The female student's shout spread through the surrounding students in an instant. The filming itself was interesting, but what they really wanted was simple—they wanted to see the celebrity as soon as possible.
"Kang Woojin??! Where? Where?!"
Because of her, every student's gaze turned in one direction—toward Kang Woojin, who was walking calmly toward them. The moment they recognized him, the students, regardless of gender, stirred into noise.
"It really is Kang Woojin! They must be filming Boy Friend!"
"No way… what is Kang Woojin actually like in person?"
"He's seriously handsome… but isn't his physique insane too?"
The male students watched Woojin with mixed jealousy, while the female students nudged each other and called out his name.
"Wow, it's my first time seeing a celebrity. He's really… different."
"Same. I watched Profiler Hanryang—his acting was seriously incredible!"
"Can we get an autograph?"
There weren't many students—around a dozen—but their excitement, especially the sharp screams, quickly filled the area.
Of course, Kang Woojin noticed.
Surrounded by his team, he walked toward the staff while briefly glancing at the students being held back by security. For a moment, a smile almost surfaced.
'I'm jealous.'
It reminded him of his younger days and the kind of energy people that age naturally had. Even so, Woojin kept his composed expression.
He lightly waved at them.
Having already experienced fan sign events, this level of fan service came naturally to him. But the moment he casually raised his hand—
"Kyaa!!"
A burst of screams exploded.
Startled, Woojin turned his head and saw Kim Daeyoung standing behind him with a quiet grin.
'He really became a proper actor… is this really the Kang Woojin I knew?'
Choi Sunggeon wasn't at the set today. He was busy preparing Kang Woojin's Alter Ego and handling company work. Because of that, Kim Daeyoung had come in his place to support the team, though he would return to Hong Hyeyeon's team after filming.
His training still wasn't over.
Today, Woojin's team looked especially imposing. Jang Suhwan and Kim Daeyoung, both large men, stood like two solid walls beside him.
Even so—
Kim Daeyoung lightly tapped Woojin's shoulder as he greeted the students. Woojin turned his head without expression. Daeyoung didn't say anything and only smiled.
But his eyes said everything.
'Kang-star, you've really become an actor now, huh?'
Woojin answered with his eyes.
'Don't talk to me, idiot.'
They had already agreed to keep their distance and maintain a cold atmosphere. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice their silent exchange.
Woojin silently cursed at Kim Daeyoung before shifting his gaze to the now-familiar chaos of the Boy Friend filming set. Dozens of staff members were moving busily.
Starting today, the 20th, Kang Woojin would be filming Boy Friend for about a month.
Of course, if filming progressed quickly, the schedule could be shortened.
'Time really flies.'
Maybe it was because of his packed schedule. It felt like just yesterday he had attended the OST recording and script reading, yet filming had already begun. Because of that, a subtle tension settled inside him.
No matter the project, the unique pressure of a filming set always gave him a sharp thrill.
He still wasn't used to it.
But he decided to treat that unfamiliar tension and racing heartbeat as a catalyst. It wasn't something he could avoid anyway, so he might as well enjoy it.
Right then—
"Woojin!"
Amid the busy staff, several people hurried over. Among them were Director Shin Dongchun, the assistant director, and members of the production team.
Holding a script in one hand, Director Shin approached.
"You came early?"
Woojin greeted him with a slight bow.
"Hello, Director."
"Haha. But where's CEO Choi?"
"He's busy today."
"Ah, CEO Choi is impressive. Managing company work while still trying to stay close to you—it's admirable."
After a brief exchange, the director gave an awkward smile at the sound of students still shouting nearby.
"Even though it's vacation, some students are still around. We've contacted the school, so they'll be taken away soon."
"It's fine."
"Once they gather, it gets hard to control."
Muttering that, Director Shin walked with Woojin through the staff while explaining the filming plan.
"Today and tomorrow, we'll mainly shoot scenes with you and Hwarin. That means quite a lot of scenes involving the supporting cast as well."
"Yes, Director."
Seeing Woojin respond calmly, Director Shin's smile deepened.
"It's nice to be working together again so soon after The Private Investigator. Isn't it interesting?"
"Is it?"
"It is. Back then, neither of us was anything special, but in just a few months, everything changed. Life really is unpredictable."
Woojin agreed without hesitation. His life had completely changed because of the void space.
At that moment, Director Shin glanced around.
"See? Some familiar faces, right?"
"Ah."
"Quite a few staff members from The Private Investigator are here."
It was true. Among the lighting and filming teams, Woojin spotted familiar faces. He gave a small nod of greeting, and they responded warmly.
But that wasn't all.
"Some of the supporting actors coming today were also in The Private Investigator."
A quiet emotion rose in Woojin's chest. It felt like everyone was giving their best for Boy Friend.
"I should greet them properly later."
"That'll be good for morale. Haha, though everyone already looks energized. Thanks to The Private Investigator, things have improved a lot, and they're genuinely happy about your success."
Director Shin smiled before shifting topics.
"Because of the location sponsorship, we'll be filming roughly in script order. Not perfectly, but we need to finish the high school scenes this week before moving on to the university scenes."
Right then—
"Hwarin!! She's over there!!"
"Waaa!! Hwarin!!"
The students' excitement surged again.
Hwarin had arrived.
With her long hair braided to one side, she casually waved at the students before approaching Woojin and the director.
"Hello, Director."
Then she greeted Woojin.
"Hi, Woojin."
As she stepped closer, she discreetly looked him over.
'Seriously… I can't deal with this. He looks way more handsome on set. Am I the only one seeing this? He's practically glowing.'
Woojin also muttered inwardly.
'Is it the makeup? She looks even more mysterious today.'
'Why does she look prettier every time I see her? Do all girl group members have to be this good-looking?'
