Kang Woojin honestly had no idea who the elderly Japanese man standing in front of him was. The man carried a certain presence, but Woojin could not place him.
'Phew… he feels familiar somehow, but I can't figure it out.'
The atmosphere around him was somewhat similar to Director Ahn Gabok's, but the old man in front of him gave off something much rougher. Woojin came to a rough conclusion on his own.
'Is he from the production side? Maybe the cinematographer or someone like that? Is that why he was waiting for me?'
It was a complete misunderstanding, but it was not strange that Kang Woojin failed to recognize him. Chairman Hideki was famous in Japan, but to Woojin, he was a total stranger. Even in Korea, only a very small number of people knew who Chairman Hideki was, so it was only natural that the general public would not recognize him. Still, Kang Woojin had definitely seen him before.
He might not remember it now, but there had once been a photo of Chairman Hideki in an old article.
It was around the time The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had gone through a crisis and then made a miraculous recovery. Back when The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had become a huge topic in both Korea and Japan, Kang Woojin had briefly seen Chairman Hideki's face. But it had only been a passing glance, so it had never left a strong impression in his memory.
Choi Seonggeon, who was standing behind Woojin, was a different story. His eyes had gone wide the moment he saw him. He recognized Chairman Hideki immediately.
'This is insane. Chairman Hideki Yoshimura? He actually came in person??'
Choi Seonggeon was not only Kang Woojin's actual manager, but also a businessman. He had known of Chairman Hideki long before the Kashiwa Group became entangled with The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. Of course, this was the first time he had ever seen him face-to-face.
'When they said the script reading would be held at this hotel, I was skeptical. I never imagined Chairman Hideki himself would show up.'
At that moment, Choi Seonggeon felt something close to certainty. The Kashiwa Group might very well be one of the key investors that had saved The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. Nothing had been announced officially yet, but there was clearly some connection between Chairman Hideki and The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, whether through Director Kyotaro or Writer Akari.
'Just the fact that the script reading is happening at a Kashiwa Group-owned hotel is already telling enough… but why is he specifically waiting for Woojin?'
Soon after, Kang Woojin, who had simply assumed Chairman Hideki was some kind of executive, gave a slight bow and spoke in a low voice in Japanese.
"I'm sorry. As I mentioned, things got delayed at the airport. It's nice to meet you. I'm Kang Woojin."
The actors and staff standing nearby began whispering at his fluent Japanese.
"...His Japanese is even better than I expected."
"Right? If he hadn't told me he was Korean, I wouldn't have guessed."
People had already seen Woojin's Japanese skills through Ame Talk Show! and various videos, but hearing it in person was still beyond what they had imagined. Kang Woojin, meanwhile, felt slightly burdened by the situation. Everyone was staring at him and the chairman in front of him. The reporters who had come in were already absorbed in taking pictures. It was obvious that later articles would focus on nothing but the meeting between Kang Woojin and Chairman Hideki.
Then—
Well, no, not then. It did not happen that way. Chairman Hideki simply rubbed his chin, formed a wrinkled smile, and spoke to Kang Woojin.
"Your Japanese sounds much more fluent in person than it did on television. I also saw you using sign language."
Sign language? Ah, did he watch Ame Talk Show!?
Kang Woojin responded appropriately.
"Thank you."
At that, Chairman Hideki took one step closer and lowered his voice until the people around them could barely hear.
"My grandson is a huge fan of yours, Mr. Kang Woojin. He likes you so much that meeting you became his dream."
"...Is that so?"
"You changed my grandson's life."
Without warning, Chairman Hideki suddenly began talking about his grandson. Then he gave Woojin a warm smile.
"Thank you sincerely. That child means everything to me."
What? Out of nowhere?
Internally, Kang Woojin was flustered. Nothing had been explained beforehand, so he had no idea what was going on. Still, he did not ask further questions. There was no need to dig too deeply into it.
While they were speaking, Director Kyotaro, scratching at his white hair, slipped naturally into the conversation.
"Mr. Woojin, this is Chairman Yoshimura Hideki of the Kashiwa Group."
Normally, he would have introduced him as one of the major investors behind The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, but with so many people watching, Director Kyotaro had no choice but to phrase it differently. He presented it as Chairman Hideki's official role instead.
