At 7 p.m. on Sunday, January 17, Our Table, the new variety show directed by legendary entertainment PD Yoon Byeongseon, aired its first episode.
The broadcast channel was cable network HTBS rather than a public broadcaster, but these days the line between channels had grown blurry enough that Yoon Byeongseon's name alone was enough to overcome any disadvantage.
In any case, Our Table would now air every Sunday at 7 p.m.
But the episode that aired today was Episode 0.
Although Our Table mainly revolved around America, there was also an interesting story in the preparation process. Episode 0, which officially kicked things off, began with interviews with each cast member.
"Hyung! Sit down, sit down."
"Ha, I'm already sick of seeing Yoon Byeongseon's face. Can't we just meet once a year?"
"Just like I expected. I love that you haven't changed at all, Hyung."
"I hate you."
Starting with the nominal boss, Ahn Jonghak, the team was made up of Ha Gangsu, Hong Hyeyeon, Hwarin, Yeon Baekgwang, and Kang Woojin. Once the team was formed, the episode moved through the process of choosing members through a street food restaurant setup and then into their practice sessions.
The focus naturally settled on the kitchen team, Hong Hyeyeon and Kang Woojin. First, Hong Hyeyeon's clumsy cooking skills were shown, and then Kang Woojin's outstanding cooking ability took over.
Yoon Byeongseon PD's distinctive editing and captions brought those scenes vividly to life.
As the broadcast showed a star chef mistaking Woojin's food for something cooked by a real professional, the live viewer chat went wild. Our Table delivered something rich enough to please the eyes, the ears, and even the appetite.
In the latter half, Kang Woojin was shown creating his own dish at what looked like a professional level.
"The name? Hmm... I think gimjaban makguksu would be fine."
By then, the viewer chat was already in a frenzy. In the end, Episode 0 of Our Table wrapped up with the members boarding a plane to America.
The total runtime was about an hour and a half.
Once Our Table ended, the audience response was overwhelmingly positive. It was actually hard to find negative comments.
PD... this is seriously so, so fun...
LOL this is insane LOL healing show LOL it's so fun!!
Seriously LOL is Kang Woojin really like that??? LOL is that his real personality?? But why is it so funny LOL
My weekend feels complete if I just watch Our Table on Sunday night LOL this is seriously fun!!
I fell for Kang Woojin's wok skills in round one, and then his knife skills in round two.
Ah... please upload the next episode fast!! I'm so happy there's finally a variety show worth watching again...
The chemistry between the members looks amazing LOL I already knew Ahn Jonghak, but Ha Gangsu and Yeon Baekgwang are straight-up comedians. Hong Hyeyeon and Hwarin are both so pretty! Kang Woojin barely talks, but he still feels like the center LOL
Am I the only one who wants to eat gimjaban makguksu?? Where can I get it???
ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ this is so fun!! I'm really curious about the overseas reaction...
Yoon PD's last variety show got around 12%, right?? This one feels like it'll do even better LOL
Kang Woojin is the best LOL what can't he do???
At that same time, the editing room for HTBS's cable variety show Our Table was complete hell. There was unreleased footage for YouTube, trailers, teaser clips, behind-the-scenes content, and the main episode itself. Endless editing sessions and meetings had been running day and night.
Because of that, exhaustion was plain on the faces of PD Yoon Byeongseon and the writers.
"How's the viewer response?"
"Everyone's losing their minds right now!"
"Good! Upload the prepared videos to YouTube immediately, and spread the articles everywhere too!"
"Yes, PD!"
By then, talk about Our Table was already spreading rapidly across the internet.
Meanwhile, in Tokyo—
At around 8 p.m., Kang Woojin headed out to attend the closing ceremony and after-party for the Tokyo International Short Film Festival. Naturally, he was dressed in a sharp suit. The event was being held at Roppongi Tower in Minato, Tokyo.
Roppongi Tower was a huge multi-purpose building packed with all kinds of entertainment and content.
Woojin's destination was the lobby inside the Roppongi Tower hotel.
The hall was already filled with famous figures from Japan's film and entertainment industries who had attended the Tokyo International Short Film Festival. Even so, from the moment he stepped into the lobby, Woojin remained calm the entire time.
