The moment Director Woo Hyun-go saw the article headline with his name in it, his eyes widened so violently they looked ready to burst, bloodshot and trembling.
"Th-this article just came out?!"
He was so flustered that he started stammering. None of his usual arrogance remained. On the other hand, Director Kwon Gitaek stood there with his arms folded, calm from beginning to end.
"It looks like it was just published."
"Those fucking reporters, what the hell have they done?!!"
Director Woo Hyun-go's voice was tangled with both despair and rage. His white hair and sparse eyebrows trembled as he hurriedly checked the contents of the article.
The title alone was repulsive, but the contents were even worse.
Starting with sexual harassment, it listed several similar crimes one after another, and there was more than one victim. Some of the details were disturbingly specific. Every accusation pointed directly at Director Woo Hyun-go. It was far too serious to dismiss as mere rumor.
And then—
"…A YouTuber's exposé?"
The source was clear. The article stated that a YouTuber with nearly a million subscribers had revealed a major truth.
Right at that moment—
Director Kwon Gitaek took the phone back from the bewildered Director Woo Hyun-go, then calmly rose and stepped out of the room. He stopped for a moment.
"I told you earlier, didn't I? You won't be sitting in that seat for a while."
Glancing back at Director Woo Hyun-go, who still looked dazed, Kwon Gitaek quietly muttered,
"This is not some brief punishment. That sin will likely follow you for the rest of your life, but you still have to pay for it. Take care of yourself, and repent."
Then Director Kwon Gitaek left the room.
Whether he had really gone or not was almost impossible to tell, because Director Woo Hyun-go remained staring blankly into empty space. About ten seconds passed before he suddenly pulled out his phone, opened YouTube, and searched for the YouTuber who had uploaded the exposé mentioned in the article.
The strange thing was—
"This is… insane."
He did not even need to search.
The video he was looking for was already sitting at the very top of the live ranking list.
This is shocking!! Director Woo Hyun-go's filthy hidden nature! Was sexual harassment like a drug to him?! Every victim ended up in tears.
Issue King TV
303,128 views / March 23, 2020
It had been uploaded only an hour ago, yet it had already passed three hundred thousand views.
At this rate, it would easily cross a million before the day ended.
Director Woo Hyun-go had fallen from master to villain. The life and reputation he had built over decades were collapsing in a single instant. It was obvious that the shock would hit him hard.
"...Ah. Wait. Something's wrong."
Just as Director Woo Hyun-go lifted his slightly trembling hand and reached toward the video—
his phone erupted with a loud ringtone.
It was a call.
Naturally, it was from Box Movies, the production company he was contracted with.
At that moment, Director Woo Hyun-go's thoughts froze.
But the phone kept pushing him.
The instant the ringtone stopped—
message alerts and chat notifications began pouring in like a flood.
Director Woo Hyun-go, who had been staring at the phone, flung it away as if it were covered in filth. But the notification sounds did not stop.
They kept going, shrill and relentless.
His whole body shook as if from cold, and he muttered under his breath,
"…Damn it. I'm finished."
It sounded like a death sentence.
──────────
Meanwhile, around that same time, Kang Woojin was in a studio where filming was about to begin.
Of course, he was not alone there.
All of the lead actors from Profiler Hanryang had gathered as well.
The atmosphere in the studio felt almost like a movie theater. Several chairs had been arranged in the center of the stage, and the lead actors were seated there, including Ryu Jeongmin in a trench coat and Hong Hyeyeon with her long hair elegantly tied back.
And at the very end—
Kang Woojin, who played Assistant Manager Park in the drama, sat quietly in place.
His hair and makeup were already complete, and he wore a refined blue jacket. Even among a lineup of top stars, he did not look out of place in the slightest. That was because today he was not Assistant Manager Park, but actor Kang Woojin. That striking transformation naturally caught the eyes of the top stars seated in the front.
Well, with the obvious exception of Hong Hyeyeon.
Ryu Jeongmin, seated in the very front, also stood out. To match the male lead Yoo Ji-hyung, he had changed his hair into a soft baby perm.
'His original look wasn't bad, but once he got properly styled, his visuals got even stronger.'
