Chapter 91

< Threat (1) >

In fact, when Kang Woojin arrived at the private VIP room, his heart was about to burst.

‘Crazy! There must be a lot of top actors in this room, right?’

Kang Woojin, sandwiched among the top-tier stars, stood in front of the room's door and took a deep breath.

‘Phew—’

He entered a state of mind control. He needed to properly equip himself with the right attitude. This was an unknown battlefield. He needed to be several times more resolute than usual.

Kang Woojin's face became colder than ever.

Then, he—

-Whoosh.

Opened the door to the room. Immediately, the crowd inside caught his eye.

‘Wow, how many people are here?’

There were probably more than 20 people. Moreover, the moment Woojin appeared, all eyes were on him. Their gazes varied. Woojin ignored his pounding heart and stepped into the room, giving a solemn greeting.

At that moment, a familiar voice was heard.

"Mr. Woojin, over here."

It was Ryu Jeongmin, with his baby perm, sitting in the middle of the table. Kang Woojin almost hugged him. He was that happy. His field of vision then widened, and he saw the top actors sitting around Ryu Jeongmin. Wow, it was amazing. If it were up to him, he would have asked each one for a handshake, but—

‘No, no, I can’t.’

Kang Woojin acted with a heavy demeanor, without a hint of frivolity.

-Whoosh.

With the feeling that 'you are just common passersby on the street,' Woojin gave a low bow.

"Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Kang Woojin."

That was it. Kang Woojin was about to praise himself.

"You're a bit late. Don't you think a newcomer should be the earliest to arrive? Isn't it a bit premature to act so high and mighty—"

A female actor sitting next to him spoke. Her tone was clearly mocking. Woojin turned his head. He immediately recognized her.

‘Seo Chaeun. She's beautiful, but—’

Seo Chaeun, a top actress, usually appeared gentle and elegant in the media, but the way she spoke to Kang Woojin now was quite vicious. So, Woojin was puzzled.

‘What is this? Is she deliberately picking a fight? Is this the territorial behavior I've only heard about?’

Territorial behavior existed everywhere. Even in the design company where Kang Woojin worked. Of course, it was even more severe in the entertainment industry. Whatever it was, Kang Woojin instinctively felt that this actress was picking a fight.

‘Or does she just dislike me? Either way, it's not a good feeling.’

Seo Chaeun was a bit different from Hwalin. She openly showed her dislike. Well, if that's the case, I'll be just as direct. Kang Woojin made a quick decision.

‘I'll ask a bit harshly, but not too much.’

This was the most appropriate action given his current attitude.

"Is there something about me that you don't like?"

As a newcomer, he maintained his manners. It was natural. However, there was no reason to be servile when the other party didn't show respect. Kang Woojin was currently a proud and arrogant actor. He was also a bit of a show-off and didn't care about others' opinions.

Moreover,

‘What are you going to do? I don't know. I'm openly a special hire.’

Kang Woojin had no connections, no lines, no strings to pull. Therefore, he had nothing to fear even if he acted absurdly. Seo Chaeun, looking as if she was questioning what she heard, blinked her eyes.

"…What did you say?"

Was she pretending not to hear? Woojin repeated in a low, calm voice.

"Is there something about me that you don't like?"

Ryu Jeongmin, who already knew this oddball's personality, tried hard not to laugh.

‘As expected, he’s a complete maverick.’

Nearby, Kim I-won thought,

‘Wow, he’s going straight at Seo Chaeun? What a man!’

Jae-joon was slightly impressed by Woojin's straightforwardness.

‘His character is incredibly unique. The atmosphere is so cold, and he has no background. Still, with so many people here, isn’t he nervous?’

Seo Chaeun, frowning, expressed her bewilderment.

"No… Excuse me? It's not about whether I like you or not, but I'm pointing out that you were the only one to arrive late when all the seniors were already here."

Ryu Jeongmin intervened to mediate the increasingly tense atmosphere.

"Hey, Seo Chaeun, that's enough."

"What? I'm not talking about me, but about this person."

At that moment,

"Are you talking about my lateness?"

Calmly, Kang Woojin looked straight at Seo Chaeun and said,

"I was probably the earliest to arrive."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I arrived 45 minutes ago and had a conversation with Director Kwon Gitak near the parking lot. The director will be here soon, too."

"…Really?"

"Yes."

"Well, then you should have said that first."

Woojin continued with a cynical expression.

"You didn't give me a chance to explain. You were immediately aggressive as soon as I sat down."

Speechless, Seo Chaeun clenched her teeth.

‘…What is this guy?’

The newcomer wasn't backing down. Instead, Seo Chaeun seemed to be the one intimidated. Having been in the entertainment industry for over a decade, Kang Woojin was a type she had never seen before. The atmosphere was heavy, calm, and cold.

‘What kind of person is this? He’s already giving off such a heavy aura.’

Meanwhile, Kang Woojin was maintaining eye contact with Seo Chaeun, deeply hypnotizing himself.

‘Eye contact, if I lose this, it’s all over. This concept is really intense, intense.’

At that moment,

-Creak.

The door to the room opened again, and a gentle voice was heard.

