The channel Kang Woojin's Alter Ego had started with barely a hundred subscribers, but by now it had long since blown past that number.
[Subscribers: 5.02 million]
It had already crossed five million. An astonishing figure, but not one that felt entirely impossible. The shockwave Kang Woojin had caused across Korea and Japan had been enormous. It would not be an exaggeration to say that YouTube had never seen a storm quite like this before.
Still, the rapidly rising subscriber count was only a side effect.
The real point was elsewhere.
The uploaded videos were performing even more explosively. Kang Woojin's very first video, nothing more than a greeting, had already broken past eight million views. And naturally, the real stars were the cover videos, which had served as the channel's main content.
-[(1) Elani / 'Ballerina']Cover [Japanese Ver.] | Kang Woojin's Alter Ego
Views: 27.55 million
An absurdly high number.
-[(2) Elani / 'Ballerina']Cover [English Ver.] | Kang Woojin's Alter Ego
Views: 29.11 million
Both videos had comfortably crossed twenty million views. This was no longer something that could be described with a word like "surge." Even at this very moment, both the subscriber count and total views were climbing at a frightening speed. Every time the page refreshed, the numbers visibly changed in real time.
Only listing the highest-viewed uploads might have seemed selective, but even the other cover videos had all pulled in at least five million views each. Even the simple talk video he had uploaded just to give viewers a moment to breathe had still exceeded three million views.
The comment count had also exploded past one hundred thousand. More than half were in Korean, but Japanese comments were especially numerous.
[2000万再生おめでとう!!! (Congratulations on 20 million views!!!)]
[素敵な曲を生み出してくれてありがとうございました♡ (Thank you for creating such a wonderful song♡)]
[CD出してくれませんか??? (Could you please release this on CD???)]
[ビジュアルがいいからMV映えするし,声も最高!! (You look amazing on video, and your voice is incredible too!!)]
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The English version had also pulled in a large wave of English-speaking fans. The Kang Woojin issue kept growing bigger and bigger, and as it did, his popularity rose with it at terrifying speed. There had never been a climb this unstoppable before.
On the surface, it almost looked as though the popularity of the star Kang Woojin and the hobby channel Kang Woojin's Alter Ego were evenly matched.
In truth, Kang Woojin himself was far more powerful.
His SNS had already proven that.
-@Wooji_n
Posts: 103
Followers: 6.119 million
Following: 13
His followers had already surpassed six million, and his official fan café had swelled in size as well. In the middle of all that, Kang Woojin's Alter Ego was now going to add cooking content?
That it would become a blazing hot topic was practically guaranteed.
At least, that was what Choi Sunggeon thought.
'The theme of Kang Woojin's Alter Ego really does fit this well.'
The additional content made for a perfect combination. After all, Kang Woojin's Alter Ego had never been meant to show his main identity as an actor. It was a space for hobbies and all sorts of side pursuits. For now, the channel's representative content was singing, and Choi Sunggeon had already been planning to slowly widen that range around vocals.
But out of nowhere, cooking?
Vocals and cooking. It definitely gave off the feel of another alter ego, but the timing was strangely off. Because of that, the people gathered around the silent Kang Woojin, including stylist Han Yejung, blinked in surprise.
"Wow, you cook?"
"It kind of suits you, but also kind of doesn't. Still, why cooking all of a sudden?"
'Because I'm a master chef.'
That was the simple answer in Woojin's mind, but there was no way he could say that aloud. In the end, he lowered his voice and gave a vague reply.
"I just thought it would be nice."
"Ah."
Choi Sunggeon, seated in the passenger seat, thought to himself.
'Even channels with only a hundred or two hundred thousand subscribers struggle over what kind of content to make. But Woojin's handling a channel with five million subscribers, so he must have thought seriously about this.'
'Still, it's not like he's actually some professional chef… then again, I can't casually judge this guy anymore. I should probably check first.'
He turned back to Kang Woojin and asked the question directly.
"Cooking content does sound good. It pulls views easily, and cooking's a popular topic on YouTube these days. It sells anywhere. But what kind are you thinking? Mukbang? Or cooking itself? Woojin, what exactly are you picturing?"
He was asking what direction Woojin planned to take with the cooking content.
Woojin, of course, already had an answer in mind. But blurting it out immediately did not suit the concept he maintained, so he pretended to think for a moment before speaking a few seconds later.
"I'm not trying to act like a professional chef. I just want to make simple dishes people can casually enjoy. Easy recipes, cooked quickly."
"So cooking, then? Not mukbang?"
"I don't really know famous restaurants, and I'm not good at eating in a way that looks delicious."
Everyone in the van understood at once.
