The high school where the past scenes of the drama The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had been filmed. It was late morning. The hallway outside the music room was crowded with dozens of staff members from The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. Actors were visible as well. Various kinds of filming equipment had been set up all around.
Director Kyotaro was seated in front of the monitor.
"······"
The entire The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice team held its breath. Half of them were peering into the music room, while the other half stared at the monitor in front of Director Kyotaro, his face nearly buried in it. More precisely, they were watching Kang Woojin in his school uniform inside the music room.
The signal had already been given.
In other words, Kang Woojin had already begun acting inside the music room. At this moment, he was being captured on camera as the character Iyota Kiyoshi. The white-haired Director Kyotaro watched Kiyoshi with sharp eyes.
'Yes, this is exactly the right atmosphere.'
In truth, the scene being filmed right now had not originally been part of the storyboard. It had existed in the original work, but had been removed during the adaptation process. However, Director Kyotaro had brought it back. He had hurriedly taken charge of the direction and planning yesterday, and filming for it had started today.
Even so, there had been no real need to rush that much.
What had captivated Director Kyotaro was Kang Woojin's piano performance from two days earlier. That scene in the restaurant, the energy that had seized dozens of guests, the overwhelming emotion and elation. The great Japanese director Kyotaro, who had witnessed all of it with his own eyes, had been seized by an irresistible desire.
He wanted to capture that scene on camera as quickly as possible.
And now, Kang Woojin, as Kiyoshi, sat before the black piano.
"······"
There was no expression on his face as he looked down at the open piano. His eyes, and even the air around him, were utterly lifeless. An ordinary person might have been flooded with memories, but to Kiyoshi, it was nothing more than piano keys.
"It's been a while."
He murmured the words in a flat voice. Slowly, he placed both hands on the keys. Kiyoshi already filled his entire body, so his heart had already died. Before his fingers pressed down, Kang Woojin summoned the ability of piano as Kiyoshi.
There was no problem.
He had experience using summoned abilities while fully immersed in a role. Jin Seoncheol from Island of the Missing was a good example. Woojin expressed his dual nature silently, with nothing but his face.
This time, the only difference was that the instrument had become a piano.
Kiyoshi let out a faint breath and moved his fingers.
♬♪
A rough melody flowed out from the old piano. The piece was Merry-Go-Round of Life from Howl's Moving Castle. This too had been Director Kyotaro's choice, and Kiyoshi played it with a blank expression, a little slower than usual.
It was strange.
There was no emotion in the piano performance either. It was only sound. The notes connected one after another, but they were stiff and flat. There was no emotion in the person playing, and no emotion in the performance itself.
♬♪
And yet Kiyoshi did not stop playing.
The actors who had witnessed Kang Woojin's piano performance in the restaurant two days ago instantly widened their eyes. Mifuyu and the actresses covered their mouths with one hand.
'This feels completely different from back then. I don't even know why, but it's definitely different.'
'The level of playing is similar, so why does it feel this different? Is he acting through the piano too?'
'It feels like a robot is playing the piano… is that strange?'
'It's so different it gives me chills.'
They were not familiar enough with piano to make a clear judgment. All they knew was that the lifeless piano melody filling the room sent a strange chill through them. But Director Kyotaro knew a little about piano. He did not attend often, but he did occasionally go to piano recitals.
So he understood.
'He's talking to himself.'
The piano Kiyoshi was playing right now held no intention of conveying anything to an audience. He was simply muttering to himself.
♬♪
The camera angle, which had been showing Kiyoshi from behind as he sat at the piano, slowly lowered. Where his head had previously been visible, now only his back remained in frame. Then, someone entered the shot where Kiyoshi had been alone. Calm footsteps. She wore the same uniform, except she had on a skirt.
She stopped for a moment behind Kiyoshi as he played, then sat down beside him.
Two backs appeared on the monitor.
Their heads were not visible. The girl was simply sitting beside Kiyoshi. She was Misaki Toka. Or more precisely, she was a form of Kiyoshi's memory.
