Kang Woojin had set the acting standard for the entire cast of Leech.
And he had done it at the audition for Leech's core roles, where top stars had gathered in droves. It was a place packed with giants, yet in everyone's eyes and minds, rookie actor Kang Woojin had firmly secured his position.
That performance became Leech's benchmark.
It had been an extraordinary performance.
It was not even empty bravado. Woojin had only taken on a supporting role, yet he had deeply shaken everyone present. His acting had silenced even the greatest actors there. That was the conclusion Director Ahn Gabok reached after watching him.
Naturally, it was a major misunderstanding.
But still.
'Haha, that level of justified confidence is astonishing.'
Whatever the situation, it was also the moment a new path opened for Leech's journey.
'I can carry this well enough on my own.'
If this caused the other great actors to awaken, then the overall quality of Leech would rise several times over.
'So analyze it thoroughly and work even harder.'
At that moment, Director Ahn Gabok, the veteran actor Shim Hanho, and the other judges seated in the same row as Woojin were all staring at Kang Woojin. It was almost as if those words had been engraved above his head.
'I'm an average person.'
Even after creating a scene with the impact of a nuclear explosion, Kang Woojin returned to his seat without the slightest disturbance. He simply lowered his gaze to the script in silence.
"······"
The film company CEO and the casting director exchanged glances.
'He handled that many roles without making a single mistake?'
"He went through that many emotions and came back as if nothing had happened. It's unbelievable."
Even so, for some reason, the entire theater remained silent. Several seconds had passed since Woojin returned to his seat, but no one opened their mouth.
"······"
"······"
The one thing they all had in common was that every one of them was staring at Kang Woojin.
What was this?
What was going on?
Naturally, Woojin could feel those sharp looks too. So he pretended to look down at the script, buying himself a little time. At the same time, he slowly recalled his memories of watching rival actors in past auditions.
'Was there some kind of problem? No, there wasn't.'
It definitely had not been bad. In the first place, there was no way the power of the void space could be wrong. To avoid any possible issues, he had not even gone all out when taking on a role like Park Haseong. Especially in the other roles, he had held back more than thirty percent of his strength.
'Does it seem strange that I played the other roles too?'
But even that had not been a hundred percent. He certainly had not acted in an exaggerated way. Since it was an audition, he had not gone too rough with it either. In a room full of excellent, brilliant actors, acting too weakly would have been unnecessary in its own way.
'Anyone could do at least this much.'
But no one inside the theater knew Woojin's real intention. Because of that, they believed what he had shown was his limit. Even while suppressing his emotions, he had displayed something far beyond everyone's common sense.
The conclusions reached by Kang Woojin and everyone else clashed because of that misunderstanding.
But there was no problem.
Woojin had no reason to correct them.
The situation was full of errors, but in the long run, it was not a bad thing. The latent strength Kang Woojin treated so lightly would create a much bigger shock later when it finally revealed itself.
Of course, Kang Woojin had not calculated any of that.
He really was that pure-minded.
Right then—
-scrape.
A change came over the silent small theater. Director Ahn Gabok rose from his seat, walked over to Kang Woojin, who was seated at the far end, and quietly murmured something.
"You established your authority as a 'judge' for everyone here, while at the same time setting the standard for those bearing the name Leech."
Shim Hanho's eyes widened slightly. The film company CEO and the casting director looked even more surprised. The staff, who had been silent until then, began murmuring among themselves. The managers wore openly shocked expressions.
The atmosphere in the theater, which had felt somewhat muted before, quickly came alive.
By contrast, Kang Woojin was the very image of cynicism.
"······"
Of course, only on the outside.
'Benchmark? What benchmark? Benchmark? That? Why is that even coming up here?'
Without changing his expression, Woojin silently looked up at Director Ahn Gabok. Inside, however, he sensed that something had gone wrong. Or more precisely, he caught the familiar, sweet scent of misunderstanding.
'Authority as a judge? The standard for Leech? What nonsense is this old man talking about? I was just the supporting role.'
In truth, his approach had simply been meant to carry the scene along with a bit of ease. But the perceptive Director Ahn Gabok had drawn out an unexpectedly profound meaning from it.
"Yes. They're all veterans well-versed in acting theory, so they must have understood your true intention."
What was this?
The sweet scent of misunderstanding spread everywhere. Judging by how even the people around him were remaining silent, they all seemed to be thinking the same thing. Woojin realized the misunderstanding had already spread. But Kang Woojin, who had endured countless misunderstandings and wrong judgments by now, showed no sign of fluster.
At times like this, remaining calm and composed was extremely important.
Kang Woojin lightly cleared his throat, then chose the response best suited to the situation. What would that be? He kept his voice as steady as possible.
"I only did what I was capable of doing."
Wrinkles gathering around his face, Director Ahn Gabok smiled. The actor managers whispered noticeably among themselves. Various comments were exchanged, but all of them led to one conclusion.
"Ah, now I understand why Director Ahn cast Kang Woojin first as the lead."
