Around 9:30 a.m. on the 21st.
It was a mid-sized hotel near Ine Funaya Village, mostly used by tourists. The production team of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had rented out an entire floor.
But at the moment, the The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice team's workspace was quiet.
Everyone had headed to Ine Funaya Village early in the morning to hurry with filming preparations, so there were barely any people left in the hotel. One of the few still there was Kang Woojin. Wearing a cap, Woojin was currently eating breakfast in the dining hall, drawing the attention of the people around him.
'Wow, this egg fried rice is really good. Seriously.'
Outwardly, he looked completely indifferent, but inwardly he was marveling at the hotel breakfast. Of course, he was not alone. About ten members of Woojin's team, including Choi Sunggeon, were there with him.
A few minutes later—
"Woojin."
By the time coffee was served at the table, Choi Sunggeon brought him up to date on a few things. While Kang Woojin had been fully occupied filming The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, Choi Sunggeon had apparently been busy handling other matters.
The first document placed in front of Kang Woojin was a contract.
"Production on the animated Boy Friend was finalized yesterday. Take a look at the contract."
A meeting about the Boy Friend animation had been held a few days earlier.
'Whoa, that was fast.'
According to Choi Sunggeon, the contract process had gone smoothly. A10 Studio had already entered production, and more than anything, they had been eager to secure Kang Woojin's involvement. For Kang Woojin, the Boy Friend remake was a good opportunity. Not only would it let him show off his piano skills, it would also give him new experience.
In any case, Kang Woojin's participation in the animated Boy Friend remake had now been confirmed.
However, both the production news for the Boy Friend remake and Kang Woojin's involvement were being kept under wraps for the time being.
Still—
"Once A10 Studio finalizes its official position, they'll make an announcement, so it'll probably be revealed sometime next week. We'll make our announcement after that."
At this point, it was only a matter of time.
"It hasn't been finalized yet whether things like the dubbing sessions will be done at A10 Studio, but if they're targeting a July release, they'll probably start around April or May. Before that, there'll likely be OST recording and test recording. I'll let you know as soon as anything new comes up."
Next, Woojin checked the compensation clause in the contract.
'Wow, it's a lot higher than I expected.'
Naturally, it was Choi Sunggeon who had led the negotiations, but the agreed amount was higher than Woojin had anticipated. The OST portion had been negotiated separately.
And on top of that—
"This is the first storyboard for the Kashiwa Group commercial."
A storyboard had arrived for the commercials Woojin was preparing to shoot during his time working in Japan for Kashiwa Group. It included one construction-related ad and two food commercials.
"Looks like filming will probably be sometime next week. They seem to be in a bit of a rush, but that works fine for us."
If anything, it was better for them to hurry. Even a short ad shoot usually took at least half a day, and with Woojin's schedule for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice growing busier and his return to Korea already on the horizon, it was best to wrap up the commercial shoots as early as possible.
Then suddenly, Choi Sunggeon gave a thumbs-up.
"And yesterday, Woojin, your acting was seriously insane. You probably didn't notice, but the people from the film distributor who came to the set completely lost it. They couldn't stop praising you."
Because of that, Woojin's entire team was buzzing.
"Oh right, oppa, you were seriously amazing yesterday!"
"I still haven't read The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, but now I want to go buy it immediately!!"
"Yesterday was completely centered on you, hyung!"
"All the Japanese actors and staff were like, 'Wow, huh?' the whole time."
Woojin tried his best to hide how flustered he felt and replied quietly.
"Really? I didn't notice. I was too busy acting."
Meanwhile, on the set of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice—
Unlike the eerie atmosphere of the previous night, the morning in Ine Funaya Village was far livelier. The creepy aura had eased, but the silence still lingered. Even so, the area around the dock, which had been the center of filming the night before, was bustling with dozens of staff members.
"Stand by in ten minutes!!"
"Camera setup starts now!!"