Or perhaps something born from his imagination. Or perhaps the past.
Kiyoshi had summoned a Toka who did not truly exist. That was why Toka did nothing. She simply existed there.
At that exact moment—
♬♪
The lifeless, monotonous piano melody Kiyoshi had been playing suddenly changed. It was from the instant Toka appeared. A faint trace of emotion seeped into the piano Woojin was playing, and that feeling slowly deepened.
He was speaking to her.
Something new was entering the sound, which until then had been empty. The difference between the beginning and now was stark, and the emotion was completely different. Even someone who knew nothing about piano could immediately tell.
This too felt eerie.
Director Kyotaro's intention was clear. Through this scene, he wanted to convey the faint emotion of the "stranger," Iyota Kiyoshi. He wanted to show that Kiyoshi's heart, though strange, was not entirely dead.
Then—
The camera moved from behind Kiyoshi to his side. Before anyone realized it, Toka's seat was empty. Kiyoshi had already forgotten even the memory of her. The camera slowly rose from Kiyoshi's chest to his face.
"······"
Kang Woojin's blank expression. Kiyoshi remained unchanged.
And then—
♬♪
The piano he was playing turned emotionless again. Expressionless. He was talking to himself without feeling anything. Soon, dozens of staff members swallowed hard. This scene absolutely had to make it into the final cut. That same thought was written all over their faces.
And what about the actors?
'This is incredible. No more words are needed.'
'The contrast between emptiness and presence is so extreme… I can't take my eyes off it. Even though he's just playing the piano.'
'That actor can turn anything into acting. I'm honestly jealous of that ability.'
At that point—
Whew.
Director Kyotaro, his face still buried in the monitor, let out a quiet breath. Of course, it was a good take, but it still felt like a waste. He wanted to savor it a little longer. Soon, he found himself imagining future audiences.
'They won't be able to help falling for this brilliant variation.'
He was certain they would feel exactly what he was feeling now.
──────────
Meanwhile, Kang Woojin's available time was shrinking more and more. Even today, Sunday, filming for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice continued without pause.
Even so—
"Cut!! Ugh, that was great, Woojin-ssi!"
The pace of filming for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice was fast. Thanks to Kang Woojin, who was playing Kiyoshi, the acting quality of the other cast members had visibly improved, and as a result, the number of NG takes had dropped dramatically. Naturally, the storyboard filming progressed quickly as well.
Meanwhile, that same afternoon in Korea, episode two of Our Table was airing.
The second episode included the reason a long line of foreigners had formed in front of the food truck, how Our Table had been introduced to the LA community, the relationship between the elderly couple and the reporter, and the devoted effort the Our Table members poured into serving their guests.
Compared to episode one, this second episode contained far more reactions from foreign guests.
"Oh! This is delicious! What was this dish called again?"
"It says it right there on the menu. Kim-laver bibim noodles? Is it really that good?"
"Yeah, I don't think I'd ever get tired of eating this every day."
"Then I'll try it too."
Everyone praised the cooking of the main chef, Kang Woojin. In particular, Woojin's quick thinking stood out. From handling mistakes that came up during the food truck operation to adjusting flavors to suit foreign guests, the reason Kim-laver bibim noodles became popular, as well as his composure, were highlighted throughout the episode.
[Ahhhhh this is so good ahhhhh]
[I want to eat Kim-laver bibim noodles too!!!! Please sell it!!!!]
[↑Agreed. I want to try every single dish Kang Woojin makes. Not just the noodles…]
[Our Table really nailed the casting hahaha the chemistry is amazing. PD Yoon really does have an eye for talent]
[Kang Woojin's leadership was amazing today hahaha the way he handled every situation so smoothly was seriously cool hahahahaha]
[...So this is how Sunday ends…..How am I supposed to survive until next week…..]
[Yeonbaekwang hahaha following Kang Woojin around like a puppy hahaha so cute hahaha]
Hong Hyeyeon and Hwarin were dazzlingly beautiful today as always.
