In truth, the video of Kang Woojin playing the piano had already been uploaded to the Japanese internet a few days earlier. It was late January, on a Friday night.
In other words, it was the very night Kang Woojin had played the piano in the hotel restaurant.
The first place the video appeared was YouTube.
At first, it was just the video itself.
But by the next day, the atmosphere had changed completely.
At the time, searches for the name Kang Woojin were already fairly high in Japan, and the number of people checking related videos had begun to rise. At the same time, the number of videos uploaded to YouTube also exploded. Some were copies of the original upload, but many were newly uploaded by people who had actually witnessed Kang Woojin's performance in person.
[Is the person playing the piano really Kang Woojin?]
[If it really is Kang Woojin, isn't he a Korean actor? Why is that actor playing the piano there?]
Interest kept growing.
[The video is kind of dark, so it's hard to see his face clearly, but I think it really is Kang Woojin.]
[Woooow!! This is incredible… I had no idea he could play the piano this well??]
[Which restaurant is this?]
[According to the description, it's the Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel! He's playing my favorite song!! I love this so much!!]
[Do Korean actors usually learn things like piano too? Looking at Kang Woojin's YouTube, he seems good at singing and cooking too. Is there anything this actor can't do?]
[Wow… I'm so jealous of the people who were actually there in that restaurant… They got to see Kang Woojin in person and even hear him play the piano right in front of them…]
[This isn't edited, right? That really is Kang Woojin?]
[The best, the best, the best!!! He's amazing!!!]
If it had ended there, it might have quieted down.
But the momentum kept going.
It spread beyond YouTube and moved into Japanese social media, especially the platforms Japanese users frequented most, such as Twitter and Instagram.
There, the topic's popularity grew at an exponential rate.
People who had actually been in the restaurant, people who had seen the YouTube video, people who got curious and searched Kang Woojin for the first time—regardless of why they came across it, the number of shares skyrocketed.
And those shared posts kept spreading.
Then people added their own thoughts to the shared posts, and the scale kept snowballing without end.
In just two days.
It had taken only two days for a tidal wave to become a tsunami.
As a result, Kang Woojin had climbed to number one on the real-time trending rankings of Japan's top SNS platform, the very one Chairman Hideki had been watching.
[1. #KangWoojinPianoPerformance]
[2. #MerryGoRoundOfLife Kang Woojin]
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[5. #KangWoojin]
[6. #KangWoojinPiano]
Four of the top ten trending searches were related to Kang Woojin.
It looked very much like the real-time search rankings in Korea.
A similar mood was detectable on other social platforms too, including Instagram.
In other words, a huge number of Japanese people were talking about Kang Woojin.
And even at that very moment, things were still happening.
[HJO54_]
[#KangWoojin I found a seriously gorgeous piano video!!! I've already listened to it five times in a row and I'm still not tired of it!! I could listen to this all night.]
[@kyo1533]
[wwwww #KangWoojin's piano video is exploding right now, but did he choose to play #MerryGoRoundOfLife because he knew it would get even more popular??? There's no Japanese person who dislikes Merry-Go-Round of Life.]
(TL: "wwwww" is basically the Japanese version of "ㅋㅋㅋㅋ," similar to "lol" in English.)
[@45642877_gg]
[(video link) It's way too good to keep to myself!!! Do you know #KangWoojin? He's a Korean actor who's getting huge in Japan right now!! He played the piano himself! Please go listen right now!! The song is #MerryGoRoundOfLife!!]
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Every second, every minute, new posts poured onto all kinds of social media. The heat gradually spread beyond SNS into the wider internet and even offline spaces. It was as though the entire country of Japan was being swept up in it.
Like one giant trend. One giant talking point.
Usually, that kind of thing only happened when luck, timing, and the current mood all aligned perfectly.
And it was the same for Kang Woojin now.
The current situation was the result of multiple factors overlapping at once.
Kang Woojin was already fairly well known in Japan. On top of that, there was the fact that he had played the piano himself, the surprising level of his skill, the vivid realism of the footage, the popularity of the song itself, the fact that it had happened so recently, the detached expression on Kang Woojin's face in the video, and even the brief appearances of actors from The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice.
All of those things combined to make the video draw even more attention.
Kang Woojin was becoming a full-fledged trend in Japan.
Watching all of this unfold, Chairman Hideki smiled faintly. Kang Woojin had always been a source of buzz, but this time the momentum and influence were on a completely different level.
It was too good an opportunity to waste.
As the owner of a major corporation, Chairman Hideki decided to push that momentum even further.
His investment was focused entirely on that benefit.
"Are articles coming out?"
"Yes. They're continuing to increase."
"Then our channels should participate as well. Spread it so widely that it starts to feel excessive."
