What followed no longer felt like simple acting. Kang Woojin's portrayal blurred the line between himself and Corporal Jin Seoncheol until it became hard to tell where one ended and the other began.
In front of the hundred-plus people gathered for the script reading, Woojin's performance stood out sharply. He had already drawn intense attention for playing an unusual character in Missing Island, and the focus on him had only grown stronger.
The casting process itself had been highly unusual from the start.
On top of that, he was the hottest actor in the Korean entertainment industry at the time. Naturally, the eyes of the other actors and staff could not help but turn toward Kang Woojin.
So as they watched him, most of the staff thought the same thing.
'He must be under a lot of pressure.'
Pressure. Aside from Director Kwon Gitaek and Ryu Jungmin, most of the hundred people there felt exactly that.
But Woojin changed the atmosphere almost immediately.
Everyone's posture and attitude straightened at once.
'Is this real?'
'He doesn't look nervous at all.'
'Not even a hint of hesitation.'
'So that's why Director Kwon chose him.'
'He's not being crushed by this suffocating atmosphere. He's taking control of it.'
In truth, Kang Woojin was under enormous pressure.
'Yeah… this is intense.'
But he forced it down.
He gritted his teeth and held it in. It was almost a desperate struggle, but for some reason, something stubborn rose up inside him instead. If he could get through this, he felt like he would come out stronger.
In any case, the reading continued.
The room was filled with veteran actors. It was not the kind of place that would remain rattled by a passing shock. Starting with Ryu Jungmin, the actors began trading lines one after another. The atmosphere gradually grew hotter. Even with the air conditioner blasting, the room seemed warm, and more than a few actors were already wiping away sweat.
Ryu Jungmin threw a line toward Kang Woojin.
"Mr. Jin Seoncheol, are you out of your mind? If this is too difficult for you, we may have to consider leaving you out."
Kang Woojin met Ryu Jungmin's eyes. An awkward but deliberate smile spread faintly around his own, as if one screw in him had come loose.
"Ha, I can do it, sir!"
"Are you absolutely sure?"
"Yes, understood!"
"You've got enough experience as a sergeant, so get a grip, all right? If it gets too hard, say so."
"Uh, uh, yes, yes, I understand."
But there was something strangely aggressive simmering beneath Corporal Jin Seoncheol's tone. It carried a distinct sense of discomfort. As if to prove it, Kang Woojin's eyes sharpened in an instant.
"Damn it, you fucking lieutenant bastard."
Corporal Jin Seoncheol had originally been timid by nature.
But deep inside him, something fierce was coiled up.
It simply did not show itself clearly on the surface.
Still, that trait was unmistakable.
That subtle atmosphere made the people around him uncomfortable. It was the kind of emotion that built slowly, little by little. Kang Woojin's acting right now was not simply about showing two different sides of a character. He was drawing out a shadow that emerged gradually without ever fully exposing itself.
Ha Yura, who had come through the elite ranks, frowned.
'He's playing someone who hides that other face of his so naturally?'
Sometimes, people run into someone they instinctively want to avoid. It is not that the person has done anything especially wrong, nor that they have openly behaved badly, yet they still leave others feeling uneasy.
Right now, Kang Woojin was exactly that sort of person.
He was far from normal, and an ambiguous boundary seemed to seep out of him.
Ha Yura narrowed her eyes and addressed Kang Woojin, no, Corporal Jin Seoncheol.
"Corporal Jin Seoncheol. Why are you standing there spacing out?"
Startled, Corporal Jin Seoncheol stammered.
"S-s-sorry."
"...What happened to the task I gave you this morning?"
"Ah, r-right away, bi- I'll do it right now."
"Hm. Fine."
When Corporal Jin Seoncheol saluted, different levels of intensity flickered in his eyes. It changed depending on who he was looking at. The actors who were directly exchanging lines with Woojin could feel the difference.
'Does he change his eyes little by little depending on who he's facing?'
He clearly separated the people he could afford to look down on a little from the people he could not. It showed in his gaze. Just then, while exchanging lines with Ha Yura, Corporal Jin Seoncheol bit down on his lip.
He was chewing at the flesh inside his mouth.
Then he spat it out and spoke in a voice that sounded nothing like his usual one.
"Fucking bitch."
At that moment, Director Kwon Gitaek, seated at the head of the table, stroked his chin.
'Did he prepare the stress, rhythm, tone, pronunciation, and vocal delivery of each voice separately?'
Kang Woojin was controlling even the voices of the two personalities perfectly. Once his part was over, he returned to his usual self as if the possession had lifted and casually flipped through the script.
At that, Director Kwon Gitaek slightly raised the corner of his mouth.
'There weren't two people sitting there. There were three.'
He looked like someone with multiple personalities.
──────────
The next day, August 4.
The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, the film based on bestselling author Akari Takikawa's original work and directed by Japan's master filmmaker Tanoguchi Kyotaro, had already become a major topic in Japan. Then, yesterday, one unexpected article landed right in the center of that attention.
『A Korean actor has been cast in the lead role of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, based on writer Akari Takikawa's original work and directed by Tanoguchi Kyotaro. Who is this Korean actor?』
The article first appeared on one of Japan's biggest portal sites and was prominently featured on the main entertainment page. After that, the number of reactions shot up.
