Kang Woojin's heart nearly exploded the moment he stepped into the annex VIP room.
'This is insane. There are probably a ton of top actors in here.'
He was about to face a room full of major stars.
Standing in front of the door, Woojin took a deep breath inwardly.
'Hoo—'
He entered full concentration mode.
He had to lock his persona in place. What lay ahead was an unknown battlefield, and he needed a heart several times stronger than usual.
Kang Woojin's face looked drier and more emotionless than ever.
Then—
The door opened.
The instant it did, a crowd of people filled his view.
'Wow, holy crap. How many people are in here?'
More than twenty, maybe.
And the second he stepped inside, every eye in the room turned toward him.
Each gaze felt different.
Ignoring his pounding heart, Woojin stepped forward and gave a solemn greeting.
That was when he heard a familiar voice.
"Woojin, over here."
Ryu Jungmin was seated near the middle of the table.
Kang Woojin nearly ran over and hugged him out of sheer relief.
He was that happy to see a familiar face.
Then his field of vision widened.
Around Ryu Jungmin sat a cluster of top actors.
'Wow. This is crazy.'
Woojin wanted to go around shaking hands with every single one of them, but—
'No. Absolutely not.'
Without the slightest carelessness, Kang Woojin maintained a serious front.
Then he lowered his voice in his mind and poured all his conviction into one thought.
'They're all just ordinary pedestrians I pass on the street.'
With that mindset, he greeted them.
"Hello. Nice to meet you. I'm Kang Woojin."
Perfect.
While Kang Woojin inwardly praised himself—
"You're pretty late. Shouldn't the newcomer be the first one here? Isn't it a bit early for you to start acting arrogant?"
A female actor seated nearby spoke up.
Her tone was openly sarcastic.
Woojin turned his head.
He recognized her immediately.
'Seo Chaeeun. She's really beautiful. No, focus.'
It was top actress Seo Chaeeun.
In the media, she always came off elegant and kind, but the way she was speaking to Kang Woojin now had a sharp edge.
So Woojin was puzzled.
'What's with her? Is she picking a fight? Is this that arrogance people talk about?'
Arrogant people existed everywhere.
Even back at the design company where Kang Woojin used to work.
Of course, the entertainment industry was worse.
In any case, Woojin immediately caught on to the fact that she was trying to start something.
'Or maybe she just doesn't like me. Either way, it's annoying.'
Seo Chaeeun was different from Hwarin.
She wasn't even trying to hide her irritation.
So what?
Then I'll be honest too.
Kang Woojin made up his mind almost at once.
'I'll hit back a little. Not too hard, though.'
Given his current persona, that felt like the most natural move.
"Do you have a problem with me?"
Even as a rookie, he still kept his manners.
That much was clear.
But if the other side wasn't going to be polite, there was no reason for him to stay meek.
Kang Woojin was already playing the role of a monster-like actor.
On top of that, his image was built on arrogance, bluntness, and indifference to other people's opinions.
And besides—
'Then what? I'm a little special.'
Kang Woojin had no connections, no backing, no hidden support from anyone.
That was exactly why he wasn't afraid to act strangely.
Seo Chaeeun blinked as if asking whether she had heard him right.
"...What did you just say?"
Playing dumb?
Woojin repeated himself in the same calm tone.
"Do you have a problem with me?"
Ryu Jungmin, who already knew how odd Woojin could be, barely held back a laugh.
'Yep. That's so like Woojin.'
Nearby, Kim Iwon watched with interest.
'Wow, he's directly going up against Seo Chaeeun? That takes guts.'
Jeon Woochang looked genuinely impressed by Woojin's bluntness.
'He really is interesting. The atmosphere's cold as hell, but he doesn't back down. And with this many people watching, shouldn't he be nervous?'
Seo Chaeeun frowned, clearly thrown off.
"No... what? Whether I have a problem with you isn't the point. I was pointing out that all your seniors are here, and you showed up late."
Ryu Jungmin stepped in to ease the tension.
"Hey, hey, Seo Chaeeun. That's enough."
