Choi Sunggeon took Kang Woojin's indifferent greeting in stride at first.
"Uh, right. I'll take care of it myself... huh?"
He stopped mid-sentence.
"Hold on a second."
Then he met Woojin's eyes, the younger man's face wearing its usual cold, detached look.
"Woojin, what did you just say?"
"I said I hope we can achieve a good result together at next year's Cannes Film Festival."
"...But Cannes is in September next year."
"Yes."
"And your contract ends in March next year."
"That's right."
"So you're saying you want to stay with me."
The remark had been so unexpected that even Choi Sunggeon, who was usually relaxed and slippery in moments like this, looked genuinely startled. It was hard to describe. He could hardly believe it, and yet there was something strangely exhilarating about it too. Even so, Kang Woojin remained calm.
"Would that be a problem?"
"What? No, that's insane!! No, I mean- it's just so sudden. You gave me absolutely no warning. I didn't think you'd tell me yourself."
"I didn't say it thoughtlessly."
"Of course not. Still... this is honestly moving."
"Is it?"
Woojin asked it back, but the truth was he had not spent all that long thinking about it.
'Why is he that shocked? Wasn't he expecting it to some extent?'
Setting aside the fact that this had only been a one-year contract, just imagine how much more stunned Choi Sunggeon must have been. Even while the entertainment industry was in chaos over Kang Woojin, Woojin himself had shown little reaction to any of it.
That was why this conclusion had been clear and sincere.
Still, the small stone Kang Woojin had tossed so casually created a huge ripple. And that ripple landed on one person in particular.
'Just as expected, this guy is terrible for the heart. He charms people in the strangest ways.'
Mr. Choi Sunggeon.
Woojin's offhand words had filled him with endless joy. He was deeply moved. He had spent a long time in the entertainment industry, but he had never experienced anything like this before, and it made him think once again that Kang Woojin really was someone special.
"Ha, right. Tsundere. That's exactly you."
Trying hard to suppress his emotions, Choi Sunggeon dragged over a nearby folding chair and gestured for the still-standing Kang Woojin to sit.
"I feel like I should gratefully accept that, but you must've been getting calls from all kinds of agencies, big and small, right?"
"Yes. More than ten. Even now."
"Are you really okay deciding this so quickly? There's still time until early next year."
Woojin, who had been watching Choi Sunggeon, raised his acting a notch higher. Even his voice turned colder.
"There may be time, but spending it on that feels like a waste. I'm busy too."
That, too, was sincere. If he had been on break, he might have considered meeting them out of curiosity or for the experience. But from the moment he opened his eyes to the moment he closed them, his schedule was packed without a gap, and he had no desire to add more bothersome work to it.
Besides, he questioned whether any of that was really necessary.
Most importantly-
'There's no need to look elsewhere right now.'
His relationship with Choi Sunggeon ran too deep. It had been short, but it had also been long. Nearly a year already. A great deal had happened in that time, and as the head of an entertainment company, Choi Sunggeon had stood beside Kang Woojin through countless difficulties. Of course, the deeply rooted misunderstandings could not be ignored, and BW Entertainment understood Woojin's concept better than anyone. Hong Hyeyeon was there too.
For Kang Woojin, wasn't this agency already the best fit?
That was why Choi Sunggeon was his first choice. But that did not mean he intended to ignore the practical side of things.
'If I leave this vague, it'll only make the CEO more uncomfortable.'
A contract was business in the end, and a relationship only became stronger when both sides took a firm stance. Choi Sunggeon understood that better than anyone.
So then-
"Woojin."
Choi Sunggeon was the first to steer the conversation onto realistic ground.
"When we signed the one-year contract, I told you to look into what kind of place BW Entertainment was first, right?"
"Yes."
"And how was it?"
"It was good."
"Haha, thank you. But even so, you should hear the main points I had in mind for the renewal."
"Go ahead. Ah, but we don't have to do another one-year contract now, right? That'd be a hassle."
Choi Sunggeon's expression suddenly turned serious.
"I know. That's why I set the renewal term at three years. Think of that as the base contract period. The split will change from 9:1 to 7:3. That's also a standard ratio. Of course, all projects and advertisements already done under the 9:1 split will be handled according to the previous contract. Lastly, I'll talk about the signing bonus."
Not long ago, top actress Hong Hyeyeon's transfer fee had become a hot topic because it reached a massive 2 billion won, a number fitting her status. The media had heated up even more over the fact that her signing bonus alone was reportedly 2 billion won. That amount reflected the full value of all her activities. In contrast, Kang Woojin's initial signing bonus had been only 40 million won.
Soon, Choi Sunggeon made his offer to Kang Woojin.
