Choi Sunggeon heard the question over the phone, but even after Director Kwon Gitaek asked again, he did not answer right away.
"Why is Woojin being mentioned here? Wasn't this something you handled on your own, CEO Choi?"
Director Kwon Gitaek had every reason to ask.
The very fact that Kang Woojin had gotten tangled up in something this complicated was absurd in itself.
Still, Choi Sunggeon slowly crossed his legs and answered calmly.
"That's right. I was the one who moved first."
"And then?"
"You could say Woojin brought me the script."
A brief silence followed.
"Thanks to Woojin, this matter was able to come to light. If not for him, no one, including me, would've known."
Being owed a favor by one of the biggest names in the industry was an incredibly useful position.
Director Kwon Gitaek's influence extended beyond the Korean film industry, into the wider entertainment world, and even overseas.
But from the beginning, Choi Sunggeon had never intended to stand at the center.
'I'm better suited to the background.'
The kind of presence people missed if they were not paying close attention.
A shadow.
That was exactly the position Choi Sunggeon preferred to keep.
Restraint was the secret behind how he had survived in the entertainment industry for so long.
The spotlight belonged to someone else.
So he pushed all the attention toward Kang Woojin.
'There's no reason for me to stand out right now. If not for Woojin, all I would've gotten out of this was wasted effort.'
In the end, Choi Sunggeon had been the one to carry it out.
But without Kang Woojin's involvement, none of it would have happened.
Soon, Choi Sunggeon planted Kang Woojin firmly in Director Kwon's mind.
"Woojin was the only one who saw the rotten part of Island of the Missing. I only exposed it."
A brief silence followed.
Then Director Kwon Gitaek spoke again from the other end of the line.
"…I need an explanation. I want to hear exactly how this happened. I think I need to know. In the end, what matters is the conclusion."
"Of course. But it's a little too complicated to explain over the phone. I'll come see you in person. I'll be busy for the next few days, but I'll visit soon."
"All right. I'll wait."
After hearing the answer, Choi Sunggeon stood and smoothly changed the subject.
"If Seo Chaeun drops out, Island of the Missing will be delayed, won't it? You'll need to cast a new actress. I'm asking because of Woojin's schedule."
"Hm, well. Of course the contract issue will take some time, but it'll be resolved quickly."
"Do you have anyone in mind?"
Choi Sunggeon, always quick to look for an opening, had been trying to slip Hong Hyeyeon into Island of the Missing, a project that otherwise looked airtight.
The timing was perfect, since filming for Profiler Hanryang was ending.
Unfortunately, Director Kwon gave him a different name.
"Yes. Ha Yura."
Choi Sunggeon's eyes widened slightly.
That was because he knew Ha Yura, at least to some extent.
"…Ha Yura? I heard she was in Hollywood right now."
"She's in Korea at the moment. She came back quietly a few days ago. Ah, right. Yura knows you, doesn't she, CEO Choi?"
"Yes, we've met briefly. Then… you've already seen her?"
"Yes. I even gave her the script."
"The script?"
"Ah. So it was about the cameo role."
'I see.'
Choi Sunggeon's thoughts shifted in an instant.
After reconsidering a few things, he decided to end the call neatly.
That way, Director Kwon's curiosity would remain.
"Understood for now. I'll contact you again soon."
"All right."
Click.
The call ended just like that.
Then—
♬♪
The moment Choi Sunggeon lowered his phone, it rang again.
This time, it was Hong Hyeyeon.
It was obvious she had called after seeing the article about Seo Chaeun.
Since he already had something to tell her, Choi Sunggeon put the phone back to his ear.
"Yes, that's right."
Hong Hyeyeon was practically shouting through the receiver.
"oppa!! Did you see the news? That Power Patch article about Seo Chaeun is out!"
"My ears are about to fall off. Yeah, I know. I just saw it."
"I was at the salon until just now, and it was total chaos! Seo Chaeun was there, and all the staff kept asking her things. It was a complete mess."
"Huh? You were there with Seo Chaeun? What about now?"
"They left. I came back too. Seo Chaeun's manager and team leader got mad for a second, then pulled themselves together and dragged her out. But oppa, what happens to Island of the Missing now? Wasn't Seo Chaeun the lead? I heard that directly from her."
