Casting director Megan's brow tightened at the short reply from the famous producer, Joseph.
"I don't know."
From beginning to end, Joseph gave nothing but vague answers. Megan didn't like that. Joseph Felton had always been like this. He acted as if he knew everything, yet never offered even the slightest hint to anyone else.
"Could you be a bit more specific?"
The large-built Joseph simply shrugged.
"Hmm. Just like you have your own connection with Kang Woojin, I have a separate one with him."
"..."
"Does that scare you?"
"Of course not."
Megan cleared her throat. Watching her, Joseph let out a faint smile and murmured quietly.
"You'll come to understand naturally."
Megan exhaled briefly.
"Ha, fine."
She quickly shifted the topic.
"Then how did the negotiations with the film studio go? There must have been prior agreements. They said they could cast anyone regardless of nationality, but once the investment is secured, that kind of stance can change."
"As it always does."
"Do you think casting an Asian actor is realistically possible?"
Joseph, who had been rubbing his chin, broke into a wide smile.
"Like I said, I've been looking for a project that suits him. Megan, don't worry about the rest and just move freely. But reality has its limits. We know Kang Woojin, but the people in this massive Hollywood system don't."
"...It's true. Casting an unproven Korean actor as a lead or even a major supporting role isn't easy."
"It's close to impossible."
"Hmm. That's difficult."
Megan grew serious, her thoughts drifting back to Kang Woojin. His performance must have left a strong impression. Joseph, noticing this, lightly patted her shoulder.
"But if he creates a real stir at this year's Cannes Film Festival, things will be different. Winning an award as a newcomer might be difficult, but if he shows overwhelming acting there, persuasion becomes much easier. For now, let's do our jobs and look forward to Cannes."
He raised his thumb confidently.
"If it's Kang Woojin, he'll definitely show something."
──────────
Early that same afternoon, Jeonju, South Korea.
The filming set of the movie Leech grew increasingly heated as time passed. They had reached the edge of a critical moment, and nearly a hundred people—including staff, actors' teams, finished actors, and even reporters—were all focused on the two actors.
Kang Woojin and Jin Jaejun.
The two continued reshooting a scene near the ending. It wasn't because of any problem, but because Director Ahn Gabok was pushing forward quickly while balancing character and background, which caused slight delays.
At that moment, both actors were outside the filming area.
Jin Jaejun was getting his makeup touched up, while Kang Woojin drank a bottle of water handed to him by Han Yejung. His expression remained indifferent, but he felt a faint fatigue inside.
'Ha… this is intense. Still, I want to finish today while holding onto this feeling.'
Because of the tight schedule, the number of times he entered the Void Space had noticeably decreased. Even so, today he wanted to carry this heavy emotion all the way through.
Why?
He wasn't sure. It might have just been a passing impulse.
Just then—
"Stand by! Stand by!"
At the assistant director's call, Kang Woojin moved first. Director Ahn Gabok, who had been watching the monitor, called out to him.
"Woojin."
Interestingly, there were no detailed instructions. The director simply raised his thumb. Woojin accepted it calmly, though inwardly he found it slightly puzzling. Still, it felt like the veteran director's way of showing encouragement.
Soon, Kang Woojin stepped onto the set.
A small crane and shoulder-mounted cameras immediately captured him. His expression was deeply solemn as he came to a stop. Boom microphones, lighting, and reflectors surrounded the set, and he took a quiet breath.
Jin Jaejun, now finished with makeup, entered as well. The set was a luxurious office—the vice chairman's office of Yoon Jaho. A brown leather five-seater sofa sat in the center, while documents were piled across the large desk. Paintings lined the walls, amplifying the atmosphere of power.
Standing there, Woojin naturally called forth Park Haseong.
Although this was the final scene being filmed, it belonged to the latter half of the story. Park Haseong had already begun to change. Even without realizing his condition, something inside him had grown faint and distorted.
He had already crossed the line.
He had already severed his ties.
That presence flowed through Woojin's veins, spreading throughout his body. A strange emotion rose within him. It wasn't desire, nor greed, nor something he wanted to take.
'It's mine. It's all mine.'
It had almost fully settled. The pretense of denying the existence of another self had already disappeared. It was absolute and certain. He existed in this world and had blended into it.
This was not your world.
This—
was his world.
At that exact moment—
"Action."
Director Ahn Gabok's signal rang out through the speakers.
At the same time, Woojin, fully immersed as Park Haseong, moved beyond the script. It was the same freedom he had occasionally shown before.
The darkness within him deepened.
Every lie he spoke and every movement he made felt like truth.
'What was my past like? I don't remember. Maybe it never existed. Because I've always been here.'
This short scene, like a fragment cut from a long life, became everything that defined Park Haseong.
With a detached, almost bored expression, Kang Woojin stepped into the vice chairman's office. Two cameras captured him from the front and the side as he slowly looked around.
"Hmm."
Then he lightly broke away from the framework of Leech.
According to the script, he was supposed to sit immediately. Instead, he lingered. He touched the desk, bit his lip slightly, and quietly absorbed the atmosphere of the room.
"Heh."
