On the morning of November 17, Kang Woojin was at a large multi-purpose complex in Tokyo called Pacific Yokohama. All kinds of events were held there, and the venue chosen for his fan signing was one of its convention halls.
It was a decent size.
There was a stage at the front and rows of audience seating laid out below it, giving it the feel of a mid-sized event space. Split between the first and second floors, it could hold around fifteen hundred people. It was usually used for corporate presentations and various events, but this morning, it had been reserved for Kang Woojin's fan signing.
The organizer, of course, was Netflix Japan.
This was one of the stops on Kang Woojin's Japan schedule. The popularity of Profiler Hanryang and Boy Friend had certainly played a part, but more broadly, the event was also meant to promote Kang Woojin himself. Through Profiler Hanryang, Boy Friend, and shows like Ametalk Show!, Woojin's popularity in Japan had surged, and because he had barely had any official interaction with fans until now, anticipation had grown even stronger.
In effect, this fan signing was Kang Woojin's first fan meeting in Japan.
Because of that, Netflix Japan had announced the event early. With Woojin's rising fame and the explosive interest in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, the news spread rapidly far beyond social media.
As a result, tickets for Kang Woojin's fan signing in Japan sold out within minutes.
Originally, the signing had been planned for only three hundred people, and those tickets vanished almost immediately. That was how Kang Woojin's first Japanese fan signing began. Since he had already experienced fan signings in Korea, Woojin was not especially worried about the number of attendees. Still, meeting fans from another country for the first time left him feeling both excited and slightly tense.
But then—
"We heard more than seven hundred people gathered in the outdoor plaza."
The news Han Yejung brought into the waiting room hit Woojin like a shock. There were already three hundred fans seated inside the convention hall, and now over seven hundred more had gathered in the plaza outside Pacific Yokohama. They were probably fans who had failed to get in through the application process.
That meant more than a thousand people had shown up.
At that point, it sounded less like a signing event and more like a fan meeting. Woojin set down the tablet he had been looking at, while keeping the same serious expression on his face.
'A thousand people?!'
He screamed inwardly. Three hundred was one thing, but more than a thousand? While the excitement spiked through him, Kang Woojin forced it down and asked Han Yejung in a low voice,
"What happened?"
Han Yejung, with her short blue hair, gave a small shake of her head.
"I'm not sure either. The Netflix Japan staff went out to check."
"Seven hundred?"
"Yes. But that's only an estimate. It could be even more. I glanced outside before coming in, and it honestly looked like the plaza in front of a concert hall."
"······"
"They're fans who missed out on the first-come, first-served three hundred spots and came anyway."
That was exactly what had happened. The large plaza in front of Pacific Yokohama's main entrance was packed with people. Interestingly, hundreds of fans had lined up in an orderly L-shaped line stretching all the way to the far end. No one had imposed any special rules, but once one person started it, everyone else had followed.
Most of them were women, though a few male fans could be seen here and there.
Seven hundred? No, it was easily over eight hundred. There were internet streamers filming with smartphones and action cams, fans carrying posters of Kang Woojin, and others holding small banners written in Korean. A wide mix of people had gathered.
In the middle of that crowd, one male streamer holding an action cam was interviewing a group of young-looking girls.
"Where did you come from?"
"Osaka!"
"Ah, all of you? That's pretty far. How old are you?"
"Nineteen!"
"You couldn't get into the fan signing, but you still came?"
"Yes, yes! We just wanted to see Mr. Kang Woojin, even for a moment! Even if it was only when he was leaving!"
That was all it came down to. They had all gathered just to catch even the briefest glimpse of Kang Woojin. Even if they could not get into the signing, they still hoped to see him in person.
Still—
"Did you count the numbers?!"
"It's over eight hundred!"
"For now, send the security guards outside!"
"Yes, yes!"
The Netflix Japan staff preparing the event had grown anxious. No one had expected this kind of turnout.
"Wow, the fans are gathering like it's a Korean idol fan signing."
"This is honestly shocking."
"Kang Woojin's popularity really has exploded."
"We should discuss this with Mr. Kang Woojin's side first."
By then, Woojin had already started the fan signing inside the convention hall. Around three hundred fans were gathered in the audience seats and in front of the stage, and Kang Woojin sat at a table onstage, signing items and exchanging brief greetings with each fan. Of course, smooth Japanese flowed naturally from his mouth.
"Hello."
"Wah! Hello! Mr. Kang Woojin, you're so handsome!"
