Hideki glanced at Choi Sunggeon with a wrinkled smile. Even so, there was a calmness about him that made his age impossible to guess. He was a seasoned veteran, yet the air around him felt almost predatory.
Sitting across from him, Choi Sunggeon could feel that presence keenly.
'…What on earth is this man talking about?!'
It was completely unexpected. Wasn't it? Not a Korean conglomerate, but the chairman of a major Japanese corporation suddenly offering to invest in BW Entertainment. Even Choi Sunggeon, who prided himself on thinking flexibly, was caught off guard. He tried to think it through, but it was no use.
His thoughts kept running into a wall.
In situations like this, buying time was best. Choi Sunggeon, seated at the far end of the five-person sofa, decided to question Chairman Hideki first. That way, he could at least get a clear answer.
"An investment? You mean you personally want to invest? In our BW Entertainment?"
The question was relayed through the interpreter. Hideki kept smiling as he slowly nodded.
"This is my personal decision. In other words, I would be investing not as Kashiwa Group, but as Yoshimura Hideki himself."
So it was a unilateral decision by Chairman Yoshimura Hideki.
Even if it was framed that way, however, Kashiwa Group was effectively his domain. There was no way the two could be completely unrelated. Still, Choi Sunggeon found it difficult to accept.
'For one thing, the fact that he even knows BW Entertainment is planning to expand is troubling enough. Why? Why does Chairman Hideki know that?'
This was his first time meeting the man. If not for Kang Woojin's The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, there would have been no chance for someone like him to cross paths with a person from such a different world. So how did Hideki know anything about BW Entertainment, a company that in Korea was barely more than a shabby little agency?
No matter how Choi Sunggeon thought about it, it made no sense.
Anyone else hearing this would have dismissed it outright as absurd.
And yet, the absurd was happening right in front of him.
He wanted to understand the full story, but directly pressing Hideki for details right away would only make him look foolish. Choi Sunggeon forced himself to stay composed. The other man's identity was clear enough, and the smell of opportunity was strong.
Still—
'If I smile and accept this too quickly, that could make me look ridiculous.'
So Choi Sunggeon stayed respectful without lowering himself too much. Hideki, on the other hand, showed no attempt to hide his greed.
"It's a very generous offer, and I'm grateful. However, BW Entertainment is currently in talks with several investors in Korea."
"So it seems."
"Since we're still considering everything carefully, it would be difficult for me to make a hasty decision on the spot."
After hearing the interpretation, Hideki slowly nodded.
"Of course. I understand."
"May I ask you something? I apologize, since this is rather bewildering, but why exactly are you interested in BW Entertainment?"
Hideki answered quickly, and with striking confidence.
"Because of actor Kang Woojin."
I figured as much.
Choi Sunggeon had already suspected it, but he still pushed further.
"I know his value better than anyone. Still, there are many sides of him the public doesn't know, and for now, Kang Woojin is still just a popular Korean actor in Japan."
"Are you saying it's unusual for someone from another country to move me like this?"
"Yes. Of course, if this were part of your group's cultural marketing strategy, I could understand it. But as you said, this seems to involve something personal."
"Hm. Perhaps. There likely has never been a case like this before, and there probably never will be again."
Hideki picked up the teacup in front of him and murmured,
"After seeing Kang Woojin in person today, I became certain. His acting, his appeal, even the energy overflowing from him. When you see someone destined for greatness, it is impossible not to admire them."
As he set the cup back down, the smile vanished from his face.
"Before long, his name will be known all over the world. He possesses something incredibly precious."
Choi Sunggeon was elated.
'Is this even real?'
The chairman of a Japanese conglomerate was praising Kang Woojin. Because it was so unexpected, the feeling hit him even harder.
And with that, everything clicked into place.
'Good grief… does he really have that clear a vision of the future?'
Hideki's prediction of Woojin's future was almost dead-on. At the moment, Kang Woojin was focused on the Academy Awards, and as a stepping stone toward that goal, preparations for Cannes had already begun.
Right then, Hideki leaned back into the sofa and continued in a rougher tone.
"Of course, that is not the only reason for what I'm doing. It would be difficult to explain in detail, so please think of it as the caution of an old man trying to protect something precious from his past. For the sake of that precious thing, even a hundred billion won would not feel like a waste."
