Kang Woojin returned to the distinctive A10 Studio conference room. It felt as though he had stepped out of that empty void and back into reality.
But his mind had not fully returned yet.
Was it a dream? A delusion?
In real time, only a few seconds had passed in this conference room. Yet in that brief instant, something new had been engraved into Kang Woojin.
It was the piano.
His mindset and senses had changed so clearly that there was no mistaking it. The countless piano melodies that had poured through that gray space still lingered in his ears. Looking at a piano now, he felt as though he could sit down and play anything immediately. His fingers had become more supple, and his head was now filled with sheet music that had never been there before.
And more than that—
'...Is this what emotion feels like?'
Every song stirred a different sensation throughout his body. Some were intense. Others were bright and lively. Some carried loneliness, while others felt grand and overwhelming. There were even songs so emotionally crushing that they left him restless and unable to sit still.
Inside Woojin's mind, different rhythms and tempos were dancing wildly.
Soon, almost like a system taking shape, they began to merge with another one of Kang Woojin's abilities: his singing. The similar emotional textures he felt from his vocals and from the piano fused together, making each other fuller and richer.
'It's growing.'
It felt as if the volume of his emotions was steadily rising. In reality, Kang Woojin's emotional expression had already become much deeper and richer than when he relied on vocals alone.
And what about movement?
Like when he had acquired martial arts, there was tension in his body, but it was not rough this time. It was smooth, soft, and oddly pleasant.
The two abilities were fundamentally opposite in nature, yet it seemed possible for them to blend depending on the situation. At least, that was how Kang Woojin understood it.
'Something I can attach or detach depending on the situation.'
Each engraved ability shone on its own, but when matched to the right circumstance, it created synergy. The A10 Studio staff were saying something to him, but Woojin merely stared blankly, absently flexing his fingers.
In his hands was the script for episode one of the Boy Friend remake.
"..."
There had been no piano last time, so why had it appeared now?
It could not simply be the whim of the void.
That meant there was only one answer.
The script had changed.
Just as the female executive from A10 Studio had said, a few settings had been removed or added.
Woojin slowly opened the first page of the script.
And he understood right away.
'Ah, so that's why.'
The opening scene of the Boy Friend remake had changed. It now showed the male lead as a child. A vast hall filled with hundreds of audience members. A piano placed onstage. A young boy seated before it. The title musical genius followed him everywhere.
The young male lead held a striking piano recital in front of the crowd and received thunderous applause.
Only after that glimpse into the past did the story shift to the present.
After checking the script, Woojin raised his expressionless face and asked the A10 Studio executives seated across from him. Naturally, he spoke in Japanese.
"The script you first gave me is different from this one right from the opening scene. So a piano performance was added?"
An answer came immediately from the female executive introduced as the head of the planning team.
"Yes, that's correct. Of course, we proceeded after discussing it with the original author. In the original Boy Friend*, Han Inho had a hidden talent for voice acting, but after adapting it into animation, it felt a little lacking. As you know, animation is directed differently from live-action dramas, so we felt the inserted conflict element needed to stand out more."*
"So you're saying the male lead's sense of lack was expanded through the fact that he's a musical prodigy?"
"Exactly. His lack and his wounds. But they don't show on the surface. As the episodes progress, the male lead is gradually healed, but he avoids conflict with other people and even with himself. That was the foundation we started from."
I see.
So it was the kind of story where he is healed through the heroine and the people around him, and eventually spreads his wings again.
It definitely kept the basic framework of the original Boy Friend, but the background settings had been expanded much further. Because of that, it seemed to have gained the kind of fun unique to animation.
But it was not only the setting that had been added.
According to the female executive, the overall scenario was being revised as well. That much had been expected. Once the initial setup changed, the latter half of the story would naturally need to be reexamined too.
Woojin slowly nodded without changing expression.
And inwardly, he thought—
'Jackpot.'
It was seriously cool. Until now, aside from whistling through his lips, Kang Woojin had no idea how to handle instruments. The fact that he had suddenly become able to play the piano was something he never would have imagined.
Once again, he offered silent praise.
The empty space really was the best.
Meanwhile, the executives at A10 Studio exchanged glances after seeing Kang Woojin's calm expression. They seemed to be wondering whether this Korean actor was feeling pressured.
Soon, after exchanging another look with the others, the female team leader put on a businesslike smile and spoke.
"Mr. Woojin, one thing I'd like to say is that you absolutely do not need to worry about the piano part. You would only be handling the male lead's voice acting, and the piano performance would be recorded separately. Unlike in a film or drama, there is no need for you to learn the piano yourself."
Well, I could do it if needed.
But since Kang Woojin had not yet officially confirmed the voice role, he answered evenly.
"I understand. But in the case of the vocals, wouldn't the male lead's voice actor need to perform those directly?"
