Hello, I'm Rookie Actor Baek Woojin!
Every time someone entered, Woojin stood up from his seat and repeated his greeting in a loud voice.
“Hello! I'm rookie actor Baek Woojin!”
The supporting actors who would play roles like the chief of the KCFS long-term unsolved cases division, the head prosecutor, and the detective chief from the drama all made their grand entrance. Of course, Woojin was one of them.
Wanted focused a bit more on the stories of the prosecutor and detective handling long-term unsolved cases.
Next came the lead actors arriving at the script reading venue, followed at last by PD Park and Writer Seo.
It's about to start soon.
The large conference room filled up in an instant. As greetings and small talk were exchanged, the atmosphere gradually warmed up until the clock on the central wall pointed to 11 o'clock.
“Looks like everyone's here. Shall we get started?”
In the cheerful yet somewhat intimidating atmosphere, PD Park Min-jae, seated at the central table, picked up the microphone and opened the proceedings.
“Nice to meet you all. I'm PD Park Min-jae, in charge of directing.”
After his introduction, he passed the mic to Writer Seo.
“I'm Seo Min-kyeong, handling the script. It's an honor to debut alongside such talented actors.”
Her polite demeanor and speech were fitting, but she exuded a gravity far beyond that of a rookie writer. It made sense—she had assisted on numerous works by Writer Kim Soo-rim. And everyone in the industry knew she was Kim's direct protégé.
In short, a rookie who couldn't be treated like one—a mid-tier newbie, so to speak.
“This is a story I've been planning for a long time. The script is currently 50 percent complete, and I already have the rest mapped out in my head. That said, it's not the final perfected version, so I hope today's reading helps flesh out each character more vividly. I'm really looking forward to your acting.”
She set the mic down slightly after speaking. At that moment, a subtle tension rippled across the actors' faces.
Why? Because she'd clearly said, “I'm really looking forward to your acting.”
Script readings were just that—readings. They didn't demand the full intensity of on-set performances. For a writer to say she was expecting acting from a reading felt like a request to perform as if it were actual filming.
Moreover, her line about the script not being final and hoping the reading would make characters more three-dimensional implied it could be revised anytime.
Even accounting for her passion as a debut writer, it was bold talk. Yet her confident aura and unflinching delivery only heightened the actors' tension. It sounded like roles could expand or shrink based on the reading.
“Next up, introductions from the actors.”
Now it was the actors' turn, starting with the leads.
Woojin listened closely to his fellow young actors' words, as they'd be working together going forward.
“Hello. I'm Kim Ye-chan, playing Seo Jun-mo. Nice to work with you.”
His deep, alluring baritone voice pierced the air. With his sleek first impression, he was a top star who had rocketed to fame on his debut and ascended to Hallyu status, amassing a huge fanbase. Rumors said he was hard to get close to, unlike his public image.
“I'm Park Soo-hyun, playing Im Eun-soo. Taking on the cool role of a profiler comes with a lot of pressure, but I want to create great acting alongside my seniors. I'll do my best.”
A former child actress recognized for her solid skills, Park Soo-hyun was now a mid-career veteran with 15 years under her belt—the same span Woojin had spent as a nameless actor. She was a senior in every sense.
Counted among the “icons of transformation” for her top-tier looks, she was popular and affable, beloved by staff.
“I'm actor Jeong Tae-young, playing Go Hyun-soo. Thrilled to work with such excellent people! Especially honored to be part of Writer Seo's debut. Looking forward to it.”
Jeong Tae-young's introduction followed. More noted for his handsome looks than acting chops, he seemed cheerful on the surface but was picky and exhausting up close—obsessed with his image.
He was the one person Woojin knew well, from bumping into him at an audition.
“Aish, what the hell?”
One day while scraping by on bit parts, they'd collided near the food truck. As Jeong walked while staring at his phone,
“Aren't you gonna apologize?”
He'd gotten mad at Woojin for the bump he'd caused, acting all high and mighty.
“What a jinx, seriously. Sigh.”
Even after Woojin apologized first, Jeong had brushed off his shoulder stiffly, head held high.
Woojin still remembered that expression and tone vividly. Even regressed to the past, he couldn't force fondness. Well, people changed—best not prejudge.
Clap, clap, clap.
After the three leads, it moved to the supporting cast. As Woojin's turn approached, sweat beaded down his back from mounting tension.
Finally, it was his moment.
“Hello. I'm actor Baek Woojin, playing Choi Kyu-bo. As the only rookie and most junior here, I'll work hard not to drag the project down! Please take care of me.”
Woojin stood and bowed. The room applauded warmly in welcome.
Introductions continued for another ten minutes or so.
Once the last one finished, PD Park grabbed the mic again.
“I hope we create a memorable, great drama together. Let's begin.”
Of the 20-episode series, the first 10 were finalized. Today's reading covered episodes 1 and 2.
As the red light blinked on the camera set for on-site footage, signaling the start,
“Let's begin the reading.”
