"That's right! It's Director Shin Dongchun!"
The moment Kim Sohyang said it, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
"Director Shin Dongchun's debut film, The Private Investigator*, really launched him successfully as a rookie Director."*
"He also did quite well in drama directing before that. Has anyone here seen The Private Investigator*?"*
"I have. I went to the Mise-en-scène Film Festival out of curiosity. The Private Investigator was fantastic."
"It was the most entertaining short film there."
"What was his style like? Do you think he could return to drama work?"
"Yes. It felt like a blend of film and drama editing."
"The balance between fast and slow pacing was excellent, and the sound design was used incredibly well."
Most of the team leads in the meeting room nodded in agreement.
"If Director Shin Dongchun joins us, everything will be perfect. We already even have the story angle prepared—a reunion between a formerly unknown Director and actor."
"A reunion between an award-winning actor and Director from the Mise-en-scène Film Festival?"
On paper, Director Shin Dongchun really did seem like the perfect fit for the project.
Still, there were concerns.
"But even if he looks perfect on paper, would Director Shin Dongchun really take this on?"
"We'd have to confirm it, of course, but I imagine he's probably swamped with meetings after getting recognized at the Mise-en-scène Film Festival."
"He must be getting script offers nonstop."
Would Director Shin Dongchun lead the project?
Of course, Kang Woojin was involved too, but business was business.
Whether Shin Dongchun, now rising as a hot new Director, would actually join remained uncertain.
Even so, Kim Sohyang believed the chances were high.
"We're not asking him to take the entire series—just the 'boyfriend' part."
"If he's already signed onto another project, then of course he'll decline. But if he's still in the adjustment period, it could work."
In any case, speed was everything.
"When did the Mise-en-scène Film Festival end again?"
"Early May, last month."
"Then after winning, he'd be busy with interviews for about a week, and after that, with meetings with production companies and film companies for another two weeks."
"The timing isn't bad."
Soon, Kim Sohyang gave the order.
"Find Director Shin Dongchun's contact information immediately and reach out."
"When you pitch the project, make sure to strongly emphasize that we fully support him."
"And casually bring up Kang Woojin too."
The team leads quickly rose and got to work.
Kim Sohyang muttered to herself.
"Hmm, Director Shin Dongchun has probably already seen the news that Woojin is appearing in Boyfriend*."*
Time passed.
Four days later, on Thursday, Kang Woojin finally had a day off.
Or rather, to be exact, all of his schedules had been adjusted because of a personal matter.
"Ah, it's finally time to leave."
It was the day he moved out.
In other words, Kang Woojin was leaving his studio apartment.
It felt a little sudden, but considering how quickly his popularity was rising, it was unavoidable.
Choi Sunggeon's constant urging had also played a part.
Anyway—
"I thought I'd spend at least my twenties here."
Wearing a comfortable hoodie, Woojin slowly looked around the studio apartment that had supported him for so long.
Now it was empty.
Countless memories came flooding back.
The days he had passed out drunk.
The day he first signed the lease.
And so much more.
"It was a tiny place, but so much happened here."
A trace of bitterness crossed Kang Woojin's face.
But he could not stay there for long.
Before he knew it, it was time to say goodbye.
As he slipped on his shoes, Woojin lightly patted the shoe cabinet.
"Alright then, I'm off—"
It was his farewell to the studio apartment that had once been his home.
At last, Kang Woojin stepped outside with the Mise-en-scène Film Festival trophy in hand and closed the door behind him.
Outside, a moving truck and Woojin's van were waiting.
Thud!
The moment Woojin got into the van, both vehicles pulled out.
About an hour later, they stopped near the BW Entertainment building.
It was an officetel near Samseong Station.
The moment Kang Woojin stepped into his new place, he froze.
"Wow… this is amazing."
If no one had been around, he probably would have shouted and run around the place.
That was how nice the new home was.
It looked at least twice as big as the studio apartment.
To other people it might have seemed ordinary, but to Kang Woojin, it looked like a palace.
Even appliances like the TV and refrigerator were already installed.