"..."
"Kang Woojin once did me a kindness, though he himself is probably unaware of it. That is how all of this began."
"!!!"
A sharp realization flashed through Choi Sunggeon's mind.
Ah.
I see.
The thought spread through his head in an instant.
'Something from the past, and some kind of favor. I don't know exactly what he means by "something precious," but… it sounds like Woojin and Chairman Hideki have had some kind of connection for a long time.'
It was a complete misunderstanding.
'Then everything fits perfectly. Woojin's confidence and composure during the crisis around The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, Chairman Hideki's absurdly sudden appearance, even this investment. I thought it might be tied to Director Kyotaro or Writer Akari… but it was Woojin all along!'
Choi Sunggeon furiously scribbled his conclusions in his mental notebook.
There was actually one more person thinking along similar lines—Director Kyotaro. Choi Sunggeon, of course, had no way of knowing that.
'Woojin's Japanese, his Japanese sign language… this must be connected to that. That has to be why this man offered to invest. If there had been no prior connection, something like this would be impossible. Did Woojin perhaps even ask him for something? What in the world happened between the two of them in the past…'
He stared silently at Hideki's face.
'Well, I don't know. The scale of this is so huge that I'm honestly curious, but I'm hesitant to get involved carelessly. One thing is certain, though. This man isn't pouring money into BW Entertainment. He's pouring it into Woojin.'
Misunderstanding turned into speculation, and speculation into conviction.
'Woojin always stayed unfazed no matter what big shot he met, and now I finally understand why. If he has ties to someone like Chairman Hideki, then of course every other big name would seem small by comparison.'
Just then, Hideki straightened up and spoke in a firm voice.
"That said, I have no intention of treating this matter lightly. I will need a proper business plan and proposal from you, CEO Choi."
"...Of course."
"Can I expect this to move forward positively?"
Choi Sunggeon bowed his head.
"I'll have the information you requested prepared and delivered as quickly as possible. Thank you in advance."
"Good. Then let us do that."
Hideki smiled once more, then added,
"This conversation must remain a secret between the two of us."
──────────
At that same moment, in the hotel bathroom—
"..."
Kang Woojin, whose presence had apparently become more significant without him even realizing it, calmly washed his hands after using the restroom.
Of course, the thoughts running through his head were entirely different.
'Wow, seriously. Even the bathroom in a luxury hotel looks insane. Where even is this place? Is that faucet made of gold? No way it's real gold, right?'
He wasn't thinking about anything important at all.
In Gifu, the script reading for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had finally ended late in the afternoon. The energy in the hall was intense. Director Kyotaro, Writer Akari, the production staff, and the dozens of participating actors all wore deeply serious expressions. The reporters and roughly one hundred attendees seemed to feel much the same.
Regardless, the moment the reading ended, the hall filled with thunderous applause. Naturally, Kang Woojin, who didn't outwardly reveal much emotion, joined in as well.
'Ha, it's over. That was rough.'
Inside, he felt drained, but outwardly he simply applauded in silence. Meanwhile, Japan's top actors kept stealing glances in his direction. The script reading had been enough to crush everyone's assumptions, thoughts, concerns, and doubts.
'Can we really go into filming like this? No, we can't. The second we share a scene with Kang Woojin, it'll show immediately.'
'I almost fell for him! No, I totally did! Kang Woojin is way more incredible than I expected?!'
'It's not that we were lacking. He just stood out that much more. Then why do I still feel defeated?'
As the actors' inner turmoil deepened, the hall that had hosted the reading grew busy in an instant. Dozens of staff began cleaning up, photographers snapped pictures, and the hundred or so attendees and industry guests either started filing out or clustered together in conversation.
Chairman Hideki's group was nowhere to be seen.
They had probably left midway through.
At that moment, Director Kyotaro was giving brief instructions to the production team.
Then he swept his eyes over the lead actors, excluding Kang Woojin. Shock was written all over their faces. Satisfied, Kyotaro wondered to himself,
'Was that enough of a beating?'
Writer Akari adjusted the glasses perched on her nose and chimed in.
"Casting Woojin was truly the right decision. I think all the actors felt a great deal from this."