At that moment, the veteran actor Shim Hanho, his face stiffened, asked Kang Woojin in an unusual tone from the seat beside him,
"Woojin-ssi, how much time did you spend interpreting Chairman Yoon Jeongbae?"
Time.
To be honest, he had not spent much time at all. But Woojin chose his words carefully, keeping them respectful while adding the slightest hint of firmness.
"I only worked on it from time to time."
"...From time to time. While also playing not only Park Haseong, but the other roles as well?"
"Enough that I wouldn't fall short as an audition partner."
At that moment, something flashed through Shim Hanho's mind.
No, he realized it.
'He wasn't being serious. Which means what I saw today wasn't everything.'
Right then, a soft female voice came from behind them.
"Hello."
Everyone, including Kang Woojin, turned their eyes in the same direction. A woman in a cap was walking toward them. It was the actress Oh Heeryeong, who had already been confirmed for the role of Yoo Hyeonji. The managers noticed her arrival and their eyes widened slightly, while Director Ahn Gabok greeted her lightly.
"Heeryeong-ssi, you're here."
As she approached, Oh Heeryeong smiled brightly.
"Yes, Director. I made it in time."
After greeting Shim Hanho, Oh Heeryeong finally met Kang Woojin's eyes and dipped her head slightly. Her smile deepened.
"Woojin-ssi, it's nice to meet you. It feels strangely like I'm meeting a celebrity."
No, in truth, it was the exact opposite.
To Kang Woojin, whose heart was still that of an ordinary citizen, Oh Heeryeong was the real celebrity. She had to be in her fifties, yet her beauty rivaled someone in their thirties. She truly had a remarkably youthful face. On top of that, she had an elegant charm. Her posture and the way she spoke were both refined.
'Wow, seriously. I'm meeting her today.'
Suppressing the overwhelming surprise inside him, Woojin rose from his seat to greet her.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Kang Woojin."
Well done.
He kept his voice steady and dignified, without even the slightest tremor. Soon, Oh Heeryeong stepped closer to him and held out her hand.
"Who in Korea doesn't know Woojin-ssi these days?"
"Thank you."
"Watching your acting made me feel like I needed to stay sharp too. Honestly, I was really shocked. It really made me think, ah, as expected of Kang Woojin-ssi."
"······"
"This benchmark you set. I understood it completely."
Kang Woojin, Oh Heeryeong, and Shim Hanho.
They were the core actors of Leech. But their careers could not even be compared. Next to those two great veteran actors, each with nearly thirty years of experience, Kang Woojin's was far thinner.
Standing there silently, Choi Sunggeon felt deeply moved by the sight.
'To be standing shoulder to shoulder with them in just one year. He overwhelmed them from the very first scene. He's really incredible.'
Then—
"Mm."
Feeling that the atmosphere had settled somewhat, the veteran director Ahn Gabok began speaking to the whole small theater. It sounded almost like a formal notice to the staff and the actor managers.
"Despite the notice given beforehand, I hereby declare that everything from today's audition must not be revealed outside."
They had to remain silent about what they had seen, heard, and felt. It would not stay hidden forever, but for the time being, it would remain quiet. The managers, having properly grasped the situation, began leaving the small theater one by one. Each had their own actor to look after.
At the same time—
"Director."
Shim Hanho, his long gray hair tied back, spoke politely to Ahn Gabok.
"I think I should head out as well."
Ahn Gabok smiled and nodded.
"Of course. You worked hard."
Shim Hanho gave a slight nod, cast a brief glance at Woojin, and left the small theater. Behind him stood Choi Sunggeon, looking a little awkward.
"Uh… Director. I'm sorry, but Woojin has another schedule too."
Ahn Gabok gestured for them to go quickly.
"Ah, of course. Woojin-ssi, you worked hard too. Thank you."
Woojin bowed his head. Then he left the small theater alongside Choi Sunggeon. Watching Woojin's retreating back, Oh Heeryeong quietly asked Director Ahn Gabok,
"Will Shim be alright?"
As Ahn Gabok slowly sat down, he nodded.
"Isn't he Shim Hanho? He's not the kind of person we need to worry about. Let's just see what he brings back."
The film company CEO seated to his right scratched his head, looking somewhat flustered.
"Still, because Woojin-ssi's impact was so overwhelming, the audition ended up being judged in a rather unusual way."
By contrast, Ahn Gabok's smile only deepened.
"No. If anything, it became even clearer for me."
──────────
About ten minutes later, in the waiting room.
The Leech audition was over, but there were still a few people left in the actors' waiting room. Sitting on the sofa was Han Sojin, and her face was filled with fierce resolve.
"······"
She stared blankly at the script resting on the table. She had always carried a somewhat decadent air around her, but now that atmosphere was even more pronounced. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking.
'I've really never seen anything like that before. What were the other actors even like?'
Naturally, her mind was full of Kang Woojin.
