Chapter 16

Twist (1)

‘Why are the eyes of this square-jawed director suddenly getting moist?’

Inside the cafe, Kang Ujin, sitting by the window, appeared very calm on the surface. However, he was quite flustered looking at Director Shin Dongchun across from him.

‘Did I say something wrong? I didn’t push it that hard just now.’

Is this guy usually a bit sensitive? Kang Ujin’s reaction was mostly normal. After all, if the person you’re talking to suddenly gets teary-eyed, anyone would react that way. Especially when it’s a middle-aged man.

‘What should I do if this uncle starts crying? Should I maintain the act? No, why is he reacting like this in the first place?’

Kang Ujin struggled with these thoughts while maintaining his act. On the other hand, Director Shin Dongchun said,

“Thank you. Thank you, Ujin. Really.”

The atmosphere was getting increasingly warm. It felt like watching a touching movie. His eyes were also getting very moist, and it seemed like he could burst into tears at any moment.

How did it come to this?

Kang Ujin recalled the words he had spoken since coming to this cafe. But he hadn’t said anything particularly hurtful. In fact, the words that had moved Director Shin Dongchun were ‘affection’ and ‘attachment,’ but Kang Ujin was unaware of this. He also didn’t know about Director Shin Dongchun’s current life.

‘It’s getting worse. Should I stop it?’

Most importantly, Ujin wasn’t even particularly fond of ‘Private Eye.’ The word ‘attachment’ he chose was just a suitable term.

The background was simple.

Recently, apart from ‘Profiler Hanryang,’ he had put some effort into ‘Private Eye,’ so he thought ‘attachment’ was appropriate. It might be a bit over the top, but even with the act, he had to maintain some level of respect. ‘Attachment’ was a way to show a bit of style rather than just interest.

Well, it’s not like I’m lying, right?

After all, Ujin did have a slight interest in ‘Private Eye.’ Packaging that interest as attachment shouldn’t be a problem. But why are his eyes getting so moist?

Soon, Ujin cleared his throat subtly and spoke.

“Why are you like this?”

Then, Director Shin Dongchun, wiping his eyes slightly,

-Whoosh.

Calmly composed his emotions. He couldn’t act disgracefully in front of a man who showed affection or attachment to his work, an actor sitting right in front of him.

“...Kang Ujin.”

Then, Director Shin Dongchun asked Ujin with a slightly trembling voice.

“What part of ‘Private Eye’ do you... no, what part do you like?”

What part did you like? Ujin, though slightly annoyed, prioritized calming Director Shin Dongchun. The people in the cafe were starting to glance over.

‘I don’t know why he’s like this, but... praise. Yes, let’s give him some praise.’

Praise can make even a whale dance. Therefore, Ujin decided to list the good points about ‘Private Eye,’ maintaining his stern voice.

“First, the psychological changes of the main character, Kim Ryu-jin, were very detailed and well-done. At the beginning, he was indifferent, but...”

Ujin continued to praise ‘Private Eye’ calmly and meticulously, checking Director Shin Dongchun’s state. Shin Dongchun, who wrote the script, couldn’t experience ‘Private Eye’ directly. However, Kang Ujin had read through all of ‘Private Eye.’

Thus, the words Ujin spoke were incredibly detailed, a level of detail only someone with Ujin’s unique ability could achieve.

At this point,

“Oh.”

Director Shin Dongchun, with his eyes moist, was once again shocked and moved.

‘He knows it in such detail. It’s as if... he entered and came out of the world of ‘Private Eye.’’

This actor, Kang Ujin, had a precise understanding of every corner of ‘Private Eye.’

‘From the characters’ thoughts and psychology, the background of the work, the sets, even the weather. He even reminds me of parts I had forgotten. This must mean he has read my script dozens, no, more than that, times.’

It seemed he had already completed his analysis and even created character profiles. Soon, Director Shin Dongchun, staring intently at Kang Ujin, scolded himself.

‘Hey, Shin Dongchun. There’s an actor who shows such affection and attachment to ‘Private Eye.’’

Again, this was a misunderstanding.

‘Are you going to throw ‘Private Eye’ away just to do some laundry?’

Regardless, Director Shin Dongchun made a decision in his heart at this moment.

‘The acting shown in the film company is enough. With such meticulous analysis, there’s no need to worry more.’

‘I’m going to turn the tables on ‘Private Eye.’’

“I need to turn the tables.”

“...What?”

“Ujin.”

