At the very moment Director Kwon Gitaek declared the start of filming for Island of the Missing, excitement swelled among the hundred or so staff members gathered across the vast set.
"Waaah!! Finally!!"
"Wow, everyone, you all worked so hard!!"
"Hey! I still can't believe it's finally over!! Hahaha!"
"Director! It's a truly incredible piece of work!!"
"Whew!! I seriously need some sleep!"
"Alright, everyone, you didn't forget there's still cleanup left, right?!"
The staff, who had weathered every kind of hardship together over a long period of time, embraced one another, laughing loudly as they shared in the joy. Director Kwon Gitaek, seated in front of the monitors, made no special effort to stop the hundred-odd staff members.
He knew better than anyone how hard they had worked.
Of course, not everything was one hundred percent finished. There could still be additional shoots, and smaller schedules remained, like the production presentation or poster shoot. Even so, at this point, it would not have been an exaggeration to say that all of Island of the Missing's staff had entered a period of rest.
For Director Kwon Gitaek, however, the real work was only just beginning.
After all, the crucial post-production work still remained.
The smile that had slowly faded from Director Kwon Gitaek's face as he stared intently at the monitors showed that his thoughts had already shifted toward editing plans. What should the official poster look like, rather than the temporary one? What about the first and second trailers? The opening music?
How could they maximize the actors' appeal?
His mind began turning rapidly. The shoot had just wrapped, yet there was no time to rest. Still, Director Kwon Gitaek was one of the best directors in the country, and before long, directing ideas began flowing freely.
'The story of Sergeant Jin Seoncheol should probably be viewed from the early part into the middle.'
It was a thought about Kang Woojin's role. From the very earliest stages of outlining the script for Island of the Missing, Director Kwon Gitaek had placed considerable weight on the character of Sergeant Jin Seoncheol. He carried a large portion of the drama's conflict and tension.
While Kwon Gitaek was deep in thought—
"Careful!! Hey! Just because it's over doesn't mean you can start throwing things around like that! Do you know how expensive that is?!"
"Sorry!"
"We'll take care of the props!"
"Filming team! Should we remove the railings?!"
Leaving their euphoria behind, the hundred or so staff members began cleaning up the set. Around then, Ryu Jungmin, still dressed in military uniform, approached Director Kwon Gitaek. Maybe because he was so tall, the uniform suited him unusually well.
"Director."
At the sound of his voice, Director Kwon Gitaek, who had been quietly studying the monitor, turned his head.
"Mm, yes. Jungmin-ssi, you worked hard."
With his short hair and a faint smile, Ryu Jungmin dipped his head slightly.
"You worked hard too, Director."
"Haha. I think the truly difficult part is only just beginning for me now."
Letting out a small laugh, Director Kwon Gitaek folded his arms and looked over the busy cleanup site.
"Still, it feels a little lonely right now. There were really so many actors here when we first began."
At present, only a few supporting actors remained on Island of the Missing, including Ryu Jungmin and Ha Yura. The other main actors, including Kang Woojin, had already finished their schedules and left. Ryu Jungmin patted Director Kwon Gitaek on the shoulder as if encouraging him.
"Honestly, if everyone were still here, the atmosphere would've felt a lot livelier. Whenever a film ends, there's always this strange emptiness."
"You probably feel that even more sharply since you came straight from Hanryang. Did you gain something through Island of the Missing? Aside from filming, you said you also wanted to test your own limits."
This, too, had something to do with Kang Woojin. Before joining Island of the Missing, Ryu Jungmin had hinted at deeper motives.
"Director, I can't express a double-sided personality with just my eyes or facial expressions."
"Really?"
"Not yet. I've realized now that trying to chase a monster who can express emotion through facial expressions alone is impossible."
"So you realized that too?"
Meeting Director Kwon Gitaek's gaze, Ryu Jungmin recalled the acting he had seen from Kang Woojin in Island of the Missing.
"Kang Woojin-ssi is a completely different kind of actor. He's an actor too, of course, but his essence is…"
Ryu Jungmin trailed off. It seemed he wanted to describe something like a new species of humanity, or perhaps simply that unique otherness. Director Kwon Gitaek understood what he meant well enough and quickly rose from his seat.
"You're a pretty unusual person yourself. It's just that Woojin-ssi happens to exist."
Then he changed the subject.
