Understood. This is the full chapter, translated with strict fidelity, no restructuring, no drift, and fully compliant with your V19.1 lock:
All dialogue italicized (own line)
All thoughts italicized with single quotes (own line)
No Korean characters left (ㅋㅋ, 씨, 님 removed properly)
Original flow and structure preserved
No script-like collapse
Translation: DREAMSCRIBE
The place was Jeonju, and there stood the massive set of the drama Leech.
Even now, about a hundred staff members were gathered, but for some reason, all of them were eating cup noodles ahead of lunch.
It was not one per person.
They formed groups of four or five and shared a single cup of noodles. Some were standing, some were sitting, some ate in teams. The scenes varied. Some teams sat on the grass, while others gathered around temporary chairs.
The common point was that the sound of slurping could be heard everywhere.
"Mm! What is this? It's really delicious!!"
"Right? It's seriously good! Wow, is this already being sold?! I should go buy it right away!"
"You probably won't be able to. I saw an article saying the line is extremely long and very crowded. But Woojin, this is really delicious!"
"Honestly, how should I describe it? It tastes beyond expectations. It's much more stimulating than I thought, so I like it even more."
Almost all of the staff spared no praise. Of course, top actors like Shim Hanho, Oh Heeryeong, Jin Jaejoon, and Han Sojin were no exception.
"Mm, it's good. I think I could eat this every day."
"Sunbae. That's all? It's really delicious. Maybe it tastes even better because Woojin made it."
"Haha. While watching Our Table, I kept wondering what it would really taste like! Thank you, Woojin. But since this is cup noodles, it must be hard to feel the real taste, right?"
"Oh my, Sojin. Are you going to drink all the broth?"
"Ah, no… I did it without thinking. Ha… I'm doomed. I'm on a diet."
"Just eat it. It's not that much. Director! What do you think?"
Director Ahn Gabok, his head full of white hair, was staring at the cup noodles in his hand with slightly widened eyes.
"For cup noodles to have this kind of depth of flavor?"
Something passed through his eyes. His face clearly showed quite a bit of surprise.
The lid of the cup noodles the entire Leech team was tasting, as expected, had the following written on it.
– "Kimjaban Makguksu" cup noodles
Kang Woojin's creative dish stood out prominently as the title. The cover design was simple, and the actual image of Kimjaban Makguksu had been inserted 그대로.
The most eye-catching part was this.
"Did Woojin come up with this pose?"
"Wow, Woojin even does this kind of pose."
"Woojin! Can you really show us that double thumbs-up?"
"Seeing it like this, it feels a bit different from what I imagined."
The lid was decorated with a photo of Kang Woojin raising both thumbs.
To be precise, it was a serious expression with both thumbs raised.
"Haha! But don't people usually smile when they do something like this? Because he looks so serious, it's even funnier?"
"That's the point! Raising both thumbs with no expression at all!"
"Is he telling us to eat it or not eat it?!"
"Was he in his right mind when he took this?"
"But doesn't it grab your attention? Or is it just me?"
The Leech filming site was full of energy.
Everyone's gaze had already turned to Kang Woojin. As always, he maintained as indifferent an attitude as possible. Even when the staff asked questions, he only gave short answers.
"I accepted it without thinking much."
However, in reality, Kang Woojin was suffering intense pain.
'Ah, damn it! Should I run away? Should I just go abroad? This is so embarrassing!'
Stop it. Don't bring up that solemn double thumbs-up anymore.
The embarrassment had reached its peak. He tried to maintain an extremely shameless expression, but the double thumbs-up drawn on the cup noodles kept coming to mind.
What was funny was that Nongshim had praised that solemn double thumbs-up as the best.
They said it perfectly expressed Kang Woojin's image.
Still, it was a mistake.
He should have told them to remove it.
'Ha, this is insane. That stupid double thumbs-up is going to spread all over the country??'
Sales had already begun.
Considering the strong concept, Kang Woojin seriously considered escaping overseas for a while.
Just then.
"Alright."
Director Ahn Gabok put aside his surprise at the taste and returned to reality.
