Chapter 48

<Outburst (6)>

Suddenly, a chase broke out in a quiet park. Kang Woojin was the runner, and his awakened close friends were the pursuers. Both sides ran like mad. The ferocity of the pursuers seemed to pierce the sky.

“Hey!! Kang Woojin!! Stop right there! What?!!”

“Bitch! Stop! Stop!”

“Crazy bastard!! Hey!!”

They were like wild animals that had lost their minds, except for not drooling. Kang Woojin, who was running, increased his speed.

Therefore.

- Thud!

The ten-step gap between the mindless pursuers and the fleeing Kang Woojin did not narrow. The citizens out for a walk glanced at the four of them running around as if they were crazy.

It was understandable.

On a weekend afternoon, seeing robust men lose their minds and run around was quite a sight.

After about three minutes.

“Cough... Hey! Cough- Stop running! Hey, Kang Woojin!”

“Crazy bastard, cough! You’re so fast.”

“Shit! Hey! Stop for a moment! Cough!”

Gradually, the three crazy pursuers began to pant. The first to drop out was the chubby Lee Kyung-seong.

“...Cough-”

He slowed down and eventually stopped, supporting himself with his hands on his knees.

“Shit... I’m gonna throw up. Ugh!”

The next to drop out after Lee Kyung-seong was.

“Cough- Ugh- That crazy Kang Woojin kid.”

It was Na Hyung-gu, who had a parasitic older brother vibe. He also stopped, looked up at the sky, and tried to catch his breath. With two pursuers out, only one remained.

“Cough- Hey! Woojin!”

It was the robust Kim Daeyoung. Indeed, his robust build was not just for show; he was more athletic than the two friends who had dropped out.

Of course.

“Huff! Huff!”

Kang Woojin, who was still running, continued to breathe systematically and steadily. Thanks to this,

“Hey! Cough! Got it! Don’t run! Kang Woojin, let’s talk!”

Kim Daeyoung slowed down and called out to Kang Woojin, who was ahead. Woojin only turned his head to respond.

“Stop first!”

“Yeah! Got it!”

Kim Daeyoung put his hands on his waist and stopped running. Seeing this, Kang Woojin also slowed down. The two friends who had dropped out earlier were sitting on the ground, resting.

Then, Kang Woojin, who was catching his breath, called out to Kim Daeyoung.

“Why are you chasing me like a wild boar?!”

“Of course, I have to chase you! Shit, you appeared on the big screen as an actor!”

“But why do you look like you want to kill me?!”

“Why did you run away?!”

“You bastard! Look at your size! Of course, I ran!”

The two, who were bickering, paused their conversation for a moment. Meanwhile, the two friends who had been sitting on the ground joined Kim Daeyoung. In the midst of this, Kang Woojin, taking a deep breath, said,

“Hey, I’ll explain everything, so calm down. You’re scaring me.”

Kang Woojin looked around. He saw a cluster of wooden benches nearby and pointed at them with his finger.

“Let’s sit down.”

The three close friends also seemed to agree and moved their feet.

- Swoosh.

Kang Woojin arrived at the bench first. His friends were approaching. However, retribution was necessary. The robust Kim Daeyoung put Kang Woojin in a headlock first, and Lee Kyung-seong jabbed Woojin’s side. Na Hyung-gu grabbed his collar and shook him.

It was a retaliation for the shock they had experienced.

After about three minutes, the friends finally let go of Kang Woojin, who was almost a rag. He fell onto the bench, and Kim Daeyoung, sitting next to him, sighed deeply and asked,

“So? Crazy bastard, explain.”

Lee Kyung-seong and Na Hyung-gu also sat on the adjacent bench and nodded. Soon, Kang Woojin, rubbing his neck and side, muttered,

“First, the main character in the movie you saw, that’s me.”

“...Shit. It’s even more unbelievable to hear it from you.”

“I’m starting to find it a bit amazing? It’s like the main character from that movie is moving right in front of me.”

“You’re the same person, idiot.”

Here, Kim Daeyoung, who had been wiping his face, asked Woojin,

“Why, how long have you been unemployed? Suddenly acting? And even making a movie, even if it’s a short film? Does that make sense in reality?”

No, it doesn’t make sense. Kang Woojin admitted this to himself. No matter what, he couldn’t explain everything to his friends in detail, such as the concept, the hidden world, or the overall situation in the entertainment industry. After all, his friends had no plans to enter the entertainment industry.

So, Kang Woojin only needed to say what was necessary.

“What? It’s a bit complicated, but to cut a long story short, I found out I can act well.”

“...?”

