Chapter 14

Short Film (3)

The short film 'Detective Agency' was a 45-minute movie, which was quite long for a short film. It tells the story of a man who runs a detective agency on his own and barely gets by, when a sudden incident occurs. The man's name is Kim Ryu-jin.

One day, a man in his 40s comes to Kim Ryu-jin as a client.

His request is to confirm whether his wife is having an affair. Infidelity cases are something Kim Ryu-jin often deals with, so he accepts the request without much hesitation.

The next day, Kim Ryu-jin immediately begins observing the client's wife.

The husband, as requested by Kim Ryu-jin, leaves home on a business trip, and the wife goes out as soon as he leaves. As expected, the wife meets a man at a subway station. He looks smart. Up to this point, it was just a matter of suspicion.

While observing, Kim Ryu-jin thinks.

So, he takes several dozen photos. Unaware of this, the wife and the man get into the same car and head to a secluded cottage in Gangwon Province. Kim Ryu-jin parks his car on the side of the road in front of the cottage and uses a telescope to look inside.

Fortunately, the living room is clearly visible through a large window.

For the rest of the afternoon, nothing much happens. The wife and the man spend time together like a married couple, having conversations, drinking tea, and watching TV. At this point, the smell of infidelity is strong.

The incident occurs in the late afternoon.

The wife and the man are having a quiet dinner. That's all. There are no signs of anything unusual. Suddenly, the man buries his nose in the soup bowl. He's not drinking the soup through his nose. It's a sudden and strange change. Kim Ryu-jin, watching this, is a bit flustered. What's going on? Could he be dead?

As Kim Ryu-jin ponders various possibilities,

The wife, who has been poking the man with his nose in the soup bowl, makes a phone call. Then a muscular man appears. The wife and the muscular man drag the motionless man to the car and drive off somewhere.

What's happening? What just happened?

Kim Ryu-jin is very confused. He just accepted a job, but now he's witnessing a murder scene. Instinctively, he approaches the cottage and looks inside. He confirms that a window is open and cautiously enters the cottage.

Five minutes later, Kim Ryu-jin discovers a door leading to the basement.

Slowly, he descends the stairs to the basement. There's an iron door at the bottom, which is open. Kim Ryu-jin peeks through the gap and sees a man lying on the floor, trembling slightly.

He's alive. The man is alive.

With widened eyes, Kim Ryu-jin quickly enters the basement and shakes the man. However, his condition is poor. His pupils are dilated, and he is weak.

At that moment,

A sound is heard from upstairs. It turns out that the wife and the muscular man have returned. Realizing this, Kim Ryu-jin hides behind a pile of broken furniture in a corner of the basement.

From this point on, Kim Ryu-jin becomes a fugitive inside the cottage.

This is the tension, thrill, and twist of the short film 'Detective Agency.' For the protagonist Kim Ryu-jin, the cottage feels like a hell.

Of course, Kang Woo-jin had already felt this hell. Or rather, only he could. He had entered and left the world of 'Detective Agency.' He had experienced it firsthand.

-[4/Script (Title: Detective Agency), B-grade]

-[*This is a highly complete movie script. 100% reading is possible.]

Become the protagonist Kim Ryu-jin.

[“‘A: Kim Ryu-jin’ reading preparation...”]

[“...Preparation complete. This is a highly complete script. The realization rate is 100%. Reading begins.”]

The scene starts inside an old, worn-out car. As soon as Kang Woo-jin realizes this, various sensations hit him. The car seat against his back, the musty air mixed with the smell of cigarettes, the breath visible in the cold, and the view of the parking lot through the front window.

And.

-♬♪

A loud trot song blares from the car audio. The volume is too high. When Kang Woo-jin turns it down, the client's husband sitting in the passenger seat speaks, his eyes full of anger.

"Can you kill those bitches? How much does it cost to kill them?"

Kang Woo-jin answers indifferently.

"500 million won each."

"Expensive."

"It's a joke, man. I wouldn't do that."

"Can't you give a discount? Like a telecom or credit card discount?"

"Hey, are you listening? Do I look like someone who makes pizzas or burgers?"

"You make meat, human meat."

"I won't kill, man. Get a grip."

Behind the cruel and witty dialogue, Kang Woo-jin accepts the job. Suddenly, he is desperately trying to erase traces and hide frantically in the cottage. When Woo-jin returns to the one-room apartment, Kim Ryu-jin from 'Detective Agency' is already firmly imprinted in his mind, along with the actual experience of the tense and thrilling moments inside the cottage.

Next, Kang Woo-jin visits Blue Vision Film Company.

He had to put on a tough and showy attitude, as is common in the entertainment industry. Still, he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous, as he had visited without any prior contact. What if they turn him away, saying he's a lunatic?

What can I do? I'll just go home. There are other short films out there.

