Kang Woojin returned to reality as the familiar robotic female voice marked the end of the reading.
"A: Han Inho's reading has ended."
As soon as the announcement ended, Woojin, who had just finished the reading of Boy Friend, came back to his senses. Around him, actors and staff were already busy in the reading room, going over the revised script.
Woojin slowly looked around the entire room.
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From Hwarin, who was brushing back her long hair while checking the newly handed script, to Director Shin Dongchun talking with writer Choi Nana, the tense actors, the murmuring staff, and the handful of reporters who had been allowed inside, everyone was occupied.
"..."
No one there could have imagined that Woojin had just lived a life as Han Inho. To them, only a few seconds had passed, but Kang Woojin had truly existed in Han Inho's world, and everything about it remained deeply imprinted in his memory.
'It definitely feels different. What is this feeling?'
It wasn't his first time reading as Han Inho, yet he could still feel the difference clearly. The state he was left in after the reading was unmistakably unlike his other works. For example, when he played Assistant Manager Park in Profiler Hanryang, he had to constantly remind himself of reality.
It was also clear that his concept and the misunderstandings around him had helped stabilize his mind.
But Han Inho was different. There was a kind of softness to him. Nothing about it felt uncomfortable. If anything, it warmed him. Han Inho's vivid world felt pleasant, like school days or college life, the kind of time everyone wants to return to.
Maybe it was because that vibrant energy of youth had seeped into it.
'I can't always do works like this, but it's definitely good to have something sweet in between.'
He needed to keep himself balanced, both psychologically and mentally, with roles that could refresh him. There might not be any major problem now, but there was no guarantee that this solid mental state would last forever. He always had to keep in mind the possibility of taking mental damage whenever he used the void space.
In that way, Kang Woojin had grown once again.
Meanwhile—
"Alright. If everyone has finished reading the revised script, shall we get started?"
Director Shin Dongchun, seated at the head of the table, gave the signal to begin. At once, the entertainment reporters raised their cameras, and the concentration of the dozens of staff surrounding the actors sharpened. That was especially true for the people from the production company and Netflix.
Among them, Executive Director Kim Sohyang leaned toward the team leaders beside her and whispered,
"Even if it's just a reading, I'm looking forward to Woojin's first romantic comedy performance."
"Right. I wonder if that calm face of his will change in an instant, just like when he played Assistant Manager Park."
As she answered, Kim Sohyang stroked her chin while watching Kang Woojin, who sat there with his usual cool expression.
"Han Inho is definitely a character who'll sweep female viewers off their feet. It's not just about the acting either. The sync with Woojin is perfect. With this project, Woojin's image will become much more diverse."
"Absolutely. He debuted with a villainous aura through Assistant Manager Park, but with Han Inho, he'll become the ultimate boyfriend type."
"We should send him a few more scripts before he gets too busy. Do we have any good romantic comedy scripts or screenplays?"
"I'll check tomorrow."
Around then, the introductions for Boy Friend's key cast began. It started with Director Shin Dongchun introducing himself, followed by writer Choi Nana.
Then came Kang Woojin.
"Our male lead."
Woojin got up without changing expression and greeted the actors and staff.
"Hello. I'm Kang Woojin, playing Han Inho. I'll do my best."
Applause broke out.
Hwarin took over next.
"I'm Hwarin, playing Lee Bomin. Since it's our first time meeting, it still feels a little awkward, but I hope we can enjoy filming together. Thank you."
More applause followed, along with a burst of flashes from the reporters. The introductions continued one by one, and at that moment, the closed reading room door opened slightly and a man with his hair tied back stepped inside.
It was Choi Sunggeon, who had been missing until now.
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After cautiously scanning the room, he quietly took a seat near the entrance with the person who had come with him. The person beside him was a middle-aged woman wearing a white mask. Her long permed hair, tied back, looked familiar. Fortunately, the introductions were still in full swing, so they didn't draw much attention.
Soon, Choi Sunggeon spoke to the woman beside him.
"Looks like we're not late, Writer Park."
"I'm sorry. The traffic was terrible."
"It's alright."
The middle-aged woman was Park Eunmi, the star writer who was taking a break after finishing Profiler Hanryang. Her value had skyrocketed because of that drama. The reason she had appeared quietly at the Boy Friend reading was simple.
"Nana seems a little nervous, but she's doing well. I'm impressed."
She had come to support Choi Nana, her assistant writer.
Of course, that wasn't Park Eunmi's only reason. Her eyes shifted to Kang Woojin, who was seated at the head of the table, just to the left of Choi Nana.
'Totem… no. I have to see Woojin's first romantic comedy acting for myself. I have to.'