He maintained the structure of the original script while acting freely without hesitation. It wasn't excessive, nor was it unnecessary. If anything, his freedom made Park Haseong far more vivid.
Watching through the monitor, Director Ahn Gabok spoke under his breath.
"He touches everything… even the air. The desire to possess it all, combined with his lack of hesitation, is far more dimensional than before. Yes, this is exactly the Park Haseong I envisioned."
Actors like Shim Hanho and Oh Heeryeong couldn't take their eyes off him.
'His movements are light, but his expression is intense… it's unsettling.'
His acting had reached an even higher level. It felt more detailed, and his creativity stood out clearly.
Woojin took a steady breath, then let out a small cough.
"The smell is awful."
The office carried a suffocating mix of stale cigarette smoke and artificial fragrance.
And yet, Park Haseong smiled.
The camera moved in for a close-up.
"Not bad. It's similar to me… it feels familiar."
The mixture of scent and stench didn't feel strange. It was almost comfortable. Without realizing it, Woojin had expressed something deeper through that detail.
Shim Hanho immediately understood.
'Their world smells pleasant. His world reeks. That mixture… that's Park Haseong himself. Damn, that's detailed.'
At that point—
"Cut."
It wasn't an NG. They had simply repeated the scene several times.
"Let's continue with the upper-body shot for the last take."
"Yes, Director."
──────────
The next take began.
Woojin, or Park Haseong, sat on the five-seater sofa. A faint smile slowly spread across his face as he lightly brushed the armrest. The texture pleased him, and the corners of his lips lifted further.
Suddenly—
Bang!
The door to the office burst open, and Yoon Jaho entered in a sharp suit, his face filled with irritation. The camera captured both men at once as Jaho glanced at Park Haseong and clenched his teeth.
His anger surged.
"You damn bastard…"
Inside, he wanted to twist his neck, but he forced himself to hold back. His mother's face flashed through his mind. Love? No, it wasn't love. It was ambition. Falling out of favor with her now would be disastrous, and yet that fool had somehow gained her attention.
Yoon Jaho burned with anger, while Park Haseong remained calm.
The contrast between them was vividly captured on camera.
Jaho loosened his tight tie and grabbed a cigarette from the desk.
He exhaled smoke and walked toward the sofa, his gaze fixed on Park Haseong. Sitting on the armrest of the main seat, he looked down at him.
"Ha…"
He let the smoke scatter as he spoke coldly.
"Hey. You. I'm talking to you. Keep this up, and you're going to die."
It was a threat laced with impatience and anger. His eyes subtly scanned the surroundings, searching for his mother's presence behind that man.
But he couldn't afford to lose his authority.
Park Haseong quietly looked up at him. His expression didn't change at all, and that faint smile only made Jaho's anger boil further.
'Stop smiling. Or I'll shove this cigarette down your throat.'
"Hyung."
"You little—what? Hyung??!"
Jaho hurled the cigarette toward him. The lit butt hit the floor with a dull thud, smoke rising as it rolled. When the lingering smoke brushed his face, Woojin briefly covered his nose before looking back up.
"Why are you so wary of me?"
Jaho bit down on the filter of a new cigarette as he replied.
"You think I'd be wary of someone like you? You're completely insane."
"Ah… I see. I think I understand now."
Woojin rose to his feet.
This, too, was different from the script. Originally, he was supposed to remain seated and mutter repeatedly, "Mother only listens to me." Instead, he looked directly at Jaho, whose brows were tightly furrowed.
"Mother."
He inserted a brief pause in the middle of the exchange, as if spreading his wings freely while still preserving the essence of Park Haseong.
Then, in a low voice—
"Only listens to me."
"…What?"
Ignoring the question, Woojin began to walk slowly around the office. He moved freely, following the script while also embodying what Park Haseong wanted.
The camera followed him.
With a half-smile, half-sneer, he looked out the window.
"Ah… or is that not it?"
Then—
He turned his head slightly.
Among the objects on the shelf, a medium-sized photo frame caught his attention. It was a family photo. His mother stood at the center, with Yoon Jaho behind her and Chairman Yoon Jeongbae beside them.
A complete family.
Except—
one was missing.
"Mother only listens to me."
The scene was supposed to end there.
But Director Ahn Gabok, watching the monitor, said nothing.
He simply swallowed.
That man—no, that monster—was clearly planning something. The lines hadn't changed, but the movement wasn't in the script. It carried intention.
Everyone on set focused on Kang Woojin. Director Ahn Gabok was completely absorbed.
At that moment—
Woojin's gaze shifted from Jaho to the photo frame.
Very slowly, he tilted his face.
The camera operator noticed immediately and captured the shot from behind.
And then—
It appeared.
His reflection.
Kang Woojin—no, Park Haseong's face slowly emerged in the glass of the family photo frame, overlapping with the image.
The camera operator's eyes widened as he captured it perfectly within the frame.
A faint smile lingered.
At that exact moment, Director Ahn Gabok gave the signal.
A deep, wrinkled smile had already spread across his face, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
That ad-lib was flawless.
"Cut."
A perfect final scene for Leech.