Writer Choi Nana, her round glasses resting low on her nose, stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment before slowly lowering her head again. A laptop sat open in front of her, its cursor still blinking on the screen.
Of course, she had just typed the final period.
The script she had been working on up until a moment ago was the final episode of The Good Deed's Evil. The long, grueling writing process had finally come to an end. After countless revisions, The Good Deed's Evil had ultimately been structured into twelve episodes, with the twelfth serving as the finale.
For now, they were considering a seasonal format, but that would only be possible if the results were certain.
In any case, the slender Choi Nana kept staring at the laptop for a moment before suddenly turning her head.
She sprang up from her desk and threw both arms high into the air.
Then she began flapping them like wings.
She was simply too overwhelmed with emotion. It was the joy of finishing her first full-length script. It was only natural that she ended up dancing to a rhythm no one else could hear. Fortunately, the studio was empty. If anyone had been there, her shy personality probably would have made her sit back down and cry quietly instead.
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After enjoying herself enough, Choi Nana let out a small breath and sat back down at her desk.
"Am I crazy? Why do I feel this good?"
Of course, she had finished writing the script for the final episode, but that did not mean everything was over. She still needed Song Manwoo PD's approval. Smiling brightly, she moved the mouse, then picked up the phone lying beside her laptop. She had moved the mouse to save her work, and she had picked up the phone to make a call.
Who was she calling?
"PD-nim, are you busy?"
The first person Choi Nana wanted to share this happy news with was Song Manwoo PD. Holding the phone to her ear, she swallowed nervously.
Right then—
"Hello, Writer."
Song Manwoo PD's slightly excited voice came from the other end of the line, and Choi Nana answered with a radiant smile.
"PD-nim, I just put the final period on the last episode."
His shout came back immediately.
"What? Really? Just now?"
"Yes, yes! Can you come by today?"
"Good, very good. Today? Hmm, I'm a little busy today, but I'll come to the studio early tomorrow morning. Until then, please go over the final episode script one more time."
"All right, PD-nim. Ah, but if you're that busy, where are you right now?"
At her question, Song Manwoo PD answered with a laugh.
"What else would it be? I'm here to meet an actor."
"Ah! Is this about casting? I'm sorry. Please call me again once you're done."
"All right, let's do that."
And the call ended.
At that moment, Song Manwoo PD, who had just finished speaking with Choi Nana, was sitting in the meeting room of an entertainment agency. More precisely, he had stepped out into the hallway to take the call, and now, after slipping his phone back into his pocket, he opened the meeting room door again.
About five people were seated inside.
Two had come from Song Manwoo PD's side, and the rest belonged to the other party.
The woman sitting in the middle looked familiar. She had a beauty mark beneath one eye, long hair that fell to her chest, and an oversized black hoodie. It was Hwarin. Her makeup was light, but her beauty still stood out clearly.
The people seated on either side of her were her manager and the team leader from her management company.
As soon as he returned to his seat, Song Manwoo PD apologized.
"I'm sorry. The writer called."
Hwarin replied, her hands half-hidden inside the sleeves of her hoodie.
"The writer? You mean Writer Choi?"
"Yes, Writer Choi Nana. She just finished the script."
"Wow. Then I should congratulate her."
"Haha, she'd love to hear that."
Hwarin had already crossed paths with Writer Choi Nana through the drama Boy Friend, and she had also contacted her back when The Good Deed's Evil was first announced. Even so, Song Manwoo PD's visit today had been completely unexpected for her.
"But PD-nim, why did you come here so suddenly?"
Song Manwoo PD smiled slyly.
The truth was, he and Hwarin were not especially close. They knew of each other because both were well-known figures, but they had never actually worked together before. Song Manwoo PD handed her a transparent file folder.
Then he spoke in a serious tone.
"If it weren't for this, why would I come here at this hour? I came because I want Hwarin-ssi to appear in The Good Deed's Evil."
"...Me?"
Hwarin's already large eyes widened even further.
That reaction made sense. She had only recently tasted the bitterness of failing the audition for Leech. Song Manwoo PD, on the other hand, remained calm the entire time.
"Yes, Hwarin-ssi. But not as the lead."
"Ah—"
"The script and storyboard work are still in progress, so I can't say with complete certainty yet, but the role I want to ask of you is probably around the level of a supporting role, or possibly a minor one."
