Chapter 23: Reading (4)

Translator: Dreamscribe

Ryu Jung-min couldn’t take his eyes off Kang Woojin.

“·····”

At first, it was because he had mistaken Woojin for the manager, but now it was because of his immense acting skill, which overshadowed his initial impact.

‘That acting… what is he, showing off? How can that be considered moderate?’

Although Ryu Jung-min was the male lead of ‘Profiler Hanryang’, at this moment, the protagonist of the reading was Kang Woojin. Not only Ryu Jung-min but also all the actors were staring intently at Woojin. They all had the same look in their eyes.

It changed from ‘Who are you?’ to ‘What the hell are you?’

Of course, various officials scattered in the large hall felt the same way. Among them was CEO Choi Sung-gun. He was the CEO of bw Entertainment, the agency of top actress Hong Hye-yeon, and was the hidden investor in the short film ‘Exorcism’. He had come separately from Hong Hye-yeon and was sitting on a makeshift chair near the entrance.

And right now, Choi Sung-gun was speechless.

“···How did he grasp the emotion so quickly? Why is his emotional switch so fast?”

Obviously, it was because of Kang Woojin. An unknown who was suddenly cast by PD Song man-woo and writer Park Eun-mi, and whom Hong Hye-yeon took an interest in. To be honest, Woojin’s first impression on CEO Choi Sung-gun was just ‘okay’.

But now it was different.

The moment he saw the role of Park Dae-ri played by Woojin, CEO Choi Sung-gun’s mind went blank. He was confused about what he was seeing, and whether he could judge the man who was acting it out.

‘I’ve never seen acting like that before.’

How much analysis and practice must one do to achieve such a performance? Or, could such a feat even be achieved with practice alone? At the moment, Kang Woojin seemed difficult to be judged by the standards of an actor.

Yes, he was just Park Dae-ri. Nothing more.

At this point, Park Dae-ri’s gaze and expression changed. His deep eyes, once filled with desire and pleasure, now contained a calculating smile. For some reason, his face reminded one of a child. A distorted fairy tale. Calculated innocence. Then he embraced something, and a faint line was uttered.

“You’re cute. So fluffy. I want to pop you.”

Park Dae-ri looked around, slowly turning his head. The focus was clearly on his face. But his fingers, holding something, were trembling slightly. It wasn’t from fear.

It was from excitement.

Watching this, CEO Choi Sung-gun unconsciously stood up from his seat.

‘···A sociopath with pleasure right in front of him.’

Fun. Park Dae-ri had fun right in front of him. By destroying something. At this moment, no one in the huge hall doubted that this man was Park Dae-ri.

They couldn’t.

It wasn’t mere imitation of the printed script. Kang Woojin’s acting was smooth, clean, and free of incongruity. How about the muttered lines? CEO Choi Sung-gun was full of admiration.

‘A single line of short dialogue captures a person.’

It’s apt to say it’s mesmerizing. It was about then that CEO Choi Sung-gun suddenly realized something.

‘Wait, he was told to act moderately.’

The magic word that PD Song man-woo had given to Woojin was ‘moderately’. It was a request to set the tone of the drama. In other words, all the performances Woojin showed could be concluded as moderate.

Upon realizing this, Choi Sung-gun could not hide his bewilderment.

However, the expression of Kang Woojin, who had just finished the first part of Park Dae-ri’s acting, was very stern. No, it was downright naive. As if the acting just now was very light.

Even more so.

‘The scent of Park Dae-ri vanished like a ghost as soon as the acting ended. The expression is the same, but the eyes are completely different, aren’t they? How can the emotional transition be so fast?’

Kang Woojin’s process of entering and exiting his role was astonishingly fast. An unprecedented spectacle, even for Choi Sung-gun, who had been in the acting field for over a decade.

‘Maybe… it was moderate.’

And he acknowledged it. Yes, he didn’t know what was going on, but that guy, that monster, acted moderately. That composure could not come if it wasn’t.

And so, Kang Woojin overwhelmed everyone in this vast hall.

Whether the expectations were high or low, Kang Woojin surpassed them all with just one ‘moderate’ performance. This was proven by the hundred or so people, including the actors, who were left speechless.

“······”

“······”

At some point, everyone was staring at Kang Woojin, who was silently sitting, with the same look.

Ah, now I know why he is sitting there.

On the other hand, Kang Woojin was thinking,

‘Phew- that was a bit tough. Acting while seated is not easy at all.’

He felt uncomfortable under the gaze of about a hundred people, like sitting on a bed of nails.

‘Besides, they all seem to be glaring at me. Was my acting bad? There’s no way that could be. Anyway, my turn is over, why is it not progressing? Should I just wait?’

He also felt a slight urge to run away. Nevertheless, Kang Woojin kept a poker face. The tension was still at its peak, but he managed to keep a calm demeanor, wishing for time to pass quickly.

This was even more shocking for the male lead Ryu Jung-min, on the other side. His face was drained of color.

‘How can he be so composed? Was that performance really nothing at all?’

Next to him sat a senior actor with over 30 years of acting experience, who lightly tapped Ryu Jung-min’s shoulder.