That did not change even as reporters crowded the entrance and frantically fired off their shutters.
"..."
Kang Woojin's composure never wavered. The dozens of Japanese reporters reacted in all kinds of ways—confusion, surprise, amusement—and threw out comment after comment.
"He looks incredibly confident, doesn't he?"
"Is his expression always like that? He's really cold."
"I heard he's pretty arrogant in Korea. It looks like it might be true."
"He seems fine to me. He definitely has that rising-star aura."
Kang Woojin's popularity in Japan was climbing steeply at the moment, so it was only natural that his appearance alone caused a stir. As he pushed his way through the crowd of reporters, Woojin was actually slightly tense inside.
'So this is Roppongi Tower? It's huge. I want to look around more. Is there any chance I can sneak off for a bit?'
He was in full tourist mode. Part of it was because there were so many people around, but in Woojin's eyes, all the celebrities and big names gathered here just looked like ordinary people. So what if they were famous and respected in Japan? To him, they were just Japanese grandpas, grandmas, uncles, and aunts.
Or maybe some very handsome Japanese men and women in their twenties and thirties.
Then—
As Woojin stepped into the hall full of VIPs, he heard a familiar voice speaking Korean from the entrance side.
"There you are."
When he turned, he found a Korean grandfather holding a wine glass.
No, it was Director Ahn Gabok, walking toward him in a somewhat loose-fitting suit. It was hard to tell whether he had been waiting for Woojin or had just arrived himself, but he was alone too.
"You've been busy, haven't you?"
"No, I'm alright. Hello, Director."
"Yes, good to see you."
Director Ahn Gabok pointed toward the long table at the center of the hall. It was covered with food, snacks, champagne, and wine.
"Wine? Champagne? Have something to drink."
The sight of all that food nearly made Woojin drool inside.
'Wow, that sushi looks insanely good.'
But outwardly, he simply shook his head.
"I'll have water."
Between interviews and everything else, Woojin had already had a wildly busy day. He wanted a drink badly, but held himself back. Just as he picked up a bottle of water from beside the alcohol, Director Ahn continued speaking.
"Look at all those people. They're pretending not to care, but every single one of them keeps sneaking glances at you."
"..."
It was true. There had to be at least two hundred people in the hall, including famous directors and actors, and ever since Kang Woojin arrived, all of them had been throwing glances his way. But none of them had approached him yet. At that, Director Ahn smiled faintly.
"Is it curiosity, or a sense of superiority? Either way, Woojin, you've made quite an impression."
"I didn't mean to."
"If everything in this industry went according to plan, it'd be heaven. But because it doesn't, it turns into hell. Still, you don't seem especially nervous."
"Should I be?"
"No, not at all. You can stir up as much noise as you like. That's your strength. No matter the country or the situation, you don't seem to care about the people around you at all."
It was another misunderstanding.
In reality, Kang Woojin had just been stealing glances at the sushi on the central table. Unaware of that, Director Ahn took another sip of wine and changed the subject.
"How about participating in the actor auditions for the film Leech?"
"You mean the auditions you mentioned before?"
"Yes. I'd like to ask you to join as a judge. Of course, if you're too busy, you don't have to come. But if you do, it would help a great deal."
"..."
Outwardly, Woojin remained expressionless, but inwardly he was startled.
'A judge?! You want me to judge an actor audition?! What kind of nonsense is that???'
Director Ahn exchanged a few looks with Japanese actors nearby, then met Woojin's eyes again.
"People around here keep talking about your career, how the public sees you, and so on, but in my view, the acting experience you've already built up is more than enough. You've only been active for a year, but you taught yourself acting all on your own, didn't you?"
"..."
"It's hard to calculate exactly, but Director Kwon Gitaek thinks it's at least ten years. Maybe even fifteen. I feel about the same. Deciding whether someone is a rookie or a veteran is a difficult thing. You should be treated as a veteran."
Woojin had grown used to that kind of misunderstanding, so it did not bother him much.
"So I can just sit there and not judge anything?"
"Yes. Honestly, even that would be more than enough. Especially after causing that kind of shockwave at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, shouldn't you show a fitting presence?"
"I'll think about it. If I have time, it probably won't be a major issue."
