Comments were still pouring in even now.
Among them, the name Kang Woojin kept appearing over and over.
There were also plenty of posts mentioning Assistant Manager Park, along with memes like it would've been less annoying.
Would this upward momentum keep going?
Of course, the names of leads like Ryu Jungmin and Hong Hyeyeon came up often too.
But in nearly every comment, Kang Woojin's name appeared without fail.
Seeing that, Kang Woojin thought to himself,
"Wow, this is seriously insane."
Outwardly, he stayed calm.
Inside, though, he was flustered.
Seeing so many people talk about him made his heart pound.
The reaction was so intense that he couldn't help but wonder why.
Did something huge happen the day we filmed Sports Day?
There had been moments during the shoot when PD Yoon Byungseon and the staff burst out laughing, but whether he was talking or playing games, Kang Woojin had done his best in every scene.
I didn't think I'd show up on screen that much.
He really hadn't expected much.
Sure, it was promotional, but it was still his first variety show, and he had kept a straight face the entire time.
Weren't variety shows supposed to be about making people laugh?
Woojin genuinely didn't understand.
But Choi Sunggeon seemed to know exactly why.
"Woojin, your quiet attitude itself became the joke. You're serious, but people laugh because of that. And the stiff, arrogant vibe you gave off at first turned into a twist too."
That was all there was to it.
To viewers, Kang Woojin's presence felt strangely unique.
He looked cold and sharp, but at times there was something awkward about him too.
"If you read the comments, you'll get it. People like your pure craziness, your emotionless charm, your socially awkward Assistant Manager Park vibe, your clumsy interpersonal energy. They enjoy your indifference."
It was bizarre.
He had never intended any of it.
Pure?
Woojin nearly snorted inwardly.
Pure? Me? I'm the same guy who nearly lost his mind over a kiss scene. A man with a dark side.
While thinking that, Woojin spotted another comment.
lol Kang Woojin kind of looks like an arrogant golden retriever
A golden retriever?
Woojin genuinely couldn't understand how people were seeing him.
Still, if they liked it, then it was probably a good thing.
It was a little bewildering, but he let it go.
Next, he checked the thumbnail for the Sports Day video.
It featured the actors' faces, including Ryu Jungmin and Hong Hyeyeon.
The problem was that Kang Woojin's face was the biggest one there.
Naturally, he was expressionless.
Under his face was a line of text.
??? Who the hell is that guy???
The other actors had their names written under their faces, so why was his like that?
Why did they zoom in on my face like that?
Even while grumbling inwardly, Woojin calmly asked Choi Sunggeon,
"Why is my face the biggest?"
"Probably because you stood out the most."
"Are you saying my head is big?"
"A little?"
Kang Woojin's face became even more expressionless.
Noticing that, Choi Sunggeon grinned slyly.
"I'm kidding. If your head's big, then what am I, an alien? Your face is big because you were basically the main character of Episode 1. Want to watch it?"
Choi Sunggeon clicked on the video.
The first Sports Day episode ran for twenty-two minutes, which was fairly long for a YouTube video.
It began with a shot of the building where filming had taken place, then moved inside.
In the studio stood a long desk with a Profiler Hanryang poster behind it.
No one was there yet.
The empty table filled the screen while the staff's voices, including PD Yoon Byungseon's, played in the background.
"A lot of big stars are appearing today, so let's get enough footage for at least three episodes."
"PD, you seem really fired up about securing footage today."
"I'm curious about Kang Woojin. Is it just me?"
"I think everyone's thinking the same thing."
Then the camera zoomed in on Assistant Manager Park in the poster.
Right then, one of the staff members suddenly shouted,
"Kang Woojin is here!"
The screen changed.
Kang Woojin entered the studio and greeted PD Yoon Byungseon.
The camera captured Woojin's face in a medium shot.
After exchanging greetings, the PD threw him a question.
"Was it difficult playing Assistant Manager Park?"
Woojin's detached answer came right away.
"Yes."
A stir ran through the set.
The staff visibly jolted, and even the camera shook a little.
A caption appeared at the bottom of the screen.
He's not just low-energy… he has no energy at all? None??
In the early part of the video, Kang Woojin's bluntly cynical side was emphasized.
But as time passed, his unusual charm began to stand out.
"Hello, I'm Kang Woojin, who played 'Profiler Hanryang' in the drama 'Assistant Manager Park.'"
Whether it had been a slip of the tongue or whether he knew and only acted clueless, the editing leaned fully into it.
Watching it, Kang Woojin was inwardly impressed.
Ah, so this is how variety shows build up someone's character.
The finished video, with its mix of live footage and editing, gave off a completely different atmosphere.
Stronger, maybe.
In any case, Kang Woojin's bizarre charm exploded during the game segment.
All the other actors looked like they were having fun, but Kang Woojin alone looked like he was marching into battle.
