小火星

There was a brief silence in the office of JML Entertainment after Hwalin’s bombshell statement. This lasted about for 10 seconds.

“Wait…just a second. Hold on.”

The first to break the silence was the CEO of JML Entertainment. He, who usually had a composed demeanor took off his suit jacket, all the while staring at Hwalin seated beside him.

“So, Hwalin, you’re saying you want to do a short series?”

As he asked, Hwalin nonchalantly nodded her head, while pulling out her phone.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“So you’re going to forego major movies and other offers to do a 4-episode short series written by a rookie writer?”

“Why are you leaving out Netflix?”

“Ugh- No! That’s not the point! This is so frustrating.”

“CEO!”

The CEO seemed to be feeling faint, pressing his forehead, and the chubby manager quickly supported him.

“Manager Lee, why didn’t you stop her?”

“Uh… Sir, well… the thing is…”

At this point, Hwalin interjected.

“Manager Lee did try to stop me multiple times. He told me not to even consider it. So, stop blaming him.”

“Hey! Hwalin! Speak some sense! Why suddenly a short series? Even if it’s for Netflix and they have some project! Do you think you’re at the level to do a short series?”

“Is there a hierarchy for taking on a project? What about Hye-yeon? She’s a top-tier artist in Korea, but she did a short film.”

“But, that’s…”

“And you, CEO, said before that if an artist has passion, the work will be good. You told me to do what I’m passionate about, without worrying about the scale.”

“Ugh… Doing a short series is taking that advice to the extreme.”

The CEO pressed his temples as if he had a headache. Hwalin licked her lips, seeming resolute.

“Anyway, I’ve decided. I’m interested in ‘Male Friend’. And, I kind of want to take things easy.”

“Take things easy?”

“Yes. Honestly, our recent album promotions were intense, right? You know that, right? How many schedules did we have in a day? And then we’d fly to Japan at night and come back to Korea the next day for more schedules. Performances, variety shows, radio, ads, photoshoots, YouTube, and so on.”

Hwalin, recounting the hellish schedule, folded her arms.

“But did I or any of the members complain? We didn’t. We endured because our fans and the company supported us. So, can’t I take it a bit easy during my solo activities?”

The CEO was at a loss for words, everything she said was true. He sighed deeply, seemingly giving up on persuading her.

“Alright, fine, do it your way. Who can change your mind?”

“Also, please reduce the schedules for the other members too. I’m requesting this as the group leader.”

“Fine.”

The CEO, brushing back his hair, asked the chubby manager on his right. His tone was a bit defeated.

“So, tell me about the storyline. How’s the short series shaping up?”

“Yes? Oh, it seems like they’re going to release the short series they picked from a contest a few weeks ago. The title is ‘Short Series Festival’? Nothing seems to be finalized yet.”

“So, it’s all still in the planning phase. Pre-production.”

“Yes. They’re planning to launch about five works.”

Listening to the explanation, the CEO turned to Hwalin again.

“Why are you interested in this short series?”

“Just- the script is fun. For a short series, the storyline is quite detailed, and even though it’s written by a newbie, there are no awkward parts. It’s a rom-com, but the characters are well-developed.”

“…You think it’ll be a hit? Well, there are limits to how successful a short series can be.”

“I don’t know. But since it’s Netflix and if promoted well, the general audience can enjoy it in a quick and impactful way.”

Hwalin replied calmly, while the CEO’s concerns seemed to deepen.

“Manager Lee. Assuming Hwalin is in this short film, have they decided on the other actors? Since it’s a short series, it’ll probably be lesser-known actors, right?”

“I’m not sure about the other short series, but for this one, the male lead is quite good.”

“Really? Who?”

“It was confirmed today. Kang Woojin.”

“Kang Woojin?”

The CEO was rubbing his chin.

“The Kang Woojin from ‘Profiler Hanryang’? He’s on the rise now. He is from Choi Sung-gun’s agency.”

“Yes. When I went to the meeting, he was already meeting the general director.”