That had been BW Entertainment's consideration.
Everything in Kang Woojin's life had changed.
A new home.
A new life.
A new job.
New people in the entertainment industry.
Little by little, Woojin began to feel that he was truly becoming an actor.
And the people around him had changed too.
His loud, chaotic friends still chatted away in the group chat, now treating Kang Woojin like a real actor.
-Woojin: Finished moving.
-Daeyoung: Congratulations, Actor-nim. I'll come over soon and trash the place.
-Kyungseong: Let's do a housewarming. Let's invite Hong Hyeyeon too.
-Hyunggu: Housewarming, let's go. Let's invite Hong Hyeyeon too (2nd vote).
-Woojin: Shut up, you animals.
-Kyungseong: Kangsung 씨, have you seen Hwarin in person? She's insanely beautiful, right?
-Woojin: Yep yep yep.
-Hyunggu: Kangsung "Assistant Manager Park," come back. Profiler Hanryang feels empty without you.
Woojin's parents were still exactly the same too.
"Yeah, Mom."
"Yes, Actor Kang. Have you been eating properly? Should I send you some porridge?"
"Even when it's cold, your porridge is good."
"No, I'll come cook for you myself."
"What? No, it's fine. It's just porridge. I can buy it here. I've been eating fine."
"Alright. Your dad and I have been watching everything you appear in. Ever since you died, you only show up in flashbacks sometimes."
"…Mom. I'm alive."
"Oh, by the way, you're a superstar among my friends and customers. Did I tell you that?"
Inside a porridge restaurant in Jinju, giant posters of Kang Woojin hung on both walls.
His parents had probably chosen them themselves.
Whenever customers asked about the posters—
"Is he some hot rookie actor these days? Owner, are you a fan?"
Seo Hyunmi and Kang Woocheol would proudly answer at the same time.
"That's our son."
"He's our son."
Oddly enough, Kang Woojin's younger sister, Kang Hyuna—who was usually loud and noisy—had gone quiet.
Woojin felt a little uneasy about that, but quickly calmed himself.
He figured she was probably just busy studying.
After moving into the new place, Woojin headed to an ad shoot the next day.
Friday, May 5.
It was a McDonald's commercial shoot.
Everything moved fast.
It had only been a week since he signed the contract, but the shoot was already scheduled.
McDonald's wanted to capitalize on Kang Woojin's popularity as quickly as possible.
"Hello."
"Ah! Welcome! Kang Woojin has arrived!"
"Woojin, please go over the concept with the Director right away!"
To Woojin, the commercial studio felt unfamiliar and oddly familiar at the same time.
It was as big as an auditorium.
The atmosphere resembled a filming set, but the props and filming equipment felt a little different.
Most importantly—
"…Is that a hamburger? Do I have to eat all of those?"
On a table in one corner, hamburgers were piled up like a mountain.
There had to be at least thirty of them.
At first glance, they looked like weapons.
So even though Woojin looked as composed as ever, he was a little intimidated.
It was already nerve-racking because it was his first ad shoot, and now he was wondering if he would really have to eat all of that.
Thankfully—
"When we shoot, you just have to pretend to bite into the burger."
"You can eat it if you want, but if it gets tough, you can spit it out."
He did not have to eat all the burgers.
There were fake ones too.
'The real one looks different. No way. Am I actually a model now? This is getting confusing.'
Woojin found himself impressed by all kinds of things.
After a brief concept meeting with the Director and the McDonald's staff, he got his makeup and outfit done and headed to the set.
He looked strikingly similar to Assistant Manager Park.
The set itself was a luxury sofa placed against a blue-screen background.
The blue screen was for post-production effects, though Woojin did not know that.
He simply acted according to the Director's instructions.
Still, did he really need to draw out Assistant Manager Park's aura this strongly?
He was not sure, but he decided to go all in anyway.
"Ready—Action!"
Referencing the Profiler Hanryang scene where Assistant Manager Park ate a hamburger in the interrogation room, Kang Woojin acted out taking a bite.
