Kang Woojin had a feeling that Seo Chaeun was the culprit.
But that was all it was—just a feeling.
Her first impression had been awful, and he had hated the way she kept provoking people for no reason, but intuition alone proved nothing. That was no different from saying she looked suspicious, so she had to be guilty.
"Damn it, I've got nothing."
He needed something decisive.
Anything at all.
The problem was that, because of the void space, Woojin was the only one who knew what was happening. If he suddenly started shouting that Island of the Missing had dropped to D-grade, people would think he had completely lost his mind.
In a way, the only person who could save Island of the Missing right now was Kang Woojin.
And that was a serious problem.
Not just for him, but for everyone involved in the production.
"Haah—"
He grabbed his head and let out a rough breath.
First, he had to narrow it down. Three suspects were still too many.
Then, all at once, something flashed through his mind.
"Ah."
It wasn't some brilliant masterstroke.
But it was usable.
──────────
Back at his apartment, Woojin stood there in silence for a moment, thinking. Then he clicked his tongue.
"This is annoying. Especially when I'm already tired."
He turned on his laptop.
"Let's start with Seo Chaeun."
As soon as he opened a portal site and searched her name, articles poured out endlessly. But Woojin wasn't interested in anything related to Island of the Missing. What he needed was information on her other projects.
"Come on… come on…"
What he needed was the future.
Not the past.
Then he found it.
"There it is."
Two films.
One was a romantic comedy titled Natural Encounter, set for release in two months. The other was an action comedy, The Prosecutor's Practice, which was nearing the end of filming.
"As expected of a top actress."
He moved on to the others right away.
Jeon Woochang.
Kim Iwon.
Both of them had upcoming projects too.
Jeon Woochang had the drama Royal Company, while Kim Iwon had the film Human Again.
All of them were busy.
All of them were attached to major productions.
Good.
That meant there were four projects in total.
Leaning back slightly, Woojin murmured,
"First, I need the scripts."
That was the key.
Scripts.
Scenarios.
He had to enter the void space.
That was the only way to get something close to certainty.
One of those projects would succeed.
Or at the very least, one of them would turn out to be on the same level as Island of the Missing—or worse.
After entering the four titles into his phone, Woojin checked the time.
"It's already late."
He headed to the bathroom. Water began to run, but even then his thoughts never strayed.
They remained fixed on one thing alone.
"Damn it… I'm going to save it."
──────────
The next morning, on the 24th, the staff of Boy Friend gathered at a recording studio near Netflix—the very same place where Kang Woojin's shocking singing had first been revealed.
This time, there were no actors.
Only staff.
About ten of them.
The music director, dark circles hanging beneath his eyes. Director Shin Dongchun. Executive Director Kim Sohyang. Writer Choi Nana. And several key staff members.
"I'll play them in order."
The music director adjusted the controls and continued.
"Woojin's solo, Hwarin's solo, then the duet."
Click.
♬♪
A melancholic melody filled the studio.
It was soft and emotional, and the reactions came immediately.
"This is good… really good."
"It doesn't even feel seasonal."
"It already sounds like a hit."
"This suits Woojin perfectly."
"Right? His voice has that slightly muffled tone. It fits something like this exactly."
Every response was positive.
Director Shin Dongchun let out a small smile.
"That's a relief."
"Next is Hwarin's track."
Click.
♬♪
The mood changed at once.
This one was lighter, brighter, and quicker in tempo, with a cheerful violin carrying the melody along.
"This really suits her."
"It starts off cute, then turns on you. That's addictive."
Then came the duet.
♬♪
The room fell quiet.
It wasn't explosive.
But it was different.
Stronger somehow.
And more distinctive.
"…Oh."
Everyone pictured the same thing at that moment.
Woojin and Hwarin.
Together.
Wouldn't this fit them perfectly?
The expectation that thought created was enough to fill the room on its own.
When the song ended, silence lingered for a moment.