"Director! Please check the actors' makeup!"
About ten minutes later, filming properly began. Naturally, it was a scene that did not involve Kang Woojin, who was still back at the accommodation. Normally, filming was not done in script order, but in Ine Funaya Village, they had no choice but to shoot in sequence.
Which meant the current scene took place the day after Kinjo's death.
Director Kyotaro, perhaps because he had been tied up on the phone until just a moment ago, was now carefully checking every corner of the set. The writer, Takikawa Akari, was also visible near the monitors. On top of that, the number of actors on set had multiplied several times compared to the previous night. With more than thirty extras dressed as police officers, that was only natural.
"Everyone, loosen up! Once we give the signal, just follow directions!"
Little by little, the set transformed into a crime scene. It was packed with police officers, onlookers, barricades and ropes blocking the crowd, and reporters moving busily around. Soon, Yasutaro, who would play the corpse, and the supporting actor playing Misaki Shutoku entered the set.
"Ogimoto-san has arrived!"
In the drama, Yasutaro had to appear naked, but his full-body shots had already been completed the night before. At the moment, he was only bare from the waist up while still wearing pants. Since his lower half would be hidden behind a screen anyway, there was no real issue. The actor playing Misaki Shutoku was still wearing the cracked-skull makeup and the same costume from the previous night.
That was how all preparations, including the corpses, were completed.
Soon after, the lead actor who would be at the center of this shoot stepped in among the dozens of extras. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, dressed casually in jeans and a lightweight navy padded jacket, with short hair and somewhat rough, dry skin.
It was the top Japanese actor Kosaku Mana.
In the film The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, he played the somewhat sleazy detective Yoshizawa Mochio. He was the sort of man who even took bribes from yakuza and gangsters. On the surface, he looked like the embodiment of laziness, yet ironically, unlike his slovenly appearance, he pursued the investigation persistently all the way to the end, relentlessly chasing the figure known as Iyota Kiyoshi.
Kosaku Mana, who played the detective, was the second actor cast in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice after Kang Woojin.
He had long been famous in Japan as the leader of a well-known band, as well as a beloved singer and actor. The moment Kosaku Mana arrived on set, the staff gathered around him. Even while the makeup team worked on him, Kosaku, with his sharp, distinctive features, slowly swept his gaze across the set.
"······Hmm."
It was exactly as he had imagined. Just like the The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice he had read. Perhaps it felt even more vivid because he had witnessed Kang Woojin's acting the night before.
Before long, Kosaku began recalling the past.
More specifically, the first time Director Kyotaro had approached him. Kosaku had asked something, and Kyotaro had answered simply.
'Why was that Korean actor cast as Iyota Kiyoshi?'
'Because it had to be him.'
At the time, he had not fully understood what that meant. But after watching Kang Woojin the night before, Kosaku deeply understood what Director Kyotaro had felt. Why that Korean actor had to play Kiyoshi. Why it had to be that actor and no one else.
Kosaku muttered softly to himself.
"It had to be him. Not because no one else could do it, but because no one else could have done it that well."
Kosaku had been completely shocked by Woojin's performance. Just as Yasutaro had said.
Kang Woojin was a monster.
It was not by chance that, in his debut year, he had caught the eye of the famous Japanese director Kyotaro, swept eight categories at the Korean year-end awards, and sparked a Korean wave frenzy. Out of curiosity, Kosaku had gone and watched both Woojin's Hanryang and Boy Friend.
He had thought Woojin's acting was excellent.
But yesterday's Kang Woojin had existed on a different level entirely.
Throughout the filming of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, Kosaku had been chasing the traces Woojin left behind.
'As an actor, and as a detective too.'
Kosaku pulled his emotions all the way up. He made himself feel Detective Yoshizawa Mochio with his entire body. Kang Woojin was not on set, but Kosaku was already prepared for shadowboxing. Whether Woojin was there or not, he intended to keep that rivalry alive.
