The question was whether Kang Woojin could speak English.
Yoon Byungseon PD had asked lightly. These days, plenty of actors started learning English back when they were still trainees.
But then—
"He's not just decent. He's basically native-level. Same goes for Japanese."
Choi Sunggeon's answer had been unexpected.
Native-level?
Yoon Byungseon PD paused.
'Native-level? His pronunciation did sound good earlier, but… isn't CEO Choi exaggerating a little?'
At the time, Yoon Byungseon PD was preparing a new variety program for HTBS.
The lineup for the three-part show was mostly set, but because filming would take place across multiple overseas locations, nothing had been finalized yet.
More than anything, they needed someone who could speak foreign languages fluently.
Ideally, someone who could handle both English and Japanese.
But Yoon Byungseon knew that kind of talent was rare.
And now he was hearing that Kang Woojin could speak both languages at a native level.
'Let's test the waters a little.'
Yoon Byungseon PD quietly led Choi Sunggeon to a corner of the studio.
"You said Woojin's English and Japanese are native-level, but what exactly do you mean by that? Do you really mean local-native level?"
"Hmm? Ah, well…"
Something felt off.
Choi Sunggeon had caught a certain urgency in the PD's eyes.
'At first I thought he was just asking casually. But the moment I mentioned Woojin's foreign language skills, his whole attitude changed. Is there some special reason?'
He quickly read the situation.
Then he remembered the PD mentioning a new project before.
'PD Yoon did say recently that he was developing a new program. And he seems really interested in languages. He was asking about them during filming too… Could it be an overseas production?'
There was no solid proof, but the chances seemed high.
It might not even be limited to one country.
It could be something that moved between multiple countries, or a series built around the same format.
Of course, that was only Choi Sunggeon's guess.
Still, it was worth probing.
With a faint smile, he leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"He's better than locals. Not only is Woojin's acting incredible, his language skills are unbelievable too. Not just Korean—he can do English, Japanese, even sign language."
"…Sign language? He knows sign language too?"
"Yes, yes. I only found out about the sign language recently myself, but anyway, both his English and Japanese are native-level. Well, of course they are. Woojin lived overseas."
Even if he was embellishing things a little, Choi Sunggeon wanted to promote Kang Woojin as much as possible.
And it seemed to be working.
"He has a lot of international experience."
"Really? Woojin lived abroad? For how long?"
"For quite a long time. If you hear his English or Japanese, you'll be shocked. Anyway, he's very familiar with overseas environments, the atmosphere, the culture, all of it."
At that, Yoon Byungseon PD blanked out for a moment.
He wanted to hear more.
But he couldn't press further.
Not only could he not openly talk about the new program yet, filming for Sports Day was still in progress.
At that moment—
"But PD, why were you asking about Woojin's language skills?"
Faced with Choi Sunggeon's question, Yoon Byungseon PD quickly smiled.
"Huh? Ah, haha. No special reason. I was just curious because his English pronunciation sounded good."
"Understood. If you have time after filming, would you like to hear Woojin speak in English and Japanese?"
"If I have time, I'd like that. Haha."
As Yoon Byungseon PD returned to the filming crew, Choi Sunggeon quietly watched his back.
Then his gaze shifted to Kang Woojin, who was currently being coldly glared at by Hong Hyeyeon.
'If he can impress PD Yoon too, then he really is an incredible talent. Since debuting, just how many major figures has he become connected to?'
Dramas, films, variety shows—even Japan.
Wherever Kang Woojin went after his debut, big names seemed to gather around him.
Of course, timing and luck had helped.
But Woojin's talent and appeal were undeniable.
About an hour later—
"We'll take a ten-minute break! Then we'll wrap things up with closing remarks!"
A writer's shout announced the break.
The actors started moving around, but Kang Woojin remained seated with his usual blank expression.
Why?
Because Hong Hyeyeon kept shooting him cold looks.
"…"
Well, she had every reason to be upset.
Kang Woojin had failed to recognize Hong Hyeyeon sitting right beside him.
And the two of them were not strangers. They were under the same agency and had already worked together on two projects.
Woojin inwardly berated himself.
'Idiot. No matter how I think about it, how could I fail to recognize Hong Hyeyeon… Haah. But she really did look completely different in those photo shoots.'
Fortunately, right around then—
"Woojin."
The bespectacled Yoon Byungseon PD rescued him from Hong Hyeyeon's icy glare.
"Can I talk to you for a moment?"
Rather than replying first, Woojin immediately rose to his feet.
"Of course."
As he passed Hong Hyeyeon, she muttered under her breath.
"Hmph. Just you wait."
Woojin hesitated for a moment, then answered quietly.
"You look much better in person than in photos."
"What did you just say?"
"It's true. That's why I didn't recognize you."
"Liar."
"You look much better now."
It felt like walking on thin ice.
He just hoped Hong Hyeyeon's mood had softened at least a little.
Anyway, Kang Woojin followed Yoon Byungseon PD away, and Hong Hyeyeon brushed back her long hair while watching him leave.
"That tsundere."
Around 10 p.m.