"What? You should be scolding him, not me."
Right then—
"If you're talking about being late,"
Kang Woojin said while looking directly at Seo Chaeeun without the slightest hint of agitation.
"I think I was here before anyone else."
"What do you mean?"
"I arrived forty-five minutes ago. I was outside in the parking lot talking with Director Kwon Gitaek for a bit. He should be here soon too."
"...Really?"
"Yes."
"Then you should've said that earlier."
Woojin continued with the same cool expression.
"You didn't give me time to explain. The moment I sat down, you came at me aggressively."
Seo Chaeeun had nothing to say.
Grinding her teeth, she looked frustrated.
'...Look at this guy.'
The rookie had not backed down.
If anything, Seo Chaeeun was the one being pushed back.
After more than ten years in the industry, Kang Woojin was unlike anyone she had ever seen.
His atmosphere was heavy.
His words and actions were calm and cold.
'How does someone like this even exist? How can a rookie already give off that kind of pressure?'
Meanwhile, Kang Woojin was locked in a fierce stare-down with her.
'If I lose this eye contact battle, I'm finished. The pressure is insane.'
Then—
The door opened again.
A soft voice followed.
"Oh my, I'm a little late. The call took longer than expected."
Director Kwon Gitaek entered, carrying his usual warm presence, and everyone in the room immediately stood.
The stare-down between Seo Chaeeun and Kang Woojin barely ended there.
But from Ryu Jungmin onward, Kang Woojin's presence had now been firmly etched into the minds of Kim Iwon and Jeon Woochang.
'He seems a little insane.'
'I kind of like that lunatic, though.'
Of course, the one most affected was Seo Chaeeun.
'Ugh, irritating. What is wrong with him?'
And as for Kang Woojin—
'Yeah, the persona acting was solid. Passed.'
He praised himself very generously.
──────────
A few minutes later, by the time Director Kwon Gitaek arrived, everyone who was supposed to gather in the VIP room had shown up.
Seated at the long table, Director Kwon Gitaek began speaking.
"Alright, everyone—"
After a bit of light small talk with the staff around him, he drew everyone's attention.
More than twenty pairs of eyes turned toward him.
"Some of these faces are familiar, and some may be new. But now that we're all on the same ship, let's sail smoothly together all the way to release without any trouble."
That was just wishful thinking.
No matter how strong the lineup was, even a ship that seemed to be cruising smoothly did not always make it safely to release.
The entertainment industry was the kind of place where problems could erupt at any moment.
Every year, countless films fell apart before release because of both major and minor issues.
Still, Director Kwon Gitaek pointed toward the actors and continued in his warm tone.
"First of all, I'm happy to be working with all of our lead actors. Ah, and I'm sure many of you are meeting Kang Woojin for the first time, right?"
For a moment, everyone's eyes shifted to Kang Woojin, seated among the actors.
He still wore the same calm expression.
Director Kwon Gitaek smiled.
"He's been getting so much attention lately that I barely need to introduce him. He may be a rookie, but he doesn't feel like one at all, and his acting is excellent, so you can all look forward to what he does. Ha ha."
It sounded almost like a joke, but there was pressure hidden in it.
A warning to the top actors?
Director Kwon Gitaek's warm charisma really was something special.
"Woojin, say a quick hello to everyone."
At the request, Kang Woojin stood calmly and greeted them.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kang Woojin."
Some of the main staff looked slightly disappointed.
They had probably expected a longer introduction.
But Director Kwon Gitaek, already familiar with Woojin's personality, simply smiled again.
"Ha ha, he can be a little detached, but that's just how he is, so don't take it strangely."
After the other lead actors introduced themselves and the main staff finished their greetings, the flow of conversation returned to Director Kwon Gitaek.
"Hmm. For now, only Woojin and Jungmin have been revealed to the press. The rest will be announced gradually. We're going in with the long game in mind, so everyone, please be careful not to leak any confidential information. As for the preliminary schedule, the set is currently under construction, and if things move quickly, I think we can begin script reading sometime next month..."
The schedule explanation continued for about thirty minutes.
