It was a little embarrassing. Still, it couldn't be helped. A dead animal had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Kang Woojin, who had barely managed to keep his face blank, cast a brief glance at Jang Soohwan, who had come running over.
Was he suspicious of something? There wasn't much he could do about that.
'Honestly, that startled me. Yeah… I'm human too.'
But Jang Soohwan suddenly widened his eyes and gave him a thumbs-up.
"That scream just now… no way, hyung-nim. Were you practicing your role? That was amazing. It sounded so unique it didn't even feel like you."
"…Yeah. Something like that."
Woojin felt slightly annoyed at the wording, but he let it pass. After checking the time, he spoke quietly.
"Let's go. It's time."
"Yes!"
On the way back to the filming site, Woojin didn't bother taking in the scenery. Instead, he scanned his surroundings, comparing them with the setting in the script. It was peaceful now, but before long this place would be filled with grotesque creatures and indiscriminate slaughter.
Most of it would be handled through visual effects.
More than 150 staff members had gathered for today's script reading, an unusually large number even for a film production. A significant portion of them belonged to the VFX and art teams, which made the scale of the project obvious.
The budget would be astronomical. Even for Woojin, who had joined as a lead, it still didn't feel real.
'Feels like I slipped into something way too big for me.'
He returned to the edge of the forest where he had first entered, and soon a vast body of water spread out before him. In reality, it was a lake, but in the script it was treated as the sea. Kang Woojin stopped there and looked ahead.
He stood in silence, his expression gradually settling into something serious as he stared at the water.
Director Kwon Gitaek, who had been giving instructions to the staff near the entrance, noticed him.
"Hmm?"
Woojin briefly glanced over the dense forest before returning his gaze to the lake. The atmosphere around him felt heavy and still.
Kwon Gitaek let out a quiet laugh.
"Is he already immersing himself in the setting?"
The assistant director beside him blinked.
"Sorry?"
"Woojin."
"Ah."
"Look at his expression. He's not seeing this as a filming site anymore. He's seeing it as The Island of the Missing."
Kwon Gitaek was certain of it. That expression, that atmosphere—he had seen it once before on the set of Hanryang.
"If a genius like that keeps pushing himself, he'll turn into something else entirely."
But in reality, Woojin was simply staring at the lake, lost in a completely different thought.
'It's been forever since I saw the ocean… or even a lake. I really want to go play in the water.'
He wanted to dive in immediately and mess around without thinking. He couldn't even remember the last time he had gone swimming.
'Banana boat… and ramen after. Damn.'
It was midsummer, the perfect time for it.
A familiar voice called from behind.
"Woojin."
When he turned, Choi Sunggun was standing there with a faint smile.
"Shall we get started? The script reading room is almost ready."
"…Understood."
Woojin stepped forward, and Sunggun muttered quietly behind him.
"And now it begins."
Woojin didn't fully understand what he meant, but he responded anyway.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I told you, didn't I? The best way to bury one issue is to create another. Did you see the paparazzi article?"
He was referring to the article about multiple personalities. There were already several similar pieces. Just as Sunggun had warned him earlier, reporters had exaggerated Woojin's past and turned it into entertainment news.
Woojin nodded slowly.
"I saw it. There were a lot of comments too."
"Right. It's annoying, but it's fine. What matters is not giving them time to dig deeper."
Woojin stayed silent, so Sunggun showed him his phone.
An article had just been published.
『[IssuePick] Japanese master director Tanoguchi Kyotaro's new work The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice rumored to cast a Korean actor, drawing rapid attention in Japan』
Woojin frowned slightly.
'Why announce that now?'
Sunggun, who had just finished a call, lowered his voice.
"I'll explain after the reading. It's already blowing up in Japan, and the 'Korean actor' angle is spreading here too."
"I see."
Sunggun smiled more deeply as he handed Woojin the script for The Island of the Missing.
"Hold on tight. Starting next week, we go all out."
He tapped Woojin's shoulder.
"After the reading, I'll push promotions harder. We'll make sure your name spreads even more."
At that moment, Woojin's vision shifted.
The world around him dissolved into darkness.
He had entered the void space.
'My heart's starting to race.'
A script reading filled with top actors was about to begin. Woojin exhaled slowly and stepped toward the white panels in front of him, selecting The Island of the Missing without hesitation.
-[You have selected Script 3 (The Island of the Missing).]
-[Available characters.]