[Chef couple hahaha am I the only one who thinks it's cute how they keep coming back because they fell for oppa Woojin's cooking???]
The weekend ended, Monday arrived, and January came to a close. February 1st. The beginning of February.
So who was the busiest person from the very start of the morning on February 1st?
"Why does the set look like this? This is completely different from the meeting atmosphere."
It was PD Song Manwoo, a giant in the drama industry. He had been on set since early morning, directing operations.
"Team leads, bring me the final storyboard. Am I the only one seeing that something's off?"
While Leech was entering the latter half of pre-production, Beneficial Evil was in the middle stages.
But the two situations were happening almost at the same time.
In any case, after locking in Kang Woojin as the lead, PD Song Manwoo carefully looked through the rest of the cast and concentrated on script work. He was thorough in every area. Script meetings, action storyboards, location scouting, set inspections, actor meetings—everything was being handled more meticulously than ever before.
The production direction itself might even shift into full pre-production.
The reason was simple.
Although the outsourced production company, Seonhaeng, had entered production, they still had not secured a broadcaster. So they had not informed the outside world yet. Naturally, public broadcasters, general programming channels, and cable stations had all shown interest, but Song Manwoo was carefully weighing the situation. SBC, which had produced Hanryang, was the strongest candidate, but there was no need to decide immediately.
There was still room to drive the conditions even higher.
There was one thing they had been keeping completely under wraps.
PD Song Manwoo instructed the production manager to reveal it.
"We'll start releasing information about Woojin-ssi little by little. We've already discussed it with his agency, bw Entertainment."
"Ah, so we're starting now?"
"We have to. Tease it lightly, like bait. Make it look like Woojin-ssi and I are teaming up again."
"Haha, even with just PD-nim and Boy Friend writer Choi Nana, the combination was already powerful enough. Now that Kang Woojin is joining too, the broadcasters are going to be drooling."
PD Song Manwoo smiled as he recalled the broadcasting executives he had met.
"The situation will reverse itself."
Late Monday morning—
the first spark had already appeared.
『[Official] Our Table episode 2 rises again, recording 19.3% ratings』
Our Table hit 19.3% ratings, setting yet another record in the entertainment industry. There were many reasons behind that result. The high quality of Our Table itself, word of mouth, the many issues surrounding Kang Woojin, the popularity of the cast, and the tireless promotion by the production staff all played a role.
On top of that, there were currently not many variety shows in the domestic industry worth watching.
『Our Table creates another legendary episode, breaking through 19.3% ratings… Kang Woojin proves his natural talent yet again』
Simply put, Kang Woojin was making history even in variety programming.
And then, following Our Table—
『[Exclusive] The two key figures behind the miracle of Hanryang reunite! "Drama industry giant" PD Song Manwoo's next project officially confirms "acting monster" Kang Woojin as lead!』
The first stir surrounding Beneficial Evil had begun.
At the same time, in Tokyo, Japan, at Kashiwa Group headquarters—
there was an enormous executive office where even the sofa and desk looked absurdly expensive. Standing by the wide window of that office was a man in a suit.
"······"
His hair, even down to his eyebrows, was streaked with white.
It was none other than Chairman Hideki of Kashiwa Group.
With his hands in his pockets, he quietly looked out the window. From that height, it looked as though all of Tokyo lay beneath his feet.
Right then—
Knock knock.
The sound of a knock echoed through the office. Chairman Hideki reacted immediately, still facing the window as he spoke. His voice was rough and low.
"Come in."
Soon, the door opened, and his secretary, Lily Tetsugawa, entered with her hair neatly tied back.
"Chairman."
"Hm, yes."
Judging by the fact that she had brought a report, a tablet, and several other materials, it seemed she had a great deal to report. Returning to the large desk, Chairman Hideki listened as Lily stood in front of him and calmly began her report.
Several matters were discussed. Chairman Hideki nodded and lowered his gaze to the report she handed over.
Then—
"Ah, right."
As though remembering something, Chairman Hideki raised his head and looked at Lily.