Both The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice and bw Entertainment would end up benefiting greatly from it.
──────────
Meanwhile—
inside the van speeding down the road.
It was the van Kang Woojin was riding in. They were on their way to the set of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. Naturally, they already knew about the trend overtaking all of Japan, so the inside of the van was noisy.
"Waaah!! Oppa, Japanese social media is literally talking about nothing but you!!"
"Getting number one on Twitter's real-time trending list is seriously insane!"
"They really love that song!!"
The stylists were practically squealing.
Han Yejung quietly showed him social media posts, while Jang Suhwan kept praising Kang Woojin nonstop.
Then—
"It feels like a bomb went off. A real bomb."
Choi Sunggeon, seated in the front passenger seat, was laughing.
"Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, search sites—everywhere is overflowing with your name tagged in it, Woojin."
"······"
Naturally, Kang Woojin kept a perfectly cynical face.
"Mm, it's not a bad situation for us. Woojin, you probably expected something like this to some extent when you showed off your piano skills, right?"
"Yes, more or less."
That was not true at all.
'What the hell? It really blew up this much?!'
At the moment, Kang Woojin was completely stunned inside.
'I just played the piano once, so why is this turning into such a huge thing?! Why?? What even is this??'
He had expected some rumors to spread, but he had never imagined all of Japan would be thrown into an uproar. Still, what could he do? It had already started, so all Kang Woojin could do was endure the momentum.
Fortunately, he was already an expert at hiding shock and pretending to be perfectly calm.
Then Choi Sunggeon, who had opened his planner, shifted the topic.
"It'd be nice if we could ride this wave longer, but we don't have time. As you know, we have to wrap up the shoot today, finish all the remaining Japanese schedules, and head straight back to Korea."
There were still a few things left, but after finishing roughly three weeks of work in Japan, Kang Woojin had to return to Korea.
His Korean schedule was packed too.
Once he completed everything in Korea, he was scheduled to come back to Japan again.
And then, right at that moment—
"Oh my god!! CEO-nim, look over there!"
Just as they were nearing the filming site, one of the stylists pointed ahead. Everyone, including Kang Woojin, turned to look.
At the wide entrance of the large set, dozens of reporters holding cameras were gathered.
"What is this?? Why are reporters swarming the set?!"
Something like this had never happened before.
Which meant there was only one possible answer.
Choi Sunggeon scratched at the tied-back end of his hair and answered in a low voice.
"What else would it be? It has to be because of Woojin. But how the hell did the filming location leak??"
In any case, once they secretly parked the van in the outer parking area of the set, several members of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice production staff who had been waiting nearby ran over. One of the male staff members called out toward the open van door in Japanese.
"Mr. Woojin!! Please come with us as quickly as possible!!"
Just as expected, the reporters had gathered because of Kang Woojin.
A moment later, after zipping up his padded jacket, Kang Woojin quickly moved toward the set entrance with the staff.
At the same time—
"Hey!! Kang Woojin!!"
"Mr. Woojin!! Just one quick comment!!"
"Mr. Woojin!!"
The reporters fired off their shutters frantically.
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Later—
before anyone knew it, it was already February 3rd.
Naturally, Kang Woojin headed to a set that day as well.
But it was not the set of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice.
It was the commercial shoot for a food subsidiary of the Kashiwa Group.
That was why Kang Woojin arrived early that morning at a large studio in Tokyo.
The first impression he had the moment he stepped inside was simple.
'This is huge. Is this really a commercial set?'
'The scale is enormous.'
If he had not needed to maintain his concept, he probably would have blurted out his amazement honestly. Of course, he had seen large studios in Korea too, but this place felt less like a commercial set and more like a movie set.
That was how extensive the preparation was.
"Ah! Mr. Kang Woojin! Hello!"
"Mr. Kang Woojin is here!"
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Woojin. I'm the director in charge of this commercial."
If you combined the ad production team with the Kashiwa Group staff who had come out to help, there looked to be at least seventy people on site.
A few of them even asked him about his piano skills.
And the filming equipment?
Everything was there, from various types of cameras to a small jib. Even the expensive-looking sound equipment caught Woojin's attention.
And on top of that—
'The sets are impressive. Is that side for CG filming?'
The studio was divided into four sections, and each one had a different pre-built set and green screen already in place.
It really did look like a film set.
Even so, Kang Woojin sat quietly in the actor waiting room without showing any surprise. Soon, the commercial director hurried over to him.
"Mr. Woojin, you already saw the storyboard, but I'll explain it again just in case."
"Yes, I understand."
Today, Kang Woojin was shooting a commercial for a new ramen product.
The brand in question was considered a premium ramen line in Japan.
As he listened to the briefing from the director and staff, Woojin felt a strange mix of curiosity and anticipation.
