In the music room stood a black piano.
It looked fairly old. Keeping his expression stiff because of his concept, Kang Woojin quietly looked down at the piano and found himself recalling the past.
More precisely, from the moment he had acquired piano skills up until now.
'Now that I think about it, I learned the skill, but I've never actually used it even once.'
Places with pianos were rare, and chances to use one were not exactly common either. On top of that, his busy schedule made it hard to find the time. Still, one of the benefits of the void space Woojin possessed was that his skills never rusted. Even now, at this very moment, Woojin could sit down and play the piano right in front of him with complete ease.
The moment he thought about the piano, countless sheets of music and emotions engraved in his mind began rising to the surface.
Kang Woojin's fingers twitched for an instant.
His hands itched. He wanted to press any one of the stored scores onto the keys. Little by little, a melody began slipping into Woojin's head. Even without touching the keyboard, it rang naturally inside his mind as though he were already playing.
Then Woojin—
-flash.
He glanced back over his shoulder. It was a little noisy, but there was no sign of anyone coming in. Kang Woojin reached out with his index finger and pressed one of the white keys in the middle.
-♬♪
A slightly rough note rang out.
To someone who did not know better, it would have sounded ordinary, but to Kang Woojin, who possessed actual piano skill, it was unmistakable.
'The sound is dying. Do they really never maintain this piano at all?'
It was not just the piano, either. Every instrument in the music room was the same. A good amount of dust had settled over them. Woojin let out a small sound through his nose, feeling faintly sorry for them. In any case, he ought to test the skill he had refined, but doing it here was disappointing.
'We're filming right now too.'
Even if it created a little more misunderstanding or misinterpretation, it would not be a big problem. Things like that did not matter much to Kang Woojin. At most, it was only a difference in location.
Still—
-thump.
This time, Kang Woojin pressed the keys in sequence with three fingers. The piano was old, but it still produced sound properly. Perhaps because he was finally using his piano skill to its fullest, a strange warmth stirred inside him. Woojin decided the piano was still a good one.
At that exact moment, behind Kang Woojin, at the doorway of the music room—
"Ah, Woojin-ssi, you're here."
"Wait."
"Excuse me?"
Director Kyotaro, the assistant director, Uramatsu Mifuyu, and several other actors had just arrived and spotted Kang Woojin. The assistant director was about to move when Director Kyotaro stopped him. Then, while quietly studying Kang Woojin standing alone in the music room, he muttered softly in Japanese,
"······What a nice picture."
The sight of Kang Woojin in the music room looked exactly like Iyota Kiyoshi to him. In The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, there was a scene where Misaki Toka played the piano beautifully. During filming, it had been handled as something briefly explained and passed over, but in the original work, there had been a scene where Toka taught Kiyoshi how to play the piano.
'Toka's death. And Kiyoshi's longing.'
As he watched Kang Woojin in the music room, Director Kyotaro was already constructing a new scene in his head.
Meanwhile, behind him, Mifuyu and the other actresses were whispering quietly among themselves.
"Can Woojin-ssi play the piano too?"
"Ugh, if he can, that's just unfair. That face, that acting, and even piano too… I don't know, I seriously can't handle this."
"Mifuyu. Please fix that obsession you have with men. You end up in a scandal every year."
"No. I just like Woojin-ssi."
"Whew, alright, alright."
Around then, sensing the presence of other people, Kang Woojin took his hand off the piano and turned around. Ah, what the—since when had they all gathered there? In an instant, Woojin locked his face back into a blank expression and spoke in a low voice.
"I'm sorry, Director. I was just looking around for a moment."
Director Kyotaro, smiling broadly, shook his head.
"No, it's fine. By the way, what do you think? Are Japanese and Korean high school music rooms similar?"
"Most music rooms are like this."
"Really? Hahaha. By the way, Woojin-ssi, can you play the piano?"
Woojin answered shortly, with an indifferent face.
"Yes. A little."
There was no real reason to hide it.
At any rate, Director Kyotaro's eyes lit up.
"Oh, really?"
"Yes."
"Then later, would you be able to play something for us? Not just out of curiosity. It might even be used in Kiyoshi's scenes."
"That's fine."
"Thank you. Once I have the scene worked out, let's talk about it again."
"Understood."
Soon, through Director Kyotaro's radio, a staff member shouted that all preparations were complete. The assistant director approached Kang Woojin, and Director Kyotaro turned and headed back toward the set.
