It was the first screening of the film The Drug Dealer.
More precisely, it was a test screening and a blind screening. Because of that, more than thirty people had their eyes fixed on the screen at the front of the studio, including Kang Woojin, who appeared in a cameo role, the male lead Jin Jaejun, the rest of the main cast, Director Kim Dohee, the cinematographer, the key staff, and the production crew.
-[And Kang Woojin]
As soon as Kang Woojin's name, which had just appeared on the screen, faded away like smoke, the grand background score abruptly shifted into the kind of heavy beat you might hear in a club.
The black screen gave way to the image of a nightclub.
It was not the present, but a scene from the past. Countless people were dancing to the music, and although they all looked somewhat alike, their old-fashioned styling and clothing were distinct in their own ways. That was only natural, considering that the setting of The Drug Dealer was 1999.
The place was Busan.
Before long, the camera followed a waiter carrying drinks and led the audience into a private room. On the screen was a group of drunken men and women. But there was more than alcohol in that room. The drinks were laced with narcotics circulating in Busan.
Naturally, none of the men and women inside were in their right minds.
Then, all at once, the door to the room was thrown wide open.
"You idiots are having a great time, huh."
A man with a cigarette in his mouth appeared. He was a detective. It was Jung Sunghoon, the protagonist of The Drug Dealer, played by Jin Jaejun. On screen, Jung Sunghoon gave off a sharp, crafty vibe, and after taking a long drag from his cigarette, he suddenly shouted,
"Where's your boss?! Dong-tae! Kim Dong-tae!"
The camera angle changed in an instant. From the back of a man in a suit hurrying over, the scene quickly shifted to Sunghoon standing in front of the room. The man who arrived immediately bowed low in front of him.
"Ah, Detective! If you were here, you should've come straight to me. Stop saying pointless things and come this way. I'll get you a pack of cigarettes."
The man shoved something into Sunghoon's pocket. What else could it be? It was obviously money. The camera soon cut to a close-up of Sunghoon smiling wickedly.
"Why does this feel a little light?"
The man stuffed more money into another pocket.
"Good, now it feels nice and heavy. Want to go have some coffee? I called a few girls with pretty asses."
Sunghoon let himself be dragged away by the man. Or rather, he pretended to.
At that point, the screen went dark. Without warning, the voice of a news anchor filled the room.
Drug trafficking is rampant in Busan.
The screen then filled with news footage, and beneath it, white captions scrolled by, explaining the state of things in 1999. From there, The Drug Dealer steadily picked up speed.
And as it did, its pacing accelerated.
More and more characters were introduced through Jung Sunghoon's perspective, and events began exploding in every direction.
There was an intense sense of tension and urgency.
With its gripping story, The Drug Dealer pulled the audience deeper and deeper as it moved into the middle portion. Around that point, the sky on screen darkened, and soon a torrential downpour began. The sound of rain thundered even louder through the sound design.
Shhhhhh!
Then the screen changed again. As the driver opened the door of the last sedan in a line of four cars parked side by side, a man in a suit stepped out. The top button of his shirt was undone, revealing a glimpse of the tattoo on his chest. It was Lee Sangman, the head of the Sangman faction.
Kang Woojin's first appearance.
Immediately, Lee Sangman's theme began to play. It was a piece of film music that felt heavy, brutal, and yet somehow sorrowful. Sitting cross-legged in the middle of the studio, Woojin kept his face completely blank, but inside he was unbelievably tense.
'Agh! That's me!'
He had already seen it before through the director's monitor during filming, but watching the completed footage on the screen made him feel strangely embarrassed.
And then—
'Hmm. Doesn't that actually look pretty cool? Or maybe not?'
Woojin had fallen into a bit of self-admiration, but the rest of the people in attendance began murmuring among themselves from the very moment Lee Sangman first appeared. Others, meanwhile, were completely thrown into the film.
The character of Lee Sangman was incredible.
The production staff in particular could not stop talking.
The pacing had been fast at first and then slowed for a while, but the moment Lee Sangman entered midway through, the level of immersion shot up dramatically.
