Chapter 248: Sprint (4)

A10 Studio’s official announcement, which has easily surpassed 30,000 comments. The SNS post, which continues to receive comments non-stop, read as follows.

[Hello, this is A10 Studio. Today, we bring you news about a new anime! After much deliberation, we have decided to take on various new challenges that we haven’t tried before, so we are quite nervous before the release. The title of the work we have poured our hearts into this time is ‘Male Friend: Remake’. Does the title sound familiar? Yes, that’s right!]

[‘Male Friend: Remake’ is based on the drama ‘Male Friend’, which was extremely popular in Japan and is still watched by many people! We have already started production after adapting it, and we are speeding up the process. If everything goes as planned, we should be able to present it to you in the second half of this year!]

A10 Studio shared the basic information about ‘Male Friend: Remake’ and immediately moved on to the next topic.

[While this alone might excite you, but we have even more surprising news! It’s about the voice actor lineup. For the male lead voice actor of ‘Male Friend: Remake’, we have secured a truly amazing person! The hottest actor in Japan right now! The actor dominating the trend search rankings! It’s none other than Kang. Woo. Jin!! He was the male lead in the original ‘Male Friend’, and he will also be the voice actor for the ‘Male Friend: Remake’! But that’s not all…]

The lengthy post by ‘A10 Studio’ enthusiastically detailed information related to Kang Woojin. In addition to Woojin taking on the male lead voice role, he will also participate in the anime’s OST and the much-discussed piano performance. The post was filled with fresh surprises that the public would enjoy.

In the first place, it was novel that a Korean actor was taking on the role of one of the anime voice actors in Japan.

However, A10 Studio naturally shifted topics, indicating that this was not the end.

[We have also succeeded in casting Asami Sayaka, who has experienced a dramatic story with Kang Woojin!]

The presence of Asami Sayaka was also revealed. With the two hottest figures on Japanese SNS confirmed for casting, ‘Male Friend: Remake’ delivered a heartwarming story mixed with shocking twists from the start.

Hence, the more than 30,000 comments were all in a state of excitement.

-This is really interesting!! My heart is pounding!

-To think Kang Woojin and Sayaka would meet in one work… Their connection continues.

-Oh my god, ‘Male Friend’!! I can’t believe ‘Male Friend’ is getting an anime adaptation! A10 is the best!!

-Kang Woojin’s fan service for one person has yielded such results! I will definitely watch!

Of course, this was only the beginning of the reactions. Given that Kang Woojin was shaking up Japanese SNS, the influx of the public attention was currently flooding in like crazy.

-Woojin’s OST? Piano performance? The wait is going to be excruciating….

-Kang Woojin is really amazing. Honestly, there have been quite a few Korean actors who have made into Japan, but has anyone risen to this extent before?

-wwww Kang Woojin is extending his reach from ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ to anime? While his momentum is good, there must be quite a few people who dislike him too?

-Surely it’s a huge challenge for A10, but at least the promotional marketing has succeeded.

-If ‘Male Friend’ is the original work, does that mean Hwalin, who was the female lead, has also been cast?

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This phenomenon was merely the appearance of one Instagram post. A10 Studio operated all three major SNS platforms in Japan and uploaded posts simultaneously on all of them, including Twitter. The response on Twitter was even more intense than on Instagram.

A terrifying number of likes, comments updating every second, and endless shares.

The power of ‘#KangWoojin’ was absurd.

The monstrous issue power built up since the beginning of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’. Combined with the recent matter involving Asami Sayaka, the concentrated interest was directed at ‘Male Friend: Remake’.

This quickly spread to Japanese people’s messengers and began to infiltrate their conversations.

“Did you see the news about the new anime announced by A10?? They’re making it based on ‘Male Friend’! The male lead voice actor is Kang Woojin!”

“Hee- really? I really enjoyed watching ‘Male Friend’!”

“Hold on, I’ll share A10’s feed with you.”

Indeed, Japan was an animation powerhouse. The rise in interest was not ordinary. If the online response was explosive, the offline response was no less. The issue, passed from mouth to mouth and hand to hand, and spread to many areas.

Internet broadcasts, YouTube, the broadcasting industry, and the press.

『「A10」 adapts ‘Male Friend’ into an anime, casts Kang Woojin as the male lead voice actor!』

Of course, this quickly spread to the Japanese voice acting industry. The reaction in the voice acting world was mixed.

Some purely found Kang Woojin fascinating, while others viewed it negatively. Although it was seen as an event, Kang Woojin’s foray into voice acting was innovative, but to Japanese voice actors, it felt like their livelihood was being taken away.

However, this trend, like a tsunami, was unstoppable.

Currently, Kang Woojin was the top issue in Japan, no matter what anyone said. It was fair to say it was the first time in Japanese entertainment history. Such was his power.

