Bababababak!
Babababababab!
Camera flashes exploded nonstop toward Kang Woojin. The Boy Friend press conference had already lost its shape, turning into something that felt like his solo stage.
The reporters didn't let up for a second.
Woojin kept his face composed, but inside, everything felt unreal. The flashes kept bursting without pause.
'At this rate, I'm going to go blind.'
Still, he couldn't show any weakness. He steadied himself and held his posture firm, keeping his image intact. Because of that, his cold, controlled expression was captured clearly by dozens of cameras.
Then the questions poured in.
"Woojin! Have you met Director Kyotaro in person?!"
"When did discussions start?!"
"What role are you taking in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice?!"
"Have you met writer Akari?!"
"This is unprecedented! What was your appearance fee?"
"Woojin, over here!"
"Have you met your Japanese co-stars?!"
"There are so many projects lined up for you—can you handle all of them?!"
"How did a rookie like you land a lead role in a masterpiece by a Japanese master director?! Tell us how it happened!"
The questions came one after another, piling up without giving him room to breathe. His eyes stung from the flashes, his ears rang from the noise, but he forced himself to stay steady.
'At least let me answer one… this is ridiculous.'
But the heat only grew.
It made sense. Kang Woojin himself had just confirmed news big enough to shake both Korea and Japan. No reporter would stay quiet at a moment like this.
Then—
His gaze shifted.
Up until now, he had been staring forward without expression, but his eyes moved past the reporters toward the very back of the hall. There stood Choi Sunggeon, arms crossed, wearing a faint smile.
Their eyes met.
'This enough?'
Choi Sunggeon gave a small nod.
It was enough.
Everything happening now had been planned in advance. From the stage setup, to the female reporter's question, to Woojin's direct answer, and even this chaotic aftermath—it had all been laid out beforehand.
Though, the decision to answer directly had been Woojin's.
"Woojin, I'm telling you—no, I'm certain—someone's going to ask about Director Kyotaro. What are you going to do?"
"I'm not avoiding it."
"You're going to say it right there?"
"If there's no issue, I'll confirm it."
"Ha. That's like you. Alright, I'll handle the rest. Just do it."
And so, it played out exactly as planned.
Watching the frenzy, Choi Sunggeon's smile deepened slightly.
"Great shots."
A woman's voice came from behind him.
"How are we supposed to calm this down?"
Turning, he saw Executive Director Kim Sohyang approaching. Despite the chaos, her expression stayed composed, as if she already understood the situation.
Choi Sunggeon answered lightly.
"No need to calm it. Let it spread. And thanks for working with us."
"Oh, no—we should be thanking you. Press conference publicity is usually predictable, but look at this. You can't buy something like this."
"'Boy Friend' is going to be everywhere in Korea and Japan."
"Of course. A bomb just went off at the Boy Friend press conference. The moment I heard you were planning a reveal, I knew it would turn out like this."
Choi Sunggeon let out a quiet laugh before shifting the topic.
"We'll need to coordinate properly with Netflix Japan now. Everything's changed."
"I know. The Japan promotions—we'll scale them up."
"We should also alert the Japanese press. Director Kyotaro's side is probably already moving."
"I'll pass it along to the Japan branch and push Boy Friend promotions aggressively."
Kim Sohyang smiled brightly.
"With this, Woojin will be the hottest name in both Korea and Japan for a while."
Exactly what Choi Sunggeon had wanted.
Everything had gone according to plan, and the result was clean.
"Good."
Meanwhile, despite the overwhelming flashes and endless questions, Kang Woojin stayed silent, staring straight ahead.
"..."
'From here on, don't say anything.'
That had been Choi Sunggeon's instruction—to leave the reporters hanging and make them even more restless.
Beside him, Hwarin sat frozen, eyes wide.
"What? What did he just say?!"
She stared at Woojin's profile, stunned.
'No way… seriously?? Woojin is debuting in Japan? And as the lead in Director Kyotaro's film?!'
She had seen the articles before. The rumors had been too big to ignore, but she hadn't dared ask him directly.
Now that it was confirmed, her chest tightened with excitement.
'This is insane… It's his first time doing something like this, right? Yeah… it is. Why am I this happy?'
Her feelings toward Woojin were already strong, and seeing his success filled her with genuine joy.
Then—
Woojin turned his head toward her.
She flinched slightly.
After quietly looking at her for a moment, he spoke in a calm tone.
"Sorry."
"Huh? For what?"
"For surprising you."
"Oh…"
"I couldn't tell you. It was confidential."
Hwarin quickly shook her head.
"No, it's fine. Woojin, this is really great news."
"Yeah. It just worked out."
"You'll be acting in Japanese, right?"
"Yeah. I'll do my best."
'My favorite actor performing in Japanese… this is going to be amazing.'
Trying to stay composed, she added,
"Then you'll need practice. I can help—I know some Japanese."
"I told you before. I can speak it."
"Really?"
Excitement surged inside her.
'Woojin speaking Japanese… acting in Japanese… I can't wait.'
──────────
About thirty minutes later, around late lunchtime, in Buyeo, Chungcheongnam-do.
