Chapter 284: All Time (15)

Kang Woojin, who had finished the long schedules of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ and ‘Male Friend: Remake’, arrived in Korea from Japan early in the morning of the 4th.

Despite this, dozens of reporters and hundreds of fans flocked to the airport.

『[Star Photo] Kang Woojin appears at the airport after finishing his schedule in Japan / Photo』

『Kang Woojin, waving casually to the gathered reporters and hundreds of fans / Photo』

Since a larger crowd than expected had gathered, Kang Woojin, who initially planned to give a brief interview, had to quickly leave the airport. As a result, the return shot of Kang Woojin, who had who had returned after turning Japan upside down single-handedly, was simply him waving.

However, the articles about his return to Korea proliferated endlessly.

In fact, since yesterday, a considerable amount of buzz had generated, but it intensified even more when Woojin actually arrived in Korea. Moreover, the media and public opinion began explosively mentioning numerous issues and works related to him again.

『’Kang Woojin’s return’, will it boost ‘Island of the Missing’ which is close to 13 million viewers』

『[Feature] Kang Woojin, who finished filming ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, now it’s time for ‘Leech’ and ‘Beneficial Evil’?』

Indeed, it was a grand return befitting the king of issues.

There was an abundance of material to cover.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I was wondaring why there are so many Kang Woojin articles since the morning, turns out he came backㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-No wonder, he’s been promoting the national prestige alone

-↑Agreed I live in Japan, and Kang Woojin is insanely popular among Japanese women….when asked about their ideal type, they all say it’s Woojin Fuck……

Not just in Korea, but also in Japan.

-But did Kang Woojin finish the dubbing for the voice acting?

-Yes, yes,yes he’s finished, the female lead is Umi Natsumi…so jealous…

-Why are you mentioning such a nobody?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Just skimming through ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, there are tons of top Japanese actressesㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Check out Kang Woojin’s Instagramㅋㅋㅋㅋ There was a fan signing event before he returned to Korea, and it was packed

Even when Woojin was not in Korea, he was consistently covered, but as expected, his return to Korea connected everything and multiplied the attention several times over.

As an actor whose issues sell well and attract top-notch click rates, new videos related to Woojin proliferated exponentially on various media including radio and video platforms like YouTube. This rapidly changing domestic situation was also being relayed in detail to the film company ‘BOX Movies’ of ‘Sea Battle’.

The team leader was presenting, and the directors and executives were listening.

『[Issue Pick] Kang Woojin returns for the latter half promotion of ‘Island of the Missing’ which is eyeing the all-time #1 spot, his name already buzzing in various online communities / Photo』

The gradually hopeful expressions of the executives quickly darkened. However, the team leader in charge of the presenting did not stop the briefing.

“As you can see, the media and public opinion have been buzzing since Kang Woojin’s return, and ‘Island of the Missing’ is also being mentioned more frequently than before.”

“……Hmm.”

“As you know, Kang Woojin went to Japan before the release of ‘Island of the Missing’, and he hasn’t participated in any official promotional schedules so far. But just his return has caused this much stir…”

The team leader in charge of the presenting sighed softly but delivered the conclusion to everyone. The smell of resignation lingered.

“……I think it would be wise to be prepared mentally.”

At the same time, in Cheongdam-dong.

Kang Woojin, who had returned to Korea, had just arrived at the salon shop. In fact, Choi Sung-gun had told him to take the day off, but Kang Woojin shook his head.

‘Well, I’m still feeling pretty energetic.’

Although his answer was tinged with bravado, it was also Kang Woojin’s true feeling. Taking a day off would be nice, but he judged that it would be tougher later if the work piled up and came all at once. For reference, Choi Sung-gun parted ways with Woojin midway.

No, he had to be separated from Kang Woojin for at least a few days.

Choi Sung-gun could not neglect the work of the now-motivated bw Entertainment either. Moreover, several new matters had recently been added. For example, issues related to bw Entertainment’s overseas branches in Japan, Hollywood, etc.

Anyway, the shop was in an uproar with Woojin’s appearance.

“Wow- Kang Woojin!”

“Huh? Is this your first time seeing Woojin-ssi?”

