After finishing a conversation with the production team of 'Island of the Missing,' Choi Sung-gun, wearing a thin short-sleeved shirt and a hat pushed down firmly, returned to the waiting tent. His focus was on the smartphone in his hand. Just as he was about to enter the tent,
"Are you by any chance interested in the 'Cannes Film Festival'?"
An old man's voice was heard inside the tent. It was familiar voice. Realizing that Director Ahn Ga-bok was inside, Choi Sung-gun hesitated.
'Director Ahn Ga-bok? Was he here already??'
He knew that the director was supposed to come today, but Choi Sung-gun had not known that he had already arrived and was talking with Kang Woojin.
'The Cannes Film Festival? Asking him directly out of the blue? It's just a hint, but... surely, Woojin wouldn't blatantly refuse, right? Yeah, that's right. He wouldn't.'
Choi Sung-gun hoped internally. Honestly, he wasn't sure how things would go, but if something went wrong with Director Ahn Ga-bok like it did Director Woo Hyun-goo, it would be hard for even Choi Sung-gun to handle.
However,
"No, I'm not particularly interested."
The cold voice of Kang Woojin that came from inside the tent shattered Choi Sung-gun's faith. For a moment, his legs seemed to lose strength, and he supported himself by placing his hands on his knees.
'...An accident happened.'
The representatives and employees of the film company inside the tent, who had come with Director Ahn Ga-bok, immediately furrowed their brows.
"Hey, look here!"
And everyone raised their voices slightly towards Kang Woojin, who appeared indifferent.
"Not particularly interested!"
"Kang Woojin~ssi, in this field, the arrogant you are, the more humble you need to be. Do you not know who is sitting in front of you?"
"Behaving rudely in front of the director!"
"······Look, Woojin~ssi. Do you think your popularity will continue endlessly??"
A barrage of attacks. On the other hand, Kang Woojin's expressionless face remained unchanged. Or, more precisely, only on the outside. Internally, he was in extreme panic.
'What, what's this. It's kind of scary, huh?!'
More than ever, he needed to remain calm. Pour cold water, no, pour ice water on it. With that mindset, he looked at the composed Director Ahn Ga-bok and then replied in a low voice to the attacking group.
"Is there a problem?"
"···What, what did you say?"
"I merely answered. You asked about the Cannes Film Festival, and I shared my thoughts. I don't understand why you're getting worked up."
"······"
"It's a bit baffling without any context."
He was right. Director Ahn Ga-bok had simply asked about Cannes, and Woojin had only given his response. The others were upset because they knew the inside story, but from Kang Woojin's perspective, it wasn't a situation to be scolded for.
"Am I in a situation that deserves criticism?"
There was yet no formal request from Director Ahn Ga-bok. At that moment,
-Swish.
Silently observing Kang Woojin, the white-haired Director Ahn Ga-bok spoke softly.
"Apologize."
It was directed at the employees behind him, and the film company's representative stuttered.
"Di, Director~nim!"
"Apologize. There was no need to raise your voice."
"······"
The representative and employees kept their mouths shut, but dissatisfaction was evident in their eyes. Still, unable to disregard Director Ahn Ga-bok's orders, they apologized to Woojin in a low voice.
"···Sorry."
Director Ahn Ga-bok also met Kang Woojin's gaze.
"Sorry, it's just that they care about me."
Internally breathing a sigh of relief, Kang Woojin shook his head.
"No, it's okay."
After hearing the response, Director Ahn Ga-bok smiled slightly and gestured to the people behind him.
"Everyone, leave us. We need to talk separately."
Soon, the film company's representatives and employees turned around. Meanwhile, Choi Sung-gun silently moved to the side of the tent. Unaware of this, the representatives and employees grumbled as they left the tent.
"Phew- Even so, speaking so openly in front of Director Ahn is a bit much, isn't it?"
"······His arrogance is sky-high. Well, it's the time when he can't see what's ahead of him."
"We'll have to see how brilliantly he acts during the shooting, amidst those top actors."
Regardless, inside the tent, the atmosphere between Kang Woojin and Director Ahn Ga-bok, sitting opposite each other, remained still. Both were just examining each other's eyes. Among them, Director Ahn Ga-bok was the first to break the ice.
"Having no interest, you say- may I ask why you are not particularly interested in the Cannes Film Festival?"
"······"
Why? Because I'm genuinely not interested? Moreover, Kang Woojin wasn't exactly thrilled about Director Ahn Ga-bok. He hadn't even thought about the Cannes Film Festival or anything like that.
'Such a huge film festival would only be possible a few years from now, right?'
Currently, Woojin had a much greater interest in avoiding the grandpa in front of him than in the Cannes Film Festival. According to Choi Sung-gun, this grandfather was planning to challenge Cannes, right?
