Chapter 34

Master (6)

"Are you going to see Jeongmin's form...?"

When PD Song Man-woo with his goatee asked, Director Kwon Gi-taek on the other end of the phone replied with a laugh.

"Yes. I could just ask PD Song, but I have a personality that needs to see things for myself."

"By 'form,' do you mean the quality of acting?"

"Hmm, that's correct, but I want to see more than just acting. I want to look at the lines and the atmosphere as well. It's been quite a while since I worked with Ryu Jeongmin."

It wasn't uncommon for a director to visit the set to gauge an actor's current skills. Even a big name like Master Kwon Gi-taek sometimes did this. However, PD Song Man-woo found it a bit odd that he was going to see top actor Ryu Jeongmin.

'At Jeongmin's level, there's no need to check, right?'

His acting skills had already been proven through numerous works and experience. Occasionally, actors might take it personally, so top-tier actors were usually checked discreetly by a casting director. Despite this, Director Kwon Gi-taek was coming in person.

At this point, PD Song Man-woo got a sense of Director Kwon Gi-taek's personality.

'He's thorough and stubborn. More importantly, he values skill over name value.'

At that moment,

'Ah.'

The image of the stoic Kang Woo-jin flashed through PD Song Man-woo's mind, and he smiled slightly.

'If that's the case, he can't ignore that oddball monster.'

Back at the large shop in Cheongdam-dong, 3rd floor.

The Kang Woo-jin in the mirror was a completely different person. He had been upgraded to that extent. Soon, Woo-jin let out a gasp.

Of course, it was in his head.

'Wow, is this for real? Can a person change this much?? Is this what models in magazines look like?'

At this moment, the blonde designer started touching Woo-jin's hair and began explaining.

"Mr. Woo-jin has thick hair. With a good head shape, any style will look good. Today, we went for a clean look for the profile photos."

However, Kang Woo-jin, who was used to just saying "trim it," let the designer's words go in one ear and out the other.

In situations like this, being cynical is the best.

"Yes, that's good."

"The sides were a bit ambiguous, so I went with a down perm. The bangs and top can be styled like this. If you get bored, you can do this. Got it?"

"I understand."

No, he didn't understand at all. Regardless, the designer focused on Woo-jin's voice.

"Oh, the new actor has a very cynical tone of voice. Is that how you usually are?"

No, it's just a concept. Kang Woo-jin checked his finished look in the mirror again. He had a clean, short haircut with slightly raised bangs, revealing his forehead.

'I thought only magazine models would have such a look.'

Upon closer inspection, he found himself not too bad, and he smiled inwardly. The designer then removed the cloth around Woo-jin.

"Mr. Woo-jin has a good face, so even a slight change makes a big difference. Now, I'll do some makeup touch-ups."

At that moment, Woo-jin felt a wave of fatigue, but with many eyes watching, he had to show a professional demeanor.

"Thank you."

The designer, who had been gathering makeup products from behind, suddenly clapped her hands.

"Oh, and Mr. Choi, the CEO, said to try on this suit."

She handed something to Kang Woo-jin. It was a suit cover with a luxury brand logo.

"Is it a suit? You said you're taking profile photos. Oh, there are shoes too."

Woo-jin looked around at the suit cover and shoe box placed next to the chair. The CEO with the ponytail was nowhere to be seen. The designer, who approached again, smiled.

"Mr. Choi is probably in the lobby on the 1st floor. I'll check the suit color. We need to match it with your skin tone."

The blonde designer was a professional. She efficiently handled everything, and Woo-jin just had to sit there. After a brief look at the suit inside the cover, she nodded.

"Hmm—navy. The suit is beautiful. Okay, shall we start?"

About 40 minutes later, in the 1st floor lobby of the shop.

As expected, the 1st floor lobby of a large shop in Cheongdam-dong was spacious. There were many staff members. On one side of the lobby was a waiting area with white sofas, and there, the ponytailed Choi Sung-geun was visible.

*Flip.*

Choi Sung-geun was sitting with his legs crossed, reading a magazine. The interesting part was that,

"Hey, why are you taking so long?"

Across from Choi Sung-geun, Hong Hye-yeon was also sitting on the sofa. She seemed to have a schedule soon, as she had a full makeup and slight waves in her long hair. Her beauty was evident, and Choi Sung-geun, who was focused on the magazine, gave a casual response.