He wasn't too serious about it. But the man with the square jaw who greeted him inside Blue Vision Film Company was strange. He immediately acted as if he knew Kang Woo-jin.

"You were supposed to come at 3, but you're a bit late."

But you've never contacted me. So, Kang Woo-jin asked, "Are you talking to me?" Regardless, the man with the square jaw led him into the film company.

Sure, if you say so.

What was interesting was the way the man with the square jaw treated Kang Woo-jin. He was friendly but not very polite. Regardless, Kang Woo-jin entered the shabby film company office and sat down when the man with the square jaw told him to.

At the same time, the man with the square jaw said to Kang Woo-jin,

"Since we're waiting for Mr. Park, shall we see some acting? You did prepare, right? You didn't just come to show your face, did you?"

Mr. Park? At this moment, Kang Woo-jin had a hunch.

'This uncle seems to be mistaking me for someone else.'

The man with the square jaw was clearly confusing Kang Woo-jin with someone else. His words and actions made it clear. He even asked Kang Woo-jin to act. Is he a film company staff member? Kang Woo-jin thought for a moment but decided,

'What does it matter?'

He quickly made up his mind because his desire and the current situation aligned. He could explain the truth after the acting.

So, Kang Woo-jin casually showed the deeply imprinted Kim Ryu-jin he had experienced.

He tried to act lightly, but recent role readings had made his emotions a bit intense. He had recently realized that he could control the intensity of his acting. With more experience, he would become even more flexible.

Anyway,

“······??”

When Kang Woo-jin's acting ended, the man with the square jaw's eyes were wide open, almost popping out. Kang Woo-jin ended it appropriately.

"That's it."

A satisfied and solemn voice came out. Yes, good. This concept is getting better. However, the man with the square jaw just stared at Kang Woo-jin without any reaction. After a few dozen seconds, he finally spoke.

"Um, how long were you at GGO Entertainment?"

As soon as he finished speaking,

-Clank!

The iron door of the film company opened, and a fat man appeared.

"Ha-ha-ha, Director Shin! I'm a bit late!"

His voice is incredibly loud. The fat man is very jovial. At least, that's how Kang Woo-jin sees it. Seeing him, Kang Woo-jin realized,

'This chunky uncle was supposed to come here.'

Behind him were a young man and woman. They must have been confused with him. The fat man pointed at the expressionless Kang Woo-jin and asked,

"Who is this person? An actor?"

The man with the square jaw added a question to Kang Woo-jin.

"Mr. Park doesn't know you?"

Finally, the moment had come. Kang Woo-jin maintained a poker face and calmly answered,

"My name is Kang Woo-jin."

He wasn't at fault. The misunderstanding was on their part. What was interesting was that the man with the square jaw frowned when he heard Kang Woo-jin's name.

"Kang... Woo-jin?"

It was as if he had heard the name Kang Woo-jin somewhere before. The fat man, looking a bit annoyed, interjected.

"Director, what should we do? Should we keep standing here??"

His tone implied that he was late but the appointment was originally his. On the other hand, Kang Woo-jin thought,

'So this uncle is the director?'

From the word 'director,' Kang Woo-jin was sure that the man with the square jaw was the director of 'Detective Agency.' The square-jawed director answered the fat man with a bit of anger.

"No! Mr. Park, it was a 3 o'clock appointment, and it's now—"

At that moment,

-Clank.

Kang Woo-jin stood up indifferently.

"I'll go first."

He felt a bit annoyed by the escalating situation. It seemed like things might get heated. He had already shown his acting. Besides, the young man and woman standing behind the fat man were also on his mind.

'Looks like the lead and supporting roles were already decided.'

As Kim Dae-young said, short films usually have their lead and supporting roles already set. Kang Woo-jin thought this was a bit disappointing.

'If it's not a lead or supporting role, it's a bit ambiguous.'

Since 'Detective Agency' was a small short film, the role itself was less important than the experience as an actor. Was it necessary to go below a supporting role? Despite feeling a bit disappointed, Kang Woo-jin let it go. He could always find another script.

Then,

-Swoosh.

"Alright."

Kang Woo-jin politely said goodbye and left the film company without hesitation. Of course, the bearded director, or rather, Director Shin Dong-chun, tried to stop him.

"Hey, wait a moment."

But Kang Woo-jin was already gone. At this moment, the man called Mr. Park brought the young man and woman to Director Shin Dong-chun.

"I'm sorry for being late. Ha-ha, but please look at the kids' faces. They're in good condition, right?"

At this moment,

"Ah!"

Director Shin Dong-chun, who was looking at the faces of the newcomers, suddenly remembered something. The brother he met yesterday.

'But the one I want to recommend isn't one of those top stars, but someone else.'

The words of PD Song Man-woo.

'The one we cast in our drama. It was hard to get him. His name is Kang Woo-jin, and he's a recent newcomer, so you probably don't know him.'

