The girl in the wheelchair who had received a piano performance from Kang Woojin as a birthday gift.
Or rather, Asami Yusako.
That girl's mother, Asami Sayaka, was a voice actress with a fairly strong reputation in Japan. Voice actors in Japan were often treated like celebrities, though Sayaka was not quite at that level.
She was a voice actress praised for her beautiful voice and excellent acting.
Among her peers, she was considered one of the best, and she was highly respected in the industry. She had voiced roles in numerous hit works and continued to build that career. Because of that, Sayaka had a large following on Instagram, and she ended up making a post about Kang Woojin.
Her fans found it a little strange.
But once they read the contents, the reason Sayaka had mentioned Kang Woojin became immediately clear.
[I told Mr. Kang Woojin that my daughter had received a wonderful birthday gift from him. Mr. Kang Woojin asked my daughter what her dream was, and she said she wanted to become a voice actress and that her favorite work was Howl's Moving Castle. Mr. Kang Woojin encouraged her. He was truly kind. That was all they talked about. They did not speak for very long. But at that time, the cast of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had gathered in the restaurant, and Mr. Kang Woojin also came into the same restaurant.]
Then, piano music began to fill the restaurant.
Yes, it was Kang Woojin.
My husband, my daughter, and I never expected it at all. As you probably already know, the piece was Merry-Go-Round of Life, the OST from Howl's Moving Castle. Why did Mr. Kang Woojin suddenly play that song? You've probably guessed it by now, but yes. Mr. Kang Woojin had remembered what my daughter said about Howl's Moving Castle. That impromptu piano performance was for my daughter.
[Can you even imagine it? It was a birthday gift he gave to a girl from another country, someone he had exchanged only a few words with. It was something that went far beyond simple fan service.]
Sayaka explained the situation in detail, describing what she had seen and felt.
She never stated it outright, but deep emotion and gratitude could be felt throughout the post. It included their tears, the reactions of the restaurant guests, and even the final farewell Kang Woojin gave her daughter after the performance.
Naturally, the post ended with a flood of hashtags related to Kang Woojin.
[#KangWoojin #KangWoojinPiano #KangWoojinPianoPerformance #MerryGoRoundOfLife······]
Fans almost immediately began pouring comments onto the post.
[Oh my god… I had no idea there was a story like this behind it… this is so moving.]
[I already saw the video of Kang Woojin playing piano, but reading this made me cry.]
[Kang Woojin is seriously, seriously, seriously, seriously amazing!]
[So you're saying he played that piano piece for just one person?]
[Wow, if that were me, I would've passed out on the spot.]
[More people need to see this story. I'm going to share it everywhere I can.]
[I understand why your daughter cried. Kang Woojin really seems like such a wonderful person.]
[This fan service is insane!! This is on a completely different level! My favorite artist playing the piano right in front of me just for me...]
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The comments kept pouring in without pause. It began with fans of the well-known voice actress Sayaka, but through the tags, more and more people joined in. That atmosphere and momentum soon created another tsunami.
There had been a hidden twist behind the major incident that shook Japan.
Japanese netizens loved stories that went beyond being merely touching. Once an unknown backstory was revealed, the incident always became more powerful, especially when it contained an unexpected twist like this one.
The way many Japanese people viewed Kang Woojin began to change.
Even those who had looked at him skeptically began abandoning their prejudice, and even those who had only admired his piano skills were deeply moved. People who had felt little affection for him started to feel strongly drawn to him, while those who had already liked Kang Woojin began to idolize him.
But this was only the beginning of the second tsunami.
──────────
About two hours later, in Korea.
It was late morning. A large van was speeding down the highway, heading for Seoul. Inside the vehicle, Kang Woojin sat quietly, looking out the window. His face was as expressionless as always, but inwardly he was so happy he hardly knew what to do.
'Wow, it really has been so long since I've been in Korea! It feels amazing to be back home.'
It had been quite a while since he had returned to Korea.
