An hour. That was how long it took for Kang Woojin to arrive at the salon and get his hair and makeup done. It wasn't completely finished, but it was close enough.
Seated in front of the mirror, Kang Woojin felt fairly calm.
"Mm. Not bad. Looking decent again today. Seriously… this is almost cheating."
He was just taking a moment to appreciate how different he looked now. Meanwhile, about an hour earlier, the newly created channel 'Kang Woojin's Alter Ego' had been moving in a completely different direction.
At first, it had opened quietly. The subscriber count barely passed a hundred, most of them just curious onlookers.
But that didn't last long. In just one hour, things changed noticeably.
[Channel name: Kang Woojin's Alter Ego]
[Subscribers: 5,858]
[Videos: 2]
In a single hour, the channel had gained over five thousand subscribers. It wasn't something anyone expected. The difference between the two uploaded videos stood out even more.
The first video was just a simple greeting.
-[Greeting]Hello, this is actor Kang Woojin. Or rather, Kang Woojin's Alter Ego. Do you have a moment?
Views: 12,000 / August 19, 2020
It had already passed ten thousand views, but it was closer to a teaser than anything else.
The real turning point came with the second video—Kang Woojin's first cover, Ellani's Ballerina in Japanese.
-[(1) Ellani / Ballerina]Cover [JP Ver.]
Views: 23,000 / August 19, 2020
Without any promotion, it had already exceeded twenty thousand views. The momentum built from previous buzz, along with the recent Director Kyotaro issue, all funneled into one result—Kang Woojin's influence.
It showed just how strong his recognition had become among domestic viewers. At first, people had clicked out of curiosity.
But those searching for Kang Woojin on YouTube because of the Japanese film issue ended up stumbling onto his alternate channel—and his cover.
The reaction was immediate.
[Online reactions]
[Kang Woojin's Alter Egoㅋㅋ what is this]
[Is this real???? Why????]
[I thought it was fake—why is it actually him??]
[Why is he so handsome??]
[Why is his Japanese so good??]
[That voice tone is insane…]
[His pronunciation is basically native level]
[I just searched him and this popped up lol]
[So this is the rookie actor Director Kyotaro picked?]
The comment section blew up.
[Online reactions]
[Oppa!! Why did you hide this kind of singing talent until now!!!]
[LOL Kang Woojin uploaded this right after getting attention]
[That slight crack in his high notes… that raw texture is crazy]
[This tone is on a completely different level from idols]
[First upload and already over 5k subs??]
[I majored in Japanese—this is basically native level]
[Are you planning a debut in Japan?]
[Is that really your voice??]
[Please upload another song, I'm still not satisfied]
[The composition is good, the vocals are insane… he's a total cheat character]
[Please release this as an official track…]
It was complete chaos.
In the meantime, news of 'Kang Woojin's Alter Ego' spread like wildfire. Starting from his fan club 'Kang's Heart,' it quickly spread across blogs, online cafes, SNS, and messaging apps.
The speed was overwhelming.
Breaking news! Kang Woojin opens a YouTube channel (link)
Across Korean internet communities, discussions about Director Kyotaro's 'Korean rookie actor' were already heating up. With the addition of Woojin's new channel, it instantly turned into a full-blown sensation.
Posts from so-called "re-uploaders" flooded in, drawing massive traffic. It was like fireworks going off everywhere at once.
New fans reacted in similar ways.
Who exactly is Kang Woojin?
An actor who keeps surprising people. On top of that, he has powerful high notes and near-native Japanese skills. Considering how unusual his debut path had been, the reactions made sense.
Then came the strange assumptions.
[Online reactions]
[He might be Zainichi Korean]
[Did he train in Japan before coming to Korea?]
[Confirmed—he's identical twins. Actor Kang Woojin and singer Kang Woojin]
None of this had been intended by Kang Woojin or Choi Sunggeon. Still, the attention surrounding him continued to grow like a snowball.
──────────
Meanwhile, at that same moment—
Unlike the online world, the offline side hadn't fully caught up yet.
At a high-end Japanese restaurant in Seoul, numerous actors—including top stars—had gathered. It was a pre-meeting for the script reading of writer Lee Wolsun's upcoming work, Frozen love, scheduled two days later.
Officially, it was a pre-meeting. In reality, it was just dinner.
Kang Woojin had been invited but couldn't attend due to his schedule.
Even so, his name naturally came up in conversation.
"I wonder how Kang Woojin's sign language practice is going. Think he's been practicing properly?"
"It's already a difficult role. The writer must've handled it carefully."
"Is the story about Director Kyotaro and Kang Woojin actually true?"
There was no real reason for it—Kang Woojin had simply become the main topic among the actors. Given how much attention he was drawing in the industry, it was only natural. Besides, they would soon be meeting him in person.
"You mean the rookie actor Director Kyotaro picked? Isn't that just media speculation?"
"It doesn't seem confirmed yet."
"These exaggerated reactions aren't anything new in this industry. Personally, I don't think it's true."
"But from what I read, it sounded pretty credible. He won a Mise-en-scène acting award, and Director Kyotaro personally presented it."
"Would he really choose someone based on such a brief encounter?"
Beneath the discussion, there was a mix of jealousy and genuine curiosity.
"Honestly, looking at the projects Kang Woojin has done or is about to do, isn't it already too much? Memorizing lines alone would take over half a year."