At that moment, Mifuyu, with her full lips, stuck close to the director and asked,
"Director, is Woojin-ssi actually good at piano?"
Director Kyotaro smiled lightly.
"Since he said only a little, it's probably just the basics."
Two days later, on Friday the 29th.
News related to Kang Woojin began increasing in Japan.
『Are the rumors of Kang Woojin's Hollywood debut true? Japanese entertainment industry also shows intense interest』
Included within the Hollywood debut rumors was talk about Our Dining Table.
『Korean variety show Our Dining Table, starring the recently hot-topic Kang Woojin, surpasses 17% ratings』
Suddenly, edited clips of Our Dining Table began rapidly increasing on Japanese YouTube. Meanwhile, Kang Woojin was spotted at the luxury Tokyo hotel Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel. It was around six in the evening. Woojin had just stepped out of a van in the hotel's attached parking tower.
-thud.
Woojin was wearing a duffel coat over a hoodie, with full makeup still intact. His hair had been neatly slicked back. He had come straight from a magazine photoshoot in Japan that had lasted from morning until about an hour earlier. The shoot had run longer than expected, but it had still wrapped before seven in the evening.
'Whew, my whole body aches, and it's already dark. Time really flies.'
Outwardly, Kang Woojin looked indifferent, but inwardly he was surprised by how fast time had passed. There was a simple reason he had come to Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel immediately after the photoshoot.
It was to join the filming team for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice.
After completing their previous location shoot, The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had moved its filming location to Tokyo, and the hotel scenes were scheduled to be shot at this very Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel.
It did not necessarily have to be this specific hotel, but thanks to Chairman Hideki's consideration, the reservation had been secured easily.
Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel, one of Japan's finest luxury hotels.
Still, Kang Woojin had already been here once before during the table read for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, so the grand exterior of the hotel did not move him much. Woojin walked on calmly. Beside him, Choi Sunggeon, Han Yejung, and the rest of his team followed, with Sunggeon yawning as he went.
Choi Sunggeon spoke first.
"I'm tired, seriously tired. Woojin, are you okay?"
"Yes. No problem."
"You're like the Terminator."
With his ponytail swinging, Choi Sunggeon shook his head as though exasperated.
"I already told you shooting starts tomorrow, right? I heard Director Kyotaro and the actors have already arrived at the restaurant. You can head straight there."
"Yes, CEO-nim."
The full-scale shoot would begin tomorrow.
Still, because the first call time was so early, the hotel rooms had already been prepared. Director Kyotaro and the Japanese actors had gathered at the restaurant for dinner, while the dozens of staff members had arrived much earlier than that.
In any case, Kang Woojin moved from the parking area into the hotel lobby.
In the wide, luxurious lobby, the gazes of guests who recognized him poured in at once. His team members left from there. Standing with Woojin in front of the elevator, Choi Sunggeon yawned once more and announced that he was done for the day.
"Ah, no, this won't do. I'll just go with you to the restaurant, then head back to my room and rest. Dinner matters, sure, but surviving comes first."
"Yes, CEO-nim. Please get some rest."
"Yeah. If anything comes up after dinner, call me."
As Kang Woojin gave the appropriate response, a fair number of people had gathered while waiting for the elevator. About five in total. All of them stole glances at Woojin. A little later, two more joined them—a girl in a wheelchair and her mother.
What stood out, in particular, was that the moment the girl in the wheelchair saw Kang Woojin, her eyes went wide.
Right then—
-ding!
The elevator doors opened on the first floor.
Once everyone got inside, the elevator started moving briskly upward, and the one who broke the faintly quiet atmosphere was the girl in the wheelchair.
"······E-excuse me! Hello!"
Everyone inside, including Choi Sunggeon and Kang Woojin, turned to look at her. The girl was clearly looking up at Kang Woojin, her eyes sparkling.
"Mr. Kang Woojin! Hello, my name is Asami Yusako!"
The girl's mother bowed politely to Woojin.
"I'm sorry. She's a fan of yours, Mr. Kang Woojin, and I think she was just so shocked to see you all of a sudden."
Unlike the girl, who looked visibly flustered, the mother seemed calm. Soon, Woojin lowered his head and met the eyes of the girl in the wheelchair. She looked to be around fifteen. She wore glasses, and although she had no makeup on, her cheeks were flushed red. The girl who had introduced herself as Asami Yusako seemed embarrassed by Woojin's gaze and quickly looked away.