"He's the one who lent us this hotel."
The moment Woojin heard the words "Kashiwa Group," something flashed in his mind. Then Choi Seonggeon, standing behind him, leaned in and whispered from close by. Only then did Kang Woojin realize that the old man in front of him was the chairman of a major Japanese conglomerate.
'Ah, right! I saw him in an article!'
So what?
Even after clearly recognizing who the man was, Woojin was not especially excited. It was not as if he would keep seeing him all the time. At most, it was just mildly interesting. Around then, Director Kyotaro pointed toward Woojin.
"Mr. Woojin, you should greet the actors first."
"Understood."
Chairman Hideki spoke to Kang Woojin in a relaxed tone.
"I'm looking forward to your performance today."
"Thank you."
As Woojin finished his farewell and turned around, he heard Choi Seonggeon whisper behind him.
"I'll move to the back too."
By the time Choi Seonggeon started putting some distance between himself and Woojin, Chairman Hideki, Director Kyotaro, and Writer Akari were already posing for the reporters. Camera flashes burst nonstop while Kang Woojin slowly looked around the hall.
'It's huge.'
The place was large enough to hold several hundred people. At the center of it stood a rectangular table. Woojin checked the nameplates arranged around it for the script reading and soon found his own.
-[Iyota Kiyoshi / Kang Woojin]
His name was written in Japanese. It was the very first seat next to the head of the table. He swept his eyes across the actors gathered around. A man with a headband, a woman with large eyes, a woman with long hair, a man with flawless features, a small-faced actress, and more. At least a dozen actors were staring straight at Kang Woojin.
It felt strange, but not unpleasant.
Before long, Kang Woojin gave the actors a light bow.
"Hello. I'm Kang Woojin."
The Japanese actors greeted him politely in Japanese as well, just as they normally would.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kosaku Mana."
"I really wanted to meet you! I'm Uramatsu Mifuyu!!"
"It's a pleasure. My name is Ogimoto Yasutaro."
"Your Japanese is excellent. I enjoyed reading Boy Friend. I'm Sonamura Kimiko."
And so on.
One Japanese actor after another introduced themselves. They all seemed to know one another already, which only made Kang Woojin feel more like an outsider in the hall. He knew plenty of famous Korean actors, but remembering the names of all these Japanese actors was obviously impossible.
'Yeah, let's just focus on the acting. How am I supposed to memorize all of that?'
After greeting the lead actors, Woojin also exchanged greetings with the supporting cast.
Click.
Then he sat down. He did not start any particular conversations with the actors around him. His mind was already occupied by something else. For him, focusing on the work's concept came first.
As they took their seats, Japan's top actors began whispering among themselves.
"Mr. Kang Woojin seems pretty quiet."
"Maybe he still hasn't adjusted yet."
"Ah, well, all of us are Japanese, so maybe it feels awkward for him."
"He looks nervous. What if he messes up his lines?"
"Maybe it's because he's still in his first year. He's interesting, but it's also a little worrying."
"His acting in Profiler Hanryang and Boy Friend was good, though."
"Even so, this is his first time acting in Japanese. More than anything, he must be very nervous."
The actress with the large eyes, who had introduced herself as Uramatsu Mifuyu, tilted her head.
"Uh... nervous? Do you all really think so? I don't think so at all."
"Ha, Mifuyu. Did you come to the script reading to look for your ideal type?"
"That's not it. I'm saying there wasn't even the slightest tremor in Kang Woojin's voice. His hands weren't shaking either."
"Well, if that's true, then that's a relief, but—"
Right then, Director Kyotaro, having finished speaking with Chairman Hideki, addressed everyone gathered in the hall.
"Everyone."
He looked over the room and continued.
"Once you're ready, we'll begin in ten minutes. If anyone needs to use the restroom, please go now."
That was how the script reading for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice began.
A little later, more than a hundred people who had been scattered around the hall took their seats. Director Kyotaro and Writer Akari sat at the head of the table, with dozens of actors on either side of them. Around the rest of the rectangular table sat staff members, production personnel, affiliates, and reporters.
One thing stood out, though.