As a result.

『‘Male Friend: Remake’ rapidly spreads on SNS, reclaiming the top spot in trend rankings in an instant』

‘Male Friend: Remake’ was firmly engraved in the minds of the Japanese public.

At the same time.

In front of the karaoke in Kabukicho, which is lively at night but relatively calm during the day. Two men looking down the stairs leading to the basement. They were detectives. Among them, Mana Kosaku, the top actor in Japan, had a cigarette in his mouth. Or more precisely, ‘Yoshizawa Mochio’ from ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ grumbled bluntly.

“It’s creepy.”

His face, still marked by a lack of enthusiasm, was visible under his navy lightweight padding jacket. The junior detective standing next to Mochio let out a small sigh.

“Sunbae-nim, can’t you hide that tired expression?”

“Why.”

“You look too weary for a detective investigating a murder case.”

“Does it matter? As long as you’re diligent, that’s enough.”

“Tsk-”

The detectives investigating the death of ‘Konakayama Ginzo’. A camera was filming them from the side. The two actors were clearly displayed on the monitor that Director Kyotaro was watching. Mochio flicked away the cigarette he had finished smoking and stretched.

“Ah, what was the name again?”

The junior detective took out a notebook and answered.

“‘Horinochi Amie’, the owner of this karaoke. We contacted her, so she should be waiting.”

“This is the last place Konakayama Ginzo was before he died, right?”

“Yes.”

“Horinochi Amie- could she have been Ginzo’s mistress?”

“Well, it’s not certain, but it’s possible.”

“They were classmates, right?”

“Yes, Ginzo and Amie. They went to the same school and seemed to have stayed close since then.”

“······”

Mochio, scratching his head as if bothered, pulled out a new cigarette and put it in his mouth.

“If it were you, who would you call right before you died?”

“Usually the police.”

“Right? But Ginzo’s last call wasn’t to the police or his wife, but to Amie. Why?”

“Isn’t that what we came to ask?”

“Right. But as detectives, we should have some hypotheses.”

Mochio and the junior detective had already completed their investigation into Ginzo. They knew about his overall life, usual behavior, family, movements before his death, his phone, and so on.

“But the stranger thing is not ‘why’ Ginzo called Amie, but ‘how’ he was able to call Amie.”

“That’s- maybe he seized a fleeting opportunity?”

Exhaling cigarette smoke, Mochio lightly hit the junior detective’s head.

“Idiot, Ginzo was kidnapped, tied up, raped, and then murdered. There was no chance for a fleeting opportunity. In other words, he was forced to call Amie.”

“By Misaki Shutoku?”

In response, Mochio threw his cigarette roughly onto the ground and shrugged his shoulders.

“Yeah. Or an accomplice.”

“Sunbae-nim, are you still thinking that? There were no traces found at the scene except for Misaki Shutoku’s. The higher-ups are demanding we close the case quickly since the evidence is clear…”

“What’s strange is strange.”

“The problem is that it’s not evidence, but just your hunch.”

“There’s no motive for murder between Ginzo and Shutoku. We dug into it and found no connection between the two. Shutoku’s criminal record is clean, too. For a first-timer, isn’t the murder process too meticulous? Moreover, if it was just a murder for pleasure, it’s too excessive.”

“Excessive?”

“Yes. The setup is too elaborate. Kidnapping, homosexual assault, provocative evidence and crime scene, suicide. It’s all designed to create a nationwide stir.”

“Hmm- It’s already caused an uproar. That’s why the higher-ups are pushing us to wrap it up quickly.”

At that moment.

-Swiiish.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

A man walked past the two detectives in front of the karaoke. The camera captured the man walking directly from the front. Mochio, who had been looking at the junior detective, glanced at the man passing by.

He was an ordinary-looking man.

Disheveled hair that seemed uncared for, an expressionless face soaked in fatigue, a plain suit that looked like it had been copied from others, a bag slung over his shoulder. The man calmly walked past the detectives and moved away. Watching the man’s back, Mochio looked down at his wristwatch.

“2 o’clock.”

The junior detective furrowed his brows.

“What?”

“What’s a company worker doing in Kabukicho?”

“He’s probably here to have some fun.”

“Long past lunch hour?”

“There are quite a few of those types. Those who prefer the day over the night.”

“Lucky bastard— but why does his expression look like that?”

“What do you mean?”

Mochio slowly scratched his chin. Then he briefly recalled the face of the man who had just passed by.

“”How should I put it, his expression was kind of blank.”

“He must be tired.”

The junior detective sighed. He stepped onto the stairs leading to the basement karaoke first.

“Anyway, let’s go in.”

“······”

Mochio, who had been looking at the end of the alley where the man had disappeared, followed the junior detective with a thought of, ‘Whatever, it doesn’t matter’. The camera filmed the two detectives from behind. Then the camera turned back to the alley where the man had disappeared.