"Oh, I'm a bit late. The call took longer than expected."

The warm Director Kwon Gitak had arrived. All the actors and staff stood up.

-Whoosh.

The eye contact between Seo Chaeun and Kang Woojin finally ended. However, starting with Ryu Jeongmin, the presence of Woojin was firmly etched in the minds of Kim I-won and Joon-woong.

‘He’s a bit crazy, isn’t he?’

‘He’s a bit of a weirdo, but he’s likable.’

Of course, Seo Chaeun was the most intense.

‘Ugh, annoying. What kind of person is this?’

And Kang Woojin,

‘Yeah, I think I nailed the concept. Passed.’

He praised himself highly.

A few dozen minutes later.

With Director Kwon Gitak's arrival, all the VIP room attendees had gathered. Thus, Director Kwon Gitak, sitting at the head of the long table, said,

"Alright—"

After a brief conversation with the surrounding staff, he gathered everyone's attention, and over 20 pairs of eyes focused on him.

"There might be some familiar and unfamiliar faces among us. Still, we're all in the same boat now, so let's aim to have a smooth journey until the premiere."

It was a heartfelt statement. Even with an impressive lineup of production staff and actors, a ship that sets sail isn't guaranteed a smooth journey until the movie's release. The entertainment industry is a place where trouble can arise at any time. Many movies collapse each year due to minor or major issues.

Anyway, Director Kwon Gitak pointed to the actors and continued gently.

"First, our main actors. I look forward to working with you. And, Mr. Kang Woojin, many of you haven't met him yet, right?"

Instantly, the attention of the room turned to Kang Woojin at the actors' table. He remained calm, and Director Kwon Gitak smiled.

"There's no need to introduce him much since he's quite famous these days. He's a newcomer, but he's not at all like a newcomer. He's an excellent actor, so everyone should be on your toes, hahaha."

It sounded like a joke, but there was a thorn in the words. Perhaps he was instilling a sense of vigilance in the top actors. The warm charisma of the kind Director Kwon Gitak was exceptional.

"Mr. Woojin, please give a brief introduction to everyone."

In response to the request, Kang Woojin calmly stood up and greeted everyone.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Kang Woojin."

The staff, perhaps expecting a longer introduction, were slightly taken aback. However, Director Kwon Gitak, who already knew Woojin's personality, laughed again.

"Haha, he's a bit aloof, but that's just his nature, so don't think it's strange."

After the introductions of other top actors and staff, the conversation returned to Director Kwon Gitak.

"Hmm, we've already announced Mr. Woojin and Mr. Jeongmin to the media, and we'll gradually reveal the others. We're taking it slow and steady, so please be careful not to leak any information. As for the preliminary schedule, the set is under construction, and we should start the read-through by next month at the earliest..."

The explanation of the preliminary schedule took about 30 minutes. After that, it was free time for a meal. The table was laden with a sumptuous feast, and everyone began eating and chatting with those nearby.

Of course, Kang Woojin did too.

‘Oh! This is really delicious? It has a high-end taste.’

He genuinely admired the taste, but his expression didn't show it. Meanwhile, Seo Chaeun, sitting next to Woojin, was glancing at him. Her gaze was slightly uncomfortable.

"Just to be sure, you won't be late or cause any shooting conflicts, right?"

A shooting conflict refers to a top actor, in layman's terms, 'holding out' on the set. It's a way of expressing dissatisfaction, whether with the director or the co-actor.

Kang Woojin, who didn't know this, thought,

‘What is this woman saying? She's not as pretty as Hong Hyeon. Whatever, don't bother me while I'm eating this delicious food.’

Picking up some kimchi with his chopsticks, Woojin gave a vague answer.

"No, I won't. What about you, senior?"

"…What?"

"No, I was just asking in case."

Across the table, Ryu Jeongmin almost spat out his soup, and Joon-woong and I-won just watched the situation, not trying to intervene. It seemed to be a common occurrence.

Seo Chaeun looked at Woojin with a bewildered expression and let out a small snort.

"Are you, by any chance, related to Director Kwon? Or do you have some kind of connections?"

Kang Woojin immediately replied,

"No."

Speechless, Seo Chaeun just blinked her eyes, looking at Woojin as if he were a strange oddity. At this point, Ryu Jeongmin stepped in.

"Enough. Let's eat. By the way, Mr. Woojin, how about telling us about the 'Drug Dealer' role? How was Jaejun's acting?"

The topic of conversation at the actors' table changed. After about an hour,

-Whoosh.

Ryu Jeongmin asked the silently standing Kang Woojin,

"Where are you going?"

"To the restroom."

Woojin left the room. At the same time, Seo Chaeun rushed to Ryu Jeongmin.

"Hey, is he really not connected to anyone?"

"What connections?"

"Like, is he the son of a wealthy family?"

The muscular Joon-woong chuckled.

"Miss, you should be acting, not living in a drama—"

"Are you kidding? I've never seen such a person in all my years of acting. He's completely inconsistent, and he couldn't act like this without connections, right?"

Ryu Jeongmin, with his baby perm, seemed to understand to some extent and raised his water glass.