"Thank you."
It was right then.
"Mr. Woojin!"
Japanese suddenly rang out from nearby. It was a familiar voice. When Woojin turned, Director Kyotaro, with his short hair streaked with white, was hurrying toward him at almost a half-run.
"Haha, it's been a while. I've actually been watching from earlier, but I got tied up over there and ended up late."
Dressed in a suit, Director Kyotaro offered his hand with a slightly awkward smile, and Woojin took it and replied in Japanese in a low voice.
"It's alright, Director."
"We'll meet again on set in a few days anyway, but it's still good to see you. Everyone over there has been talking about you too. Then again, most people here have."
"Is that so?"
"You're the hottest topic in the room right now."
Director Kyotaro exchanged a meaningful smile with Director Ahn Gabok and gave him a nod. The two had already greeted each other at the festival, so they were acquainted from before.
In any case, from that point on—
"Hello, Mr. Kang Woojin."
The Japanese actors who had only been watching cautiously until then began approaching Woojin. Director Kyotaro's presence clearly played a big part in that.
"Mr. Kang Woojin, it's nice to meet you."
"I enjoyed Profiler Hanryang and Boy Friend. It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time."
More and more people gradually gathered around him. Surrounded by more than a dozen people—top Japanese actors, famous directors, and major figures in the Japanese entertainment industry—Kang Woojin found himself facing a flood of greetings and questions.
Naturally, Director Ahn Gabok and Director Kyotaro were caught in the same situation.
Around then, one particular fact spread among the Japanese higher-ups.
"Ah... so you're aiming for Cannes this year together with Director Ahn."
News that Director Ahn Gabok and Kang Woojin would be targeting Cannes this year spread quickly among the top Japanese actors and directors gathered in the hall. Before long, an odd tension began to settle over the room.
The reason was simple.
"Oh, I heard Director Komuro is entering Cannes this year too."
"And Director Masuzawa started filming last month, didn't he? This year's Cannes is going to be a battlefield."
Several Japanese master directors were also aiming for Cannes.
The next morning.
Inside a large van driving through downtown Tokyo, Woojin's team, including Choi Seonggeon, were all absorbed in their own tasks and yawning repeatedly. Among them, Kang Woojin, wearing a gray coat, stared blankly out the window.
The van stopped in the outdoor parking area of a huge building.
It was near Tokyo Station.
After stepping out of the parked van, Woojin looked up at the tall structure. The entire building was gray, and it looked to be well over ten stories tall. It was wide too.
'Wow, it's really huge.'
Right then, Choi Seonggeon patted Woojin on the shoulder.
"Let's go, Woojin."
Choi Seonggeon, Kang Woojin, and a few staff members headed toward the building. There was an interpreter with them as well. Soon they came face-to-face with a huge sculpture standing near the entrance.
To be exact, it was a character from a famous anime series, one so familiar that even Kang Woojin, who did not really watch anime, recognized it.
And above the entrance hung a large sign.
A10 Studio
This was one of Japan's three biggest major animation studios, and today Kang Woojin had come here for a meeting related to the Boy Friend animation production.
Honestly, the lobby of A10 Studio was something else.
'This is unreal. Is this a company or some kind of store?'
Just as Woojin muttered inwardly, the first-floor lobby of the giant studio was overflowing with anime characters. Life-size figures stood everywhere, and monitors throughout the lobby played animated scenes on loop. Even the ceiling and walls were packed with characters.
There was even a shop selling merchandise.
For anime fans, this place would have been heaven.
Kang Woojin did his best to keep a straight face, but he could not help being amazed by what he saw. The employees who came out to greet his team, however, looked perfectly ordinary.
"Hello. We've been waiting for you."
Several men and women in suits greeted Kang Woojin and began guiding him inside. Interestingly, no matter where they passed—whether at the reception desk, the elevator, or the hallway—the employees they encountered all stared openly at Woojin. Quite a few female staff members even squealed.
Woojin's team was led to a large conference room on the fifth floor.
'Can you even call this a conference room?'
The room looked like a kingdom of anime characters. From the U-shaped desk to the glass doors to the screen at the front, everything was covered in them. There were so many characters everywhere that it felt like a waste to even sit down, but Woojin managed to pull out a chair and take a seat anyway.