No, more like heading into a bloody war.
"Haha, Woojin, it's not like you're going off to war."
"I'm simply doing my best."
Then came the final part of the video.
The climax of the Guess the Celebrity game.
It was the moment everything would be settled if Kang Woojin simply answered correctly.
"Alright, Woojin, this is the last one. It's really easy!"
"Hmm."
"Wrong!!"
After Kang Woojin failed, the staff exploded into laughter.
Then PD Yoon Byungseon's comment followed.
"Wow, that was practically a freebie. What do we do now? This is awkward."
"Sorry, but… who was that?"
At that moment in the video, Hong Hyeyeon smacked Kang Woojin hard on the arm.
"Ah!! It was me!! Are you out of your mind?"
The screen abruptly went black.
Then white text appeared in the center.
To be continued.
Will Kang Woojin survive?
Episode 1 ended with Kang Woojin in crisis.
Ah, damn. That was close. It's funny, though.
Seeing his own face on screen was embarrassing, but once again, that was thanks to the directing skill of PD Yoon Byungseon, one of the top variety PDs in the business.
Woojin nearly burst out laughing himself.
If even the guest being featured felt this way, then the public was bound to react explosively.
At that point, Choi Sunggeon turned off YouTube, went to a portal site, and muttered.
His laugh sounded different than usual.
"The press is going crazy right now over your first variety appearance."
And indeed—
just as Choi Sunggeon said, the impact of Episode 1 of the Sports DayHanryang special was considerable.
PD Yoon Byungseon's programs always made a strong impression, and with the added draw of the hit drama Hanryang, media attention swarmed in.
"Sports Day: Hanryang Special surpasses 200,000 views, Kang Woojin makes his variety debut!"
Entertainment outlets buzzed with Sports Day news.
Not only that, but Sports Day shot to No. 1 on YouTube's live trending rankings, and new information about Kang Woojin began flooding portal sites.
The real action, however, was in online communities.
After seeing Kang Woojin's character through Sports Day, the public reacted heatedly across the internet, starting with online forums.
I just watched Sports Day, go watch it lol it's seriously hilarious lol
Sports Day Hanryang Special "Celebrity Quiz".gif
New posts about that segment surged across social media and online communities.
Kang Woojin, who had already been the center of attention, was now receiving even more of it.
Among the comments on the Sports Day video, a few stood out.
lol wasn't Kang Woojin always like that?
People who acted as though they knew Kang Woojin left comments that sounded almost disbelieving.
Those comments were buried beneath the others, but they kept appearing steadily.
I was already shocked by Woojin's acting, but it feels like his personality changed a lot too. Always cheering for you. - Former coworker
For now, it wasn't something worth worrying about too much.
As he checked the situation on his phone while heading down from the store, Choi Sunggeon smiled in satisfaction.
Then he called the company's PR team.
"Hey, you saw how huge Sports Day blew up, right? Move fast. Release the articles we prepared in advance."
It was to add even more momentum.
Having gone through every rise and fall imaginable in the entertainment industry, he knew better than anyone how to build fame.
"Fame is like fire. Everyone's popularity has a lifespan. What matters is how massive a blaze you can create in a single moment."
Once the fire was lit, it had to be fanned as hard as possible.
All the popularity and recognition building now would become assets for Kang Woojin.
That was when—
♬♪
Choi Sunggeon's phone rang.
These days, it never stopped ringing.
Some calls were still about Hong Hyeyeon, but most of them were now about Kang Woojin.
So Choi Sunggeon checked it.
"Let's see, who is it this time?"
He casually glanced at the caller ID.
Then—
"What?"
Choi Sunggeon's eyes widened.
"PD Yoon?"
On the other end was PD Yoon Byungseon, one of the biggest names in entertainment.
For some reason, Choi Sunggeon's smile widened even more.
He already seemed to sense what was coming.
"Yes, PD. Hahaha, hello!"
"CEO Choi, do you have a minute to talk?"
"Of course."
"You saw Episode 1 of the Sports Day Hanryang special, right?"
"Of course I did. Hahaha, it was huge. Thanks for bringing Woojin's character to life so well."
"Not at all. Woojin did an excellent job."
"At this pace, the first episode could easily pass four million views. Maybe even five."
"Hmm, we're expecting an even bigger response. Since the content is doing so well, we plan to release up to Episode 3."
As Choi Sunggeon and PD Yoon Byungseon spoke on the phone, they both pictured a bright future.
Then PD Yoon changed the subject.
"By the way, I know Woojin's been very busy lately, but I called because I'd like to meet him and talk for a bit."
Not yet sure what kind of outcome this might lead to, Choi Sunggeon answered carefully.
"Ah, you mean Woojin?"
"Yes. But this isn't about Sports Day. I'm speaking as a PD from the HTBS entertainment division."
"…Is this about a new program you're planning?"