"I'd like to give you the place you're living in now."
"..."
Woojin kept the same blank face as always, but inside, he wanted to scream.
'What??!'
The luxury officetel near Samseong Station where Kang Woojin currently lived.
'He's giving me the house?? That's insane!! Is he serious??!'
Because the market price was 1 billion won.
In the meantime, time kept passing. Kang Woojin was busy handling his acting work and nonstop schedule, but public attention around him only continued to grow.
『With countless entertainment agencies showing interest, where will Kang Woojin settle next year?』
As Kang Woojin's contract issue was added to the mix, every topic tied to him drew attention once again. No, it would be more accurate to say the attention that had already been there only grew fiercer.
Take Boy Friend, for example.
『[Drama Pick] Boy Friend causes a short-form drama sensation by holding No. 1 on Netflix for nearly a month.』
At the time of its release, Boy Friend had created a sensation, and it was now sitting at No. 2 on Netflix Korea.
[Today's Top 10 Popular Content in Korea]
Bad Moms
Boy Friend
Even though it had given up the No. 1 spot, that had only happened recently. The short-form drama Boy Friend had held first place for nearly three weeks. That alone was a record-breaking achievement, and it had greatly expanded Kang Woojin's recognition and acting range. That did not mean its popularity had cooled off.
It was still holding firmly onto second place.
What stood out, though, was the situation in Japan.
[Today's Top 10 Popular Content in Japan]
Boy Friend
On Netflix Japan, Boy Friend was still ranked No. 1. It had been popular in Korea, but in Japan it had made an even bigger impact. Because of that, Japanese media covered and analyzed the phenomenon from every angle.
『The success of Boy Friend reveals the strength of the Korean Wave in Japan. Should Japan be on guard?』
Whatever the reason, Boy Friend had helped ignite the Korean Wave sweeping through Japan, and its OST was still dominating the music charts.
[1(-)] Are You Okay? / Kang Woojin, Hwarin (Boy Friend OST Part 3)
[2(↑1)] Forbidden Love! / Go Jua (A Girl Group Trainee Falls Into Forbidden Love OST Part 1, produced by Han Ari)
[3(New!)] Spicy Boy / Jubid
[4(↓1)] Boy Friend / Kang Woojin (Boy Friend OST Part 1)
It had even entered the Oricon charts in Japan.
Because of all that, Boy Friend could now be considered a unique legend among short-form dramas, and naturally Kang Woojin stood tall at the center of it.
But the strongest force in the market at the moment was, without question, Drug Dealer.
『[Korean Film] Drug Dealer surpasses 5 million viewers, maintains No. 1 at the box office... still the unshakable leader』
Roughly three weeks had passed since its release, but the heat surrounding the R-rated film Drug Dealer had not cooled. Of course, it had slowed somewhat compared to its opening rush, but theaters across the country were still seeing sold-out screenings.
After breaking past 3 million viewers, the film had begun generating huge momentum on its own. Both movie media and the public spread the word for free through pure buzz.
『Film Drug Dealer surpasses 5 million moviegoers, continues its No. 1 box office streak』
『[Star Talk] Jin Jaejun performs a girl group dance after keeping his promise for 5 million viewers / Photo』
The unprecedented box office storm created by Drug Dealer became so huge that it was even covered on terrestrial TV news. After holding No. 1 at the box office for three straight weeks, Drug Dealer eventually-
『Can it break the record for R-rated films? Audiences are flooding in over the weekend to watch Drug Dealer』
-reached a record no R-rated film had ever achieved before.
[Daily Domestic Box Office]
Drug Dealer / Release date: October 28 / Viewers: 360,111 / Screens: 1002 / Total viewers: 6,015,472
It had crossed 6 million viewers and become a massive talking point. That was welcome news for a sluggish film industry, and it seemed to offer a new kind of hope for R-rated movies. Countless new films were opening every week, but none of them could stop Drug Dealer's one-sided run. The film itself was entertaining, and the actors' performances were second to none.
『Film Drug Dealer surpasses 6 million viewers and sets a new record for the fastest R-rated film to reach the mark!』
One especially important factor was how quickly word of mouth spread among both the public and influencers. Another was the strength of the character that helped fuel the movie's success.
It was Kang Woojin's Lee Sangman.
『[Movie Talk] The Kang Woojin effect? Drug Dealer aims for 7 million after breaking 6 million viewers』
『[Deep Analysis] The distinctive character that led Drug Dealer, the Lee Sangman who captivated audiences』
Whether in entertainment, sports, or any other field, people always needed a star who could seize their attention, and in the film Drug Dealer, Lee Sangman was exactly that kind of star.
