The Eve of Crank-In
After the commercial shoot, Woojin returned to his old routine. Days that began and ended with nothing but practice and analysis. Time flew by.
[Crank-In D-6]
He took his final lesson at the action school. He would reunite with martial arts director Yoo Jae-hong and the others on set.
[Crank-In D-5 ~ D-3]
No more trips to the action school. He shuttled only between the practice room and home, immersing himself solely in the script and rehearsals. Nothing else.
[Crank-In D-2]
The first shooting location was Mun Kyung-sae Open Set. He would be staying there for the next few months, so he packed up all his essentials and headed to the accommodations nearby. Upon arriving at the lodging after a while, Woojin immediately took a rest. Uncharacteristically, he didn't touch the script at all, focusing entirely on recharging.
Because...
[Crank-In D-1]
This was all for today. The day before shooting. Woojin still had one final task left.
That was—
Shwaaak.
Pandora's box, which he had resisted opening despite countless temptations—the diary. Over the past five months of grueling effort, he had crafted the image of Yeonsan-gun. Now it was time to see with his own eyes how closely it matched the Yeonsan-gun in the virtual world.
Scribble, scribble, scribble.
Woojin unhesitatingly wrote down his analysis of Yeonsan-gun in the diary. One page, two pages, three... The volume grew, and the pen nib moved with even greater force.
How much analysis had he done to have this much to write? Before he knew it, he had filled over ten pages. The extra pages earned from completing Kyubo-hyung's mission were now being used for Yeonsan.
I wonder if Kyubo-hyung is doing well.
"Hey, bro. You eating properly?"
A voice seemed to echo from somewhere, along with random thoughts, making him chuckle softly.
Thud.
Woojin set down the pen. The densely packed words told the story of his relentless journey.
"Hooah."
He leaned back in his chair and slowly closed his eyes. Now all that remained was...
A soft glow emanated from the diary.
【Manifesting the virtual world.】
【Shall we proceed to the world?】
Woojin reached for the 'Yes' button below the message, but then...
"......"
He paused for a moment. Even though he felt prepared, a sudden wave of fear was unavoidable.
In a situation where I might drop into any point in time, is it really okay for me to plunge into the whirlpool of history?Becoming Yeonsan in the virtual world means accepting history as it is...Does that mean I have to kill people with my own hands, even if it's not real?What form will I take in the virtual world?
And so on. His mind filled with countless questions.
This was on a whole different level from the choice he made when meeting Kyubo-hyung. His finger trembled with the weight of it all.
"...Yes."
But the outcome was already decided. He had resolved to bear this burden.
As he firmly pressed 'Yes',
【We hope this encounter proves helpful to you.】
A new message appeared, and the diary on the desk fluttered open in midair with a rustling sound. Just like before, the soft glow swelled into a massive burst of light that engulfed Woojin.
【5, 4, 3, 2, 1.】
As the numbers counted down within the light, I'm finally coming to meet you. It had been ages since he last transcended time and space.
As always.
Woojin dropped into a new world. The bright light enveloping his body faded slowly, and the surroundings came into view.
Where is this?
Straight ahead stood a thatched house surrounded by a tall fence. It seemed enclosed on three sides by mountains, with no other homes in sight. It felt utterly isolated. Unless this was a folk village or a set, it was clearly...
"He's coming! There he is!"
It was then. A sudden shout rang out.
What? The area around him was a barren field with nothing but the thatched house—no ant or bird in sight. No matter how many times he checked, the landscape remained the same. Yet the shouts kept coming. What an bizarre situation.
Woojin rubbed his eyes and looked up again. Suddenly,
"There he comes!"
"Ptoo! That dog of a scum!"
"Rip him apart right now!"
"Kill him! Let's go!"
The scenery changed in an instant. A crowd in ancient attire glared at one spot, venting their rage. Woojin stood in the midst of their furious mob. At the end of their gazes approached a man in white robes, like a general in mourning garb. His eyes lacked focus, his face devoid of any emotion. Soldiers surrounded him like bodyguards.
The people, who had been hurling curses from afar, surged toward the man.
"W-Wait a minute!"
Before Woojin could stop them, they rushed forward, brandishing farm tools, clubs, and all sorts of weapons.
"Come out here, you scum not even worth grinding to dust!"
The enraged commoners charged with murderous intent, clashing with the soldiers trying to hold them back.
"Hey, stay back!"
The scene turned into pandemonium in seconds. Amid the chaos, the man at the center—the apparent spark of the riot—showed no change in expression. He simply walked forward. Stones flung by the furious crowd struck his body, spit landed on him, but he reacted to nothing.
Soon, he passed Woojin and stopped in front of the thatched house. The soldiers barely managed to shove him inside. The tall fence completely hid him from view.
