At 10 a.m. on the 19th, Netflix Korea officially released Boy Friend. Even at that early hour, viewers were already tuning in, drawn into the opening scene set in a park where cherry blossoms drifted gently through the air. The place was filled with people, lively enough to resemble a festival.
A bright, cheerful melody flowed softly beneath the scene.
♬♪
At first, the music stood alone. Gradually, it blended with the ambient noise of the crowd, and the screen revealed Kang Woojin and Hwarin from behind as they walked side by side through the bustling park.
Hwarin's voice slipped in over the scene, light yet certain.
"Yes, that's right. This is where everything began."
As her words settled, the view shifted naturally, revealing their faces. The contrast between them was immediate. Hwarin, dressed in a pale blue jacket, looked radiant and carefree, while Woojin's expression carried a trace of irritation.
Without warning, Hwarin broke into a run, her long hair trailing behind her. Woojin watched her go, letting out a quiet, drawn-out sigh.
Moments later, she came bouncing back toward him, both hands filled with cherry blossom petals, her energy unchanged.
"Hey! Han Inho!"
She held them out proudly, her eyes bright with mischief.
"Look at this!"
Woojin barely reacted, his tone flat.
"So what?"
She leaned closer, undeterred, her excitement spilling over.
"Ah! Smell it!"
He gave the petals a brief glance, unimpressed.
"I don't smell anything."
Their exchange flowed easily, casual and familiar, as if they had done this countless times before. After a short pause, Woojin finally leaned in, bringing his face closer to the petals she held out.
The moment stretched quietly—
—and came to a complete stop.
Everything froze as if time itself had been cut away. Hwarin's voice returned, now tinged with exaggerated regret.
"That moment! Right then! I should've shoved the petals into Han Inho's nose and run!"
The scene resumed just as abruptly.
The distance between them had closed without either of them noticing. Petals drifted between their faces as their gazes locked, something unspoken passing between them. The camera lingered, moving gently between their expressions, capturing the tension that had settled in.
They stood close enough to feel each other's breath.
♬♪
The music softened, and the world around them seemed to fall away. Sunlight filtered through the petals, bathing the moment in warmth as time itself seemed to slow.
Woojin, who had been watching Hwarin with an unreadable look, finally moved.
He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.
For a brief instant, everything else disappeared.
When he pulled back, Hwarin stared at him, her eyes wide in shock, before a sudden hiccup escaped her.
"Hic!"
The world froze again.
Her voice cut in, flustered and indignant.
"You idiot! Why am I hiccupping?!"
But the hiccups didn't stop.
"Hic!"
She held his gaze for a second longer, her composure slipping. Biting her lower lip, she glared at him, frustration breaking through.
"······You crazy bastard."
The words came out sharper than she intended, and whatever restraint she had left snapped along with them.
"You jerk!!"
She rushed at him without hesitation, arms thrown wide as if she had already decided there was no turning back.
Petals scattered as she collided with him, clinging to him without reserve. Woojin caught her instinctively, his hands settling against her as their bodies pressed close. Their lips met again, more urgent this time, as if neither of them had the presence of mind to stop.
For a fleeting moment, the camera caught a few onlookers watching from a distance, before returning to the two of them, completely absorbed in each other.
Then her voice broke through once more.
"Ah! No! Stop! Wait!"
The scene froze again.
"How did it end up like this??"
Everything began to rewind.
Their movements reversed, the crowd around them pulling back as if time itself had turned. The entire world seemed to unravel, slipping backward into an earlier moment.
The shift came gently.
The music changed, softer now, and the tone of the scene followed. Curtains fluttered into view, followed by a chalkboard, a teacher's desk, and students moving through a classroom.
"······"
A boy in a school uniform lay sprawled across his desk.
It was Kang Woojin.
A voice called out to him, sharp and familiar.
"Hey! Han Inho!!"
He lifted his head slightly, only to drop it again as soon as he saw her.