"Island of the Missing is scheduled to release sometime around May."
"May means spring."
With a warm smile, Director Kwon Gitaek gave Ryu Jungmin a thumbs-up.
"You'll be busy soon, so make some time to take care of your skin."
Later.
While cleanup on Island of the Missing was in full swing, a certain variety show had begun to rise to the center of conversation in offices and cafés all over the country.
"Huh? You didn't watch Our Dining Table?"
"No, not yet. I don't really watch dramas directed by PD Yoon Byeongseon. But is it really that good? Everyone keeps talking about it."
"It's amazing! Just watch a little clip on YouTube! You'll get hooked immediately!"
It was PD Yoon Byeongseon's Our Dining Table.
"There's always a reason popular shows are popular, right?? It's seriously so fun. We finally got a variety show worth watching!"
"Kang Woojin appears on it too, right? How is he?"
"······Ah, Kang Woojin is the key. His cooking skills are absolutely incredible. Honestly, I wasn't even a Kang Woojin fan before, but after watching Our Dining Table, I started looking him up a lot. Now I'm a complete fan."
This was the kind of reaction that started appearing the day after Our Dining Table aired. Films and dramas certainly had power too, but variety programs, especially those with strong relatability, often drew even more intense responses.
As a result, the domestic press had no choice but to make a great deal of noise over Our Dining Table.
『As expected of PD Yoon, Our Dining Table shakes up the stagnant variety market with a 15.6% viewership rating!』
『How long has it been since a variety show broke 15%? The cast of Our Dining Table, including Kang Woojin, sees explosive popularity』
It also helped that veteran variety PD Yoon Byeongseon's new program had posted viewership ratings above fifteen percent.
『Kang Woojin shows off high-level cooking skills on Our Dining Table, even leaving real chefs flustered?』
『[Star Talk] What can't Kang Woojin do? Ahead of next week's U.S. departure episode, netizens are already shouting, "Give us episode 1 now!"』
But the success of Our Dining Table had not been built on the names of PD Yoon Byeongseon, Kang Woojin, and the rest of the cast alone.
Its solid content had also played a major role.
It gave viewers more than simple entertainment. It left them with explosive anticipation that made them wait eagerly all week.
『SNS goes wild over Kang Woojin's creative dish, "Kim-jaban Makguksu." What does the Our Dining Table menu actually taste like?』
With that level of explosive attention, PD Yoon Byeongseon could hardly sit still. The Our Dining Table production team threw themselves into promotion through every possible channel. Edited clips from the first episode, which had aired the week before, flooded YouTube, and previews for the next episode were released in a frenzy.
In the preview, the members of Our Dining Table were shown running a food truck in the United States.
As a bonus, an LA chef with one Michelin star appeared.
Every video uploaded to the Our Dining Table channel recorded at least one hundred thousand views, and some surpassed one million.
[Ah…..I want to watch it so badly…..time isn't moving at all…..when is it airing ㅠㅠㅠㅜㅜㅠ]
[Ah!! Stop only showing the preview and give us the full episode!! Show it now!!]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋStarting with a food truckㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋI'm so curious how Americans are going to reactㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Is Kang Woojin confirmed as the main chef??? What if Americans spit the food out and say it tastes bad???]
[Top Korean stars going to America just to cook is seriously wildㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[What do you mean, a Michelin 1-star chef? Did the production team actually cast one?]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋNo wayㅋㅋㅋA real American Michelin 1-star chef is eating Kang Woojin's foodㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Lee Sangman: It's going to burn, it's going to explode]
·
·
.
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Of course, the internet was not only buzzing about Our Dining Table. There was no shortage of gossip, and the domestic press was busy selecting whatever material they wanted and churning out stories at will.
『"I'll conquer Japan through acting." Kang Woojin begins filming The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice in Japan, eyewitness accounts already flooding Japanese SNS』
When the 21st came to an end and Friday morning, the 22nd, began, public interest shifted heavily toward the film industry.
[- OhㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋDid Island of the Missing already finish filming???ㅋㅋㅋThat wrapped faster than I expected]
News spread that Island of the Missing had finished filming.
『Director Kwon Gitaek's film Island of the Missing completed filming yesterday! When is the release date?』
『[MovieIS] Island of the Missing announces the end of filming. According to insiders, "Nothing is finalized, but a release around May is expected."』
Expectations were high because Director Kwon Gitaek's new film starred top actors like Ryu Jungmin and Kang Woojin. Both the film industry and the general public showed intense interest.