"Thank you. What's your name?"
"Yonetsu Akina!"
"Ms. Yonetsu Akina."
"Please, please! Just call me by my name without the surname!"
"Akina?"
"Akina!"
"Akina."
"······Yes."
The female fan descended from the stage in a daze. The signing itself was going smoothly without any issues. Netflix Japan's filming team was recording footage for the official YouTube channel, and the small number of invited reporters were busily taking photos.
Then the team leader from Netflix Japan rushed over to Choi Sunggeon, who was sitting beside the stage.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry!"
"Hm?"
The staff member quickly explained the situation outside. Choi Sunggeon, who had already heard part of it, stroked his chin and sorted through his thoughts.
"Hm."
In truth, there was not much to deliberate over.
'We can just finish signing for the three hundred and leave.'
The scheduled duration was about two hours. After the signing ended, Woojin could greet the fans outside briefly before leaving. But Choi Sunggeon felt that would be a bit of a waste.
'More than eight hundred isn't a number we can just ignore. Counting everyone together, it's over a thousand.'
Kang Woojin's second visit to Japan had already created a huge stir, but more attention would only help. Given the passion of overseas fans, their support on Japanese social media, YouTube, and online communities could carry real weight. If this became a starting point, Woojin's recognition in Japan would only become more solid.
Of course, it was impossible to sign for all thousand fans.
'Still, a simple greeting shouldn't be a problem.'
That would only take a few minutes.
'And spreading goodwill as widely as possible would only help.'
Soon, Choi Sunggeon gestured for the Netflix Japan staff member to wait. Then—
-swish.
He walked over to Kang Woojin onstage, briefly pausing the signing as he leaned in and explained the current situation and his thoughts in a low voice. In the end, the decision was up to Woojin.
"What do you think?"
'I'm fine with it.'
That was Woojin's first thought. Honestly, anything seemed fine. He was simply grateful that so many people had come just to see him.
Then he suddenly paused.
"Ah."
A line he had heard somewhere came back to him.
"To us, it might be just a few minutes or maybe a few dozen minutes, but for fans who came to see a star, every small gesture can mean something for the rest of their lives, right?"
It was probably from some video he had watched on YouTube about the importance of fan service. He was not certain, but maybe it applied here too. At that moment, an idea came to him, and as he looked out at the audience in front of him, he quietly spoke.
"CEO, since it's turned out like this, what do you think about singing the Boy Friend OST for the fans?"
"A song? You mean singing?"
"Yes. Since people came from so far away, I don't think a simple greeting is enough. Looking at the atmosphere here, singing seems like the best choice. The Boy Friend OST and one cover song from my YouTube channel. How about two songs total?"
"That's a good idea. You're trying to give it the feel of a fan meeting? Is your throat okay?"
"Two songs won't be a problem. But since there's a difference between the three hundred official applicants and the actual number who came, the fans outside should only be brought in after the signing ends."
"Right. Of course."
"The gifts should only go to the original three hundred."
The gift he meant was a small framed Boy Friend poster. Kang Woojin's words quickly turned into a plan.
"Two songs will probably delay things by about thirty minutes. That means you'll have to eat in the car afterward."
"That's fine."
Choi Sunggeon passed the suggestion along to Netflix Japan, and they replied that there was no problem. In an instant, Kang Woojin's fan signing turned into a mini fan meeting.
And then—
"Uwaaaah?!!"
"Really?!"
"Kyaaaah!"
"Thank you!! Thank you so much!!"
The hundreds of fans gathered outside the venue erupted.
About an hour later, after finishing the signing, Kang Woojin stood at the center of the stage with a microphone in hand. The problem was—
'...I acted calm on the outside, but now that I'm actually standing here, my heart feels like it's going to explode. Good grief.'
He realized his heart was pounding wildly under the gaze of more than a thousand fans seated before him. Even so, the experience he had built up and his ability to maintain his usual composure were not for nothing. Suppressing the tension as best he could, Woojin raised the microphone and spoke.
"Thank you for coming all this way. I'm nothing special, but I'll sing two songs for you."
Screams and cheers exploded at once. The entire scene was captured by Netflix Japan's filming crew and the many reporters present. Naturally, every single one of the thousand-plus fans had their phones raised above their heads, filming him from every direction.
-♬♪♪ -♬♪ -♬♪
The intro to the Boy Friend OST that Kang Woojin began to sing filled the venue. Then his rich, high-quality vocals seized the ears of every fan in the hall.