Not really interested, and planning to beat around the bush,
Kang Woojin voiced out his thoughts, which included some acting.
"As I said, I simply have no particular interest."
"Hmm- That's an answer I hadn't expected."
The veteran's gaze that seemed to wrap around his whole body was directed at him again. Slightly startled, Woojin pretended to be calm but murmured inside.
'Last time at the restaurant too. I thought I caught a glimpse of a light look in his eyes, is that from experience or ability? Should I try to prod a little?'
With a maybe in mind, Woojin slightly toned down his excessive acting. The force in his eyes and the tension and bravado controlling his body also lightened.
"But why do you ask about the Cannes Film Festival?"
Then he ramped up his act again. For a brief moment, Woojin's pretense wavered. It wasn't particularly a difficult task. It was something he always did.
What was peculiar was,
'Huh?'
Director Ahn Ga-bok's reaction to Woojin's test was very quick.
'As expected... I can see it now and then. Should I say it's light- the eyes are of a lighter density.'
Director Ahn Ga-bok openly asked,
"Indeed, you are unique. Even now, I can see that strange thing in your eyes that I saw before?"
Wow- shit, this grandpa is really dangerous. More than a supernatural being. Kang Woojin, internally cursing, lowered his voice as much as possible.
"I'm not sure what you mean."
".....Is that so?"
It was then.
-Swish.
The tent opened, and Choi Sung-gun and the burly Jang Su-hwan entered. Choi Sung-gun was the first to speak.
"Oh! Director~nim??"
Quietly- Director Ahn Ga-bok, who had been looking at Woojin, gently stood up. His gaze remained on Kang Woojin.
"Good luck with today's shooting."
After exchanging brief greetings with Choi Sung-gun, Director Ahn Ga-bok left the tent, and under the shining sunlight, he put on his safari hat again and muttered to himself, of course, while thinking of Kang Woojin.
"It feels like something is hidden in the fog."
An hour later.
Under the dense forest that blocked the glaring sunlight, in the hot air without a hint of wind, the sound of insects from somewhere, the soggy ground, trees of unknown names.
Somewhere, a chilling gaze is felt.
Silence flows. A bitter stench pricks the nose. In such a place, Kang Woojin stands. A slanted helmet, military uniform worn out by blood and mud.
"Huff- hoo."
Woojin, taking excessive deep breaths, had his rifle pressed against his cheek. The buttstock was firmly fixed on his shoulder. However, the tip of the barrel, pointing somewhere, slightly trembled. The military boots stuck in the soggy ground.
Slowly, the rifle cradled in his arms moves through the air.
"······Huh."
The camera captures Kang Woojin's face following the barrel of his rifle.
The strength in Woojin's eyes scanning the forest filled with concentrated fear was feeble. Timid. Naturally. The current Woojin was 'Corporal Jin Sun-cheol.' This wasn't a filming set. It was the world of Corporal Jin Sun-cheol, experienced through the void space.
At least for Kang Woojin, it was.
The full staff of about a hundred people, the cameras and audio equipment placed around, reflectors, all disappeared. Kang Woojin. No, 'Corporal Jin Sun-cheol' had only fear plastered on his face.
'Shit. Shit, shit!'
Because it's not an illusion, everything about Corporal Jin Sun-cheol dominates Woojin. He is faint-hearted. Among the two personalities within him, the rough one was not felt.
And.
'I'm scared, so scared.'
Since a while ago, Corporal Jin Sun-cheol's heart has been doing piston movements like it's about to burst. His temples throbbing as if they were about to explode. His breathing was rough and unstable to the point that the rifle he was holding trembled, and he seemed to be on the verge of sobbing.
Director Kwon Ki-taek, who was monitoring this, slowly nodded his head.
'Good, he doesn't seem to be shaken. I was worried for nothing.'
He glanced surreptitiously to his right rear. There sat Director Ahn Ga-bok, wearing a safari hat, his expression inscrutable. The shooting watched by this titan was not officially confirmed, but it was likely aimed at Kang Woojin. Yet, the current Woojin was more stable and explosive than usual.
But this long take scene was just the beginning.
Meanwhile, Director Ahn Ga-bok, who was closely observing Kang Woojin inside the shooting zone, speculated.
'Feeble and timid. Is it a character with a weak resolve? There are no lines, but the gaze, breathing, and details of the actions are well expressed.'
Around him, including the film company's representative, a few people were focused solely on Kang Woojin. The acting is okay, but so far, it's not astonishing. Just that level of gaze. Of course, Director Ahn Ga-bok felt similarly.
'Yes, I know the acting is decent. But a weak character is something I've seen before. Is that all there is?'
Surely, Kang Woojin was showing good acting, but it was somewhat bland. Such timid roles had been too frequently used in the film industry up to now. Regardless, the approximately a hundred staff members watching the shooting zone kept silent, with only the cameras and actors moving.
