小火星

Though questioned through the phone, Choi Sung-gun did not answer immediately because Director Kwon Ki-taek had asked again.

“Why is Woojin being mentioned here? Wasn’t this matter solely handled by CEO Choi?”

As a director, Kwon Ki-taek naturally had to ask. It was absurd that Kang Woojin was involved in this complicated incident. Nonetheless, Choi Sung-gun, crossing his legs slowly, answered calmly.

“That’s correct. I was the only one who made a move.”

“Then?”

“Shall we say Woojin brought the script?”

“…”

“Thanks to Woojin, this matter could surface. Otherwise, nobody, including me, would have known.”

Owing a favor to Director Kwon Ki-taek, one of the top figures in the field, was a very advantageous move. Director Kwon’s influence extends beyond the domestic film scene to the entertainment industry and even overseas. However, Choi Sung-gun had no particular intention of taking the lead role.

‘I fit better in the background.’

A shadow that goes unnoticed if not paid attention to. He maintained just that kind of position. Moderation. That was Choi Sung-gun’s way of surviving in the entertainment industry for a long time. The lead role is for someone else. Therefore, he pushed all the attention onto Kang Woojin.

‘There’s no point in standing out in the current situation. If it weren’t for Woojin, I would have been left foolishly empty-handed.’

Ultimately, while Choi Sung-gun played the role of an executor, nothing would have happened without Kang Woojin’s initiation. Soon, Choi Sung-gun implanted Kang Woojin deep into Director Kwon’s mind.

“Only Woojin saw the rotten part of ‘Island of the Missing’. I just played the role of exposing it.”

A brief silence. Then, Director Kwon Ki-taek, on the other side of the phone, asked again.

“…I need an explanation. I want to hear exactly how things unfolded? I feel I need to know. After all, the conclusion is important in everything.”

“Of course. However, it’s a bit much to explain over the phone. I will visit you personally. I’ll be busy for a few days, so sometime soon.”

“Okay. I’ll be waiting.”

Having heard the reply, Choi Sung-gun rose from his seat and changed the subject.

“With Seo Chae-eun out, the production of ‘Island of the Missing’ will be delayed, right? You’ll have to recruit a new actor. I’m asking because of Woojin’s schedule.”

“Hmm, well. Of course, we’ll need some time for contract issues, but it won’t take too long to settle.”

“Do you have any actors in mind?”

A niche market. Choi Sung-gun intended to squeeze Hong Hye-yeon into the slightly opened gap of ‘Island of the Missing.’ The timing couldn’t be more perfect, with the shooting for Hanryang completely finished. Unfortunately, a different actor’s name came out of Director Kwon’s mouth.

“Yes, Ha Yu-ra.”

Choi Sung-gun’s eyes widened slightly. Why? Because he had a slight acquaintance with Ha Yu-ra.

“…Ha Yu-ra? I understand she’s in Hollywood right now.”

“She’s in Korea now. She stealthily entered the country a few days ago. Ah, that’s right, Yu-ra had a connection with CEO Choi, didn’t she?”

“Yes, very briefly. So, you’ve met her?”

“I did. I even handed over the script.”

“The script?”

“Ah, it was regarding a cameo appearance.”

I see. Instantly, Choi Sung-gun’s cunning mind changed direction. Having reconsidered something, he first threw in a concluding remark.. It was better to keep this call short and sweet.

It would keep Director Kwon interested.

“I understand for now. I’ll contact you again soon.”

“Okay.”

-Click.

The call was disconnected just like that. The interesting thing was,

-♬♪

As soon as Choi Sung-gun put down his phone, the ringtone sounded again. This time, it was Hong Hye-yeon. She must have called after seeing the article about Seo Chae-eun. He had something to discuss with her anyway, so Choi Sung-gun put the phone back to his ear.

“Uh-huh, Yes.”

On the other side of the phone, Hong Hye-yeon was clamoring.

“Oppa!! Did you see the news? The article just released about Seo Chae-eun from PowerPatch.”