“Yes! I’ve only heard he was coming, but it’s my first time seeing him in person!”

“Isn’t he way better in person?”

“Absolutely, like 100 times better.”

From the shop’s designers to the staff, everyone in the shop was busy gawking at Kang Woojin. Although he frequented the place, Woojin’s rising fame made his visits more exciting. Sitting in the shop chair for the first time in a while, Woojin looked into the front mirror.

-Swish.

With black hair, a simple short-sleeve shirt, and jeans. Although his face was tinged with cynicism, he felt quite heated inside.

‘Ah- Korea is indeed the best. It feels comfortable here, really comfortable.’

It was because he had returned to his homeland. Despite his frequent flights, which often made people mistake him for someone living abroad, at his core, he was still a native Korean.

At this moment.

-Swish.

Behind Woojin, a large figure of Jang Su-hwan appeared.

“Hyung-nim.”

Recently promoted from road manager to schedule manager. Although Choi Sung-gun generally handled overall management, Jang Su-hwan occasionally took charge. With a tiny diary compared to his large frame, he briefed Woojin.

“But are you really okay? You can take a day off-”

Woojin answered in a low, indifferent tone.

“It’s no big deal. I’m fine, so go ahead and tell me.”

“Sigh, you’re incredible, really. Then I’ll get straight to it. Today’s schedule is quite packed. First, there are two interviews, and then…”

Jang Su-hwan listed today’s and tomorrow’s schedules. It seemed endless. For a moment, Kang Woojin wondered if he had made a mistake. After the scheduled interviews, there were photoshoots including ones for Woojin’s SNS, a simple shoot and meeting for the ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ channel’s return greeting, and in the afternoon, he would meet with the ‘Island of the Missing’ team for postponed promotional video shoots.

‘Ah- shit. Definitely going home after 11 PM.’

But isn’t it better than ending at dawn? Woojin decided to think positively.

‘What’s the point of delaying things I have to do anyway~ Just stop overthinking and get them done.’

Next, Jang Su-hwan flipped a page in the diary and recited the schedule for the next day.

“Tomorrow – in the morning, there’s a second advertising meeting with Nongshim for ‘Kimjaban Makguksu’, and around noon, you will resume filming for ‘Leech’.”

The core of tomorrow’s schedule was the return to filming the movie ‘Leech’.

‘They said filming was roughly- 70% done?’

Soon, Jang Su-hwan closed the diary and smirked.

“And Hyung-nim, I was thinking we should eat before the schedule starts. What would you like to eat?”

Kang Woojin answered with a heavy face. It was an answer mixed with deep sincerity.

“Seafood ramyeon and tuna kimbap.”

Afterward, Kang Woojin, who left the shop, was immediately thrown into the schedule after his meal. From interviews with the media for the promotion of ‘Island of the Missing’ to various photoshoots.

Time melted away so quickly that he barely noticed.

Therefore, in the blink of an eye, Woojin found himself at home. It was past midnight.

“Ahh- damn, how long has it been since I’ve been home.”

Although he appeared as a man of steel to others due to his active use of the void space, being tired was still being tired. Kang Woojin quickly finished showering and immediately threw himself onto the bed.

-♬♪

The next day, when Woojin’s phone alarm went off, it was 7 AM. However, to the groggy Woojin, it felt like only 7 minutes had passed.

“Urghhhh-”

Gone was the stoic facade as he groaned in pain. Naturally, Kang Woojin entered the void space. And flopped down.

“Ah, seriously, the void space is really the best. I love it.”

Since time was meaningless in the void space, Woojin idled away without a care and finally returned to reality.

Soon after, Kang Woojin.

“Director~nim! Kang Woojin-ssi has arrived!!”

They arrived at the Jeonju Complex Set. More precisely, it was the large set for ‘Leech’. Soon, hundreds of staff members greeted Woojin, and the now even more older-looking Director Ahn Ga-bok showed Kang Woojin a wrinkled smile.

“You’re here, you must have had a hard time, but I’ll have to make you work hard again.”

“No problem.”

Kang Woojin had returned to the later stages of filming ‘Leech’.

Meanwhile.