The lead actors, including Jang Tae-san and Lee Do-jeong, kept sneaking glances at Kang Woojin. This was the first time they had all met again in an official setting since that shocking script reading. Kang Woojin still carried the same mysterious atmosphere, and he was not particularly close with the others either.
'The atmosphere is tense again today. But seriously, how many faces does that man have? Once he sheds Assistant Manager Park's aura and gets styled up, he looks like a completely different person.'
'He really looks nothing like Assistant Manager Park when he's not in character, doesn't he?'
On top of that, the word self-taught and Kang Woojin's acting had burned themselves deep into the actors' minds. Since the script reading, all of them had been throwing themselves into practice with renewed intensity, and that process was still continuing. Naturally, the mood was not exactly cheerful.
If they had to describe it, it was awkward.
Woojin, on the other hand, wore a solemn expression like a general on the eve of war. The sheer firmness of his expression left a powerful impression, as if showing everyone what true composure looked like.
Of course, that was only how it looked to the other actors.
'Ah, I need to fart. I should've gone to the bathroom before coming here.'
At the moment, Kang Woojin simply had a slightly uncomfortable stomach. He wanted to fart, but he also had to hold it in. So Woojin turned that strange tension into part of his character and tightened everything with all his might.
In any case, the reason they had all gathered was simple.
They were there to film cast interviews that would be used after the official broadcast.
The format was similar to the teaser video, and among the dozens of staff watching the actors onstage, a few began murmuring to each other.
"Is Kang Woojin doing the interview too?"
"I heard they're also taking photos to use after the first broadcast. They said they're interviewing the four villains, including Woojin. Today it's only Woojin."
"Ah, I see. But hasn't Woojin changed a lot? At the script reading, he really looked like Assistant Manager Park, but now he just looks like an actor. Earlier I thought he was better-looking than I expected."
"Right? I was genuinely startled when I saw him earlier."
Just then—
Song Manwoo PD, beard and all, stepped inside after taking a call outside the studio. He gestured for the staff passing by to hurry up and walked toward the main stage where the actors were seated. Then he stopped briefly.
"Hm."
Among the many staff members, he spotted a familiar man and approached him.
"You must be proud. Two of your actors are up there, and both of them are key figures in our drama."
CEO Choi Sunggeon smiled at Song Manwoo PD.
"Well, they've both got unusual personalities. I have a feeling there'll be plenty of trouble ahead."
"Their uniqueness isn't only about personality, though, is it?"
"Hahaha, true enough. Especially Woojin. I've got high expectations for him."
"I do too. I'm curious how far he'll really go. But is it true that his final decision was not to appear in Director Woo Hyun-go's project?"
"Yes, it's over. Honestly, I never imagined I'd live long enough to reject Director Woo Hyun-go. You know how sharp his instincts are. But what can I do? Woojin is too stubborn."
The moment he heard the word instinct, Song Manwoo PD let out a short laugh. The word totem had popped into his mind.
"That part interests me too."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Nothing. Just talking to myself."
Right around then, the staff surrounding Song Manwoo PD and Choi Sunggeon began making more noise. Song Manwoo PD frowned and called over the assistant director.
"What is it? Why is it suddenly this loud?"
The assistant director, who had been glancing at his phone, hurried over. He looked a little shocked, and then he showed the screen to Song Manwoo PD.
"I just saw this article. It's unbelievable."
Song Manwoo PD and Choi Sunggeon tilted their heads and checked the phone screen together.
The headline was extremely provocative.
『[Exclusive] The ugly truth hidden behind master director Woo Hyun-go's fame… A YouTuber with 900,000 subscribers exposes the director's filthy hands』
As they read, Song Manwoo PD, who had already begun frowning, grabbed the assistant director's phone. Then he started reading the article in detail. Choi Sunggeon, whose face had also grown serious, read along beside him.
It did not take long for them to understand the gravity of the situation.
"This is… Director Woo Hyun-go."
"The Director Woo Hyun-go we know? That man?"
The article made it clear that the downfall of the master director Woo Hyun-go had effectively been confirmed.
And all of it had happened overnight.