Given the film's high level of recognition in Japan and the fact that it had become a major headline, the Japanese public's reaction poured in in real time.
[Online reactions]
[Is this article real? Is a Korean actor really appearing in it?]
[That doesn't sound possible. This is probably just a rumor.]
[Not a supporting role but the lead? If this is true, I really want to know who got cast.]
[Whoever it is, please don't ruin The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice...]
[If it's the lead, could it be a top Korean actor? I really want to know who it is!!]
[This article came out so suddenly. How long has it been since a Korean actor appeared in a Japanese film?]
[Would a Korean actor really act in fluent Japanese? Wouldn't it feel awkward?]
[There's a high chance this is fake news.]
Comments were pouring in at a ridiculous speed, with dozens of new ones appearing every few seconds. The level of engagement was far higher than it had been the day before, clear proof of how heated the interest had become. Perhaps because of that, the article spread rapidly across social media through tags and shares.
[Online reactions]
[(Article link) Is this article real!!!? Can I actually get excited for this? A Korean actor is in it? As a Korean drama fan, I'm totally in favor!!]
The article spread quickly across all kinds of social media platforms and climbed high in trending searches. From the production stage alone, The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had already stirred intense controversy.
This news only poured oil on the fire.
The Japanese public's reaction split sharply in two. Positive responses and negative responses stood in clear opposition. Awareness of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice soared. No matter how anyone looked at it, this was a shocking development.
A Korean actor was suddenly being cast as the lead?
Of course, it was not as if Korean actors had never appeared in Japanese films before, but it was hardly common, and this case had arrived far too suddenly and unexpectedly. Calling it a fresh shock would have been the polite version. At its core, it simply felt unfamiliar.
And unfamiliar things take time to understand.
Whether the Japanese public would accept that unfamiliarity or reject it depended on those positive and negative reactions. In essence, it had become an issue tied to the Korean Wave.
Fortunately, the positive responses seemed to be growing little by little.
[Online reactions]
[I'm actually all for it. Don't Japanese actors all act the same these days? I only watch Korean dramas lately!]
The issue spread rapidly across Japanese social media and online communities.
"Can this widely shared article really be trusted? Anyone can tell it looks like fake news."
"Maybe the production company deliberately leaked it for publicity?"
Multiple Japanese media outlets were already in an uproar over the story.
"A Korean actor?! Out of nowhere?! Was there even any rumor about this before?!"
"None at all!"
Since yesterday, the people who saw that article had been scrambling to figure out what was going on.
"Which outlet published the article?!"
"I'll check right now!"
"Contact Toega Film too! Find out whether it's true or not!"
Large outlets, mid-sized outlets, and small outlets alike all moved quickly, regardless of size. It showed just how much influence Director Tanoguchi Kyotaro and writer Akari Takikawa had in Japan.
"A Korean actor? Out of nowhere?? No matter how eccentric that director is... this feels way too forced. Did writer Akari approve it?"
Up to that point, the only information officially revealed about The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had been its title, director, and confirmed production. Nothing had been disclosed about the cast or the story itself, so the overall mood was to treat the article as little more than a rumor.
『Korean Actor Cast in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice? Controversy Explodes』
For a while, similar articles poured out one after another, and huge numbers of nearly identical stories were mass-produced.
『Korean Actor Appearing in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice? Bestselling Novel Fans Express Confusion and Anxiety』
Japanese media outlets quickly seized on the hot topic and moved fast. That was not some phenomenon unique to Japan. It was universal. In any case, the new issue spread beyond the internet and quickly rippled across the Japanese entertainment industry.
It began with various television stations.
"Did Director Tanoguchi Kyotaro really cast a Korean actor?"
"Huh? Really? I saw an article about the film a few days ago. The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice is a bestseller, isn't it? Casting a Korean actor out of nowhere feels strange."
"This has to be fake news, right?"
Japanese actors who were in the middle of filming spoke up as well.
"Look at this. Director Tanoguchi is stirring things up again."
"Huh? Ah, this is probably just a publicity stunt."
"Do you really think the production company spread this on purpose? It's way too specific for that. If they put something like this out and then took it back later, they'd only get blasted by the public."
"But seriously, would they really cast a Korean actor in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice? And as the lead?"
"If that's true..."
"...things are going to get even messier than they are now."
Naturally, many Japanese agencies and production companies were not staying idle either. All of this unfolded only two days after the news broke. Even at that very moment, the situation was still escalating.
It was obvious the controversy would only grow larger from here.
Meanwhile, one of the men at the center of that controversy, Tanoguchi Kyotaro, sat alone in a conference room at Toega, the company producing The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, his white-haired face calm.
"Hm."
The atmosphere around him was utterly quiet. He simply watched the current chaos on his phone. Like someone standing in the eye of a storm, he felt strangely calm despite being right at its center.
Then he lowered his phone and quietly murmured in Japanese, recalling what the man with the ponytail had told him.
"Did he say to leave it like this for about a week?"
It sounded as if he had planned and prepared everything from the beginning.