"Was it last week? How did the filming at our hotel for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice go?"
He was referring to the production team of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, which had been filming at Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel. Chairman Hideki had been too busy lately to pay close attention, but The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had remained on his mind all the same.
More specifically, what he cared about were The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, Kang Woojin, and bw Entertainment.
In any case, Lily, who had been standing there with her head slightly bowed, suddenly handed the tablet in her hand to Chairman Hideki.
"I received a report that the filming itself proceeded without any major issues. I also checked the location photos the hotel provided."
Chairman Hideki crossed his arms and asked again,
"Without any major issues? Then why are you saying it like that?"
"Well······"
For some reason, Secretary Lily trailed off. Chairman Hideki furrowed his brows more deeply.
"Did something happen?"
"Something close to an incident, I suppose..."
Rather than explain, Lily seemed to decide it would be better to show him directly. She leaned over and operated the tablet set in front of Chairman Hideki. She opened YouTube Japan. Then she typed something into the search bar.
The search term in Japanese was:
Kang Woojin piano
The moment he saw it, Chairman Hideki's frown deepened.
"Kang Woojin piano? What is this about?"
"Chairman, you need to see this."
Lily pushed the tablet closer. Naturally, Chairman Hideki lowered his gaze to the screen. The results for the search term were displayed.
But—
"······Hm?"
It was not just a handful of videos that appeared.
There were a huge number of them.
Kang Woojin playing piano in Japan while filming The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice!!!
Kang Woojin used to be a pianist (includes piano performance footage)
Listen to Korean actor Kang Woojin's piano version of Merry-Go-Round of Life! I filmed it at Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel!!
Watch Kang Woojin's piano performance. Merry-Go-Round of Life / Location: Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel
Korean actor Kang Woojin's piano performance shook the entire restaurant (+full version, last Friday)
[Kang Woojin Piano Performance]Why you can't help but fall for him wwwwwwwwwwww
·
·
·
·
The view counts were all impressive. Even the lowest had over a hundred thousand, while some had easily passed one million. Chairman Hideki selected one whose title included Kang Woojin, piano, and the hotel's name.
The video started immediately.
At first, the screen wobbled a little. Anyone could tell it had been recorded on a phone. Then it showed the back of a man seated at a white piano in a luxurious restaurant filled with dozens of guests. And then he began to play.
♬♪
At the same time, Lily, still standing in front of him, quietly said in Japanese,
"That is Mr. Kang Woojin."
"······Wait."
Chairman Hideki stopped speaking for a moment, listening to the piano melody for several seconds.
"Good heavens, that's astonishing."
Only then did he open his mouth again, and Lily continued her explanation.
"It has been confirmed that last Friday, Mr. Woojin gave an impromptu piano performance in the hotel restaurant."
"I didn't know he could play the piano. It sounds extremely professional. What do you think?"
"If he had not revealed his name, people would have mistaken him for a pianist. There are many comments saying exactly that."
After the explanation, Lily asked for permission and switched the tablet screen with her index finger. The YouTube main page appeared. She tapped the Trending Videos section. Chairman Hideki read out what was displayed there.
"Number one is 'Kang Woojin piano.'"
"There are also quite a few videos beneath that. And—"
Lily hesitated for a moment, then closed YouTube and opened Twitter. Alongside Instagram, Twitter was currently one of the most widely used social media platforms in Japan.
Through it, people could grasp the latest Japanese trends and major issues in real time.
Lily opened the Real-Time Trend Rankings on Twitter. In other words, it showed the keywords Japanese users were paying the most attention to at that exact moment.
[1. #KangWoojinPianoPerformance]
[2. #MerryGoRoundOfLife Kang Woojin]
Both first and second place were dominated by Kang Woojin's name and the title of the piano piece.
Chairman Hideki's eyes widened.
"······So Twitter has been completely taken over by this."
As if she were still not finished, Lily continued.
"The video is spreading rapidly. The situation is similar on Instagram as well, Chairman."
Then she answered calmly.
"He is dominating Japan's three major social networks."