Asami Sayaka changed her answer at once. The truth was, she felt slightly dazed. She had never expected A10 Studio to suddenly bring up Kang Woojin's name.
'No, why would Kang Woojin ever do voice acting for an animation?'
Only after answering did Sayaka realize something felt strange. She tilted her head, looking puzzled, then asked the female team leader from A10 Studio standing in front of her,
"But is it certain that Mr. Kang Woojin is voicing the male lead?"
The female production team leader smiled.
"Yes, that's right, Sayaka-san. Fortunately, Mr. Kang Woojin agreed to take the voice role."
"Why... would he become an anime voice actor?"
"Sayaka-san, before that, could you first confirm whether you'll be joining our team? Only after receiving your confirmation can I explain the details."
Sayaka nodded.
"Of course. If it's a project Mr. Kang Woojin is part of, I'd be happy to help. I'm willing to accept any role."
The female team leader looked somewhat surprised by Sayaka's passionate reaction. Considering that Sayaka was one of Japan's top voice actresses, such enthusiasm was unexpected.
'Well, given that she and Kang Woojin share that dramatic story, I suppose it makes sense.'
Then the woman smiled again, this time with a more work-focused expression.
"Thank you, Sayaka-san. It's an honor. Um... the project we're currently preparing is an original work. It's an adaptation of Netflix's Boy Friend, and the title is Boy Friend: Remake*."*
"······Ah."
Only then did Sayaka understand why Kang Woojin had been cast as the male lead's voice.
"If it's Netflix's Boy Friend*—"*
"Yes. In the original, Mr. Kang Woojin played the male lead, and it was a huge success all across Japan."
"I know. My daughter is also a huge fan of Mr. Kang Woojin, and she really loves Boy Friend too."
"Sayaka-san, I know the story between the two of you. As a fan, I was deeply moved. Things like that don't happen easily in real life."
The female team leader, who had been murmuring to herself, shifted the topic.
"To be honest, Sayaka-san, you were already on our voice casting list. But after checking your schedule, it didn't seem very likely."
"······"
"Then the dramatic story between you and Mr. Kang Woojin came to light. Because of that, we ended up making what may have been an unreasonable request. Not only because of your acting ability, but because we believed there would be considerable synergy if the story that moved all of Japan reunited the two of you in one work."
Sayaka was a veteran in the voice acting world. Even from that brief explanation, she immediately understood. This had not been some planned event from the start. It was purely a coincidence.
But it was the kind of coincidence that could stir all of Japan.
And more than that—
'It's a chance to repay the kindness Mr. Woojin showed us, and for Yusako, as her mother, this will be an incredible gift. I don't know exactly how Mr. Woojin was cast, but an opportunity like this won't come again.'
Every creative work remains forever. Sayaka's daughter, Yusako, also dreamed of becoming a voice actress, and this project could become something that encouraged that dream. It would be a work where the voices of Kang Woojin and her mother, Sayaka, existed together.
To Asami Yusako, it would become a treasure too precious to put any value on.
Naturally, Sayaka thought,
'I have to pour more passion into this project than any other one.'
She decided she would devote her voice acting career to Boy Friend: Remake.
"I'm sorry, but would it be possible for me to receive the script today?"
For her daughter.
And for Kang Woojin.
The female team leader soon smiled brightly and nodded.
"Of course, Sayaka-san."
After talking with Sayaka for a few more minutes, the female team leader left the recording studio and gave instructions to the production staff who followed her out.
"Let's move the contract with Sayaka-san along as quickly as possible. Also, notify the marketing team that Boy Friend: Remake needs to be announced within this week. Make sure Kang Woojin's casting, his OST participation, and the piano performance are all included."
Turning the single title Boy Friend into an animated project would already be enough to create a huge buzz, but the combination of keywords she had just listed would clearly create an even greater wave.
"And most importantly, absolutely do not leave out the connection between Sayaka-san and Mr. Woojin, or Sayaka-san's involvement."
──────────
Meanwhile, in Korea—
While various teaser videos for Leech, Our Table, and Beneficial Evil were being released, the first official video for Island of the Missing was uploaded to its official YouTube channel and other video platforms.
[!Urgent! Special character introduction video!! (+ actor interviews, making footage) | Island of the Missing]
In a way, it felt like the very first teaser made from edited footage of Island of the Missing. It was a video introducing the characters of Island of the Missing. It included still cuts of each character, short scene clips, and interviews with the actors who played them.
"Hello, I'm Ryu Jungmin, and I play Lieutenant Choi Yutae in the drama Island of the Missing."
During the actors' interviews, various clips showing the atmosphere on the Island of the Missing set played in the background. There were scenes of the actors filming, exchanging light jokes, and glimpses of the chemistry between them.
"I'm Kang Woojin, and I play Sergeant Jin Seoncheol."
The setting was the massive large-scale set, and since everyone was either in military uniform or carrying guns, the ten-minute runtime still drew attention like a full production featurette.
In any case, just two hours after release, the video had already surpassed five hundred thousand views.