Hong Hyeyeon, clearly worked up, kept talking, while Choi Sunggeon answered calmly.
"You should know this too, so I'll tell you. I planned this situation."
"…What? What are you talking about?"
"It's similar to what happened with Director Woo Hyunggu. The difference is that this time, I intervened. And the starting point was Woojin."
Choi Sunggeon briefly explained the situation involving Seo Chaeun.
He only gave the core points, but Hong Hyeyeon understood immediately.
She had seen enough herself.
"Wait. Then what does that mean? You and Woojin did this together?"
"That's right. As of now, you're the only one who knows."
"Of course, but what about Woojin? Can we really dismiss this as just a feeling or instinct?"
"No. But there isn't any other explanation."
A short pause followed.
"If you look back through the history of the entertainment industry, both here and abroad, there have always been a few people like Woojin."
The moment he said it, goosebumps rose on Choi Sunggeon's arms.
Even speaking it out loud gave him chills.
The hand of Midas.
One person in tens of millions.
Maybe even rarer than that.
Choi Sunggeon knew of several historically significant figures like that.
And he had seen the same thing in Kang Woojin.
'Should I call him the eyes of Midas instead?'
Or perhaps something closer to a totem.
The absurd part was that Kang Woojin seemed to possess two gifts at once.
A discerning eye for projects.
And a discerning eye for people.
Even one of those alone would have been overwhelming.
'Which means he has far more than that. Including acting.'
Kang Woojin possessed something even greater than the hand of Midas.
Among all those traits, his acting talent stood above the rest.
Choi Sunggeon had already realized that much.
Probably.
No—
definitely.
There was no one else in the world quite like Kang Woojin.
And if he kept growing, the day would come when even Hollywood would feel small beside him.
As he imagined that near future, Choi Sunggeon barely suppressed a smile.
Then he returned to reality.
There were still immediate matters to handle.
"Hyeyeon."
"Yes?"
"For now, I'll bring you the script for Island of the Missing. Read it once."
──────────
That was the bait Power Patch had thrown into the world.
『[Exclusive] Chronic Propofol Abuse Scandal. The addicted life hidden behind top actress Seo Chaeun's mask / Photo』
Within a single hour, it spread across the entire internet.
It hit like a tidal wave sweeping over Korea.
The speed was beyond imagination.
There was no better way to describe it.
『Seo Chaeun, sudden reversal as chronic propofol use suspicion scandal erupts』
Bad news spread dozens of times faster than good news.
The public was always hungry for stimulation, and an unpredictable scandal like Seo Chaeun's triggered massive waves.
『[Star Pick] Seo Chaeun exposed for habitual propofol use. Evidence confirmed』
『Top actress Seo Chaeun caught in propofol scandal』
『Seven times a month? Seo Chaeun's propofol addiction』
Korean reporters poured out articles every second.
Criticism.
Gossip.
Speculation.
Every angle imaginable.
The moment their hands touched the keyboard, they wrote without restraint.
"Hey!! Why hasn't the article gone live yet?!"
"I'm still editing it!"
"Are you kidding me? Edit it at home! Ignore typos and just upload it! Can't you see how fast the others are going up?!"
"Ah, yes! Understood!"
"If Seo Chaeun's name is in it, publish it no matter what!!"
Rumors and exaggerations spread in every direction.
『[Exclusive] Seo Chaeun's habitual propofol use linked to a third drug / Photo』
『Broadcasting source says Seo Chaeun frequented cosmetic clinics. Was this inevitable?』
As expected of a top actress.
Because of the spotless image and recognition she had built over the years, the backlash was explosive.
『[Fact Issue] Seo Chaeun embroiled in chronic propofol use scandal. What happens to her current and upcoming projects?』
In less than two hours, the major portal sites were buried under her name.
By that same evening, YouTube was flooded as well.
If this had been a war, it would have been a perfect victory.
But even then, Seo Chaeun's fans were furious.
It was only natural.
It felt like betrayal.
And it wasn't just her fans.
All kinds of people piled in.
Some attacked.
Some treated it as entertainment.
Others followed simply because everyone else was doing it.