Inside, he wanted to dance with joy, call his family and friends, and make a huge fuss over it, but because he had to maintain his image, he could not do that.
In any case, he had returned in secret, so neither Korea nor Japan knew where Kang Woojin currently was.
Both countries were already in an uproar over his news anyway, so there was no reason to create even more commotion. Both Kang Woojin and Choi Sunggeon agreed on that. Just like Japan, Korea also had several new issues tied to Kang Woojin. There was Our Table, the project he was doing with PD Song Manwoo, and there was also the piano performance he had shown in Japan.
Kang Woojin, however, had no idea that a second wave was now sweeping through Japan.
Choi Sunggeon did not know either.
"Whew, Woojin, I really want to let you rest today, but the schedule is so packed there's barely any room for it. There's just too much to do in Korea too. I compressed the schedule as much as I could, and it's still like this. What can we do? We just have to push through somehow."
Things had been busy in Japan too, but Kang Woojin's main activities were still centered in Korea. Including ad shoots, his schedule was piling up to the point where he barely had time to breathe.
"Yes. That's fine."
Even so, it all felt new and strangely appealing.
"February is always insanely busy."
Last year and this year were completely different.
Now he was actively working back and forth between Korea and Japan. Kang Woojin, who had once been an ordinary citizen, had become a famous actor even in Japan. It was proof of how relentlessly he had pushed himself forward.
And now—
"Here's the rough schedule. I already contacted Director Ahn Gabok, but wouldn't it be better if you reached out separately too? Hmm, no. He'll probably be busy with the auditions right now."
They were currently on their way to the audition venue for the film Leech, which had already confirmed his casting. His first schedule after returning to Korea was participating as a judge for Director Ahn Gabok's film auditions. The auditions were set to begin at around two in the afternoon, which meant about four hours remained.
'Hmm, I guess I'll just sit quietly and watch. Right. I'll keep my mouth shut and just watch.'
He was being called a judge, but in his own mind, he was no different from a spectator.
Still, he did not want to look foolish.
'I heard a lot of famous actors are coming, right?'
Veteran director Ahn Gabok and the well-known actor Shim Hanho were serving as judges as well, and the people auditioning ranged from A-list actors to top-tier stars. He did not know exactly who would show up, but to Kang Woojin, it sounded like a battlefield.
Since so many big names would be there, maintaining his persona mattered even more.
On top of that, Kang Woojin had been the very first actor cast in Leech, and he was also set to share the lead role with the highly respected Shim Hanho. Style and poise were essential.
'Hmm—'
Woojin slowly crossed his legs and turned his gaze toward the pile of scripts and scenarios stacked on the seat to his right. He reached out and picked up the Leech screenplay. He had already read it several times and had gone through readings multiple times as well, but the best way to ease the tension building inside him was still to review it.
He also found himself thinking about the recently acquired role integration.
The situation had changed greatly since the last time he read it.
Kang Woojin turned the first page of the Leech screenplay.
Leech began with articles about a chaebol family.
Their turbulent lives, their light and shadow. Various incidents and scandals. After quickly flashing through those articles, the scene shifted. The background became a subway packed with commuters during rush hour. The train was crammed with people on their way to work.
Then the scene changed again.
This time the setting was the large warehouse of a manufacturing company. Koreans and foreigners alike moved busily around the place. They carried materials, assembled things, packaged them, and stacked them onto pallets. Everyone was drenched in sweat.
Among them was the protagonist of Leech.
He was slightly taller than average, but otherwise entirely ordinary.
His hair was neat, but his skin looked rough, as though he never paid any attention to it. Dressed in work clothes, he was difficult to distinguish from the other employees.
His name was Park Haseong.
He was someone who lived only to work. That was because his debts were overwhelming. His father had died when he was young, and recently even his mother had passed away. Park Haseong had been left alone.
No—not entirely alone.
Debt always lingered beside him. When he combined his parents' hospital bills with all sorts of living expenses, the total amounted to tens of thousands.
For Park Haseong, constant work was not a choice. It was unavoidable.