-[A: Lieutenant Choi Yutae, B: Sergeant Major Jo Bongseok, C: Corporal Nam Taeoh, D: Sergeant Jin Seoncheol…]
The story began with tension before moving into the ordinary lives of the main characters.
Among them, Woojin had already gone through Jin Seoncheol several times, so it wasn't strange that ambition had started to grow. The reading room ahead was filled with top-tier actors, and today especially, he needed to stay sharp.
He let out a quiet breath and chose his role.
[D: Sergeant Jin Seoncheol selected.]
[Reading ready.]
Soon, Woojin was pulled into the world of The Island of the Missing.
The first thing he felt was the cold.
The gray-toned world gradually came into focus, washed in silver, white, and black. As he stood there, his gaze shifted slowly, taking in rows of silver rectangular shapes lined up in front of him.
It didn't take long to understand.
This was a morgue.
At that moment, everything about Jin Seoncheol began to sink into him. Emotions and sensations rose from deep inside and filled his entire body. The boundary between Kang Woojin and Jin Seoncheol faded away.
This was his life now.
"Ah… uh."
Confusion mixed with awkwardness. Timidity and fear followed close behind. His confidence was gone, his gaze constantly lowered as if it had become a habit he couldn't break.
Everything about him felt lacking.
Because he was afraid.
He hesitated, looked around the morgue, and then finally turned his attention to the body in front of him.
He was wearing a military uniform.
Sergeant.
The uniform looked worn and wrinkled, as if it reflected the person wearing it.
A voice broke the silence.
"Would you like to confirm?"
Woojin turned his gaze to the attendant.
Between them lay a body covered with a white sheet.
He couldn't answer right away.
'Should I…? No. What if it's really her? But I have to check… what do I do?'
His thoughts tangled together as anxiety tightened around him.
The attendant spoke again.
"If it's too difficult…"
"I… I'll check."
His voice trembled.
"Please."
The attendant lifted the cloth.
Woojin saw her face.
Pale. Drained of color. Cold.
Mom… why are you here? Why… why do you look like this?
Emotion surged violently from deep within him.
"…Mom."
Why did you have to leave while I was in the army?
His knees gave out, and he collapsed where he stood. Everything that held his world together crumbled. Tears poured down his face.
"Mom… can I touch her?"
No answer came.
He reached out and touched her cheek.
It was too cold. Too stiff.
Fear choked him as he held her shoulders.
"Mom… I'm sorry. I should have done better. If you leave like this… what am I supposed to do?"
Somewhere, he thought he heard her voice.
It's okay. Thank you for growing up well.
It faded.
"Mom… is this really the end? Please… just a little longer."
He buried his face against her shoulder and cried.
Then a voice cut through everything.
Get a grip, idiot.
It was the same voice, yet completely different.
'That's enough. Are you going to cry all night?'
Rough. Cold. Intrusive.
Woojin resisted.
'Stop. Don't come out. You don't belong here.'
'Screw you. If she didn't die, I would've killed her myself.'
'Stop… just stop.'
The voice laughed.
'You are me.'
Something shifted.
The hesitation vanished as if it had never existed. In its place came a cold, emotionless clarity that wrapped around his entire being.
His eyes opened.
The timid voice pleaded again.
'Please… just a little more time.'
Woojin scoffed.
"Shut up. It's my turn now."
The attendant blinked, startled.
"Pardon?"
Woojin stood up, brushed off his uniform, and looked down.
"Cover her."
The attendant hesitated.
Woojin pulled the sheet over the body himself without another word, then turned and walked out of the morgue.
The attendant stared after him in confusion.
"What just happened…?"
Woojin left the morgue and walked straight to the restroom. The hesitation from before was gone. Inside a stall, he took out his phone.
'What are you doing?'
"Shut up."
He tapped the screen for a few moments, and then a twisted smile spread across his face.
"Heh… how much is the insurance money?"
Jin Seoncheol was not just one person.
──────────
The script reading room was packed with actors and staff, the air thick with a quiet tension that no one could quite shake.
At the center of it stood Kang Woojin.
"Heh… how much is the insurance money?"
The line landed lightly, almost carelessly.
But the reaction it left behind was anything but.
The room fell still, and every gaze turned toward him at once. The rookie actor had shifted the entire atmosphere in a single breath, something no one had expected.
At the head of the table, Kwon Gitaek watched without moving.
'He's no longer just one person.'
Everyone knew Kang Woojin was a single individual.
But what they were seeing right now—
Was Jin Seoncheol.
It felt as though two people existed at once, overlapping in the same space.