'If Woojin tried to do mukbang in that mood… yeah.'
It would not look appetizing. The essence of mukbang was making viewers hungry just by watching someone eat. Even so, Choi Sunggeon, already flipping open his schedule book, continued the conversation.
"Alright, then. Woojin's cooking."
"Would that be too weak as content?"
"Not at all. It's definitely worth trying. It'd be even better if it included both cooking and eating, but you could also invite guests over and share a meal together. The real question is going to be how good your food is, how skilled you are, and maybe even what kind of personality comes through."
He met Woojin's eyes properly this time.
"Your personality is already interesting enough as it is. That alone would make it distinctive. But what about your cooking? How good is it, really? And how does it taste?"
'Chef level.'
That was the truth, but Woojin answered modestly.
"It should be edible."
"So more like home cooking?"
"Probably."
"Hmm. If the actual skill level stays vague, it might be hard to turn into long-term content. Still, one or two videos as a test should work. I'll need to look into it, but either way, we should test it out first."
"Yes. That's fine."
"Really? You're sure?"
Kang Woojin nodded calmly. Choi Sunggeon then gestured to himself and the staff inside the van as he made a suggestion.
"Then during this schedule, let's all go over to your place once and test it out. It'll probably be late at night, but that works. We can make it a housewarming too."
At those words, the excitement of the stylists and Jang Suhwan shot up immediately. Seeing how visibly thrilled they looked, Woojin asked the only important question.
"Alright. Then what's the menu?"
Choi Sunggeon answered as if the details hardly mattered.
"Just make whatever you feel like eating that day."
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Once the conversation about cooking ended, Choi Sunggeon, still in the passenger seat, began rattling off the schedule for the week ahead.
"Alright, then let me quickly walk you through the upcoming week. Because of the schedule for Island of the Missing, everything's been compressed, so it's pretty packed."
That was fine. Woojin had come back to Korea in a very good mood. Not just for the sake of his concept either. He was genuinely more energized than usual.
"That's okay."
Choi Sunggeon laughed.
"You really are full of energy. Look at the others. They're all exhausted. They were so excited about going abroad at first, but after coming back from Vietnam, they look completely drained."
"Then I guess the menu has to include meat."
"Waaah!! Meat!!"
The mood in the van instantly rose, but Choi Sunggeon quickly dragged the topic back where it belonged.
"First, there's an ad shoot today. It'll probably take the whole day. Tomorrow, there's post-production work for Frozen love and a few photo shoots. Then there are also some added shoots related to Boy Friend."
Kang Woojin nodded as he barely held back a smile, remembering the chaos his friends had caused in the group chat earlier.
"Yes, CEO-nim. I know."
"For reference, Boy Friend premieres in Japan on the 22nd. But honestly, we'll be so busy we probably won't even have time to check. Anyway, on the 23rd and 24th, there's filming related to Our Table's One-Day Restaurant and a bunch of other things…"
Maybe it was because the schedule really did stretch on and on, starting with One-Day Restaurant and continuing without pause just like the first time Our Table had filmed, but Kang Woojin handled every shoot with calm composure. Between the concept he always maintained and the energy he was genuinely feeling, he moved through it all smoothly.
Returning to Korea after so long had clearly played a part in lifting his spirits.
'Still, I am curious how Boy Friend will do.'
A faint sense of nervousness surfaced alongside his anticipation.
'It's been a while, so I guess I'm a little tense.'
The anticipation beating inside his chest was stronger than anything else.
And so time passed.
By that afternoon, the internet had already erupted over the explosive popularity of Boy Friend. Not only were articles pouring out nonstop, but as the number of viewers increased, reviews also began flooding in from every direction.
At that same time, inside a mid-sized conference room at Netflix Korea—
"Wow, the footage came out really well!"
"It really did! It's so fun, Director!"
Applause filled the room. Executive Director Kim Sohyang, several Netflix employees, and the core production staff of Boy Friend all looked as though they had just finished watching the work together. Director Shin Dongchun, with his sharply defined jawline, could only smile awkwardly.
"Haha, it's all thanks to the actors."
At the same time, the hands of several Netflix employees began moving in a hurry. There were around a dozen of them, each seated in front of a laptop as they monitored real-time reactions.
"SNS mentions and shares for Boy Friend are skyrocketing! It's several times higher than it was this morning!"
"The community reaction is crazy too! Traffic is pouring in, and the posting speed is incredible!"
Shin Dongchun immediately slipped back into work mode and asked another question.
"What about the live viewer chat?"
"It's been total chaos ever since Boy Friend dropped. Want to take a look?"
He nodded and checked the laptop screen. To be honest, it almost felt intoxicating. Whether it was people who had already finished watching or those currently in the middle of it, messages were pouring into the chat window without stopping.