“Oh- he’s quite hot right now. Hmm, but he’s as crazy as our Hwalin.”

“Excuse me? CEO, I’m right here.”

“Why would a rising star like him want to do a short series? He could easily land roles in major productions.”

“That person… I mean, that actor doesn’t seem to care about the scale of the production.”

“Hwalin, do you think Kang Woojin is okay? How did he seem when you saw him?”

“Eh- He was just okay. Nothing special.”

Hwalin replied as if it meant nothing. Nonetheless, the CEO stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“Really? Hmm. If Kang Woojin is his co-star… it might be decent if they play their cards right. His acting is outstanding. By the way, Hwalin, did you know Kang Woojin before?”

“I didn’t know.”

At this point, a chubby executive opened his mouth, looking at Hwalin and spoke.

“But should we remove that kiss scene? You mentioned before that you preferred it omitted.”

Hwalin nonchalantly shrugged.

“When did I say that?”

The next day, Sunday, the 31st, in Suncheon.

An old village-sized set in Suncheon, resembling old houses and buildings, was currently bustling with the filming of a movie.

The movie was titled ‘Drug Dealer.’

Although the backdrop of ‘Drug Dealer,’ where Kang Woojin recently joined as a replacement, was Busan, some scenes were shot in the Suncheon set which was decorated to resemble Busan.

Anyway.

“Stunt team!! The director is calling you!”

“Can someone check this car? It won’t start.”

“Director! Please check the placement of the props!”

The location was bustling like any other film set. In the midst of all the chaos, Director Kim Do-hee, in charge of overseeing ‘Drug Dealer,’ was the busiest.

“Art director! Can we check the props together? Art director!! Over here!”

At this point.

“The director’s energy has significantly increased.”

In one corner of the set, groups of actors with their scripts in hand gathered. Their expressions, however, seemed a bit worried.

“It’s good to see that after the accident involving Oh Junwoo, things seem to be settled, whether it’s from Junwoo’s side or Kang Woojin’s.”

“Ah, isn’t it just about ten days left till Kang Woojin joins the shoot?”

“True… It’s good that everything has been sorted out, but thinking about Junwoo, it feels a bit wrong. It’s a bit of a downer.”

The actors were talking about the actor Oh Junwoo, who had an accident, and his replacement, Kang Woojin.

“But will it really be okay?”

“What do you mean? Oh, Kang Woojin? If he’s fine with it, then it’s not a problem.”

“Isn’t it unusual for someone who’s in the midst of rising fame to accept a role that’s clearly a replacement? Typically, actors would pass on such roles, right?”

“It varies. But I’m more worried about whether the newcomer can handle the role.”

For the actors who had already completed more than half of the shooting, this was a natural concern.

“True. It’s not an easy role. It’s incredibly challenging.”

“I feel like the decision was a bit rushed. No matter how you look at it, casting a newcomer who has only been in one work…”

“The situation was what it was. From the director’s perspective, he was in a tight spot. But considering the script has been handed over and it’s just over two weeks, it might be a tight schedule for Kang Woojin.”

“But his acting is great, right? I watched ‘Profiler Hanryang’. He totally nailed the role of Park Dae-ri.”

Most of the actors agreed.

“I saw it too. His style of acting is unique. But the real question is whether he can handle this in just about two weeks. Normally, newcomers couldn’t. Especially considering ‘Hanryang’ would’ve had ample time, right?”

“Right… Junwoo had prepared for quite a while too.”

“But isn’t the media raving that Kang Woojin is a genius?”

“Each genius has their own merits. Reading and analyzing the script alone will take over a week… I wonder about the quality.”

“It would be tricky if it’s a half-baked performance.”

The concerns deepened among the actors who hadn’t yet worked with Kang Woojin.

“What’s the point of discussing it here? We’ll have to see for ourselves how he performs.”

At this time, in Kang Woojin’s van.

Since morning, Woojin had been in his van, on his way to the company. However,

“Ugh- the traffic is terrible.”