“You’re going to make my ear fall off. Yes, I know. I just saw it.”

“I was at the salon until a little while ago, and it was chaos! Seo Chae-eun was there, and her team was questioning her. It was a total mess.”

“Huh- You were with Seo Chae-eun? How about now?”

“They’ve left. I’m back too. Seo Chae-eun’s manager, the team leader, got angry for a few seconds, then seemed to come to his senses, grabbed her, and disappeared. But, oppa, what happens to ‘Island of the Missing’ now? Wasn’t Seo Chae-eun the lead? Ah, I heard this directly from her.”

Hong Hye-yeon, who was excited, spoke to Choi Sung-gun, who replied calmly.

“I think it’s better for you to know this as well. This situation, I orchestrated it.”

“······What? What do you mean?”

“The circumstances are similar to the time with Director Woo Hyun-goo. The difference is this time I intervened. The starting point was Woojin.”

Choi Sung-gun briefly explained the current situation regarding Seo Chae-eun. Just the key points. Still, Hong Hye-yeon understood immediately. She had seen a lot herself, after all.

Wait, so what does that mean? Was this jointly done by Woojin and you?

“Correct. For now, you’re the only one who knows.”

Of course, but what about Woojin? Is this really something you can simply lump together as just a feeling or intuition?

“No, but there’s no other explanation.”

“······”

“And if you look back at the history of the entertainment industry, both domestic and international, it’s not like there haven’t been unique individuals like Woojin.”

At this point, goosebumps formed on Choi Sung-gun’s arms. Even he felt a chill after saying it.

‘The Midas touch.’

One in tens of millions. Or more. Choi Sung-gun knew of several historically significant figures. He saw that in Kang Woojin now.

‘Should I call Woojin the Midas eye?’

Or a totem. Moreover, Kang Woojin currently had two things. An eye for works and people. The problem was that even with this strange ability alone, he was destructive.

‘That means he’s got a lot more skills, including acting.’

Kang Woojin had more impactful abilities than the Midas touch. Among them, his acting was unparalleled. By this point, Choi Sung-gun felt it.

‘Maybe.’

No, definitely. In the whole world, Kang Woojin was undoubtedly a unique existence. If he grows more, there will surely come a day when even Hollywood will be considered ‘insignificant’ by comparison.

Imagining the not-so-distant future, Choi Sung-gun.

“Hye-yeon.”

He barely reined in his smile and returned to reality, for now, he had to deal with the task at hand.

“For now, I’ll get you the script for ‘Island of the Missing,’ and read through it.”

Afterward.

The bait that PowerPatch threw out to the world was.

『[Exclusive] ‘Habitual Propofol Abuse Scandal’, The addicted life hidden behind the mask of top actress Seo Chae-eun/ Photos』

It spread across the entire internet in just one hour. Like a massive tidal wave engulfing the Korean peninsula. The speed was insane. There was no other explanation for it.

『’Suspected Habitual Propofol Use’ Scandal Bursts for Seo Chae-eun in a Sudden Twist』

Negative news always spread dozens of times faster than positive news. The public always wanted new stimuli, and unpredictable issues like this Seo Chae-eun’s case were bound to ignite.

『[StarPick] Seo Chae-eun, Habitual Propofol Use Revealed… Evidence Confirmed』

『’Propofol’ Scandal Erupts Again, This Time for Top Actress Seo Chae-eun』

『Seven Times a Month? ‘Seo Chae-eun’ Addicted to Propofol』

Domestic reporters were churning out new articles every second. Accusations, gossip, speculation, and more. Whatever the topic, they hammered their keyboards as soon as they could reach.

“Hey!! Why aren’t you releasing the article!!”

“I’m editing it now!”

“Are you kidding me? Do editing at home! Ignore all typos and errors, just throw it out there! Can’t you see the rate at which articles are being published?!!”

“Ah, understood!”

“Just shove in any nonsense, as long as Seo Chae-eun’s name is there!!!”