The script reading kicked off.
“We'll skip the character intros and jump straight to the scene descriptions from episode 1, scene 1.”
As Assistant Director Woo Seung-hyun started reading the descriptions, the actors' silent battle began.
* * *
Click.
With the camera snapping stills of the reading site as the cue,
“Scene 1. Opening. Evening. Press conference room in the KCFS media office. Amid a barrage of flashes, Investigation Chief Lee Jong-bu steps to the mic. Camera zoom-in. In his crisp suit, he speaks with a resolute expression.”
The camera's clicking paused briefly. Then, the long-awaited opening line of Wanted filled the room, heralding the drama's start.
“The Korean Cold-cases Forensic Service announces that, as of 5:51 p.m. today, we have identified the true culprit in the Suwon married woman serial killings—one of our three major long-term unsolved cases.”
“Screen pans back amid murmurs and intensifying flashes. Fade out with music.”
Oh Seong-cheol's heavy, weighty tone as Lee Jong-bu transitioned to scene 2.
“Scene 2. KCFS meeting room. Im Eun-soo briefing profiling results. Prosecutor Seo Jun-mo, forensic pathologist Choi Kyu-bo, and detective Go Hyun-soo listening intently.”
“The ligature marks and the bodies dumped within a 2km radius of the presumed crime scenes point to the same perpetrator. Though the disposal methods differ slightly, the victim's survival between the two cases likely forced the change in the killer's approach.”
Park Soo-hyun warmed up the scene with her precise diction and projection.
Kim Ye-chan, as Seo Jun-mo, took the baton.
“Is there another case where the MO changed completely in under two weeks?”
“Such cases are rare, but if you look here…”
As the cool-toned Seo Jun-mo and Im Eun-soo exchanged views, someone doodling in a notebook while quietly listening raised a hand.
“Hold on a sec~”
Choi Kyu-bo's first appearance. Woojin's blood, sweat, and tears had crafted that rising, slightly drawn-out tone—his trademark.
“I heard what you two said, but one question!”
“You're both concluding it's the same perp based solely on scene and body connections, right?”
Woojin rattled off his lines flawlessly.
“It's tragic how forensics gets overlooked these days.”
“What do you mean by that?”
To Seo Jun-mo's question, Choi Kyu-bo snapped his fingers and continued. An ad-lib, not in the script—a natural gesture from immersion.
“The DNA under the victims' nails is different~ You're ignoring the scientific facts.”
“That's why we've been saying there are at least two perps working together.”
“No, no. We can't assume multiple perps definitively.”
“Why do you think that?”
Woojin, Park Soo-hyun, and Kim Ye-chan ping-ponged seamlessly, building tension with rapid exchanges.
“Look. First body has back abrasions, second has heel marks. Scratches from dragging by the arms versus the feet~”
“One could dump while the other stands watch.”
“See, the first body was found with bent knees, but autopsy showed them straight. Meaning death at least two or three hours before discovery~”
Pointing to body photos one by one, Choi Kyu-bo pressed on.
“Dump site: roadside drain by Line 2 subway station. Found at 10 a.m. So disposal by 7 a.m. at latest. Hard to buy a leisurely two-man team dumping a body on a rush-hour road~”
With a relaxed smile, Choi Kyu-bo turned to Go Hyun-soo.
“What do you think, Detective Go?”
“Huh? Oh, well…”
“What? Speak freely. We're all here to brainstorm~”
“Uh… Team Leader Choi's got a point, but so do Prosecutor Seo and Lieutenant Im.”
“See? Both plausible. No clues yet, so don't jump to accomplices~”
S shrugging nonchalantly, Seo Jun-mo clenched his fist. He hated the pathologist's flippant, playful approach.
“Anyway, my take: keep all possibilities open~”
“Is everything a joke to you?”
Seo Jun-mo finally snapped. But,
“Heh~ Prosecutor Seo, cooling the vibe again.”
“W-what?”
“Break time. Gotta hit the john—bladder 'bout to burst~”
Like a sly fox, Choi Kyu-bo dodged and exited the meeting room.
Bam!
“Agh!”
In their exchanges, Seo Jun-mo always slammed the desk in rage. Secretly entertaining for Im Eun-soo and Go Hyun-soo, who witnessed it often.
“Scene 2, okay.”
As scene 2 wrapped—the four actors' breaths syncing perfectly—suddenly, all eyes turned to Woojin.
The reason?
“Hold on, Woojin-ssi?”
Writer Seo's out-of-the-blue question.
“Did you…?”
She'd seen it clearly. Throughout scene 2, Woojin had alternated glances at Ye-chan, Soo-hyun, and Tae-young while delivering lines.
Looking again, his script lay unopened before him.
No way?
“Have you memorized the entire script?”
To Writer Seo's question, Woojin glanced around briefly, pausing for effect.
His answer?
“Ah, yes.”
In that instant, everyone wore shocked expressions.
He'd memorized the whole script?