"What the hell suddenly happened?"
"Exactly! It's way too sudden, but… this doesn't look like baseless rumor at all."
"Are there other articles too?"
Song Manwoo PD hurriedly checked the rest. Before long, articles about Director Woo Hyun-go were spreading rapidly across entertainment news as a whole. The hyenas in the press had clearly smelled blood.
It was as if nuclear bombs were raining down nonstop over Woo Hyun-go's life.
Then—
Song Manwoo PD's eyes suddenly widened.
"Wait. If this really happened…"
"...What?"
Choi Sunggeon, who had asked the question, also abruptly came to the same realization.
"Oh."
Then, still holding the phone, Song Manwoo PD and Choi Sunggeon moved their heads at the exact same moment.
Both of them looked toward the main stage where the actors were seated.
More precisely—
"Totem."
"That instinct."
They were staring at Kang Woojin, who was sitting there with complete indifference, solemnly holding in his fart.
It was the sort of situation that made misunderstanding almost inevitable.
In the end, that monster actor's instinct had landed with chilling accuracy.
That was why both Song Manwoo and Choi Sunggeon were completely shaken.
'This goes way beyond some silly totem superstition, doesn't it?! Did he actually see the future?'
'What is that man? Did he receive some kind of divine revelation? He predicted this with instinct? Is that even possible?!'
News about Director Woo Hyun-go eventually reached the actors onstage as well.
It all started with Jang Tae-san, who had been sitting with his legs crossed, looking at his phone.
"Huh? What the hell is this? Wow, this is insane. Director Woo Hyun-go is finished."
That muttering naturally drew the attention of actors like Ryu Jeongmin and Hong Hyeyeon.
Kang Woojin, however, did not move until the very end. He kept the same solemn expression, as if completely uninterested in the affairs of the world.
Inside, though, it was a different story.
He was actually pretty anxious.
'What happened? What's going on? Ah, I'm dying to know.'
The other actors who checked the news covered their mouths or stared with shocked, wide eyes.
"This is crazy… is this real??"
"I always figured Woo Hyun-go would get caught up in something like this eventually. That bastard's a pervert."
"Even so, he crossed the line. At this point, isn't he just a criminal?"
"The article is really detailed. There are so many victims. Wow, then both Woo Hyun-go and Box Movies are done for. They already started building the set, and investors were already involved too."
"He's done. If it collapses like this, the price he'll have to pay is going to be enormous."
The actors all chattered in their own ways, but every bit of it was about Director Woo Hyun-go.
No one paid attention to Kang Woojin sitting at the very end.
Except for one person.
"...?"
At that moment, only Hong Hyeyeon turned to look at Kang Woojin.
'He said it was instinct, didn't he? But how can it line up this perfectly? Did he know from the start? Otherwise there's no way to explain it…'
Her already-large eyes widened even further.
Soon after, Kang Woojin sensed her gaze and slowly met Hong Hyeyeon's eyes. His expression remained blank. In response, Hong Hyeyeon confirmed the cold steadiness in his face and furrowed her brows.
'He's this calm in a situation like this? That's weird. Who are you, really?'
Outwardly, Kang Woojin showed nothing at all, but inwardly he panicked slightly.
'…Did she notice? I kept it really quiet.'
He was worried she had somehow noticed him secretly farting.
──────────
Later.
About an hour after Kang Woojin's interview shoot began, articles about Director Woo Hyun-go started flooding major portal sites.
『[Breaking] YouTuber exposes ugly truth behind "master" director Woo Hyun-go… video views explode』
『Film industry rocked by explosive allegations of sexual harassment, assault, and intimidation involving more than five victims… "master" Woo Hyun-go remains silent』
One after another, detailed reports about his filth came pouring out.
And once the public's sharp tongues and fingers got hold of them, spreading them everywhere was only a matter of time. Director Woo Hyun-go remained silent, but his ruin already looked certain.
While the entire country was boiling over with his downfall—
late in the afternoon, the interviews with Kang Woojin and the rest of the actors finally wrapped up. Even while cleaning up, the staff kept talking about Director Woo Hyun-go.
The actors who had not left right away were all still there.
