DM Production's conference room.
The key staff of Beneficial Evil had gathered, and from Executive Director Song Man-woo's mouth came the words "Bangkok, Thailand," clearly referring to an overseas shoot.
"Rather than approaching this vaguely, it's better to decide firmly."
At his words, one of the production managers among the dozens of core staff nodded.
"Yes, understood. I'll contact the police station right away."
Song Man-woo PD and the other key staff set down the tablets they had been reviewing and opened a thick stack of documents. The bundle contained detailed information about overseas filming locations for Beneficial Evil. In truth, this wasn't the first time overseas filming had been discussed, as it had already come up when they were preparing the large-scale domestic set.
That was why the documents included multiple options, extending all the way to a fifth plan, with Bangkok among them, along with locations suitable for filming and the scenes intended for those settings.
As the production meeting stretched on around those materials, the muscular stunt director turned to Song Man-woo PD and asked a question.
"Should we keep the car chase scene, or remove it?"
Song Man-woo, who had been stroking his chin, answered without hesitation.
"If the overseas location is confirmed, we keep it. That part is important, so have the line PD thoroughly check the local conditions."
"If we keep that scene, does that include the explosion sequence as well?"
"Of course. That's the direction we're going."
"It's been a while since we've done a large-scale explosion."
"We're also planning to include the gunfight scene we were considering cutting, so everyone should review the initial storyboard carefully and prepare thoroughly."
The core staff—props, stunt, filming, equipment, special effects—moved quickly as the discussion continued. This time, the art director spoke up.
"If we go this route, it also means restoring the protagonist's background and direction that we removed from the script. Will there be revisions?"
"There will be minor adjustments, but since it's part of the initial preparation, it won't take long. Writer Choi has already started gathering materials. It's just a small addition to the early part, so please keep that in mind."
After finishing his explanation, Song Man-woo PD turned his attention back to the stunt director.
"The combat techniques in this overseas operation won't be easy, so review the action storyboard we created before, refine it as quickly as possible, and submit it for briefing. We'll also need to share it with Woojin."
"Alright, but will Woojin be able to handle all of that alone?"
"Hmm, that will need some adjustment. We should discuss it with him and consider using a stunt double if necessary."
The atmosphere in the meeting gradually grew more intense. Beneficial Evil was a pre-produced project targeting the global market in partnership with Netflix, with a massive budget behind it, so this level of tension was only natural.
Even just listening to the conversation felt like watching a blockbuster unfold.
Song Man-woo PD believed that to capture the attention of overseas audiences, they needed bold and striking direction, something that wouldn't be possible in an ordinary miniseries.
In the middle of the heated discussion, he shifted the topic.
"It would be best to begin the overseas location scouting after Netflix finishes filming interviews with all the actors."
"That sounds much better."
"Then let's adjust the schedule to match Woojin's return. First, we'll complete the full cast interviews, then proceed with overseas scouting and location selection, finalize the set and storyboard, and review the overall action sequences. We should also conduct the script reading around that time."
A few of the core staff let out quiet sighs at the tightly packed schedule.
Song Man-woo PD then brought the conversation back to Kang Woojin.
"Woojin's schedule is critical, so make sure to coordinate with him in advance and align it as much as possible."
"Yes, PD. I spoke earlier with CEO Choi Seonggeon. He said Woojin can adjust his schedule after a few days of rest, aside from his business trip to LA."
"LA?"
"You know, the project he's doing with Miley Kara."
"Ah, right."
Soft murmurs of admiration followed.
"That's incredible… who would have thought a Korean actor would be working on an album with Miley Kara?"
"At this rate, won't Woojin become a global star even before our project begins?"
"Ha, that would be great for us. No more banging our heads against walls."
"But looking at his schedule, it's honestly impossible for a normal person to keep up. I can't believe he manages all of it."
At the same time, Song Man-woo PD steered the discussion back on track.
"Anyway, make sure to inform Woojin and the other actors participating in the overseas shoot of the details immediately."
Most of the actors he referred to were unknown or rookie actors.
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At the same time, in Jinju.
Kang Woojin, who had just finished a call with Choi Seonggeon several dozen minutes earlier, was lying alone in his room inside an empty house. He was still wearing his worn training pants with holes at the knees and a T-shirt with a faded print.
Although it was only a short two-night, three-day break, he seemed determined to rest as much as possible. Without a script or scenario in hand, he lay on his side, scrolling through his phone.
Only—
"Ah… seriously, doing nothing is the best. This feels amazing."
He was fully enjoying his time as his original self, without putting on any strong front or maintaining any persona. While Jinju buzzed with news of his visit, Kang Woojin was quietly spending his time alone.
At the moment, he was watching a YouTube video.
A film review channel with nearly a million subscribers and over three million views had recently gone viral. As the title suggested, the video focused on Kang Woojin, compiling his performances from the film Island of the Missing, which had shaken the Korean film industry.
The thousands of comments beneath it were, unsurprisingly, filled with praise.
"Heh, this is nice."
Of course, there were also comments criticizing or belittling him, but Woojin brushed them off easily.
After watching videos centered on himself for a while, he opened a search site, as the recently wrapped drama Leech came to mind.
"Let's see how things are going."
He already had a rough idea of the situation through group chats, but he was curious about media coverage and public opinion. As expected, search results poured out quickly, with news articles catching his attention first.
