Criminal Record (1)

SBC Broadcasting Station, fifth floor. A sheet of A4 paper with a single line of text hung on the door of the script reading room.

It was the first reading session since the casting board for Criminal Record had been finalized.

At the head of the U-shaped table sat Director Sung Tae-man and Writer Oh Hyun-soo. One by one, actors whose faces alone conjured up five or six major works each began taking their seats along both sides.

Before the actual reading began, Jung Seung-il, who had landed the male lead role and belonged to Lime Entertainment, rose from his seat. With his characteristically bright and cheerful voice, he spoke.

“Hello, I’m Jung Seung-il, playing Detective Park Sung-wook. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I look forward to working with everyone. It’s great to see all the seniors and juniors here!”

Starting with the lead actor Jung Seung-il, each performer offered a brief introduction in turn.

“I’m Lee Hee-soo, playing Lieutenant Yang Joo-yeon. I look forward to working with you all. Fighting, everyone!”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Il-guk, playing Chief Choi Jung-ui. With so many talented people gathered, I suppose all I have to do is keep up. Hahaha.”

“I’m playing Detective Kim…”

……

…

Only after the full circle of introductions did the female lead, Eun Chae-won, quietly stand up.

“I’m Eun Chae-won, playing Han Soo-ji. I look forward to working with you.”

When she removed the blue baseball cap she had been wearing for the greeting, her porcelain-smooth skin and lustrous hair were revealed.

Of course, most of the actors gathered here possessed striking visuals that would earn them the label of “celebrity” anywhere they went. Yet Eun Chae-won stood on an entirely different level.

The staff members couldn’t help but gasp in admiration the moment they saw the lead actress, and the room briefly buzzed with quiet excitement.

“All right, let’s begin with Scene 8, where Han Soo-ji and Choi Jung-ui appear.”

Once the introductions—each revealing a glimpse of the actors’ personalities—ended, the script reading officially commenced.

“Scene 8. Soo-ji stands in front of the squad leader’s office door. She pauses for a moment, steadies her breathing, knocks, and steps inside. Jung-ui, who had been organizing his drawers, greets her.”

The instant Director Sung Tae-man finished reading the stage directions, Eun Chae-won’s voice—previously quiet and composed—transformed completely.

“Salute! I’m Officer Han Soo-ji, newly assigned to the Second Detective Division.”

“Hey, hey, what’s with the salute? Are you here to tease this old spinster stuck in her office?”

“No, sir! From now on, I will serve the Chief with utmost loyalty!”

Even though this was only a reading and not an actual shoot, Eun Chae-won had already fully immersed herself in the role, becoming the fiery detective Han Soo-ji.

Opposite her, Kim Il-guk, playing Chief Choi, responded with the warm, neighborhood-uncle tone befitting a veteran actor.

“Serve, my foot. I told you to stay in the PR team. Don’t you know everyone else is dying to get in there?”

“I don’t want to. I already told you—I’m definitely going to work in the detective division. If I wasn’t going to be a detective, there was no point in going through all that trouble to get into the police academy.”

“You’ve never listened to a single word since you were a kid. Good grief, you’re going to be the death of me. Fine, go make your own coffee and get out. What kind of meeting is this between people who see each other every day?”

“Uncle— I mean, Chief, I’ll make you a cup too. Two sugars, right?”

“Do whatever you want~”

Chief Choi Jung-ui was set up as the closest friend and colleague of Han Soo-ji’s late father. Because of that, he had taken on the role of her guardian after her father’s accident.

Watching the two actors portray a father-daughter-like relationship that was both affectionate and bickering, Director Sung Tae-man nodded in satisfaction without a word.

‘Il-guk senior is a veteran, so that’s expected, but Eun Chae-won really is a pro.’

Unlike her usual introverted demeanor, Eun Chae-won’s ability to slip into any role without the slightest sense of incongruity never failed to impress. Few actors who had been child stars managed to maintain such consistent and stable performances in the cutthroat entertainment industry. On top of that, her visuals alone were enough to captivate viewers, and she regularly appeared on the annual top-three buzz lists, making her a well-rounded star with both acting prowess and mass appeal.

Even just from this reading, it was clear why Eun Chae-won had been the number-one choice on the casting board.

“Listen. If you came here because of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠your father, I can’t accept you. If something happens to you too, I won’t be able to live with myself—and I won’t be able to face your dad in the afterlife.”

