PD Song Manwoo?
Kang Woojin lifted his eyes from Han Yejung's phone. Choi Sunggeon, his ponytail tied back, was poking at his own phone.
"You haven't heard from him separately, right?"
"No. I haven't checked yet."
"Hmm—there wasn't supposed to be a meeting with PD Song during this Korea schedule."
Muttering to himself, Choi Sunggeon raised the phone to his ear.
"Hello, PD-nim. I was just about to call you."
In response to Choi Sunggeon's polite greeting, PD Song Manwoo answered in a rather serious tone over the phone.
"Hello, CEO Choi. I heard you arrived in Korea today."
"Yes, PD-nim. I'm in Seoul right now."
"Would it be possible to see Woojin-ssi for a moment while you're in Korea? I'd really like to meet him before he heads back to Japan."
Choi Sunggeon turned to meet Kang Woojin's eyes.
"Hmm, it's possible, but today might be difficult… Please hold on for a moment, PD-nim. I'll check the schedule right away."
"Yes, CEO Choi."
Choi Sunggeon lowered his phone to block out the outside noise and asked Woojin,
"PD Song wants to see you, and he sounds like he's in a hurry. But the next few days are packed, and you already look tired from the Leech audition today, so I'm telling you in advance."
Kang Woojin calmly shook his head.
"Today is fine too."
"You don't look exhausted, but there's no need to push yourself too hard."
"No, it's fine."
In truth, Woojin was a little tired, but not to the point of being completely worn out. If he needed to, he could always rest in the void space. In any case, Choi Sunggeon seemed to understand and nodded.
"Alright. Then today probably won't work. I'll ask if tomorrow morning is okay."
"Yes."
Choi Sunggeon raised the phone to his ear again.
"PD-nim, would tomorrow morning work for you?"
PD Song Manwoo answered immediately.
"Of course, that's fine. Just let me know the time, and I'll come to bw Entertainment."
"Ah, you'll come here yourself? Understood. I'll contact you again later."
"Yes, CEO Choi."
And with that, the call ended.
Choi Sunggeon muttered with a slightly puzzled expression.
"He said he'll come himself. We should be able to see him before tomorrow's schedule starts."
Kang Woojin slowly nodded. Then he showed Han Yejung's phone to Choi Sunggeon and explained the contents of the SNS post, along with who the famous Japanese voice actress was. Since Choi Sunggeon had been there at the time, he understood immediately.
"Ah! So you mean the woman you said was her mother?"
As soon as he understood, thoughts began spinning rapidly through the company CEO's head.
"Wow, she was a famous voice actress in Japan? I had no idea. Woojin, Japan was already noisy because of your piano performance, and now this person has thrown in a completely unexpected twist?"
"Really?"
"Yes. Honestly, since there were so many guests in that restaurant, I figured the story would spread to some extent. But this changes things completely. It's not just some noisy incident anymore. It's turned into a heartwarming story. And the person involved is a famous voice actress, on top of that. The story itself is good too. You did it sincerely, and I guess in this rough entertainment industry, this kind of thing really works."
Kang Woojin was roughly able to grasp what kind of situation it was. He had often seen famous celebrities become hot topics because of touching stories like that. Of course, Choi Sunggeon understood it in far greater detail than Woojin did.
"This feels a little unusual. With a story like this, it could go beyond being just a nice anecdote and turn into something almost legendary. You're a foreign actor, after all. There are a lot of keywords here that can stir Japanese public sentiment, especially in Japan, and maybe in Korea too."
But since Kang Woojin was currently in Korea, he could not accurately tell what the mood in Japan was like. Choi Sunggeon, however, was not someone who would just sit still.
"First… we need to start by figuring out the situation. We should see what things look like right now. I'll have the marketing team monitor it."
And just like that, Choi Sunggeon called the company and informed them of Kang Woojin's success.
"If this goes well, you might get treated like a hero when you go back to Japan."
He leaned back in his seat.
