Chapter 56

< Rapid Current (1) >

In the latter half of 'Profiler Hanryang' set in 2010, Park Daeri appears behind the scene where the method of killing a body found in the mountains matches that of a past unsolved serial killer. The world was turned upside down, but Park Daeri remained calm.

The directing technique also stood out. If the first 45 minutes were fast-paced, the scene with Park Daeri had a slow, cozy feel.

A quiet park.

From the first scene, Park Daeri's face was shown in a close-up, filling the TV screen. Anyone who knew this unknown actor would have recognized him instantly.

Therefore,

"......What a lunatic."

Kim Daeyoung's reaction, as if his eyes would pop out, was not strange. Why would it be? A few days ago, his close friend had appeared in a short film festival, and today he was clearly acting in the grand drama 'Profiler Hanryang'.

Kim Daeyoung's eyes grew wider as he recalled the day he chased Kang Ujin.

"Is this what you meant by your next project??!"

The drama he was supposed to shoot wasn't supposed to be this fast, let alone be the most anticipated drama of the first half of the year, right? Kim Daeyoung's shout surprised his colleagues again.

"What? Why are you like that, really! I'm shocked."

"It's a surprise, Daeyoung! What's going on? Why are you like that??"

With a mix of worry and confusion, Kim Daeyoung's colleagues asked, and he was slightly taken aback.

"Well... that's my fr..."

He closed his mouth. The complete sentence was "that's my friend," but he remembered that his close friend Kang Ujin had told him to keep it a secret for a while. However, the shock remained.

'Ha- Damn it! Do it all at once. What's this time-lapse attack?'

Kim Daeyoung was already surprised enough by Kang Ujin's appearance in 'Detective Agency.' But now, his close friend, who had become an actor overnight, was appearing in a drama.

Moreover,

'Is this a supporting role? Is he starting his first drama as a supporting actor?'

Park Daeri didn't seem to have a small role.

Therefore, he

"......"

remained silent, just staring at the TV without answering his colleagues' questions. His colleagues, who had been tilting their heads, also turned their gaze to the TV.

Park Daeri's angles were shown from various perspectives.

From a smile to a blank expression. In that short moment, the front and side views quickly alternated, deepening the sense of profundity. Anyone could tell that his face was wearing a false expression.

["......"]

There were no lines. Park Daeri in the quiet park just looked ahead. Park Daeri's face filled the entire TV screen. Then, the corners of his mouth, which had been expressionless, twitched and returned to a blank expression. The change in expression was bizarre. Soon, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly again, but it didn't last long. Back to a blank expression.

This made Kim Daeyoung's colleagues exclaim in amazement.

"Oh my, he must be crazy. Is he practicing his smile right now?"

"He's a psychopath. Goosebumps. This actor is really good, isn't he? He must be good to be cast in this drama, right?"

"Really, look at him. Each smile feels different, doesn't it? The expressions are all different."

"Looks like a psychopath without emotions."

They rubbed their arms, and some even said they had goosebumps. However, Kim Daeyoung, watching his close friend on TV, was simply appreciating Park Daeri's acting.

'Is this kind of acting even possible? It's a completely different character from 'Detective Agency,' and there's no similarity at all.'

To him, 'Kim Ryu-jin' and 'Park Daeri' seemed to be played by different actors.

["Damn, he stepped in it."]

To that extent, his close friend's acting was drastically different for each character.

["Ah, there he is. Damn it."]

By now, Kim Daeyoung and his colleagues were deeply engrossed in 'Profiler Hanryang.' More specifically, in Park Daeri's current performance.

"......Is it because he's acting well? It's so captivating."

"Exactly. Who is this actor? Can we look him up?"

Soon, Kim Daeyoung quietly answered his colleagues, who were interested in the actor playing Park Daeri.

"Kang Ujin. The actor's name is Kang Ujin."

"Huh? You knew, Daeyoung?"

At that moment,

"Wow! Look at that!"

One of his colleagues pointed at the TV. The reason was simple.

"Wow- Look at how natural the CG is, expressing the character's gaze? Amazing!"

The current screen showed a distorted fairy tale through Park Daeri's eyes. Red, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. But unnatural colors. A slight gradient was added. The ordinary world turned into a bizarre fairy tale book, and this special effect made Park Daeri's character even more intense.

Then, Park Daeri, who had stepped in it, lifted a yellow-painted puppy.

["Cute. So fluffy. I want to pop it."]

His colleagues swallowed hard.

"No way. Could he be trying to kill that puppy??"

"Maybe he's just painting it to be cruel."

"Oh, those red fireworks must be representing blood."

"Ah- He's taking it away, stop it!"

But in the TV, Park Daeri, with a twisted smile, disappeared with the puppy. Kim Daeyoung, who had seen this much, chuckled and picked up his phone.

He connected to the group chat with his close friends.

-Daeyoung: Kang Ujin, you damn bastard! If I ever meet you, you're dead.

The funny thing was that Kang Ujin, who never replied, was the fastest to respond.