– Thump.

And then whispered quietly to Ryu Jung-min.

“Don’t lose your mind.”

“··· Yes?”

The veteran actor gave a nod with his chin towards Kang Woojin, who had a stern face on the other side.”

“He mesmerized everyone with just one act, playing with the flow at will. He’s not a rookie. He has a past.”

At this moment, Kang Woojin face was deeply etched into the minds of all the actors in the hall.

“Where did such an outrageous talent came from. Get a grip, or you’ll be eaten alive by his acting.”

“······”

As an extraordinary monstrous actor.

Moving on.

The second part of ‘Profiler Hanryang’ in the script began. Kang Woojin’s view was no longer the reading hall. Woojin, or rather, Park Dae-ri was walking down the street, licking an ice cream. His attire was casual, as if he had just come from home.

The place where Park Dae-ri arrived was the police station in front of the house.

-Squeak.

With the remaining ice cream in his mouth, Park Dae-ri nonchalantly opened the door of the police station. The police officers all looked busy. Nobody paid attention to Park Dae-ri who had just entered. Soon, Park Dae-ri knocked on an open door with a slight tilt of his head.

– Knock, knock, knock.

It was then that a police officer took notice of Park Dae-ri.

“How can I help you?”

Park Dae-ri, with a calm face, replied simply,

“I came to surrender.”

At this point, PD Song man-woo changes the scene.

“Inside the interrogation room, Yu Ji-hyeong and Park Dae-ri are facing each other.”

As soon as the words ended, Park Dae-ri looked at the male lead Ryu Jung-min, i.e., at Yu Ji-hyeong. The expression on Park Dae-ri’s face was peculiar. Somewhere between a smile and indifference. However, in his deep eyes, filled with a faint madness, Yu Ji-hyeong can be seen.”

The conversation started with Park Dae-ri.

“You seem angry.”

Before beginning to act, Ryu Jung-min looked at Park Dae-ri across from him and murmured to himself,

‘He doesn’t even look at the script. Or, does he not need to look at it? Well, with this level proficiency in playing Park Dae-ri, he would have analyzed the script like crazy.’

Misunderstanding him, he responded as Yu Ji-hyeong, his tone mixed with annoyance, true to his nickname Yu Hanryang.

“I’m not angry. I’m just excited, having the infamous serial killer right in front of me.”

“Infamous. That’s right. I was infamous, once.”

After rolling his eyes as if reminiscing about the past, Park Dae-ri lowered his head and looked at his handcuffed hands from side to side.

“These are sturdier than I thought. It hurts a little.”

Yu Ji-hyeong stroked his chin.

“You look comfortable. Aren’t you scared? This is an interrogation room. There are cops outside.”

“I know, they’re probably behind that mirror, too.”

“That’s right.”

“But surprisingly, I’m not scared.”

Yu Ji-hyeong suddenly asks Park Dae-ri.

“You’re a psychopath, aren’t you?”

Park Dae-ri, wearing a wry smile, answered the question with a question,

“Are you a profiler or something?”

“Well, yes. Somehow, I got involved in this bothersome business.”

“Then you must do whatever you have to. I’m looking forward to it.”

Although Yu Ji-hyeong sighed in annoyance, he took note of every little movement of Park Dae-ri.

“Why did you bother confessing? If you had just lived as you were, it would have remained an unsolved case for a lifetime. That would have been like a medal for you, wouldn’t it?”

Park Dae-ri, bringing his hands together, looked at Yoo Ji-hyung for a moment before slightly tilting his head.

“How many?”

“What?”

“The people I killed.”

“···4. If you are indeed the serial killer.”

“You must be right?”

“Why did you surrender.”

The repeated question. Park Dae-ri looked at Yu Ji-hyeong and smirked. He was holding back a laugh. Because the current situation was going as he thought. He was the protagonist at this moment.

“Because I was angry?”

“At what?”

“You know why? I can’t stand being misunderstood for no reason.”

Yu Ji-hyeong opened the file he brought.

“What kind of misunderstanding? With four past murders, and now you’ve made a grand comeback with another murder this time, haven’t you?”

Park Dae-ri, who narrowed his eyes, pointed at the file with his index finger. His tone is menacing.

“I surrendered because of that. Someone imitated my magnificent work. It’s a knock-off.”

“···Imitated?”

“Yes, and very clumsily at that. Didn’t the police have any doubts?”

“The method is the same as yours?”

With a smirk, Park Dae-ri leaned forward a little.

“Profiler. Do you know why children are told not to watch violent movies?”

“Because they imitate them.”

“Right, and um- the man who died this time, I didn’t kill him. There’s another real criminal who’s imitating me.”

“······”

“Don’t you believe me? If you investigate a bit, you’ll find out. I have a solid alibi. Ah, have you not checked it yet?”

As if he had said all he needed to say, Park Dae-ri leaned back in his chair.

“The reason I surrendered is that. To prove that I didn’t kill him.”

Yu Ji-hyeong crossed his arms and asked again.

“There’s another real criminal?”

The serial killer claimed his innocence and surrendered.

A few hours later.