Kang Woo-jin. It was definitely the same name as the person who left just now. Soon, Director Shin Dong-chun, frowning, muttered to himself.

"Could it be... the same person?"

About an hour later, in a high-end Korean restaurant in Cheongdam-dong.

In a spacious VIP room with miniature trees placed around, many people were visible. On the window side were PD Song Man-woo, writer-producer Park Eun-mi, and three others, a total of five people. On the opposite side were four well-known actors.

These people, whose fees are astronomical, had gathered for a simple reason.

They were having their first dinner with the main actors confirmed for the drama 'Profiler Han Ryang.' Of course, only the lead actors were present. At such gatherings, they usually exchange glances and discuss the production before the script reading.

Even if the actors know each other personally, the professional and personal aspects are different.

Regardless, PD Song Man-woo, holding a water glass, looked at the actors in front of him and smiled contentedly.

"Ha-ha, it's reassuring to see you all gathered here. It's a great view, a great view."

The actor who reacted the fastest was Hong Hye-yeon, with her long, flowing hair.

"Hey—"

She smiled at PD Song Man-woo and Writer Park Eun-mi on the opposite side.

"Isn't it more impressive on your side?? I'm not sure if we can even sit here."

"Isn't that a bit excessive flattery?"

"Isn't it similar to what I think, too?"

When Hong Hye-yeon asked the surrounding actors, they also smiled and agreed with her. At this moment, PD Song Man-woo's phone rang.

-♬♪

The phone, placed next to the water glass, was set to silent by PD Song Man-woo.

-Swoosh.

He picked up the phone. Seeing the caller was his close friend, Director Shin Dong-chun, who he met yesterday, he wondered why he was calling. Slightly tilting his head, he answered the phone.

"Hey, Dong-chun. I'm in a meeting right now. I'll call you back later."

"Brother."

However, PD Song Man-woo's words were cut off by Director Shin Dong-chun on the other end of the phone.

"Did you talk about it?"

"About what?"

"The actor Kang Woo-jin you talked about while eating tteokbokki yesterday. Is he over 180 cm tall, with a strong presence and a cynical vibe? His voice is also a bit low."

"······How do you know that?"

"Did you talk to him about my movie?"

"Of course not. Why would I?"

"But how did he know to come to you?"

"Who?"

"The actor Kang Woo-jin."

"He came to you? Kang Woo-jin?"

When the name Kang Woo-jin was mentioned, a few people around PD Song Man-woo reacted. Writer Park Eun-mi and Hong Hye-yeon on the opposite side clearly looked at PD Song Man-woo.

Regardless, PD Song Man-woo's face slightly crumpled.

"······"

How did Kang Woo-jin know to come there? It was too sudden.

'Did he know I know Dong-chun? No, that's impossible.'

PD Song Man-woo met Director Shin Dong-chun yesterday. Moreover, his encounter with Kang Woo-jin was recent. What was going on?

With his thoughts in a jumble, PD Song Man-woo stood up and spoke into the phone.

"Hey, I didn't say anything. He's a bit unpredictable. Wait a moment."

Leaving the VIP room, PD Song Man-woo continued speaking to Director Shin Dong-chun on the other end of the phone.

"So, what did Kang Woo-jin do when he came to you?"

"Acting."

"What?"

"Brother, what kind of acting did he do?"

Without any context, Director Shin Dong-chun asked abruptly. If it were someone else, they might have asked for an explanation, but PD Song Man-woo, who had deeply experienced Kang Woo-jin, immediately understood.

This guy turned things around there too.

Soon, PD Song Man-woo smiled slightly.

"What did you think of his acting?"

"···It was as if he was the character I wrote."

"He nailed it. His acting was even more vivid."

"I was stunned. It was the first time I was speechless watching an actor's performance."

"Right. When you see Kang Woo-jin's acting, you usually end up like that. If he learned it through self-study, I wouldn't believe it."

"Really??"

In response, PD Song Man-woo lowered his voice.

"He came to you on his own— Hey, Dong-chun. I'm not sure about the situation, and I need to contact Woo-jin, but I'll tell you one thing."

"What is it?"

"I told you I had a hard time getting Kang Woo-jin, even raising his fee. Writer Park was also impressed. He was the kind of actor I would hold his hand and ask to do the drama with me."

"······What, what are you saying? I've never seen him before. He's an unknown, right? But you and Writer Park said that??"

"Right. Me and Writer Park. It's a long story to explain. That's why I wanted to introduce him to you. But out of the blue, Kang Woo-jin came to you himself?"

"Right."

Then, PD Song Man-woo, recalling Kang Woo-jin's face, chuckled.

"The phoenix flew to you on its own. Are you really going to let this opportunity slip away?"

────────────────────────────────────

────────────────────────────────────