小火星

At the massive set for ‘Island of the Missing.’ It was past 2 PM. The script reading for ‘Island of the Missing’ was scheduled to start at 3 PM, and numerous staff members were running around hectically in preparation.

“Art team! The director is looking for you!”

“We need more chairs, where are the extra chairs??!”

“Over there! They’re behind the bus!”

They entered a set that included a considerably large simulated village. It was an eclectic mix of new and old – about 60% of the houses were old, with the occasional three or two-story building scattered throughout. It perfectly encapsulated the image of an island village.

However, something about it was eerie.

The overall color scheme of the village, the strange bloodstains on the trees or roads, and the scattered clothing and shoes, added to the unsettling atmosphere.

Regardless,

“We have 30 minutes left! Hurry up!!”

The staff members, busy setting up, were located at the entrance of the set. There was a one-story building, initially constructed for meetings during set construction, which was being prepared. Tables and chairs were set up in this space intended for production meetings.

Soon, nameplates began to be placed.

At the head of the U-shaped table, starting from the seat of director Kwon Ki-taek, the first seat on the right had Ryu Jung-min’s name tag. Next to it was:

-[Role of Corporal Jin Sun-cheol role/ Kang Woojin]

This was Kang Woojin’s spot.

‘Corporal Jin Sun-cheol,’ the role Kang Woojin would play in the director Kwon Ki-taek’s ‘Island of the Missing.’ Next to him, nameplates for numerous roles started to appear on the tables. There were quite a few. Even though only the main and supporting cast were participating, it was more than three times the size of ‘Male Friend’s’ cast. It was to be expected, given the movie’s large scale.

The cast was also incredibly diverse.

Apart from Kang Woojin, all the lead actors were top-tier, and the supporting actors were famous for their solid performances, had a plethora of works, and were called workaholics because they had appeared in so many movies, or were among the most respected senior actors. Just looking at the overall lineup raised expectations significantly.

With so many reputable actors gathered, the script reading was bound to be intense and thorough.

As things like the nameplates for the characters, beverages, and scripts were being set up, the ‘making-of’ shooting team, who would shoot various promotional videos and the making-of video for ‘Island of the Missing,’ began installing cameras in the reading room.

“Ah- there are so many actors, we won’t get by with just a couple of cameras, we need to bring at least three more?”

“Yes, sir! I’ll get them right away!”

Key staff members such as the cinematography director and lighting director began to take their seats around the U-shaped table. Naturally, this included the actors’ managers and film company representatives. While the reading room was getting increasingly crowded,

“I never thought ‘Corporal Jin Sun-cheol’ would actually be played by Kang Woojin.”

Said the lighting director, a plump man, as he looked at the nameplate for the ‘Corporal Jin Sun-cheol’ role on the table.

“Honestly, I thought it was a joke when I first heard it.”

The response came from the cinematographer seated beside him, who appeared to be around the same age as Director Kwon Ki-taek.

“Well, I felt the same. ‘Corporal Jin Sun-cheol’ is a big role, not something a newcomer could handle. Even veterans struggle to portray a character with a dual personality.”

“That’s exactly what I mean, senior. Moreover, they picked a raw newbie without even holding an audition? Sure, now he’s popular because of ‘Profiler Hanryang’… but I’m a bit worried.”

“He’s good at acting, though. From what I’ve heard from the ‘Hanryang’ set, he’s quite enduring on set.”

“That’s fortunate, then. But don’t you think he lacks experience? Mentally, I mean. This is Kang Woojin’s first full-length feature film, after all.”

They weren’t wrong. Kang Woojin had been bouncing around various projects, but the only one released to the public was ‘Profiler Hanryang.’ Moreover, ‘Profiler Hanryang’ was split into four parts, ‘Exorcism’ was a short film, ‘Drug Dealer’ was a filler role, and ‘Male Friend’ was a short drama.

In other words, ‘Island of the Missing’ would be his first long-term project.

There’s a stark difference between hopping in for a short role and sticking it out till the end.

“I’m not worried about the early stages, but if he loses steam in the latter half, then what?”

“Heh, Director Kwon must have figured it out.”

Around this time, several others joined in on their conversation.

“It’s definitely a gamble. How will he portray ‘Corporal Jin Sun-cheol’s’ split personality… Even if he’s well-prepared, today he’s up against so many top stars and seniors. What if he gets overwhelmed by the pressure?”

“That’s also true, but it’s the set of a film by director Kwon Ki-taek, you know. Even sitting on the edge for a supporting role is a burden, let alone being a lead-level villain… Ah, if it were me, I might pee my pants out of nervousness during the reading. Plus, there are so many eyes watching.”

Sound director and other key staff joined in on the conversation.

“Well, isn’t that the fate of a popular actor? You have to endure, no matter how tough. But for an actor who’s only debuted for half a year, the hurdles do seem a bit high.”

“On top of that, isn’t Woojin currently in a rom-com?”

“Oh—Netflix’s ‘Male Friend’?”