“What kind of bullshit is that?”

“This kid needs more beating.”

To his friends, who were thoroughly confused, Woojin added an explanation. He focused his gaze on the robust Kim Daeyoung.

“The first time I realized I had a talent for acting was at the ‘Super Actor’ audition I went to with you, Kim Daeyoung. I felt like I had some talent for acting. So, I started to take an interest in scripts and scenarios. After that, you know what happened.”

“You lent me the ‘Private Investigator’ script.”

“Yeah. I read it and found it interesting. I practiced a bit and then went to the audition. The director said I did well and asked me to do the movie, so I did it.”

Kang Woojin pointed behind him with his thumb.

“That movie was shown as the main feature at today’s film festival. That’s it.”

“...”

Silence fell among the close friends. They just stared at Kang Woojin blankly. However, Kang Woojin remained calm. He hadn’t lied, except for the things he couldn’t say. Then, the chubby Lee Kyung-seong spoke again.

“...Does that make sense? Shit, kid?”

“It’s right in front of you. But it’s true.”

Kim Daeyoung, who knew more about acting than Kang Woojin, interjected.

“A guy who’s only done design his whole life... managed to act that well in just a few months?”

“Yeah, I could.”

“Don’t lie. Have you been secretly practicing acting for over a decade without us knowing?”

Na Hyung-gu also chimed in.

“Hey, Kang Woojin, that’s not just talent, it’s fraud.”

Ah, fair enough. The hidden world is indeed a fraud. Anyway, the three friends, who had heard the explanation, seemed to have a hard time accepting it for a few minutes. But they eventually digested it. After all, the result was there, and Woojin’s explanation was the only one that made sense. Soon, Kang Woojin scanned his still confused friends.

“Anyway, I went through a rock and roll story to get here. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you. I was also overwhelmed.”

“So, were you busy with filming all this time?”

“Yeah, I was really busy.”

Kim Daeyoung, scratching his head, understood.

“Well, filming is intense. But, I never thought I’d be saying this to you... So, are you going to continue acting?”

“Maybe I will.”

“...But, Kang Woojin, you really can act. I was surprised when I saw ‘Private Investigator’.”

Kang Woojin said the most important thing.

“Keep this to yourselves. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t brag about it. If you do, it’s a death sentence.”

Honestly, it didn’t matter right now, but Woojin didn’t want any trouble. His friends nodded, wondering why he was saying such an obvious thing.

Right then.

“So, Kang Woojin, are you close with Hong Hye-yeon?”

Na Hyung-gu asked very seriously. The other friends followed up.

“Ah! That’s right. Hong Hye-yeon was a shock. Hey, Hong Hye-yeon is hugging you from behind?? So envious.”

“Do you have normal conversations with Hong Hye-yeon?”

Huh. Woojin, who was smiling slightly, laughed as if it was ridiculous.

“I have Hong Hye-yeon’s number.”

“Ooooh!”

“Wow, shit. Hey, call her.”

“Let me hear her voice once!”

Amidst the excitement of the typical 20-something men, Kim Daeyoung, who had suddenly become serious, changed the subject.

“Hey, Kang Woojin, have you decided on your next project?”

“Ah, yeah. It’s a drama. But I can’t tell you the details. It’s still a secret.”

This was also true. Kang Woojin’s role in ‘Profiler Hanryang’ was still confidential. The excitement spread among the friends again, and Kim Daeyoung asked,

“...A drama? Really? A public broadcast? When does filming start?”

Kang Woojin answered casually.

“No, the first episode is airing soon.”

The eyes of the three friends widened again.

Meanwhile,

On the weekend, the ‘Mijangsen Film Festival,’ which was packed with many people, saw a surge in buzz compared to the previous day, which was a weekday. It was quiet in the morning and afternoon, but by the afternoon, articles started pouring in as if they had been waiting.

[‘Film Festival’ Rotation Changes Movie at ‘Mijangsen Film Festival,’ First Movie ‘Private Investigator’ Features Hong Hye-yeon!]

[‘Mijangsen Film Festival’ Top Actor Hong Hye-yeon Followed by Park Jeong-hyuk, Who Started from the Bottom... Unexpected Lineup]

Of course, the names of Hong Hye-yeon and Park Jeong-hyuk appeared frequently. Thanks to the value of top actors, the promotion of the ‘Mijangsen Film Festival’ naturally increased.

However, most of the public were more interested in the top actors.

[‘Issue Talk’ Hong Hye-yeon in a Short Film? ‘Mijangsen Film Festival’ Audiences Stunned]

Park Jeong-hyuk, who had caused controversy in the past, was also