'Wow, seriously. I'm filming a commercial in Japan right now.'
He had done plenty of commercial shoots in Korea, but doing one in Japan felt new.
Meanwhile, Choi Sunggeon with his ponytail and the rest of Woojin's team were looking through the distributed ad storyboard and laughing for some reason.
"Wow, this is really clever."
"Right, CEO-nim? Doesn't it suit oppa Woojin perfectly?"
"Exactly. This ad has story, comedy, and even a twist. Once it's released, it'll be a huge hit in both Japan and Korea."
Meanwhile, in Japan, hashtags like #KangWoojin and #KangWoojinPiano were still exploding in popularity. The related articles were doing the same. The YouTube video had already passed three million views, and his popularity had multiplied several times over.
[I'm completely addicted… I can't escape Kang Woojin's piano performance… My wish is to see Kang Woojin in person…]
[I'm seriously jealous of the people who got to see his piano playing up close! What must that have felt like?]
[I wish Kang Woojin's piano performance video would be uploaded to YouTube officially!!!]
And naturally, the number of negative comments also began to rise.
[Why are people praising Kang Woojin so much? He only stood out because he played the piano.]
[He picked Merry-Go-Round of Life on purpose because he knew Japanese people would love it.]
In any case, even in Korea, where The Good and the Evil had already made him a major topic, Kang Woojin's piano performance, which had shaken Japan, was gradually starting to become known.
Beginning in local communities—
[Because of Kang Woojin, Japan is in total chaos right now.jpg]
[I saw this on Japanese YouTube lol Kang Woojin played the piano in Japan and it's become insanely hot lol]
[Go check Japanese Twitter right now lol Kang Woojin is number one in real-time trends lol this is crazy]
The reporters who caught the scent immediately sprang into action too.
『[Star Talk] What is the truth behind the Kang Woojin piano performance video spreading rapidly in Japan?』
And the video of Kang Woojin playing the piano began circulating in Korea as well.
Just like that, the third day of both countries making noise over him came to an end.
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Then came early morning on Thursday the 4th.
For some reason, Kang Woojin did not appear at the filming set of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. He was not at the hotel where he had been staying either.
In fact, he was not even in Japan anymore.
Which was only natural.
"Sneaking out really was the right call. Good thing you were able to board without any reporters around, Woojin."
"Yes, CEO-nim."
"Try to get some sleep. We've got one hour left before we land in Korea."
Kang Woojin was already on a plane bound for Korea. It had taken off long ago. In a way, it almost looked as though he had dropped a bomb in Japan and fled back to Korea.
Well, in a sense, that was true.
Kang Woojin had not planned or orchestrated this situation from the beginning. He had not stirred it up himself, either. People had simply talked nonsense on their own until things exploded.
'Once I finish the Korean schedule and come back, things will probably have calmed down a bit, right?'
In the entertainment world, it was common for noise to die down over time. Kang Woojin had seen that happen many times. Thinking that, he closed his eyes.
But that was a premature judgment on Woojin's part.
He had no idea another wave was about to rise.
And the starting point of that new wave was right now.
At the exact moment Kang Woojin closed his eyes on the plane.
A famous Japanese voice actress had uploaded a post to Instagram.
[_dadaco8]
[Hello, this is Sayaka Asami. Today, I want to talk about something completely unrelated to my work. To be honest, I hesitated for a long time over whether I should write this. But in the end, I felt I needed to properly express my gratitude to that person.]
[You all know the Korean actor who has become a hot topic in Japan because of his impromptu piano performance, right? Yes, I'm talking about Kang Woojin. I want to talk about Kang Woojin, and about the story behind that impromptu piano performance. I'm happy that Kang Woojin is becoming more popular, but I also feel there are some misunderstandings in a few posts, so I want to clear them up. Kang Woojin didn't play the piano simply to show off. He played it for my daughter.]
[My beloved daughter has trouble with her legs and uses a wheelchair. Some of you may already know that. My daughter loves K-pop, so she often watches Korean content, and because of that, she became a devoted fan of Kang Woojin. I did too. Last week was my daughter's birthday, so our family went to have dinner at the restaurant in Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel, something we had planned in advance. And then—goodness—we met Kang Woojin there!]
Every word of the post was steeped in sincerity.
[Later, I found out that Kang Woojin had been filming at that hotel. In any case, the moment my daughter saw him, she froze up. Of course she did. She had never imagined that her favorite actor would suddenly appear right in front of her. Kang Woojin's presence was incredible. It wasn't just that he was handsome. He had that aura that made you think, 'Ah, he really is an actor.' My daughter was so flustered she could barely speak properly, but Kang Woojin calmly greeted her, gave her an autograph, and even talked with her.]
The famous Japanese voice actress Sayaka Asami was her mother.