“Yes, yes. Considering his schedule, he must be in the midst of filming that as well. I wonder if a newcomer can handle the emotional division? If you compare it, the emotional tone is not just changing, you practically have to forget all about ‘Male Friend.\'”

“Sometimes, actors who play romantic comedy leads find it hard to shake off that acting style and end up doing only romantic comedies. Of course, if they manage to pull it off, they’ll be renowned for being versatile, but…”

At this point, the wrinkle-face cinematographer let out a small laugh.

“Whether he falls or brings everyone down with him, one way or another, it’s going to be a defining day for Kang Woojin as an actor.”

In the end, everyone agreed.

Meanwhile.

While most of the staff were crowded in the reading room, the actors of ‘Island of the Missing’ were exploring the massive set. This included Ryu Jung-min, Kim Yi-won, Jeon Woo-chang, and about a dozen supporting actors. Ha Yu-ra was nowhere to be seen, and the rest of the actors were each exploring places of interest.

Anyway.

“Wow—the set is really impressive, isn’t it?”

Kim Yi-won, with a strong impression, exclaimed while looking at the set, followed by the muscular Jeon Woo-chang.

“It’s more than just impressive. They could use this as a tourist attraction once filming ends.”

“They probably will. How could they let this go to waste by tearing it down? They must have planned it this big from the start after discussions with authorities.”

“But how did they find a place that fits the scenario so perfectly? I find that more amazing.”

“They must have scoured every nook and cranny of the country.”

Their admiration quickly spread among the actors, and as they were busy discussing the set…

-Swish.

Kim Yi-won approached Ryu Jung-min, who had been silent all along.

“Jung-min hyung, is something bothering you?”

“…No. It’s just that seeing the set makes me realize it’s finally happening.”

“Ah, I see. I’m a bit nervous too.”

Jeon Woo-chang, who had been smiling, joined in.

“Me too. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a movie of this scale, haha. I’ll just ride on you seniors’ coattails.”

“But I don’t see Woojin. I saw him come earlier.”

“Ah, right. Maybe he went to the reading room first?”

“Woojin seemed very calm, considering he’s the center of attention on set.”

“He seems to be naturally cool-headed.”

“By the way, I wonder how prepared he is for ‘Corporal Jin Sun-cheol’. Right, Jung-min hyung? I have high expectations since you praised him so much, really.”

“You said he studied abroad, right? And also—ah, that he completely dominates the scene even though he acts so casually.”

“Still, playing a villain with a split personality… it’s really challenging. Honestly, it’s a lot of pressure. Both the role and the scale of the movie.”

Ryu Jung-min’s brief response:

“Who knows. We just need to worry about ourselves.”

At that, both Kim Yi-won and Jeon Woo-chang shrugged their shoulders as they looked at each other. Standing in front of a house, Ryu Jung-min who seemed to be growing his hair and wearing a hat pressed down, observed the entire set with his eyes.

“…”

Even for him, who had been in the industry for over a decade, the scale of the set was one of the largest he had encountered. Ryu Jung-min’s heart began to beat faster. Conversely, his mood became calmer. It was as if his mindset had completely shifted from the past.

‘I just need to think about my role.’

Perhaps he had almost put down the burden of being a lead or top star? Right now, his mind was completely filled with the thoughts of acting. And Ryu Jung-min reminded himself of the role he had taken on.

‘First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae.’

In ‘Island of the Missing,’ ‘First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae’ was the character leading the story. However, he wasn’t the one to initiate the first incident. The first event in ‘Island of the Missing’ began with ‘Private Kim.’

No, to be precise, everything started with ‘the disappearance.’

A missing person case occurs in a rural village. Of course, the missing people were villagers, three in total. Therefore, a large-scale search operation unfolds in the village. The police, firefighters, and even the military are dispatched, but they couldn’t find the three missing individuals. Matters escalate when testimonies emerge that gunshots were heard by the villagers.

Then an even bigger incident erupts.

Amidst the ongoing search operation, an additional twelve military personnel go missing, including ‘Private Kim.’

What on earth happened?

The village wasn’t very large and was surrounded by mountains. The most likely place for the disappearance was the mountains spreading behind the village. The search operation intensifies, but the missing persons cannot be found, now numbering more than a dozen.

This is where ‘First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae,’ played by Ryu Jung-min, appears.

He and his troops were also engaged in the search operation. In the middle of their search, ‘First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae’ discovers a peculiar cave. It was a foul-smelling cave After reporting the location of the cave, he selects some men and inspects the vicinity of the cave entrance and the area inside. That’s when it happened.

Screams of people filled with terror were heard from deep within the cave.

Multiple voices overlapping. This was it. There was something in here. ‘First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae’ was certain that the missing persons were inside. But, he was worried about going deeper in the cave. There were already more than ten missing. The last thing they needed was more disappearances.

Eventually, ‘First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae’ decided to return to the cave entrance for the time being.

But something was strange. Was the cave they had entered originally shaped like this? ‘First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae’ and his troops felt puzzled. The cave’s shape had changed. They noticed things that weren’t there before – bloodstains on the walls, animal carcasses scattered here and there. Anxiety escalated when one of the sergeants yelled, “Over there!”