After that, it was time to eat.
The table was soon filled with luxurious food, and everyone began eating while chatting with the people beside them.
Naturally, that included Kang Woojin.
'Wow. This beef is amazing. It tastes expensive.'
He didn't show it outwardly, but he was genuinely impressed by the flavor.
At that moment, Seo Chaeeun, seated beside him, glanced over.
Her expression clearly showed discomfort.
"I'm just asking because I'm curious, but once filming starts, you're not going to show up late or cause trouble on set, right?"
The phrase cause trouble on set was a harsh way of referring to the kind of situation where a successful actor openly showed dissatisfaction toward the Director or other actors and effectively held up filming.
Naturally, Kang Woojin didn't know that.
'What is she even talking about? She's not even prettier than Hong Hyeyeon. Anyway, be quiet. I'm trying to eat beef here.'
Picking up a piece of kimchi with his chopsticks, Woojin answered coolly.
"No, I won't. Will you?"
"...What?"
"Nothing. I was just asking in case."
At the table across from them, Ryu Jungmin nearly spat out his soup.
Jeon Woochang and Kim Iwon simply watched the situation unfold without stepping in.
As if this sort of thing was normal.
Seo Chaeeun stared at Woojin with confused eyes, then let out a small scoff.
"Tell me, are you actually related to Director Kwon? Or do you have some powerful backer?"
Kang Woojin answered bluntly.
"No. I don't."
Seo Chaeeun blinked as if she couldn't believe him.
She seemed to think he was some incredibly strange kind of person.
Then Ryu Jungmin stepped in.
"Enough. Eat your food. Oh, right, Woojin. Tell us how filming Drug Dealer was. How was Jaejun's acting?"
Soon, the conversation at the actors' table shifted.
──────────
About an hour later—
Ryu Jungmin quietly asked the suddenly rising Kang Woojin,
"Where are you going?"
"The restroom."
With that, Woojin left the room.
At almost the same time, Seo Chaeeun leaned forward across the table and targeted Ryu Jungmin.
"Oppa. Does he really have no backer at all?"
"What kind of backer are you talking about?"
"Like being born as the son of some rich family, obviously."
The muscular Jeon Woochang chuckled under his breath.
"Noona. You should act in dramas, not live inside one."
"Want to die? Seriously, in all my years as an actor, I've never met someone like him. How can someone be that shameless without any backing?"
Ryu Jungmin raised his glass as if he understood where she was coming from.
"Woojin definitely isn't a normal type. When someone doesn't care much about success, they don't care about appearances either."
"What?"
Ryu Jungmin crossed his arms and shared the impression he had of Kang Woojin.
"Don't you think he acts pretty calm? Like he could keep acting, or walk away from acting tomorrow. That kind of vibe. You'll understand as time passes. But even then, look at where he is right now. Do you really think someone like him needs connections or backing?"
"What does that even mean? Acting is just a hobby for him or something?"
"Who knows. I don't know that much. But it definitely doesn't feel like acting is everything to him. Woojin studied abroad, and he speaks English and Japanese fluently. Ah, and I heard he's talented in design too."
"...What are you talking about?"
It seemed Ryu Jungmin had spread his misunderstanding of Woojin to the other top actors as well.
Anyway, when you looked at Woojin, it really did feel like he was acting half-heartedly.
But even then, he still maintained a level that other people could only reach by gritting their teeth and going all in on acting alone.
Resting his chin on one hand, Ryu Jungmin laughed faintly and met Seo Chaeeun's eyes.
"Woojin already has a powerful backer."
Then he added,
"His skill is that backer."
──────────
The next day, late morning.
HTBS broadcasting station.
A woman wearing a mask, her long hair loose, appeared in the busy lobby.
It was Hong Hyeyeon.
She had dropped by briefly before filming.
As expected of a top actress, countless eyes turned toward her, and reporters busily snapped photos.
The interesting part happened right after that.
"Daeyoung, is this your first time coming to a broadcasting station?"
The reason Kim Daeyoung, with his solid build, was with Hong Hyeyeon's team was simple.