At that moment, Woojin thought of his younger sister, Kang Hyuna. She had worn glasses when she was younger too.
'I wonder if she's studying hard. I should call her after dinner.'
As Woojin unconsciously overlapped Asami Yusako with his sister, he bent down and held out his hand toward her. Then, in a voice just slightly gentler than usual, he said,
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kang Woojin."
Frozen stiff, Yusako trembled a little, but barely managed to take his hand.
"It feels like a dream… I always watch your SNS and YouTube! I've watched Hanryang and Boy Friend so many times I can't even count! I'm planning to watch The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice more than five times too!"
Her mother chimed in.
"It's her birthday today, so we came out with the family for dinner, and she's received a huge gift. Thank you."
Having grasped the situation, Choi Sunggeon smiled warmly and handed Woojin the notebook and pen he had beside him. Letting go of Yusako's hand, Woojin signed the notebook and then asked the girl,
"What's your dream?"
"I-I just accomplished it!"
"No, not that. What do you want to become?"
"Huh?? Ah—ah! A voice actress! My mom is a voice actress too."
As Woojin handed back the signed page, he asked again,
"Really? Is there a work you like the most?"
"Yes! I really love Howl's Moving Castle!"
Howl's Moving Castle was, of course, an animated film by a legendary Japanese director, famous all over the world, including in Korea. Naturally, Woojin knew the work. He held out his hand to the girl once more and said,
"I see. I'll be cheering for you. Thank you for liking me."
"······No, thank you! I'll support you forever, Mr. Kang Woojin!!"
Around then—
-ding!
The elevator doors opened on the floor where the restaurant was located. The first to get off were the girl in the wheelchair and her mother. As they headed toward the restaurant, they kept bowing to Kang Woojin over and over, and Choi Sunggeon, who had been watching them with him, muttered quietly,
"She said it was her birthday dinner. That girl's never going to forget this birthday for the rest of her life."
Warmth spread through Kang Woojin's chest. How should he describe it? It felt as though his satisfaction with his current profession had risen quite a bit.
'There aren't many jobs where a few simple words can become an unforgettable memory for someone for the rest of their life.'
He was still an actor who carried the heart of an ordinary citizen inside him, but Kang Woojin felt strangely refreshed. Even so, he did not let it show. After giving autographs to a few other people in the elevator, Woojin stepped toward the restaurant.
-thud.
Having barely started walking toward the restaurant, Woojin arrived at the entrance where Choi Sunggeon split off to go to his room, and a staff member guided him onward. The restaurant was decorated mostly in white tones, with luxurious round tables and chairs, many staff members, guests who had almost filled the place, and soft classical music flowing through the air.
The interior of the luxury hotel restaurant was, in fact, astonishingly grand.
The table Woojin was guided to was by the window, where Tokyo's night view could be seen clearly. At the neighboring table, the The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice cast and crew were already chatting and eating, drawing plenty of attention from the surrounding guests. There were around twelve of them. The first to notice Woojin was Director Kyotaro, with his white hair.
"Ah, Woojin-ssi. Over here."
As soon as Kang Woojin raised a hand from where he stood, the Japanese actors, including Yasutaro, Mifuyu, and Kosaku, all turned to welcome him warmly.
"Woojin-ssi, you're here!"
"Over here, over here! Woojin-ssi, sit next to me!"
Thanks to the enthusiastic request from the full-lipped actress Mifuyu, expressionless Kang Woojin took the seat beside her by the window. The moment he arrived, the atmosphere among the Japanese actors turned lively in an instant.
Questions poured in from both the male and female actors.
"Did the photoshoot go well?"
"I'm still not used to seeing you as someone other than Kiyoshi. Woojin-ssi, how do you keep your skin in such good condition?"
"What did you shoot? Ah, I guess you can't say."
"Woojin-ssi, would you like some wine?"
Kang Woojin answered appropriately and calmly. Director Kyotaro continued the conversation.
"Tomorrow's first shoot starts with you, Woojin-ssi. The call time is a little tight since you have to be on standby from seven in the morning, but I'm trusting you with it."
"Yes, Director."
Woojin gave a slight nod and drank some water as he looked around.
As he swept his eyes through the crowded restaurant, he spotted the girl in the wheelchair near the entrance. It was Asami Yusako. After looking at her for a moment, Woojin's gaze shifted again toward the center of the restaurant.