At last, the highly anticipated Episode 3 of Profiler Hanryang aired and sent the entire country into a frenzy.
Its astonishing 23% rating proved it.
Countless households, bars, and restaurants were tuned to SBC.
As a result, the official message board and online communities for Profiler Hanryang exploded.
Aaaah!! Episode 3 is finally here!!!
I never thought I'd get this excited for a live broadcast 😭😭😭
I haven't even watched it yet, but I'm already hyped lol
Why is everyone overhyping this? It's not even that fun.
Ryu Jungmin is going to be insanely cute again today!
I came because I heard Assistant Manager Park's acting is amazing.
(Actually I'm here for Hong Hyeyeon.)
Kang Woojin! Kang Woojin! Kang Woojin!
Who is Kang Woojin?
He's the actor playing Assistant Manager Park. He's the hottest rookie actor right now. His acting is seriously insane.
Episode 3 of Profiler Hanryang began with Assistant Manager Park's confession and the revelation that there was another culprit.
Another culprit existed?
"Hah, this case just keeps getting bigger. Why did I ever take this on?"
Despite Assistant Manager Park's complaints, Detective Yoo Jihyung reexamined the entire story of his life, from birth to the present.
The third episode was packed with suffocating tension.
The characters moved rapidly from scene to scene, giving viewers no time to breathe.
By the middle of the episode, Yoo Jihyung and Assistant Manager Park faced each other again in the interrogation room.
The air was stifling.
The psychological battle between Assistant Manager Park and Yoo Jihyung was unmistakable.
Their expressions and eyes were full of intensity.
Then, at that very moment, Yoo Jihyung confronted him.
"You had a younger sister, didn't you? She killed herself."
For the first time, Assistant Manager Park's face changed.
The camera closed in tightly on him.
The faint smile was still there, but his black eyes sank even deeper.
An indescribable emotion spread across his face.
"Yes. I did have a younger sister."
It was chillingly calm and deeply unsettling at the same time.
Yoo Jihyung kept digging into Assistant Manager Park's weak points, bringing up his sister's suicide, his dead mother, and more.
"The thrill you got from serial murder woke up because of your father, didn't it? It wasn't five murders. It was six."
Including the hidden killing, the total count came to six.
Assistant Manager Park and Yoo Jihyung continued through several more rounds of questioning.
And the one who broke that vicious cycle was—
"His alibi is solid."
Jung Yeonhee confirmed that Assistant Manager Park's alibi had not been fabricated.
That meant the real culprit was definitely someone else.
And in the process of uncovering that culprit—
"Let's deal with the serial murders first."
So they first had to verify the serial murders Assistant Manager Park had referred to as his masterpieces.
The interesting part was that Assistant Manager Park was surprisingly cooperative.
Then the scene shifted.
Using a doll, he calmly reenacted the murder method, and the screen transitioned.
The actual murder carried out by Assistant Manager Park was shown to viewers.
He dragged a middle-aged woman along as if she were a pet.
His face was full of joy.
"Aaah! Ugh! I can't breathe! Help me!"
Then Assistant Manager Park's face filled the screen again.
"I wish your screams were louder. What I'm hearing right now just isn't enough."
Viewers reacted to Assistant Manager Park in all kinds of ways.
Damn, that bastard is so irritating, but it was still fun.
Wow, the acting is so intense. Whenever Assistant Manager Park shows up, the tension shoots way up.
Don't curse the actor. He's just that good.
Kang Woojin: "I wish I got more praise. The praise I'm getting now just isn't enough."
I feel like the supporting actress might actually get trauma from this.
Honestly, I think Kang Woojin is acting the best in this drama.
???: "I wish there were more toppings on the pizza. It feels a little lacking."
This is insane, look at his eyes. Didn't they say this actor was a rookie?
Hahaha a new meme was born.
"It's not enough" definitely deserves to become a meme.
Then Profiler Hanryang moved on to the next scene.
After finishing the field reenactment, Assistant Manager Park looked around the place where one of his masterpieces had been created and spoke with Yoo Jihyung.
"But the real culprit copied my murder method perfectly. The atmosphere and feel might only be somewhat similar, but considering they knew every detail, doesn't that mean the real culprit works in a field similar to profiling too?"
Something flashed through Yoo Jihyung's mind.
In truth, no matter how much someone tried to imitate it, it would have been impossible to perfectly replicate Assistant Manager Park's methods.
Especially since most of his murders had happened before 2010, when information would have been much harder to access.
But the method, the habits, every detail—
they were identical.
Then Assistant Manager Park shrugged and added,
"You need to understand that police officers can kill people too. Maybe he's the same kind as me."
Close-up on Yoo Jihyung's face.
Episode 3 ended right there.
At the same time, both internet users and TV viewers groaned in frustration.
They wanted the next episode immediately.
The following morning, Saturday, the ratings for Episode 3 were released.
Episode 3 of Profiler Hanryang had surged again to 24.1%.
And Kang Woojin's popularity, as the actor playing Assistant Manager Park, soared right along with it.
His performance in Episode 3 had left a powerful impression.
Public attention became completely captivated by Kang Woojin.
His popularity stayed explosive all through Saturday.