'I have to do this. Otherwise I'll keep getting compared to him until filming ends.'
He was the only one who would be going all the way to the end together with Kang Woojin. Kosaku felt genuine tension.
Around then, Director Kyotaro called him over, and after a brief discussion with the director and the screenwriter Takikawa Akari, Kosaku took his place behind the camera.
Right before filming started—
Clap!!
Along with the clap of the slate, Director Kyotaro's voice boomed through the loudspeaker in front of the monitors.
"Action!"
At the same time, the dozens of extras dressed as police officers sprang into motion. Some took photographs, some controlled the onlookers, and others searched the dock area thoroughly. Right then, Kosaku Mana—or rather, Detective Mochio Yoshizawa—entered the scene.
"Whew, that was far. It's really been ages since I came to Chiba."
Detective Yoshizawa Mochio appeared grumbling. The junior detective beside him pointed toward the dock.
"Let's start over there."
"Yeah, yeah."
The camera followed behind them.
As Detective Mochio approached, one of the officers by the wooden boat noticed him. Mochio gestured for the cover over the corpse to be removed.
"Show me the face."
"Ah! Yes!"
The officer quickly pulled the cloth halfway back. The corpse lay there curled up, pale and naked, dead with its eyes still open.
It was Kinjo.
After making a token gesture of praying for the dead man's soul, Mochio casually crouched at the edge of the dock and rested his chin in one hand. He looked like someone long accustomed to seeing corpses. Then, without warning, he spoke to the dead Kinjo.
"Hey, why did you die here?"
The rookie detective let out a sigh.
"He's not going to answer you, sir."
"I know. I'm just asking."
As the camera caught his profile, Mochio reacted and examined the body more closely, tilting his head slightly.
"Looks like ligature marks. Was he strangled with a rope? From behind?"
The investigator nodded.
"Yes. We think it was this rope, but we'll know for sure once the results come back."
The officer handling the evidence lifted the rope used to tie the wooden boat and placed it in an evidence bag. Wearing an irritated expression, Mochio pointed to Kinjo's chest.
"What's this white stuff?"
"Semen."
"······Ah, so he really was handsome. Semen, huh. So he was raped here and strangled to death?"
Detective Mochio muttered as he checked the belongings around the corpse. Clothes, underwear, a wallet. Mochio let out a small sigh, pulled on gloves, and opened the wallet. The cash and cards were untouched.
"So it wasn't a robbery."
At any rate, the victim's identity was confirmed through the wallet.
"Konakayama Kinjo—"
A brief silence followed.
Director Kyotaro signaled for a cut. Everyone returned to their places for a retake. After about three retakes, they finally got the okay.
Now it was time to move on to the next scene.
After confirming Kinjo's identity, Mochio moved to where the second corpse was. This time, it was the body of a man in his sixties with a cracked skull, still clothed. Mochio again put his hands together briefly as if in prayer, then spoke to the corpse.
"Are you the culprit?"
As the camera pulled back behind Kosaku Mana, the younger detective sighed again and came to stand beside him.
"Ha—senior. Like I told you before."
"I know. But this guy…"
Letting his words trail off, he lifted his head and looked up at the tall building in front of them.
"Did he fall from up there?"
"That seems to be the case."
Mochio crouched again, propping up his chin as he looked down at the body, then asked one of the nearby officers,
"Any signs of a struggle or assault?"
"No, nothing so far. He probably fell on his own."
"Hmm—"
Mochio hummed through his nose and checked the dead man's belongings. Cigarettes, a wallet, a lighter. He checked the name inside the wallet.
"Masaki Shutoku. This guy had unusual tastes."
The rookie detective tilted his head.
"What?"
"He liked men, so he raped Kinjo."
"Ah—"
"In other words, that's what this is?"
Mochio rose slowly to his feet, slipped one hand into his pocket, and summarized the situation.