'Chairman Yoon Jeongbae's role was supposed to be for senior Shim Hanho, wasn't it? But he acted in front of him so naturally…'
But she could not reach a conclusion. She had no idea what kind of person Kang Woojin really was. The same thought kept circling in her head.
An actor mad about acting.
At that moment, a man who looked like her team manager carefully asked Han Sojin,
"······Sojin, how was it?"
Pushing her long hair back, Han Sojin let out a small sigh and answered,
"Ha, so you saw everything too, Manager."
"I did. Kang Woojin exploding like that, I mean. But you experienced it directly."
"Now I finally understand why people in the industry call Kang Woojin a monster."
"Was it hard?"
"To be honest, it was the first time I've ever frozen because of a scene partner's acting."
"······Are you alright?"
"I think it's a good thing."
"A good thing?"
Han Sojin suddenly stood up, a smile appearing on her face. The fierce resolve inside her flared into fighting spirit once more.
"It sounds ridiculous, but if I'm going to want to fight him and beat him, then he needs to be that good."
Meanwhile, the other actors who had met Kang Woojin that day were all groaning.
"Wasn't he only supposed to be there as the supporting role?"
In fact, more than half of the actors who had participated in the Leech audition that day had failed to properly show their own acting. They had simply been overwhelmed by Kang Woojin's presence.
"I got so flustered I stumbled over my lines halfway through… no, I mean, it's because Kang Woojin suddenly started acting like Yoon Jaho!"
Aside from Han Sojin, most of them had been top-tier or A-list actors.
"Is Kang Woojin seriously insane?!"
Even so, they had been unable to respond calmly. There was no help for it. The actors could only blame themselves. Still, there were actors who had managed to stay composed even while Kang Woojin was doing something completely unexpected. Jin Jaejun, Hong Hyeyeon, and Hwarin were examples of that.
Jin Jaejun, who had appeared in the drama Drug Dealer, put it this way.
"Wow, Woojin-ssi really must have grown a lot in a short time."
"That's not the point. Are you satisfied with your performance today?"
"Honestly, I'm not sure. I don't remember it that clearly. Still, I think I held onto the character well enough."
Hong Hyeyeon, after watching Kang Woojin's performance, said this.
"It was different from Island of the Missing. No, more importantly, I kept wondering whether it was really possible to handle all those other roles at the same time in the middle of such a packed schedule."
Hwarin, meanwhile, looked the same as always.
Still, she seemed slightly strange.
"Hey, hey, Hwarin. Hwarin??"
"...Huh? Ah. What?"
"Why are you spacing out like that?"
"No. I mean, it's just…"
She was staring blankly into space. More precisely, she was picturing the face of the person she liked most.
'What I saw was Han Inho from Boy Friend. Woojin-nim gives off that kind of energy while pulling off all those different roles…'
Having witnessed the explosive passion of the person she adored up close, Hwarin looked quietly satisfied.
'Ha, when he suddenly grabbed my shoulder, I thought my heart was going to burst.'
──────────
Meanwhile, inside Kang Woojin's van.
Woojin's van had already left the theater parking lot and was driving down the road. It was already deep into the afternoon, but Kang Woojin's schedule was still not over. With a stiff expression, Woojin stared out the window.
A completely cynical mood.
Of course, his real thoughts were completely different.
'Anyway, it's over. This wrapped up pretty smoothly, didn't it?'
Misunderstandings and prejudice were everywhere, but Kang Woojin brushed them aside without a care. It was not as if they were any major problem.
Right then—
"Oppa."
Han Yejung, now with a short black bob, called out to him.
"Look at this. Japanese SNS is exploding with talk about you right now. And do you know this person? If you search your name on Twitter, this post comes up everywhere."
Han Yejung handed her phone to Kang Woojin. The screen displayed the main page of Japanese SNS, completely packed with Japanese text. Since she could not translate all of it herself, she simply passed the phone to Woojin, and he began scanning through the SNS posts in the search results.
One post in particular had been shared explosively.
Following the source of the repost, Kang Woojin soon found the original post.
[_dadaco8]
[Hello, this is Sayaka Asami. Today I'd like to talk about something completely unrelated to my work…]
It led to the Instagram of the famous Japanese voice actress Sayaka Asami. She had written a long post herself.
As Kang Woojin read it, he realized something.
'Ah.'
The girl in the wheelchair. And her mother.
The post had been written by the mother.
It described their situation in detail, and as Woojin read it, he felt faintly embarrassed.
'So she really was a famous voice actress. That's why the girl said her dream was to become a voice actress.'
By the time he reached the last part of the post, Woojin slowly nodded. He almost let out a wow without realizing it. The number of comments and likes was already huge, and the shares were increasing rapidly too.
Han Yejung cut in at the perfect moment.
"What does it say? Whatever it is, it's completely gone viral."
At that exact moment—
-♬♪
Someone's phone rang.
It was Choi Sunggeon's, from the passenger seat.
-swipe.
Checking the screen, he muttered,
"Woojin, it's PD Song calling."