At the same time, Japanese social media exploded as well.
[(@27GGGG)]
[(Photo) I could die happy now!! I would've been thrilled just seeing Mr. Woojin on his way out... and he even sang for us...]
Kang Woojin's thoughtful gesture spread far and wide.
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The next day, the 18th, around late lunchtime. Gimpo Airport.
Even then, plenty of people were still passing through the arrival area, while dozens of reporters stood gathered out in the open. The atmosphere did not feel sudden or random. You could tell just by listening to the conversations between the reporters.
"He should be coming out soon, right?"
"Yes, he's supposed to arrive around two."
It seemed the press had already been officially informed. People nearby glanced curiously at the cluster of reporters, clearly guessing that some celebrity would be appearing soon.
Right then—
"Over there! Kang Woojin! Mr. Kang Woojin!!"
With the reporters shouting in unison, flashes burst from the direction of the arrival gates. Or rather, it was a storm of camera flashes. The name of that celebrity spilled from the mouths of the bystanders.
"There! It's Kang Woojin!"
"Really??!"
"Oh, right! He was in Japan, wasn't he? I guess he came back today!"
"Let's get closer!"
Kang Woojin had returned to Korea after finishing his Japan schedule. He stepped out through the arrival gate in a denim jacket, without the slightest sign of fatigue on his face. Numerous staff members surrounded him, and the reporters snapped endless photos.
The reaction was exactly what you would expect for a top actor.
There was one unusual thing, though.
-stop.
On his way out of the airport, Kang Woojin stopped at a certain point in the lobby. The reason was simple.
"Mr. Kang Woojin!! How was your chemistry with the cast of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice?!"
It was a brief press interview with the dozens of gathered reporters. Of course, it was part of a plan Choi Sunggeon had prepared in advance. It was not good to avoid the press all the time. Besides, there was also the intention of stirring up buzz in both Korea and Japan at the same time.
Amid the barrage of questions, one reporter's shout reached Woojin's ears.
"Drug Dealer surpassed seven million viewers today!! Mr. Kang Woojin, do you happen to have a consecutive-viewership guarantee in your contract?!"
At the same time—
It was just around the moment Kang Woojin arrived back in Korea.
"Hm, looks like he's returned."
Director Ahn Gabok was checking the online situation on his phone. He was in a car on the way somewhere with the film company CEO and several staff members. Lowering his phone, Director Ahn thought back to the conversation they had the day before.
Kang Woojin had called him while still in Japan.
It had begun with Director Ahn tilting his head slightly.
"Right, Woojin. I heard you arrived in Japan."
Kang Woojin's low voice came through the receiver.
"Yes, Director. I'm in Japan right now. I called to tell you that I'll do my very best for Leech."
Director Ahn had already heard from Choi Sunggeon that Woojin intended to appear in the film. Even so, Kang Woojin had contacted him directly.
"Hehe, your character really is impossible to predict."
"Is that so?"
"There's something about you that feels vividly seasonal. Of course, I mean that as a compliment."
"Thank you. I'm looking forward to working with you."
"So am I. I'll be in your care from now on. Ah, and as of today, pre-production for Leech has begun."
At that point, Director Ahn returned to the present inside the car. He ran a hand over the thick white hair on his chin, gave a light laugh, and said,
"He has a wide musical spectrum, but there's also a unique charm to him that draws out people's sympathy. He's truly unusual."
Then he addressed the staff member driving.
"Let's move a little faster."
It was to speed up production on the film Leech.
──────────
Meanwhile, in the living room of a somewhat cramped apartment—
At a glance, it looked like an ordinary apartment. But the furniture arranged in the living room gave no sense that a family lived there. It felt almost empty. Aside from a refrigerator and a small kitchen table, the only thing in the living room was a single six-person table made by pushing two desks for two together.
The space felt strange, but the two people sitting at the table knew each other well.
"What do you think, PD?"
"It looks incredible to me."
It was the timid writer Choi Nana and the bearded PD Song Manwoo. Among them, Song Manwoo held a stack of papers, set two bundles side by side, and muttered,
"Let's try with just Episodes 1 and 2."
"Uh- yes, yes!"
"Of course we need to prepare, but even if it doesn't work, let's not be disappointed. To be honest, there's a much higher chance that it won't."
"That's... probably true?"
Song Manwoo's face had hardened like a general standing before a battlefield.
"Woojin's appearance fee is at least forty million won per episode now."