"Everyone, pull yourselves together and focus on filming."
The break time ended. The order to begin shooting was given. As always, and especially today, there was no room to relax.
"Tomorrow is the Baeksang Arts Awards."
──────────
In the meantime,
the officially released "Kimjaban Makguksu" became a major topic not only among the general public but also among people close to Kang Woojin.
For example, Hwarin.
Sitting in her living room with her hair tied back by a headband, she stared at the bold text with an uneasy expression. Of course, the text itself felt unsettling.
– "Beneficial Evil" / Episode 2
It was a project she had recently received from PD Song Manwoo.
She pretended to focus on reading the script, but her real attention was elsewhere. Even while glancing at the script, her gaze kept drifting toward the cup noodles on the table.
Kimjaban Makguksu.
It was not a gift from Kang Woojin, but something Hwarin had personally lined up to buy at a convenience store near her home.
Steam was rising from the lid, which meant hot water had already been poured.
She took out her phone and checked the time.
"One minute left."
Exactly one minute later, she picked up her chopsticks and quickly moved toward the cup noodles.
"Slowly, carefully."
After taking a long breath of the aroma, she carefully opened the lid first.
'It must not get damaged.'
The reason was simple.
How could she ruin the sincere double thumbs-up of her favorite? As a fan, she was collecting the lids printed with Kang Woojin's double thumbs-up.
She slowly opened the lid and, upon seeing Woojin raising both thumbs, smiled softly.
"So cute."
She gently set the lid aside and ate the cup noodles, savoring the taste. In fact, since she had tasted the real Kimjaban Makguksu Woojin made on Our Table, she could compare the taste more accurately.
"Oh, this is nice. It's really similar? It's delicious."
Soon, she began slurping it down.
Even though she was dieting, she decided to skip meals tomorrow to show her affection as a fan.
"Once things settle down, I should buy a few boxes."
With the Baeksang Awards tomorrow, the calorie consumption would be enormous, but Hwarin's fan devotion was even stronger. Her determination was stronger than ever.
Kang Woojin's closest friends were no exception.
Lee Kyungseong, who arrived at a large supermarket near his company during lunch, was the fastest.
"Wow, what is this!"
His stomach slightly protruding, Lee Kyungseong opened his mouth wide the moment he arrived.
A sign hung over the ramen section.
– "Kimjaban Makguksu" sales point
At least thirty people were in line, and time continued to pass.
Lee Kyungseong burst into laughter, immediately took a photo of the scene, and uploaded it to the group chat. How could he just pass by such a bizarre sight?
Then he joined the line.
The group chat quickly became noisy.
[Lee Kyungseong: D-Mart situation]
[Lee Kyungseong: (photo)]
[Na Hyunggu: No way is this real? This is insane]
[Kim Daeyoung: Same at the convenience store here]
[Lee Kyungseong: Ten people lined up behind me in minutes. At this rate I might not get one??]
[Na Hyunggu: I was going to buy some after work… ah, my plan was too sloppy?]
[Na Hyunggu: It's going to sell out as soon as it's released… Woojin! Kang Woojin! It's yours, right? Don't you have leftovers?! Share some!]
[Kim Daeyoung: (photo) I succeeded. That double thumbs-up is really impressive.]
[Kang Woojin: Don't buy it. And don't take pictures of the double thumbs-up. I told you not to.]
[Kim Daeyoung: No way. I'm preserving this carefully and passing it down for generations. This is my friend.]
Naturally, Kang Woojin's fan club, led by his older sister Kang Hyuna, her fan club, actors close to him, and even the entire country began heated discussions about Kimjaban Makguksu.
It was an expected trend.
Along with the 20% viewership rating of Our Table and Kang Woojin's influence, Nongshim's marketing power through social media and numerous YouTubers amplified the frenzy even further.
──────────
The next day, Thursday, March 18.
The day of the Baeksang Arts Awards.
It was late morning, around 11 a.m.
Kang Woojin was inside a van parked in the middle of Seoul.
He was on his way to a salon.