Beside him, the rounder-built Kim Sohyang leaned in with a smile.
"It's been a while, hasn't it? Since we've gotten a reaction like this."
"Has it?"
"Yes. There's always some opening-day heat, of course, but this definitely feels different. I haven't felt momentum like this in a long time."
"That's good news."
"And for a short drama, it's rare to see chemistry this strong from a single production."
Kim Sohyang turned her gaze toward Choi Sunggeon.
"That intense kiss scene right at the beginning was absolutely the right choice, wasn't it?"
Shin Dongchun smiled awkwardly once more and immediately started giving instructions to the staff.
"Let's get the videos ready to upload on the YouTube channel tomorrow! Ah, and the OST is doing well too, right?"
Kim Sohyang answered quickly.
"The track is scheduled for official release on all music platforms at noon in two days."
Whether it was because Netflix Korea and Director Shin Dongchun were so passionately looking ahead, or whether it was simply rush hour, the crowds pouring into the subway were enormous. It was the same at every station.
Packed to the brim.
For those people, it was just another ordinary day. Their one constant companion on the commute, naturally, was their phone. Nearly ninety percent of the passengers in the packed train were looking down at a screen.
What was strange was this.
-Boy Friend
That title was visible on many of those screens. Not every single one, but a surprising number. Some were already watching episode two, while others had only just started episode one. The situation varied from person to person.
And it was not just the subway. The same thing could be seen on buses, and even in the phones of people walking down the street.
『Kang Woojin ♥ Hwarin, Boy Friend starts with a deep kiss scene? Netizens explode』
It was the clear sign that the volcanic eruption had only just begun in earnest.
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Early the next morning, on the 20th.
One day had passed since the release of Boy Friend. The time was around eight in the morning, and the place was Director Shin Dongchun's home. Perhaps because he had worked nearly through the entire night, he was still lying in bed.
Just then—
-♬♪
The ringtone of the phone beside his bed rang out. The caller was Executive Director Kim Sohyang. Half asleep, Shin Dongchun answered while still sprawled out.
"······Yes, this is Shin Dongchun—"
But in the very next second, he bolted upright in bed.
"W-What did you say?!"
At nearly the same time, writer Choi Nana, who had been brushing her teeth in the bathroom, also answered a phone call.
"What?! Really?!"
She had a toothbrush still hanging from her mouth, but her reaction was almost identical to Shin Dongchun's. On top of that, Hwarin, who was already traveling in a van, looked down at her phone and slapped a hand over her mouth. Her already large eyes widened even more.
"This is crazy."
Unable to hide her excitement, she thrust her phone toward the manager in the passenger seat.
"Oppa!! Look at this!"
Meanwhile, the male lead of Boy Friend, Kang Woojin—
He had arrived at the parking lot of a studio for the post-production work on Frozen love. He was still sitting in the van with a cap on, as if he had not stopped by the salon. It was early morning, but his expression remained serious, and there was not the slightest gap in the character concept he always maintained.
But inside—
'Shouldn't the results be out by now? This is really starting to make me nervous.'
He had been anxious about the results of Boy Friend. Up until just a few minutes ago, there had been no real change on Netflix.
And right then—
-Bzzzz. Bzzzz.
Just as Kang Woojin was about to step out of the van, his phone vibrated. He checked it immediately.
'Here it is!'
The caller was Kim Sohyang, the very person he had been waiting for. Woojin sat back down, his heart pounding, but when he answered the call, he kept his voice as steady as possible.
"Yes, Director. Hello."
Kim Sohyang's voice on the other end carried unmistakable excitement.
"Woojin, congratulations. Boy Friend just set a record. Netflix updated the main page a moment ago. Do you want to see it?"
At the same moment, Choi Sunggeon, who was seated in the front passenger seat, quickly turned around. Grinning broadly, he waved his phone toward Woojin. On the screen was the Netflix Korea homepage.
Or, to be more precise—
[Today's Korea Top 10 Content]
Boy Friend
Troublemaker Mom
World-Famous Luxury Food Cart
Wise Rural Life
The Fake Appears
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It was the newly updated overall content ranking. The moment he saw Boy Friend sitting proudly at number one above every long-running hit, Kang Woojin focused again on Kim Sohyang's voice through the phone.
"See it? Number one. And by the way, this is the first time a short drama has ever taken first place in the overall rankings."
It was the moment when the short drama Boy Friend caused an unprecedented sensation and further solidified director Kang Woojin's filmography into something monstrous.
"After Hanryang, this looks like it'll be another hit. The articles will start flooding in soon."
Another title of "first" had just been added.