"Are you an amateur? This is basic. Why are you whining? When PD Song called earlier, I thought you were coming. If you're busy, just go."

"Wow, look at you. Just because you're the second lead, you're treating me like cold leftovers? Am I going to transfer?"

"Do it, do it. How many years have you been threatening? Phew—Since I told Woo-jin to try on a suit, it might take a bit longer."

Hong Hye-yeon pouted.

"But is the suit custom-made? Are you already cutting costs?"

"Ha—It's so annoying. I just brought one quickly for today's profile photos."

"Whatever."

Hong Hye-yeon, who had been crossing her arms, suddenly changed the subject.

"So, that oddball criticized Director Oh Hyun-gu?"

"Yeah. Honestly, I still don't understand. Criticizing Director Oh Hyun-gu based on some feeling or intuition... Forget it, forget it. You and Woo-jin are both oddballs. Woo-jin is several times more intense."

"What? Anyway, I agree. Director Oh Hyun-gu is a bit of a pervert."

Hong Hye-yeon pursed her lips.

'After joining a major drama, he chose a short film called 'Detective Agency.' It seems he has a clear vision of his own work. Actually, 'Detective Agency' was good.'

Having seen Kang Woo-jin from the beginning, she could understand a little.

'It's impossible to align everything in reality, but having a clear vision is a strength. Still, criticizing Director Oh Hyun-gu based on some feeling was a crazy move.'

At that moment,

*Ping!*

The elevator at the end of the lobby opened on the 1st floor. Inside stood a man in a perfectly fitting navy suit.

*Thud thud.*

He walked slowly through the lobby, making a clear sound with his shoes. A few female staff members glanced at him as he passed. Regardless, the man looked around the 1st floor lobby and then,

"Ah."

He spotted Choi Sung-geun on the sofa and immediately moved towards him. The man, standing behind the sofa where Hong Hye-yeon was sitting, called out in a low voice.

"Mr. CEO."

The ponytailed Choi Sung-geun, who had been reading a magazine, suddenly looked up. He saw the man.

"Oh—Who's this? Wow, you look great. I told you, didn't I? Woo-jin, you have a good look. With a suit and some makeup, your face really stands out, comes alive."

The man in the suit was Kang Woo-jin. Woo-jin's expression was indifferent, but he was smiling inwardly.

'Praise feels good. The designer also said I look good. Hmm—It feels nice.'

Meanwhile, Choi Sung-geun, who was getting up from the sofa, gave a thumbs up.

"Perfect actor look, perfect actor look."

Hong Hye-yeon, who had been leaning on the sofa, turned her head back, and the man standing behind her, Kang Woo-jin, looked down. Soon, their eyes met. Woo-jin's reaction was faster.

He was surprised inwardly.

'Wow? Ms. Hong Hye-yeon is here?? Cr—She looks stunning as always.'

Outwardly, he remained composed.

"You're here."

However,

"......"

Hong Hye-yeon didn't say anything. She just stared at Kang Woo-jin intently, with a slightly dazed expression. At this moment, the female staff members who had initially guided Woo-jin gathered around him.

"Oh my, amazing!"

"The hair really suits you. You look completely upgraded!"

"Indeed, you have the look of an actor. You're handsome, but there's a certain weight to your presence. Is it the atmosphere?"

While the praise included some flattery, it was mostly genuine. The praise made Kang Woo-jin feel awkward, even very embarrassed. However, to maintain his tough image, he had to remain composed.

"Thanks to the designer's skill."

Meanwhile, Hong Hye-yeon, who had turned her body, continued to stare at Kang Woo-jin intently. She still didn't say anything. Seeing this, Choi Sung-geun patted her shoulder.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Hong Hye-yeon, suddenly coming to her senses, gave a small cough and picked up a magazine nearby.

"Um! Well, better than usual."

Behind her, Woo-jin's low voice was heard.

"Thank you."

However, Hong Hye-yeon just flipped through the magazine without responding. Inwardly, she was highly agitated.

'What, not bad? I didn't even realize I was staring.'

After that,

Time flew by. Of course, this was from Kang Woo-jin's perspective. Somehow, they finished taking the profile photos. At first, Woo-jin's body was a bit stiff, but by letting go and focusing on the task, he managed to take on various poses.

