Choi Sunggeon covered his face as he let out a long lament, while Kang Woojin, seated in the driver's seat, blinked in confusion.
What? Why?
This was not the reaction Woojin had expected.
Why was he upset?
If anything, it would have made more sense for him to get angry and accuse Woojin of deceiving him. That was the response Woojin had prepared for.
But instead—
"Ha… you really…"
Choi Sunggeon looked at Kang Woojin with a faintly pitiful expression.
Woojin replayed their conversation in his head, trying to find where things had gone wrong.
'No, I told the truth. Didn't I?'
The reaction he received suggested something else entirely. It sounded as if everything he had said was being interpreted as him pretending to be normal all his life, as though he had turned his entire existence into acting practice. That was when Woojin began to understand what had happened.
'…A misunderstanding.'
Choi Sunggeon had completely misunderstood him. Not just the past few months, but over twenty years of Woojin's life had been taken as nothing more than acting.
There was no other explanation.
This is ridiculous.
Woojin nearly let out a laugh, but the urge twisted into something closer to frustration.
'Even when I tell the truth, why does it always end up like this?'
It felt unfair. There was no reason for it, yet his sincerity had been completely distorted. Woojin tried to clear things up.
"No, CEO, what I meant was—"
"Ah, yes."
Choi Sunggeon cut him off, patting his shoulder as if he understood everything.
"I know you don't want me telling anyone else. Do you think I've been in this industry this long without knowing that?"
You don't understand anything. You even misunderstood what I just said.
The frustration lingered, settling into a quiet cynicism. Choi Sunggeon, meanwhile, let out another deep sigh and recalled Woojin's words.
'CEO, the truth is… I've been acting all this time. No—more like I've been wearing a mask.'
That line alone seemed to explain everything.
So you lived like that too.
Choi Sunggeon looked at Woojin with tired, sympathetic eyes.
From middle school to high school, through university and even into his working life, if he had lived as his true self, he probably would not have been able to adapt to society.
The current Kang Woojin might be his real self, but even now he was far from ordinary. His personality was unusual, and without his extraordinary acting ability and other talents, he might have been pushed out of society long ago.
He might have been cast aside entirely.
Even now, Woojin seemed only slightly more at ease than before.
If he had not pretended to be normal, he might have been completely isolated. On top of that, he possessed far more than just acting skill. His voice rivaled that of a professional singer, his command of foreign languages was near native, and his range of abilities was remarkable.
He had too much.
It went beyond impressive. It was almost enough to make someone believe he was something other than human.
What would people think if they learned about his true nature? And if they also saw his personality for what it was? People tended to label anything different as abnormal. Woojin must have hidden himself because of that.
He had lived his entire life acting normal.
Even I would have done the same.
Most top actors followed a structured path, receiving training in stable environments. Kang Woojin, on the other hand, had learned through constant struggle over more than twenty years.
For him, it had been survival.
Now Choi Sunggeon understood why Woojin seemed indifferent in any situation and uninterested in most things.
After surviving that long, what would he have left to fear?
He also began to understand why Woojin did not want his past investigated. There could be other reasons as well, but even as speculation, it felt convincing.
No one had noticed.
Not a single person had realized that Woojin's normality had been an act.
It had been flawless.
As Choi Sunggeon sank deeper into his own interpretation, his gaze dropped to the transparent file in Woojin's hand. It contained statements from people who had known him.
The sudden shift from a "normal" person to his true self would naturally provoke reactions like this.
Woojin had continued acting until he joined a design company, but once acting became his profession, there was no longer any need to pretend.
He had simply returned to himself.
Choi Sunggeon slowly lifted his head again. Woojin's expressionless face came into view.
"You were born to be an actor. I knew you were self-taught, but I never imagined it was that kind of self-training. It's so deep it's hard to even measure."
As expected, he was extraordinary.
Not in a grotesque way, but in a way that inspired pure admiration. That sentiment was clear in Choi Sunggeon's eyes.
In that warmth—
'…Ah.'
Kang Woojin felt his momentum falter.
Something seemed to pass in front of him, too fast to grasp. It felt like a misunderstanding that had grown too large to stop.
At least, that was how it felt.
He let out a quiet breath and gave up trying to explain.
'Whether it's truth or misunderstanding… even if I explain everything, no one will believe me.'
It felt as though the situation itself was rejecting correction. Trying to clarify anything seemed pointless.
'Fine. Think whatever you want.'
Whether he told the truth or maintained the illusion, the outcome would not change.
If anything, it might be easier to let the misunderstanding continue.
He decided to leave it as it was.
"Woojin."
Choi Sunggeon leaned back in the passenger seat, staring ahead as if he had reached a conclusion.
"You've dedicated your life to this… but either way, this isn't something the company should bring up."
"…Is that so?"
"Yeah. It's better to bury it. And you shouldn't mention it elsewhere either. It's for your own good."
No one would believe it anyway.
As Woojin exhaled quietly, Choi Sunggeon took the file from his hand and continued.
"People who write things like this usually just want attention. Most act out of jealousy or malice. They're not even worth acknowledging."
He was referring to people from Woojin's past.
"Even if we ignore them, we can't stop that kind of crowd. It might even grow."
"That's likely."
"As your value rises, paparazzi will start paying attention. Especially now. Films, dramas, variety shows, even expansion into Japan—they'll try to dig up anything. Though maybe I'm overthinking it."
Woojin felt a chill.
This industry really was harsh.
Still, Choi Sunggeon pulled out his phone.
"But in this industry, it's better to assume the worst when things are uncertain."