With a determined look on his face, Director Shin Dongchun slowly leaned towards Ujin. On the other hand, Kang Ujin, maintaining his poker face, subtly leaned back.

Then, Director Shin Dongchun spoke strongly.

“Please take the lead role in ‘Private Eye,’ the role of Kim Ryu-jin.”

Meanwhile, around Bukhansan.

People poured out of two yellow minibuses. About a dozen people. At first glance, they seemed like tourists, but they weren’t.

“You might find it a bit tough, but please thoroughly check the surroundings while climbing the mountain! If you find anything unusual, please report it to PD Song immediately!”

These were the key staff of the drama ‘Profiler Hanryang.’ The camera team, lighting team, and other team leaders. Of course, the overall leader, bearded PD Song Man-woo, was also there.

“Bring water bottles!”

“Yes, senior!”

The reason PD Song Man-woo came to Bukhansan on a Wednesday morning, at the end of a cold winter, was simple. He was scouting for outdoor shooting locations for ‘Profiler Hanryang.’ He needed to climb the mountain to confirm the shots for the first scene.

Then, PD Song Man-woo gave additional instructions to the assistant director, who was packing the equipment.

“Tell everyone the key points again, so they don’t get lost.”

“Understood, senior!”

At that moment,

-♬♪

The phone in PD Song Man-woo’s windbreaker rang. He naturally checked the caller and tilted his head.

“Hong Star?”

The caller was top actress Hong Hye-yeon. It was natural for her to call as the female lead of the drama, but the timing was an issue.

“Why is she calling this morning?”

PD Song Man-woo, slightly frowning, gestured for the assistant director to go ahead and then answered the call.

“Hey, Hong Star.”

Hong Hye-yeon laughed from the other end of the phone.

“PD, where are you?”

“I? I’m at Bukhansan.”

“Oh, you’re out scouting locations?”

“Yeah. But why are you calling this morning? Surely not because you’re curious about my schedule.”

“Um, it’s not that.”

Hong Hye-yeon, trailing off slightly, got to the point.

“Yesterday, at the Korean restaurant, when you went out to take a call, you were talking about Kang Ujin, right?”

“...Was I?”

“No, your expression was so stiff, I thought something had happened. Why? What did Ujin do?”

She was referring to the high-end Korean restaurant in Cheongdam-dong the previous day. PD Song Man-woo had gone out of the VIP room to take Director Shin Dongchun’s call.

“Oh, that.”

Suddenly, PD Song Man-woo stopped speaking. Then, Hong Hye-yeon urged him from the other end of the phone.

“Yeah, what was it?”

“...”

But for some reason, PD Song Man-woo didn’t continue. His head was spinning.

‘Come to think of it, when I returned to the room, Hong Star seemed to be about to ask about Kang Ujin, right?’

That wasn’t all. Top actress Hong Hye-yeon had shown a lot of interest in Kang Ujin ever since she first saw him on ‘Super Actor.’ At least, that’s how it looked to PD Song Man-woo.

Was it because she saw him as a man?

No, that was unlikely. The credible reason was acting. Hong Hye-yeon was very interested in Kang Ujin’s insane acting. The reason was simple. Despite being a top actress, she had a strong desire for acting. She felt something from Kang Ujin’s acting, whether it was admiration or longing.

This was why PD Song Man-woo respected Hong Hye-yeon.

Even as her value and status increased year by year, she always yearned for acting. At her level, she could live off ads for the rest of her life. But she always showed a desire to improve. She had actually grown over time.

‘To her, Kang Ujin must seem like an alien. She got where she is with the help of others, but Kang Ujin did it solo.’

Despite being self-taught, Kang Ujin had captivated PD Song Man-woo and writer Park Eun-mi. Naturally, Hong Hye-yeon was also captivated. Perhaps she had subconsciously felt something?

‘Excluding fame, does she think she’s inferior to Kang Ujin as an actor?’

Perhaps Hong Hye-yeon was feeling anxious. Maybe her jealousy was turning into a sense of urgency? Soon, PD Song Man-woo, stroking his beard, thought.

‘Hong Hye-yeon. If she wants it, she’ll do independent films or short films, regardless of her position, as long as it helps her acting.’

He recalled the ‘Private Eye’ script he had received from Director Shin Dongchun.

‘And there’s a good female character in ‘Private Eye.’ If I mix these situations well... it might turn out to be an interesting setup.’

By now, PD Song Man-woo was smirking. Then, Hong Hye-yeon’s voice came from the other end of the phone.

“PD? Are you there? Is the mountain signal bad? PD?”

PD Song Man-woo replied to her.