He worked at a manufacturing company on weekday mornings, and at night he worked as a designated driver. Unfortunately, even the manufacturing company job was temporary. On weekends he could not rest either, and whenever he found spare time, he picked up short-term part-time jobs.
'If I want to pay off these debts, I can't afford to rest.'
His day, his month, and his year all began and ended with work. Originally, he had given up on going to college because he had no money. Studying? He had never had time for that. The only talent Park Haseong possessed was sign language. Because his mother had been hearing-impaired, he had been forced to learn it from an early age.
Other than that, he had no particular talent.
Though perhaps he did have one thing.
He seemed to possess sharp observation and quick wit.
As usual, after finishing his weekday work, Park Haseong searched for another short-term part-time job for the weekend. That was when he came across one notice. It was a large church looking for staff for a charity event. It said staff, but in reality, it was little more than a position for handling miscellaneous tasks.
So what?
To Park Haseong, the type of work or how difficult it was did not matter. He simply did whatever he could.
Fortunately, his application was accepted, and after receiving a day of training, Park Haseong headed to the venue where the charity event would be held. The site was a large mansion with a wide yard, where food had been laid out buffet-style and many famous people had gathered. Once he arrived, he realized that this so-called charity event was, in truth, a gathering place for chaebol families and powerful figures. A number of foreigners were noticeable as well.
According to the screenplay, Park Haseong deeply regretted the first person he met there.
'I should never have met her.'
At that moment, Kang Woojin touched the black square attached beside the screenplay and stepped back into the world of Leech.
In an instant, his world turned into the void.
"Let's see—"
Among the white rectangles lined up in a row, Kang Woojin selected Leech.
-[You have selected Script (Title: Leech).]
-[List of readable roles (Experience).]
-[A: Park Haseong, B: Chairman Yoon Jeongbae, C: Yoon Jaho······]
Naturally, the role he chose was Park Haseong.
["Preparing to read A: Park Haseong"······]
Soon, Kang Woojin was surrounded by an endless gray haze. At first, it was so dark he could see nothing. But then Park Haseong's voice reached him.
No—perhaps it was Park Haseong himself who was speaking now.
"I don't know who I am. I don't know why I exist. I'm lost. Is the one speaking right now really me? Or am I just making excuses to fit the situation? I'm telling you, I don't know. Maybe tomorrow morning I'll be laughing."
His voice was faint and drained of strength.
"If I'm laughing tomorrow morning, will that still be me? I'm confused. Am I imitating someone, or is that my real self? At first, I was envious. I wanted your world so badly. But now I can't even find my real self anymore. It feels like I lost it somewhere along the way. I don't think I'll ever get it back."
As the voice faded, the world of Leech came into view before Woojin's eyes.
No—more accurately, it was Park Haseong's world.
Kang Woojin was filled from head to toe with Park Haseong. The strongest emotions surging through him were urgency and anxiety.
Little by little, the colors around him grew clearer.
He became aware of the weather too. It was chilly. He could hear the murmuring voices of people nearby. His clothes felt stiff and tight against his body. He was wearing a suit. Woojin—no, Park Haseong—was dressed in a suit. One of his hands felt heavy. He was holding a round tray filled with empty wine glasses.
The ground beneath his feet crackled.
The artificial turf stood stiff and upright. The world of Leech was not as dark as he had expected. It was bright and lively. People's expressions were relaxed, their movements leisurely, and the smell of delicious food drifted through the air.
♬♪
Soft classical music could be heard in the background.
Looking out at the wide scene before him, one phrase rose in Kang Woojin's mind.
'What kind of world is this?'
It was envy disguised as complaint.
It was jealousy.
What else could it be? They were all in the same space, yet those people looked as though they had come from an entirely different planet. Park Haseong let out a low sigh and continued with his work. Carrying wine glasses. Serving food. Running errands here and there.
After that, he went behind the mansion to bring more chairs stacked there.
"What?"
That was when he saw her.