At least, until Episode 4 of Profiler Hanryang began.
Riding that momentum, Episode 4 started.
Based on the clues left by Assistant Manager Park, Yoo Jihyung and Jung Yeonhee investigated police officers and people connected to Assistant Manager Park's old serial murder cases.
Of course, it was not easy.
But as new clues surfaced, the suspect list gradually narrowed.
From there, everything slowly began falling into place.
Yoo Jihyung felt something was wrong.
"This can't possibly be this easy."
In the end, the list was narrowed down to five suspects.
All of them were current or former police officers.
Yoo Jihyung and Jung Yeonhee systematically interrogated them.
Little by little, the real culprit's identity came into view.
And finally—
"Four have alibis. One doesn't."
Once the one suspect without an alibi was identified, Yoo Jihyung, Jung Yeonhee, and the police carried out a search and seizure.
And that was the problem.
"Hey! Wake up!!"
"Is he dead?!"
The culprit had already died at home.
There were no external injuries, but judging by the foam around the mouth, it appeared to be a drug overdose.
Of course—
"We detected traces of the toxic substance aconitine."
It really was death by poison.
At first the police suspected suicide, but the deeper investigation revealed it was murder.
That made Yoo Jihyung suspect something even bigger.
"Could there be… an accomplice?"
Believing there might be a hidden accomplice, the case remained unresolved even though the culprit had technically been identified.
Yoo Jihyung felt as though he were walking through fog.
He did not know the details, but he could sense that an enormous secret lay behind the case.
Afterward, Yoo Jihyung went to see Assistant Manager Park again, and Assistant Manager Park welcomed him warmly.
"You're here. Long time no see. I heard you caught the culprit, but he died? That's unfortunate."
"Why did you confess? You confessed to every murder, which means you'll get the death penalty at minimum. There's nothing left for you now. If you'd stayed silent, no one would have known. So why confess?"
"Well, I don't really want to talk about that."
"Are you trying to atone now?"
"Atone?"
Assistant Manager Park's lips trembled.
He nearly snorted trying to hold back a laugh.
"Atonement sounds nice, but in the end, guilt is something decided by people, isn't it? I consider myself the judge."
"Stop spouting nonsense. I'll probably never see you again after this. The time we spent together was already valuable enough. Just tell me."
"…"
For a moment, loneliness flickered in Assistant Manager Park's eyes as he looked at Yoo Jihyung.
It was not directed at Yoo Jihyung.
It was directed at himself.
"Profiler. That hamburger I ate in the interrogation room was really good. Small motivations and little goals like that play a huge role in life, don't they? I didn't have much time left, so I wanted to enjoy myself a bit."
"You didn't have much time left?"
"If it weren't for that real culprit bastard, my works would have remained legends forever. That's my only regret."
"…"
"No, it's more than regret. It's so unfair it makes me want to go insane."
The scene changed.
Now the world learned about the real culprit's involvement and the state of the case.
And then Yoo Jihyung heard new information about Assistant Manager Park.
"He has terminal colon cancer."
Assistant Manager Park's illness was only revealed belatedly.
Sensing something was wrong, Yoo Jihyung hurried to see him.
But—
"This way! Over here!!! Damn it!"
Assistant Manager Park was found dead in his cell, hanging.
Yoo Jihyung rushed to save him, but he was already too late.
On the floor beneath Assistant Manager Park's body lay a final note addressed to Yoo Jihyung.
That makes my masterpieces seven instead of six. It was fun.
With that, Assistant Manager Park's final scene came to an end.
And Episode 4 ended with it.
Around 11:10 p.m. on Saturday night.
A black van was parked in front of Kang Woojin's studio apartment.
As expected, Woojin was inside.
The back door opened, and Kang Woojin, wearing a cap, stepped out of the vehicle.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"Tomorrow the ratings are going to explode and it'll be total chaos. Get inside quick, buddy!!"
Only Jang Suhwan was visible in the van.
After a brief goodbye, the vehicle drove off.
Kang Woojin had spent the entire day busy with Profiler Hanryang promotional activities.
Even after the Sports Day event ended, he still had several interviews left.
Soon—
"Hoo, I'm seriously tired."
Kang Woojin pulled off the cap he had been wearing since his schedule ended.
Then he checked the time.
"I'm kind of hungry."
He was craving ramyeon badly.
But then he remembered he did not have any at home.
In fact, Choi Sunggeon had recently been encouraging him to start body training. He said it could come in handy anytime.
"Mm, I guess today's fine."
He put his cap back on and walked to a nearby convenience store.
At a glance, he looked exactly like the ordinary citizen he had once been back when he worked at the design company.
Cut.
Kang Woojin arrived at a fairly large convenience store.
Since the weather was warm, the outdoor tables were packed with people of all ages drinking beer, and not a single seat was empty.
"…"
Anyway, Kang Woojin slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out his wallet.
'Do I have kimchi at home? Should I buy some kimchi too?'
At that exact moment—
"Huh! Isn't that Assistant Manager Park? No way!"
A loud voice came from one of the outdoor tables where only women were seated.
"T-that's Kang Woojin!"