As Choi Sung-gun in the passenger seat mentioned, the road was jammed, making it hellish in the morning. Kang Woojin, with a cynical expression, remained silent.

He had just been browsing his SNS and put down his phone. Then, he looked out the window. Seeing the heavy traffic congestion, he figured it would take a while.

“Hmm- maybe I should use this spare time for some reading (experience)?”

Kang Woojin turned his eyes to the scripts and scenarios stacked on the right side of his seat.

Piles of them.

All of them were the projects that Woojin was set to join. Lately, Woojin had no time to read works at home. So, whenever he got a chance, he would read them and repeatedly practiced reading the roles in the void space.

‘Let’s start with the ones that are filming soon.’

Soon, Woojin picked up the scenario on top of the pile. It was the script for the movie ‘Drug Dealer’ that was scheduled to shoot in less than ten days. Woojin pressed the black square next to the script with his index finger.

Suddenly, the environment changed.

Before he knew it, Woojin was no longer in the car but was standing in a completely dark void.

Woojin chose the white rectangle of ‘Drug Dealer.’

-[You have selected the script (Title: Drug Dealer).]

-[Listing characters available for reading (experience).]

-[A: Jeong Seong-hoon, B: Choi Jun-ho, C: Kim Hyun-soo…G: Lee Sang-man]

Lee Sang-man. The character Woojin was set to experience (read) was ‘Lee Sang-man.’

“This isn’t the same as murder or anything like that.”

A role that involves drug addiction. Nevertheless, Woojin slowly moved his finger and selected Lee Sang-man. Soon, a familiar robotic female voice filled the virtual space.

[“‘G: Lee Sang-man’ reading preparation in progress······”]

Woojin took a shallow breath.

[“…Preparation complete. This is a highly completed script or scenario. 100% reading is possible. Starting the reading.”]

A vast gray engulfed him.

He felt a change in temperature on his skin.

Neither cold nor hot, somewhere in between. Slowly, the entirely gray world started to fade. Woojin’s viewpoint changed to an unfamiliar place. The sounds he heard were clear but unfamiliar.

-Whizz.

Inside a car. Woojin was sitting in the back seat of a luxurious car, looking out the window. Heavy rain poured down the window. The scent of a specific brand of cigarette stung Woojin’s nose.

A thick and uncomfortable smell, but to the current Kang Woojin, it felt natural and ordinary.

“…”

Silently looking out the window, Woojin’s gaze shifted to the front seat. Both the driver and the passenger in the front were wearing slightly oversized suits. Woojin briefly spoke to the man in the passenger seat.

“Cigarette.”

His voice was raspy. Heavy and oppressive, yet also sounding somewhat lethargic. The man in the passenger seat promptly replied, bowing his head slightly.

“Yes, hyung.”

He quickly offered a cigarette. Woojin took a deep breath after placing the cigarette in his mouth, then exhaled a long stream of white smoke.

“Hoo-”

It felt good. Though Woojin didn’t smoke, at that moment, the act of smoking felt ordinary and mundane. The overwhelming feelings and environment dictated so. Gradually, Lee Sang-man’s emotions and thoughts flowed through every vein in Woojin’s body.

Every single cell transformed.

It was only natural that Kang Woojin was now Lee Sang-man, the boss of a massive gang in Busan.

Lee Sang-man was a man of few words. But his eyes were fierce and sharp. His face was expressionless, making his violent nature stand out even more. He was quiet and meticulous, yet every subtle movement was heavy and profound.

A charisma beyond that of a wild beast.

The inside of the car was silent. The sound of heavy rain hitting the car was all that could be heard. The slight chill and humidity permeated the air. Gradually, cigarette smoke filled the car. Slowly, Woojin began to feel irritated.

“Shhh”

Having smoked the cigarette down to the filter, Woojin threw it out of the window. For a moment, rainwater splashed onto his suit sleeve.