As soon as the staff guiding them left, the people from bw Entertainment could not hold back their comments.
"Isn't this place a little overwhelming? I knew it was a famous animation studio, but I didn't expect this much."
"Look at this. Even the chairs are decorated with characters."
"It feels like... we walked straight into Akihabara. That place that's famous for everything anime-related."
Kang Woojin silently agreed.
Meanwhile—
The glass door with a female character drawn on it opened again, and another group of staff came in. Two women and two men. But there was something different about them. Woojin guessed they might be high-ranking executives from A10 Studio.
After brief greetings and the exchange of business cards—
"Mr. Kang Woojin, thank you so much. We honestly didn't even know whether we'd be able to meet you, so we were very nervous."
The woman who introduced herself as the planning department head smiled at Woojin.
"Our company is in chaos right now. You have so many fans here."
"Thank you. I'm honored."
"I really enjoyed Boy Friend."
"I'm glad Japanese fans enjoyed it."
"Wow—we already knew, but how do you speak Japanese that well??"
Whether or not she deliberately led the atmosphere, the meeting quickly relaxed. A10 Studio then handed several tablets to Woojin's team. On the screens was the front and back design of a male character. The female team lead explained who it was.
"This is the character design sheet for Han Inho. We referenced your appearance as much as possible."
Tall. Black hair. Distinct features. A detached expression. Anyone could tell he resembled Kang Woojin. Choi Seonggeon and the bw staff chimed in right away.
"He really does look like Woojin."
"Yeah, he does."
"Doesn't it look well drawn?"
Woojin, however, thought something else entirely.
'That's me? No way. This guy's way too handsome.'
Doesn't this character feel a little off?
Just then, one of the male executives from A10 Studio added an explanation.
"We'll give you more details later. For now, the important point is that the Boy Friend animation is already in production. We're aiming for a July release this year, and to speed things up, three teams are working simultaneously."
In other words, one team handled Episode 1, another handled Episode 2, and a third handled Episode 3. That way, they could complete three episodes at once. It might have been impossible for a mid-sized studio, but at a major place like A10 Studio, it was entirely feasible.
Then—
The female team lead from A10 Studio slid a fairly thick stack of papers toward Woojin.
"This is the official script for Episode 1. Compared to the draft we sent you before, there are some changes and additions, but you can think of this as the final version."
A lot had changed, but the core remained the same.
Woojin took the script with a blank face and looked at the cover. The title was printed in Japanese.
Boy Friend Remake
Episode 1
A10 Studio
But Kang Woojin was focused on something else rather than the title itself.
It was the black square attached beside the script.
Without drawing attention to it, he quietly lifted his index finger.
Pop.
In an instant, his vision shifted from the character-filled meeting room to the empty void filled with nothing but darkness. There, after shaking off the last of his previous thoughts, Woojin stretched and moved his feet.
"Alright. First, let's check the rating."
Among the white floating rectangles around him, he found the newly added Boy Friend Remake.
Soon, Woojin let out a small laugh.
"Oh—"
-[10/Script (Title: Boy Friend Remake), S Grade]
-[This animation script is of very high quality. It can be read at 100%.]
That was a sign the project had a high chance of becoming a huge success. Still smiling, Woojin selected the white rectangle labeled Boy Friend Remake.
-[You have selected 10/Script (Title: Boy Friend Remake).]
At once, a list of readable, experienceable characters appeared inside the white rectangle. Naturally, Kang Woojin chose the male lead.
To be honest, more than simply reading the animation, he was much more curious about what the world of a fully realized 100% completed animation would look like.
Even when the previous draft's animation world had only been implemented at 50%, it had already been pretty shocking—and fun.
"How different will 100% be?"
But then—
["······"]
A robotic female voice broke the silence.
It was a very familiar kind of atmosphere.
Soon, her voice echoed through the empty space.
["An ability exceeding the default specifications has been detected. You will first acquire the 'piano' skill."]
That was unexpected.
This was completely different from last time, wasn't it?
"Wait. Piano?"
But—
["Preparing to read piano..."]
["······Preparation complete. Beginning piano reading."]
A massive gray wave instantly swallowed Kang Woojin whole.