Nonsense, gibberish, and rumors were everywhere.

『[Exclusive] Seo Chae-eun, Following Habitual Propofol, Possibility of ‘Third Drug’ Detected』

『A source from a broadcasting station “Seo Chae-eun was a regular at plastic surgery clinic ”, a foreseen end?』

Indeed, top actress Seo Chae-eun. Along with her pure image built over the years, and high recognition, there was an explosive amount of response.

『[FactIssue] ‘Habitual Propofol Use Scandal’ Burst for Seo Chae-eun, What About the Films She’s Been or Will Be in?』

It took less than 2 hours for various portal sites to be flooded with her name. And by that night, it was all over YouTube.

If this were a war of conquest, it would have been a perfect victory.

But despite having won the war, the fury of Seo Chae-eun’s fans had reached a peak. It was understandable. It was due to a sense of betrayal. However, the resulting anger wasn’t solely from Seo Chae-eun’s fans. It was a mix of various factions. Some saw this as an opportunity to pounce, others joined in for fun or simply because everyone else was doing it.

-Ah… This is genuinely shocking…

-That’s why, f*ck, celebrities’ images are all f*cking lies, right? Hahaha. Goodbye~~~

-They need to be punished severely. We need to stop letting celebrities off the hook just because they are celebrities.

-No, but seriously, there were always rumors about Seo Chae-eun getting Botox, right?? Haha. So it wasn’t Botox but Propofol? LOL

-But the doctor who prescribed it should be arrested too!!

-And just like that, another one bites the dust.

-Drug addicts deserve no sympathy, lol. Disgusting, Seo Chae-eun.

-How about a thorough investigation of the entire entertainment industry this time? Even without saying, there must be many trembling with fear right now.

-Seo Chae-eun, hahaha, acting all innocent in front, but she was doing drugs behind the scenes lol.

·

·

·

·

In just half a day, Seo Chae-eun fell from a top actress to a national drug addict. Yet, in the face of this fierce controversy, both Seo Chae-eun and her agency remained silent.

『[StarTalk] Why are Seo Chae-eun and her agency keeping silent? Now is the time to step forward.』

They might be searching for a breakthrough. However, this only further fueled public resentment. Later that same night, after finishing his schedule, Kang Woojin was also searching about this situation at home.

“Ah, so it was Propofol.”

He had heard a brief explanation from Choi Sung-gun. But seeing it himself, Woojin found it unbelievable.

“Seo Chae-eun looked perfectly fine on the outside.”

Before Kang Woojin became an actor, there were countless such incidents in the entertainment industry. Back then, as an ordinary citizen, all he could do was marvel at them. But now, his mindset had changed.

‘It really happens in an instant.’

He felt intensely why they say showbiz is a jungle. The ruthless world of fame was also a lesson. Regardless, Kang Woojin put down his phone since there was no need to delve deeper.

Then, suddenly, Woojin entered the void space.

-Thud.

He had to check. It was about the rating for ‘Island of the Missing.’ However, standing in the endless darkness of the void space, Woojin’s expression turned grave.

The reason was simple.

-[3/Scenario (Title: Island of the Missing), Grade: E]

The rating had fallen from D to E. Still, Woojin tried to remain calm.

“Eh, it’s probably because it hasn’t even been a day.”

He assumed that Seo Chae-eun hadn’t officially left ‘Island of the Missing.’ It wasn’t a wrong assumption since it had only been half a day since her scandal broke out.

Even so.

“Ah- This is making me nervous.”

Kang Woojin, standing in the void space, felt a growing tension. Was there possibly another issue at play? Despite his concerns, Woojin forced himself to shake his head.

“Damn, I don’t know. Let’s just wait a bit more and see.”

He reassured himself, thinking he was over-worrying. Exiting the void space, Woojin forced himself to sleep. At that moment, on PowerPatch.

『[Exclusive] The relationship between Seo Chae-eun and Hospital A, and the related celebrities/Photo』PowerPatch- Reporter Lim Sang-moon

The second bomb was dropped on the world.