The script reading was over. Starting early in the morning, it wasn’t until the afternoon that things were wrapped up. But the temperature inside the large hall was still hot. At that moment, Director Song Man-woo poured cold water on the situation.

“Great work, everyone! We’ve prepared a lot for the after-party two hours from now, so enjoy yourselves! Of course, if you want to rest, you can relax in your rooms!”

As soon as his declaration ended, a few of the dozens of actors hesitantly got up from their seats. Some were stealing glances at Kang Woojin. Actors slowly leaving the hall were also sneaking looks. They all side-eyed Woojin, who was sitting expressionless. Of course, the remaining actors did the same.

Because their perception has changed 180 degrees from the beginning.

Of course, there was also constant whispering.

“Wasn’t his acting creepy?”

“Yeah, he was just like Park Dae-ri. It seemed as if the writer wrote the character based on him.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve had such a fresh shock. But… he seems like a difficult type to get close to, doesn’t he?”

“I agree. After seeing his performance as Park Dae-ri, his emotionless face makes him a bit intimidating to approach.”

“But where did they find that guy? A theatre?”

However, since Woojin was still somewhat cynical, the actors decided not to approach him for now. Especially after seeing his intense portrayal of Park Dae-ri.

“Is he recovering his emotions? The atmosphere seems a bit heavy.”

“That’s understandable. After seeing his acting, I feel like he really have to be careful not to become a real sociopath.”

“People get into accidents and such doing that. In Hollywood.”

“It’s risky.”

Their judgment was wrong. The expressionless Kang Woojin was currently lost in thought.

‘Is it because I’ve been tense the whole time? I’m really hungry. I’m really going to indulge in meat at the after-party. I should probably hold back on the alcohol, though? It would be bad if I let my facade slip. I hope it’s beef.’

He was also trying not to appear too eager, timing his movements.

‘It seems like everyone is starting to leave. Should I get up too? No, maybe I’ll wait a bit longer. There are still quite a few people around.’

Woojin’s serious demeanor had made everyone feel a sense of gravity around him, but he himself was actually craving beef. The dozens of people in the hall were just staring at him, who seemed to be in such a sensitive state. Various entertainment industry figures, reporters, actors including Hong Hye-yeon and Ryu Jung-min, the production team of ‘Profiler Hanryang’, and so on.

At that moment.

– Tap tap.

Someone tapped on Kang Woojin’s shoulder. When he turned around, he saw about six people with a woman in the lead, two of whom were holding cameras mounted on gimbals. Soon, the leading woman smiled awkwardly.

“Hello, Woojin. We’re the making team.”

The making team? Ah, I’ve seen that on YouTube. So this is how they film it. By this point, the attention on Woojin in the hall had increased. The actors and others who were leaving the hall paused. Woojin’s low response then echoed.

“Yes, hello.”

“I know you must be tired, but I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

What’s so tiring? Questions for me? Ah, it’s a bit nerve-wracking. Woojin nodded his head.

“Understood.”

The woman’s face brightened at his consent.

“I really enjoyed your acting! I heard that the role of Park Dae-ri was extremely difficult, but you portrayed it so realistically that I was amazed. How much did you analyze and practice? It must have taken a long time to grasp the subtext (hidden meaning in the script or dialogue), right?”

At this point, writer Park Eun-mi, seated at the ㅁ-shaped desk, took off her hairband and tapped the shoulder of PD Song Man-woo, next to her.

“PD, shouldn’t we stop that? Isn’t Woojin opt out of the making-of segment? Knowing him, he might respond without any filter, like ‘It wasn’t hard at all.'”

But Song Man-woo, stroking his goatee, remained calm.

“It’s a question they usually ask other actors. Cutting it would look bad. Besides, that’s his charm. A unique star quality. Confident for a reason.”

“But there are reporters here?”

“It’s fine. They’re only allowed to write about the reading. It’s also an opportunity to firmly imprint the character of the actor Kang Woojin. All the entertainment officials attending will be drooling over Woojin.”

“But still…”

PD Song Man-woo calmed down Park Eun-mi, who was worrying like a mother.

“Haha, it’s fine. There are quite a few people here, so even if Woojin doesn’t care about others’ opinions, he’ll respond appropriately.”

Kang Woojin was lost in thought for a moment.

‘Hmm- Analysis? Practice? What’s a subtext? I think I need to answer this question with some professional terms.’

The hall was filled with top actors. A vague answer might give it away.

‘It might look sloppy, then there could be doubts about my persona. I should deflect this a bit with social skills.’

In his indifferent manner, Woojin gave the making team woman a brief reply.

“The script was just excellent.”

At this, the watching writer Park Eun-mi was slightly moved.

“Oh my, just like that?”

The making team woman laughed and threw another question.

“Aahaha, I see. Yeah, the script’s killer, isn’t it? Um- Woojin, you appeared out of nowhere like a comet; were you in a theatre? Did you build your acting skills there all along?”

At this moment, including Ryu Jung-min, the actors and entertainment personnel all perked up their ears. Kang Woojin’s answer was very concise.

“No, I’m self-taught.”

Everyone remaining in the hall blinked in astonishment.