At the massive set of Island of the Missing, maintenance and expansion work was ongoing. With pre-production complete, the final touches were being pushed forward.
In front of one of the buildings—
"Ahem."
Director Kwon Gitaek stood with around ten staff members, inspecting the set. As he reviewed the nearly finished storyboard, he spoke.
"Doesn't this building feel too clean?"
"Should we ask the art team to rough up the exterior more?"
"No. It's not just the walls—it's the overall balance. Remove the doors. Break the windows. Push it further."
"Yes, Director."
Right then—
"D-Director!!"
An assistant director with dark circles rushed over, out of breath, holding out his phone.
"Please take a look at this!"
On the screen was a breaking news article.
『[Breaking] Kang Woojin declares at Boy Friend press conference: "I am that Korean rookie actor"』
It wasn't speculation.
It was fact.
The staff's eyes widened.
"Is this real?!"
"This isn't just a rumor?!"
"No! The media's going crazy—articles are pouring out!"
"I never thought I'd see something like this…"
Amid the shock, Kwon Gitaek simply smiled.
"As expected."
"You knew about this?"
"How would I know? Of course I didn't."
"But you don't seem surprised at all."
"When I saw Director Kyotaro at the Mise-en-scène Film Festival, I noticed his expression. It reminded me of the look I had when I first saw Woojin."
"Ah…"
"I think he felt the same. When that kind of talent is right in front of you, you don't turn away."
"I've been in this industry a long time, but… a rookie landing a lead role like this, less than a year after debut…"
"But Woojin is the lead in my film too, isn't he?"
"Well… yes, but—"
"I understand what you mean."
A production manager joined in, still looking at his phone.
"Director Kyotaro may not be as globally known as you, but in Japan, he's among the best. And the script is by Takikawa Akari—a world-renowned bestselling author. For a rookie like Woojin to lead that project… it's historic."
"It's enough to shake the industry."
"Yes."
He nodded slowly.
"And even if it were coincidence, everything leading up to this moment feels too perfect. It almost looks intentional."
Kwon Gitaek stroked his chin.
"Maybe. Or maybe it wasn't coincidence at all."
"…What?"
"Nothing."
The manager continued.
"In any case, we'll need to coordinate with Woojin's side. His schedule is already packed, and if Director Kyotaro's project overlaps with ours—"
It was a valid concern.
Depending on timing, conflicts could happen. Both projects were important, so adjustments would be necessary—but this wasn't unusual.
Kwon Gitaek asked calmly.
"Representative Choi wouldn't have done this without a plan. We set filming to start on the 15th next month, right?"
"Yes. September 15th. It may shift depending on pre-production, but that's the current plan."
Roughly three weeks away.
Kwon Gitaek glanced around the set.
"The Vietnam shoot is critical. Let's center discussions around that."
──────────
Meanwhile, Kang Woojin's confirmation spread across the world.
『[Official] The "Korean rookie actor" hinted by Director Kyotaro is Kang Woojin—confirmed』
『[Star Pick] Kang Woojin calmly acknowledges his role / Photo』
Right after the press conference, reporters who had been present began releasing firsthand accounts.
『"Unprecedented" Rookie Kang Woojin joins Japanese masterpiece… Japan reacts』
With photos attached, the impact grew even larger.
Soon, even outlets that hadn't attended joined in.
『Public reaction to Kang Woojin's confirmation—"As expected" vs "Seriously?!"』
『Kang Woojin leads film by Director Kyotaro and author Akari—building his own legend』
Articles flooded in every second.
The internet filled instantly, washing away doubt and hesitation.
Public attention gathered rapidly.
[Online reactions]
[Is this real??]
[I knew it would be him]
[This is insane]
[Unbelievable]
[He's on another level]
It wasn't just a spark.
It felt like countless fireworks going off all at once.
And it quickly spread offline.
"Hey! PD Jang! Look at this—Woojin confirmed it himself!"
"What? Seriously?!"
"Who would lie about something like that?!"
"This is going to explode!"
Across the industry—
"I had a feeling… I saw his YouTube videos."
"What do you mean?"
"I told you yesterday. His Japanese is really good."
"Oh—and he sings well too, right?"
"Yes, it's confirmed. He's in Director Kyotaro's project."
"What?!"
"He's incredible… even as a sunbae, I respect him."
And among the public—
"Wow! Kang Woojin confirmed it!"
"I just saw the article!"
"Everyone thought it wasn't him—but it was!"
"So he's debuting in Japan right after Korea?"
"Looks like it… honestly, his filmography is insane."
"He sings incredibly well too. Did you hear his Japanese cover?"
"His voice is amazing. Why is he good at everything?"
"I heard he's from a chaebol family—is that true?"
"No, I heard he has an identical twin. Like, there are two of him."
His name spread everywhere—cafés, restaurants, subways, offices.
Meanwhile, in Japan—
After finishing a call, Director Tanoguchi Kyotaro slowly lowered his phone and spoke to the man beside him.
"It's time to release the official statement regarding Woojin."
Soon after, the announcement was released.
『Exclusive: The Korean rookie actor starring in Director Kyotaro's film is Kang Woojin』