『Film Drug Dealer expected to become the highest-grossing R-rated movie in history if it surpasses 7 million viewers』
But even after achieving results that were already astonishing, Drug Dealer's final score still remained impossible to predict.
『Drug Dealer surpasses 6 million viewers, cumulative revenue exceeds 45 billion won. What happens if it goes beyond 7 million?』
Drug Dealer was still holding an overwhelming No. 1 position at the box office, and its momentum had not broken.
『Unexpected phenomenon Drug Dealer, now on the verge of surpassing 7 million viewers』
At this rate, it would probably take about a week more. Maybe by next week, Drug Dealer's final number would finally come into view.
While Drug Dealer dominated the film world during this period, new shifts were taking place across the entertainment industry as a whole.
『Kang Woojin, lead actor of Drug Dealer, departs for Japan on the 16th for the script reading of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice』
『[Star Issue] After Boy Friend, Kang Woojin visits Japan once again, this time alone』
『Kang Woojin to showcase his acting in Japan as the only Korean actor in master director Kyotaro's film The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice』
This was all related to Director Kyotaro's The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. And of course, it was not just in Korea. Japan was the same.
『Korea's Kang Woojin returns to Japan for the highly discussed script reading of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice』
News of Kang Woojin's return visit spread throughout Japan.
Morning of the 16th, Tokyo, Japan.
The Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel, a top-tier luxury hotel located in Tokyo. As the name suggested, the Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel belonged to the Kashiwa Group, one of Japan's major conglomerates. The area around the hotel was lively and crowded. It was always known as a famous hotel packed with guests, but today was especially different.
"Why are there so many reporters?"
"There must be some kind of event at the hotel."
"This is seriously chaotic."
For some reason, there were reporters everywhere today. They could be seen from directly in front of the hotel all the way down the surrounding streets. The reason was simple.
Today, the Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel was set to host the script reading for the film The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, a project that had set Japan buzzing. Even taking that into account, though, the number of reporters looked excessive.
The script reading for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice was packed with issues from every direction.
Not only did the film feature many of Japan's top actors, it also involved master director Kyotaro, world-renowned novelist Takikawa Akari, and several other notable figures, including Kashiwa Group chairman Hideki, whose stance at the time had not yet been clearly revealed.
And then there was this.
『Boy Friend star Kang Woojin expected to arrive today, the only Korean actor in the cast of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice』
Korean actor Kang Woojin's explosive popularity was no joke. The script reading had become a site where entertainment and broader social attention mixed together, drawing the eyes of countless reporters. The area around the hotel was packed with journalists, and even the lobby inside the hotel was full of them.
But the reporters inside were a little different from the ones outside.
These were the reporters officially invited to the script reading for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. So unlike the fierce competition among the reporters outside, they could at least afford a little breathing room.
"Did you hear? The original author, Takikawa Akari, is attending the reading today too."
"This project is both a bestseller adaptation and a noisy one, so that was expected. It'd be nice if we could get even a short interview."
"Hmm, but the fact that the script reading for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice is being held at the Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel..."
"It definitely means the Kashiwa Group is a major backer of the project."
They passed the time with light conversation while waiting to be allowed into the hall.
"It'd be nice if Chairman Hideki Yoshimura came in person."
"I don't know. I can't see Chairman Hideki Yoshimura going out of his way to show himself."
"Still, with this many reporters gathered here, it's complete chaos. Doesn't it feel like an end-of-year awards ceremony?"
"By the way, when is Kang Woojin arriving?"
"Since he's the only Korean actor among them, he's probably landing at Haneda right about now."
One reporter slowly nodded, then smirked.
"There are probably a lot of reporters gathered there too."
Meanwhile, at the Haneda Airport arrival area...
The arrival hall was more crowded than ever. Among the crowd, one woman stood out immediately. Anyone could spot her at a glance because she was holding a phone mounted on a gimbal, and because her hair was practically green.
"Wow!! Look at all those reporters!"
She spun around and showed the situation in the arrival hall through her phone. At least a hundred reporters were packed tightly together behind the barrier.
The funny part was this.
"Ah!! Please move!!"
"Ow! Someone stepped on my foot!"
"Don't push!!"
Behind the reporters stood an even bigger mass of onlookers, many of them up on their toes or holding their phones high over their heads. There seemed to be several times more spectators than reporters. Dozens of them gave off the same vibe as the green-haired BJ. Then the BJ widened her eyes and shouted.
"Look at this. Those people are all Kang Woojin fans! They even brought banners!"
That was true.
"Ah!!"
The female BJ quickly pointed her phone toward the arrival gate and shouted.
"Kang Woojin! Kang Woojin just came out!!"