A middle-aged woman.
Yet despite her age, she looked young. She was tall, and her outfit was refined and elegant. It was impossible to tell whether she had simply lost her way or whether she was only looking around idly.
But one thing was certain.
'She's a rich man's wife.'
Her luxurious clothes, the jewelry hanging from her ears and neck, and the rings on her fingers all looked expensive. At that instant, a hot emotion surged up inside Woojin's chest.
'Damn, that one ring looks like it costs more than my entire yearly salary. Life really is screwed up.'
But he did not show it on the surface. Saying it aloud would change nothing. It would only make Park Haseong's miserable reality stand out more sharply.
Soon, he approached the woman politely and asked if she needed anything.
"Is there something you're looking for?"
The woman turned her head.
Seen up close, she was far more beautiful than he had expected.
No—much more.
For a split second, Kang Woojin nearly blurted out a stunned wow. How much money had she spent on her face? Even so, age could not be hidden. A faint trace of passing years clung to her.
Without answering, she simply looked at him.
"······"
What was this?
Slightly irritated, Woojin asked again,
"Excuse me, I asked if there was something you were looking for."
This time, the woman gave a faint smile and shook her head. In that instant, Kang Woojin realized something.
No—he became certain of it.
Without even knowing why, he reflexively raised both hands.
Swish.
It was sign language.
Woojin showed the woman sign language, and he was astonishingly fluent.
["Is there something you're looking for?"]
Perhaps it had been because of that strange, practiced smile and the way she carried herself.
Park Haseong's mother had been the same. The kind of smile or laugh people who used sign language often had, shaped through long habit.
If Park Haseong—or Woojin—had misjudged even slightly, he might have looked insane. Fortunately, the woman's eyes widened just a little, and she lifted both hands.
["You know sign language?"]
["Yes. I learned it from a young age because of my mother."]
["How is your mother?"]
["She passed away."]
["I'm sorry."]
["It's alright. It's been a while. How can I help you?"]
The practiced smile on the woman's face disappeared in an instant.
It was as if she could finally breathe.
["Then would you talk to me for a little while? I'm so bored I feel like I'm dying."]
He was reminded of his late mother.
Of course, the woman standing in front of him had an entirely different face, but Woojin was already slipping into memory. Because of that, instead of carrying away the chair he had come for, he set it down there, gestured to the woman, and pulled out a chair for himself as well.
Then he sat down.
They talked for dozens of minutes.
The topics were scattered and random. She was clearly the wife of a chaebol family, yet she was kind to him. That alone was interesting. She was nothing like the chaebol people Kang Woojin had imagined.
Then, at one point, the woman's phone rang.
It seemed to be a text message.
She quickly sent back what looked like a reply asking for understanding.
Exactly ten seconds later, a presence made itself known behind them.
Swish.
"What is this?"
It was the voice of a low, thick-toned man.
Woojin turned his head and saw a middle-aged man. He wore a perfectly tailored suit, and his black-and-gray mixed hair was neatly styled back with pomade. He looked to be over sixty, yet his body was sturdy and imposing.
Most of all, his gaze was intense.
He looked at the woman for a moment, then shifted his eyes to Woojin.
"Young man, who are you?"
Kang Woojin abruptly sprang to his feet.
"I'm sorry. I work here, and just now…"
"Ah, I see."
The man, with a faint smile on his face, raised his hand toward the woman.
Again, it was sign language.
"Were you two perhaps having an affair?"
Startled, Woojin hurriedly answered,
"An affair? No!! We were just talking for a little while! I'm really sorry!"
"Ah, you know sign language?"
"Yes? Ah, yes. I learned it from childhood."
"Wow, that's impressive. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to have a conversation with my wife."
So that woman is his wife?
Right then, the woman rose from her seat, stepped closer to her husband, and began signing something to him. But because her back was turned, Kang Woojin could not see her hands.
["Honey, I was only passing the time with this young man. The party is so boring."]
It was the moment she voluntarily attached the leech to her body.