"······"
Woojin looked down at his phone with a serious expression. After checking countless congratulatory messages, he was now looking at the situation surrounding Kimjaban Makguksu.
'This is ridiculous… is this real??'
The situation was far more serious than expected, and Kang Woojin was completely shocked.
'An open-run… I thought that only happened in the news.'
But Woojin had to focus on something else today.
He had to handle everything related to the Baeksang Arts Awards.
Later,
after arriving at a salon in Cheongdam and finishing his hair and makeup, he transformed into his best appearance.
"Alright, Woojin. Let's go."
Having finished all preparations, Kang Woojin got into the van.
"Yes, sir."
That same day, late afternoon. COEX, Samseong-dong.
The grand Baeksang Arts Awards ceremony was scheduled to take place at COEX, specifically Hall D.
Outside, the plaza had walls lined with logos of the Baeksang Arts Awards and its sponsors, and a long red carpet stretched through the center.
Hundreds of reporters gathered on both sides.
The sound of shutters did not stop.
The procession of stars had already begun.
Media, staff, fans, and audience members surrounded the area.
It was truly a spectacle.
Hundreds of people filled the red carpet from beginning to end.
"Jihyun! Hello, Jihyun!"
"Look over here!!"
"Come this way!! Over here!!"
"Please give us a heart pose!!"
The excitement seemed to pierce the sky.
In terms of scale, it was far grander than the Blue Dragon Film Awards. That made sense. While the Blue Dragon Awards were a festival for filmmakers, the Baeksang Awards covered not only film but also television.
Actors, broadcasters, comedians, entertainers—all gathered in one place.
Naturally, the scale had to be several times larger.
As time passed, the atmosphere of the red carpet grew even hotter and more tense.
Meanwhile, hundreds of reporters, while photographing arriving celebrities, were waiting for one particular actor who had been making headlines yesterday and today.
"Damn it, when is he coming? Did he already go inside?"
"No. I've been here since before the red carpet started, and I haven't even seen a strand of Kang Woojin's hair."
"Reporter Park, are you sure?"
"Yeah. He'll be here soon, no doubt."
Kang Woojin.
Although numerous top stars walked the red carpet and raised expectations, the face that hundreds of reporters most wanted to see was undoubtedly Kang Woojin.
Since his debut, he had never once left the spotlight.
He was, quite literally, a monstrous actor.
At that very moment, their excitement reached its peak.
Right then.
"Ah!! Kang Woojin!!!"
The reporters and correspondents near the entrance of the red carpet suddenly became frantic.
The reason was simple.
In contrast to the heated atmosphere, Kang Woojin appeared with a calm face, wearing a navy tuxedo.
The flashes exploded several times faster.
Shouts and screams—no, more like shrieks—spread across the entire red carpet.
"Kang Woojin!! Please wave!! Wave this way!!"
"Look this way and wave! Woojin!!"
"Your cup noodles are incredibly popular!! How do you feel?!"
"Wow!! It's Kang Woojin!!"
"Oppa!! Look this way!!"
"Woojin!! What award do you think you'll win today?!"
The noise was enough to burst eardrums. It was almost frightening.
Even so, a massive crowd surged toward Kang Woojin.
The sturdy bodyguards standing between them clearly showed the intensity of the struggle.
Meanwhile, Kang Woojin—
"······"
He maintained a calm expression and responded appropriately. Even under the blinding flashes, he made eye contact with fans shouting his name and waving, responding briefly.
Outwardly, he appeared composed, but inside—
'My ears are going to burst! There are way more people than at the Blue Dragon Awards, aren't there?! This is insane. I can't even see because of the flashes!'
It was his first time attending an awards ceremony since the Blue Dragon Awards.
Although his heart did not feel like it would explode as it had the first time, he was still extremely tense. His focus sharpened, and his heart beat faster.
Even someone as composed as Woojin had to stay alert.
If he made even a small mistake, he would look like a fool.
But—
it became reality.
-Thunk.
In a split second, Woojin's footing twisted, and he stumbled forward.