Then.
-Swish.
The camera filming Corporal Jin Sun-cheol slowly changed its angle, following his gaze. Other soldiers, not previously visible on the monitor, appeared. All were in the same condition as Corporal Jin Sun-cheol.
"Huup-"
"Ha, huup-"
On the soggy ground, a step away, they were standing here and there, holding their rifles and keeping watch over something unseen. Since entering 'Island of the Missing,' several had already died, reducing their number, but still, there were a dozen or so left. Several cameras filming them and drones flying in the sky.
Thanks to this, the several monitors Director Kwon Ki-taek was watching vividly captured the expressions of the various actors in accordance with the shooting continuity.
Ryu Jung-min, Kim Yi-won, Jeon Woo-chang, Ha Yu-ra, and other supporting actors.
Sweat dripped down. Faces full of quiet but sticky despair. Among them, only 'First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae,' who was holding a pistol, was somewhat calm.
"Hoo- Slowly. Retreat slowly."
A sound was heard. The most terrifying sound to be wary of since entering 'Island of the Missing.' An unknown, damn monstrous creature. Nothing can be seen between the dense trees and bushes, but it's definitely there. The dozen or so soldiers try to back away as quietly as possible, minimizing any noise.
-Step, step.
Their breathing was kept as low as possible, and the throbbing hearts made them feel like vomiting. All had such expressions. Their eyeballs were dilated to the point of congestion, and the right cheek pressed against the mounted rifle trembled.
The camera captures Kim Yi-won's sweat-soaked face. He was 'Staff Sergeant Jo Bong-seok.'
"Quietly... just keep watch and quietly withdraw."
Jeon Woo-chang, who played 'Lance Corporal Nam Tae-oh,' uttered in a trembling voice, unlike his muscular body. Glancing back.
"What if that monster bastard is behind us?"
"······For now, follow the orders. The sound definitely came from ahead."
First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae, slightly lowering his body, gestured that his voice was too loud.
"When I signal, run at full speed, thinking that if you're slow, your comrades will die."
-Step, step.
The soldiers gradually backpedaled. They swallowed saliva, wiped the sweat obscuring their vision, moved their trembling feet, and some sobbed.
Silence filled with fear permeates the air.
A precarious situation. It feels like everything will collapse if someone cuts the tense string. Still, the soldiers somehow maintained their formation and continued to back away.
At that moment, a camera closely captures Corporal Jin Sun-cheol, who is panting heavily.
"······"
His face was still feeble, but a change was seen in his face captured on the monitor for a brief moment. It was when he glanced at the face of the Private next to him. Director Ahn Ga-bok caught that and hesitated.
'Did he smile? Did he just smile? Surely, the corner of his mouth.'
At that moment.
-Swish.
Corporal Jin Sun-cheol stealthily stepped on the trembling Private's boot next to him. The camera then moves from Corporal Jin Sun-cheol to the Private's startled face.
At the same time, flames burst from the muzzle of the gun the Private was holding.
-Bang!
A gunshot echoes through the silent island. A close-up of the panicked private.
"No, this is."
Staff Sergeant Jo Bong-seok clenches his teeth.
"You crazy son of a bitch."
Dozens of comrades, their eyes bulging, all turned to look at the Private. The Private sobs.
"Something... something stepped on my foot, sob. It's true."
Then, a strange sound is heard.
["Kulik, Kulik."]
The startled Private fires his gun in the direction of the sound.
-Bang, bang, bang!!
He had already lost his mind.
"Aaaaah! You fucking bastard!!"
-Bang, bang!
At this moment, the silence was shattered. First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae grabs Staff Sergeant Jo Bong-seok by the neck and yells.
"Stop that bastard!! Everyone, look ahead, ahead!!"
Staff Sergeant Jo Bong-seok rushes to the Private.
"Cease fire! Hey!! Can't you hear??! Cease fire!!!"
But.
["Kulik."]
Following that sound.
-Whoosh, thunk!!
Something long leaped out from the dense bushes and pierced the chest of the Private firing wildly. Of course, this scene would later be re-shot with a 'greenscreen' and CG inserted, but the actors all stopped moving at once.
The Private, tears streaming down, blood spurting from his mouth.
"Huk... Guk. Co, company commander."
The long thing that pierced his chest retracted back into the bushes. It wasn't visible in reality, but the actors had to clearly see it, and they did. The Private collapses to the ground. Simultaneously, all soldiers' breathing becomes violently ragged.
"This, this fucker!!"
"Die!! Die you monster bastard!!"
"Aaaaah!"
-Bang, bang, bang!!
-Bang, bang, bang, bang!!
They fired towards where the long thing had come from. All soldiers lost their reason, and First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae screamed into Staff Sergeant Jo Bong-seok's ear.