──────────
After returning to Korea following the Leech audition and completing his first schedule, Kang Woojin immediately moved on to his second one, which was an interview with a major media outlet. Choi Sunggeon had originally wanted to avoid media interviews whenever possible, but he had come to realize that sometimes hiding too much could backfire instead.
Especially in the case of someone like Kang Woojin, who was nicknamed the King of Controversy.
Rumors and malicious articles were flying around, and sensational tabloids were flooding the market. So from time to time, misunderstandings had to be cleared up.
On top of that, a number of issues related to Kang Woojin were still blazing hot.
The fact that Our Table had nearly hit twenty percent viewership, the news of Beneficial Evil, his collaboration project with PD Song Manwoo, the confirmation that Island of the Missing had entered production, the Japanese project The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, and Kang Woojin's sudden piano-related scandal, along with his secret re-entry into Korea. Dozens of issues were being covered.
It was time for a clear summary.
And so the fourth day came to an end. Then came Friday, the fifth day.
From early that morning, Director Ahn Gabok and the production team of the film Leech had gathered in a conference room at the film company after the auditions. There were about five or six people in the room, and Director Ahn Gabok sat at the far end of the U-shaped table.
The atmosphere was quite serious.
That made sense. They had witnessed something extraordinary at the auditions. But the Leech team had no time to let themselves be distracted. More than anything, the firm look on Director Ahn Gabok's face suggested he was prepared to make a decision today.
Soon, the CEO of the film production company, seated next to Director Ahn, asked,
"Director, are you alright? The audition became far more difficult than we expected."
Director Ahn Gabok, his hair short and white, let out a low laugh.
"That's right. All I can really say is that I'm sorry."
"What?"
"I'm sorry for putting Woojin in a role like that. I should have handled it as the director, but I was so busy I didn't even think of it."
"...Although Kang Woojin looked cold on the outside, he seemed to have thought deeply about Leech."
Recalling Kang Woojin's face, Director Ahn slowly nodded.
"He's broad-minded. He doesn't show it on the outside, but he has a great deal of affection for the projects he takes on. In modern terms, I suppose you'd call him tsundere?"
"Ah, yes, that's right."
"When that young man acts that boldly, we have to pick up the pace too."
The faces of the Leech core staff, including the CEO of the film production company, were filled with determination. At that moment, the cinematographer, his stomach protruding slightly, joined in.
"Still, shouldn't we contact Shim Hanho sunbae-nim? He didn't look too good when he left the theater yesterday."
"If he were the type to collapse over something like this, he never would have been able to carry the kind of responsibility required to lead the Korean acting industry until now."
After answering briefly, Director Ahn Gabok opened the stack of papers in front of him. They contained the profiles of the actors who had participated in yesterday's audition, as well as the detailed evaluations Director Ahn had written during the process.
It was time to make a decision.
"First, regarding the role of Yoon Jaho."
A deep discussion followed regarding the role of Yoon Jaho, which many people, including Jin Jaejun, had wanted.
"What do all of you think?"
"Jaejun-ssi's acting tension has risen noticeably."
"Compared to last year, he's almost unrecognizable. It feels like Drug Dealer raised his acting to another level. It was a completely different type of work from anything he had done before."
Director Ahn Gabok chuckled.
"Drug Dealer—Woojin was in that too, wasn't he?"
"Ah."
"A rookie actor is already influencing top actors. Still, I was a bit disappointed in actor Jin Jaejun. He could have done even better. It felt like the atmosphere of the audition was a bit too light."
"Was it because Kang Woojin-ssi was sitting in front of him?"
"That could be part of it. But even so, I don't think there was anyone who did better than Jin Jaejun."
"Certainly…"
The discussion gradually grew more heated.
"The hardest part was deciding who should take the role of Yoon Jimin."
"Hmm—"
"Hong Hyeyeon stood out the most."
"It felt like many of her flaws had been corrected."