"That Shutoku bastard dragged Kinjo off the boat and brought him here, raped him, then after he'd had his fun, strangled Kinjo to death with a rope and killed himself."
"Judging from the circumstances and evidence revealed so far, yes. But things like how they got here still need to be investigated more thoroughly. Most importantly, we need to confirm whether the semen found on the body in the boat matches this man's. If it does, that would be conclusive evidence."
"······"
It was a logical conclusion, but Mana Kosaku—or rather, Mochio—wore an unconvinced expression as he scratched at his chin.
"Tch— I don't know what it is, but doesn't it feel like someone deliberately left crumbs behind?"
"What do you mean?"
"First of all, that semen. How should I put it? It was splashed on his chest so openly it was practically screaming, 'Please notice me.'"
"Well, that…"
"But the body of that guy Kinjo over there is too clean."
"What?"
"If two men were involved, do you really think there wouldn't have been any resistance?"
"Hmm—"
"And there's something else I'm just curious about."
Casting out the line of thought, Detective Mochio swept his gaze across the entire fishing village.
"Why here?"
"It's not just because it's remote and desolate."
"I'm curious. There are plenty of isolated, deserted places without having to come all the way to Chiba."
"That's true, but—"
"Hmm, something's bothering me. Something smells off."
"What?"
Mochio shrugged and walked back over to where Kinjo was lying. The camera stayed right at his side. Then he looked down at pale Kinjo, curled up on the wooden boat, and muttered quietly,
"It feels like this place is trying to say something. Hey, tell me. Were you really alone with him?"
What happened after that was as follows.
"······Cut!! Okay!!"
Director Kyotaro gave the signal that it was good.
That same afternoon, around lunchtime in Korea.
The filming location was the large Island of the Missing set in Buyeo. Just like the team for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, the Island of the Missing team was also in the middle of filming. The current set was the back lot of a large building that looked like a school.
A man stood alone there, holding a gun and wearing military pants with his shirt off.
"······Ha."
It was Ryu Jungmin.
He laughed weakly.
At that moment, he was Lieutenant Choi Yutae. One camera was pointed in the direction he was looking, while another was tightly focused on his face. Lieutenant Choi Yutae's current condition was a mess. He was covered in dust and soot, and his cheeks, forehead, and neck were littered with wounds.
And what about his eyes?
"Ha ha—heh heh, damn. This is screwed."
The vitality that had once filled his eyes was gone. It would not have been an exaggeration to say he was half insane. A distinct aura of madness clung to him. Surrounded by roughly a hundred staff members, Director Kwon Gitaek watched him closely through the monitor.
Right then—
Scrape.
Still grinning, Lieutenant Choi Yutae moved slowly. In front of him stood a rusted sign covered in moss. He brushed the dust from the top of it with his palm.
Soon, faint lettering began to emerge.
-[Boat Hours of Operation]
He stared blankly at the words for a moment, then covered his face with the hand holding the gun. His laughter gradually grew louder.
"Heh heh heh, ah—what the hell is this. So the island really existed?"
About ten seconds of silence followed. The hundred or so staff members held their breath, all eyes fixed on Director Kwon Gitaek's serious face in front of the monitors.
At last—
"······Whew."
Director Kwon Gitaek let out a low sigh, then spoke gently into the loudspeaker.
"Cut. Good. Great work, Ryu Jungmin-ssi."
Barely suppressing his laughter, Ryu Jungmin bowed deeply to the director and staff.
"Director, thank you. Everyone, thank you for your hard work."
Soon, applause erupted among the hundred or so staff members.
Clap clap clap clap clap!
Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!
Director Kwon Gitaek also laughed heartily and slowly joined in the applause.
"Everyone worked hard."
Right then, among the hundred or so staff, the short-haired lighting director sent out a wave of joy.
"It's finally over!"
Island of the Missing had finally completed all preparations for launch.
In other words, all filming had come to an end.