Then Director Shin Dongchun spoke.
"I'd like to go with these three. What do you think?"
Writer Choi Nana was the first to respond.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"I love them! I'm completely satisfied!"
Applause spread through the room after that.
No one objected.
Not a single person.
"These are perfect."
"I can't wait to hear them with the actors."
"This is going to be amazing."
Director Shin gave a firm nod.
"Then these are the main tracks."
The decision was made.
"Let's get the lyrics tomorrow."
"And the recording?"
"If possible, this week. The script reading is next week."
From there, everything moved quickly.
The OST was no longer some distant plan. It was right around the corner.
──────────
At the same time, in Suncheon, filming on the set of Drug Dealer had begun at dawn.
Jin Jaejun—
No.
Jung Sunghoon—
stood in front of a building, cigarette in hand.
He slowly exhaled smoke.
Hoo—
There were no lines.
Only his eyes.
Regret, conflict, determination—every emotion layered itself across his face.
The staff watched in silence, tense.
The monitor zoomed in.
Swoosh.
He flicked the cigarette away.
About ten seconds passed like that.
Then Director Kim Dohui shouted,
"Cut!! Okay!! Good!!"
The tension shattered in an instant.
"Great work, everyone!!"
"It's over!!"
"We're finally done!!"
"Wrap party!!"
After six long months, filming had finally come to an end.
Director Kim Dohui looked up at the sky and breathed out deeply.
"Whew… we made it."
Jin Jaejun walked over to her.
"Glad it ended well."
"Mm. Now comes the editing hell."
She scratched at her hair and laughed tiredly.
"Honestly, we got lucky. When the Lee Sangman issue blew up, I thought we were finished."
Jin Jaejun smirked.
"Bringing Woojin in saved everything."
"Exactly. I owe him big time."
"You should buy him something too."
"Of course."
The two of them laughed together.
──────────
That afternoon, with the weather noticeably warmer, Kang Woojin stepped into his van.
Inside were Choi Sunggeon and Jang Suhwan.
Han Yejung was nowhere to be seen.
"Hello."
Woojin greeted them in his usual calm tone.
Choi Sunggeon yawned.
"Did you sleep well?"
No, he hadn't.
He had dreamed of failure.
Of everything collapsing.
But none of that showed on his face.
"Yes. I slept well."
The van pulled away.
Not long after, Choi Sunggeon's phone rang.
"Fan signing event?"
He listened for a moment, then gave his answer.
"Make it big. Don't put too strict a limit on it. Promote it well."
After the call ended, he turned to Woojin.
"Your fan signing has been confirmed."
Woojin answered simply,
"…Really?"
His mind was somewhere else entirely.
Choi Sunggeon caught on right away.
"What is it?"
Woojin spoke in a firm voice.
"CEO."
"Before we go over the schedule… can I ask a favor?"
Choi Sunggeon turned fully toward him.
"Of course. What is it?"
"I need some scripts."
"Scripts? Why?"
Concern immediately surfaced in Choi Sunggeon's expression.
"You're already overloaded."
Woojin shook his head.
"Not for work."
"Then what for?"
"Reference."
He continued in the same calm tone.
"I want works by Kim Iwon, Jeon Woochang, and Seo Chaeun."
Choi Sunggeon gave a slow nod.
"Studying their filmography?"
Woojin accepted the interpretation without correcting it.
"Yes."
"…That's new for you."
"Just curiosity."
"Alright. Which titles?"
Woojin listed them one by one.
"Natural Encounter. The Prosecutor's Practice. Royal Company. Human Again."
Choi Sunggeon blinked.
"That many?"
"Yes."
A short silence followed.
Then Woojin asked,
"Can you get them today?"
There was a faint urgency in his voice.
Subtle, but unmistakable.
Choi Sunggeon noticed it.
And smiled.
"No problem."
He snapped his planner shut.
"I'll have them ready before the end of the day."