“Uncle, I won’t cause you any ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠worry. We’re working at the same station now. Are you really going to keep treating me like some helpless child left by the water’s edge?”

“You’re not a child. You’re an ugly duckling. Why do you get more annoying the older you get?”

The first scene, brimming with father-daughter chemistry, flowed smoothly into the rest of the reading. Two hours later, Director Sung Tae-man called for a break.

“Let’s take a short rest.”

Some people headed to the smoking area outside, others to the café on the first floor. Most of the lead actors, however, stayed in their seats, chatting casually to build camaraderie now that they were all on the same boat.

“By the way, who got cast as the villain in Episode 1—the serial killer Joo Chang-mok?”

“He’s not on the casting board, so I guess it hasn’t been decided yet?”

“I wonder who it’ll be. The role has such a strong impact that a complete newcomer might actually work.”

“Maybe someone from musical theater? The emotions are explosive, and there are plenty of fresh faces who haven’t been overexposed in media.”

Even though Joo Chang-mok’s screen time was limited, everyone who had read the script agreed that his impact in the first episode was unmatched. He appeared only in Episodes 1 and 2 before vanishing, yet for the detective leads to shine, the shadow—the villain—had to be intense. In this genre, the first villain to appear was just as crucial as the main antagonist.

While the conversation centered on the still-unrevealed role of Joo Chang-mok, Lee Hee-soo, one of the few female actors in the cast, turned to Eun Chae-won with a gentle voice.

“Chae-won, what do you think? Is there anyone you’d like to see cast as Joo Chang-mok?”

Eun Chae-won, who rarely spoke first, hesitated for a moment before answering carefully.

“I’m not sure… I still have a lot to improve on, so I want to focus on my own performance for now.”

She was the kind of actor who poured everything into whatever role she was given, no matter the project. Though her visuals alone were enough to earn her the title of top star, it was this sincere dedication to acting that earned her respect from both seniors and juniors alike.

“Like Chae-won said, our own performances come first. That’s why leads are different. We should all learn from her.”

“Ah, I didn’t mean it that way.”

“You know, our Chae-won is way more mature than this old man. Hahaha.”

Kim Il-guk, who had acted alongside Eun Chae-won several times in the past, burst into hearty laughter, and the other actors smiled in agreement.

Criminal Record was a meticulously produced police mystery drama from SBC, written by the rising star Oh Hyun-soo and directed by the promising Sung Tae-man. Every single actor cast in the project was a skilled performer with no weak links. Because everyone took acting seriously, no one twisted Eun Chae-won’s words.

After the short break, the reading resumed. With occasional directing notes and character discussions, by the time they finished, the sun was already setting.

“Great work, everyone. Let’s call it a day.”

Having witnessed near-perfect performances, Director Sung Tae-man wrapped up the reading cleanly right after the final scene of Episode 1.

“Thank you all for your hard work!”

“Whew, good job. Shall we grab dinner?”

“I’ve already reserved a galbi place nearby.”

“Of course it has to be meat. Let’s go.”

While everyone else began packing up, Director Sung Tae-man remained seated and sent the others ahead.

“You all go first. I’ll finish up a few things and join you shortly.”

After sending the staff and actors to the restaurant, Sung Tae-man leaned back in his chair and rested his chin on his hand. He knew better than anyone how flawless the reading had been. Yet a lingering sense of dissatisfaction remained.

“Ha, what am I doing? It’s not like I’m possessed.”

At his muttered words, Writer Oh Hyun-soo—who had also stayed behind—chewed on his lips and asked,

“I guess you’re thinking the same thing I am, Director.”

Startled, thinking he was alone, Sung Tae-man whipped around.

“Whoa, you scared me. Why aren’t you going to the dinner, Writer?”

“I was thinking the same thing as you.”

“Kang Tae-san?”

“Yes.”

That was it. Because of their tight schedule, the two of them had gone straight from the audition for the supporting role of Joo Chang-mok into the reading. They still hadn’t shaken off the impact of Kang Tae-san’s performance. Even after watching hours of solid work from veteran actors, they couldn’t help but feel something was missing.

***

Meanwhile, Kang Tae-san, convinced he had completely blown the morning audition (if they had liked him, they would have said something on the spot), immediately scheduled an afternoon job the moment he left the broadcasting station. Since he had given up on earning money as an actor, he returned to his main profession without hesitation—cleaning.

Carrying his usual cleaning equipment, Tae-san stood in front of an unfamiliar apartment door and opened the app to check the address and job details.