“…”

He felt irritated. For some reason, it was uncomfortable. Then, his arm started to itch. No matter how much he scratched, the itchiness wouldn’t go away. Soon, black dots began to cloud Woojin’s vision. The black dots moving up from below filled half of his view.

Bugs? Or hallucinations?

While others might have panicked, Woojin simply blinked without expression, as if he was accustomed to the sight. As he did so, the black dots disappeared as if they were never there. However,

-Swish.

Kang Woojin quietly scratched his right and left forearms. As soon as the black spot disappeared, a subtle itch erupted. However, it wasn’t relieved. The more he scratched, the itch intensified.

The dirty feeling transformed into sticky anger in Woojin. He then muttered a phrase in Japanese.

“I need to inject it soon.”

Woojin became increasingly anxious. As soon as he voiced his intent to inject something, his brain overwhelmingly and blindly focused on one thought. Inject that damn thing into your forearm.

And be liberated.

Like a deep abyss or fog. As soon as the desire to be liberated emerged, Woojin’s anger transformed into rage, consuming him. His legs shook, and his hands trembled. He couldn’t calm down.

At that moment,

“Hyung, are you okay?”

Asked the man in the passenger seat. Woojin glared at him with his violent eyes. Kang Woojin struck the man with silence, as if he had hit him with a club. The man flinched, realizing his mistake.

Then Woojin spoke with a scratchy voice.

“Do I look like a fool to you?”

“Wha-? No, not at all. You just looked a bit uncomfortable.”

“What did you see?”

“Th-that is…”

“Would I know if I ate those eyeballs of yours?”

“I’m… sorry.”

No sooner had the man’s apologetic voice left his lips than the car stopped in front of a building. The driver quickly got out and opened the door behind him. Woojin exited the car nonchalantly.

-Swish.

The surroundings were completely dark with patches of orange lights that occasionally blinked. Woojin noticed streetlights lined up, illuminating the path. Four cars were parked, and men in suits stood lined up.

Woojin scanned them briefly and turned towards the building entrance.

“Hyung! Please spare me! I must have been out of my mind! Please, Hyung!”

A man, his face covered in blood, knelt down, begging. He was looking at Woojin. However, Woojin seemed unaffected by the man’s desperate pleas.

-Shhh.

The downpour was so intense that it soaked his ankles, and the sound of rain striking the umbrella made it hard to hear. At this point, there was no trace of warmth on Woojin’s stern face. The kneeling man was merely an obstacle in his path.

Therefore,

“······”

Kang Woojin, who had been quietly observing the trembling man, spoke to one of his subordinates standing beside him. His tone was flat and dry.

“Get rid of him.”

Woojin coldly instructed one of his subordinates.

It was an order. An order to remove this idiot from his sight. To put him into a drum, close it, and throw it into the sea. Soon, the bloodied man was dragged away by several men in suits. Despite his last-ditch effort to scream,

“Hyung!!! Please spare me! I promise, I’ll do better! Let go! Let go!!!”

But Kang Woojin had already entered the building. His subordinates didn’t follow. Step by step, his clear footsteps echoed through the quiet building. The pace quickened. Woojin began taking two, then three steps at once.

His steps were urgent, filled with anxiety.

The charisma he displayed earlier was nowhere to be seen. He started running, as if desperate to relieve himself. Finally, Woojin reached a spacious office, filled with expensive furniture. Regardless, Woojin,

-Thud!

Quickly opened a desk drawer and took out several tools. He hastily removed his suit jacket and frantically rolled up his shirt sleeves.

“Huff- Hoo.”

His breathing grew heavy as he wrapped something tightly around his forearm and made a peculiar gesture. Woojin’s face was filled with relief. It was stern, yet gentle.

Suddenly, lightning flashed outside the rain-soaked window. Thunder followed.

Amidst the roaring sound, Woojin sat comfortably on a plush sofa, looking up at the ceiling.

“Hehehe-”

His laughter mixed with the sound of thunder, creating a strange, eerie atmosphere filled that room.