"That they reacted so strongly is probably because Kang Woojin is both a rookie and a Korean actor. It's a harsh method, but it will undoubtedly become nourishment for them."
One of the reasons Kyotaro had cast Kang Woojin was to criticize the current stagnation of Japan's entertainment industry and its actors. Because of that, the actors had been given a brief introduction in advance.
Kang Woojin had recently resurfaced after more than ten years away through a short film, and during the script reading, they would experience firsthand the difficulty of acting alongside him.
As a result, the lead actors in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice paid even closer attention to Woojin's performance, and in doing so, became painfully aware of their own limits.
Kyotaro observed their reactions without much concern for whether they took it negatively.
'If their acting becomes distorted, that simply means their abilities were lacking to begin with.'
Even if one or two actors fell away, it wouldn't matter much as long as at least one of them awakened because of it. In fact, that would be a far greater gain.
Thankfully, no one had shown any obviously strange behavior.
Soon, Kyotaro's gaze shifted to Kang Woojin, who was standing nearby and talking with Choi Sunggeon.
'As a director, how could I not covet an actor like that? Just having him on set solves so many problems.'
Right then—
"Everyone! Director, writer, actors, please gather over here!"
The assistant director shouted in Japanese. It was time for the group photo for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice.
Dozens of people gathered around Director Kyotaro for the picture.
And Kang Woojin, the central figure of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice—the actor playing Iyota Kiyoshi—stood right beside Director Kyotaro.
Once the group photo was done, the actors passed by Woojin, offering greetings to the director and writer before leaving the hall one by one.
"Thank you for your hard work. I'll see you on the filming day."
"Yes, thank you for today."
Most of them were serious, but there was one exception.
"Kang Woojin!"
The female actor who was always lively and openly fond of Woojin was different.
"Do you use Line?"
"No, I don't."
"Then let's connect on Instagram! I'd like for us to get to know each other!"
It was Uramatsu Mifuyu, widely considered one of Japan's top actresses. In The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, she played the unhinged character Horinochi Amie. She had an image similar to Hong Hyeyeon in Korea. Large eyes, pale skin, full lips—despite her delicate appearance, the way she spoke was frank and direct.
"As a matter of fact, I was a fan of yours too. We're fellow actors, after all. I'll send you a DM!"
With a smile and a wave, she walked off. Kang Woojin returned the greeting calmly, though inwardly he was baffled by what had just happened.
'Wow, seriously, that was surprising. She's really straightforward. Still, thanks.'
He quickly regained his composure. It was probably just the shock of having one of Japan's top actresses approach him first.
Soon, Choi Sunggeon came over.
"Woojin, did you say goodbye to the director and writer?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then let's go. But what did Uramatsu Mifuyu say to you?"
"She said she wants to get to know me. She said she'll send me a DM."
Choi Sunggeon grinned and gave him a thumbs-up.
"You know who Mifuyu is, right? She's one of the top five most popular actresses in Japan. And someone like that asked for your contact first? Wow, you really are popular. Being friends is fine, but if any kind of scandal comes up, you'll need to handle it properly. I know you can."
A scandal?
That seemed unlikely, but to Kang Woojin, the whole thing still felt strange. Just a few months ago, the only contacts in his phone had been close friends. Now it was packed not just with Korea's top actors, but with people from Japan's elite circles too.
'This really has gotten pretty global.'
His network was beginning to expand internationally.
──────────
The next morning—
On his second morning in Tokyo, Kang Woojin was in the dressing room. He wore a green vest over a white shirt, his makeup was flawlessly done, and his hair had been carefully styled.
He was alone.
"Hmm."
He was looking at a tablet. One line on the screen caught his eye.
[Fan signing event order]
He had come here for a scheduled fan signing.
Right then—
The dressing room door opened, and Han Yejung, with her short hair, poked her head in.
"Oppa, I think all three hundred invited Japanese fans have already arrived."
Woojin, who had already heard that much, nodded calmly.
"Okay."
"But—"
That wasn't the end of it. Meeting Kang Woojin's eyes, Han Yejung added in a more meaningful tone.
"I heard there are more than seven hundred people gathered in the outdoor plaza."