-Ujin: Are you watching SBC, my friend?

-Daeyoung: Yeah, damn it. Hey, everyone, Kang Ujin is currently appearing in a drama on SBC.

-Ujin: I hope 'Profiler Hanryang' on SBC gets many viewers.

-Kyung-sung: ??? What is it???

-Daeyoung: That bastard Kang Ujin's next project is airing.

-Kyung-sung: ??? Is that bastard Kang Ujin again??

-Hyung-gu: What next project? Didn't his short film premiere a few days ago?

-Daeyoung: Check it out with your own eyes. It's SBC.

Soon, the close friends, who had heard the news, turned on SBC from various places. The chubby Kyung-sung, who was eating ramen at home, turned on the TV and immediately cursed.

"......Damn, it's really him?"

Na Hyung-gu was on a date. Since he had a blind date, he was drinking casually and turned on SBC on his phone. Na Hyung-gu also cursed quietly, even with the woman in front of him.

"You bastard- he's really in a drama?"

Meanwhile,

Kang Ujin's 'Park Daeri' was broadcast nationwide. If you were watching SBC on TV at this time, you could see Park Daeri. For example, in a design company where employees were having a late-night meeting and eating snacks, one of them noticed.

"Hey? Is that actor... isn't that Ujin?"

"Huh? No, right? I thought Ujin was going to work in a factory?"

"......No, it's him. What, it's a drama?"

"Yes. I was channel surfing and stopped when I saw him- but, that's not Ujin, right? It is, isn't it?"

"Right. It's Ujin. It is! What?!! Why?"

"What? What is Ujin doing there??!"

Or in a university dormitory, where a group of girls were gathered in front of a laptop. Actually, it was Kang Ujin's sister, Kang Hyuna, and her friends.

"Wow!! Hey, Hyuna! Is that your brother??"

"Yes! It's exactly like the photo of him receiving an award!"

"What, you said you'd watch this drama no matter what because your brother was in it??!"

"But, wow! Hey, Hyuna! Your brother is doing great! He's already in a drama??"

The friends were excited, slapping Kang Hyuna's shoulders and back, but she was just stunned, watching her brother in the drama. Regardless, her friends were even more excited.

"He's such a good actor!"

"Hey, Hyuna! Call your brother, call him!"

"Look, he's in a lot of scenes, right? Oh! He's a supporting actor, isn't he?"

At that moment, Kang Hyuna, seeing Park Daeri's smile in the drama, realized something.

"Oh......That smile from the teaser."

The smile of the man with his face hidden in the 'Profiler Hanryang' teaser. It was her brother.

'No- is this possible? He only started acting two months ago??! How can he be a supporting actor?'

It didn't make sense. But her brother was definitely in the drama. Kang Hyuna, pushing away her clinging friends,

"Let go!"

called her mother. The connection was quick.

"Mom! Brother is in a drama right now!"

Her mother, Seo Hyun-mi, on the other end of the phone, replied quickly.

"......I know, hang up for now."

In fact, 'Profiler Hanryang' was also playing at a chicken restaurant in Jinju. The restaurant was currently occupied by regular middle-aged women. This was a common sight, as they were regulars who were friends with Seo Hyun-mi.

These regulars were impressed by Park Daeri on TV.

"Oh- Look at that guy's eyes, his eyes."

"He's intense, intense. He's the one who did it, he is."

"Whose child has such cruel eyes?"

Standing side by side at the counter, Seo Hyun-mi and Kang U-cheol, with wide eyes, answered simultaneously.

"My......child."

"Our son."

Meanwhile, at the same time, other drama teams were monitoring 'Profiler Hanryang' due to the drama war. Both MBS and TVM were doing the same.

Both dramas were also airing their first episodes at this time.

Some were having a dinner party, while others were checking the situation at the shooting location. In any case, both sides were watching the actor playing Park Daeri.

The interesting part was that both sides were in a state of shock.

"......Damn, this guy is a good actor."

"It's not just good. Look at how he expresses himself without lines, just with his facial muscles. He's crazy, crazy."

"What's crazy about it? His acting is restrained, but it's captivating. It's like he's throwing it out easily, with a sense of ease."

Naturally, it was all because of Park Daeri's appearance at the end.

"Oh- He just burst in at the end and is causing a stir? He's controlling the tension of the entire drama by himself?"

"He's a proper villain. This is a 100% hit, isn't it? This must be the scene-stealer that Park the director mentioned in the interview."

"Definitely. Park the director had every reason to praise him. Sigh, but who is he? I've never seen his face before, but he doesn't feel completely unfamiliar."

"Me too. He's a newcomer, but he looks familiar. Where have I seen this guy?"

"Is he a second-hand newcomer? Anyway, his acting is worth watching. Tsk, if he does a proper job, Park the director will be in trouble."

The other drama teams felt a sense of jealousy from the moment Park Daeri appeared. The reason was simple.

"Damn, he has a good impact. Hey, let's focus on our drama!"

Their own drama lacked the impact to hook the audience like Park Daeri did. By