"Yes, exactly. To be honest, your excellent vocals are a huge advantage for us as well. Ah, and I really enjoy the cover songs you upload to YouTube."
The female team leader then went through the planned items one by one.
"If you do take on the role in the Boy Friend remake, we would appreciate it if you could sing some of the songs used in the opening and ending portions of the OST."
For reference, anime OST sales take up a substantial share in Japan. More than thirty percent of the Oricon charts can be anime songs alone.
"I'm sure many of the people watching the Boy Friend remake will love your vocals."
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About an hour later, inside Kang Woojin's van.
Having finished the meeting with A10 Studio, Woojin was on the move again for his next schedule. The script for episode one of the Boy Friend remake sat in the passenger seat. Choi Sunggeon glanced into the rearview mirror before finally speaking to Woojin.
"What do you think? I don't think it's bad."
Han Yejung and the rest of Woojin's team nodded as well. Woojin said nothing at first, still looking out the window.
"..."
It was not because he was deep in thought. He was simply maintaining a solemn atmosphere.
After about ten seconds, Woojin met Choi Sunggeon's eyes and answered in a low voice.
"If the schedule allows it, I think it'll be fine."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes."
The reason he was choosing it was simple.
It was S-rank, of course, but beyond that, the animation genre itself felt fresh. The more experience, the better, wasn't it? Opportunities like this did not come around often.
Woojin was also curious about the production process and about voice acting itself.
Choi Sunggeon soon broke into a wide grin and raised a thumbs-up.
"Alright. I'll start coordinating with A10 Studio. Don't worry about it."
A negotiation, then.
It would probably be about fees, schedules, and that sort of thing. Contracts could be thrown straight to the CEO anyway. That meant Woojin was free to think about something else now.
Like the next meeting about becoming a model for the Kashiwa Group.
At that moment, Han Yejung said in a cool tone,
"Oppa, the Miley Kara video blew up."
She pushed her phone toward him. On the screen was a video from Kang Woojin's Alter Ego.
-[Duet + What Do You Want to Eat? + Cooking Avatar (Ep. 1)] Guest / Miley Kara | Kang Woojin's Alter Ego
Views: 9.67 million
The video featuring Miley Kara, which had been uploaded yesterday afternoon, had already passed nine million views in less than twenty-four hours.
Inside, Kang Woojin gaped in shock.
'The view count exploded. Does it really have this much impact???'
Ten million views felt certain, and even fifteen million seemed entirely possible. It had truly taken off through word of mouth.
'Kara really is something else.'
There were many reasons behind its explosive success—Woojin's own ongoing issues, the overwhelming popularity of Kang Woojin's Alter Ego, and promotion in general—but the biggest factor was Miley Kara herself. Around yesterday, she had uploaded a similar video on her own YouTube channel, which had tens of millions of subscribers.
However, her side had uploaded only the duet portion with Kang Woojin.
Even so, the ripple effect had been enormous. There were Korean and Japanese comments on Kang Woojin's Alter Ego, but the majority were in English. It was obvious that more than thirty percent of those nearly ten million views had come from Kara's influence alone.
And then there was Kang Woojin himself.
He casually scrolled through the thousands of English comments. Most of them were praise. The duet with Kara was amazing. It was so good. I subscribed out of curiosity. Please do another duet. I want to know more about you.
The overseas comments were all filled with curiosity about Kang Woojin.
Who could see something like that and not be amazed?
Woojin was a little bewildered, but he was also secretly enjoying the flood of attention. For a moment, he even felt like a global star.
'Heh. Well, most of it is because of Kara's buff, but still.'
Wearing a satisfied smile inside, Woojin moved his thumb again. Soon, his phone displayed the updated stats for Kang Woojin's Alter Ego.
[Channel Name: Kang Woojin's Alter Ego]
[Subscribers: 10.8 million]
[Videos: 39]
He had passed ten million subscribers.
And the number was still rising explosively.
That was when it happened.
Buzz.
Buzz.
His phone vibrated twice in short succession. They were chat notifications. As he checked the senders, Woojin tilted his head slightly.
'Huh? What's this?'
Private messages from Hwarin and Hong Hyeyeon.
And on top of that, the group chat for Our Table was going wild. Woojin knew at once what it had to be about. Yesterday's episode of Our Table. Unfortunately, he had been in Japan and too busy to watch it.
Just as he was about to open the group chat—
Bzzzzzz.
This time the vibration was longer, stopping him mid-motion. It was a call.
The display showed PD Yoon Byeongseon's name.
Woojin cleared his throat lightly and raised the phone to his ear.
"Yes. Hello, PD."
At the same time, all the staff around him, including Choi Sunggeon and Han Yejung, focused on Woojin.
On the other end, PD Yoon Byeongseon's voice came through brightly.
"Mr. Woojin! The ratings for the first broadcast of Our Table are out! It hit 15.6 percent!"
The momentum was incredible.