Even though it was his first commercial, he looked more natural than expected, and the Director and staff on set could not hide their admiration.
"Wow, perfect! Choosing the Assistant Manager Park concept was brilliant."
"But Woojin, how do you read emotion so quickly? Your expression changes in an instant."
"Doesn't it feel like we've discovered some unbelievable rookie actor?"
But commercials really were different from dramas.
"Cut! Good! Woojin, this time angle the burger a little more forward and let's do it again."
"Yes."
"Action!"
You could call it a far more repetitive kind of work.
"Good! Cut! This time, smile a little more mischievously."
"…Yes."
They shot the same scene more than ten times.
It was not because Woojin had done anything wrong.
"Cut! Nice! Next, hold the burger with both hands!"
They simply wanted as many different versions as possible.
Action, cut.
Action, cut.
Action, cut.
Again and again.
The requested poses, expressions, and lines changed every time.
Kang Woojin had underestimated commercial shoots, and he got tired much faster than expected.
'This is seriously hard. Way harder than I expected, and we've only shot one scene. I'm already drained.'
Commercial shoots had cue sheets, but nothing like the detailed scripts used for dramas.
Woojin decided that dramas and films with scripts suited him far better.
Before he knew it, after shooting a few scenes, it was already lunchtime.
And the food placed in front of Kang Woojin was—
"Woojin! This is McDonald's new menu item. Try it!"
"…Thank you."
Another hamburger.
'Ugh.'
Meanwhile—
Inside the meeting room of a major film production company in Seoul, a familiar square-jawed man sat with several others.
It was Director Shin Dongchun.
The gaunt look he once had was gone, and he looked much healthier now.
He seemed full of life.
Even the aura around him had changed.
Now anyone could see that he carried the presence of a true Director.
And for good reason.
A month earlier, he had won Best Picture at the Mise-en-scène Film Festival.
Not only Kang Woojin, but Director Shin Dongchun's life had changed dramatically too.
『[Film Talk] Director Shin Dongchun of Best Picture Winner The Private Investigator, the Hidden Gem Found by Mise-en-scène in Chungmuro』
He was not enjoying popularity as explosive as Kang Woojin's, but Shin Dongchun was still being recognized as a rising star in the film industry.
He had taken three awards at the notoriously difficult Mise-en-scène Film Festival, including Best Picture, and the film The Private Investigator itself had received high praise.
Not only that—
『The Kang Woojin Effect? The short film The Private Investigator proves its influence as it opens on various OTT platforms』
The film's performance on OTT platforms was more than satisfactory.
Because of that, Director Shin Dongchun had been living in a blur—dealing with interview requests from film outlets, appearances on YouTube channels, calls from production companies and film companies, and more.
And right now, he was at one of those meetings.
A large film production company was proposing future collaboration.
"Director, what do you think?"
There were about five representatives from the film company, while Director Shin Dongchun sat alone.
He had clearly already experienced many such meetings, because he did not look flustered at all.
"Hmm."
"We understand your hesitation. We've heard rumors about the other offers you've received as well."
"But we promise to present the best conditions for you."
"Yes, I'll consider it."
"Haha, we really want to work with you."
A pleasant-looking executive shifted the topic.
"First, we'd like to hear your thoughts. We're considering two options."
"One is a commercial remake of The Private Investigator*, and the other is choosing one of the scripts we're already developing."*
"Director, what do you think?"
Both options were attractive.
One was to expand the world of The Private Investigator into a large-scale commercial remake.
The other was to move directly into a new project using one of the company's existing scripts.
Director Shin felt he was being asked to choose between them.
'I do want to see a remake of The Private Investigator*.'*
Of course, some changes would be necessary.
But the idea of remaking The Private Investigator was tempting.
Still, a film was not made by the Director alone.
There were many staff and actors involved.
That meant a Director could not make a decision based on personal desire alone.
'But maybe The Private Investigator is better left exactly as it is.'
The reason The Private Investigator had succeeded in its current form was because it was a short film.
It succeeded because of Woojin's acting, the staff's effort, and Hyeyeon's contribution.