"Exactly. And on top of that, learning Japanese and going to Japan?"
"Maintaining that level while debuting in Japan? That's not something a normal person can do."
"At this point, he's basically not human anyway."
"But if he really is that 'rookie actor'… that would be historic."
Their opinions were divided. And this atmosphere wasn't limited to just this group—it was spreading across the entire entertainment industry.
As the afternoon wore on, Kang Woojin's name began moving from Korea to Japan.
"You remember the Korean rookie actor Director Tanoguchi mentioned? It seems Kang Woojin is being considered the strongest candidate."
"Kang Woojin? Who is that?"
"Oh! That actor from the Netflix drama Hanryang."
"Hanryang? The villain from episode one?"
"Yeah. He's scary in the drama, but really cute on social media."
"But it's still not confirmed, right?"
Even the Japanese public, who initially showed little interest, began remembering the name.
"Does Kang Woojin have social media?"
Searches continued.
@Wooji_n
Posts: 71
Followers: 1.83M
Following: 9
Even on YouTube, searching Kang Woojin brought up numerous results.
His official channel appeared—and it had two videos uploaded.
The second video almost seemed like it had been made specifically for Japanese viewers.
-[(1) Ellani / Ballerina]Cover [JP Ver.]
It was a Japanese-style cover of a K-pop song.
[Channel name: Kang Woojin's Alter Ego]
[Subscribers: 24,000]
[Videos: 2]
The subscriber count kept rising.
──────────
The next day, August 20.
The location was a hotel banquet hall in Seoul. Numerous tables filled the space, and dozens of reporters holding large cameras were already seated. There had to be at least fifty of them.
On stage, a large poster stood out.
[Netflix 'Boy Friend' Production Presentation]
It displayed still cuts of Kang Woojin and Hwarin, along with the title Boy Friend.
The reason was simple.
The official press conference for the drama Boy Friend was being held here.
At the center of the stage, the main cast sat in a row.
Starting with Director Shin Dongchun, followed by writer Choi Nana, Kang Woojin, and Hwarin. Each of them held a microphone.
Director Shin looked relaxed, clearly used to events like this. Meanwhile, writer Choi Nana, wearing round glasses, looked visibly nervous.
"...Phew."
It was her first time attending something like this.
Beside her, Kang Woojin stood out. Dressed in a neat navy suit with his hair styled up, he maintained a calm expression throughout the press conference.
But inside—
'This is insane. How many people are there? My eyes are getting blinded. The shutters are going crazy.'
Outwardly composed. Inwardly overwhelmed.
Hwarin, dressed in a white dress, exuded confidence comparable to the director.
The atmosphere of the Boy Friend press conference felt more relaxed than usual.
More than thirty minutes had passed since it began.
"As you know, Boy Friend marks the beginning of Netflix's short-form drama project…"
Director Shin introduced the project and shared his vision. Then writer Choi Nana spoke.
Next—
It was Kang Woojin's turn.
"We worked hard on it. It may have its shortcomings, but I hope you enjoy it."
His tone was slightly indifferent, but sincere.
Soon—
"Alright! We'll now take questions from the press."
At the moderator's cue, dozens of reporters raised their hands at once.
The first question went to Director Shin.
"Reporter with the perm, please."
"Hello, Director. A few years ago, you suddenly left the theater scene and pursued film directing. Then you won the Mise-en-scène award for The Private Investigator."
"That's right."
"I've heard you received numerous offers from the film industry, so why return to drama—and a short-form drama at that?"
"Haha, that's quite a deep question to start with."
Director Shin chuckled awkwardly before briefly glancing at Kang Woojin seated a few seats away.
"I'll answer it simply. I have a debt to repay to Mr. Woojin."
In an instant, dozens of reporters turned their gaze toward Kang Woojin.
Everyone present had their own agenda. Given that Kang Woojin was at the center of multiple issues, the intense attention was inevitable.
Still, they held back—for now.
After a few more questions directed at writer Choi Nana, it was finally Kang Woojin's turn.
"Next, a question for Mr. Woojin!"
Whoosh.
As if they had been waiting, more than fifty reporters raised their hands at once. Their eyes were filled with urgency—almost excessive.
'If I refuse, I'm basically asking for trouble.'
Though he wasn't eager, his outward composure didn't waver.
After a brief moment, he chose a reporter who seemed relatively gentle—a woman seated at the far right.
"Yes, the reporter in the shirt at the end."
The woman stood with a faint smile.
For a moment, Woojin thought he had made a good choice.
But that thought shattered instantly.
"Mr. Woojin. Regarding the Japanese release of Boy Friend, there are widespread rumors that you are the 'Korean rookie actor' personally chosen by Director Kyotaro. What are your thoughts?"
"…."
"Public opinion seems divided, but recently it appears to be leaning toward you. How do you feel about that?"
Her question immediately drew the attention of every reporter in the room.
It was too sensitive.
Director Shin subtly shook his head, signaling the moderator to intervene.
The moderator quickly stepped in.
"Ah, regarding that question—"
"Yes."
Kang Woojin calmly lifted the microphone.
His voice was low. Indifferent.
"I am that 'Korean rookie actor.'"
It was a bold declaration.
Silence fell across the hall.
…
…
…
For about ten seconds.
Then—
Flash!
Flash-flash-flash!
The cameras erupted.