“Yeah, I couldn’t hear for a moment.”

He made a decision in his heart.

‘Why are big shots gathering around Kang Ujin? Well, let’s throw out a bait first.’

Of course, Kang Ujin was at the center of everything. He was the one who could captivate Director Shin Dongchun and Hong Hye-yeon. PD Song Man-woo’s mouth opened next.

“No, Kang Ujin went to see my close friend out of the blue. He was surprised, that’s all.”

“Your friend?”

“Yeah. Ah, Hong Star knows him, right? Shin Dongchun.”

“Oh, I know. Director Dongchun. I haven’t seen him recently because he’s making a movie.”

“Right. It seems Kang Ujin went to see him about a short film he’s directing.”

“What... suddenly? The script reading for the drama hasn’t even started yet?”

“I don’t know exactly. I need to check. But the situation with the short film is a bit strange.”

“Why?”

Hong Hye-yeon’s question came from the other end of the phone, but PD Song Man-woo, with a smile, avoided answering. He didn’t want to reduce her curiosity by telling her everything.

“Later. I’m busy now, Hong Star. Let’s hang up for now.”

“Wait a minute!”

“Huh?”

“That Director Dongchun. No, Director. Have you seen the script for the short film? What’s the title?”

“I’ve seen it. It’s pretty good. The title is ‘Private Eye.’”

“...”

PD Song Man-woo, ready to strike.

“Why? Are you curious about the script? Want to borrow it?”

Hong Hye-yeon immediately bit the bait.

“Ahem! If you lend it to me, I’ll read it.”

Ten minutes later, at Hong Hye-yeon’s house.

Her house in the Cheongdam-dong area was a perfect fit for the word ‘luxurious.’ The interior was a mix of black and white, and all the furniture was high-end.

Among them, Hong Hye-yeon was sitting on the living room sofa.

She was wearing black pajamas, and her long hair was neatly tied in a single braid. She was lost in thought, staring at something in the air.

“...”

Then, she turned her gaze to the phone in her hand, recalling the conversation with PD Song Man-woo ten minutes ago.

‘Suddenly making a short film?’

In other words, Hong Hye-yeon was also thinking about the unique Kang Ujin.

‘Why did he suddenly switch to a short film after joining a big project like ‘Profiler Hanryang’?’

Her curiosity and interest in Kang Ujin, the actor, were exploding. More accurately, she was deeply interested in his unique, god-like acting.

“I want to see that short film.”

She wasn’t just talking about the script. What she wanted to see was Kang Ujin himself, his acting with her own eyes. She needed to see his acting up close to truly feel his acting technique.

Hong Hye-yeon’s insatiable desire for acting was fully activated.

Then,

-Whoosh.

Hong Hye-yeon’s gaze moved from the phone to the table in front of her. On the table was a three-page side script she had received from ‘Super Actor’ in the past. In fact, she had been secretly practicing this side script.

But,

‘No matter how much I practice, I can’t match what Kang Ujin did.’

She couldn’t replicate it, no matter how many times she practiced over the past few days. Yet, Kang Ujin had shown his acting after just one minute of looking at the side script.

‘I don’t know about the past, but... he will eat up all the top actors once he gets famous. No doubt about it. I’m no exception.’

At that moment, a nameless frustration surged in Hong Hye-yeon.

“Damn. I don’t want to be inferior!”

At the same time,

-Ding dong♬♪

Someone pressed the doorbell of her house. It seemed someone was supposed to come. Hong Hye-yeon, still feeling frustrated, opened the front door, and a man wearing glasses without frames appeared from the shoe rack.

“I’m hungry, I’m so hungry. Hye-yeon, do you have anything to eat at home?”

The man, who called Hong Hye-yeon very familiarly, was the representative of her agency. However, it was a startup entertainment company. In fact, the only artist was Hong Hye-yeon, and the representative was someone who had cared for her since her debut. They had been together ever since.

While he was taking off his shoes,

“Brother.”

Hong Hye-yeon, with her arms crossed, made a direct request.

“There’s a short film called ‘Private Eye.’ Can you check the current situation?”

-Hesitation.

The representative raised an eyebrow at the word ‘short film.’

“A, a short film??”

“Yeah. Can you check it, or not?”

“What’s so hard about checking the situation of a short film? I’m just surprised you’re asking about a short film. You... aren’t thinking of doing a short film at this time, are you? No, right?”

Then, Hong Hye-yeon shrugged and answered nonchalantly.

“No. I’m just a bit curious, for now.”