Views: 508,332
That result was only natural. It was the combined effect of the appeal of Island of the Missing itself, with a top-tier director like Kwon Gitaek and multiple top actors involved, as well as the recent surge in interest surrounding Kang Woojin.
[Wow, Kang Woojin's character is seriously unique. Is he a psycho? Split personality?]
[Did anyone see the monster in the video? What even is this movie? I'm dying to know!]
[Ryu Jungmin is seriously cool.]
[I'm going to watch this the second it comes out... so please release it quickly.]
[It's been a while since I've seen Ha Yura, but she's still unbelievably gorgeous lol. This really is perfect as her comeback piece.]
[With a top director like Kwon Gitaek involved, there's no need to worry about quality... judging by the scale of the shoot, this has to be the most anticipated film of the year.]
[Kang Woojin looks insanely good in a military uniform!]
[So when's the release date?]
[If this flops, I think a lot of people are going to be in trouble hahaha]
[Wow... Kang Woojin really gives a completely different performance every time. His acting range is seriously wide.]
·
·
·
While expectations for Island of the Missing were peaking, one familiar figure stood out inside the Our Table office, which looked no different from a variety show production room.
It was Choi Sunggeon, wearing his hair in a ponytail.
Kang Woojin, however, was not there. Because of his packed schedule, he was away, while Choi Sunggeon was in the middle of an important meeting with PD Yoon Byeongseon and the writers.
Of course, before getting to the main point, PD Yoon Byeongseon threw out a few interesting questions first.
"President Choi, how's gimjaban makguksu coming along? You talked with Nongshin, right?"
Wearing a black shirt and a gray knit, Choi Sunggeon smiled with a businesslike ease.
"Yes, I did. The atmosphere was good."
"Ah, really? Then can we expect gimjaban makguksu to become an actual commercial product?"
"The chances are high."
In truth, the project with Nongshin was still confidential. Final contract adjustments were in progress, but it was only a matter of time. It already looked almost certain, and since gimjaban makguksu had started under the name of Our Table, Choi Sunggeon had already dropped a subtle hint to PD Yoon Byeongseon.
"If things move quickly, you may be seeing it at major supermarkets or convenience stores before long. But as you know, it's still confidential for now."
"Of course! Anyway, that's really great news. And honestly, it's amazing too. Mr. Woojin's movements are impossible to predict."
"I don't know either. And I'm always right beside him, haha."
"Once the official announcement comes out, we'll have to properly promote gimjaban makguksu through Our Table*."*
"Wow, you'd really do that for us?"
"Of course we should. Whether it's before the product launch or after, we'll make time during the main Our Table broadcast and introduce it somehow."
After briefly discussing the commercialization of gimjaban makguksu, PD Yoon Byeongseon accepted a tablet from one of the writers and quickly changed the subject.
"Now we need to set the schedule for the second filming session of Our Table*."*
He then went on to explain in detail. In short, unlike the first shoot, which had lasted about a week, this second shoot would be shorter, around four to five days. That was due to the difficulty of coordinating the schedules of the main cast, including Kang Woojin, as well as local conditions in LA.
There were several other reasons as well.
In situations like this, it was usually common to reduce the number of episodes. But Our Table had already gone past 20% ratings.
So PD Yoon Byeongseon said that, in order to create a satisfying finale, they would shoot the final episode in Korea.
"We can get Mr. Woojin on March 1st, right?"
"Yes. It'll be tough, but we can hold on for about four days."
"Thank you. Then we can lock in the 1st. I think it should work if we secure one week around then with an Our Table special broadcast."
With that, Kang Woojin's first schedule for March was confirmed as the second filming session of Our Table.
──────────
At that exact same time, Kang Woojin was—
"Sunbae-nim, since Island of the Missing finished filming recently, how have you been?"
"I took a little break and watched Woojin-ssi rise higher and higher."
He was filming inside a studio set up like a kitchen together with Ryu Jungmin. Naturally, it was for the YouTube content Kang Woojin's Alter Ego. At the moment, they were filming the What Do You Want to Eat? segment, and right after that, they were set to move straight into filming the Avatar Cooking content.
Kang Woojin wore a loose-knit sweater, while Ryu Jungmin had on a simple hoodie.
"Was there anything difficult during the filming of Island of the Missing*?"*
"There were a few hard things. The overseas shoot in Da Nang, Vietnam, was brutal. But you seemed fine, Woojin-ssi."
"No, it was hard for me too."
"It was hard, sure, but it didn't look like hell for you, did it? Your face doesn't look much different from back then."
Why was this handsome man acting like that?
Since the two of them had already gotten fairly close, the shoot went smoothly, and because Kang Woojin already had experience working with global superstars like Hwarin and Kara, he was not nervous at all.
Because of that—
"Great! I think we got lots of good shots! You two both did amazing!!"
—the filming wrapped up several hours earlier than planned, around the late afternoon. So Woojin, Ryu Jungmin, and the entire staff went out for dinner together. They ended up at a beef specialty restaurant near the studio, and while sitting across from Woojin, Ryu Jungmin picked up his water cup and suddenly muttered quietly,
"bw Entertainment is seriously chaotic these days."