This way, Kang Woo-jin was uploaded to the bw Entertainment website.

Naturally, the external profile was also completed. Currently, his filmography only had two entries, but Kang Woo-jin was still moved.

'My profile is really up.'

It felt different from the resume he had used for job hunting. It wasn't stiff at all, and it just exuded Kang Woo-jin's coolness.

'The resume always made me feel a bit disappointed.'

Just that was enough for Kang Woo-jin to be satisfied.

Meanwhile, the internet was buzzing with various news. Amid the flood of promotions, two topics stood out.

One was 'Profiler Hanryang.'

[Issue Check] The most anticipated work of the first half, 'Profiler Hanryang,' confirms its first shoot on the 25th!

With the first shoot confirmed, the amount of promotion increased. Not just drama promotions, but also the daily lives of the top actors were being spread through social media.

The news about Director Oh Hyun-gu's next work was also hot.

['Master Director Oh Hyun-gu' and the film company's insider: "There will be many top actors in this work"]

With many top actors being mentioned, the film industry media was actively writing articles. Amid the chaos, the weekend quickly passed, and Monday arrived again. The date was the 23rd, meaning there were only two days left until the first shoot of 'Profiler Hanryang' on the 25th.

Meanwhile, at that time,

Three elderly men gathered in a high-end Chinese restaurant.

It was around lunchtime, and the three elderly men in the VIP room were enjoying dishes like jajangmyeon, tangsuyuk, and gganpponggi. One of them was a familiar face. Director Oh Hyun-gu, with white hair in his eyebrows, was a master director. He picked up a piece of gganpponggi from the center of the round table.

*Slide.*

He spoke to the two elderly men sitting in front of him.

"I'm going into a new project, so I won't be able to come to these gatherings for a while."

The man with glasses perched on the tip of his nose responded quickly. He was also a director, named Lee Gil-ju. While not a master, he had a solid filmography.

"Ha-ha, yes, yes. The news about you going into a new project has been flooding in. Take it easy, my friend. They've already started building the set, haven't they?"

The next to speak was a man with a potbelly. Director Kwon Gi-taek, a master director, who had recently made a sudden call to PD Song Man-woo.

"I'm also preparing, so you'll see me next year."

Director Kwon Gi-taek's voice was gentle. Regardless, the three of them seemed to meet often and were very close. At this moment, Director Oh Hyun-gu frowned and continued.

"Recently, I had a very absurd experience. An unknown guy criticized my audition."

Director Lee Gil-ju, who was stirring his jajangmyeon, smiled.

"Ha-ha, that guy is crazy. He criticized the great Director Oh Hyun-gu's audition?"

"He's a cheeky one. Where does an unknown guy get the nerve to criticize like that? He should at least come and talk to me politely."

"You're right. I see what you mean. Times may change, but some things need to be respected. So, what's this unknown guy's name?"

"Kang Woo-jin. He seems to be preparing to act recently. If he comes to your set, just turn him away. A guy who lacks basic manners shouldn't become famous, even if he's a good actor."

Director Kwon Gi-taek, with a potbelly, asked in a low voice.

"Is there some reason behind this? Honestly, I believe that as long as an actor is good, it's fine."

Director Oh Hyun-gu, suddenly getting agitated.

"Hey! This guy! Such a guy needs to be stomped out from the start! He'll ruin the set!"

"So? Are you going to badmouth Kang Woo-jin to fellow directors? That's a small-minded approach."

"......Hey, Kwon Gi-taek. Your tone is a bit off, isn't it?"

As the atmosphere turned hostile, Director Lee Gil-ju stepped in to mediate.

"Come on, let's finish eating. I need to use the restroom."

Soon, Director Lee Gil-ju, who had picked up his phone, left the VIP room. The room quickly fell silent. Directors Oh Hyun-gu and Kwon Gi-taek just ate in silence.

After about 5 minutes,

Director Lee Gil-ju returned from the restroom. What was strange was that his expression was a bit odd, almost urgent. He immediately picked up his coat from the back of the chair.

"Um, I have an urgent matter. I need to go first."

Director Oh Hyun-gu, tilting his head, asked.

"Already? What's the rush?"

"Ah—Well, see you later."

Director Lee Gil-ju, after a brief farewell, leaned in to whisper something to Director Kwon Gi-taek. Director Oh Hyun-gu, finding this