Then Hong Hyeyeon suddenly rose from her seat.
She moved right up beside Kang Woojin, who had also stood up. A pleasant fragrance drifted around him, but Woojin's expression did not change in the slightest. Hong Hyeyeon lowered her voice and whispered,
"You knew, didn't you?"
"About what?"
"Director Woo Hyun-go. You knew, didn't you?"
Ah, that.
Kang Woojin had already heard what happened with Director Woo Hyun-go.
Still, unlike the other actors, he had not reacted that strongly. His first thought had just been, So that's why he was an F-grade. He had already seen the hint of the future, after all. Of course, inwardly, he had cursed the director as garbage.
But he could not say any of that out loud.
To be honest, Kang Woojin had never expected an F-grade director to trigger something this huge. He had only assumed the audience numbers would drop drastically. Even if the problem came from another direction, he had expected it to become a bigger issue later on.
'At the very least, I thought the movie would still get released.'
With enough months passing, people's memories would blur a little, and there might have been a chance to dodge or endure it. But the incident exploded much sooner than expected.
'I'm shocked too. It really does make my instinct look like future prediction. Ah… does it look that way?'
Even so, as Kang Woojin looked at Hong Hyeyeon, he kept his cold front and thought it through carefully. In the end, it was not such a huge problem. He could probably get through this fine too.
After all, there was no proof.
And what could anyone really do without proof? Kang Woojin figured the word instinct would probably get used a lot from now on. If that was the case, it needed to sound sharp and convincing. Even so, he still felt a little uneasy.
Then Hong Hyeyeon, still standing close beside him, asked again. The pleasant scent around her only grew stronger.
"You said you rejected Director Woo Hyun-go's offer because of instinct, but it fits too perfectly."
Control your face. Calm down first.
After thoroughly disciplining himself, Woojin muttered the answer he had already prepared.
"It was only a coincidence."
"…A coincidence?"
"Yes. A coincidence."
Hong Hyeyeon only took it more seriously.
"So you rejected Director Woo Hyun-go's offer because of instinct, and by coincidence it lined up so perfectly that this whole disaster happened?"
"That is what happened."
"No, that makes no sense… then why are you so calm?"
"Should I be happy?"
At that exact moment, Choi Sunggeon, looking like a rabbit caught in headlights, rushed up onto the stage. He also planted himself close on Woojin's right side.
"Woojin, explain Director Woo Hyun-go to me."
"It was only a coincidence."
"Ah, right? Of course it must've been a coincidence. But the timing is way too perfect."
Choi Sunggeon stared at Kang Woojin's face and stopped talking. There was not the slightest tremor in it.
It cannot be a lie.
No, it has to be a coincidence.
It absolutely has to be.
Otherwise—
'I'd rather believe he's an alien.'
Because it was becoming harder and harder to see him as human.
'Still, his instinct really is incredible, isn't it? And even Director Woo Hyun-go couldn't see this coming? It's like some monster's instinct… but why is he so calm?'
And behind the stage, there was yet another person watching Kang Woojin wedged between Hong Hyeyeon and Choi Sunggeon.
'It must be coincidence. How could everything line up that perfectly? The real issue is that his instinct predicted the whole situation so perfectly.'
It was Song Manwoo PD.
To him, Kang Woojin was already an outlier.
A monster actor with an opaque past.
'Totem… honestly, half of that was just a joke, but at this level, coincidence or not, it feels like divine intervention.'
Muttering to himself, Song Manwoo PD started walking. He was about to approach Kang Woojin.
Then—
their eyes met.
Only then did Woojin notice Song Manwoo PD nearby.
'Ah, no way. Uncle, you're not trying to jump in too, are you? Please, just hold back.'
Song Manwoo PD stopped where he was. Looking at Kang Woojin's cold, expressionless face, he felt it.
He's unbelievably calm. As if something like this means nothing to him.
That this kind of thing was probably everyday life to a freak like him.
No one there knew it, but inside that wide studio—
'Situations like this must have happened often in his unknown, lonely, silent past.'
Errors and misunderstandings were running wild.
And they always seemed to gather around Kang Woojin.