episode_0042

KCN.

It all started with a specialized cable channel for movies, and later expanded into producing its own dramas, solidifying its dominant position in the genre drama field.

And the latest drama from KCN was none other than “Crime Predator.”

This was no small production.

It was clear that it was a significant work in the Korean drama scene.

However…

That doesn’t mean the outlook for “Crime Predator” was all bright.

[KCN’s new drama “Crime Predator,” starring Gil Hye-yeon.]

– Gil Hye-yeon? Who’s that?

– Yeah, she’s a supporting actress and she acts well.

– A supporting actress?? Did KCN run out of money…;;;

Whether it’s a drama or a movie, the initial attention a work receives plays a crucial role in its success.

You need to generate buzz to ensure viewership for the first episode.

Works that start off weak but gain popularity through word of mouth and end with a grand finale are few and far between.

A high first episode rating often leads to a high final episode rating.

In that sense, while Gil Hye-yeon had solid acting skills, she was still a relatively unknown actress.

Naturally, the public opinion towards “Crime Predator” wasn’t favorable.

– KCN seems to be struggling these days… Are they really running out of money?

– Even the lead actor. Are there issues with the supporting actors too? Seo Yi-soo? Who is he really? I’ve never heard of him.

– Oh… he used to be my manager. He had a small supporting role in a previous work of mine.

– Just because of that, he gets a supporting role in a new KCN drama? What’s going on? Is he getting special treatment or something??

– Still, Seo Yi-soo? Apart from him, the rest of the supporting actors are somewhat famous.

The supporting actors who were supposed to assist the lead also seemed lacking.

The initial buzz of a drama is largely due to the writer and the actors.

In that sense, “Crime Predator” was on the verge of failure.

An unknown lead actress.

Even more obscure supporting actors.

And a mid-level writer with no major hits.

There was nothing to grab people’s attention.

In such a situation…

A heartbreaking incident occurred within the “Crime Predator” team.

[KTBC announces new drama production!]

[KTBC weekend drama, unveiling ‘I See Ghosts.’ Starring Ha Min-seok.]

A powerhouse in the drama industry, overshadowing public broadcasters.

KTBC announced a large-scale genre drama production.

Starring the top star among male actors, Ha Min-seok.

While “Crime Predator” was a thriller about condemning criminals,

“I See Ghosts” was an occult investigative drama where the protagonist communicates with ghosts to track down criminals.

With overlapping genres and incomparable writer and lead actor, “Crime Predator” was put in a difficult position.

The “Crime Predator” team found themselves in a precarious situation.

Starting a project with casting risks, they now faced an unexpected rival.

Even before the start of filming, many predicted the failure of “Crime Predator.”

And so,

“Huh? Why is everyone acting so strange?”

On the day of the reading for “Crime Predator.”

When Seo Yi-soo arrived at the massive headquarters of KCN’s parent company.

The reading room was filled with despair.

“Senior, what are you doing?”

“…Just browsing the portal site.”

“Why are you looking at that? The real-time search terms are flooded with ‘I See Ghosts.’”

“Oh, I’m just killing time.”

“Hmm? Everyone seems weird.”

The most peculiar girl in the world looked at the actors and staff with a strange gaze.

Curiosity arose about what future awaited the despondent and pessimistic future of the “Crime Predator” team.

***

A script reading is a gathering of key actors before the actual filming begins to align on the basics.

Through that, they could get a sense of how to frame the shots before filming.

On the other hand, it also served as a platform to promote the work through the invited journalists.

[“Crime Eater, Intense Reading Scene with Lead and Supporting Actors!”]

The same article was being spread for promotional purposes.

had the same purpose as any other reading scene.

But a slightly different scene was unfolding.

“Hello. I’m director Kim Jung-ho, in charge of Crime Eater.”

“I’m the writer, Lee Kyung-mi.”

The director and writer introduced themselves energetically…

Following them, the lead actor, Gil Hye-yeon.

The rest of the supporting actors introduced themselves in order of experience and age, but not many paid close attention to their introductions.

The atmosphere was tense.

“Ah, really. It’s such a shame about this work.”