She felt different from Hong Hyeyeon. If Hyeyeon was already complete, Hwarin felt like she was still growing.
Director Shin watched the two of them, rubbing his chin.
'They seem a bit closer than during the reading… It'd be nice if they got even closer. Neither of them is particularly warm. Especially Woojin.'
At that moment, Hwarin's gaze shifted to the tall man standing behind Woojin.
"Oh? Isn't that person from Hyeyeon's team?"
Woojin glanced back briefly and answered in a flat tone.
"He's just here as backup today. You don't need to worry about him."
"Ah, I see."
"Yes."
"Anyway, Woojin, about today's shoot—"
"Yes, go ahead."
Soon, the two of them naturally began discussing work.
Watching them, Kim Daeyoung was taken aback.
'He really looks like an actor now.'
Right then—
"The costumes are here!!"
The outfits handed to them felt strangely familiar.
'I didn't think I'd wear this again.'
They were school uniforms.
Meanwhile, as Woojin went to change, Kim Daeyoung pulled out his phone.
'I should tell the guys.'
He entered a group chat.
[Online reactions]
[Daeyoung: Kang Woojin started filming Boy Friend]
[Hyunggu: Ooooo!! Did you see Hwarin??]
[Kyungseong: Is she even prettier in real life?]
[Daeyoung: Yeah. It's insane]
[Hyunggu: Damn it, he's so lucky… I'm jealous]
[Kyungseong: He must've saved a country in his past life]
[Daeyoung: He's not the same guy we knew anymore. His presence on set is crazy]
[Hyunggu: Should I start acting too?]
[Kyungseong: Start with plastic surgery first]
Around the same time, Woojin's agency uploaded photos from the Boy Friend set onto his SNS. With over 1.1 million followers, the response was immediate.
[Online reactions]
[User1: What??? Filming already started???!!!]
[User2: Woojin and Hwarin look insane together]
[User3: I'm already hyped for this]
[User4: This pairing is crazy]
Among those who saw it was Kang Woojin's sister, Kang Hyuna, who was at a café in Seoul.
"Wow, that looks amazing!"
"Oh! Filming already started?"
Her friends gathered around her in excitement.
"What? It's on SNS? Show me!"
"The school looks so pretty. I want to go there too."
"We need to share this in the fan club right away!"
As she looked at the photos, Kang Hyuna tilted her head slightly.
"But who's that muscular guy next to my brother…? He looks familiar."
"Why? Do you know him? Isn't he Woojin's road manager?"
"No, not him. That muscular guy. He looks like one of Woojin's close friends. I think I've seen him before."
The man she was referring to was Kim Daeyoung.
──────────
By lunchtime, all preparations for filming Boy Friend were complete, and the entire crew had gathered near the high school auditorium. Inside, cameras and lighting had been fully set up, while more than eighty extras in school uniforms stood neatly in place.
Above the stage hung a large banner that clearly marked the scene.
[Entrance Ceremony]
Today's shoot was the high school entrance ceremony of Han Inho and Lee Bomin.
Among the extras, Kang Woojin and Hwarin stood in their uniforms while staff made final adjustments to their appearance. Woojin kept a natural hairstyle with light makeup, while Hwarin had her long hair simply tied back.
Even so, the staff couldn't hide their admiration.
"They really look like high school students."
"The uniforms suit them perfectly. They don't look any different from actual students."
"If this airs like this, ratings will definitely go up. Just being here already feels nice."
At that moment, Director Shin Dongchun's voice rang out.
"Stand by!"
The signal spread instantly. Staff who had been adjusting the actors stepped away, and the extras who had been watching with curiosity shifted their focus forward.
Woojin quietly let out a breath.
"Hoo—"
Then he naturally immersed himself in Han Inho.
"Action!"
Filming began.
Although it was warm outside, the inside of the auditorium felt slightly cool. A faint, familiar yet unfamiliar scent lingered in the air, and the polished floor gave off a soft creak whenever someone shifted.
The students around him were all unfamiliar faces.
There was a subtle tension, but beneath it lay anticipation. Everything felt new and fresh, filled with youthful energy.
More than eighty students stood in place, glancing around—at the person beside them, the bald principal at the podium, the teachers nearby, and the students who stood out.
It was the moment high school began.
The new beginning started with the principal's speech.
"First of all, I would like to welcome everyone to the entrance ceremony."
As expected, it quickly became dull. No matter where it was, a principal's speech always felt like a sleeping pill.
At that moment, the camera mounted on a gimbal slowly turned toward a female student leaning against the wall.
Lee Bomin.
Her long hair was loosely tied, and the beauty mark beneath her eye stood out clearly. Her uniform looked slightly oversized.
She was secretly recording something on her phone.
A melody forming in her mind.
Because her dream was to become a composer.
The camera moved closer for a tighter shot, then slowly shifted to the side as planned. It passed a male student, then a female student, moving across several faces before finally stopping.
There—
Han Inho stood among them, letting out a quiet yawn.
Even among the freshmen, his height and appearance stood out.
Nearby, a few female students stole glances at him.
Under his breath, he muttered,
"When does this end?"
After a brief pause, he added quietly,
"I'm sleepy."
On the outside, he looked neat and composed, but in his eyes lingered a deep sense of lethargy. It wasn't playful—it felt genuine.
Then—
"Cut!!"
Director Shin Dongchun's voice echoed through the auditorium.
"Good! That was great. Let's move on to the wide shot!"
As the individual shot wrapped up, preparations for the full scene began right away. Although it was the same scene, the composition on the monitor had already changed.
Beside him, the script supervisor leaned in slightly and spoke in a low voice.
"Wow… it's only the first shoot, but I'm already excited. Is it just me?"