Hwarin stood there in her uniform, already closing the distance. Without hesitation, she ran up and smacked the back of his head.
Woojin shot upright, irritation flaring instantly.
"Ah! Lee Bomin! Are you crazy?!"
His scowl only made her grin wider, her expression bright and unbothered.
Their opposing expressions flickered across the screen—
And then the title appeared.
— Boy Friend
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Kang Hyuna and her friends were completely absorbed in the first episode of Boy Friend, snacks forgotten in their hands as they watched.
"Seriously… this is insane. It's so fun."
Their voices overlapped as they repeated lines from the show, unable to hold back their excitement.
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About an hour after the release, the group chat of Kang Woojin's close friends had already turned chaotic with excitement.
[Hyunggu: Are you serious? Hey, does Boy Friend really start with a kiss scene?!]
[Hyunggu: Damn, I'm jealous]
[Kyungseong: What? A kiss? Right at the beginning? Hold on, I'm at work—I need to check this in the bathroom]
[Hyunggu: Kang Woojin hyung must've saved a country like 40 times in his past life!!!! I'm so jealous]
[Daeyoung: You guys saw it, right? I saw it in person.]
[Hyunggu: ??? For real??]
[Daeyoung: I saw it with my own eyes]
[Kyungseong: Damn it, it's already this intense from the start?! Hey!! Kang Woojin! Was it fun?! WAS IT FUN?!]
[Hyunggu: Death penalty! Why? Don't know, just death penalty!]
[Kyungseong: With Hwarin… that Hwarin…]
[Daeyoung: lol idiot lol but how was it? Good? I haven't seen it yet, still at work]
[Hyunggu: Yeah yeah lol it's fun lol I don't usually watch stuff like this but it's actually good?]
[Kyungseong: Yeah, agreed. I'll watch it properly when I get home.]
[Woojin: hehe]
[Hyunggu: Hey! Is that guy smiling right now??!!]
Even on a weekday morning, their reactions were explosive.
The same was true elsewhere.
The live viewer chat for Boy Friend was moving at a relentless pace, messages flooding in one after another.
[This looks fun lololol]
[Ah!! Kang Woojin and Hwarin look so good in uniforms???]
[Kisskisskisskisskiss!!]
[Which episode has the kiss scene?]
[↑ The first one]
[This is exactly what I wanted… Kang Woojin… he's so handsome in Boy Friend…]
[Hwarin was so pretty in the interview scene…]
[What is this lol still boring lol]
[The color grading is insane… so pretty]
[Wow, Kang Woojin's image transformation is crazy!! I forgot about Assistant Manager Park completely!!]
[The entrance ceremony lol that principal looks exactly like ours lol]
[Feels like it's glowing and fluttering lol]
[When is the OST they sang together coming out?]
[Why does Kang Woojin look so good in a school uniform? Why is he so handsome? Why is he smiling like that?]
[If you kissed like that you should just go straight to a motel lol]
[Is that all you think about???]
[Oh my… that kiss scene was intense… I actually like it]
[Kang Woojin's acting is so good he's going to gain a ton of female fans!]
The posts refreshed endlessly, creating the illusion of a live broadcast.
The atmosphere only grew more charged.
Communities responded just as quickly. A dedicated gallery for Boy Friend had already been created on a major forum, filling up with posts at a rapid pace.
But this was only the beginning.
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Around lunchtime that same day, in Japan—
News of Boy Friend's release had reached the country, though attention remained largely focused on The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice and the Kashiwa Group.
Even so, both topics carried significant weight, and Kang Woojin's name continued to surface frequently, fueled by the lingering impact of his appearance on Ametalk Show!.
Amid all this, a luxury sedan sped down the road.
Inside, Chairman Yoshimura Hideki spoke in a low, measured voice.
"How is The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice progressing?"
Lily, seated in the passenger seat, turned toward him at once.
