Kang Woojin's YouTube channel had already been set up. The team and producer were in place, the first song had been chosen, and even the lyrics had been edited.
The song selected for his debut was "Ballerina" by the top girl group Elani.
It was a hit that had swept the Korean and Japanese charts and even entered the Billboard 200. A jazz-style dance track, it combined powerful choreography with rap that fit the song perfectly, and the translated lyrics had already become familiar to Kang Woojin.
He had been checking that part quite often lately.
It would have been convenient if the lyrics had simply appeared in the air, but nothing like that happened. Now all that remained was recording, filming, editing, and uploading.
Today, recording and filming would be done together.
Smiling, Choi Sunggeon introduced the man in the cap standing by the workstation.
"Woojin, this is Producer Kim Eunjung, who handled the composition. He's well known in the industry, so it wasn't easy bringing him in."
The producer waved a hand lightly, brushing off the praise.
"No need to go that far. I already signed the contract."
"Even so, we're grateful you took on the project despite your schedule."
He was said to be famous, but to Kang Woojin, the producer felt unfamiliar and somewhat plain. Even so, there was no doubt he carried himself like a professional.
The producer spoke again.
"Have a seat first. Let's listen to the track, then we'll talk."
He sat at the center workstation, while Kang Woojin and the others, about ten people in total, settled onto the sofa and temporary chairs behind him.
Soon, music filled the studio.
Everyone, including Kang Woojin and Choi Sunggeon, focused on the sound. This arranged version of "Ballerina" already felt different from the original from the very beginning. The original had opened with sharp, alarm-like effects and heavy drums, but this version began with piano.
It was not calm.
Whether it was because of the rhythm or something else, it did not feel like a slow opening. The beat sat somewhere between the original and a ballad. Woojin listened quietly, then gave a small nod to himself.
'Does it sound good? It sounds good. I don't even know why, it just does.'
The original "Ballerina" was already familiar to him. He had saved it on his phone when it first became popular. The version playing now included the producer's guide vocal.
Even though it was only humming and simple vocal sounds, the layered voices made it feel fuller.
'What do they call this again? Acoustic? Something like that.'
Guitar joined the piano. As the arrangement approached its peak, the tempo gradually picked up and the focus shifted toward the vocals.
Then the track stopped.
"It ends there."
The producer turned slightly in his chair.
"What do you think?"
He looked toward Choi Sunggeon and Kang Woojin. Choi Sunggeon responded immediately.
"It's impressive. Keeping the original tempo makes it feel familiar, but it still sounds new. It's much better than the sample you sent earlier."
"That's probably because the instruments weren't included in that version."
"I see. Woojin, what do you think?"
The question shifted to Kang Woojin. His face remained blank, but inside he wanted to raise both thumbs.
'He really is good.'
Holding back that reaction, Woojin spoke calmly.
"It feels like the song keeps repeating in your head, especially the intro and the climax."
A faint smile appeared on the producer's face. Behind him, Han Yejeong and Jang Suhwan, part of the YouTube team, began chatting quietly.
"Wow, changing 'Ballerina' like this makes it sound completely different."
"It's really addictive."
"It actually sounds better with a male voice."
The producer's expression softened slightly.
"All right, let's start recording. It doesn't have to be perfect. This will take more than half a day anyway, so take it easy."
Woojin felt his heartbeat pick up, but answered steadily.
"Understood."
His schedule that day was focused entirely on the YouTube channel. Recording, filming, and meetings had all been arranged by Choi Sunggeon.
The team moved first.
"We'll set up the cameras!"
Cameras were installed around the microphone inside the booth to capture every angle. More footage meant more options.
It took about thirty minutes.
"Ready."
Once the team stepped out, the producer spoke again while Woojin's makeup was being adjusted.
"You said there are two versions, English and Japanese?"
"Yes."
"Which one first?"
Choi Sunggeon answered from the sofa.
"We'll start with the Japanese version, then move to English if there's time."
"Good. Woojin, go in when you're ready."
After finishing preparation, Kang Woojin stepped into the booth. The familiar space felt slightly different with the cameras set up around him.
'Just think of it like karaoke.'
Even so, he kept his expression calm.
He walked up to the microphone. Through the glass, he could see the producer and the others watching. The producer gestured for him to put on the headphones.
As soon as Woojin put them on, the producer's voice came through.
"It's going to be a long session, so don't rush. Ease in with the intro."
Woojin nodded slowly and listened to the soft opening of "Ballerina."
Holding his phone, he followed along with the Japanese lyrics.
As his voice joined in, the atmosphere of the arranged track shifted completely. Even on his first try, he made no mistakes in the intro.
Outside the booth, the producer focused intently.
'His lower range is deep but smooth. There's a slight roughness in the tone. And his Japanese pronunciation is clean.'
After about a minute, when Woojin reached the higher notes, the producer leaned back and glanced at Choi Sunggeon.
"Who is this guy?"
The surprise in his eyes was obvious.
"His vocals are incredible. One of the best I've worked with."
Three days later, around noon, inside a plane.
Some familiar faces sat among the passengers on a flight heading to Japan. It was the production team of Ame Talk Show!, returning after filming in Korea. The writers rested with their eyes closed, while only PD Shinjo looked out the window.
His thoughts were crowded. Kang Woojin was part of it, but the person on his mind most was Choi Sunggeon.
More precisely, their conversation.
"We're a bit hesitant about appearing as a group. Individual appearances are a different matter."