3 seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds.

Just then.

-Swiiish.

The man who had disappeared at the end of the alley reappeared. The camera slowly approached the man. Thus, the man’s face, displayed on the monitor, gradually enlarged. The man, or rather Iyota Kiyoshi, muttered in a lifeless tone.

“Next.”

After a moment of silence, Director Kyotaro’s cut was heard. It was an OK, but with a different angle, they repeated the scene. The scene was repeated about twice.

After that, the ‘Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ team moved inside the karaoke.

It was a fairly spacious karaoke with a hall and rooms. The hall had the atmosphere of a typical bar, and the rooms were equipped with karaoke facilities. The ‘Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ team settled into the karaoke. Soon, the assistant director shouted at the extras preparing.

“Take your positions!!”

About a dozen extras filled the tables in the karaoke hall. Minor actors playing employees took their places at the bar near the counter. And then.

“······”

Kang Woojin, wearing an ordinary suit, appeared. Since they were filming a past scene before Ginzo’s death, this wasn’t a continuation of the scene with the two detectives.

Just before Director Kyotaro’s cue.

Kang Woojin, with a bag slung over his shoulder like a company worker, had already fully embodied Iyota Kiyoshi. His face was distinctly pale. A lifeless demeanor with no notable features or characteristics.

But that wasn’t all.

‘Hoo- As expected, Kim Ryu-jin is better.’

Standing before the camera, Kang Woojin extended his hand towards ‘Kim Ryu-jin’ from ‘Exorcism’. Of course, this was to merge roles. Kiyoshi, according to the scenario, would add a bit of acting in this scene. He would slightly raise his tension from his usual demeanor. However, it felt somewhat bland. This was Woojin’s thought after analyzing the scenario.

Therefore, he decided to merge Kiyoshi with Kim Ryu-jin.

Soon, the voice of Director Kyotaro came from in front of the monitor.

“Standby-”

Then the bright lights of the karaoke hall dimmed halfway and turned into a subtle glow. Gentle music began to play. The extras started conversing as if they were customers. Drinks were exchanged.

At the same time.

“Hi- Action.”

In front of the camera, which was capturing the entire scene from the entrance of the hall, appeared Kiyoshi in a suit. He walked with an unhurried but not particularly vigorous gait. His expression was lifeless.

“······”

Woojin, or Kiyoshi, casually scanned the hall and then walked towards the bar where two waiters stood and various expensive drinks were displayed. This scene was part of the investigation into Horinochi Amie, one of the ‘homeworks’ before Ginzo’s death.

Naturally, Kiyoshi arrived when Amie was not there.

He had no intention of showing his face to Amie. She would come two hours later. Of course, this visit wasn’t just for investigation. Kiyoshi, or rather the ‘Stranger’ Kang Woojin, had come to gather pieces for Amie’s ‘Eerie Sacrifice’.

“Welcome.”

The greeting came from a male and female waiter who were cleaning glasses. Kang Woojin sat in front of the male waiter in uniform. The camera filmed his expressionless face and the bar from the side. The male waiter, who was young and had a pretty face, placed the cleaned glass in front of Woojin and politely asked.

“What can I get for you?”

Despite his pretty face, his voice was remarkably deep. At this moment, a sudden smile spread across Woojin’s lifeless and withered face. It was a relatively tired smile, characteristic of Kim Ryu-jin. But his eyes remained lifeless. Kang Woojin pulled a cigarette pack from his jacket’s inner pocket and spoke, his tone slightly higher.

“Shall we start with beer?”

The male waiter bowed his head.

“Understood.”

The expression on the male waiter’s face as he turned away seemed to say, ‘A penniless office worker’. But he did not lose his courtesy. The male waiter placed a simple dry snack and a glass of beer in front of Woojin, who then took a refreshing sip of the beer.

“Ah- that’s good. It really takes the edge off a long day.”

“These drinks over here will make you feel even better.”

The pretty face male waiter suggested the expensive drinks. At this moment, the camera zoomed in on Woojin’s face, and Kang Woojin, with a slightly surprised look, spoke to the male waiter.

“I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before? Could you come a little closer?”

“Me? Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Though slightly hesitant, the male waiter confidently stepped closer to Woojin, who then leaned in and met the waiter’s gaze. His smile was completely at odds with his dry, lifeless eyes. The male waiter felt a chill run down his arm.

‘······Crazy. What’s with those eyes?’

This wasn’t acting as a character; it was acting as an actor. It was a type of performance he had never seen before. Ignoring this, Kang Woojin suddenly pointed a finger at the male waiter.

Then he whispered.

“Ah- That’s right, you’re ‘Horinochi Amie’s lover, aren’t you?”

*****

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