A journalist muttered quietly.

“Having Gil Hye-yeon as the lead and Seo Yi-soo as a key supporting role? Casting that rookie actor for an experimental pick. And of all times, KTBC is releasing a genre piece this season.”

KCN was, in any case, the mecca of Korean genre dramas.

Therefore, it had a strong fan base.

So normally…

Even if KCN made a somewhat experimental, risky casting choice, it wouldn’t have been a big issue.

Because loyal genre fans would watch the work.

But this season…

KTBC, a rising star in the drama industry, was challenging KCN head-on with a genre piece.

And it was a large-scale production with top stars.

So KCN, feeling complacent, was caught off guard.

As a result, Seo Yi-soo’s casting was now in question.

“Gil Hye-yeon… well, her popularity might be lacking a bit. But she’s known for her acting skills. But Seo Yi-soo, isn’t he just a brief appearance in ?”

“I heard he recently starred in a movie as the lead.”

“That? I heard it didn’t even break even with an audience of less than 300,000. What kind of film is that? Even our dog could be a lead in that kind of production.”

Sarcastic remarks could be heard here and there.

“Harsh. Really harsh.”

A male actor listening to the journalists’ gossip sighed.

It was Lee Hyun-sung, who was appearing as a supporting actor in .

He whispered to the actor next to him.

“Seo Yi-soo must be mentally crushed right now, right? How can he do the reading in this atmosphere?”

“Well…”

In response to Lee Hyun-sung, a low and indifferent voice replied.

It was Baek Dong-geun, a male actor with a robust physique.

He had been cast as a supporting role in the same production, known as the rough tough guy actor.

He glanced briefly at where Seo Yi-soo was sitting.

“It doesn’t seem like that at all, does it?”

Where his gaze landed.

There was Seo Yi-soo, the center of controversy, flipping through the script.

With a somewhat innocent face.

There was no sign of tension at all.

He just seemed curious, looking around the reading room.

“…Really. What’s going on?”

Lee Hyun-sung mumbled in surprise.

All eyes in the reading room were on Seo Yi-soo.

But he acted as if he didn’t feel those gazes at all.

Sometimes, when his expression seemed to darken, he would glance back for a moment.

Then he would return with an endlessly bright smile.

“What’s back there that’s so interesting?”

Intrigued, Lee Hyun-sung followed Seo Yi-soo’s gaze.

There was a neat-looking man.

He seemed to be Seo Yi-soo’s manager.

Just because he’s a manager, so what?

What good could come from that?

“Hmm. They’re interesting.”

Lee Hyun-sung’s eyes were filled with curiosity.

“Stop worrying about trivial things and focus on preparing for the reading.”

On the other hand, Baek Dong-geun seemed completely uninterested in Seo Yi-soo.

He just silently studied the script.

Despite his robust physique, he had a very businesslike attitude.

Lee Hyun-sung shrugged his shoulders.

“Sure, I know. But senior, are you really going to let me speak? You’re much more experienced than I am.”

“I don’t speak during rehearsals.”

Lee Hyun-seong, with a sullen expression.

Baek Dong-geun, cold and businesslike.

The two male actors made for an unusual combination.

Meanwhile, even the supporting actors had finished their introductions.

Finally, the actual reading began.

The assistant director read the script, and the actors delivered their lines.

The journalists watched quietly, occasionally snapping photos or recording videos.

Lee Hyun-seong let out a quiet sigh.

“Ugh, the atmosphere is terrible.”

It was still a bit awkward, with a tense atmosphere.

No actor was giving their best performance.

While rehearsals were usually like this, this time it felt particularly harsh.

Perhaps because it was a potentially failed project, they had lost their enthusiasm.

And so, the reading began…

“Hey! Lee Jin-soo. Do you sleep all day? Hyung is here. Wake up… What? Hey!”

Lee Hyun-seong, portraying Jun-seong, a rookie detective mourning his brother’s death.

He portrayed the confusion and grief of losing his only family member decently.

The atmosphere of the reading room continued lukewarmly.

Scene 27.

It continued like this until it was Seo Yi-soo’s turn.