"Could you explain why?"
"There are several reasons, but the biggest is the burden on Woojin to carry everything alone. He's also not very close with the other actors from Profiler Hanryang. Their schedules didn't overlap much."
"I see."
"The others probably feel the same. Putting four unfamiliar people together won't create anything particularly interesting, and the group image wouldn't help either. It's a sensitive time for Woojin, so we have to be careful with everything."
"Understood."
"So appearing as a group would be difficult."
Back on the plane, PD Shinjo replayed the conversation. It was polite, but the meaning was clear. Unless it was a solo appearance, they would refuse.
He rubbed his chin.
"Then it should be a solo special."
If they focused only on Kang Woojin, the K-Drama Week special would have to be split into two parts. One for Woojin, and another for the remaining actors. Fitting everything into one episode would make it too short to matter.
'Or we drop Woojin entirely.'
That option was not ideal either. The special centered on the villains of Profiler Hanryang, and removing the lead actor would weaken it.
He had met all of them during the shoot in Korea.
The reactions had been overwhelmingly positive.
Only Kang Woojin had shown hesitation, and even that had been measured rather than strong.
What should he do?
The plane began to move.
"PD."
A writer named Yuki spoke quietly.
"Have you decided? We need to report back as soon as we land."
PD Shinjo looked out the window, then spoke.
"Cancel the plan."
Her eyes widened.
"Excuse me?"
He remained calm.
"We'll bring only Kang Woojin."
Meanwhile, inside Kang Woojin's van.
He was on the highway. His schedule was tight. He had started filming Boy Friend early that morning, and now he was heading to Buyeo in South Chungcheong Province.
The drive would take about two hours.
While the van moved steadily, Woojin read through a script. Familiar words were printed on the cover.
Missing Island.
It was Director Kwon Gitaek's film. Naturally, that was where he was headed. Most of the filming would take place in Buyeo, aside from a few outdoor and overseas scenes.
He had not seen the set yet, which was why his heart kept beating faster as he read.
'They said it's like a whole village. Maybe even bigger than the Drug Dealer set.'
He had heard the location was surrounded by forest, mountains, and the sea. He pictured the setting described in the script along with the scenes he had experienced through the void space.
'It probably looks ordinary at first, but feels strangely cold.'
A mix of emotions rose in him. Anticipation, tension, curiosity, and a faint unease.
It always happened at the start of a new project.
But this time was different.
'I want to see it already.'
When he filmed The Private Investigator, he had been nervous enough for his hands to shake. Now, excitement outweighed the tension.
Without realizing it, he had begun to carry himself like an actor.
There had been changes to his team as well. What had once been three people had grown to five, including stylist Han Yejeong, whose short blue hair stood out.
She frowned at her phone.
"...What?"
Then she leaned forward toward the front seat, where Choi Sunggeon had been resting.
"CEO, I think you should see this."
He opened his eyes slowly.
"What is it?"
"I saw it while searching for articles about Woojin oppa. It's already ranked fifth on the portal. I don't understand how something like this is that high."
Woojin lifted his eyes from the script. Choi Sunggeon took the phone.
The headline was immediately visible.
『[Star Issue] Acting monster Kang Woojin, multiple personalities? Testimonies revealed』
The wording was provocative. Normally, it would have drawn a strong reaction, but Choi Sunggeon remained calm. He read through the article, even checking the comments at the end.
[Online reactions]
[Is this real??? No way.]
[It's just people stirring things up. Ignore it.]
[Looks like trouble is starting for him.]
[Multiple personalities? That's ridiculous.]
[Still… if it came from people who knew him, it might have some truth.]
[He really does look like that character he played.]
[Why do reporters only use online rumors?]
The comments were piling up quickly.
Han Yejeong spoke carefully.
"If we leave this alone, it might spread. Should we respond?"
Choi Sunggeon simply hummed and scratched his chin. Then he looked at Woojin.
Something passed between them.
"It's fine. Blocking one article won't stop others. There's already another similar one."
He handed the phone back and took out his own.
"We'll bury it. Shift the attention somewhere else. It's earlier than planned, but it'll work."
Ignoring Han Yejeong's confused expression, he sent a message.
Two hours later, the van arrived.
The parking area was filled with vans and minibuses. Actors' vehicles were scattered among them.
Woojin stepped out and took in the view.
'This is unbelievable.'
Mountains and dense forest surrounded the area, and beyond them, the sea stretched out. In front, clustered houses stood among tall trees.
At a glance, it could be mistaken for a real island.
The set was massive and detailed. For someone still relatively new, it was overwhelming.
'They built an entire village.'
Just then—
"Woojin, you're here."
A calm voice came from the side. Woojin turned and saw Director Kwon Gitaek approaching with a warm expression.
He bowed.
"Hello, Director."
"You're early."
Standing beside him was a strikingly beautiful woman.
"This is Ha Yura. Have you two met before?"
She was the top actress who had joined after Seo Chaeeun stepped down. Looking at Woojin, she thought to herself,
'So this is Kang Woojin. He doesn't seem particularly unusual.'
Meanwhile, in Japan.
The country had been buzzing for days because of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. Even now, the excitement had not died down.
Then an unexpected article appeared.
『Director Tanoguchi Kyotaro casts a Korean actor as the lead in the film adaptation of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice』
From the tone of the article, it was clear the news would not stay contained for long.
It was already on its way across borders.