In other words, he was asking her to appear in a supporting role.
For Hwarin, who had already reached the top tier as both an idol and an actress, it was a somewhat low offer. Understanding that immediately, her plump-cheeked manager stepped in.
"Uh, PD-nim, thank you for the offer, but may I ask why you're considering Hwarin for a supporting role? Is there some area where she falls short?"
Song Manwoo PD softened a little and shook his head.
"Not at all. It's not that Hwarin-ssi lacks acting ability. To be honest, aside from Kang Woojin, there are no true lead-level roles in The Good Deed's Evil."
"What?"
Song Manwoo PD turned to Hwarin, who was still staring wide-eyed, and continued while meeting her gaze.
"It's a bit difficult to reveal everything. To put it simply, The Good Deed's Evil is made up of multiple episodes, and the actors change with each one."
In other words, only Kang Woojin would appear throughout the entire series, while the rest of the cast would change completely from episode to episode.
Because of that, most actors would inevitably end up in supporting roles. Song Manwoo PD added that, through their collaboration with Netflix, the scale of the project had grown considerably, and negotiations were already underway with a number of actors beyond just Kang Woojin.
"You've probably seen it already, but our The Good Deed's Evil project is preparing for a global release."
While listening to the rather long explanation, Hwarin kept staring blankly at Song Manwoo PD, but inwardly she was thinking of the person she admired most as a fan.
'...The sole lead in a blockbuster like that. Kang Woojin-nim really is amazing.'
Filled with pure fan devotion, Hwarin felt moved.
At that moment, Song Manwoo PD spoke again.
"Also, the reason I thought of Hwarin-ssi for this role is because of Boy Friend. With just a slight twist, I think your image would match the character perfectly."
Then, looking at the still slightly dazed Hwarin, he concluded:
"It may be a supporting role, but I'm thinking Hwarin-ssi would play the villain in episode one."
Two days later, on Monday the 8th.
After the script reading for Leech, the day of its official first shoot had finally arrived.
The film industry was already buzzing.
[Film Talk: Leech completes script reading, begins filming today on the 8th! An unusual turnaround of only two days!]
[The first shoot is finally here! The Korean film industry turns its focus to Leech as production moves forward without pause]
Meanwhile, Kang Woojin had just arrived at the massive filming complex in Jeonju. The black van carrying him came to a stop in the outdoor parking lot of the enormous set.
The reason was simple.
A large mansion set had been built inside this giant studio complex for the filming of Leech. Not just the exterior, but the full interior set had also been constructed here. In simple terms, aside from location shoots, more than half of Leech would be filmed at this Jeonju set.
Even so—
The van door opened, and Kang Woojin stepped out.
His face today was as indifferent as ever. The unfamiliar set and environment only made his attitude look colder. The first shoot was right in front of him, but fortunately he was not especially nervous. Of course, his heart was pounding, but it was closer to anticipation than fear.
All his tension had already disappeared during the script reading two days earlier.
After Choi Seonggeon and the team got out from the passenger side and joined him, Woojin began moving forward. As soon as they left the outdoor parking lot, two staff members wearing intercom headsets were waiting at the entrance. The moment they spotted Woojin, they hurried over.
"Hello!"
"Hello!"
Woojin gave them a silent nod in return.
"Hello."
The two staff members had been assigned to guide him. Before long, Kang Woojin, Choi Seonggeon, and the rest of the team made their way past the bustling staff and arrived in front of a grand mansion.
This was the main set and annex that would serve as the heart of Leech. There was a broad lawn, a parking area lined with imported cars, a living room with large windows, and a main house that looked as though three separate buildings had been combined into one.
Looking up at the mansion, most of it cast in gray tones,
"..."
Woojin kept a calm face on the outside, but inside he was thrilled.
'Wow, this is insane!! It's huge. Does a house like this even really exist in Korea? Either way, the quality is unbelievable.'
Behind the giant single-family house set stood several warehouse buildings. The interior sets were probably inside those. Of course, the Leech production staff, well over a hundred people, had gathered all around the mansion set. Around a dozen were inside the house, some were in the parking lot, and nearly twenty were scattered across the grassy yard.
Each team and each department was busy with its own work.
Right then, from the yard where several chairs and monitors had been set up, a familiar old voice reached Kang Woojin.
"You're here."