Because they saw the exit.

‘First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae’ and his troops hastily exit the cave. At the same time, they realize this wasn’t where they were before. It was clearly daytime when they entered the cave, but upon exiting, it had turned to night.

Above all, the forest landscape had changed entirely.

The squelching ground, the smell of seawater carried by the wind that was different, and the forest seemed much denser. This was something all the troops, including ‘First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae,’ noticed. The soldiers who should have been waiting at the cave entrance were nowhere to be found. No, there was no one but them. The sound of the wind hitting the trees was the only noise.

It was clear. This place was somewhere else.

Where on earth was this then? At that moment, one of the soldiers found something in the squelchy ground. Human footprints. Quite a lot of them.

Just then.

“Grumble-”

A strange noise came from within the cave, and something elongated sprung out, grazing the neck of one of the soldiers.

-Thwack!

His head was separated from his body and embedded in the squelchy ground. ‘First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae,’ his officers, and the rest of the soldiers froze in place. They could only stare at the head stuck in the ground. It seemed unreal.

Simultaneously, the strange noise was heard again.

“Grumble- Grumble-”

With that noise, another elongated thing flew from the cave, slicing through another soldier’s body in half. Whether it was a beheading or a body sliced horizontally, both were scenes hard to witness in reality. A complete chaos. One of the corporals, losing his sanity, fired his gun into the cave.

The spark from the gunfire momentarily illuminated the pitch-dark surroundings.

For a moment, ‘Corporal Jin Sun-cheol’s’ smile was visible. Unnoticed by anyone. The corporal fired ten rounds. His firing was stopped by ‘First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae.’ Silence followed, the strange rumbling noise had disappeared. But it could reappear from anywhere. ‘First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae’ quickly gathered his troupes and escaped from the scene.

The two bodies would have to be recovered later.

Everyone continued to run through the pitch-dark forest. In the front was an officer, and at the very back was ‘First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae.’ How much time had passed? Before they knew it, the sun began to rise over the ridge. The world, once shrouded in darkness, brightened. First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae ordered everyone to stand by and then scouted the surroundings alone.

He pushed through the bushes, passed a strange statue, and climbed over a ruined house.

And then, he found another decaying head rolled over on the ground. It belonged to ‘Private Kim.’ Around this point, First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae heard the sound of waves crashing somewhere. It was close. There shouldn’t have been an ocean.

Originally, the village where the disappearances occurred was surrounded only by mountains.

Swallowing hard, First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae walked slowly following the sound. Soon, he reached the cliff at the edge of the forest. Before him, the sea stretched out endlessly.

It was unbelievable. But it was reality.

Where had he ended up? First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae, his eyes widening, shifted his gaze along the horizon of the sea. There were houses, no, a village. It was completely different from the village where the missing persons were reported. The village was surrounded by a dense forest, and that forest was surrounded by the sea.

It didn’t make sense. But it was real.

Where exactly had he ended up? First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae , with widened eyes, scanned the horizon of the sea. He saw a village, a place completely different from the village where the disappearances occurred. The village was surrounded by a dense forest, which in turn was encircled by the sea.

In other words, this was an island.

Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae was unbelievably on an island. How? Had he somehow teleported? The problem was, he could sense human presence in that village. Were people living there? They must have heard the gunshots at night? If so, they too must be on guard. No, every being on this absurd island should be approached with caution.

First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae thought as he made his way back to where his squad was.

The cave, the strange creature, the sudden appearance on this mysterious island, and the people on it. He tried to piece together all the clues and fragments of memory he had seen so far. Like the soldiers who disappeared earlier, First Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae and his squad were in the same situation. For some reason, this place didn’t feel real.

But lives were being lost.

This ‘Island of the Missing’ was most likely a lawless area.

***

At that time.

Kang Woojin, in a simple outfit of a white tee and jeans, was currently exploring the vicinity of the set. Precisely, he was taking a walk. The script reading was set to start at 3 PM, and on Director Kwon Ki-taek’s recommendation, he was looking around.

-Swish.

Though it was summer, the forest was somewhat cool, thanks to the dense trees blocking the sunlight. The terrain wasn’t as high as a mountain. It felt like a modest park built in nature.

Of course.

‘What’s this? This creepy statue.’

Odd things that the production team had set up here and there were visible. Ransacked graves, bizarre statues stuck in the ground, blood stains on trees, abandoned houses that one would hesitate to enter, and so on.

Apart from those things, it was quite a satisfying walk.

‘How long has it been since I’ve done something like this? It’s kind of healing in its way.’

Kang Woojin smiled to himself internally.

Then.

“Eek!!”

He was startled by a model of an animal corpse on the path. He immediately realized his mistake. Such a whimper couldn’t come from his sternly maintained persona.

And right behind him.

“Hyung, Hyung~nim!!”

Road manager Jang Su-hwan was there.

*****