The director had clearly intended it that way.
As The Drug Dealer moved further into its middle and latter sections, that reaction gradually turned into shock. It was because of Lee Sangman's transformation, as he steadily lost his charisma and moved closer and closer to death.
The acting is insane.
Maybe the makeup played a part too, but the way Lee Sangman unleashed that madness was unbelievable.
Considering how popular Woojin is right now, if this movie does well, this could really go down as one of the all-time great villain roles.
With acting at that level, won't people start debating whether Woojin has actually done drugs himself once the movie comes out?
The impact was impossible to deny.
It was enormous.
'Ah, please.'
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Meanwhile, once the blind screening of The Drug Dealer ended, the distributor moved straight into preparations for the film's release.
[Movie Talk] The film The Drug Dealer, starring Jin Jaejun and Kang Woojin, is entering the final stage of post-production, with an October release looking highly likely! / Photo
Alongside securing theaters, they kicked off the planned promotional schedule. At the same time, the first trailer and all related promotional videos for The Drug Dealer were released.
-The Drug Dealer official first trailer (English subtitles)
Meanwhile, in Japan, talk about The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice was still making waves.
What kind of leading role will Kang Woojin have in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice? Rumors spread through town after town.
Time seemed to melt away.
That was what Kang Woojin's life felt like.
His Japan schedule was part of it, but with everything piling on top of his already packed calendar, he had no room to breathe. The blind screening of The Drug Dealer had gone well, but his schedule kept crashing over him like a tsunami.
First, there were all the ad shoots he had postponed.
[Star Talk] Kang Woojin's MxDonald's campaign effect reaches new heights... contract renewal officially confirmed
MxDonalds moved beyond a short-term model contract and locked him in for the long term, and new deals followed, including clothing campaigns. The advertising industry had no reason to overlook Woojin, who was currently the hottest star in the country.
Kang Woojin, the blue chip of the ad world, takes first place in the August brand reputation rankings!
When both long-term and short-term campaigns were counted together, Kang Woojin had signed more than ten endorsement deals.
In fact, it was more than that.
[Fact Check] Reports say clothing brands targeting monster rookie Kang Woojin are selling out the moment he wears their products.
The response to the products Woojin modeled was explosive, especially in fashion. A large part of that was thanks to Han Yejung's effort. Jackets and jeans promoted or sponsored on Kang Woojin's social media sold in huge numbers.
Because of that—
-Kang Woojin's jeans look like really good quality lol
-Real-life photo of Kang Woojin's denim jacket from yesterday.jpg
People had even started attaching Kang Woojin's name to the products themselves. In fact, if you searched for "Kang Woojin jeans," those exact items showed up right away.
What unbelievable growth, from debut until now. How many ads has he done already? How much money is Kang Woojin expected to be making?
As a result, Woojin's bank balance rose naturally.
But he did not even have time to think about spending any of it.
"Today we're going to record two songs, and once we include the English and Japanese versions, that makes four tracks in total! Just take part comfortably like always!"
"Yes, PD."
"If there's time, we'll shoot a simple video too and upload it."
He recorded supplementary content for his other channel, which had already surpassed one million subscribers, and he also did final post-production recording for the Boy Friend music video, which was now in the last stage of editing.
[Drama Pick] Netflix short drama project Boy Friend is becoming a hot topic in both Korea and Japan.
There were also endless promotion-related schedules tied to Boy Friend, both online and offline, along with magazine shoots and fan signings.
A photo of Kang Woojin waving to fans at a related event / Photo
And just like that, one week passed in the blink of an eye.
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Monday, September 8.
Tokyo, Japan.
The location was the executive secretary's office beside the chairman's office on the top floor of Kashiwa Group headquarters. One woman stood out immediately as she sat upright at the desk there. It was Tetsugawa Lily, Chairman Hideki's chief secretary. With her large eyes and neat, polished appearance, she naturally drew attention.
Now in her mid-thirties, she had served Chairman Hideki for more than ten years. For that reason, there were very few people in Kashiwa Group who did not know her.