He had recently started training under her team.
"Ah... yes. It's my first time."
Despite his large frame, Daeyoung's face was stiff with nerves.
The skinny manager and the team leader patted him on the shoulder.
"You'll get used to it fast. It's nothing to be that tense about. Just think of it as the same as any other company."
"Yes, I understand. But too many people are staring."
This time, Hong Hyeyeon, who had been walking ahead, turned her head and answered.
"Is it because I'm here? By the way, Daeyoung, did you contact your friend? About coming to work?"
The person she meant, of course, was Kang Woojin.
"Yes, I did."
"What did he say?"
"If I work hard..."
"Pretty normal, huh?"
Actually, it wasn't.
What Kim Daeyoung had really heard from Kang Woojin was: Don't drool over Hong Hyeyeon.
Even so, Hong Hyeyeon and her group stepped into the elevator.
"We got here a little early. I'll contact PD Yoon first."
"Okay—"
Their destination was the variety department.
Ding!
The elevator reached the floor, and the doors slid open smoothly.
Then—
"What??"
A woman with a mole under her eye, who had been standing among the crowd waiting, recoiled in shock the moment she saw Hong Hyeyeon inside the elevator.
"U-Unnie?"
Inside the elevator stood Hong Hyeyeon.
And Hwarin, who stared back at her with equally startled eyes.
The two were dressed in completely different styles.
Hong Hyeyeon wore a loose shirt, while Hwarin wore a tight short-sleeved top.
But—
"Unnie??"
"Hwarin??"
Their expressions of surprise were exactly the same.
Of course, Kim Daeyoung felt the same way.
'Whoa, it's Hwarin. This really is a broadcasting station.'
In any case, after stepping out of the elevator, Hong Hyeyeon stopped in front of Hwarin and asked,
"Hwarin? Why are you here this early in the morning?"
Hwarin's eyes widened slightly, and she answered with a question of her own.
"Ah... what about you, unnie?"
"I came to see PD Yoon."
"...PD Yoon? You mean PD Yoon Byungseon?"
"Is there another PD Yoon at HTBS?"
At that moment, Hong Hyeyeon seemed to realize something and asked back,
"Wait... Hwarin, did you come to see PD Yoon too?"
"No... I'm actually on my way back after meeting him."
"You already met him?"
Then Hwarin abruptly blurted out what had been on her mind.
"Unnie, did you come because of PD Yoon Byungseon's new variety show? Right?"
Hong Hyeyeon brushed back her long hair and answered simply.
"Yeah."
At once, Hwarin's eyes widened dramatically.
"Wow. Seriously? Why all of a sudden?"
"What about you?"
"Huh? Ah... well... I..."
Hwarin trailed off, then suddenly lowered her voice.
"I'm confirmed for it."
"Confirmed? You're officially joining PD Yoon's new variety show?"
"Yeah."
"I had no idea. Why didn't you say anything?"
"It's not that I didn't say anything. I couldn't. PD Yoon said it was top secret."
"But only Woojin's appearance has been announced so far, right?"
"Right now, only Woojin's been revealed. There are a few other confirmed members besides me."
The moment she heard that answer, Hong Hyeyeon bit her lip ever so slightly.
'What is this? Then Hwarin's doing both the drama and the variety show with Kang Woojin?'
Her instincts as a woman sharpened.
'Could this be a coincidence...? Maybe. I could accept the drama as a coincidence. But appearing in the variety show right after that? That's way too much to call coincidence.'
The one who broke Hong Hyeyeon out of her deep thoughts was Hwarin.
"Is your variety show appearance confirmed too, unnie?"
"...No. I'm still here for the meeting."
"Wow, unnie. You almost never do variety shows."
"That's true. But I was thinking of taking a short break from acting work. For now, I came to hear PD Yoon's thoughts."
After answering, Hong Hyeyeon placed a hand on Hwarin's shoulder and gently pulled her closer.
Then she leaned in and whispered into Hwarin's ear.
"Hwarin. Do you like Kang Woojin?"