She wanted to see Kang Woojin in person, not through edited footage. She had to witness his first romantic comedy performance as it really was. That had always been Park Eunmi's habit.
"If you're going to build a character around an actor, you have to observe that actor closely."
It wasn't about creating a character first and attaching an actor later. It was about writing a character tailored to the actor. More than anything, Kang Woojin was Park Eunmi's top choice for her next project. Since she trusted him, it felt almost inevitable.
Then she lowered her voice and asked Choi Sunggeon,
"CEO Choi, does Woojin have anything scheduled for the end of this year or early next year?"
Choi Sunggeon, who had been smiling faintly, answered in a relaxed tone.
"I'll check and get back to you, ma'am. Are you considering him for your next project?"
"Of course. Make sure you contact me before PD Song does."
"So you're not planning to work with him next time?"
"If we work together again, people will compare it to Profiler Hanryang."
In Profiler Hanryang, writer Park Eunmi and PD Song Manwoo had been comrades, but now they were bound to become rivals. Probably. No, almost certainly, because both of them wanted to cast Kang Woojin in their next work.
At that moment, Choi Sunggeon was certain.
'The big names… I can handle them.'
It was the thought of having powerful figures in the palm of his hand.
A little later, the sound of pages turning spread through the reading room. All the actors, including Kang Woojin and Hwarin, had flipped to the next page, and Director Shin Dongchun began describing the scene.
"S#1. Cherry blossom trees line the street. Han Inho and Lee Bomin are mixed in with the crowd."
While Director Shin Dongchun read out the scene, the slender Choi Nana kept her eyes fixed on Woojin.
'I'm nervous. What kind of performance will he show?'
It was anticipation. The actor who had responded to her script, the one other people wouldn't even bother looking at, had delivered such a powerful performance that even her mentor, writer Park Eunmi, had been left speechless.
Of course, she wasn't the only one watching Kang Woojin at that moment. The surrounding actors were also stealing glances at him.
'He looks ordinary so far. Maybe he's taking it easy today. It's his first romantic comedy, so maybe he's a little nervous.'
'There's no change at all? Why does he look so unprepared?'
'He's not bringing up any emotion. If anything, he looks indifferent. What's going on? Is he not feeling well?'
They were all eager to experience the impact of the monstrous acting that had shaken the whole country. This was a chance to witness that destructive force up close. Executive Director Kim Sohyang, Choi Sunggeon, writer Park Eunmi, the production company staff, and the reporters all felt the same. Naturally, the ones seeing him for the first time had even greater expectations.
It was a hot seat, and Woojin was fully aware of the concentrated stares on him.
'Ugh, this is making me sick. Being the lead is so damn uncomfortable. They're being way too obvious about staring.'
The tension rose sharply, but he couldn't show it. Without letting any of it appear on his face, he focused only on Han Inho. As always, Kang Woojin fixed his mind on just two things: his concept and his acting.
The process itself was simple.
Han Inho was an ordinary yet distinct figure, indifferent yet refined, and Woojin summoned that image in an instant. His feelings, emotions, thoughts, and expression all shifted together, and before long, even the scenery in front of him began to change.
The reading room turned into a street lined with cherry blossoms. The dozens of actors became a crowd out enjoying the flowers. Even the warmth of the room changed into something soft and comforting.
Then, faintly, Director Shin Dongchun's scene description reached him.
"Han Inho looks at Lee Bomin, who is hopping a few steps ahead of him. It's a gaze that seems affectionate, but not quite."
Woojin, who had been looking down at his script, raised his head.
Hwarin was standing across from him.
No, to Woojin, it wasn't Hwarin.
It was Lee Bomin, bouncing around in front of him.
He tilted his head ever so slightly.
"..."
The gaze in his eyes changed temperature in an instant. Until now, Kang Woojin's expression had been flat and indifferent, but suddenly the emotion in his eyes became deep and subtle.
Several actors sucked in a breath before they realized it.
'Wow… how did he bring up emotion that fast?'
'That liveliness… it was only a glance, but why does it feel like Han Inho is actually standing right there?'
'It's hard to explain. There's so much emotion in his eyes. Honestly, it's insane. Ah… so this is why all the big names are captivated by him.'
It all came down to the direction of his gaze. With that one brief action, Kang Woojin overturned the atmosphere in the reading room. The unique indifference he had carried from the moment he entered disappeared, and in its place was Han Inho's rough yet strangely warm expression.
He felt like a prickly cat.
Aggressive, but impossible to hate.
Director Shin Dongchun's lines and scene directions for Hwarin continued one after another.
"Hey! Han Inho!"
"Lee Bomin, who turned to look at Han Inho, quickly runs over to him. With both hands full of cherry blossom petals, she proudly shows them to him."