If he changed even a little, he might ruin it.
A remake itself would not be hard.
You just adapted it and produced it.
It might even succeed.
But without Kang Woojin, The Private Investigator would no longer be The Private Investigator.
At least, that was how Director Shin Dongchun saw it.
'Woojin's passion and emotional investment are what made The Private Investigator what it is today.'
In other words, The Private Investigator without Kang Woojin was like red bean bread without red bean paste.
So Director Shin Dongchun looked at the executives and shook his head.
"I don't want to touch The Private Investigator*."*
"That's unfortunate. To be honest, The Private Investigator has very strong commercial potential."
"This isn't a matter of probability."
"Of course, if all the actors agreed, I'd consider it. But not right now."
"If you mean the actors, are you referring to Kang Woojin and Hong Hyeyeon?"
"Well, Kang Woojin is getting a lot of attention these days, yes. But we can't guarantee he'd return to The Private Investigator*."*
"If there's a script among the ones you mentioned that you'd like me to look at, I'll take it today."
"I'll read it and contact you."
The executive smiled and handed him two bundles of documents.
"You've gathered quite a few scripts, haven't you? I hope you'll read ours first, haha."
Director Shin Dongchun accepted them and replied with a serious expression.
"If I end up directing, there's one actor I absolutely want to work with. Would that be alright?"
"Ah, you mean Kang Woojin?"
"Yes. I absolutely want Kang Woojin."
"Of course, that's no problem. Woojin is popular these days, and he's a strong actor."
"Besides, it seems you're very fond of him."
…
Director Shin Dongchun did not answer.
But inwardly, he thought:
'Because I need to repay his passion and devotion.'
It was Woojin who had brought him to where he was now.
It was Woojin who had saved him from the edge of the cliff.
Everything had started with a misunderstanding, but for Director Shin Dongchun, not knowing the truth was the happier outcome.
After the meeting ended, Director Shin Dongchun rode the elevator down with the scripts in hand.
Hoo.
As had become his recent habit, he checked his phone.
He wanted to see how Woojin's success was progressing.
There was no need to search separately.
Entertainment pages were overflowing with articles about Kang Woojin.
"Wow, the Sports Day video already hit six million views in two days?"
As he walked toward his parked car—
♫♪
He answered a call from an unfamiliar number.
Considering Woojin's recent popularity, that was not surprising.
"Hello, this is Shin Dongchun."
A woman's voice came from the other end.
"Hello, Director. This is Lee Namhee, Head of the Creative Team at Netflix."
"Netflix?"
Director Shin Dongchun immediately recalled the recent article about Kang Woojin's short drama.
"Ah, yes, hello. How can I help you?"
"I know you're busy, but I wanted to ask whether you'd be interested in directing our project."
"I don't know if you've seen the news, but it's a short drama project."
"Boyfriend?"
"Ah, yes. That's right. As you know, Woojin and Hwarin are starring. If you're interested…"
"I have time right now."
Without a moment's hesitation, Director Shin Dongchun smiled and answered immediately.
"If you send me the location, I'll head to Netflix right away."
Six days later, early in the morning, at Kang Woojin's new apartment—
The move was finished, but Woojin still had a long way to go before everything was organized.
Wearing a hoodie, he appeared in the underground parking lot, lost in thought.
'I'm so sleepy. So tired.'
He had gotten up early and was exhausted.
The moment he got into the car, he planned to head straight into the void space.
Looking around the parking lot, he spotted a black van waiting for him with its hazard lights on.
What was interesting was—
"Woojin."
For some reason, Choi Sunggeon was waiting for him outside the vehicle.
Woojin approached him and gave a slight bow.
"Hello. But why are you outside?"
Instead of greeting him back, Choi Sunggeon handed him a thick bundle of papers.
"Here, take this."
"What is this?"
As Woojin accepted the bundle with curious eyes, Choi Sunggeon explained.
"This is the official script for Director Kyotaro's next project."
"Oh."
And just like that, the script from the legendary Japanese Director was now in Woojin's hands.