"It seems that way."
"······Could you pass a short message to President Choi for me? I can't seem to find his number."
"What message?"
"Tell him I'd like to meet and talk about the possibility of moving agencies."
Outwardly, Woojin remained calm, but inside, he was startled.
Out of nowhere?
Still, after hearing what Ryu Jungmin said next, he was able to roughly grasp the situation. Ryu Jungmin's contract was nearing its end, and his agency was on the verge of splitting apart.
Ignoring the complicated interests involved, Kang Woojin answered quietly,
"Understood. I'll tell the CEO tomorrow."
The next morning.
The moment Choi Sunggeon heard the news about Ryu Jungmin from Kang Woojin, his eyes widened, and he moved at once.
"Understood. I'll contact Mr. Ryu Jungmin right away."
This was not just anyone. A top actor like Ryu Jungmin was about to hit the free-agent market, and on top of that, he had shown interest in bw Entertainment. Choi Sunggeon had absolutely no reason to waste time.
In any case, Choi Sunggeon quickly pulled out his phone and passed along another piece of news to Woojin.
"Oh, right. We got a call from A10 Studio. Voice actress Asami Sayaka is joining Boy Friend: Remake*."*
Oh, really?
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. If I were the production company, I'd do whatever it took to bring her in. You and she are causing a huge stir in Japan right now. Probably—no, I'm 100% certain—that when they first announce and promote Boy Friend: Remake, they're going to use the story between you and her."
Choi Sunggeon spoke as though predicting the future.
"To be honest, Boy Friend itself was already a huge success in Japan. Your involvement alone was enough to create a massive wave, and if the first announcement adds the story involving Asami Sayaka on top of that... you know what I mean, right? The Japanese are going to lose their minds searching for Boy Friend: Remake*."*
Still muttering with the phone against his ear, Choi Sunggeon looked forward as though the person on the other end had finally picked up.
"Ah, Mr. Ryu Jungmin?"
──────────
On the 12th, near Shinjuku Station in Japan.
It was around lunchtime. The place was Kabukicho, famous for its flashy signs. During the day it was relatively quiet, but once night fell, it became the dazzling, crowded entertainment district everyone knew. Restaurants, clubs, karaoke bars, host bars, arcades, and of course, endless crowds of people.
Still, daytime was less crowded than night.
And yet right now, more than two hundred people had gathered in one alley of Kabukicho.
It was behind a somewhat shabby-looking karaoke building. Cameras, lights, reflectors, sound gear, boom mics, monitors, and all kinds of filming equipment stood out immediately.
About seventy people were gathered around the equipment.
And around those seventy or so crew members stood roughly a hundred onlookers. Security guards were struggling to keep them under control. Since filming for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice was underway in Kabukicho, the onlookers were busy snapping pictures of the actors inside the filming zone.
"This is definitely the set for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice*! Ah! Over there! Mana Kosaku!"*
"Isn't that Mifuyu next to Kosaku? She's seriously gorgeous!!"
"We're so lucky! We actually get to see the set of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice*!"*
"Wow, this is my first time ever seeing a filming site in person."
"But if it's The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, where's Kang Woojin? Where is Kang Woojin??"
The hundred or so onlookers had started searching for the Korean actor currently shaking up Japan. The rumor spread in an instant.
"Kang Woojin isn't here? Ah, that sucks! If we wait, will he come out?"
And then, right at that moment—
the closed karaoke door opened, and Director Kyotaro came out with several staff members. Then, in the final moment—
"Ah!! It's Kang Woojin!! It's Kang Woojin!"
Kang Woojin appeared, his hair slightly messy and dressed comfortably. The instant he showed himself, the hundred-plus onlookers suddenly surged forward, and the burly guards scrambled to block them.
"Please, please calm down!!"
"Don't push!!"
Despite their efforts, the crowd's shouts were loud enough to tear the sky apart.
"@&(@&%(%&((%@!!!"
"$@($@Kang Woojin!!@U$@$"
"%(#%)(#%)(#%!!"*
With over a hundred people all screaming at once, it was impossible to tell what anyone was saying. Director Kyotaro, his short hair full of white strands, scratched his chin and said to Woojin,
"Hmm, I think we'll have to start with the indoor karaoke scene until things calm down."
Kang Woojin apologized quietly.
"I'm sorry."
"No, Mr. Woojin, this isn't your fault. The fact that Japan is overheated right now is because of you. Isn't that a good thing?"
And at that exact moment—
"Mr. Woojin!"
A female actress suddenly approached. No, it was Uramatsu Mifuyu, the one with the full lips. She was wearing a top under her coat that exposed her midriff.
Looking down at her phone, she asked Woojin in Japanese,
"Mr. Woojin, are you doing anime voice acting now?"
She held her phone screen out toward him as she spoke. On it was an SNS account. It was the official Instagram account of A10 Studio, one of the studio's three official social media accounts where official notices were posted.
And the content on the screen mentioned a project titled Boy Friend: Remake.
And then—
Comments: 34,439
The number of comments had already exceeded thirty thousand.
But this was only the beginning.