With Kang Woojin’s grand return, ‘Island of the Missing’ gained momentum once more, but the people involved with ‘Island of the Missing’ had no intention of resting and increased their promotional activities. Around the time Woojin returned to filming ‘Leech’, other actors like Ryu Jung-min and Director Kwon Ki-taek were adding more fuel to the promotional fire.

This meant they appeared on various programs.

For example, Ryu Jung-min.

As one of the leads of ‘Island of the Missing’, he appeared on a variety show that introduces and explores various movies.

“Ah- yeah, that scene was a highlight.”

“I get goosebumps even though I’ve already seen the movie.”

“So, Jung-min-ssi, what was the hardest part about filming ‘Island of the Missing’?”

“The hardest part? Well? Mostly it was fun, but the overseas location shooting was pretty tough.”

“Ah, did you shoot in Vietnam this time?”

“Danang. It was really hot, humid, and there were a lot of bugs.”

“Ew, just hearing about it… I really can’t stand bugs. Then what’s the most memorable part? Still Danang?”

“No. Honestly, what I remember the most is Kang Woojin’s acting. Seeing it on screen and in reality feels quite different.”

He continued promoting the movie enthusiastically along with his memories.

“Ah, right! Let’s talk about Woojin-ssi who’s returned! His acting was killer. His portrayal of a dual personality was amazing.”

“For me, what gave me chills while watching the movie was seeing Woojin-ssi’s performance in ‘Island of the Missing’ where two different personalities appear, right? But as it progresses, you see Callousness appear and realize he’s an excellent actor.”

“What is Callousness?”

“It’s one of the diagnostic criteria for psychopathy. It’s a cold and indifferent response, not exaggerating one’s anger or cruelty but restraining it. They’re looking at people but there’s no interest in their eyes, either not recognizing them as people or not caring about them.”

“Oh- now that you mention it, it’s definitely true.”

“I don’t know if he studied for the role, but throughout the movie, Woojin-ssi really seemed like such a person.”

Other lead actors like Ha Yu-ra and Kim Yi-won were the same. They appeared on YouTube and various programs, putting effort into the mid-stage promotions. Of course, Director Kwon Ki-taek didn’t rest either. Thanks to this, not only did word of mouth spread rapidly, but there were also audiences who watched ‘Island of the Missing’ multiple times.

As a result, even though many new competing films announced their launches…

『Effect of Kang Woojin’s return? ‘Island of the Missing’ firmly holds onto ‘Ticket sales #1 position’ this week as well』

‘Island of the Missing’ maintained its steadfast ‘Ticket sales #1 position’.

On the 6th, early morning. bw Entertainment.

It was around 8 o’clock. Although it wasn’t official working hours yet, bw Entertainment’s main conference room was bustling. Team leaders from various departments and some staff members were busy setting up for the meeting. Approximately a dozen people.

“Are there designated seats for the actors?”

“Huh? No, no. Just have them sit in a zigzag pattern.”

“Got it!”

Snacks and water bottles were placed on the tables, transparent files were placed at each seat, and the PPT was being tested. Today, the meeting would be attended not only by CEO Choi Sung-gun but also by the leading actors of bw Entertainment. Kang Woojin, of course, and others like Hong Hye-yeon and Ryu Jung-min.

It was a simple meeting aimed at the second half of this year.

The purpose was heavily focused on sharing information with each other and reviewing.

At this moment.

-Swish.

With the weather getting hotter, Kang Woojin, dressed more casually, made his appearance in the conference room, his cynical expression standing out even more today. His appearance brought smiles to the faces of the team leaders.

“Oh my- Woojin-ssi, you’re here early!”

“Please take a seat over here!”

“Haha, you know that most of today’s agenda items are about you, right?”

After exchanging appropriate greetings, Woojin took a seat right next to the head of the table. Then, with a firm face, he glanced at the front.

‘Snacks, huh? Should I just have a little taste?’

Just as Woojin quietly moved his hand to grab a snack.

“Hello-”

A female voice echoed throughout the conference room. Looking towards the entrance, Hong Hye-yeon, wearing a white hat pressed down over her long straight hair and a tight beige short-sleeved shirt, was waving to the team leaders. For some reason, a bundle of papers was visible at one side of her waist. After greeting the team leaders, Hong Hye-yeon’s eyes landed on Woojin, who was looking at her nonchalantly.