"Ptoo!"
Spit rained on the fence, and some still unsatisfied kicked at it.
Moments later, the dispersing crowd left the site silent once more. After the fierce storm had passed, Woojin stood alone again.
The fate of the Deposed King.
The title given to Yeonsan after his dethronement, never restored in later generations.
Yes. What Woojin had just witnessed was Yeonsan, ousted by the coup and imprisoned in exile.
Anyone but a fool would recognize it. So why this bitter scene right upon entering the virtual world?
As he pondered, lost in thought—
"Might your name be Baek Woojin?"
Someone called his name from behind. Turning around, he saw a boy in gonryongpo robes. He looked about high school age at first glance.
"Who are you?"
The boy replied to Woojin's question.
"Can't you tell just by looking?"
He pointed to his gonryongpo.
"Are you the king?"
"Indeed."
Woojin's mind reeled for a moment. The deposed Yeonsan had just entered the thatched house, and now this boy claimed to be king. After Yeonsan would be...
Jungjong? But wasn't this supposed to be the virtual world to meet Yeonsan? A later king appearing out of nowhere—what was going on?
"Are you Jungjong?"
"Jungjong? What is that?"
The young king seemed utterly unaware of the term. Ah, right. Posthumous temple names were given after death. So...
"May I know your personal name?"
At Woojin's question, the king smiled enigmatically. A brief silence flowed.
But something had felt off since earlier—this irony. Upon reflection, there were one or two odd things. The angry crowd had acted as if Woojin were invisible, showing no reaction. That wasn't surprising, as he'd experienced it when first meeting Kyubo-hyung. The real issue was that people of this era—especially the king himself—didn't react at all to seeing Woojin. His appearance didn't match the times, nor did his behavior or speech toward the king. Why was this boy so calm? As if he already knew.
"My name is..."
The boy, silent for a moment, finally spoke.
"Yi Yeong."
The words plunged Woojin into confusion.
Wait. Yi Yeong?
"Yeong, as in..."
Woojin trailed off and asked something else.
"Could you tell me the current date?"
"The last date I remember is the eighteenth day of the third month in the year Eumyo."
Eumyo year? No way... 1495? March 1495 was right after Yeonsan's ascension.
Name Yi Yeong, current date Eumyo year, and king of Joseon. This is...
Woojin stared at him with wide eyes. Conviction flashed through his mind.
The young Yeonsan, without a doubt.
While preparing for the role, Woojin had pored over Yeonsan materials until he was sick of them. Yeonsangun, personal name Yi Yeong. Born 1476. Ascended January 1495 (Eumyo). Muo Sahwa in 1498 (4th year). Gapja Sahwa in 1504 (10th year). Jungjong Coup in 1506 (12th year). Died same year at 31 (actual age 29). Key events were etched in his memory.
So, Seeing the deposed Yeonsan first, then another Yeonsan appears. One not yet consumed by madness—pure, innocent Yeonsan...
He couldn't help but be stunned. Unlike Woojin, Yi Yeong was remarkably composed.
"The date I just mentioned is from the real world, not this place."
What did that even mean...? Seeing Woojin's puzzled expression, he continued without reservation.
"I've been having the same dream ever since ascending the throne."
"A dream?"
"Yes. What you see now is all within my dream. It's not the real world."
The stage of the virtual world... inside Yeonsan's dream? Their first meeting unfolded in a way he never expected.
"From repeating the same dream, I've come to realize something."
Yi Yeong pointed at the thatched house and let out a deep breath.
"The one imprisoned there just now... is me, in the not-too-distant future."
His face was filled with distress.
"At first, I ignored the dream. But after about ten repetitions, I grew suspicious. After ten more, I felt wronged and curious."
The voice of Yeonsan before corruption—pure and solemn. Its low, earnest tone drew Woojin in.
"Today marks the thirtieth repetition, and I've made my resolve."
Suddenly, Yi Yeong grasped Woojin's hand.
"This dream may foreshadow my destined fate. If so, I will forge my own path."
His eyes sparkled.
"To do that, I must first uncover why I became the Deposed King. Isn't that right?"
"How?"
At Woojin's question, he answered without hesitation.
"I need your help."
"My help...?"
"I already know you come from the future. And that you hold the answers."
"How do you know?"
"Through the dream as well, though I can't explain how. Your name, your arrival—I just suddenly knew."
Yi Yeong, looking troubled, removed a ring from his finger.
"Take this."
He handed it to Woojin.
"What is this?"
"When you find the answers, wear it. The information you convey will reach me. That's all I know."
As soon as Woojin took the ring, a light enveloped them both. Behind Yi Yeong, a message window appeared. Seeing it, Woojin let out a short breath.
This damn unfriendly diary... Still no explanations.
【You have accepted the mission.】