"That's right. I think Mr. Woojin would suit the new program I'm putting together quite well. I'd like to meet in person and discuss the details. What do you think?"
Choi Sunggeon was startled.
Still, he didn't jump at the offer right away.
Getting too deeply involved in variety could be risky.
Besides, Kang Woojin really was extremely busy.
Soon, Choi Sunggeon sat down on a sofa in a nearby waiting room and crossed his legs.
"Please give me a moment. I'll check Woojin's schedule."
At the same time, PD Yoon asked over the phone,
"And while you're checking, could you also tell me whether Woojin has anything scheduled for the second half of the year?"
Around lunchtime that same day, at Netflix Korea—
inside a mid-sized meeting room covered in various posters, Executive Director Kim Sohyang sat with team leads from several departments.
They were discussing a short drama project that had recently entered development.
Among all the agenda items, the hottest one by far was Boyfriend.
Looking down at the tablet in front of her, Executive Director Kim Sohyang lifted her head and said,
"The response to Kang Woojin is really exploding, isn't it?"
At her words, the male team leader seated to her right nodded.
"Woojin was already gaining traction from his acting in Hanryang, but I think his natural presence on Sports Day created an even bigger ripple."
"I watched part of the video, and he was actually really cute. When we met him, he seemed calm and composed too, but unexpectedly charming."
"The editing played a part, and so did the atmosphere unique to variety filming. Either way, it's good news for us."
Kim Sohyang smiled and nodded.
"The short drama project is still in planning, but it's already drawing a lot of attention, right?"
This time, the one who answered was the female creative team leader seated on the left.
"Yes. With Woojin and Hwarin becoming hot topics one after another, the atmosphere is excellent. Even without separate promotion, articles related to Boyfriend are increasing on their own."
"Good. Keep leaking information. Anything at all. For now, just casually mention Woojin and Hwarin's names. If we keep dropping little hints, the press will take care of the rest."
"Understood."
Kim Sohyang clapped her hands with an excited look.
"Now that the table is set, we need to expand the plan in earnest."
The physical production team leader asked,
"Did you contact John Craig?"
The John Craig he referred to was the executive director of Netflix Japan.
Kim Sohyang answered as if it were obvious.
"Yes, I did. He responded positively to our short drama project, and he also seems favorable toward a release in Japan."
"So that means it's not confirmed yet?"
"We need to keep in contact. They may have their own circumstances. But John probably won't be able to ignore this. Netflix Japan can't afford to ignore the Korean wave right now."
"Especially now, when Netflix is packed with anime."
"It can't be helped. Anime is overwhelmingly popular in Japan. That's why so many anime titles dominate the top rankings. But the other half is Korean content, isn't it? From John's perspective, he can't just ignore Elani, the most popular girl group in Japan."
That, of course, referred to Hwarin.
"I heard Elani filled a massive venue when they held a concert in Japan."
"Tickets sold out in ten to fifteen minutes. They also ranked No. 1 on the Oricon charts quite often."
"Considering Hwarin's popularity, if we launch Boyfriend tailored to Japanese tastes, the response will explode. In any case, I'll handle Japan. Leave John to me. Let's move forward as if the Japan release is already confirmed."
Kim Sohyang swiped across her tablet screen.
The other team leaders did the same.
"First, the production staff looks good. Move forward with that as is. What about the OST?"
"We've started gathering songs. It would be great if Hwarin could sing one or two of them. Of course, we'd need her consent first."
"That would be fantastic."
Recalling Kang Woojin, Kim Sohyang added,
"Since Boyfriend is a romantic comedy, I think it'd be nice to have a duet. If we get a duet that fits the storyline perfectly, wouldn't there be a high chance of topping both the Korean and Japanese charts?"
"There have been plenty of cases like that. It wouldn't be a problem for Hwarin, but if there's too much difference between her and Woojin in singing ability, it could get tricky."
"Hmm. Woojin himself said he's fairly good, so let's first gather songs that fit Boyfriend perfectly."
Then Kim Sohyang brought up the next agenda item herself.
"The person directing this needs to have a strong reputation. I want someone well-known."
"Yes, we've been looking into freelance PDs, but some of them are hesitant because it's a short series."
"Tsk. Then it's better to pass on those kinds of Directors."
At that point, the creative team leader recommended someone.
"Director, what about this person?"
"Who?"
The team leader showed Kim Sohyang her tablet.
"He already has a connection to Kang Woojin. He won at the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival and directed The Private Investigator. Right now, he's one of the hottest names in the film industry. In the past, he also made a name for himself as a drama PD."
The moment Kim Sohyang saw the photo on the tablet, realization struck.
She clapped her hands.
"Ah! Director Shin Dongchun?"
TL Notes
Oricon Chart: Japan's standard popularity ranking chart in the music industry.
OST: Original Soundtrack.