『With numerous top stars and a master director behind it, will Island of the Missing become a hit—or fail?』
Meanwhile, even while Kang Woojin was in Japan, matters involving him continued moving smoothly. PD Song Manwoo of the drama Beneficial Evil was currently in a script meeting with writer Choi Nana.
"Writer, I think this time you can go a little bolder. You can really push it."
"Really?? I didn't think it was too much, though."
"It's fine. Just go for it as it is."
They were rapidly moving through pre-production after going through several production meetings with the main staff. But they were not rushing recklessly. Since such a considerable budget had been invested, every step had to be handled carefully.
Late that same day, the drama Kang Woojin had once appeared in was nearing its finale on KBC.
-[Frozen Love]
-[Final Episode]
It was Frozen love by the popular writer Lee Wolsun. Woojin had only appeared in episodes 1 and 2, but in the final episode that aired today, he made another appearance. It was brief, but his appearance became a hot topic across multiple communities.
[- ㅠㅠㅠㅠIs anyone watching the final episode of Frozen love right now?? Kang Woojin is in itㅠㅜㅜ It was so moving…. Kang Woojin seriously saved the finale….]
For reference, Frozen love maintained viewership ratings of around ten percent all the way to the final episode. It was not a bad result, but since Lee Wolsun had been a star writer, critical articles were not exactly rare.
『Star writer Lee Wolsun, disappointing ending as Frozen love closes at 10% ratings』
Still, writer Lee Wolsun, the production team, and the cast of Frozen love seemed satisfied.
『Writer Lee Wolsun: "It was an incredibly worthwhile project, and I learned a great deal from the staff, the actors, and Kang Woojin-ssi as well."』
Even in Kang Woojin's absence from Korea, his name was constantly being mentioned.
This was around the time the final episode of Frozen love came to an end.
The news reached several famous actors.
For example, Jin Jaejun from the film Drug Dealer.
"Jaejun! It finally came out! I got the audition info for Leech!!"
"Oh, really?"
The official audition schedule for Director Ahn Gabok's new project Leech had finally been confirmed. Despite the strict standards of the Leech production team, a great number of top-tier actors were expected to participate in the audition.
And that was precisely the problem.
"Excuse me! This audition is for casting the acting lineup, right? Director Ahn Gabok, senior Shim Hanho, and… huh? Kang Woojin-ssi?"
"Woojin-ssi? What about Woojin-ssi?"
"No… it says Kang Woojin-ssi is one of the audition judges. Is that true??"
"Woojin-ssi will be there?"
In the audition information, Kang Woojin's name had been included among the judges.
"Ha. No, that's probably a mistake. No matter how big Director Ahn's name is, there's no way he'd seat Kang Woojin as a judge in front of top actors auditioning."
"······No, maybe not. Even if it's called an audition, it could really be more of a place to check people's abilities."
"Even so! Hey, you're Jin Jaejun! How are you supposed to audition in front of a guy like him just because he's hot right now?!"
"Maybe that's exactly what Director Ahn wants to see."
Because of this, many top actors and A-list actors who had said they would participate in the Leech audition reacted strongly.
"Kang Woojin?! Kang Woojin is really going to be part of the judging panel?!"
"Call them! Call and confirm it!"
The reactions varied.
"Ah, seriously! What is this! Isn't this too much? It's already irritating enough to be auditioning at our level! What? Kang Woojin??"
"Honestly… this really is a bit much."
Some thought it was a mistake, some were suspicious, some were angry, and some simply gave up.
But one thing was certain.
"...Will this really be okay? Do I really have to audition in front of an actor who's so much younger than me?"
"Yeah, I don't care."
"Understood."
At this point, opinions among the actors had split sharply between those who wanted to object and those who were ready to brush it off. Of course, the majority chose to brush it off.
"Just let it go! This isn't right! It's not like Director Ahn's work is the only one in the world!"
"Yeah, exactly. No matter how great Kang Woojin is, he should know his limits."
"If he were world-famous, maybe. But auditioning in front of some kid with far fewer works than me?"
Either way, the issue completely shook the domestic acting world.
The next day, Saturday the 23rd, in Tokyo, Japan.
Late morning.