For some reason, he studied the center carefully, then let out a quiet sigh and scratched his chin.
'Hmm, would this be too much? Still, I should at least ask once.'
Kang Woojin met Director Kyotaro's eyes. Then he quietly rose to his feet. Director Kyotaro blinked slightly in surprise and spoke.
"Woojin-ssi, where are you going? Ah, the restroom?"
Meanwhile, at the table near the entrance—
The girl in the wheelchair, Asami Yusako, was excitedly boasting to her father, who had been serving food at the table.
"I held Kang Woojin's hand! He's seriously, seriously, seriously handsome, cool, kind, and perfect!"
Her father smiled awkwardly.
"Really?"
"I'm never washing my hand again! Look, he even signed this for me."
"Do you really like him that much?"
"Yes! I love him."
"······"
Seeing her husband fall silent, the mother smiled.
"What's wrong? You look like you're giving your daughter away in marriage."
"A little?"
At that moment, the father noticed Kang Woojin walking between the tables behind his daughter. He carried an unmistakable actor's aura. The other guests were all staring at him too, clearly stirred. Watching Woojin, the father understood his daughter's reaction. Pulling his gaze away, he scratched his head.
"Haah—"
Yusako, having forgotten all about her meal, was giggling to herself as she stared at Woojin's autograph on the table.
"I'm going to brag about this to all my friends."
"Yusako, aren't you going to open the gift Dad gave you?"
"Thank you!"
"······You don't even know what it is yet."
Right then, the classical music that had been filling the restaurant suddenly stopped. The guests all tilted their heads in confusion.
"Hmm??"
"What's going on?"
And then—
-♬♪
A gentle piano melody began to flow out.
It came from the center of the restaurant.
The moment that soft opening was heard, every guest in the restaurant opened their eyes wide. It was only natural. No Japanese person would fail to recognize that song.
No, it was famous all over the world, including in Korea.
"Oh—that song!"
"Who is it? Is someone playing live?"
"Over there, over there, that man. Ah! But that man is…"
The calm piano melody gradually became softer, sweeter.
Yusako, who had been giggling just moments earlier, suddenly lifted her head and shouted,
"Oh! It's the Howl's Moving Castle OST! Merry-Go-Round of Life!!" (Translator's note: OST YouTube link –> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB4PRX737-0)
It was her favorite piece. She had even told Kang Woojin about it earlier, so it felt almost fated. On top of that, the piano performance she was hearing was genuinely high-level.
-♬♪
Yusako snapped her head around.
But the moment she saw who was standing in the center of the restaurant, she froze.
"What? W-what??"
By then, many of the guests had already forgotten their meals and were staring blankly toward the middle of the restaurant.
"Wow······"
"My goodness."
And then—
"Ah, thank goodness. It is this song, right? Merry-Go-Round of Life."
At the table of the The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice team, the actors began falling deeper and deeper under the spell of the piano melody, wine glasses still in hand.
"That's right. I really love Howl's Moving Castle. This is nice—"
"I listen to Merry-Go-Round of Life at least once a day, and wow, this performance is really excellent."
At that very moment, the piano melody flowing from the center of the restaurant began to quicken. It was approaching the climax.
A few of the actors even closed their eyes in order to savor the moment more deeply.
But then—
"······Ah."
Mifuyu, with her full lips, stopped moving and stared past the actors in front of her toward the back. The two male and female actors sitting beside her did the same. Yasutaro, noticing this, stood there with a wine glass in hand and asked across from Mifuyu,
"Mifuyu, what's wrong?"
Her eyes so wide they looked ready to pop out, Mifuyu slowly raised a finger and pointed.
"There—"
"What?"
Only then did all the actors turn their eyes toward the center of the restaurant. Even Director Kyotaro, who had been absorbed in a phone call, turned to look as well, and the The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice team finally found the source of the piano melody.
A white piano stood in the center of the restaurant.
And seated at it, casually playing Merry-Go-Round of Life from Howl's Moving Castle, was a black-haired man.
"······W-Woojin-ssi?"
It was Kang Woojin.
He was playing the piano.
Though his face remained expressionless as he struck the keys, the melody filling the restaurant was delicate and beautiful. The The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice team and the dozens of guests inside the restaurant all stood as if frozen, wrapped up in the sound.
-♬♪
No.
They were completely captivated.