"Wasn't Hwarin's tension acting beyond expectations? I was surprised by how much better she was than I'd thought."
"I'm leaning toward Han Sojin. Even though she's a rookie, she gave the most natural performance. If she keeps going the way she is now, she'll stand out soon enough. She's already good enough as it is."
"Haha, hearing this really makes me realize all over again just how incredible Kang Woojin is."
"Woojin is in a class of his own. He can't be compared with anyone else who has a similar level of fame."
"He's an absurdly unusual weirdo."
A wide range of opinions poured out, and surprisingly, they were quite divided. Director Ahn Gabok spun his pen as he looked down at the evaluation sheets.
About an hour later—
Director Ahn Gabok handed the finalized cast list to the CEO of the film production company.
"Good. Let's go with this. Inform the actors today and make the official announcement."
──────────
Meanwhile.
Around nine in the morning, at bw Entertainment in Samseong-dong.
Even though they had recently moved to a larger office, the inside of bw Entertainment was still neatly organized. Employees were arriving one after another, while a few people were already seated in the largest conference room. One of them was Kang Woojin.
Because he needed to stop by the salon before his booked schedule, he was wearing a cap and his usual long navy padded jacket.
Even that early in the morning, his expression was clear and composed.
Only Choi Sunggeon was seated near him, while by the window sat PD Song Manwoo, wearing a beard, all by himself. Judging by the serious atmosphere, it did not seem like this was anything trivial.
After exchanging brief greetings and catching up, PD Song Manwoo—who had already covered the basic matters—continued speaking to the calm Woojin.
"Woojin-ssi, you may have heard bits and pieces already, but we've been putting a lot of effort into the pre-production of Beneficial Evil. At the same time, we've also been in the process of choosing the final platform."
The final broadcast platform? Ah, he meant the network. Come to think of it, Woojin had never actually heard where Beneficial Evil would air.
"Really?"
"Yes. Since I'm now an outside PD instead of belonging to a network like before, the platform has become extremely important. So while you were in Japan, I met with a number of places—terrestrial networks, comprehensive programming channels, cable, and various OTT platforms."
"······"
"Even before the news of your involvement spread, a great many offers were already coming in. But the moment I hinted that you might be joining, the enthusiasm exploded."
Choi Sunggeon cut in.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"That's right. It was intentional."
"Even without that, with PD Song Manwoo's recognition, writer Choi Nana's success with Boy Friend, and then Woojin joining on top of that, this project was going to be a guaranteed success no matter what."
PD Song Manwoo, who had been smiling faintly, looked back at Kang Woojin again.
"So the terms became even more important. But there wasn't really anywhere that stood out. Because of that, Beneficial Evil was most likely heading to SBC. After all, Hanryang was a hit, and that's also my home base."
"I understand."
"But then Netflix contacted us."
PD Song Manwoo finished speaking and handed Woojin a transparent file.
"The conditions are similar, but what was unusual is that they proposed a challenge."
"A challenge?"
"They suggested launching Beneficial Evil worldwide as a Netflix Original series."
Wow. Worldwide?
The scope of the conversation had suddenly expanded to a global level. Woojin was slightly taken aback, but answered calmly.
"You mean a global release?"
"Yes. In other words, they want us to take on the world with Beneficial Evil. It would still be released domestically, of course, but the main target would be global."
"······"
"To be honest, it's a tempting offer. I've been feeling a little stagnant lately. And I think Beneficial Evil would do well overseas too. I have a lot more to say, but the opinion that matters most is yours, Woojin-ssi, since you're the male lead."
Choi Sunggeon spoke before Kang Woojin could.
"A worldwide release sounds great on the surface, but there's obviously risk attached to it, right?"
"That's right. To be blunt, if Beneficial Evil were aired domestically, a certain degree of success would practically be guaranteed. Woojin-ssi's box office power is so strong that it would already be halfway successful from the start."
"But overseas, that advantage doesn't exist."