On Monday, the 29th, after the weekend.

On Sunday, Kang Woojin had taken a rare day off. Thanks to good schedule management and Choi Sung-gun’s consideration, he rested. Of course, the world was still noisy about Seo Chae-eun, but Woojin spent the entire Sunday cleaning and reading scripts and scenarios.

And now.

-Rumble!

Early in the morning, Kang Woojin, wearing a hat, got into the van parked in the parking lot. What was unusual was…

“Ah- Woojin, did you rest well?”

In the van, only Choi Sung-gun was visible in the driver’s seat. Kang Woojin, his face stern, greeted him and asked,

“Hello. But where are the others?”

“They took a break yesterday. They must be at the company now.”

“Oh, is that so?”

As soon as Kang Woojin, who had nodded slightly, sat down, the van started. Soon, Choi Sung-gun peeked at the rearview mirror and opened his mouth.

“Since we’ve properly rested for a day, we should run ourselves ragged again, right?”

Yes, of course. Woojin was somewhat determined, so he murmured softly, a hint of bluster in his voice.

“Yes, no problem.”

“Haha. Right. The schedule is packed today, and Su-hwan will give you the details. I’ll be out in the morning and will join you in the afternoon.”

“Is there something going on?”

Choi Sung-gun, who was turning the steering wheel to the right, answered promptly.

“First, a company meeting. There’s a lot to sort out overall. For You and Hye-yeon. Oh, and we’re going to increase the number of stylists.”

“Yes.”

“Then I’m going to meet Director Kwon Ki-taek.”

“Director Kwon?”

“Yes. Well, others might not know, but Director Kwon Ki-taek needs to be fully aware of the situation. And.”

Choi Sung-gun chuckled in a low tone, with a devilish grin.

“Shouldn’t we receive some compensation?”

Kang Woojin’s face was indifferent on the outside, but inside, he was slightly surprised.

‘Compensation? What compensation?’

Choi Sung-gun, unaware of his thoughts, continued.

“As you know, this industry requires a clear give-and-take. If we just accept whatever is thrown at us, we’ll be seen as easy. Well, Director Kwon Ki-taek isn’t like that, but still, we should definitely get what we’re due.”

“……”

“You’ve been thinking about it, haven’t you? You’re sharp in these matters.”

No? I hadn’t thought about it at all. Woojin, focused solely on saving ‘Island of the Missing,’ had overlooked this aspect. He was indeed a professional. Give and take. Learning from this, Kang Woojin silently gave Choi Sung-gun a thumbs-up.

“I’ll count on you for this.”

“What’s there to count on? I normally handle these things. You just need to stand out.”

Just when Kang Woojin was touched, Choi Sung-gun changed the subject.

“And it’s probably confirmed, but Ha Yu-ra will replace Seo Chae-eun. You know, Ha Yu-ra.”

“···Yes, I know.”

Kang Woojin cynically sighed, of course, internally.

‘She’s being replaced this quickly? And with Ha Yu-ra? Wow- Indeed, a master director.’

Kang Woojin was also familiar with Ha Yu-ra. She hadn’t been seen much recently, but she was a top actress.

‘But wasn’t it 2 years ago? She said she was breaking into Hollywood.’

As he recalled the past, Kang Woojin suddenly moved his hand. He picked up the script piled next to him. Why?

-Poke!

It was to enter the void space quietly. Since there was a new change, he had to check the rating of ‘Island of the Missing.’ Soon, in the dark void space, Kang Woojin stood before the white rectangles.

“It was originally A+, so at least B+. No, it should have recovered to A.”

But.

“Huh?”

As soon as he saw the white rectangle of ‘Island of the Missing,’ Woojin’s eyes widened in shock.

“This is insane.”

There had been a rather shocking change.

-[3/Scenario (Title: Island of the Missing), S+ Grade]

S+ grade, it was the first time such a rating appeared.

“There is something above S-grade?”

*****