[Online reactions]
[ah… this is seriously shocking…]
[so celebrity images are fake in the end huh hahaha goodbye~~~]
[she needs to be punished properly being famous doesn't excuse anything]
[weren't there always rumors about botox lol so it was propofol?]
[the doctor should be arrested too!!]
[and there goes another one]
[drug addicts deserve no sympathy disgusting]
[time to investigate the whole industry there must be more]
[acting pure in public while doing drugs behind the scenes lol]
In barely half a day, Seo Chaeun fell from top actress to a nationally labeled addict.
And yet, despite the storm, Seo Chaeun and her agency remained silent.
『[Star Talk] Why are Seo Chaeun and her agency staying silent? It is time to respond』
Maybe they were searching for a way out.
But the silence only fueled public anger.
──────────
That night, after finishing his schedule, Kang Woojin looked up everything from home.
"Ah, so it was propofol."
He had already heard a brief explanation, but seeing it himself still felt unreal.
Seo Chaeun had looked completely fine on the outside.
Even before becoming an actor, Woojin had seen incidents like this.
Back then, he had simply found them strange.
Now, it was different.
Things could change in an instant.
He finally understood why people called the entertainment industry a jungle.
It was brutal.
But there was no reason to dwell on it.
He put his phone down.
Then—
Woojin stepped into the void space.
Thud.
There was something he needed to check.
The grade of Island of the Missing.
The moment he stood in the endless darkness, his expression hardened.
[3 / Scenario (Title: Island of the Missing), Grade: E]
The grade had dropped from D to E.
Even so, Woojin forced himself to stay calm.
"Hmm. It hasn't even been a full day yet."
He assumed Seo Chaeun had not officially dropped out yet.
That assumption made sense.
Still—
"Ah, this is making me nervous."
His anxiety crept up as he stood there.
Could something else be wrong?
He shook his head.
"Damn it. Let's wait a little longer."
After leaving the void space, he forced himself to sleep.
──────────
At the same time, over at Power Patch—
『[Exclusive] Seo Chaeun and Hospital A, and the celebrities connected to them / Photo』
Power Patch. Reporter Im Sangmun.
A second bomb dropped.
──────────
After the weekend, Monday the 29th arrived.
Sunday had been one of the rare days Kang Woojin could rest.
Thanks to Choi Sunggeon's management, he had spent it quietly at home.
Cleaning.
Reading scripts.
Resting.
Even while the world remained noisy.
And now—
Vroom.
Early morning, Kang Woojin climbed into the van.
Something felt off.
"Ah, Woojin. Did you sleep well?"
Only Choi Sunggeon sat in the driver's seat.
"Good morning. Where is everyone else?"
"They rested yesterday. They'll be at the company."
"I see."
The van started moving.
"You rested a full day. Time to go full speed again, right?"
"Yes. No problem."
"Good. Today's schedule is packed. Suhwan will brief you later. I'll join you in the afternoon."
"Where are you going?"
"Company meeting first. There's a lot to organize. Your side, Hyeyeon's side, and we're increasing stylists too."
"I understand."
"Then I'm meeting Director Kwon Gitaek."
A slight pause.
"And—"
Choi Sunggeon smiled faintly.
"Shouldn't we be compensated too?"
Woojin kept his face blank.
Inside, he paused.
Compensated?
"This industry runs on mutual benefit. If you just accept everything, people start seeing you as easy."
A short beat passed.
"You've thought about this too, haven't you?"
No.
Not at all.
Woojin had completely missed that.
'He really is a pro.'
"I'll leave it to you."
"Of course. I'm good at this."
Then—
"It's basically confirmed. Ha Yura will replace Seo Chaeun."
"…I know who she is."
'That fast?'
'And Ha Yura?'
She had gone to Hollywood two years ago.
A top actress.
Even now.
Woojin quietly reached for a script.
Tap.
He entered the void space again.
A major change had happened.
He needed to confirm it.
Standing before the white rectangles, he spoke.
"It should've at least recovered to B+. No, A."
Then—
"What?"
His eyes widened.
[3 / Scenario (Title: Island of the Missing), S+ Grade]
S+.
For the first time—
"Higher than S?"