At a high school in Tokyo. Since summer vacation was nearing its end, there was not a single student in sight. Yet for some reason, nearly a hundred people had gathered around the schoolyard. Cameras, lights, sound equipment, and all kinds of filming gear were scattered everywhere.
The reason was simple.
They were the filming team of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice.
After wrapping their shoot in Ine Funaya Village, the first filming location, they had moved on to this outdoor location. The The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice production team was handling the tight shooting schedule well. At this school, all of the past scenes leading up to the events of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice would be filmed.
Kiyoshi's bullying, Misaki Toka's death, and everyone's childhoods.
"Lay the tracks! We're starting from the schoolyard! The classroom comes next!"
"Pile the trash behind the school!!"
"Did the actors get their uniforms?!"
"Yes! All distributed!!"
"Camera test! One, two!"
That was why every main actor appearing in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice was scheduled to arrive at the school. More than ten actors were expected. Their call time was around noon. Since it was currently eleven in the morning, not all of them had arrived yet.
In one of the many tents set up for the actors on the schoolyard, about five actors could be seen.
Yasutaro, who had been about to leave soon, Nakajo Kimi, the actress playing Misaki Toka, two supporting actors, and Kang Woojin, who had risen to star status through The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice.
At the moment, Kang Woojin was maintaining a blank expression.
"······"
He sat there silently.
But he was not alone. The handsome Yasutaro sat beside him, chattering away.
"Woojin-ssi, that's seriously amazing. Your YouTube subscribers passed ten million! How is that even possible?"
"It's just a hobby."
"Whaaat?? A hobby? That makes no sense. You could quit acting and just do YouTube! Ah, but don't quit. I'm already your fan now."
"Really?"
"Of course! Then, Woojin-ssi, should we follow each other on Instagram? I'd like us to get closer."
"Sounds good."
To be honest, Woojin was a little irritated.
'Ah, this guy's voice is louder than I expected. His personality kind of reminds me of my younger sister, Kang Hyuna.'
Meanwhile, Nakajo Kimi, the rookie actress playing Misaki Toka, was also extremely interested in Kang Woojin.
'Sh-should I talk to him? It's not like he'd think I was weird, right?'
But in the end, she only kept sneaking glances at him and did not go any further.
Around then, outside the tent, the The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice staff were wearing puzzled expressions.
Because there were foreigners there who clearly were not part of the original crew.
"Which team are those foreigners with?"
"Yeah, I've never seen them before either. Were they on set yesterday?"
"They weren't, right? What's going on?"
"Since they were talking with the director, maybe they're from special effects or the VFX team?"
"Then why aren't they doing anything?"
The foreign group that had suddenly appeared consisted of five people, including a woman with short brown hair, a man with short orange hair, and a heavyset man. After a brief conversation with Director Kyotaro, they stayed off to themselves, not taking part in the filming preparations.
A man with his hair tied back was watching them carefully.
"Hmm, I feel like I've seen them somewhere before. Especially that woman with the short brown hair. Or maybe not?"
The person standing with folded arms in front of the tent for the actors and staff was Choi Sunggeon. He had to return to Korea today because of overlapping schedules, and had only stopped by briefly to check on the set. That was when he noticed the foreign group, and one of the women in particular looked strangely familiar.
"I'm sure I've seen her face before, but I can't remember exactly where."
Right then—
"CEO-nim."
Han Yejung, the head stylist, who had freshly dyed her hair blue, suddenly stepped out of the tent and approached Choi Sunggeon. She looked rushed.
"Did you see this?"
Choi Sunggeon, who had just taken his eyes off the foreigners, turned toward her.
"Huh? What is it?"
"I was monitoring YouTube and just saw it."
After fiddling with her phone, Han Yejung held it out toward him. On the screen, a YouTube video uploaded about thirty minutes earlier was playing.
-[Exclusive Scoop!!] Popular actor Kang Woojin!! Secretly took a Hollywood film audition?! Hollywood debut imminent! (Critical evidence obtained!) | Fact Guys
The moment he saw the title, Choi Sunggeon frowned sharply. The reason was simple.
"···What is this? How did this leak?"
Something top secret—something no one was supposed to know—had gone public.
Worse, the video had already surpassed four hundred thousand views in just thirty minutes since being uploaded.
-Views 410,000
And the comment section was already complete chaos.