"Everything is proceeding as you expected, Chairman. Interest continues to grow, and attention toward both us and The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice remains steady."
"Good. And Director Kyotaro Tanoguchi?"
"After the production halt, he has been working to accelerate the process. Casting has recently been completed."
"And Kang Woojin?"
"He has begun filming his next project. He is currently in Vietnam for overseas shooting."
Hideki nodded slowly, satisfaction evident.
'Shingo has become noticeably brighter than before.'
His grandson's condition was improving with each passing day.
Perhaps his hopes were growing along with him.
He turned his gaze toward the window, thoughtful.
"Rather than participating in the cultural industry once, it would be better to stay involved continuously."
After a brief pause, he spoke again.
"We should meet Kang Woojin soon."
Lily responded without hesitation.
"Shall I arrange a meeting?"
He shook his head slightly.
"No. A formal meeting would be premature. It might place unnecessary pressure on him. Wouldn't it be better if it appeared natural?"
Lily considered this, then met his eyes.
"What about the script reading for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice?"
Hideki tilted his head slightly.
"Script reading?"
"Yes. It's part of pre-production, where the director, actors, and staff gather to align their performances."
Understanding dawned slowly.
"I see."
"Kang Woojin is scheduled to attend. You could meet him then."
Hideki stroked his chin, clearly pleased with the suggestion.
"Hmm. When and where?"
"Filming will begin soon, so the schedule should be finalized shortly. It's usually held at the production company."
He fell silent for a moment, considering.
When he spoke again, his decision was already made.
"Then let's host it at my hotel. A hall should be enough."
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At that same time, Kang Woojin was still in Korea.
Inside a moving truck, he sat looking down at his phone, his appearance polished as if he had just come from a salon.
More precisely—
'Ah! The kiss scene… wow. Seeing the final version like this, it's both cute and a little embarrassing.'
He was watching Boy Friend.
A strange feeling lingered within him.
'Is it because I'm watching myself… or because it's on Netflix?'
Either way, the sense of disbelief remained.
Just then, a voice broke into his thoughts.
"Oppa."
Han Yejung, her short blue hair framing her face, settled beside him.
"Boy Friend is really fun, right?"
Her tone was blunt, but there was no mistaking the sincerity in it. The stylists nearby quickly chimed in, echoing her sentiment.
"Yeah, it's really fun. Not just because it's Woojin oppa's project."
"The first kiss scene definitely made an impact."
"Oppa and Hwarin's chemistry is amazing. You two look so good together! Is this a scandal or something?"
Woojin glanced at them, quietly taking in their reactions.
'So it looks good from their perspective too.'
Yejung turned toward the front seat.
"CEO-nim, have you seen it? What do you think?"
Choi Sunggeon slowly turned around, a deep, knowing smile on his face.
What he said, however, had nothing to do with the drama.
"Boy Friend is just Boy Friend, but Woojin, there's another piece of good news."
'What's with that smile?'
He pointed toward Woojin's phone.
"Check it yourself. I just sent it. Open the Kang Woojin's Alter Ego channel."
Woojin switched from Netflix to YouTube without much thought.
The channel page appeared immediately.
[Kang Woojin's Alter Ego]
[Subscribers: 5.02 million]
[Videos: 13]
The number was unmistakable.
His subscriber count had surpassed five million.
Outwardly, Woojin remained composed, his expression unchanged.
Inside, however—
'No way… I'm a five-million-subscriber YouTuber now? That's… seriously unbelievable.'
A thought surfaced, sudden and clear.
'Right.'
He looked up at Sunggeon.
"CEO-nim. Since we're talking about the channel, I think we should add something new."
Sunggeon raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"Would that be okay?"
"Of course. What is it? Something music-related?"
Woojin shook his head.
"No."
A brief silence followed, the weight of his answer settling in.
"It's about cooking."
Sunggeon blinked, clearly taken aback.
"······Cooking?"