Kidari (1)
The Kidari Entertainment headquarters stood near Hakdong Station. In the basement of the seven-story building, a spacious marble table large enough to seat around twenty people had been set up. Behind it stretched a wide room stocked with wine and whiskey. The refrigerator was filled with an assortment of cheeses, fruits, and drinks, making the space perfect for enjoying a second round that rivaled any wine bar in quality.
Today was the premiere day, and everyone from Kidari had gathered for a company dinner. They had eaten together at a nearby galbi-jjim restaurant, then returned to the office to watch the first episode as a group. After the broadcast, the celebration continued for Eun Chae-won’s successful launch of her new project.
Normally, Eun Chae-won would have left right after the screening, but today she stayed through the long second round. While the twenty or so employees chatted noisily over drinks, cheerful screams occasionally erupted from a table where the younger staff had gathered in small groups.
“This is insane. Seriously, what are we supposed to do about Tae-san’s eyes?”
“I became a total fan while editing that scene!”
“I want to get tangled up with a crazy guy who looks like that.”
Eun Chae-won didn’t show it, but she kept stealing glances at the phone screens at the neighboring table. If she had been truly curious, she would have pretended to monitor the reactions, but she had already watched Tae-san’s scenes more than ten times without realizing it.
Kang Tae-san really was an impressive actor in many ways.
Not only had a rookie who had just debuted snatched a major supporting role in a miniseries, but he was also drawing strong viewer reactions. These days, drama audiences were so cold that even idol-turned-actors struggled to generate buzz, yet the appearance of a fresh face with intense acting skills and an equally intense character had sparked plenty of discussion.
Most of the comments on the Criminal Record Episode 1 teaser naturally came from the established lead actors’ fanbases, but right behind them were mentions of Kang Tae-san.
The staff watching Tae-san’s clips couldn’t help but smile. His performance was practically carrying the first episode’s ratings.
Just then, the door opened and a middle-aged gentleman in flashy attire walked in.
“Were you all waiting for me?”
CEO Choi Hyung-tak had just returned from the UK Film Festival and appeared in a full three-piece suit. The staff greeted him warmly.
“Manager Park Sang-ho stood up and offered the seat next to Eun Chae-won. “Oh, thanks, Sang-ho. Chae-won, you don’t even drink, yet you stayed this late? What’s the occasion?”
“I was waiting for you, sir.”
“Really? Eun Chae-won was waiting for me?”
They had known each other for over twenty years, yet Choi Hyung-tak was genuinely surprised. Eun Chae-won wasn’t the type to be overly friendly or say things she didn’t mean.
“How was England? Your Instagram posts looked like you were having a great time.”
“Film festivals are always fun. The British still seem to love crime dramas. They bought the rights first again this time.”
“Really? As expected, you know everything, sir.”
“What? You didn’t wait just to flatter me, did you?”
Choi Hyung-tak asked Manager Park to bring him any single malt whiskey and turned toward Eun Chae-won.
“Those sunglasses you’re wearing. Do you remember them?”
“These? Of course. You bought them for me with the first payment you received after starring in your debut drama.”
Choi Hyung-tak’s entrance was nothing short of spectacular. Famous in the industry for his flamboyant fashion sense, he was dressed from head to toe in eye-catching items. Even among celebrities, he stood out as someone who looked more like a star than most stars. Today he wore large-logo sunglasses, a T-shirt with red tulips, and cargo pants with mysterious straps. The fact that he never removed his sunglasses indoors spoke volumes about his fashion philosophy.
“It’s time to wear something else. That was over ten years ago.”
Eun Chae-won handed him a gift box she had prepared.
“Oh my. What’s this?”
“Oppa said you’d like it. He went to Japan last time and had a hard time finding it.”
“As expected, Park Sang-ho has the best sense. Thanks, Chae-won. You’re the only one who thinks of me.”
“I got to do good work thanks to you, sir. I should be the one thanking you.”
“I watched it on the limousine right after landing. It looks like it’s going to be a huge hit.”
The two chatted animatedly about the drama. Choi Hyung-tak had already seen a rough cut from Director Sung Tae-man, so he had expected it to be good, but the final version with music and effects exceeded his expectations.
“By the way, how was that actor who played the serial killer?”
Choi Hyung-tak took a sip of the whiskey Manager Park poured and naturally brought up Kang Tae-san. He had already heard quite a bit about him—an unusual rookie had appeared in Eun Chae-won’s new drama. Choi Hyung-tak had a reputation for spotting talented actors with uncanny accuracy, earning him the nickname “Hyena.”
Eun Chae-won herself had been discovered by him at age seven during a public service announcement shoot. He had persistently persuaded her reluctant parents to let their child enter the industry, eventually turning her into the nation’s beloved little sister.
“He held his own even when acting opposite you?”
“Yes. He said it was his first time acting, but honestly, I could hardly believe it. He was really good.”
“Is that so?”
“I figured you’d ask. I think Kang Tae-san is at his lowest point right now.”
“Lowest point? Are you into stocks?”
“I’m speaking in terms you’d understand, sir.”
“Look at you, making jokes. I quit stocks, by the way.”
Eun Chae-won shrugged as if she had said all she needed to say. The fact that even she, who rarely showed interest in other actors, spoke so highly of Tae-san only piqued Choi Hyung-tak’s curiosity further.
“Hmm. If you’re saying that much, I should look into him.”
***
SBC Main Building.