Woojin met Hwarin's eyes, coughed lightly, and then looked away. The strange emotion that had lingered on his face a moment ago vanished just as quickly. Only irritation remained.
"What?"
"Ah! Smell them, smell them!"
A brief exchange of dialogue passed between Woojin and Hwarin, and then the turn went back to Director Shin Dongchun.
"Han Inho sighs. But Lee Bomin pushes the cherry blossom petals closer to him. Left with no choice, Han Inho smells them. The distance between them is no more than a fist. At that moment, Han Inho's gaze lands on Lee Bomin's lips."
As the direction ended, Kang Woojin slowly lifted the gaze he had lowered. Naturally, the final place it settled was Hwarin across from him. But he didn't hold eye contact. He looked at her briefly, then looked away, and repeated the motion again.
Then—
"..."
In the end, Kang Woojin stared straight at Hwarin. Mixed within his gaze were emotions that felt similar and yet completely different from one another. Contemplation, pain, reality, relationships, worries about the future. All those intense emotions surged through him. Then, suddenly, a faint smile touched Woojin's lips. It wasn't a clear smile. It sat somewhere between a blank expression and a smile, caught in ambiguity.
At last, the emotion became certain.
The worries that had been swirling inside him disappeared, and all he did was look at Hwarin.
No.
At Lee Bomin.
As if he were intoxicated by the warmth of the moment, the mood, the entire situation.
Soon, Kang Woojin's eyes were filled not with hesitation, but with deep affection. The genuine feelings he had kept tightly sealed burst out all at once.
At that point—
'Woojin is freaking incredible! Damn it! He's exactly the Han Inho I imagined! This is crazy, crazy, crazy!'
Choi Nana, the writer of Boy Friend, clenched her teeth and screamed inwardly. If she could have, she would have run over and hugged Kang Woojin right then. It was a cry of emotion that went beyond simple admiration.
On the other hand—
'…He's good. He does romance really well. Who could resist that when seeing it up close?'
Writer Park Eunmi covered her mouth with one hand as goosebumps rose over her skin.
'There's no trace of Assistant Manager Park. Or rather, is he really the same person? How can he act so differently every single time?'
She had expected something like this, but seeing it with her own eyes made it feel monstrous. The Woojin in front of her right now was simply a man awkwardly standing on the verge of beginning a relationship. Or rather, Han Inho himself.
'The way he hides his feelings and lets them show in such an awkward way… it's unbelievable.'
Director Shin Dongchun, who had once seen Kim Ryujin in The Private Investigator, felt the same.
'That's it. Even without many lines, Woojin expresses emotion with nothing but his facial muscles and eyes. The emotion is so dense and so clear that you can't look away. Anyone can see it. Right now, he's just a man in love with Hwarin.'
Executive Director Kim Sohyang's eyes sparkled.
'…Honestly, this is my first time seeing Woojin act in person. Ah, now I see why all the big names are so fascinated by him. This Han Inho is definitely going to be a hit.'
Kang Woojin's eerie transformation in acting sent chills through everyone in the room. Even then, the eye contact between Woojin and Hwarin continued. At one point, while holding that warm gaze, Kang Woojin let his eyes drop briefly to Hwarin's lips.
Then he looked back at her again.
Of course, it was written in the script.
At that exact moment—
"Wait a minute."
All of a sudden, Hwarin avoided Woojin's eyes and raised her hand, stopping the reading. Naturally, all eyes turned toward her as she stood up.
"I'm really, really sorry. I need to go to the restroom for a moment. It's kind of urgent."
Director Shin Dongchun, slightly startled, waved his hand as if to say it was fine.
"Uh, yes. Go ahead, quickly."
Hwarin crossed the reading room in quick steps. Kang Woojin watched her retreating figure without much reaction, and then all traces of Han Inho vanished from him.
'Must've been really urgent?'
He muttered to himself.
'Well, iced Americanos really do make you want to go a lot. Sigh… I feel like I need to go too.'
Once outside the reading room, Hwarin let out a deep breath in front of the closed door and thought back to Kang Woojin, with whom she had just acted.
"Ha… it was acting, right? But his gaze was so intense… No, it was definitely acting."
Then Hwarin gently bit her lower lip.
"It feels insanely real. Damn it, I should tell him to take it easy, but even saying that would probably be overreacting."
To her, that reading room felt like a torture chamber. Hwarin was the only one suffering. Before long, true fan Hwarin pressed a hand to her chest. Her heart was pounding wildly.
So wildly that it was hard to calm down.
"I'm going crazy… it's fun, but it's also killing me. It's too intense."
It was an unexpected illness.