Spread out in front of her were several documents.
Transparent files.
They contained information on Kang Woojin and Director Tanoguchi Kyotaro that had been investigated under Chairman Hideki's orders. But even though it had already been a week since those instructions were given, she still had not taken any action.
The reason was simple.
Chairman Hideki had changed his orders.
Lily tapped the transparent file with her index finger and crossed her legs. She was thinking back to the moment he reversed his instructions. It had all started when she reported the investment issue concerning The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice.
Oddly enough, Chairman Hideki reacted sharply whenever it involved The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, but the moment he understood that it ultimately came down to money, he quickly regained his composure.
Then he had said:
"If it's a matter of money, then it isn't a problem at all."
Chairman Hideki had then calmly begun assessing the situation.
"Then what caused the issue with this investment?"
"The production side of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice is keeping it secret, and since nothing has been made public, I can't say for certain."
"I know that. Tell me what you think."
"It seems to have started with Mr. Kang Woojin, the actor you asked me to investigate."
"Are the investors wary of him?"
"Probably. Since he's a somewhat controversial figure, there are bound to be people who oppose him."
"I see."
"Yes. On top of that, complaints from the existing fans of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice have increased noticeably. Casting a Korean actor, and a rookie at that, as the lead was highly unusual."
"They may have disliked the idea of casting a Korean actor from the start. Pride, perhaps. Or simply resistance to change."
At that, Chairman Hideki clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"They don't understand that the more they resist, the worse they'll make things."
"Even so, considering Director Tanoguchi Kyotaro's stature in Japan, the strength of the original The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, and several overlapping factors, I think the investment issue can be resolved in time."
"How long do you think that will take?"
"A few months at the shortest. Half a year at the longest."
"Hmm. Then it's certain their plans have already been disrupted because of this. There's even a chance the whole thing could collapse."
Chairman Hideki stroked his chin and pictured his grandson's smiling face.
'He'll be disappointed.'
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. What is the total production cost of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice?"
"From what I confirmed, it's just under 20 billion won."
"Then how much is missing?"
"It's estimated to be around 10 billion."
"Alright."
Chairman Hideki nodded slowly, then muttered to himself about Kang Woojin.
"That much should be enough as a token of gratitude. Quietly contact the production company of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice and tell them we'll cover the cost."
Lily had blinked in surprise.
"Are you considering expanding into the entertainment sector?"
"Not immediately. But businesses often grow in unexpected directions."
Lily had not found that easy to understand, but knowing Chairman Hideki's eccentric personality, she changed the subject without hesitation.
"Understood. I'll proceed right away."
And right then—
"Ah, wait a moment."
Chairman Hideki stroked his white brows and called Lily back.
"Rather than stepping in directly, it's better to let things rise and fall for a while first. Since this is meant as a gesture of thanks, it would be best if the effect multiplies several times over."
Then, with the faintest smile, Chairman Hideki seemed to come up with another plan and murmured to himself.
"Since it's a film by Director Tanoguchi Kyotaro, investors will gather sooner or later anyway. But if that happens too easily, the film will become bland. A film should be unique and concentrated."
For a man of his age, the driving force behind Kashiwa Group's growth was an exceptionally sharp mind.
He needed a reversal that would firmly leave his mark, amplify the firepower around The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, and insert an even larger background than before to create a rise and fall. No, not just a reversal.
A method.
He slowly lifted his head and met Lily's eyes. His voice was calm.
"We should reveal this hidden investment issue to the entire world."
"What?"
"Stir controversy around The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. The press and public opinion love a crisis."
"You seem to be considering noise marketing."
"Something like that. But it mustn't look obvious. Let it leak quietly, little by little. Just enough to pour a little oil on the fire. Once The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice catches, it'll burn on its own."
It made sense. The popularity of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice was already at its peak.
"If that happens, the investment gap is more likely to shrink even further."
"Certainly. They'll be far more frightened than they are now."