"Mr. Woojin isn't a common type. If you're not interested in success, you can be inconsistent, you know."

"What?"

Ryu Jeongmin met Seo Chaeun's eyes and crossed his arms, then recounted his impressions of Kang Woojin.

"He seems to treat acting casually. It doesn't matter whether he does it or not. You'll understand as time goes on. But look at the results he's achieving now. Does he really need connections or a network?"

"What do you mean? Is acting just a hobby for him?"

"I don't know. But it seems like acting isn't everything to him. Mr. Woojin is a returnee, and his English and Japanese are top-notch. Oh, and he's also good at design, right?"

"…What is that supposed to mean?"

Ryu Jeongmin was infecting his fellow top actors with his misunderstanding.

"Anyway, when I look at Mr. Woojin, he seems to be acting carelessly, but even then, he can barely keep up with acting by gritting his teeth."

He chuckled, resting his chin on his hand and meeting Seo Chaeun's eyes.

"Mr. Woojin does have connections, but his talent is his connection."

The next morning, at the cable TV station HTBS.

A woman with long hair and a mask appeared in the bustling lobby. It was Hong Hyeon. As expected of a top actress, she received the attention of dozens of people. There were even photographers taking pictures.

What was interesting was that

"Daeyoung, is this your first time at a TV station?"

Hong Hyeun's team included the towering Kim Daeyoung. The reason was simple. He had recently joined Hong Hyeun's team for training.

"Ah… Yes, it is."

Despite his imposing build, Kim Daeyoung's face was tense, and the thin manager team leader patted his shoulder.

"Get used to it quickly. There's no need to be so nervous. Just think of it as a company."

"Ah, I understand. Phew— But people are staring at me a lot."

Hong Hyeun, at the front, turned her head and replied.

"Because of me? But Daeyoung, have you contacted your friend? To let him know you're here?"

She was talking about Kang Woojin.

"Yes, I did."

"What did he say?"

"To work hard…"

"Pretty ordinary."

Actually, what Kim Daeyoung had heard from Kang Woojin was, "What do you want me to do? Don't drool over Miss Hong Hyeun." Regardless, Hong Hyeun and her team got into the elevator.

"I came a bit early. I'll contact PD Yoon first."

"Okay—"

Their destination was the variety show department.

-Ding!

When the elevator arrived at the floor and the doors slid open,

"Huh?"

A woman with a dot under her eye, among the waiting crowd, was surprised to see Hong Hyeun in the elevator.

"Hyeun, Hyeun-ah?"

It was Hwalin. Hong Hyeun in the elevator and Hwalin, who looked at her in surprise. They were dressed completely differently. Hong Hyeun wore a loose shirt, while Hwalin wore a tight sleeveless top.

However,

"Hyeun-ah??"

"Hwalin??"

Their surprised expressions were the same. Of course, Kim Daeyoung was the same.

‘Wow, it’s Hwalin. As expected, at a TV station!’

Regardless, Hong Hyeun stepped out of the elevator and stood in front of Hwalin.

"Hwalin, why are you here? And so early in the morning?"

Hwalin, whose eyes widened slightly, answered with a question.

"Ah— And you, Hyeun-ah?"

"I came to meet PD Yoon."

"…PD Yoon? You mean PD Yoon Byungseon?"

"Is there another PD Yoon at HTBS besides him?"

At this point, Hong Hyeun, who had a hunch, asked.

"Could it be— Hwalin, are you here to meet PD Yoon too??"

"No… I've already met PD Yoon and am on my way back."

"You've already met him?"

Suddenly, a thought flashed in Hwalin's mind.

"Hey, Hyeun-ah, are you here for PD Yoon Byungseon's new variety show?? No way?"

Hong Hyeun, brushing her long hair back, simply replied.

"Yes, why?"

"Really? Why? All of a sudden??"

"No, are you here for the same reason?"

"Huh? Ah… I am."

Hwalin, trailing off, suddenly lowered her voice.

"I'm confirmed for it."

"Confirmed? Confirmed for PD Yoon's new variety show?"

"Yes."

"I didn't know. I had no idea. Why didn't you tell me?"

"No, it's not that I didn't tell you, but I couldn't. PD Yoon said it was a secret."

"But it's only Mr. Woojin who's been confirmed externally, right?"

"Only Mr. Woojin has been announced. There are a few others confirmed besides me."

Upon hearing this, Hong Hyeun slightly bit her lip.

‘What is this? So Hwalin is working with Kang Woojin and Danmak on the variety show too?’

Her intuition grew stronger.

‘A coincidence…? But even if it's a coincidence with Danmak, it's hard to see it as a coincidence that she's also on the variety show—’

Her deep thoughts were interrupted by Hwalin.

"Are you confirmed for the variety show too, Hyeun-ah?"

"…No, I'm just here for a meeting."

"Wow— You don't usually do variety shows, do you?"

"Well, yes. I just thought I might take a break from acting. I'll listen to what PD Yoon has to say first."

After explaining, Hong Hyeun suddenly put her hand on Hwalin's shoulder and pulled her close. Then, she whispered in her ear.

"Hwalin, do you like Mr. Kang Woojin?"

< Threat (1) > End