The anticipation surrounding Leech, which was slated for Cannes, was already high, especially after the massive success of Island of the Missing. However, the production team had not been actively promoting it.
Regardless, even after post-production was completed, it wouldn't be released immediately in Korea. It would likely premiere at Cannes first before making its way to domestic theaters later in the year.
Anyway—
Woojin, still lying on his side, set his phone down and scratched his stomach.
"I'm kind of hungry."
He wasn't starving, just in the mood for something light, like snacks. He got up and wandered into the kitchen, checking around.
There was nothing.
Aside from some leftover instant noodles and spicy braised chicken from the morning, there were no snacks. After checking the time, he saw it was just before noon.
He stood there for a moment, thinking.
Then he went back to his room, grabbed a cap and a mask, and prepared to head out to the convenience store inside the apartment complex.
He glanced at his outfit.
The worn training pants were fine, but the faded T-shirt felt a bit much to wear outside. After a moment of hesitation, he changed into a different shirt, put on his cap and mask, and left the house.
Inside the elevator, a few people got on along the way, but no one recognized him. Some glanced his way, but that was all.
Wearing slippers, Woojin stepped outside the apartment and headed toward the nearby convenience store.
Just as he yawned, two young women passed by him.
"Did you see the banner at the entrance?"
"Yeah, it's amazing! It really feels like Kang Woojin is actually here."
"Do you think we'll see him? Should we just keep walking around the complex?"
"If I see him, I think my heart will explode!"
Watching them, Woojin thought to himself.
'Why are they out at this hour? Shouldn't they be in school?'
Then he realized.
It was Saturday.
Banner?
He vaguely remembered Choi Seonggeon mentioning something about it during their call.
'What banner are they talking about?'
As he walked toward the store, Woojin decided to check it out. The two women who had passed him began whispering and looking back at him.
A few minutes later, he reached the apartment entrance.
He stopped.
His gaze lifted.
'What is that…?'
Shock and embarrassment hit him at the same time.
A large banner hung above the entrance.
"Pride of Jinju! Welcome, monster actor Kang Woojin!!" — Jinju City Hall
There wasn't just one.
Several banners were hung across the area, all welcoming him. One of them even featured a large image of his face.
'My face? Why is my face on that?!'
Flustered, Woojin turned around without even buying snacks.
Just then—
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
It was a message from his mother.
As he read it, his embarrassment deepened.
— Mom: Woojin, there are so many banners here too! The city officials seem really happy you came. I saw a lot of them at the shop as well.
(Attached photo)
Images showed banners with his face spread throughout Jinju.
'Stop! Don't put them up! I never asked for this!'
As he screamed internally, a voice suddenly called out.
"Excuse me—"
The two young women from earlier were now standing in front of him, hesitant.
The one wearing glasses asked carefully.
"Are you… Kang Woojin?"
There was a brief silence.
Woojin answered casually, almost playfully.
"No."
"…I see. Ah, sorry."
The two bowed lightly and turned away.
He caught part of their conversation as they left.
"See? I told you it wasn't him. There's no way someone that famous would walk around in ripped training pants."
"Right? Compared to the banner, he looked kind of… off."
"Exactly. Just some local guy out to buy cigarettes or something."
Woojin stood there, then let out a long sigh.
"Coming out like that was a mistake."
He quickly returned home.
Inside, he sensed movement.
His younger sister, Kang Hyuna, who hadn't been seen since morning, came out of the kitchen wearing a white cap and holding a glass of water.
The moment she saw him, her eyes widened.
"Are you crazy? You went out dressed like that?!"
"Yeah."
She rushed over and started hitting his shoulder.
Woojin pulled off her cap and tossed it away, revealing her long brown hair.
She immediately began scolding him.
"You're basically a hero in Jinju right now, and you went out looking like a defeated soldier? What if someone recognized you?"
"Be quiet."
"Is that how you talk to your fan club president?"
"Oh, the president, huh. Then go buy some snacks. For yourself too."
Hyuna's face lit up as she looked at the money he handed her.
"Can I buy clothes too?"
"If the convenience store sells them."
"Tch!"
After silencing her with pocket money, Woojin collapsed onto the sofa.
Hyuna spoke again.
"You don't look like Kang Woojin when you're lying around like that."
"Am I supposed to stay serious at home too?"
"There's a charity event tomorrow. Can you come? Kang's Heart donated too, so I'm going."
"You're doing that kind of thing too?"
"There'll be articles about it tomorrow! A lot of people from local child centers are going, and the mayor might come too."
It was a good cause, but Woojin shook his head.
"I don't think I can."
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That same night.
Inside a studio apartment.
More precisely, it was writer Choi Nana's workspace for Beneficial Evil.
It was late, and since she had already finished writing the final episode, the living room desk was empty. The lights were off.
But one room was still lit.
Choi Nana, wearing round glasses, sat staring at her laptop.
Papers were scattered around her, likely reference materials.
On the screen, a video played.
Two well-built foreign men demonstrated an intense action sequence.
She replayed the same clip over and over, her focus unwavering.
"This is good… it helps."
Beside her, a notepad lay open.
Several words had been circled repeatedly.
Close Combat / CQC System
It looked like the foundation for something she intended to use in Beneficial Evil.