“……”

“……”

As the time for Seo Yi-soo to deliver her lines approached, the room fell silent.

Everyone was curious about how Seo Yi-soo would perform.

With sharp curiosity, all eyes were on Seo Yi-soo.

Facing those gazes, Seo Yi-soo briefly looked back before calmly starting to speak.

“Mom?”

The scene she had acted out during the audition.

She delivered her first line.

And at that moment…

“……”

“……”

Silence fell in the reading room.

Even the busy clicking of the journalists’ shutters stopped.

Everything seemed to freeze as time stood still.

Seo Yi-soo seemed unfazed by the reactions.

Emotionless.

As if devoid of any feelings.

Like a psychopath, embodying .

As she continued with her lines…

As her lines continued, people forgot to think.

They simply stared blankly at Seo Yi-soo.

Even after she finished her lines…

“……Uh, ah, oh! It was my turn. Sorry.”

The actor who was supposed to deliver the next lines realized his mistake and was startled.

But no one corrected him.

People were still captivated by Seo Yi-soo’s performance.

“Her tone of voice is intriguing.”

“She really seems emotionless.”

“Is she always like this?”

Seo Yi-soo’s tone of acting was peculiar.

She delivered her lines clearly, but there was a chilling lack of emotion, giving off an eerie vibe.

Living in emotions different from those of others.

Unable to empathize with human emotions.

Like a monster.

People finally nodded in understanding.

It made sense.

Seo Yi-soo had to be cast in .

To portray the character Hyesoo, it was convinced that there would be no actor better than Seo Yisoo.

“Hmm, hmm. I will continue the reading.”

PD Kim Jungho manages to salvage the scene where Seo Yisoo’s acting captivated everyone.

And.

Click-

Click, click, click-

The cameras that had momentarily stopped are now clicking away again.

Of course, the shutters are focused solely on Seo Yisoo.

After all, there were no other actors who showed remarkable acting besides her.

The actors start to feel a sense of crisis.

If this continues, the articles about the reading might be filled with only Seo Yisoo’s stories.

It seems like no one will write about me.

The sense of crisis intensifies.

No matter how mediocre the work is, this is unacceptable.

The passion among the actors spreads.

The lines gain strength and vigor.

It was the change brought about by Seo Yisoo.

Witnessing this scene, Gil Hye-yeon looked on with satisfaction.

She, too, did not like the reading scene that seemed like a loser.

She had asked Seo Yisoo to work together to receive this kind of help.

“Now it’s my turn.”

A friend she cherished like a younger sibling had done her part.

So, it’s her turn as the lead of the work.

“Phew.”

Gil Hye-yeon closed her eyes and prepared for her acting.

Recalling the image of the character she was playing, she immersed herself completely in the role.

“……”

Episode 1 of “Predator of Crime” begins with a scene where the families or acquaintances of supporting characters are brutally murdered by a serial killer.

The appearance of the protagonist, Doyeon, starts only after all the major supporting characters have appeared.

On a night filled with numerous deaths.

Doyeon has a frightening dream.

It was a premonition.

For some reason, Doyeon can dream of the deaths of certain people.

Her premonitions were often expressed poetically.

Rather than showing events in reality, they hinted at the future through symbolic representations.

In her dream.

Doyeon foresees more deaths to come.

Death, death, death, death……

The place where these endless deaths gather is a barren and desolate land.

Whoooo—

A cold wind blows, and the barren ground is covered with blood and dust.

With every step, her feet hit a corpse.

“Ugh!”

Shocked and horrified by the gruesome sight, Doyeon wakes up from her dream, gasping for breath.

“Haah, haah, haah……”

Clutching her chest, Doyeon breathes heavily.

“I have to stop it.”

She must prevent the deaths that are about to happen.

By any means necessary.

With the help of anyone.

She raises her head with a determined look in her eyes.

“Child, dear.”

Watching Gil Hye-yeon’s acting, Lee Hyunseong bit his tongue.

“This work. If we mess up, those two actresses might overshadow us.”

The lead actress and the rookie actress, who were considered the weaknesses of the work.

But in reality, it might be the opposite.

A sudden premonition struck Lee Hyunseong.