Chairman Hideki had seated himself where he had a clear view of Kang Woojin's face, and Choi Seonggeon had taken a seat directly behind Woojin.
The atmosphere was solemn.
What broke that solemnity was the soft click of a microphone, followed by Director Kyotaro's voice.
"Hello. I'm Tanoguchi Kyotaro, the director of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. Thank you all for being here."
The master director from Japan then turned his gaze toward Writer Akari, seated on his left. That naturally led into her own introduction.
"Hello. Seeing the characters of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, which I wrote with my life on the line, standing alive before my eyes is deeply moving. Thank you, all of you."
The world-renowned writer Takikawa Akari bowed sincerely. After that, Director Kyotaro turned his gaze to the actor seated directly on his right.
It was Kang Woojin.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kang Woojin, and I'll be playing Iyota Kiyoshi."
His Japanese was fluent, but concise and precise. From the back, Choi Seonggeon could not hide his emotion.
'Wow, Kang Woojin was introduced first, ahead of all those famous Japanese actors. That's incredible.'
It was a moment that clearly showed just how much Director Kyotaro valued Woojin. The role of Iyota Kiyoshi was also that important.
After that—
"I'm Kosaku Mana, playing Yoshizawa Mochio. I look forward to working with you."
"Hello~ I'm Uramatsu Mifuyu, playing Horinochi Amie!!"
"I'm Sonamura Kimiko, playing Iya Saki."
The introductions continued, followed by applause each time. The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, a major production with a large investment behind it, featured many actors, including several top stars. The introductions alone took more than thirty minutes.
Finally, a short-haired actress seated at the far end of the table rose shyly to introduce herself.
"Hello. I'm Nakajo Kimi, and I'll be playing Toka Misaki. I think I'll learn a lot through this role. I look forward to working with you."
She had pale skin and carried the slightly hesitant air of a newcomer. In reality, Nakajo Kimi was a rookie actress who had debuted only two years ago but was already gaining considerable popularity in Japan. After fierce competition at the audition stage, she had won the role of Misaki Toka.
Misaki Toka did not have a large amount of screen time, but she was an extremely important character in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice.
She was the one who would trigger the transformation of Iyota Kiyoshi, the character Kang Woojin was playing. From the moment Toka took her own life, Kiyoshi would begin writing out his revenge list. Kimi was terribly nervous.
'Phew, at least I got through the greeting without messing up.'
Everyone around her was a senior. The director and writer were both living legends. On top of that, there were more than a hundred other people watching. She felt like she wanted to run away that very second.
And then—
'...Huh?'
Kimi looked up and froze slightly in surprise. Kang Woojin, seated at the front, was looking straight at her. Their eyes met.
For most of this production, she would be acting directly opposite Kang Woojin, so she had naturally taken a strong interest in him. She had watched both Boy Friend and Profiler Hanryang.
Her conclusion was simple.
He was impressive.
Kimi honestly felt that herself.
This Korean actor was only in his debut year, yet the gap between them felt enormous. Kang Woojin sat next to Director Kyotaro as one of the leads, while she was all the way at the end as a supporting actress. Why was someone like him paying attention to someone like her?
'What do I do? Should I greet him?'
As the actor introductions continued, Kimi awkwardly dipped her head toward Woojin. In return, he gave her a light greeting.
But then—
'Why... that look?'
What Kimi felt from Kang Woojin's eyes was emptiness. There was no trace of emotion in them, only a detached, indifferent gaze. It was a look she could not describe.
Why was this Korean actor looking at her like that?
Was it disinterest?
Or pity?
Then the reading began.
Flap.
Director Kyotaro's solemn Japanese voice echoed through the hall.
"Let's begin."
At once, not only Writer Akari but all the actors opened their scripts. Naturally, the reading and scene direction were led by Director Kyotaro.
"Situation one. Inside the classroom, several students are bullying a male student. However, the face of the boy collapsed on the floor shows no change in expression."
The beginning of the script contained many scenes of Iyota Kiyoshi being bullied by the students around him. These were essential in establishing his story, but because there were no sound effects or extras at the script reading, Director Kyotaro handled much of it through narration.
