes no sense. In my opinion, he's the kind of person who should contribute to the growth of the acting industry, whether in Korea or in Japan."
At that moment, Director Kyotaro made up his mind.
He would introduce this still-unknown actor to both Japan and Korea.
Of course, he also had personal ambition as a director.
He wanted to work with that unpolished diamond.
"He'll become a wake-up call for Japanese actors. Korea has many excellent actors who spend years appearing only in short films."
Having reached that conclusion, he picked up his phone.
"Come to my room. I think we need to stay in Korea a few more days."
He called the staff staying in the other rooms.