‘He came early, did he- lose some weight?’

Muttering to herself, Hong Hye-yeon approached Woojin and pulled out the chair to his right. She then spoke to Woojin in a slightly curt manner.

“You’re alive? I was beginning to think you were in critical condition since I hadn’t heard from you.”

Woojin, who tried to ignore the pleasant scent, responded seriously in a low voice.

“I’m still very much alive.”

“I found out you came to Korea a few days ago through the news. You do carry your phone, right?”

“Yes, here.”

“…No, I didn’t mean for you to show it to me – forget it. By the way, you seem to have lost some weight?”

“Yes, a little.”

“You know that if you collapse from this hectic schedule, everything will come to a halt, right? I know you don’t get drained easily, but make sure you eat well.”

Suddenly, as Hong Hye-yeon was nagging Woojin, she took off her white hat. As a result, her long hair made a rustling sound, and she looked down at the bundle of papers she had brought, then cleared her throat.

“Ahem! So, um, could you perhaps take a quick look at this script? I like it, but I’m curious about your opinion.. Before… it seemed like you could sense something just by looking at the title.”

Hong Hye-yeon was also one of the believers in ‘Kang Totem’. Woojin responded nonchalantly.

“Is this for your next project?”

“It’s not confirmed yet. I’m reviewing the ones that have come in. I want to do a movie next, instead of a drama. Something that I can approach a bit more lightly. Ah- but if it’s troublesome, I’ll handle it myself.”

“Give it to me.”

Woojin cynically snatched the bundle of papers, but inwardly he was smiling.

‘If it’s a request from Hong Hye-yeon-nim, it’s totally doable.’

Soon, pretending to open the script, Woojin secretly raised his index finger. Naturally, he pressed the black square attached to the script. In an instant, he entered the void space.

At the same time, he dropped his facade.

“It’s nice to get a break now that I’m here too.”

Reading the script from start to finish could be a bit tedious, but since he just needed to check the rating in the void space, it wasn’t particularly difficult. Anyway, it was easy to brush off things like the Kang Totem or incredible intuition as mere misconceptions.

“Let’s see-”

Woojin moved to the line of white rectangles and checked the script that had just been listed.

-[11/Scenario (Title: Stopping by France), B+ grade]

-[*This is a highly completed movie script. 100% readability.]

Judging by the title alone, it was hard to grasp the content. A rom-com? Whatever it was, Woojin checked the rating.

‘B+ grade? Ah, that’s a bit disappointing.’

Or maybe, it was okay? Lately, Kang Woojin had been exposed to so many S-grade or higher scripts that his sense of judgment had dulled. S-grade and above works were extremely rare to begin with. In fact, a few weeks ago, when Woojin had some spare time, he had tested dozens of scripts and scenarios that had poured in like a waterfall in the void space.

The result?

‘They were all C or below. There was only one decent B.’

In other words, works from B to A grade could be considered quite good. In today’s entertainment industry, they were upper tier. ‘Freezing Love’, which ended with a 10% viewership, was a B+.

“Well, if it’s B+, it’s worth going for. Should I say it’s okay?”

Woojin, murmuring while stroking his chin, habitually touched the ‘work’. The quickly displayed text changed.

-[You have selected the scenario (Title: Stopping by France).]

-[Listing characters available for reading (experience).]

-[A: Kim Sung-jin, B: Cui Jian, C: Dominique Debbouze……]

Woojin paused for a moment.

“Dominique Debbouze? Wait a minute, this name… it’s quite unique?”

With a small smile at the unusual name, Woojin immediately moved his index finger without hesitation and selected ‘Dominique Debbouze’.

Then.

[“……”]

After a moment of silence in the void space, the female robotic voice spread out.

[“A new language other than the base language has been detected. Acquiring ‘French’ first.”]

Kang Woojin’s smile deepened even more.

[“Preparing for ‘French’ reading…”]

[“…Preparation complete. Starting ‘French’ reading.”]

Just before the grayness engulfed him, Woojin whispered with a smile.

“Nice.”

*****

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