"Could it become a bigger issue?"
"No. It's not that serious. The media and the public just want something interesting. The severity doesn't matter. This industry is always noisy with something."
"..."
"When things slow down, they exaggerate whatever they can. The topic doesn't matter. Why do you think rumors and tabloids exist? They pick popular people and turn them into headlines."
This was not speculation. It was experience.
"Imagine an article about how different your past and present are. You're popular now, so it would gain attention. Your acting already rivals top actors. Headlines like 'His acting is unbelievable' could easily appear."
"That could happen."
"Or they might call it a split personality. Either way, once those kinds of articles spread, people will react."
That was true.
Especially now.
Woojin understood it well, because he had once been the kind of person who clicked on those headlines.
"Whether someone gets hurt or not doesn't matter here. Attention is everything. The people writing about you are the same. They stir things up, then move on. And when that happens, do you know what they say?"
Woojin stayed silent. Choi Sunggeon gave a dry laugh.
"An accident."
"Ah."
"A ridiculous but convenient word. Saying 'It was an accident' solves most things. Once interest fades, they move on. And it repeats."
"The one getting hit is me."
"And that's when you deal with it."
Choi Sunggeon nodded slowly, then gave a faint, bitter smile.
"I'm just giving you a heads-up. Maybe nothing will happen."
He tapped his temple lightly.
"But whatever happens, focus on acting. I'll handle everything else. I already have an idea."
"…What kind of idea?"
"It's complicated. We bury the past and make use of what's coming. Two birds with one stone."
He rubbed his hands together, smiling.
"In the end, the best way to cover one issue is with another."
──────────
The next morning, Japan was buzzing.
The reason was simple.
『Director Tanoguchi Kyotaro x author Takikawa Akari collaboration』
After a long silence, Director Kyotaro announced a new project. Rumors had existed, but now it was official.
The key point was the involvement of the globally renowned author, Akari.
『Takikawa Akari's bestseller to be adapted into a film by Tanoguchi Kyotaro』
The collaboration was confirmed, and even the title was revealed.
『The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice to be adapted into a film』
That was all that was disclosed.
No cast. No details.
Even so, the announcement alone was enough to stir the entire country.
The news quickly rose through major portal rankings.
Public reaction followed immediately, especially among fans of the original author.
Excitement mixed with concern.
Many had read the novel, and many worried the adaptation might fail to capture its essence.
Still, Director Kyotaro's reputation carried weight, and debates intensified.
The buzz continued through midday, steadily growing.
Meanwhile, in Korea—
『[Overseas] The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice to be adapted into a film by Tanoguchi Kyotaro』
The news spread, though the reaction was more subdued.
Most people simply acknowledged it and moved on.
Korea's attention was elsewhere.
[Online reactions]
[PD Yoon's new variety show!! I've been waitingㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
It was about PD Yoon Byeongseon's new program.
At the same time the Japanese news broke, the Korean announcement followed.
『PD Yoon's new variety show Our Table revealed』
The concept was clear.
Introducing Korean food abroad.
Later that afternoon—
『[Hot Issue] Our Table cast revealed – Ahn Jonghak, Ha Kangsoo, Yeon Baekgwang, Hong Hyeyeon, Hwarin, Kang Woojin』
The lineup drew immediate attention.
[LOL Ahn Jonghak?? If he's in it, he's basically PD Yoon's unpaid workerㅋㅋ]
[The lineup is crazy]
[Hong Hyeyeon and Hwarin together? I heard they're close]
[Kang Woojin isn't just a rookie anymoreㅋㅋ]
[Seeing him in this lineup feels unexpected]
[Best lineupㅠㅠㅠ]
[I'm curious how their chemistry will turn out]
The cast combined expected and unexpected names.
Even though Woojin's participation had been announced earlier, it still drew strong reactions.
Anticipation reached its peak.
──────────
In a newsroom—
A reporter sat in the middle of the busy office, reading an article with his chin resting on his hand.
"Hmm, the lineup is solid. Is this Hong Hyeyeon's first time working with PD Yoon? Kang Woojin really is everywhere."
A voice cut in from behind.
"Are you slacking off again?"
"I'm looking for material."
"Then write something. You're a reporter. Get an article up today."
"Yes, yes."
He sighed and opened social media.
Routine.
Perhaps most reporters worked like this.
Finding nothing interesting, he moved to online communities.
He navigated to the entertainment section.
Still nothing.
"Damn."
Then he paused.
"Hmm?"
His eyes fixed on a post.
-[I went to the same high school as Kang Woojin, but his personality is completely different now]
His fingers moved quickly.
"What's this?"
──────────
Later that afternoon.
Inside a VIP room at a high-end Korean restaurant in Cheongdam-dong, about six people sat together.
They were speaking in Japanese.
"Nice place."
"Yes, but PD, is it really okay to eat something this expensive during a meeting?"
"…We were invited."
They were the production team of the popular Japanese talk show Ame Talk Show!.
They had arrived in Korea the day before.
"Interpreter."
The slim PD spoke calmly.
"Please translate carefully. The discussion may take time."
"Yes, understood."
As the interpreter nodded, the door slid open.
Kang Woojin entered.
The entire team stood up.
Woojin stopped in front of the table and greeted them calmly.
"Hello, I'm Kang Woojin. Sorry I'm late. I was guided to the wrong room."
At that moment, the female writers and the interpreter widened their eyes.
The PD froze, stunned.
Wasn't he Korean?
Why was his Japanese so fluent?
From the very beginning, the Ame Talk Show! team had been caught completely off guard.