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After that, Kang Woojin arrived at Kashiwa Group headquarters and continued the meeting regarding his advertising model contract.
This time, he did not meet Chairman Hideki in person, but Secretary General Lily helped lead the meeting. Since negotiations had already been underway since the group's visit to Korea, the contract was signed quickly.
In the end, Kang Woojin signed a two-year advertising contract with three subsidiaries.
Naturally, the compensation was substantial.
The actual shooting would take place while Woojin was staying in Japan for the filming of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. That meant the marketing teams of each subsidiary would soon become very busy, and Kang Woojin's schedule would only grow tighter. It might not be as chaotic as Korea, but Woojin could already tell that life in Japan would not be exactly easy either.
'Guess sightseeing is off the table. Hmm... well, that's fine. Better to stay busy than sit around doing nothing.'
Having finished most of the day's schedule, Kang Woojin's team headed out for dinner. The stylists had found a famous tempura restaurant.
But instead of the upscale restaurant he had been expecting, Kang Woojin chose the empty space.
Thud.
Starting tomorrow, rehearsals would begin, and the filming of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice would get underway. He would have to act in front of unfamiliar Japanese actors and staff.
Was he nervous?
Not yet.
"There's something special about this. I'm the only Korean there, so I have to make it work."
If possible, it was better to be the best than merely passable.
He had no ill will toward them. But whether it had started as misunderstanding or not, the declaration he had made was one that Kang Woojin himself now had to carry through.
So—
["A: Preparing to read 'Iyota Kiyoshi'······"]
Kang Woojin sank into the world of Iyota Kiyoshi from the novel The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. He had already read, and experienced, enough of Misaki Toka's bullying and death.
And then came his resolve.
Before he even realized it, Kang Woojin was looking at himself through the eyes of Iyota Kiyoshi, the stranger, standing in front of Tokyo Station.
"..."
Silence settled over him. His state of mind and his bearing were utterly calm, without the slightest ripple. Countless people passed by, but Woojin showed no expression as he stared only at one man across the street.
"Konakayama Ginzo."
A disaster that had begun without warning.
He was a grisly sacrifice.
"You are the second."
It was the beginning of a sacrifice without murderous intent.
Gray.
The quiet heart of Iyota Kiyoshi was gray. Neither white nor dark. Gray seemed like the most convenient way to describe it, but even that failed to fully capture the color.
What was he thinking?
There was no single, clean conclusion, yet every decision he made in each moment was firm. Those choices seemed infinite, and yet they were finite. His emotions, however, were impossibly light, like air itself—present, but unseen.
Kiyoshi was following Konakayama Ginzo.
His steps were not hurried. Nor were they tense. They were almost indifferent. But his blurred gaze never once left Ginzo.
Thump, thump.
Kiyoshi.
No, Kang Woojin, as he was now, had nothing remarkable about him at all. He looked exactly like every other person on the Japanese subway. Messy hair. A blank face worn down by fatigue. An ordinary suit that differed in no way from anyone else's. A bag hanging from one shoulder.
He looked copied and pasted.
At a glance, he was the sort of person no one would remember.
And that was only natural.
As the stranger, Kang Woojin had to melt into the crowd of ordinary people. He never crossed that basic line.
'But it can't be too low-key either.'
He embodied a precise middle ground. His expression, movements, breathing, thoughts, even his gaze. With his entire body, he emphasized the absence of any clear trait or individuality, and he expressed that outwardly.
So no one paid attention to Woojin walking behind Konakayama Ginzo.
There was no reason to.
Ginzo, meanwhile, walked about five steps ahead, carrying himself elegantly. No—flashy was the more accurate word. He was handsome, and people turned their heads when he passed. More importantly, he knew perfectly well that his appearance was one of his strengths.
'Because he is aware of it, he nurtures it.'
Quiet Kang Woojin—no, Kiyoshi—understood that well. When people know their strengths, they want to amplify them. They polish them even more so they can stand out in front of others.
In the case of Konakayama Ginzo, the core of it was maintenance.
That was why his skin looked good, why he appeared younger than his age. He cared about his hair. He was sensitive to smell. To him, appearance was a weapon, no different from something carried into battle.
Look at him now.
'He's skilled at moving through situations smoothly.'
He struck up a conversation effortlessly with a woman he made eye contact with on the street and exchanged contact information with her. Kang Woojin pretended to look at his phone while observing him carefully. Ginzo was also in a suit, like Woojin, but the fit, the fabric, perhaps even the price, were all different.
That subtle difference created the gap between them.
At that moment, Ginzo burst into loud laughter while talking with the woman.
Was he enjoying himself?
Maybe he really was. He had approached her because he liked what he saw, and the woman seemed to like him quite a lot as well. It was never easy for people to open themselves to each other. A moment like that was precious in its own way.
But Ginzo—
You shouldn't be smiling, should you?