Chapter 49

< Outlier (7) >

The 'Private Eye' captivated the eyes of many big shots with the appearance of Kang Woojin. The tension reached its peak when the setting shifted to a villa.

-Swish.

The sound quality was impressively realistic. The combination of the scene and the sound made the villa on screen seem eerily desolate. The tense expression of Kim Ryu-jin, who appeared in that shot, added to the chill. The dozens of directors watching couldn't help but swallow their saliva.

At that moment.

[“Oof.”]

In the midst of the heightened atmosphere, Kim Ryu-jin stumbled clumsily on screen. This clumsy movement reduced the tension for the big-shot audience; in fact, about half of them chuckled. Of course, there were also those who were impressed by Kang Woojin's acting.

In this way, 'Private Eye' gradually led the audience into a world of sound-induced fear.

At the forefront was Kim Ryu-jin, trapped in a confined space. The rustling sound from somewhere, the woman's breathing heard while hiding, the footsteps of a robust man searching for him, and more. The plot moved swiftly, but Kim Ryu-jin's facial acting on screen was truly exceptional.

Tension, suspense, relief, a start, tension again, fear, and relief once more.

There wasn't much dialogue, but everything was explained through Kim Ryu-jin's expressions and movements. His eyes, filled with anxiety, and his trembling breath were both meticulous and precarious.

That's why everyone was completely engrossed in Kim Ryu-jin.

'Private Eye' itself used a non-stop editing style. There was no moment to rest after Kim Ryu-jin entered the villa. The quality was clearly superior to the other short films shown so far, and the judges sitting on the left side of the auditorium couldn't help but let out small exclamations.

“...Where did this actor come from?”

“That's what I'm saying. Look at the twitching under his eyes. The gap in skill with other actors is too big.”

“Have any of you seen this actor before? I find him very unfamiliar.”

At this point.

“He could be unknown. He might be from overseas.”

A host that could spread the disease of misconception appeared among the judges. It was Director Kwon Gi-taek.

“I heard he lived abroad for quite a long time.”

As the information poured in, the judges' eyes widened.

“Huh? Do you know him, Director Kwon?”

“An actor you know?”

“Overseas? Where?”

In response to the small questions, Director Kwon Gi-taek answered quietly.

“I don't know exactly, but I heard it from a slight connection.”

Following the increased number of drama fans, the number of individuals infected with the misconception in the film industry also increased. The decibel level of the applause that erupted when 'Private Eye' ended was.

-Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap!!

It was more intense than any other work.

Two days later, May 7th.

The screening schedule of the 'Mise-en-Scène Short Film Festival,' which had been given a lot of energy yesterday, was all over. Now, only one thing remained: the closing and award ceremony to be held shortly. It was a little past 2 PM, and the start was at 3 PM. The venue for the closing and award ceremony was inside the headquarters of the sponsor of the 'Mise-en-Scène Film Festival.'

Specifically, the event hall inside the headquarters.

It was a medium-sized hall for various events, with seating for 500 people and a fairly large stage at the front. The interior and entrance of the hall were, to put it mildly, chaotic.

“Oh, Mr. Park! It's been a while, hahaha.”

“Oh, Ms. Kim. How have you been?”

“Of course. Haha, I'm looking forward to your new drama!”

The hall's interior seats were already more than half full, including invited writer Park Eun-mi. Everyone had their designated seats, but they were busy moving around to greet important figures.

“Hey, Seung-joo! Did you like the movie? We should work together on the next one, right?”

“Your production company has been a bit quiet lately, hasn't it?”

“Ah, no plans for the first half, but we might try harder in the second half.”

There were probably no more than 50 people, and the entrance to the hall was quite crowded. At least 30 people were mixed in, creating a chaotic scene. There were people greeting each other, a dozen or so reporters with cameras, and guests entering one after another.

The reporters were busy firing off flashes from their designated spots.

-Flash!

-Flash!

And at the photo zone with the 'Mise-en-Scène Film Festival' and sponsor logos, actors and famous directors were posing. At this point, at least 100 people had gathered for the closing and award ceremony.

In such a place.

-Swoosh.

The 'Private Eye' team had just arrived. It was Director Shin Dong-chun, Hong Hye-yeon, and Kang Woojin in a suit. The suit Woojin wore fit perfectly, as if it were custom-made. His lightly styled hair and makeup were also perfect, thanks to stylist Han Ye-jung.

Today, he exuded a true actor's aura. His stern expression also added to it.

However.

‘...Crazy. What is this place? There are so many people. Oh, my legs are shaking.’

Despite his cynical exterior, Kang Woojin's legs were trembling slightly. It was a scene he had never seen before. Famous actors he had only seen on TV were everywhere, and the flashes were blinding. What is this? Is this the world I live in? It wouldn't be strange if it were another world.

‘My stomach is churning.’

At that moment.

“Mr. Woojin.”

Hong Hye-yeon, standing next to him, called out to Kang Woojin. By the way, she was also in a suit, but the pants she wore were wide-legged, giving a stylish feel