"If it succeeds, the ripple effect would be massive. But if it fails, the impact would be more than twice as severe."
The production budget for Beneficial Evil was by no means small. It wasn't a matter of a few million won, but something approaching tens of billions of won. In other words, if it failed, a lot of people would end up in a difficult position. On top of that, Woojin himself might gain the reputation of being unpopular overseas. (TL: "tens of billions" is in won, not dollars.)
"Hmm—"
Choi Sunggeon was burdened with exactly those concerns, and PD Song Manwoo knew that perfectly well.
"Since there's risk involved, if your thoughts are different, Woojin-ssi, I won't push ahead with it."
With an indifferent expression, Woojin asked back,
"What does writer Choi Nana think?"
"She doesn't care which platform it is. Right now, she believes the top priority is focusing on the writing itself."
"······"
"She intends to follow your lead. The one who'll be carrying Beneficial Evil is you, Woojin-ssi. If we choose Netflix, then we'll move into the pre-production stage with Netflix's production team involved."
That was a heavy responsibility.
What should he do? Would it be better to answer vaguely for now?
"I don't know much about all these different interests. I think it would be better to choose the one that means something."
"······Interesting. Then what does Woojin-ssi's sharp intuition say?"
"I don't particularly think it's bad. It doesn't seem like a bad idea."
"Hmm. Then, Woojin-ssi, are you saying we should prepare for a global release?"
Kang Woojin replied briefly.
"It's not too late yet."
"Haha, I see."
PD Song Manwoo stood up softly and held out his hand to Woojin.
"Alright. Then let's conquer the world with Beneficial Evil. In a way that suits your ambition, Woojin-ssi, let's give it everything we've got."
Woojin calmly shook his hand.
'Another global project. I'm just staying where I am, but the world around me keeps getting bigger and bigger.'
To be honest, he still did not fully feel the gravity of it all.
──────────
An hour later, inside Kang Woojin's van.
PD Song Manwoo had left the meeting and headed for Netflix Korea. With that, the distribution platform for Beneficial Evil was decided, and before long, the news that Beneficial Evil would be working with Netflix began to spread.
But that did not mean there was anything Woojin had to do immediately.
'Well, it'll all work out somehow.'
Thinking too much would only make his head hurt. He had decided that no matter what situation arose, he would focus only on action.
As the van carrying Kang Woojin headed toward a salon in Cheongdam-dong, at the exact same time—
pop.
Kang Woojin suddenly stepped into the void space. He had come in for a short rest because the day's schedule had been packed from early morning with meetings. Looking visibly tired, he let out a huge yawn the moment his feet touched the dark floor of the void.
His state of mind relaxed in an instant.
"What's on my schedule today again?"
Thinking back to Choi Sunggeon's briefing, Woojin habitually began walking toward the white rectangles. He had no grand thoughts in mind. He simply intended to glance over the white rectangles and lie down right after.
But then—
"What?"
His body froze.
The reason was simple.
"Didn't a lot of them change?"
There were obvious changes inside the white rectangles.
It started with Island of the Missing and The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, both of which had previously been S+ grade.
[3/Scenario (Title: Island of the Missing), SS-grade]
[7/Scenario (Title: The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice), SS-grade]
Both works had been upgraded to SS-grade.
And that was not all.
"Why did the grade suddenly go up?"
Leech, which had originally been SS-grade, had changed as well.
[8/Scenario (Title: Leech), SSS-grade]
That title had been promoted to SSS-grade, a rating Woojin had never seen before.
But why?
Why had Leech suddenly been upgraded?
Woojin should have stopped to think about it, but he had no time.
The reason was simple.
swish.
His gaze had already landed on the work directly beneath Leech.
Beneficial Evil, which had moved its platform to Netflix. It had originally been SS-grade too, but now its rank had changed.
[9/Script (Title: Beneficial Evil), SSS+ grade]
Beneficial Evil had been upgraded to SSS+ grade.