It was Director Ahn Gabok, holding a script in one hand and wearing a light padded jumper. With a wrinkled smile, he approached Woojin.
"What do you think? Can we use the set?"
Use it? There was no way that was the question. It was incredible. On the outside, however, Woojin answered simply.
"Yes, it looks good."
"That's good. Compared to the script, how does it feel?"
He was asking about how well it matched what Woojin had imagined. Woojin looked up at the mansion set once more.
It was almost identical.
Of course, there were a few differences from the house he had seen in the void space, but those did not matter at all.
"I think it's almost the same."
Director Ahn Gabok smiled with deep wrinkles around his eyes and pointed behind him, where a large tent had been set up just outside the filming area.
"That's the waiting room. Go rest there for a bit before wardrobe and makeup. And where's Woojin's stylist manager?"
Among the team members, the expressionless Han Yejung raised a hand.
"That's me."
"Let's talk."
Han Yejung, the familiar stylist, picked up the Leech directing binder and followed Director Ahn Gabok. Kang Woojin, under the staff's guidance, headed to the actors' waiting room. Only Choi Seonggeon and a few of the team members remained behind.
Soon, Choi Seonggeon tied his ponytail back again.
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As he looked up at the mansion in front of him, he murmured quietly,
"At last, we're putting this on the table."
About an hour later.
Filming for Leech was just around the corner. The cameras, lighting, sound, props, actors, and everything else were almost ready, and Director Ahn Gabok was briefing the key staff he had gathered in advance.
"The schedule is tight again this time, so we'll need to move even faster."
They would have to shoot through the night or steal sleep in short naps whenever they could, and Director Ahn Gabok himself would need to start early editing while cutting back on sleep. It felt like opening the gates of hell.
He repeated the same explanation inside the tent where the actors were gathered.
Kang Woojin, Shim Hanho, Oh Heeryeong, Jin Jaejun, Han Sojin, and many other actors had already taken their places in the waiting area.
Woojin listened to Director Ahn Gabok's briefing with his usual indifferent expression.
'Ha, looks like we won't be finishing early today.'
He let out a quiet inward sigh.
'Well, nothing I can do about it. Everything's already in motion, and I have the void space, so I'll manage somehow.'
Before leaving the tent, Director Ahn Gabok checked the time.
"Let's head out and stand by in ten minutes."
His gaze moved back and forth between Shim Hanho, whose hair and beard had been neatly styled, and Kang Woojin. As he did, he remembered something Joseph Felton had said when they last spoke.
'There's a Korean actor I'm interested in.'
At the time, Director Ahn Gabok had been certain Joseph was talking about Shim Hanho.
Now, however, his thoughts had changed slightly.
'It might be Kang Woojin.'
That was because the audition tape Woojin had filmed for a Hollywood movie had recently become known. It was more than enough reason for a famous Hollywood producer to visit in person.
'Interesting. For a rookie actor to stand shoulder to shoulder with Shim Hanho...'
After taking one last look at Woojin, who remained perfectly composed, Director Ahn Gabok stepped out of the tent. The assistant director ran over. Lowering his voice, Director Ahn Gabok gave a brief instruction.
"Put out the standby call in five minutes."
"Yes, sir!"
Answering sharply, the assistant director ran off through the hundred or so staff members. A moment later, Director Ahn Gabok glanced down at his wristwatch and thought of the foreigners who were supposed to arrive.
"They should be here soon."
Meanwhile, the outdoor parking lot, which had been mostly empty earlier, was now packed with countless vans, minibuses, and mini-buses. Suddenly, a group of foreigners spilled out from two vans that had just pulled in.
Two of them stood out immediately.
One was a huge Black man.
The other was a blonde woman wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a mask.
Centered around those two, the foreign group slowly began walking toward the filming site.
They instantly drew the attention of every staff member who happened to see them.
"Who are those foreigners?"
"Did you see that blonde woman over there?"
"No. I can only see that giant Black guy."
"Did the Director specially call in some team?"
In any case, the foreign group reached the entrance to the mansion set as though they had arranged it in advance.
And at that moment, among the many actors present, one person stood out immediately in their eyes.
"..."
"..."
It was Kang Woojin, standing expressionlessly on the lawn.
At that exact moment—
Sensing their presence, Woojin suddenly turned his head and confirmed that they were foreigners.
"..."
His gaze met Joseph's and Kara's directly.