Kang Tae-san had come to try on costumes for his role as the lead in Director Yoo In-kyu’s one-act drama. The character was a high school victim of school violence, so the fitting focused on school uniforms. The SBC costume team had brought a long rack filled with various uniforms. Tae-san tried on several styles, searching for the one that best matched the character’s image.
“Hmm. I think number 2 and number 11 look good.”
After discussing with Director Yoo In-kyu, the assistant directors, and the costume team, they settled on uniform number 2. Tae-san stood in front of the mirror again, examining how it fit.
“Wow, Tae-san’s popularity is exploding after episodes 1 and 2 aired yesterday.”
Assistant Director Choi Song-ah commented while scrolling through SBC’s official Instagram account.
“The communities are even crazier.”
Another costume team member showed their phone, revealing clips, photos, and posts about the character Joo Chang-mok that Tae-san had portrayed. Even the seasoned staff seemed strangely excited by the intense reactions.
Tae-san himself remained in front of the mirror, still adjusting the uniform that felt slightly off.
Director Yoo In-kyu approached him. “Tae-san, is something uncomfortable?”
“Oh, no. The clothes fit perfectly.”
“They should. We measured your size last time.”
“Right…… but I don’t think that’s right for the character.”
Tae-san carefully shared his thoughts. Victims of school violence often had damaged uniforms from frequent beatings and bullying, so wearing a perfectly fitted uniform would be unrealistic. They couldn’t afford new uniforms every time one got torn, so they would have to mend or buy secondhand ones, which meant the fit couldn’t be this clean. It wasn’t just an opinion—it came from real experience after living through victim Yang Sun-il’s life.
Director Yoo In-kyu felt a jolt of realization. He was embarrassed that he hadn’t considered such a detailed point, yet he was also impressed.
His understanding of the character is this deep?
As expected from someone with overseas training, his immersion was extraordinary. The effort to cast Tae-san despite the tight budget had been worth it.
“You’re right. Details in the costume will help convey the character much better. Ms. Kim, could you alter the uniform to a slightly looser fit?”
“Yes, understood.”
“Tae-san, is there anything else you’d like to add? Anything else we should adjust from the protagonist’s perspective?”
Tae-san thanked him for incorporating his feedback and said that was enough.
Watching him, Director Yoo In-kyu thought, A person with this level of skill also has perfect character? This has to be a scam. He wondered if someone—perhaps an overseas agency—had already trained Tae-san to perfection. Maybe this was all part of a grand plan for when Tae-san eventually became a star and needed heartwarming stories.
Still, the fact that he paid such careful attention to these small details suggested it wasn’t just for show. Once Director Yoo started suspecting, his imagination ran wild and only reinforced his certainty.
This project had to succeed no matter what. It was the crucial stage to successfully debut the monstrous overseas-trained rookie Kang Tae-san in Korea and firmly establish him as the lead.
“Then, may I head out now?”
“Of course. You’ve worked hard. We’ll see you on the reading day.”
“Thank you for your hard work. See you next week.”
After changing back into his casual clothes, Tae-san left the conference room with light steps. Visiting the SBC building had started to feel natural. He exchanged his visitor pass for his ID at the first-floor lobby and paused to watch the teaser for Criminal Record playing on the large screen. Seeing Eun Chae-won’s face as a detective felt strangely surreal. He had worked with such a famous actress—something he couldn’t have imagined just a few months ago.
Marveling at how much his situation had changed in such a short time, Tae-san stepped out of the building.
Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket. An unfamiliar number lit up the screen.
“Hello, this is Kang Tae-san.”
- Kang Tae-san?
A relaxed, low voice came through the line.
“Yes, that’s me.”
- This is Choi Hyung-tak. You know who I am, right?
The caller skipped any introduction and simply stated his name with bold confidence. Choi Hyung-tak had appeared on variety shows a few times and was quite active on social media. More importantly, he was the CEO of Kidari Entertainment, one of Korea’s top talent agencies. Most people in the industry knew the name, though some suspected it might be an impersonator.
But Tae-san simply asked, “So, who is this?”
He rarely watched TV and didn’t use social media at all. To him, this was just some random person calling out of nowhere.
- You don’t know me? It’s Choi Hyung-tak.
“……Should I?”
- Hey, this won’t do. You want to be an actor but don’t know who I am?
“……Are you an actor? A senior?”
The person on the other end fell silent for a moment, then spoke in a slightly awkward tone.
“I’m Choi Hyung-tak, CEO of Kidari Entertainment. You know Kidari Entertainment, right?”
“……No.”
“You don’t even know Kidari Entertainment?”
Tae-san felt his guard rising at the scolding tone. The name “Kidari” sounded suspiciously self-aggrandizing, like it was meant to evoke someone with long legs.
- Listen carefully from now on. This is Choi Hyung-tak personally calling to meet actor Kang Tae-san. You’re doing a new one-act drama, right? You’ll need an agency once things get busy.
Now that he had revealed his position, Choi Hyung-tak continued in an arrogant voice.
- This is my direct number, so contact me. It’s quite rare for me to give it out personally, you know?
“……”
- We’ll meet soon. Ahem.
After the call ended on a somewhat unpleasant note, Tae-san stared at the number saved on his screen and thought that while life wasn’t easy, he had no intention of being taken advantage of. He promptly moved the direct number into his spam folder and clicked his tongue.
“There are still scammers like this these days.”