──────────
Meanwhile, at Japan's private TV station TBE...
A thin man stepped out of the director's office and let out a short sigh. It was none other than PD Shinjo of Ame Talk Show! The moment he came out, the female writers hurried over to him.
"PD, what did the director say?"
"You don't look happy. Did he tell you to cancel the plan?"
PD Shinjo gave the worried writers a faint smile.
"No. He told us to give it a try. He seems more interested in the Korean Drama Week plan than Kang Woojin himself."
"That's a relief!"
As the writers let out sighs of relief, PD Shinjo sat down at a cluttered desk and began listing what needed to be done.
"First, let's confirm the news with Mr. Woojin. Then Yuki, work with me on revising the plan, setting the filming date, and deciding the format. We need to wrap it up today if possible."
"Looks like we'll be working all night."
"Haha, what's a day or two? We also have to think about the audience. We'll take applicants, but..."
"You mean you mainly want to select Hanryang fans?"
As PD Shinjo stood with a transparent file folder in hand, he nodded.
"Right. If possible, it'd be best if they were Kang Woojin fans."
"Understood. Ah, we won't need a separate interpreter, right?"
"Considering Mr. Woojin's Japanese skills, it probably won't be a major issue, but just in case, let's hire a Japanese language specialist."
While the writers jotted down their tasks, PD Shinjo headed toward the meeting room. Just then, the head writer clapped once and spoke again.
"PD! Did you see the article about Director Tanoguchi Kyotaro?? They're saying he cast a Korean actor in his new movie!"
Since it was already an issue shaking Japanese society, PD Shinjo simply nodded.
"I saw it this morning. The director mentioned it briefly too. It'll probably stay noisy for quite a while. Having Director Tanoguchi Kyotaro at the helm is already a huge deal, and the original work is by writer Akari Takikawa."
"I really enjoyed reading The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, so I was looking forward to the film too, but casting a Korean actor is definitely unexpected."
"How's the public reaction?"
"Hard to say. It seems split. Some are criticizing it, while others are excited about it. Either way, social media and online communities are packed with talk about it."
PD Shinjo shrugged as if it were nothing and opened the conference room door.
"Both the director and the original author are huge names, and the project itself is massive, so this kind of reaction is only natural. Either way, this controversy has brought a huge amount of attention."
"I never saw this coming! Who would've imagined a Korean actor joining this project? It has to be some top star."
"Nothing's confirmed yet, right? There still hasn't been an official announcement."
"Mm, true, but... doesn't it feel too wild to be just a rumor? I think it's real. Ah! If that article turns out to be true, then no matter what, we absolutely have to get that Korean actor on our show!"
"If it's really a top star, that won't be easy."
Soon, PD Shinjo pointed at the open transparent file folder with his index finger.
"Let's focus on resolving the Woojin situation first. We don't have time to worry about anything else."
──────────
Two days later, Thursday, August 6.
The latter half of filming for Boy Friend was in full swing, and the location that day was a university campus. The Boy Friend crew had set up filming equipment throughout the hallways and classrooms.
"Action!"
They were currently shooting ordinary daily scenes with Hwarin and the supporting actors, while Kang Woojin, who was due in the next scene, sat off to the side getting his makeup touched up. One of the female staff members dabbing his face with a pad asked,
"Woojin, did you see that article? What kind of nonsense was that? They were calling you some kind of split personality. Isn't that ridiculous? The moment you got famous, all kinds of trash rumors started popping up."
A staff member helping beside her chimed in.
"Ah, I saw that too. There was even an article saying your whole past was just an act."
"The entertainment press is always the same. Same pattern every time. The comments are seriously absurd."
"It's all because Woojin is doing too well. People just leave malicious comments for fun without even caring whether any of it's true."
"Ugh, seriously annoying. Woojin, don't pay attention to that stuff. It'll die down soon enough. Besides, you don't even seem shaken. You're really strong."
Kang Woojin gave a small, somewhat awkward nod with his usual indifferent face.
"Ah, yes. I'm not too bothered by it."
And that was genuinely true. It was not as though he could ignore everything completely, but since Choi Seonggeon had already said he would take care of it, Woojin figured it would be fine.
He had just finished with his makeup and turned around.
"Woojin."
Choi Seonggeon was standing there with his ponytail tied back. Smiling, he beckoned Woojin over. When the slightly puzzled Woojin stepped closer, Choi Seonggeon lowered his voice.
"The Ame Talk Show! team contacted us, and your solo appearance has been confirmed. Late August looks the most likely. Since it's a recorded broadcast, the schedule can be adjusted."
But the news did not end there.
"And the cover song editing is finished too."
Already?
Woojin was slightly surprised, but he answered calmly.
"That was fast."
"Well, the songs were good, and you sing well to begin with. Let's listen to it after today's schedule wraps up. After that, all that's left is uploading it. Oh, right, what do you want to call the channel?"
A YouTube channel name.
He had never really thought about it before.
After staring at Choi Seonggeon seriously for a moment, Woojin slowly parted his lips.
"Kang Woojin's Alter Ego?"
TL Note: The cut-off bi- implies he was about to say bitch.