"Move! Platoon leader!! Run!!"
"Company commander! We have to shoot!! The guys are just dying!!"
-Bang, bang, bang, bang!!
"Run!! Run, I said!!!"
It was chaos. Staff Sergeant Jo Bong-seok, gritting his teeth, roughly grabs Lance Corporal Nam Tae-oh's collar.
"Cease fire!! Run down there! Fuck, run, you bastards!!"
-Bang, bang, bang!!
The camera films the Private with a hole in his chest from above. He is gasping for shallow breaths. Next to him, Corporal Jin Sun-cheol desperately tries to stop the blood from his chest.
"Don't, don't die."
"Corporal... sir."
"Don't talk."
"I want... to live..."
"Don't, don't talk. Don't talk."
"..."
The life fades from the Private's eyes as he looks up at the sky. His life is over. The monitor that was showing the Private switches to Corporal Jin Sun-cheol's face. Amidst his muscles trembling, the corners of his mouth strangely twitch again.
Director Ahn Ga-bok leans in closer to the monitor.
'Again. That's not the twitch of crying. It's exhilaration. Yes, exhilaration. Torturous, yet joyful. Why? Why is the most feeble one the most thrilled?'
His question was not long-lasting. Decades of experience as a director. Soon, the supernatural Director Ahn Ga-bok murmured softly.
"Yes. Dual personality. Two egos, all conveyed just through expression."
In this wide shot, Kang Woojin had not many lines. Only his agile expressions were shown.
'The control of pace, tension, richness, and volume in this scene is entrusted to that kid, Kang Woojin.'
It means he's taking the lead.
'A critical situation with lives at stake. However, it could seem monotonous at a glance. Because it's a scene I've seen before. Kang Woojin twists it with a variety of colors. Among the celebrated top actors spanning decades of career, Woojin holds the key.'
On the other hand, Director Kwon Ki-taek, who had been intently watching the monitor, also swallowed his saliva softly.
"Good, let's have more."
He spurs on the climax of the drama. The hundred or so staff members around him had already been rendered speechless, even though they had witnessed dozens of takes.
"...Wow, the immersion is just- unbelievable."
"Corporal Jin Sun-cheol's smile is really creepy."
"Everyone's acting is insane, totally..."
They couldn't help but express their inner thoughts again. Meanwhile.
-Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!!
The retreating soldiers began to run one by one.
"Retreat!! Retreat, you bastards!"
"Where to! Where do we retreat to?!"
"The village! Towards the village!"
"Isn't the village side dangerous too?!"
"Shit! So you want to die here?!!"
"Ugh! Cease fire!! Run towards the village!!"
Staff Sergeant Jo Bong-seok, leading the front, starts to disappear from the camera angle one by one. However.
"Hu-huk- G, get up. Get up."
Corporal Jin Sun-cheol, even without his helmet, was the only one sobbing over the dead Private. First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae, retreating last, checks on him.
"Jin Sun-cheol!! What the hell are you doing!! Didn't you hear the order to run?!!"
"B, but! Dae-kwon! Private Park Dae-kwon!"
First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae slaps Corporal Jin Sun-cheol across the face.
-Slap!!
"Snap out of it! He's dead! He's already dead!! Shut up and get up!! Quickly!!"
"Bu... bu- "
Stuttering, Corporal Jin Sun-cheol gets up, puts on his helmet, and starts running awkwardly. Watching this, First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae urgently rips off the Private's dog tag and dashes away.
The camera runs in front of them.
The monitor captures the face of Corporal Jin Sun-cheol in front, with the desperate First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae behind. Their expressions were very contrasting. Corporal Jin Sun-cheol's, Kang Woojin's, corners of the mouth were stretched tight like a bow. His mouth was a half-moon. He was smiling brightly at the world. His round eyes were filled with mischief and madness. The timid one was nowhere to be found.
There was no sound, but it seemed like a 'giggling' laughter was heard from the mask. A silent joy.
He, one of the Corporals, Jin Sun-cheol, was playing a game.
First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae couldn't have noticed it. He could only see the back of Corporal Jin Sun-cheol's head.
Eventually, both of them exit the camera.
"......"
"......"
A moment of silence. After this long cut, Director Kwon Ki-taek gave his signal.
"Cut. OK."
Following that, behind him, Director Ahn Ga-bok, looking earnestly at Kang Woojin, no, Corporal Jin Sun-cheol, let out an aged voice.
"Ha-"
The veteran slowly looked down at his forearm. Because it had been drenched with a cold sweat for a while now. And then he chuckled softly.
'Well...'
How long has it been? Goosebumps had risen on this parched, withered forearm that had lost its plumpness, as dry as a drought.
"To think I'd get goosebumps at this age."
********
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