The information he had first seen that morning read as follows.

But the simple note “housewife” wasn’t enough to put his mind at ease. After the terrifying experience of discovering a serial killer hidden behind a professor’s façade, he had no desire to take unnecessary risks. So, before coming here, he had checked the new notification in the Smile App’s welfare mall and made the bold decision to spend his Smileage points.

Staring at the product page, Tae-san pressed the subscribe button as if entranced. After all, it wasn’t real money—just points that could only be used in the Smile store. There was no reason to save them.

“Whew, people ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like this are really rare. Truly rare.”

From what he had seen in the detailed notes, most clients hid unpleasant secrets. Minor offenses were the least of it—there were scammers with criminal records, organized crime members, people with anger management issues, and random assault perpetrators. The Smile cleaning request list was overflowing with all kinds of human stories.

For a cleaner, Park Sun-hee was an S-rank client among S-rank clients.

Just as Tae-san was about to enter Building 303 with a light heart, his phone rang.

♬♩♬♬

It was his younger sister, So-yeon.

“Oppa! How did the audition go? It should be over by now, right? I didn’t want to call during the audition, so I waited until now!”

“Yeah. It’s a shame, but I don’t think it went well.”

“Why? Why? Did you forget your lines?”

“There weren’t even that many lines to forget. But they asked me to show some free acting after seeing my performance, and since I don’t really know how to do that, I had nothing to show.”

“That’s something you’re supposed to prepare for an audition! You didn’t prepare anything?”

“How would I have known? Anyway, that’s what happened.”

So-yeon’s voice was full of disappointment as she tried to comfort him.

“Still, you worked hard. But who knows? If they were impressed by your acting, they might contact you through another route someday.”

“I’ve decided not to get my hopes up for nothing.”

“Still, just in case someone calls, make sure you always answer your phone. And don’t talk so casually like you do with me.”

“Hey, I’ve been doing social stuff way longer than you.”

“Okay, okay. Make sure you eat properly!”

“Yeah. I have to go to work now. Talk later.”

After ending the call with his sister, Tae-san entered Building 303 and took the elevator up. When he arrived at the client’s residence and rang the doorbell, a perfectly ordinary voice called from inside.

“Who is it?”

“I’m here to clean.”

The client who opened the door was an ordinary housewife—around her forties, with a tired face and no makeup. After briefly surveying the space to be cleaned, Tae-san listened to her instructions.

“You’ll be done in four hours, right? Thanks to you, I’m saved. My mother-in-law is coming down tomorrow, so I looked into this in a hurry. Actually, this is my first time calling a cleaning service.”

“Oh my, you must have been surprised. Don’t worry. Just trust me. I’ll make this place spotless, like new.”

Fortunately, there were no special requests beyond cleaning thoroughly.

“Ah, right. If you get thirsty while cleaning, feel free to grab a drink from the fridge.”

“Yes! Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

Seeing Tae-san smile brightly without unnecessary modesty, the housewife’s cheeks flushed slightly. Tae-san seized the moment and finally voiced the question he had been wanting to ask.

“Ma’am, I’m sorry, but my phone battery died. Would it be all right if I used your phone for a moment? I need to let the Smile App know I’ve started the cleaning.”

“Oh, sure. Here. I’ll go grab my wallet, so use it comfortably.”

“Thank you!”

Tae-san took Park Sun-hee’s phone and quickly opened the Smile cleaning app. The layout wasn’t much different from the one he used. The categories included housekeeping, office cleaning, appliance cleaning, move-in cleaning, and mobile car wash. After entering the address, fields for square footage, frequency, cleaning time, date, and phone number appeared. Then the app displayed the automatically calculated price and payment instructions.

[Cancellations are free until 7 p.m. the day before the service date.]

It was a perfectly ordinary cleaning app that even kindly informed users about cancellation policies. Out of curiosity, he checked if there was a customer service number, but—

‘The customer service function is different here?’

Instead of a phone line, Park Sun-hee’s app used an AI-based automated response system for Q&A, which had become common recently.

“Young man, are you done? I have to go to my appointment.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you. Please have a safe trip!”

Tae-san reluctantly returned the phone and saw the client off with a cheerful expression as she headed out for her neighborhood outing. After closing the door, he stepped inside and let out a light breath. His curiosity hadn’t been fully satisfied, but he figured he could look into it more with other clients later.

“All right, shall we get started?”