That meant Kang Woojin's early scenes were also glossed over in part.
In the middle of that, the lead actors' lines began appearing here and there.
"Hey, Kiyoshi! Stand up properly!"
Along with the dialogue, character names were also clarified through narration. The real conflict began when the transfer student, Misaki Toka, finally entered.
"Scene eighteen. Misaki Toka pushes through the crowd of students and shouts fiercely at everyone."
It was Kimi's turn.
After swallowing hard, she shouted as loudly as she could.
"Stop it! Don't do this! Is this fun for you?"
Then Toka spoke to Kiyoshi.
"Are you okay?"
Now it was Kang Woojin's turn.
Kimi turned her head and met his gaze directly. And at that exact moment—
She felt it.
That look.
The look in Woojin's eyes right now was the exact same look he had been giving her earlier. Empty. Hollow. Blank to the core.
That was when Kimi realized it.
He had not been ignoring her.
'...Was he Kiyoshi from the very beginning? Was he looking at me as Toka through Kiyoshi's eyes?'
He had been Kiyoshi from the start.
Now that she thought about it, Kang Woojin's hollow gaze was no different from Kiyoshi's own eyes in the script. It matched the "other" described in the story exactly. No, it felt even more vivid than that. Goosebumps rose all over Kimi's arms, and a chill ran down her spine.
'But how? How did he get there so fast? And without anyone noticing?'
When?
Exactly when had he become Kiyoshi?
The answer was simple.
Long before the actor introductions had even begun, Kang Woojin had already become Kiyoshi. To him, the more than one hundred staff members and production personnel no longer existed. Chairman Hideki was gone. Director Kyotaro was gone. Only a classroom soaked in vicious bullying, and a world filled with tormentors, remained.
But he was fine.
It did not hurt.
Woojin simply existed there.
His heart was already dead.
None of the dozens of actors and more than a hundred people present could possibly have noticed that scent. It was unquestionably Kiyoshi's, but Kiyoshi was a character defined by his lack of presence. If the people around him had noticed it too clearly, then it would only have meant that the portrayal had failed.
Kang Woojin, in that moment, was the incarnation of Kiyoshi.
With an unwavering gaze and expressionless stillness, Kang Woojin looked toward Kimi across the room. Inside that empty stare, there was only one thing.
Curiosity.
"I'm fine."
Why is this woman protecting me?
It was at exactly that moment—when Kang Woojin's voice, or rather Kiyoshi's first voice, spread through the hall beginning with Director Kyotaro—that the room shifted.
There was no emotion in the line.
Not even a trace.
It was as if the absence of emotion itself had become Kiyoshi's emotion.
How could anyone express something that subtle so naturally?
Everyone around him was stunned, beginning with Writer Akari, whose eyes had already widened.
Her thoughts were written all over her face.
Kiyoshi was right there in front of her.
The Japanese actors, too, could not help opening their eyes wide as they looked at Kang Woojin. They had all sensed it.
Kiyoshi was sitting among them.
Woojin kept his gaze fixed on Kimi at the far end of the table, though no one could tell why.
Then Kiyoshi tilted his head slightly.
It was strange. His eyes, nose, lips, even his breathing, were all functioning normally, and yet Kang Woojin seemed wrapped in a peculiar dryness from head to toe.
Then Toka asked Kiyoshi,
"Would you like to have lunch with me?"
Kiyoshi answered simply.
"If that's alright."
"Of course it is! Let's go to the rooftop."
"Alright."
Even while speaking, Kang Woojin continued looking straight at Toka.
"Ah! Kiyoshi, you don't have a lunchbox? Do you always just eat bread?"
"Usually."
"Would you like to try mine?"
"Alright."
There was no purpose in it, no affection. And yet Kiyoshi responded. He spoke to Toka. He looked directly at her.
As the reading went on, the Japanese actors watching Woojin began to feel strangely alienated. Some of them were outright shocked.
Kosaku Mana, who was sitting across from Kang Woojin with his long hair tied back by a headband, felt it especially clearly.
'How...'
It was not a matter of control or restraint.
This Korean rookie actor—
'How can an actor erase emotion like that?'
He had not merely suppressed emotion.
He had deliberately removed all of it.