"Exactly. Let it ripen in that state for a while. We'll wait until the controversy reaches its peak, and then, at the right moment, we'll save The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice from crisis."
Only then had Lily begun to see the full picture clearly in her mind.
"After that, are you planning to announce that we're taking over the investment in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice?"
Chairman Hideki answered in a relaxed tone.
"No, not necessarily. Saying it too definitively carries too much risk. It's better to spread a vague rumor that Kashiwa Group might support The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice... or might not. We create confusion. That way, the publicity effect will grow much larger than it is now, for both our side and The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice."
"So we continue keeping the truth hidden?"
"Well, that depends on the situation. We'll decide based on the result of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. If it fails, we'll bury it. If it succeeds, we can reveal it. Investing in the ambitious entertainment industry won't give us a bad image."
As he gave the revised order, Chairman Hideki smiled faintly.
"Watch for a week. In the meantime, strengthen the information on The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. Starting next week, depending on the situation, you may let information leak. Focus on the major media outlets, and leak only enough to create shockwaves."
──────────
Back in the present, Lily checked the date on her laptop. It had been exactly one week since the chairman gave those instructions.
She immediately picked up her phone.
She contacted the major media outlets she had already prepared in advance.
'Now is the right moment.'
Around noon that same day, an article related to The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice appeared in the entertainment section of Japan's largest portal site.
[Exclusive] The hotly anticipated film The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice—why did 10 billion out of its 20 billion won investment suddenly disappear?
It was featured on the main page.
──────────
Two hours later, in Buyeo, Korea.
It was around 2 p.m. The large set of the drama The Island of the Missing was bustling with staff. It was not as crowded as a script reading, but there still seemed to be at least forty people there. On top of that, the lead and supporting actors of The Island of the Missing were all gathered as well.
Today was the teaser poster shoot.
A teaser poster was different from the official poster. It was more like a preview of the poster itself. It would be used for promotion throughout the filming period, which made it extremely important, because it was the image the public would keep seeing until shooting wrapped.
At that moment, Kang Woojin was sitting inside a van.
'I've already been waiting for about thirty minutes. How much longer do I have to sit here?'
He was waiting while they prepared for the shoot. Naturally, the other actors, including Ryu Jungmin, were all in the same situation. Interestingly, Woojin was already dressed in military uniform.
But honestly, this uniform is unbelievably uncomfortable.
'Ugh, I feel gross.'
Woojin was familiar with the military uniform, since he had the same one at home, but the stiff boots and the rough fabric against his skin still made him frown.
Ding!
The rear door of the van suddenly opened, and Choi Seonggeon stuck his head inside. He looked unusually serious.
"Woojin, something came up."
"What is it?"
"A major article came out in Japan saying money was pulled out of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice."
Kang Woojin immediately cursed inwardly.
'Ah, damn it. Didn't I say it'd be a problem if that got out?'
Choi Seonggeon went on.
"More articles are spreading, so things are a little chaotic right now. Just stay alert for the moment. I think we need to wait and see where it goes. Anyway, the poster shoot starts in ten minutes, so get ready."
After saying that, Choi Seonggeon shut the door again.
Woojin quickly grabbed the script lying nearby.
It was The Island of the Missing.
Then, without hesitation, he tapped the black square on the script.
Pop.
The instant he entered the void, Kang Woojin hurried straight toward the floating white rectangles.
'Ah, at this rate, won't the grade drop even more?'
While he had been in Japan, he had checked the grade of the novel The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, and it had already plummeted from A+ to C. And now the investment issue had been made public to the world.
'Will it drop to D? Or if things get even worse, will it fall all the way to F? Tch, this is getting messy.'
As his thoughts grew more complicated, Woojin immediately checked the white rectangle for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice.
And then—
'What?'
He blinked in shock.
'Huh? What is this?'
The reaction made sense. He had fully expected the rating of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice to fall from A+ to C, or even lower to D or F.
But instead—
-[7/Scenario (Title: The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice), Grade S+]
Its grade had unexpectedly soared all the way to S+.